US suspends visa interview waivers for Nigerians (Guardian)
The United States embassy in Nigeria Tuesday suspended drop box service or interview waiver for those renewing visas in the country. “The Embassy and Consulate of the United States in Nigeria has suspended the interview waiver ‘Drop Box’ application process effective May 14, 2019,” US embassy said on its Visa Application platform. The Interview Waiver Program (IWP), also called the Visa Interview Waiver Program, is a program managed by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs under which, under some circumstances, interview requirements can be waived for some nonimmigrant visa applicants. Read more
Saraki’s investigation not personal —Magu (Punch)
Mr Ibrahim Magu, Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, said the ongoing investigation of the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, is not personal. He said this while receiving award for Outstanding Leadership in Public Service by Euro Knowledge Group. The Euro Group Award is the highest recognition for individual achievement and is awarded annually. Read more
We did not give Miyetti Allah money – FG (Guardian)
The Federal Government did not give Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association money during its recent meeting with the group in Brinin Kebbi, the Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau said on Monday. The minister spoke in Anka, Zamfara, on Monday while fielding questions from newsmen. He described information that government gave the group money as the “fabrication of mischief makers’’. Read more
I now have the numbers to become Speaker, says Gbajabiamila (Punch)
The Majority Leader and candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Speaker in the Ninth National Assembly, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, has said he now has the numbers to win the seat at the House of Representatives leadership election. Chairman of the Gbajabiamila Speakership Campaign Council, Mr Abdulmumin Jibrin, who addressed journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, said the Majority Leader was reaching out to the current Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara; former Speakers, opposition members and other speakership aspirants. Read more
Wike sacks Rivers commissioner of power (Guardian)
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has sacked the State Commissioner of Power, Hon Shedrach Chukwu. “The Governor directed the sacked commissioner to submit all Government Documents and Property in his possession to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power.” the governor’s special assistant on electronic media Simeon Nwakaudu said. Wike sacked the commissioner a day after he recalled the 12 Local Government Council Chairmen earlier suspended by his Administration. Read more
Amosun has paid workers’ deductions as promised, says NLC (Punch)
Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ogun State chapter, Emmanuel Bankole has said that the outgoing Governor Ibikunle Amosun has paid the workers’ deductions as promised. The NLC Chairman told our correspondent exclusively on phone on Tuesday while clearing the air on the insinuation that the Governor has reneged on his promise to pay the deductions. Amosun had met some backlogs of outstanding deductions owed the workers in the state since he assumed office in 2011. Read more
Ondo to tap into legal Marijuana market (Guardian)
The Governor of Ondo State Rotimi Akeredolu said the state is ready to tap into legal marijuana market under the supervision of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). “We all know that Ondo State is the hotbed of cannabis cultivation in Nigeria. We know how to grow it and it thrives well in the Sunshine State,” Akeredolu said on Tuesday. “With an estimated value of $145 Billion in 2025, we would be shortchanging ourselves if we failed to tap into the Legal Marijuana Market,” he added. Read more
Kwara gov-elect, Abdulrazak denies submitting fake WAEC result to INEC (Punch)
Kwara State Governor-elect Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on Tuesday denied presenting a fake West African Examination Council certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission as part of the requirement to contest the 2019 governorship election in the state. Abdulrazaq’s counsel, Mr Lawal Jimoh while making the defence at a Kwara state High Court sitting in Ilorin added that the governor-elect graduated from Government College, Kaduna in June 1976. Read more
Nigeria leaders pay tribute to Leah Sharibu (Guardian)
Leah Sharibu, the girl who refused to renounce her Christian faith to be freed from her captors- Boko Haram, is 16 years old today. Nigeria leaders in their numbers have showered tributes on Leah Sharibu, commending her doggedness and courage to hold on to the Christian faith at the expense of her life. She alongside about 111 other students of Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State were abducted by the Boko Haram insurgency group in 2018. Read more
ASUU Chairman sues FUOYE over suspension (Punch)
Gabriel Omonijo, Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), has dragged the institution’s management before the National Industrial Court in Akure over his indefinite suspension. Omonijo in a suit filed on April 29 by Funmi Falana and Taiwo Olawanle from Falana and Falana’s Chambers, averred that his indefinite suspension without pay by the university was illegal and violated the provisions of the Trade Union Act. Read more
Niger Police halt cult initiation of Bida Poly students (Nation)
A suspected initiation ceremony for new members into a cult group for students of Federal Polytechnic Bida has been stopped by officers of the Niger state Police Command. 10 suspects who claim to be students have been arrested by the Police. The cult initiation was slated to hold at Gudu gbagba village Mountain, Doko road in Lavun Local Government Area of the state before it was disrupted by the Police at about 2.40 pm. Read more
Youths must be ready to fight for power, says SDA boss (Punch)
The Chancellor and Founder of Gregory University, Uturu in Abia State, Prof. Greg Ibe, has challenged African Youths to fight for power in order to save the continent from bad leadership. According to him, Africa has suffered enough from recycled leaders who have run the continent aground despite huge potential. Ibe, who is the Chairman, Board of Trustees, of the Save Democracy Africa, spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the inauguration of the second assembly of Democracy Africa Youth Parliament. Read more
South Africa unemployment rises as Ramaphosa vows action (Guardian)
South Africa’s unemployment rate rose by half a percentage point to 27.6 percent, official data showed Tuesday, underlining the challenge facing President Cyril Ramaphosa after his ANC government won elections last week. The job losses focused on the construction, finance and social sectors, with 6.2 million people unemployed in the first quarter of 2019 — the highest level since the third quarter of 2017. Of the 20.3 million South Africans aged between 15 and 34, 40.7 percent were not in employment, education or training, according to the data released by Statistics South Africa. Read more
Merkel’s plane dented by fan in van who left handbrake off (BBC)
A German airport worker accidentally crashed a van into Chancellor Angela Merkel’s plane, forcing her to delay her return to Berlin. The woman was driving at Dortmund Airport when she stopped to take a picture of Ms Merkel’s aircraft. But she had not put the handbrake on and the van rolled into the aircraft’s nose, Der Spiegel reports. Read more
Stranger battered woman, 63, to death with electric scooter in horrific random attack (Metro)
A 63-year-old woman was battered to death by a stranger wielding an electric scooter as she walked down the street in broad daylight. Rosa Elena Hernandez, was killed with the Bird scooter in Long Beach, California, around 12:30pm PST Monday afternoon, as she walked home from lunch. Censored photos shot by news helicopters showed the victim’s body on the pavement with a Bird scooter broken in two, and laid on top of her. Read more
Elvis Presley ‘had 14-year-old girlfriends he would tickle, wrestle and kiss’ while on tour aged 22 (Metro)
Elvis Presley is said to have had 14-year-old girlfriends when touring at the age of 22. In the book Elvis Presley: A Southern Life, author Joel Williamson claims the All Shook Up hitmaker had a group of underage lovers. The historian said the late star used to ‘pillow fight, tickle, wrestle and kiss the girls,’ who were sometimes as young as 14, reports Vice. Read more
Solskjaer retains coaching staff despite Man Utd slump (Punch)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will not change his Manchester United coaching staff for next season despite his side’s alarming slump in form towards the end of the season. United won just two of their final 12 games of the season to miss out on Champions League qualification and finish 32 points adrift of Premier League champions Manchester City in sixth. The nadir came in a 2-0 home defeat to relegated Cardiff on the final day of the season, leaving the futures of many of the United squad open to question this summer. Read more
Pogba will leave Man Utd after fan abuse, says Patrice Evra (Guardian)
Manchester United Frenchman, Paul Pogba, will leave the English Premier League club over fan criticism of him, the club’s former defender Patrice Evra said. “I think [Pogba] will leave, because you need to feel the love when you play somewhere, you need to be committed,” Evra said. “When there are incidents like [on Sunday] with the fan, they are killing Paul,” he added. Read more
UEFA picks Slovenia’s Skomina Champions League final referee (Punch)
Slovenia’s Damir Skomina will be a centre referee in the all-English Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on June 1, UEFA announced on Tuesday. The 42-year-old Skomina, an international referee since 2002, had taken charge of four Champions League matches and two Europa League games this season. Skomina officiated the Europa League final between Ajax Amsterdam and Manchester United in 2017 and the Super Cup between Chelsea and Atletico Madrid in 2012. Read more
Juventus ace Joao Cancelo shuts down Manchester United speculation (Metro)
Juventus defender Joao Cancelo insists he wants to stay at the club and will not be leaving Turin this summer. The Portugal international joined the Old Lady last summer but reports claim he’s fallen out with manager Massimiliano Allegri during his debut campaign at the club. The 24-year-old has since been linked with a move to Manchester United given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen to sign a long-term replacement for right-back Ashley Young. Read more
No surprises as Germany announce women’s World Cup squad (Punch)
Germany coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg announced her 23-woman squad for the women’s World Cup in France on Tuesday, led by captain and striker Alexandra Popp it contained no major surprises. “We had intense discussions and there were some tough decisions in the end because we have a high-quality team,” said Voss-Tecklenburg, 51, who took the reins in January. “I am convinced that with this team, we are well set for the World Cup.” Read more
Tyson Fury tells Anthony Joshua to ‘grow a set of nuts’ and accept big fights (Metro)
Tyson Fury has opened fire on Anthony Joshua, telling his British rival the boxing public will soon get tired of his excuses. Joshua, the IBF, WBO and WBA (Super) heavyweight champion, is chasing a unification clash with Deontay Wilder, but Fury insists AJ needs to man up. Wilder and Joshua have blamed each other for their showdown not happening, but Fury called on the three-belt champion to ‘grow a set of nuts’ and accept the big fights. Read more