Sanwo-Olu slashes LASU tuition fees (Vanguard)
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved a reduction in the tuition fee for students of Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this on Friday, via his official Twitter handle.
The tweet reads, “Flash: Lagos State government reduces tuition fee for students of Lagos.”
When contacted, Wahab said the approval was in tandem with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to providing qualitative education at an affordable to all and sundry, irrespective of class, gender, ethnicity, race, among others. Read more
More pains for Lagosians as 3rd Mainland Bridge closes today (Guardian)
Lagos residents and road users may be in for more pains as total closure of the 3rd Mainland Bridge begins this weekend from midnight of Friday, January 29, to Monday, February 1 midnight.
Motorists plying the bridge would have to exercise more restraint this weekend to enable the completion of the bridge on or before the stipulated date of February 22, 2021.Some of the road users have expressed their readiness to bear the pain to enable the government deliver a good job.
A commercial driver, who plies Iyana Ipaja to Ajah, said motorists have to understand what the government was doing, saying he has adjusted.
“There is nothing we can do and we have to adapt to the present condition. The repairs have prolonged our journey and we have no option,” he said. Another driver plying Oshodi to Obalende said: “We are now compelled to change our route, passing through stadium to Lagos. Read more
Second wave: PTF mulls lockdown in Lagos, Abuja, Plateau (Punch)
The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 is considering targeted lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; as well as Lagos and Plateau States.
PTF National Incident Manager, Mukhtar Muhammed, who stated this on Friday, described as alarming, the rising cases of Covid infections recorded in the three urban areas.
Muhammed said data showed that urban local governments in the affected places recorded the highest cases of Covid amid the second wave of the pandemic in Nigeria. According to data by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Lagos (46,935 cases), Abuja (16,470 cases), Plateau (7,801) have recorded the highest number of Covid infections and fatalities in Nigeria in the last eleven months. Read more
COVID-19: Lagos lawyers commend Buhari on facemask regulation (Vanguard)
Some Lagos lawyers on Friday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the regulation to check the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic by making wearing of facemasks compulsory in public.
The lawyers told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews in Lagos that without the regulation it would have been difficult to sanction defaulters.
NAN reports that the president had on Jan. 28, signed COVID-19 Health Protection Regulations 2021, an exercise of powers conferred on the President by Section 4 of the Quarantine Act, 2010.
The President, however, made wearing of facemasks compulsory with the new order that anyone found in default is liable to pay fine or face a jail term of six months. Read more
99% of data in Nigeria insured, protected – FG (Punch)
The Federal Government on Thursday boasted that at least 99 per cent of data of all citizens in Nigeria was protected and insured, as it assured Nigerians not to worry about the privacy of their data.
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, disclosed this virtually on Day 4 of the National Privacy Week organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency as part of programmes to celebrate the World Privacy Day.
The government’s claim of data protection came as suspected hackers interrupted the data privacy forum, as disruptive voices were heard for some minutes during the event.
This made the moderator of the programme to keep apologising for the hitches, while some participants expressed surprise at the development, which was, however, addressed by the organisers. Read more
COVID-19: Delta Govt imposes curfew (Vanguard)
Delta Government on Friday announced a fresh curfew in the state as part of measures to check resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic nationwide.
Secretary to the State Government, Mr Chiedu Ebie, who announced this in a statement, said that the curfew was from 10 p.m. – 4 a.m. daily and would commence on Jan. 29, 2021.
He called on residents of the state to comply with the restriction in the interest of public health, adding that security agencies had been directed to fully enforce the directives.
“It is hereby announced for the information of the general public, particularly Deltans and residents in the State, that as a result of the rising incidence of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic currently being experienced in the country, the Delta State Government will commence the enforcement of the nationwide COVID-19 curfew imposed by the Federal Government from 10 p.m – 4 a.m daily with effect from Friday, 29th January, 2021. Read more
424 more Nigerians arrive in Abuja from Saudi Arabia (Punch)
Four hundred and twenty-four more Nigerians stranded in Saudi Arabia have arrived in Abuja on Friday.
The Chairman, Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, made this known via her Twitter handle.
“424 more Nigerians stranded in Saudi have arrived Abuja. They will proceed on the mandatory 14 days quarantine. We appeal to Nigerians to desist from illegal migration,” she tweeted.
The PUNCH reports that 384 Nigerians stranded Nigerians in Saudi Arabia earlier arrived in the country on Thursday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had disclosed on Wednesday that 802 Nigerians would return from Saudi Arabia on Thursday and Friday. Read more
Court nullifies removal of LG boss by Edo governor, asks him to resume duty immediately (Tribune)
An Edo State High Court sitting in Benin has nullified the removal of the Chairman of Esan West Local Government Area, Mr. Patrick Aguinede, by Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Justice D. I. Okungbowa of the court ordered Aguinede to resume duty immediately as he said his removal by the governor contravened all relevant laws relating to the suspension and or removal of council bosses in the state.
The reinstatement of Aguinede is the second time in a less than two months that Justice Okungbowa would be giving similar judgement, the first being the reinstatement of the Chairman of Etsako East Local Government Mr. Aremiyan Momoh, who was removed in September 2019 in similar circumstances by Governor Obaseki. Read more
EU drugs regulator approves AstraZeneca vaccine (BBC)
The EU’s drugs regulator has approved the use of the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine for people aged over 18.
The move comes amid a continuing dispute over whether the Anglo-Swedish drug company is breaking its vaccine delivery commitments to the bloc.
The European Commission has published its contract with the drug-maker, hoping to show a breach.
Last week AstraZeneca said vaccine supplies would be reduced because of problems in one of its EU factories. Read more
Johnson & Johnson releases COVID-19 vaccine trial result (CNN)
Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 single-shot vaccine was shown to be 66% effective in preventing moderate and severe disease in a global Phase 3 trial, but 85% efficacy against severe disease, the company announced Friday.
The vaccine was 72% effective against moderate and severe disease in the US, the company said.
It’s a striking difference from vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, and it may give pause to people uncertain about which vaccine to get or when they can get one. The vaccines already on the market in the US are about 95% effective overall against symptomatic Covid-19, with perhaps even higher efficacy against severe cases.
But experts say the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will still be useful against the pandemic in the United States and around the world. Read more
EU chief demands ‘plausible’ answers from AstraZeneca (DW)
On the day the EU could approve the AstraZeneca vaccine, Ursula von der Leyen has called for answers over a delay in the amount of shots the bloc receives from British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday said Brussels wanted a “plausible explanation” from AstraZeneca about an expected delay to deliveries of its vaccine.
Von der Leyen stressed that the bloc’s contract with the British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant for its COVID-19 vaccine contained binding orders.
The EU chief said it was up to the company to determine how the jab, developed by Oxford University, would be delivered. Read more
Bugzy Malone teases Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham thriller (Metro) Hollywood is definitely calling Bugzy Malone right now as he’s starring in Guy Ritchie’s anticipated new thriller alongside Jason Statham and Saw actor Cary Elwes. The Manchester-born rapper shared a behind-the-scenes video from the set of the action-packed blockbuster and, it looks like he’s right in the thick of the action. After the clapperboard snaps shut, Bugzy is seen chatting and laughing around with Statham and Ritchie, whose face is hidden behind a mask proving the cast and crew are adhering to health and safety measures during the coronavirus pandemic. Read more
International police effort takes down ‘world’s most dangerous’ malware network (CNN)
Law enforcement authorities across several countries have taken down a network of what they describe as the “world’s most dangerous malware.”
The malware, Emotet, gained access to users’ computers through infected email attachments, including documents purporting to be “invoices, shipping notices and information about Covid-19,” European police agency Europol, which coordinated the effort, said in a statement Wednesday.
“The Emotet infrastructure essentially acted as a primary door opener for computer systems on a global scale,” Europol said. “Once this unauthorised access was established, these were sold to other top-level criminal groups to deploy further illicit activities such as data theft and extortion.” Read more
Japan mulls 4-day working week amid COVID pandemic (DW)
Japanese lawmakers are debating whether companies should offer their staff the option of a regular three-day weekend, hoping that more relaxed workers will be less at risk of “karoshi,” or death by overwork.
Japanese employees are famous for putting in agonizingly long hours at their desks and declining to take all their annual holidays for fear of inconveniencing office colleagues. But changes that were becoming evident in society have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Members of the Japanese parliament on Wednesday opened discussions on a proposal put forward by Kuniko Inoguchi, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, to permit workers to opt for a four-day working week instead of the traditional five-day, Monday-to-Friday pattern. Read more
Britain’s Got Talent 2021 cancelled due to ongoing Covid-19 pandemic (Metro)
Britain’s Got Talent 2021 has been axed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The talent competition had already been postponed due to restrictions and safety concerns, with bosses hoping that auditions could go ahead later in the year. However, it has now been confirmed that BGT will not return until 2022. A statement from ITV bosses read: ‘Despite everyone at ITV, Thames and Syco doing their best to make it happen, and with our absolute priority of safeguarding the well-being and health of every person involved in the programme from judges, hosts and contestants to all of the crew and audience, the decision has been made to – unfortunately – move the record and broadcast of the 15th series of Britain’s Got Talent to 2022. Read more
Dina Asher-Smith says that ‘as a black woman, I basically take a knee every day’ (BBC)
Dina Asher-Smith says that by excelling at sport, “you see me as a black woman in all my vibrancy and glory”.
The Briton, 25, competes at the World Indoor Tour in Karlsruhe on Friday, her first elite event since 2019.
Since the world 200m champion last raced on a world stage, many athletes have taken a knee before events to highlight racial injustices.
Asked if she will do the same, Asher-Smith said: “As a black woman, I basically take a knee every day.”
She told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast: “I kind of stand up, am very authentic and proud of who I am and what I represent. Read more
Maskless crowds pack Australian Open tennis exhibition in Covid-free Adelaide (CNN)
Thousands of cheering fans packed the stands on Friday to watch some of tennis’ biggest stars warm up for the Australian Open — with hardly a face mask to be seen.
In an unusual scene for the coronavirus pandemic, the 4,000 crowd sat cheek by jowl as big hitters including Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka emerged from their 14-day quarantine to play exhibition matches ahead of the first grand slam of the year in Melbourne next month.
The scene prompted joy on social media.
“It makes my heart full seeing fans in the stands. Well done Australia!” former world No.1 men’s player Andy Roddick said on his Twitter account.
General view of match between Serena Williams of the USA and Naomi Osaka of Japan during an exhibition tournament at Memorial Drive on January 29 in Adelaide, Australia.
General view of match between Serena Williams of the USA and Naomi Osaka of Japan during an exhibition tournament at Memorial Drive on January 29 in Adelaide, Australia. Read more
Anthony Martial’s wife reveals death threat messages after Manchester United’s defeat to Sheffield United (Metro)
Anthony Martial’s wife, Melanie, has received death threats and racist abuse in the wake of Manchester United’s defeat to Sheffield United earlier this week. Following United’s 2-1 loss at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening, Martial and Axel Tuanzebe received several racist replies to posts they had made on Instagram. United’s players hit back at the abuse their teammates had received, including captain Harry Maguire who posted on Twitter: ‘UNITED against racism. We will not tolerate it.’ Read more
FIFA launches child safety program after Jean-Bart sexual abuse case (DW)
In the wake of a sexual abuse scandal which rocked Haitian football, FIFA has unveiled a new education program to combat abuse. World football’s governing body says it has a “moral obligation” to protect players.
World football’s governing body, FIFA, has vowed to strengthen its efforts in protecting young players following systemic sexual abuse in Haitian football, a case that was described as “appalling” by FIFA investigators and that resulted in the federation’s president, Yves “Dadou” Jean-Bart, being banned from the sport for life.
Joyce Cook, FIFA’s chief social responsibility and education officer, told DW the governing body was planning to adopt stricter safeguarding requirements, including for agents representing young players and for countries bidding to host international tournaments. She said that FIFA’s own statutes – essentially the rulebook for its 211 member associations – could also be beefed up. Read more
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku given one-match bans after Coppa Italia clash (BBC)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku have been given a one-match ban following Tuesday’s Milan derby.
AC Milan forward Ibrahimovic was given the ban after being shown two yellow cards, one of them for a confrontation with Inter striker Lukaku.
Lukaku was also booked and is banned because it was his second yellow card in this season’s Coppa Italia.
Ibrahimovic denied using racist language in the clash, which could yet be the subject of an investigation.
In a social media post on Wednesday, the Swede said: “In Zlatan’s. Read more
Bayern Munich’s Goretzka, Martinez test positive for COVID-19 (Punch)
Bayern Munich midfielders Leon Goretzka and Javi Martinez have both tested positive for Covid-19, the European champions announced Friday.
The pair miss Saturday’s home game against Hoffenheim at the Allianz Arena with Bayern seven points clear in the Bundesliga table.
“Leon and Javi are in quarantine and will be out for the time being. It’s a shame that it has hit them both,” Bayern coach Hansi Flick said in Friday’s press conference.
“Everything has been settled with the health authorities.” Read more
