Presidency hails Senate for quick ministerial confirmation (Nation)
The Presidency on Tuesday praised the diligence of the Senate in confirming the ministerial nominees, whilst also ensuring a swift and efficient process. A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, noted that the people of Nigeria want results. According to him, with the list of ministers, the Presidency is confident that they shall be delivered. Read more
Proscription of Shi’ites by FG, a grave error-Onaiyekan (Punch)
The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onayeikan, has described the proscription of the Shi’ite movement by the Federal Government as an error. What this meant, Onaiyekan said, is that other religious beliefs in the country are under threat as the government could simply obtain a court order and proscribe them. He said this while speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday on the programmes for the celebration of his 50th priestly ordination and the launch of a book in his honour titled, ‘Thy will be done: A portrait of John Cardinal Onaiyekan,’ slated for Thursday. Read more
APC accuses Atiku of felony, says former VP acting like alternate President (Nation)
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar of felony, saying the PDP Presidential candidate has been carrying himself as an alternative President. The party reminded the former Vice President that the Nigerian constitution was clear on how to deal with criminalities, saying the present government will not be found wanting where it is required to take decisive actions. Read more
Your road repair shoddy, Lagos Assembly tells public works (Punch)
Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday rated the performance of Public Works Corporation low in maintaining roads and other infrastructure in the state. The Chairman, House ad hoc Committee on LSPWC, Mr Setonji David (APC-Badagry II) during an oversight visit of project sites, said that it had not justified its budgetary allocation. David expressed dissatisfaction when he led other members of the committee, Messrs Rasheed Makinde (Ifako-Ijaiye II), Noheem Adams (Eti-Osa I) and Olayiwola Olawale (Mushin II) on oversight function to some project sites of the LSPWC. Read more
Blame state govts for menace of Almajiri education system — Buhari (Nation)
It is not proper to blame the Federal Government for the menace of the Almajiri system of education as the responsibility is that of state governments, President Muhammadu Buhari says. The president spoke when he received members of the Progressives in Academics at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday. Almajiri system of education is a form of Qur’anic learning associated with begging on economic and religious grounds peculiar to some northern states. Read more
Probe Remi Tinubu for demanding jobs from Fashola —CACOL (Punch)
The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership has called for the probe of the senator representing Lagos Central, Mrs Remi Tinubu, for asking a ministerial nominee, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), for a share of the job slots in his yet-to-be-assigned ministry. Tinubu had addressed Fashola, who appeared before the Senate for screening, on Monday, saying, “During your first tenure, I didn’t get any chance to give employment letters to my constituents. So, when you get there this time, remember us. We all (senators) need slots.” Read more
How Boko Haram killed 68 mourners in Borno (Nation)
The Caretaker Committee Chairman of Nganzai LGC Alhaji Mohammed Bulama has explained how some insurgents lunched attack on villagers who went to bury one of their own at Badu Village of the local Government, Borno State. Bulama disclosed this to journalists at Gajiram, the headquarters of Nganzai Local Government when Gov. Babagana Zulum visited to condole with the families over the pogrom orchestrated by the Boko Haram insurgents. According to him, the insurgents rode on about five motorcycles and lunched a dastardly attack on unsuspecting mourners who were at the burial ground for a burial of one of the villagers. Read more
Edo State dares Senate over threat to take over assembly (Guardian)
Edo State Government Tuesday said the threat to take over its house of assembly by the Nigerian Senate was unconstitutional and a show of disrespect for the principle of separation of powers. “The Edo State Government maintains that there is nowhere in the Constitution particularly Section 11(4) which enables the National Assembly to “take over” any House of Assembly or in this respect, the Edo State House of Assembly,” secretary to Edo State Osarodion Ogie said in a statement. Read more
Oyetola presents N1.13bn bond certificate to Osun retirees (Guardian)
Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun on Tuesday presented N1.13 billion bond certificates to 189 retirees as their retirement packages.Oyetola, while presenting the bond certificates in Osogbo, said the sum of N474, 753,13 would be shared among 105 retired local government employees, while N538,696,783 would be shared among 84 retired primary school teachers. The governor reiterated his commitment to the welfare of all active and retired workers in the state. Read more
Reprisal killing: Taraba Police, Tiv, Junkun differ on casualties (Punch)
The Police Command in Taraba State has said that only one individual was killed in what appeared to be a revenge for the alleged murder of a Junkun man on Tuesday. While the Tiv claimed that no fewer than nine of their kinsmen were killed in Takum town, Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State on Tuesday, the Police said the figure was not true. Takum is the hometown of Governor Darius Ishaku who turned 65 today. Read more
ICRC supplies relief items to 27,000 displaced persons (Guardian)
About 27,000 displaced persons by the armed conflict in Borno State, have received emergency relief items in Monguno town from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). “These families fled the violence, leaving everything behind them,” ICRC’s economic security field officer in Monguno, Sadiq Baba Ahmed, said in a statement. “These people have been forced out of their homes due to the hostilities and are in a dire situation.” Read more
Sudan suspends schools after student killings (BBC)
Sudan’s authorities have ordered all schools nationwide to suspend classes indefinitely amid mass student demonstrations over the shooting dead of five people at a rally. A military council directive says their doors should remain closed from Wednesday, the state news agency said. Protesters gathered in cities including the capital Khartoum following the killing of the protesters on Monday. Read more
UK’s Johnson promises Irish PM no physical border checks (Guardian)
Britain will never impose physical checks on its border with Ireland, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised his Irish counterpart on Tuesday, while repeating that current plans for the frontier after Brexit were unacceptable. The land border between British Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland will become part of the bloc’s external frontier once Britain leaves the European Union, and how it is managed is hugely controversial. In his first phone call with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar since taking office last week, Johnson said he emphasised that “the UK under no circumstances will have checks at the border in Northern Ireland”. Read more
No-deal Brexit up to the EU, says Boris Johnson on first Welsh visit (BBC)
The prime minister has said it is “up to the EU, this is their call” if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. Boris Johnson made his first visit to Wales as PM on Tuesday, seeking support from farmers for his Brexit plans. He held talks with Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford, who said there was a “deeply concerning lack of detail” from the new prime minister. Read more
Mothers gunned down in Chicago during anti-crime street vigil (BBC)
Two mothers in Chicago have been killed in a drive-by shooting as they stood on a street corner in an effort to deter gun violence. Chantell Grant and Andrea Stoudemire were volunteers for Mothers Against Senseless Killings and had been camped out at the corner to prevent conflict. They were shot on Friday evening by the occupants of a blue SUV. No arrests have yet been made. Supporters say they are shocked by the killing and will honour their memories. Read more
‘Disgruntled’ Walmart employee shoots dead two co-workers (Guardian)
A disgruntled employee shot dead two co-workers and wounded a police officer at a Walmart store in the southern US state of Mississippi on Tuesday, officials said. The gunman, who has not been identified, was shot and wounded by one of the police officers who responded to the shooting in the city of Southaven, police chief Macon Moore told reporters. Moore said two Walmart employees were killed in what he described as a “senseless violent act.” Read more
Whale ‘swallows’ sea lion: ‘It was a once-in-a-lifetime event’ (BBC)
Chase Dekker believes the photo he took of a humpback whale “swallowing” a sea lion is the first time that happening has ever been caught on camera. The 27-year-old wildlife photographer and marine biologist had taken a boat of whale watchers out on the water in Monterey Bay, California, on 22 July when the incident happened. “It wasn’t a huge group, only three humpback whales and about two hundred sea lions,” Chase tells Radio 1 Newsbeat. Read more
Star Trek actor, Chris Obi, denies sexual assault allegations (Punch)
Nigerian-born British actor, Chris Obi, has denied allegations of sexual assault levelled against him by six women. He issued the denial after Metropolitan police arrested him at Heathrow as he flew in from Los Angeles on suspicion of rape and sexual assault of six female students, reports Express UK. Police say they are investigating the actor, who starred in the popular sci-fi film, Star Trek as a ‘Klingon’, on alleged incidents which took place between July 2012 and August 2018. Read more
Mashrou’ Leila: Lebanese rock band pulled from festival after threats (BBC)
A major Lebanese music festival has cancelled a concert by the country’s best-known rock band, Mashrou’ Leila, “to prevent bloodshed” after church leaders accused the group of blasphemy. The Byblos festival said it was forced to cancel the group’s performance next week on security grounds. Critics of the band had threatened to attack the concert if it went ahead. Read more
Super Falcons deserve equal pay, says Oparanozie (Guardian)
Super Falcons captain, Desire Oparanozie has asked that the women’s senior national team be paid the same amount of money paid to the men’s national team, the Super Eagles. She made the call at the 2019 Ladies In Sports (LIS) Conference held on Friday, July 26 at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos. “I think we deserve equal pay. We are the most successful female team in Africa. We have done the nation proud. I believe we will get there, one step at a time,” Oparanozie said. Read more
AFCON Fallout: Otedola redeems $25,000 pledge to Super Eagles (Nation)
Nigeria Oil tycoon, Femi Otedola on Tuesday fulfilled his promise of $25,000 to the Super Eagles for the only goal they scored against Algeria in the semi final of the Africa Cup of Nations. This was revealed by Otedola through the verified twitter handle of the Nigeria Football Federation after receiving some members of the team’s backroom staff and Eagles defender, Kennth Omeruo at his office on Tuesday. Read more
Manchester United and Juventus agree swap deal involving Romelu Lukaku and Paulo Dybala (Metro)
Manchester United and Juventus have reportedly agreed a swap deal in principle involving Romelu Lukaku and Paulo Dybala. Juventus have been pushing to sign Lukaku, 26, this summer and the Italian champions approached United over including Dybala, 25, in their offer for the Belgium international. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made it clear that Lukaku would be playing second fiddle to Marcus Rashford should he stay on at United next season and the striker has pushing for a move to Turin. Read more
Real Madrid’s pre-season struggles continue with loss to Tottenham (Guardian)
Real Madrid’s disastrous pre-season continued on Tuesday as they lost 1-0 to Tottenham in Munich. “Our defeat was well deserved,” Real midfielder Tony Kroos told German TV after the match. It’s true that we’re not quite in good shape.” Harry Kane scored the only goal of the game with a deft finish after pouncing on a disastrous pass by Marcello, who was trying to prevent a throw-in, after 22 minutes. Read more
Manchester United star Eric Bailly out for ‘four to five months’ after knee surgery, says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Metro)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that Eric Bailly has undergone knee surgery and will be out for ‘four to five months’ after sustaining an injury in Manchester United’s pre-season clash with Tottenham. Bailly, who has been plagued by injuries since completing a move from Villarreal to Old Trafford in 2016, was stretchered off the field in the second half of United’s 2-1 victory over Spurs in Shanghai. Read more
Tuchel tells PSG to ‘make sacrifices’ after Mbappe shines (Punch)
Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel warned his side that they must pull together and “make sacrifices” after they eased to a 3-0 friendly win over Sydney FC on Tuesday in China. The German spoke a day after midfielder Julian Draxler told AFP that the “egos” of Neymar and the French champions’ other star forwards did not always make it easy for the team. Tuchel is under pressure to take PSG deep into the Champions League in the forthcoming season, while successfully defending their Ligue 1 title is almost a formality. Read more
Wolves sign AC Milan striker Cutrone (Guardian)
Wolves signed Italy striker Patrick Cutrone from AC Milan in a reported £16 million ($19 million) deal on Tuesday. Cutrone agreed to a four-year contract and becomes Wolves’ second pre-season signing following the arrival of Jesus Vallejo on loan from Real Madrid last week. “The club really wanted me and being able to play in the Premier League for Wolves is fantastic. I just can’t wait to get started,” he told Wolves’ official website. Read more
Jill Ellis: US head coach to step down after back-to-back World Cup titles (BBC)
Jill Ellis is to step down as head coach of the US women’s football team after guiding the team to back-to-back World Cup titles. The 52-year-old, who was born in Portsmouth but moved to the US as a teenager, was appointed in 2014 and led the team to their first World Cup victory in 16 years in 2015. The US retained their title last month with a 2-0 win over the Netherlands. Read more
Rooney says his future is in MLS ahead of All-Star clash (Guardian)
Wayne Rooney stressed Tuesday that his future remains in Major League Soccer amid new suggestions his family is unsettled in Washington and wants him to return to England before his current contract expires. Former England and Manchester United forward bristled when asked about stories circulating in England that wife Coleen has demanded he quits North America when his current DC United contract expires at the end of 2021. Read more
Caster Semenya to miss World Championships after court ruling (BBC)
Caster Semenya says she will not defend her World Championship 800m title in September after a setback in her challenge to the restricting of testosterone levels in female runners. But the South African said she would “continue her fight for human rights” despite her “disappointment”. Semenya has twice appealed against IAAF rules preventing her from running without medication. Read more