THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE MARCH 31, 2018
Waste management: Visionscape employs 350 scavengers (Punch)
In a bid to build local capacity in waste management, Visionscape Sanitation says it has registered and inducted 350 scavengers into its operations. The company stated this in a statement while disclosing that it had led reputable environmentalists to its engineered sanitary landfill at Epe, Lagos State, in commemoration of the 2018 World Forest Day. The day, which held on Wednesday, was designated by the United Nations General Assembly to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. Read more
Arise Fashion show Kicks off Today in Lagos (ThisDay)
All is set for the Arise Fashion Show, AFW 2018, to kick off at the Continental Hotel in Victoria Island this morning. The show being headlined by British international super model Naomi Campbell will kick off with a charity event. Pre-event activities held yesterday which saw Campbell and other fashion casts in attendance. Tickets for the event are on sale at Lagos Continental Hotel and Africaticket.com. The AFW 2018 runway event in Lagos will feature 45 designers from 14 countries such as South Africa, Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, France, Morrocco, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Caribbean and Nigeria. As is custom, the best of these will be selected to showcase during NYFW in September this year. Read more
Buhari: Eko Atlantic City, Catalyst for National Development (ThisDay)
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday inspected Eko Atlantic City in Lagos, one of the world’s cutting-edge new cities under construction on a 750 square kilometres adjacent to Victoria Island, noting that the project would transform the domestic economy of Nigeria. Buhari, who inspected the emerging coastal city alongside a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noted that the development of the city had boosted job creation and revenue generation in the state. Read more
Visionscape leads Environmentalists on tour of first landfill (ThisDay)
In commemoration of World Forest Day 2018, officials of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative organised a comprehensive tour of the engineered sanitary landfill located in Epe, under construction by Visionscape Sanitation. Visionscape Sanitation, residential waste collection concessionaires in Lagos State, had won the tender process in August 2016, and as part of their agreement, commenced construction of the landfill in 2017 amongst other infrastructural projects and reforms in the state. The purpose of the tour, which was well attended by key environmentalists, Environmental Advocacy groups, Waste Management companies, Non-governmental Organisations and representatives from government institutions in the state, such as; KidsBeachGarden, 123Recycle, RecyclePoints, E-Terra, and others, was to give members of the public, an insight into the workings of an engineered sanitary landfill and the process of waste management within a controlled environment. Read more
PDP dismisses list, challenges APC to name convicted members (Guardian)
In a swift reaction to the names released as looters by the federal government, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) dismissed the list as hollow and laughable, saying it was an extension of federal government’s media trial and challenged it to come up with names of its members against whom the federal government had secured convictions. “The list put forward by the federal government as purported looters amounts to a cheap blackmail, as none of those listed have been indicted or convicted by any court of competent jurisdiction or any panel of enquiry in our country,” the party insisted. Read more
Dapchi Schoolgirl: Buhari gave us N5,000, 2 Wrappers, A Pair of Shoes Each (ThisDay)
President Muhammadu Buhari gave out N5000, two wrappers, and a pair of shoes to the Dapchi schoolgirls during their visit to the Presidential Villa after their release by the Boko Haram insurgents, one of the pupils, Fatima Abdullahi, has revealed. According to The Guardian newspaper of United Kingdom, the girls’ testimony was collected a week after their liberation and a few days after their visit to Abuja, where they were immediately taken to Buhari. Read more
2019 polls: Fear Buhari’s govt, Obasanjo’s coalition tells Nigerians (Punch)
The Coalition for Nigeria Movement led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo has asked Nigerians to be wary of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government as it has corrupted security agencies ahead of the 2019 general elections. It said the statement by a former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), that the military was colluding with unscrupulous individuals should not be dismissed. The spokesman for the CNM, Mr. Akin Osuntokun, said this while responding to allegations by heads of security agencies that there was a plot by some groups to disrupt the 2019 general elections. Read more
Residents lament poor ATM services during festivities (Punch)
Residents of Benin have decried poor services of Automated Teller Machines in the metropolis during festive periods. The respondents spoke in separate interviews with News Agency of Nigeria in Benin on Saturday. They described it as unfortunate that residents were made to go through stress to withdraw money from the machines during such period. They said most of the machines were not dispensing cash since Friday night, a situation they noted resulted into long queues in the few ones dispensing. Read more
Easter: We must love, sacrifice like Christ – Oduah (Nation)
As Christians around the world celebrate Easter, Sen. Stella Oduah, has urged Nigerians to emulate the virtues of love and sacrifice which Jesus Christ exhibited by dying on the cross. In an Easter message she signed on Saturday, the lawmaker, representing Anambra North in the National Assembly, said with love, Nigeria would surmount its challenges. She stated that “we must learn to love like Christ loved and we must sacrifice as Christ exemplified for us. “If we love one another, the wanton killings, clashes, kidnappings, theft and other vices that bedevilled our society would not exist. Read more
Easter: Nigeria “ll soon overcome challenges – Akeredolu (Nation)
Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) has felicitated Christians across the country on the success of this year’s Easter celebrations. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary(CPS) Segun Ajiboye Governor Akeredolu expressed the belief that since Easter represented the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,Nigeria will soon overcome whatever challenges that might be confronting the country. Describing Easter celebrations as a period of sober reflection on the significance of the death of Jesus Christ and great sacrifice by the Saviour to give humanity the hope eternal life, the governor asked the Christians to emulate the good example laid by Jesus. Read more
Kogi: Police confirm rearrest of 3 escaped suspects (Punch)
The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed that three out of the six suspects who escaped from custody on Wednesday have been arrested. The outgoing Commissioner of Police in the state, Ali Janga, while confirming the news, however, did not disclose the names of the rearrested suspects. He said, “Yes, it is confirmed, but note that I am no longer the CP, I have been removed. So, talk to the new CP.” Our correspondent in Lokoja learnt that the suspects were rearrested on Friday at an undisclosed location. Read more
Alozie wants Okagbare to run sprint events at Commonwealth Games (Guardian)
Former Nigerian top runner, Gloria Alozie, has advised African track queen, Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteghonor to concentrate on events she is best prepared for at the fast approaching Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. Okagbare announced her return to top form last weekend with a blistering 22.04 seconds run at the 2018 Wes Kittley Invitational in Texas, erasing the 200m women African record held by Mary Onyali-Omagbemi since August 1996. Read more
Poor finance may halt Georgia Oboh’s march to history at Lalla Meryam Cup (Guardian)
Despite her struggles with sponsorship, Georgia Oboh has continued to brave the odds, laying new pathways in her quest to be among the best lady golfers in the world. The teenage golf sensation has been invited to the Ladies European Tour (LET) Morocco event, tagged Lalla Meryem Cup, but her participation is hinged on her ability to secure a sponsor for the the trip. If she eventually made it, Oboh would become the youngest and first Nigerian to play in the LET event holding at the prestigious Dar es Salaam Blue Course in Rabat. Read more
West Ham United eye up Manchester United keeper Sam Johnstone to replace Joe Hart (Talksport)
The England international has disappointed on loan from Manchester City this season, and is sent to be back to the Etihad. Despite paying a huge loan fee and installing an option to buy the 30-year-old, the Hammers are unconvinced after seeing manager David Moyes relegate Hart to the bench. Meanwhile Johnstone has impressed on loan at Aston Villa this season, becoming a permanent fixture in goal for the Steve Bruce’s side. After a poor start to the season, the 25-year-old looks like he will help his side to a Championship play-off place. Read more
Alonso: We are ready (Chealsefc)
Alonso has been a revelation since signing for the Blues from Fiorentina in August 2016, and he was rewarded for his fine form at club level over the past two seasons with a first call-up to the senior Spain squad for their recent friendlies against Germany and Argentina. It was in the second of those games, on Tuesday, that Alonso was eventually handed his debut for Spain, coming off the bench to replace Jordi Alba for the closing stages of their 6-1 victory. ‘I’m very proud, it was a very special moment for me and my family but I’m back here now and focusing on a very important game,’ he said. ‘I’m very happy but it’s time to keep working, training well and hopefully I will be on the next list. Read more
Malala says returning home to town where she was shot makes her happier than winning Nobel prize (Independent)
Malala Yousafzai, the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, said she had never been as elated about anything as when returning to her home town for the first time since a Taliban militant shot her there in 2012. “I had never been so excited for anything. I’ve never been so happy before,” she said after arriving in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, flanked by heavy security in a helicopter provided by the country’s military. Ms Youzafzai, who is studying at Oxford University, admitted she had pined for her home, often looking at Pakistan on the map, saying she had waited for that moment for more than five years in the hope of returning. Read more
Morsi’s health ‘has deteriorated severely’ (Memo)
The son of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has revealed that his father’s health has deteriorated severely, Anadolu reported on Thursday. “Many reports have emerged recently speaking about the severe deterioration of my father’s health,” said Ahmed Morsi. “The situation is unprecedented.” Dr Mohamed Morsi, 66, has been in prison in Egypt since the military coup which ousted his democratically-elected government in 2013. His condition, claimed his son, is being “ignored” by the prison authorities. Read more
Sierra Leone heads to the polls to seek successor to Koroma (Reuters)
The face-off between opposition leader Julius Maada Bio and ruling party standard-bearer Samura Kamara was supposed to take place on Tuesday but was rescheduled after a complaint about fraud in the first round of voting this month from a member of Kamara’s All People’s Congress. The successor to Koroma, who is stepping aside after his maximum two five-year terms in office, faces an uphill struggle to overturn years of hardship caused by a slump in the price of its commodity exports and Ebola. Read more