Sanwo-Olu grants pardon to 104 inmates (Nation)
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has granted pardon to 104 inmates in the five custodial centres.
He signed the release order on December 28 based on the recommendation of the Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy.
Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), said in a statement on Saturday that the gesture was also in compliance with Section 212 (1) (2) of the 1999 Constitution (amended) which empowers the governor to exercise the prerogative of mercy.
The Advisory Council relied on information provided by the correctional authorities, the nature of the offence, period of incarceration, age, health and behavioural conduct of the inmates. Read more
Rema, Burna Boy, Ayra Starr make Dataleum’s list of Top 10 Nigerian Artistes on YouTube in 2022 (Tribune)
Global Data and Intelligence Company, Dataleum, have published research that analyzes the most mainstream music videos on the largest online video sharing and social media platform with more than 2.5 billion monthly users, according to the number of views, from one of the largest worldwide music businesses.
Dataleum, the first winner of the Lagos State government award for Startup of The Year, commended the growth of the Nigerian music industry over the past year, in which various music stars contributed their respective quota, churning out millions of views for their unique music visuals.
Contributing to a total tally of 906 million views, these top 10 acts have been identified to have had the most outstanding year.
Rema led the pack with the most views, 300 million views, on a list that had the likes of Asake, who had an amazing debut year, releasing 7 music videos; Burna Boy with 140 million views for what is arguably the biggest summer jam ‘Last Last’, Kizz Daniel who gave everyone one of their favorite songs ‘Buga’ gained a whooping 107 million views. Also making the list, is 1da Banton, who collaborated with Tiwa Savage and Kizz Daniel to release a smash hit ‘No Wahala’ which had 53 million views. Read more
Yuletide: Doyin and Susan Foundation donates food items, clothing to widows in Kogi (Independent)
A non-governmental organisation, Doyin and Suzan Foundation has donated foodstuffs and clothing materials to over 350 widows and Persons with Disability (PWDs) in some rural communities in Isanlu, Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi.
The foundation also engaged the women in a dancing competition where three widows who emerged as winners received additional special gifts.
The items distributed were rice, noodles, semovita, spaghetti, Maggi, salt, tin tomatoes, salt, soaps & detergents, wrappers, slippers, among others.
The founder of the organisation, Chief Mrs Adedoyin Ibikunle-Eshanumi, who launched the distribution in Isanlu on Friday, said the initiative was born out of her passion for the vulnerable group in society. Read more
Lagos governments re-emphasises commitment to decent housing for workers (Guardian)
The Lagos State Government has re-echoed its commitment to provision of decent, habitable and conducive homes for its workforce.
This is contained in a statement on Saturday by Mrs Adeola Salako, spokesperson of the Lagos State Ministry of Housing.
Salako said the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Kamar Olowoshago, said this during joint inspection of 36 home units comprising two and three bedroom home apartments at LagosHOMS Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo Campus.
Olowoshago said the government was focused in its resolve to provide decent shelter for staff of its various establishments.
“Housing is a paramount need and to ensure that workers are in a position to give their best, the state government accords due significance to the provision of decent homes for workers. Read more
Buhari mourns Pope Emeritus Benedict XV1 (Vanguard)
President Muhammadu Buhari on behalf of Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, commiserates with Pope Francis, the Catholic Church in Nigeria and around the world, as well as all Christian faithful who mourn the passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
The President in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina, paid tribute to Benedict XVI who was greatly admired globally for his selfless leadership, renowned learning as a theologian, and dedication to advance inter-faith dialogue and peace.
According to the statement, “President Buhari believes that the late Pontiff will be remembered as a true servant of God who used the benevolent gifts of the Almighty upon his life to serve the Church and humanity in humility, reverence and piety, living in word and deed the virtues of a true Christian disciple.”
The President prayed that the Pope Emeritus receives eternal embrace in the loving arms of the Lord, whom he served faithfully throughout his vocation. Read more
Afro and the Beats lights up Lagos (Guardian)
Lagos, the entertainment capital of Nigeria recently came under heavy sound of music, as notable Nigerian artistes stormed the Agege Stadium for a live music concert tagged Afro And The Beats Music & Arts Festival.
Living up to its billing as the most talked about event during yuletide, DANCE NA DE MAIN THING, a popular dance crew set the tone for the evening with a performance that was characterised by the features of FESTAS 77 choreographies. Cheers and rounds of applause rented the air, as the talented dance crew treated guests to different dance routines that got many swinging to the rhythm.
The performance by DANCE NA DE MAIN THING heralded the unveiling of the tech-aided remodeled Benin Ivory Mask, a piece of art that was the symbol of FESTAC 77. Benin Ivory is a miniature sculptural portrait in ivory of Idia, the first Iyoba of the 16th century Benin Empire.
According to the organisers “The adaptation of Benin bronze, an iconic asset, is to further drive the authenticity of the brand in telling the African story of yesterday, today and tomorrow.” Read more
In valedictory new year message, Buhari gives self thumbs up (ThisDay)
President Muhammadu Buhari has given his seven and half year old administration a pass mark saying he has given his utmost best to the Nigerian nation since May, 2015.
He also prayed that his successor who will be handed over the baton of the nation’s leadership on May 29, 2023 will continue in the drive to make Nigeria one of the best countries in the world by the turn of the 21st century.
In his valedictory 2023 new year message to Nigerians personally signed by him on Saturday, the President said the buck stops on his desk as he accepts all the blames and accolades in the course of his service to the country in close to eight solid years.
He said: “As we welcome the New Year, let us look with hope to 2023, a year to move forward as a Nation towards unity, progress and prosperity. I offer my own personal felicitations, mindful of the various opinions and interpretations of our executive legacies. Read more
Ganduje sacks commissioner for disloyalty (Vanguard)
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State has on Saturday sacked his Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Dr. Muhammad Tahar Adam (Baba Impossible) for disloyalty to the government.
Ganduje in a statement by the state commissioner for information and internal affairs, Muhammad Garba, said the commissioner was relieved of his appointment with immediate effect.
According to the statement, “the sacking of the commissioner and member of the state executive council followed his unbecoming attitude as a public servant holding sensitive office, as well as unguarded utterances.
“That he was also found to be running the affairs of his office as personal business and even unilaterally reducing working days for the staff of the ministry, exempting Wednesdays and Fridays.
“Apart from operating without due consultation, Baba Impossible has not been loyal to the government”. Read more
Former One Direction star Harry Styles goes from pop idol to global icon in 2022 (Mirror)
Former One Direction star Harry Styles went from pop idol to global icon this year.
The heart-throb topped charts in the US, UK and around the world with his third album Harry’s House and popular single, As It Was.
The catchy tune, which was part of his third album, was so big across the pond that it spent 15 weeks at No.1 in the US.
But it wasn’t only the music charts Harry was flying high in.
He topped the film box office charts with his appearance alongside Florence Pugh and Chris Pine in Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling.
He also gained critical acclaim for his role in the gay drama, My Policeman. Read more
Cliff Richard pays tribute as friend and ex manager who lived with him for 30 years dies (DailyStar)
Sir Cliff Richard has paid an emotional tribute to his friend and former manager Bill Latham following his death at the age of 84.
The Mistletoe and Wine singer, 82, lived with the former religious studies teacher for more than 30 years after they met in the 1960s, before Bill moved out with his wife in 1996, reports Smooth Radio.
Bill was also part of Sir Cliff’s management team, before retiring at the end of 2010.
The singer credited Bill with leading him on the “spiritual pathway” that changed his life “fully and completely,” as he paid an emotional tribute to his close friend on Facebook. Read more
Brian May vows to strive to ‘‘benefit the country’’ after receiving knighthood (Standard)
Brian May has said he feels a renewed responsibility to “behave in a way which benefits the country and the rest of the population” after being given a knighthood in the New Year Honours.
As the virtuoso guitarist in rock band Queen, the 75-year-old is responsible for some of the biggest riffs in popular music, from the solo on Don’t Stop Me Now to the melodic strums of Somebody To Love.
Alongside late frontman Freddie Mercury, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor, he scored numerous number ones during the group’s ’80s heyday, touring the world.
The musician, astrophysicist and animal welfare advocate is being recognised for his services to music and charity. Read more
Yung Joc questions why he should stop listening to R. Kelly’s music (HipHopDX)
Yung Joc wants to know why it’s culturally unacceptable to listen to R. Kelly‘s music after his conviction, but art from people like Harvey Weinstein and Charlie Sheen hasn’t gotten the same treatment.
The rapper/media personality discussed the topic in an interview with Vlad TV published on Friday (December 30). When the conversation turned to the embattled singer’s leaked I Admit It album which briefly arrived earlier this month, Joc questioned why he can’t listen to his childhood favorite anymore.
“Why is that all of his music has to be banned? Why is that?” Yung Joc asked. “Because it’s so many other people who have done things bad, been convicted for it. And their TV shows are still running or their music is still being streamed and played and sold… It’s like we get the harshest punishment, man.
“I’m not saying that in some cases it’s not deserved. You know, you earned that,” he continued. “I ain’t saying that. That’s not the case, but I’m just saying, we do get the harsher punishment. Because I ain’t gon’ lie, R. Kelly made some great music.” Read more
Glass Onion’s Miles Bron not based on Elon Musk, says Rian Johnson (Deadline)
Filmmaker Rian Johnson has addressed similarities between his Glass Onion character Miles Bron and Elon Musk, stating that any resemblance between the imaginary tech billionaire and his real-life counterpart is purely unintentional.
Johnson acknowledged in a recent interview with Wired that his film does have a “very bizarre” real-life resonance when it comes to Bron, before going on to joke that he hopes there isn’t “some secret marketing department at Netflix” that’s funded Musk’s Twitter takeover.
“There’s a lot of general stuff about that sort of species of tech billionaire that went directly into [Glass Onion]. But obviously, it has almost a weird relevance in exactly the current moment,” reflected Johnson. “A friend of mine said, ‘Man, that feels like it was written this afternoon.’ And that’s just sort of a horrible, horrible accident, you know?” Read more
Barbara Walters, Legendary broadcaster and creator of The View, dead at 93 (People)
Pioneering journalist and television personality Barbara Walters has died, PEOPLE confirms. She was 93.
The iconic newsperson died Friday evening, her representative Cindi Berger tells PEOPLE.
“Barbara Walters passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by loved ones,” Berger says. “She lived a big life.”
“She lived her life with no regrets. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women.” Read more
China’s manufacturing activity drops despite lifted Covid restrictions (RFI)
China’s manufacturing activity contracted sharply in December for the third month in a row, according to official figures released Saturday, despite Beijing’s loosening of Covid restrictions at the beginning of the month.
The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) — a key gauge of manufacturing from November’s 48 and well below the 50-point mark separating growth from contraction, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics.
For more than two years, China had insisted on a zero-Covid strategy of stamping out outbreaks with strict quarantines, lockdowns and mass testing — a hardline policy that reverberated across the global economy.
On December 7, Beijing abruptly loosened pandemic restrictions, but despite that, the country is still struggling to recover due to a surge in Covid cases. Read more
Nadal crashes in season-opening match as Swiatek cruises at United Cup (Guardian)
Rafael Nadal lost his opening match of the season Saturday in the countdown to the defence of his Australian Open title, but women’s world number one Iga Swiatek cruised to victory at the United Cup.
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Nadal, who was also below-par at the season-ending ATP Finals in November, crashed to Britain’s 14th-ranked Cameron Norrie 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the mixed-teams tournament in Sydney.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion struggled with his first serve, getting just 58 percent in, which ultimately cost him a first defeat to Norrie in their fifth meeting.
“It’s pretty crazy, I never won a set before (against him) so firstly I wanted to do that and I had to stay super patient,” Norrie said after the 2hrs 44mins battle at a packed Ken Rosewall Arena.
“It was a super physical match and huge to get through that and finally beat him. He’s beaten me easy the last few times.” Read more
IMC releases approved venues for NPFL matches (Sun)
Five clubs of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) have failed to meet the infrastructure requirements of the NPFL Club Licensing regulation and will be playing their home matches at venues approved by the Interim Management Committee (IMC).
Following the Draws for the 2022/23 season of the NPFL, the IMC on Thursday released fixtures for MatchDay 1 and venues for the games.
Rangers International of Enugu, Kwara United of Ilorin, Niger Tornadoes of Minna, Lobi Stars of Makurdi and Nasarawa United of Lafia are the clubs that failed to provide up-to-standard stadium facilities to host matches based on requirements of the Club Licensing.
In the fixture released by the IMC, Nasarawa United will host Enyimba on MatchDay 1 at the New Jos Township Stadium while Kwara United will host Gombe United at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan. Both fixtures are in Group A. Read more
Marcus Rashford scores after being dropped to bench for Man Utd’s trip to Wolves due to ‘internal disciplinary’ reasons (IrishIndependent)
Marcus Rashford climbed off the bench and took a naughty step to fire Manchester United to victory at Wolves.
The striker, dropped by boss Erik ten Hag for disciplinary reasons, grabbed his 11th goal of the season to send United into the Premier League’s top four with a 1-0 win.
Alejandro Garnacho had earlier wasted a golden chance, while David De Gea kept out Ruben Neves’ stunning free-kick at the other end.
United have now lost just one of their last 15 games since a 6-3 derby humbling to Manchester City in October, with ten Hag making his mark on and off the pitch at Old Trafford. Read more
Carlo Ancelotti confirms Eden Hazard will feature in Copa del Rey clash (FootballEspana)
Eden Hazard’s role at Real Madrid has slipped to a new low at the start of 2023.
The Belgian international has continued to struggle in Madrid with injuries and inconsistency a constant issue for the 31-year-old in the Spanish capital.
Hazard previously hinted at a lack of faith from Carlo Ancelotti being a factor in his lack of first team action in recent months with the Italian coach unconvinced by his fitness.
Premier League giants Newcastle United have been linked with a January bid, as part of major spending plans at St. James’ Park, alongside interest from Major League Soccer in the USA. Read more
Cameron Norrie claims brilliant win over Rafael Nadal as Great Britain take control of United Cup clash (Standard)
Cameron Norrie came from behind to earn the biggest win of his career as he beat Rafael Nadal 3-6 6-3 6-4 at the United Cup in Sydney.
The world number 13 had lost all of his previous four meetings with Nadal in straight sets, but delivered for Great Britain in the inaugural mixed international team competition.
The 27-year-old said in his post-match interview: “It was pretty crazy. I was thinking I’d never won a set before (against Nadal) and I came out firstly wanting to do that.
“I had to stay super-patient. It was a super-physical match and I enjoyed it. It was huge to get through that one and finally beat him. Read more
LeBron James scores season-high 47 points on 38th birthday (CNN)
LeBron James knows how to celebrate in style, scoring a season-high 47 points as he inspired the Los Angeles Lakers to a 130-121 win over the Atlanta Hawks on his 38th birthday.
James helped his team come back from 15 points down at the State Farm Arena and ended the game with 10 rebounds and nine assists.
“I feel better than 18,” James told reporters. “At 18 years old I knew how to play the game, I knew I belonged in the NBA but I didn’t know what I could become. I just knew that [if] I continued to put in the work, continued to be true to the game that I could be one of the greatest players to ever play this game, I just always believed that, so there are times when I’m on the floor when I feel like a kid again … I wouldn’t say 18 but I definitely felt like a kid again at moments out on the court.”
According to Reuters, only two other players have scored more points in a game after turning 38, with Michael Jordan and Jamal Crawford netting 51 points each. Read more