Reduce ‘ponmo’ consumption, LASEPA urges residents (Punch)
The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency has urged ‘ponmo’ lovers in the state to consider reducing their consumption to keep the air quality of the state clean and healthy.
Speaking exclusively with our correspondent on Friday, the General Manager of the environmental agency, Babatunde Ajayi. disclosed that burning of cow skin in different areas of the state releases carbon emissions into the air which are very harmful to humans.
Ponmo is made by burning cow skin. This involves burning the cow skin for an extended time on fire before it reaches the perfect texture. Thereafter, the roasted skin is washed several times and boiled for several hours to soften it. Read more
VP Shettima announces $100m grant for women-driven businesses (Leadership)
Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima has revealed that women-led businesses will receive 50% of the anticipated $200 million grant proposed by the National Philanthropic Office (NPO) for MSME startups.
Shettima made this announcement during the inauguration of the Local Implementation Committee of the NPO at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Stanley Nkwocha.
He said, “Eligible MSMEs will receive grants ranging from $5 million to $10 million. Emphasis will be placed on supporting women-led businesses, constituting 50% of the start-ups.” Read more
“Nigeria, not a cursed, poor country” — Tinubu tasks governors on national devt (Vanguard)
President Bola Tinubu has tasked the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors to design and implement policies that prioritise all Nigerians.
He also charged them to always consider the national interest above political affiliations.
The president gave the task at a meeting with members of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) at the State House in Abuja on Friday. Read more
RTEAN ban lifted as union gets new leadership in Lagos (Nation)
The Federal Government and Lagos State Government have resolved the crisis rocking the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Lagos State.
The ban slammed on the union’s operations in Lagos has been lifted.
The resolution lay to rest the contentious issue of RTEAN leadership with the unanimous appointment of a new leadership for the union in Lagos State. Read more
Lagos Catholic Archbishop seeks end to killings, urges govts to tackle corruption (ThisDay)
The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos Diocese, Most. Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, has attributed the myriad of challenges facing the country to leadership problems. The clergy, while speaking in an exclusive interview with THISDAY, in Lagos, highlighted the danger of corruption, inefficiency and lack of transparency to any society.
He stressed the need for leadership to address the issue of good governance by leading people in the right direction and make the required sacrifices for the nation.
Archbishop Martins said there was need for the political will to deal with inappropriate use of government resources. Read more
Tinubu condoles with Zulum over death of media aide, Gusau (Sun)
President Bola Tinubu has described as sad the passing of Isa Gusau, Special Adviser on Public Relations and Strategy to Babagana Zulum, Governor of Borno State.
In a statement issued by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity,
Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu condoled with the Gusau family, the professional colleagues of the late Gusau, and the government and people of Borno State over this agonising loss. Read more
APC accepts Supreme Court rulings on Kano, Lagos, Abia, other governorship disputes (Leadership)
The All Progressives Congress (APC) said it has welcomed with equanimity the Supreme Court’s decisions on election petitions challenging the outcome of 2023 governorship elections in eight states of the Federation.
APC, in statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, on Friday night expressed delight that
In Lagos, Ebonyi and Cross River States, the Supreme Court upheld the election of governorship candidates of the APC. Read more
Yemi Alade, Adekunle Gold feature in the “Book Of Clarence” soundtrack (Independent)
Nigerian hitmakers, Adekunle Gold and Yemi Alade have appeared on the tracklist of the songs for the movie, ‘‘The Book of Clarence’’.
The soundtrack album, released alongside the movie, sees Adekunle Gold lending his vocal dexterity to ‘‘Jeezu’’ featuring American rappers Doja Cat and Kodak Black.
Yemi Alade features on ‘‘Sacred Love’’ alongside Jeymes Samuel. Read more
Jonathan Majors dropped from Dennis Rodman movie “48 Hours in Vegas’’ (THR)
Jonathan Majors has been let go from the Dennis Rodman feature “48 Hours in Vegas”, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Lionsgate is no longer developing the film that hails from Lord Miller, and the project will now be shopped to other potential buyers. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Aditya Sood are on board as producers. CNN first reported the news.
The news comes ahead of a Feb. 6 sentencing for Majors on assault and harassment convictions stemming from an incident involving ex-partner Grace Jabbari in March. Read more
Massive Attack speak out on their boycott of gigs in Israel since 1999 (NME)
Massive Attack have spoken out about their boycott of gigs in Israel since 1999.
The trip-hop group took to their official X/Twitter account to respond to someone’s comment about their performance in the country. “Your shows in Tel Aviv were fantastic,” read the tweet.
Massive Attack replied with: “Massive Attack have not performed (& will not perform) in Israel since the international request was made by Palestinian civic society & artistic institutions in 2002 (reiterated in 05 as BDS) as a form of non-violent pressure on Israel to end its brutal occupation of Palestine. Read more
Voting begins in Taiwan’s critical elections watched closely by China (StraitsTimes)
Polls opened on Jan 13 in Taiwan’s presidential and parliamentary elections which China has framed as a choice between war and peace, and are happening as Beijing ramps up pressure to get the island to accept its sovereignty.
Taiwan has been a democratic success story since holding its first direct presidential election in 1996, the culmination of decades of struggle against authoritarian rule and martial law.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which champions Taiwan’s separate identity and rejects China’s territorial claims, is seeking a third term in office with its candidate, current Vice President Lai Ching-te. Read more
Gunman in racist mass shooting in Buffalo to face death penalty (AlJazeera)
Federal prosecutors in the United States will seek the death penalty against Payton Gendron, a white supremacist who murdered 10 Black people during a live streamed supermarket rampage in New York state.
Gendron, 20, is already serving a life sentence in prison with no chance of parole, after he pleaded guilty to state charges of murder and hate-motivated domestic terrorism in the 2022 attack in Buffalo.
In a notice announcing the decision to seek the death penalty, Trini Ross, US attorney for western New York, wrote that Gendron had selected the supermarket “in order to maximise the number of Black victims”. Read more
Queen Elizabeth’s final moments before her death revealed in new book (People)
More than one year after Queen Elizabeth’s death, new details have emerged, casting a revealing light on the circumstances surrounding the iconic monarch’s death.
In an excerpt from royal biographer Robert Hardman’s new book, The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy (out Jan. 18), in Daily Mail on Friday, the author shares a memo of the monarch’s final moments from her private secretary, Sir Edward Young, who was at Balmoral when the Queen died on Sept. 8, 2022.
“Very peaceful. In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. She wouldn’t have been aware of anything. No pain,” Young notes in the previously unseen memo that’s now part of the Royal Archives, according to Daily Mail. Read more
IMF expects “resilient global economy” in 2024 despite lower average growth rates (AfricaNews)
The International Monetary Fund predicts a ‘soft landing’ scenario in 2024 for the global economy.
The Fund’s spokesperson however warned that leaders should be preparing for future shocks and challenges.
Julie Kozack spoke to journalists on Thursday from Washington DC. Read more
Gun-obsessed Lidl worker who plotted Dunblane-style school shooting jailed for life (Mirror)
Reed Wischhusen made his own arsenal of weapons and explosives and had a list of targets, including a school and his area’s police headquarters in Portishead, Somerset
A man who dressed as a policeman to attack officer headquarters and plotted to shoot former teachers and ex-schoolmates who had bullied him in his youth has been jailed for life.
Reed Wischhusen, 32, ended up trying to shoot police at point blank range at the Avon and Somerset Constabulary headquarters in Portishead. A court heard the Lidl worker, who was obsessed with mass shootings and infamous murderers, had a list of targets and locations he was planning to go for, including a school. Read more
“Worst manager ever,” Mikel Obi blasts Sunday Oliseh (DailyTrust)
Super Eagles of Nigeria and Chelsea legend, John Mikel Obi, has opened up on his terrible experience with Sunday Oliseh as national team coach, blasting the former coach as “the worst manager ever”.
Obi bared his mind during Episode 3 of his ObiOne podcast tagged “Taking the Mikel: Sunday Oliseh, look away now!”
The AFCON 2013 winner disclosed that Oliseh confronted team leaders on the first day of camp. Read more
AFCON 2023 kicks off in Ivory Coast (Punch)
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off today with a tricky tie between Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau. The 34th edition of the tournament is considered one of the most wide-open in recent times, with several teams capable of lifting the title on February 11.
The Super Eagles are in Group A alongside hosts, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau
This group is straightforward on paper as Ivory Coast and Nigeria have better players than the other two nations, so, most would fancy both to easily progress to the knockout stages. Read more
FIFA-U17 Qualifier: Olowookere invites 35 to Flamingos camp (Tribune)
Head coach of the national U17 female national team, the Flamingos, Bankole Olowookere, has invited 35 players to the camp ahead of their 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifying fixture against their counterparts from the Central African Republic.
The list is composed of five goalkeepers, nine defenders, seven midfielders and 14 forwards.
On Thursday, NFF Executive Committee announced the retention of Olowookere alongside his assistants from the FIFA World Cup bronze medal-winning feat from India 2022 and he will now lead his new birds to the first leg of the qualifiers scheduled for the weekend of 2nd to 4th February 2024 in Bangui, with the return leg to take place at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Saturday, 10th February. Read more
David Teeger: Axing of South Africa U19 cricket captain sparks antisemitism row (BBC)
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has said it has dropped David Teeger as captain of its Under-19 side because of security concerns following comments he made about the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
But Jewish leaders have called the move an “outrageous act of antisemitism”.
Teeger, who is Jewish, came under criticism after being quoted last October as praising Israeli soldiers. Read more
Adam Siao Him Fa lands backflip en route to European figure skating title (NBC)
France’s Adam Siao Him Fa performed a back flip in his free skate at the European Championships — an illegal element and a throwback to the move trademarked by countrywoman Surya Bonaly.
Siao Him Fa, 22, repeated as European champion in Kaunas, Lithuania, totaling 276.17 points between the short program and free skate.
He distanced silver medalist Aleksandr Selevko of Estonia by 19.18 points, so his two-point deduction for performing the backflip near the end of his free skate didn’t affect the standings. Read more
Las Vegas Grand Prix fears addressed by Miami in ‘‘dangerous’’ assumption (PlanetF1)
The arrival of the Las Vegas Grand Prix onto the F1 calendar doesn’t have the Miami GP organisers quivering in fear about their event’s future.
With the Formula 1-organised Las Vegas Grand Prix arriving on the F1 calendar in late 2023 and immediately producing a barnstorming race, the long-term future of the Miami GP was immediately pulled into scrutiny.
As the United States now hosts three races on the calendar, the risk of over-saturation – even with the races spread out over the country – means the huge success of Las Vegas and the ongoing popularity of Austin applies pressure on the still-new Miami event. Read more