Sanusi arrives in Lagos (Guardian)
The former emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II arrived in Lagos late Friday from Nasarawa State via Abuja.
His departure from Nasarawa came after Justice Anwuli Chikere of a federal high court in Abuja declared granted an interim order releasing him from his “detention” in Awe, Nasarawa.
The Judge fixed March 26 for hearing on the matter.
Sanusi left Nasarawa in company of Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, who appointed into the board of Kaduna State Investment Promotion Authority and as the chancellor of Kaduna State University within 48 hours of his dethronement. Read more
179 People quarantined for Coronavirus in Lagos, Ogun test negative, released (Guardian)
Relief came to the families of all the 179 people quarantined for having contact with the Italian who was diagnosed with COVID-19 popularly known as coronavirus in Nigeria as they were released yesterday.
Forty of the 179 people who had contact with the index case were quarantined in Ogun State while the rest were monitored in Lagos State.
Speaking at a briefing to give an update on the disease, yesterday, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said the 179 contacts with the Italian were traced and quarantined, adding that since they had exceeded the mandatory 14 days isolation, they were released as they did not develop any symptom of the disease. Read more
LASU to graduate 76 first class as deposed Kano’s emir, Sanusi chairs 24th convocation (Tribune)
A total of 76 students of Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo, would be graduating with First Class honors in various disciplines at this year’s convocation ceremonies.
The number are part of the 8, 959 students (for 2018\2019 academic session) across levels-certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate studies- who made the graduation list and it is the highest in the history of LASU. Only 57 made First Class last year while 26, 26 and seven made that of 2018, 2017, and 2016 respectively.
Also, Shotunde Oladimeji Idris from Business Administration Department with a Cumulative Gradient Points Average (CGPA) of 4.95 out of the obtainable 5.0 points emerged the overall best in the set even as the English Language Department produced the first person graduating with First Class in the anal of the university. Read more
Query: Don’t disrespect obas, Alaafin writes Fayemi (Punch)
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, has warned the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, against treating the traditional institution in Yorubaland with levity.
Alaafin said unlike in some tribes, where there was nothing attached to their traditional institutions, the Yoruba traditional institution was “ancestral and spiritual.”
The monarch stated this in a letter to the state governor dated March 12, 2020, following a query issued by Fayemi to some prominent traditional rulers in the state over alleged insubordination. Read more
ABUAD procures 16 new dialysis machines (Guardian)
The Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), has purchased 16 new dialysis machines to be deployed for the treatment of increasing cases of renal failure in the country.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Smaranda Olarinde, who addressed journalists in Ado Ekiti, said the machines were bought to strengthen the treatment of kidney diseases and prevent untimely death among Nigerians.
She also said that due to the deplorable state of the roads in Ekiti and its environs, the university has built a helipad to ease transportation to the multi-system hospital and the entire university community. Read more
ASUU attacks Ngige, says won’t join IPPIS (Punch)
Members of the Academic Union of Universities have reaffirmed their position on the full implementation of the 2009 Federal Government/ASUU agreement, insisting that they will not join the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.
ASUU on Monday began a two-week strike to press the Federal Government to implement its 2009 agreement and resolution as well as excluding public university lecturers from the IPPIS.
Addressing journalists on Friday at the Bayero University, Kano secretariat, the Zonal ASUU Chairman, Prof Mahmoud Lawan, said ASUU would continue to remain resolute on the issue of IPPIS. Read more
My intention was to shake hands with Buhari, not to harm him, says Jamilu (Guardian)
Jamilu Mohammed Gondari, the 30-year- old, who was alleged to have planned to attack President Muhammadu Buhari during his visit to Kebbi State for the Argungu International Fishing Festival, has debunked reports that he was beaten up by the security agents for breaching protocol.
Addressing a press conference, yesterday, at the Government House, Birnin Kebbi, Jamilu, said his intentions were not to harm the President, but that he wanted to exhibit his love and passion for him by shaking his hand.
Jamilu regretted the embarrassment his actions must have caused the President, his host, Governor Abubakar Bagudu and other dignitaries present at the event, pointing out that his passion for Buhari’s integrity and purposeful leadership made him behave the way he did by struggling to see him, urging Nigerians to disregard the reports, saying “the allegations are false. I was not beaten up and I am doing fine.” Read more
N285bn so far released for 2020 capital projects – FG (Nation)
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, on Friday revealed that about N285 billion has so far been released for capital projects in the 2020 budget.
The Minister spoke to State House Correspondents after the Presidential Committee on the review of the impact of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on the Economy submitted its interim report to President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.
The Minister addressed the press corps alongside three other members of the committee, namely the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr Mele Kyari.
Mrs Ahmed also revealed that Nigeria had released a total of $220 million as Nigeria’s part of the counterpart funding for railway projects to China EXIM Bank. Read more
Cultists kill 200L student on Benue varsity campus (DailyTrust)
Cultists Suspected cultists on Wednesday night killed a 200level student on the campus of the Benue State University (BSU) in Makurdi. Witnesses said the victim was pursued from outside of the first campus gate at about 7:00pm into the institution premises and was hacked to death around the school library. A student, who declined his name on print, said the deceased was badly mutilated by his assailants who spared nothing to ensure that their victim gave up the ghost before disappearing into thin air. The Vice Chancellor of BSU, Prof. Moses Kembe, at a news conference on Thursday, regretted the incident which he noted made him to cut short his participation at the exco meeting of the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities in Abuja. Read more
Coronavirus: Europe now epicentre of the pandemic, says WHO (BBC)
Europe is now the “epicentre” of the global coronavirus pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization says.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to use aggressive measures, community mobilisation and social distancing to save lives.
“Do not just let this fire burn,” he said.
His comments came as several European countries reported steep rises in infections and deaths. Italy has recorded its highest daily toll yet.
There were 250 deaths recorded over the past 24 hours, taking the total to 1,266, with 17,660 infections overall. Read more
Bill Gates steps down from Microsoft after 45 years (Metro)
Microsoft founder Bill Gates, 65, has announced he is stepping down from the board to focus on philanthropic endeavours. He says he wants to focus on global health and development, education, and tackling climate change. One of the world’s richest men, he founded the company 45 years ago and stepped down from his day-to-day role running the business in 2008, though he remained on the board. Read more
Jack Ma to donate test kits, masks to US in fight against coronavirus (StraitsTimes)
Chinese billionaire and Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma said he will donate 500,000 coronavirus testing kits and 1 million masks to the United States and urged international cooperation to fight the health crisis.
Ma’s initiative, a collaboration between his private charity and Alibaba Foundation, had recently donated relief materials to areas in Japan, Korea, Italy, Iran and Spain.
US testing of coronavirus was hampered by flawed kits distributed by the federal government in February, which gave some false results. That has set the country back in containing an outbreak that has infected more than 122,000 people worldwide and more than 1,660 in the United States. Read more
Trump declares national emergency over coronavirus (BBC)
US President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency to help handle the growing outbreak of coronavirus.
The declaration – “two very big words”, according to Mr Trump – allows the federal government to tap up to $50bn (£40bn) in emergency relief funds.
The move loosens regulations on the provision of healthcare and could speed up testing – the slow pace of which has been criticised widely.
There are 1,701 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the US, and 40 deaths. Read more
Forget toilet rolls, people are panic-buying sex toys (Metro)
Unless you’re living on a remote island or in the middle of the Amazon, you’ll probably have noticed that supermarkets shelves are emptier than usual, as people stock up on goods because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But it turns out that we’re not just horny for canned goods, loo roll and hand sanitiser. Now that people have got the basics sorted, they are turning to other important buys, including sex toys. Maybe it’s self-isolation or maybe it’s the fact that we need a release from coronavirus stress (if you’re dealing with COVID-19 anxiety, here’s our helpful guide). Read more
Canada faces ‘danger’ from China and Russia, intelligence chief warns (BBC)
There is a “clear and continuing danger” from “significant and sustained foreign interference” in Canadian public life, the chair of the country’s parliamentary intelligence oversight committee has told the BBC.
David McGuinty MP was speaking as his committee published its annual report which includes a detailed outline of the threat and recommendations for how government should respond.
The interference takes a number of forms including targeting the electoral process, government decision-making, academic and media freedoms. Two countries, Russia and China, are singled out as responsible. Russia and China have always denied the allegations of interference. Read more
Simple breathing technique will help you sleep when you’re struggling to drift off (Metro)
Struggling to drift off? Don’t reach for a nightcap or panic about counting sheep – all you need to do is try a simple breathing technique to ease your mind and slip into a restful slumber. This World Sleep Day, we chatted to Stuart Sandeman, the UK’s leading breath expert, to steal his go-to breathing technique for when struggling to snooze. Stuart recommends a trick he calls The Tranquilizer.
‘Here we want to maximise the rest and digest (para-sympathetic response), slow the mind, and the system so that we can nod off to sleep,’ says Stuart. Read more
The actor who was really stabbed on stage (BBC)
When he was cast as Hamlet at age 24, Conor Madden thought his stage career was about to take off – but then an accident during a sword-fighting scene left him with serious injuries. No-one knew whether he would ever act again.
A piercing silence filled the theatre as Conor lay on the floor of the stage, listening to his surroundings. His body was frozen. He knew he was hurt.
Despite his youth, Conor had been playing the lead role in a modern production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet – a role usually given to established actors a decade older than him. It was a huge honour.
The cast had already performed the play many times, but they had just moved to a new theatre in a different city.
Conor remembers the clang of a metal sword falling to the floor beside him, and a fellow actor cradling him and asking, “Are you OK?” Read more
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer drops huge Odion Ighalo transfer hint after Manchester United smash LASK (Metro)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has given the clearest indication yet that Manchester United will sign Odion Ighalo on a permanent transfer this summer. Eyebrows were raised on deadline day when the Red Devils signed Ighalo on a loan deal until the end of the 2019-20 season. But the Nigerian striker has made a bright start to his career at Old Trafford, scoring four goals in eight matches, including the opener for Manchester United in Thursday’s 5-0 win over LASK. Speaking after the Europa League thrashing, Solskjaer hailed Ighalo and said Manchester United will ‘need his qualities next season’. Read more
Caster Semenya aims to compete at Tokyo 2020 in 200m (BBC)
Double Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya has said she wants to compete at the 200m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The South African, 29, is not allowed to compete in events between 400m and a mile without taking testosterone-reducing drugs, following a rule change by governing body World Athletics.
“My dream has always been, and will continue to be, to compete at the highest level of sport and so in order to pursue my goals and dreams I have decided to change events and compete in the 200m,” said Semenya on Instagram. Read more
Olympics: Japan says Tokyo Games on track despite Trump’s suggestion to postpone it to 2021 (StraitsTimes)
Japan is on track to hold the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as planned, top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said on Friday (March 13), after United States President Donald Trump suggested a possible delay of a year.
He did not confirm or deny whether Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe discussed Mr Trump’s comments in a phone call earlier on Friday.
The two leaders spoke for about 50 minutes about the coronavirus pandemic, among other topics, Mr Suga said.
A senior government spokesman is set to brief on the talks shortly. Read more
Coronavirus wipes out most of world’s major sports events on an unprecedented day (BBC)
The coronavirus pandemic wiped out most of the world’s major sporting events in an unprecedented 24 hours.
As Friday began, the Premier League was one of the last football competitions standing – albeit with fans awaiting the outcome of an emergency meeting.
During the wait, at 10:20 GMT, England’s men’s cricket Test tour or Sri Lanka was cancelled. Then at about 11:00 GMT the Premier League and EFL announced: no football until April. Read more
Rival Premier League clubs content for Liverpool to be handed title amid coronavirus chaos (Metro)
Liverpool are still set to be crowned Premier League champions even if coronavirus causes the season to be abandoned, with rival clubs content for Jurgen Klopp’s side to be awarded the title. The Reds, bidding to winning the English top-flight for the first time in 30 years, have stormed 25 points clear of Manchester City and require just two more victories to end their long wait for a domestic title. But the coronavirus outbreak is threatening to completely obliterate the 2019-20 campaign, with all professional football in England now suspended until at least April 4. Read more
Emiliano Sala crash: Pilot Ibbotson ‘not licensed for flight’ (BBC)
The pilot of the plane that crashed killing footballer Emiliano Sala was not licensed to fly the aircraft, a report has found.
Sala, 28, and pilot David Ibbotson died in the crash in the English Channel, two days after the Argentine signed for Cardiff City in January 2019.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch published its findings on Friday.
It said Sala would have been “deeply unconscious” from carbon monoxide poisoning at the time.
Chief Inspector of Air Accidents Crispin Orr said it had been a “long and complex” investigation, and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was probing whether there had been breaches of the Air Navigation Order. Read more
2021 AFCON qualifiers postponed over coronavirus (Guardian)
Two rounds of 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers scheduled for March have been postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Friday.
Rounds three and four of the pool qualifiers were due to be played in the international window from March 25 to March 31.
But the CAF emergency committee has postponed the games until further notice, without providing alternative dates. Read more
NFF sets up committee to investigate Martins’ death (Punch)
The late Nasarawa United Football Club player, Chineme Martins,
The Nigeria Football Federation has constituted a panel to look into the circumstances surrounding last weekend’s unfortunate death of Nasarawa United FC player, Chineme Martins, during a Nigeria Professional Football League match in Lafia.
The committee is mandated to investigate the medical, security and administrative lapses which led to the untimely demise of the defender, who slumped during a match between his club and Katsina United at the Lafia City Stadium on Sunday and gave up the ghost before he was taken to hospital.
Dr. Peter Singabele, a former member of the NFF Executive Committee and member of the Committee on Sports Medicine of the Confederation of African Football, is chairman of the 12-man panel. Read more
