The hottest and most trending news articles for this week in all categories are captured in one shot. Find articles ranging from News to Sports, to Politics, to Entertainment, to Economy, to Metro plus, and many other categories. See below the top news for the week:
NEWS
- Alaafin Of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Is Dead
Top Yoruba traditional ruler, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, is dead. Although no official announcement has been made, sources within the palace confirmed the death of the monarch, popularly known as ‘Iku Baba Yeye’. He was said to have died on Friday night at the Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
According to reports, the body of the top Yoruba monarch was brought to Oyo town in the early hours of Saturday. His children received his remains at Idi-Igba in Oyo town while traditional rites began thereafter. He was 83 years as of the time his death was reported.
Alaafin Adeyemi, who served as the permanent chairperson of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, was reportedly sick and was scheduled to be flown abroad for treatment before he joined his ancestors on Friday. He died months after the death of two other top traditional rulers in the state – the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, and the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Jimoh Oyewumi.
While Oba Olalekan Balogun has been crowned as the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadan land, the people of Ogbomoso have yet to get a new traditional ruler. The Bashorun of Oyo and Head of the ‘Oyo Mesi’, Yusuf Akinade, is expected to lead Oyo town before a new Alaafin would be installed.
- Reps allege cover-up on refineries, summon Sylva, Kyari, others
The House of Representatives’ Ad Hoc Committee on the State of Refineries in Nigeria has summoned the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari. The officials of the management of the nation’s refineries were also summoned to appear before the panel. Non-appearance by the stakeholders had botched the investigative hearing of the committee scheduled for March 31, 2022.
The committee, which condemned the invitees for allegedly shunning a series of invitations to its investigative hearing, threatened to invoke legislative powers against them at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday. The Chairman of the committee, Mr Ganiyu Johnson, who was miffed by the non-appearance, said, “We have a situation here!”
Johnson recalled that the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, had constituted this committee to determine the actual cost of rehabilitating the refineries and what is needed to bring them back to maximum refining capacity.
He added that the committee was mandated to determine the true state of the refineries, ascertain the actual cost of rehabilitating the refineries, and what is needed for the refineries to function at maximum refining capacity. According to the chairman, the details requested from the GMD included an appraisal of the current state of refineries in the country – Port Harcourt Refining Company, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited – from the year 2012 to date.
- Insecurity: State police now better option –Obasanjo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has canvassed state police to tackle the growing insecurity in the country. Obasanjo said the creation of state police would be a better option than community policing. The former President said state police should be given a priority above community policing to curb the wave of insecurity ravaging the country.
The Special Assistant to Obasanjo on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi in a statement quoted the former president as saying this when the leadership of the National Association of Ex-Local Government Chairmen in Nigeria paid him a courtesy visit in Abeokuta on Wednesday.
- FG can’t tackle insecurity without state police, says Wike
Rivers State Governor and the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential aspirant, Nyesom Wike, and his Taraba State counterpart, Darius Ishaku, on Thursday insisted on state police as one of the possible ways of checking insecurity in the country.
According to the duo, establishing state police will be one enduring approach to addressing the festering insecurity in Nigeria.
Wike, who was in Taraba to woo delegates of the PDP in the state ahead of the PDP presidential primaries, dismissed the arguments against the need for state police. He said, “The Federal Government cannot stop this insecurity without state police. You must have state police; there is no two ways about it. Having state police does not mean you will not have federal police.
“All over the federal system, even councils have their police so that you employ people who know the environment. You cannot take a stranger to go to Mambilla. It will take him years to understand that place. You can’t take a stranger and go to Donga or Chanchanji. So, you need people who know the environment to be able to take care of the place.
- 2023: INEC budgets N239bn for poll materials, presidential run-off
The Independent National Electoral Commission will spend not less than N239.2bn on procuring voting materials and vehicles that will be used in the 2023 general election. This is according to the 2023 General Election Project Plan that was launched by INEC in Abuja on Thursday.
The commission stated that N239.2bn, which constitutes 78.44 per cent of its N305bn budget, would be spent on 10 critical items which included ballot papers, operational vehicles, ballot boxes, allowances of ad hoc workers, printing of result sheets, logistics and procurement of accreditation devices.
Also included in the N239.2bn budget is the N27.1bn set aside by the commission for possible run-off elections, including the one for the presidential poll. Run-off elections are conducted in the event that there is no clear winner in a general poll.
Meanwhile, the commission on Thursday said that no amount of security challenges would stop the conduct of the 2023 general election. The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated this during the public presentation of the 2022-2026 strategic plan and the 2023 Election Project Plan in Abuja.
POLITICS
- Presidential, Governorship Aspirants To Pay N100m, N50m For Nomination Forms – APC
Members willing to participate in the presidential primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are to pay N100 million for the nomination and expression of interest forms. Similarly, the nomination and expression of interest forms for those seeking the party’s ticket to contest the governorship election in their respective states cost N50 million. APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morgan, announced this on Wednesday at a briefing with reporters in Abuja.
Ahead of the party’s primary and general elections, several chieftains of the ruling party, including aides to President Muhammadu Buhari and serving governors, have indicated their interest to succeed him when his tenure ends in 2023. They include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Governor Bola Tinubu, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi, as well as ministers Rotimi Amaechi (Transportation) and Chris Ngige (Labour and Employment), among others.
- ‘Run For President’, Protesters Storm Jonathan’s Abuja Office
Protesters on Friday stormed the private office of former President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja with a call to declare his interest to contest the presidential election next year. This comes about 10 months before the general elections are to be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). INEC said the presidential election would take place on February 25, 2023, in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The protesters comprising men, women, and youths believe the former President is the man for the job and want him to join the race to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari when he completes his second term in office in May 2020. Armed with placards and leaflets with various inscriptions such as “We need you to restore Nigeria” and “GoodLuck Jonathan, you must run,” they said the former President has the template to restore Nigeria’s pride of place and give its citizens a sense of belonging.
The group lamented that the people were deceived by those who promised to secure the nation, improve its economy, and fight corruption, among others in 2015. They, however, sought forgiveness from Jonathan whose administration they said was better compared with what the country presently has.
- 2023: Vote to reduce rigging, ex-DIG, Osayande, urges youths
Retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Parry Osayande, on Thursday, said that the 2023 general election would be the right time for Nigerian youths to fully participate to reduce the possibility of rigging. He said this was possible considering that the youths constituted the majority of the voting population.
He also backed the call by the northern elders that President, Muhammadu Buharishould resign having failed to secure the lives of Nigerians. He equally condemned the recent presidential pardon given to some convicted persons, particularly former governors Joshua Dariye of Plateau State and Jolly Nyame of Taraba state.
Speaking to journalists in Benin City, the former chairman of the Police Service Commission said, “All the politicians are jokers and they are taking us for a ride. It is high time the youth used their votes with the improvements made to the new electoral law because by bringing in technology, rigging will not be as easy as it used to be. So this gives the youths a more formidable weapon to use in the new Electoral Act and vote the charlatans out of office. “So, if the government is not sufficiently responsible to come and carry out the functions defined by the constitution, then it has to be voted out.”
- 2023 presidency: Only death can make me step down – Wike
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has insisted that he will not step down from the 2023 presidential race. Wike, who is a presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party, said this during an interview with BBC Pigin. It had been reported that some chieftains of the PDP had demanded that the presidential candidate of the party should be picked through consensus. But Wike said only death would make him step down for another PDP candidate in the 2023 presidential election.
When asked if he would step down for another candidate, Wike said, “Why will I step down for anybody? If you want to do consensus, there must be equity and fairness. Are the hands of those demanding consensus clean? People talking about consensus are the ones running the election. Is it the party’s decision?
“It is not the party that is talking. In politics, there is something called shine shine bobo. The more you look, the less you see. Some people think they can deceive me with consensus. It’s a scam. I don’t like being deceived in my life. What can make me step down for another PDP candidate, he replied, “The only thing that can make me step down is death. if I am alive, we will run this thing, we will hold the primary on May 28/29.”
- 2023: PDP, APC in verbal war over cost of nomination forms
National chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, were yesterday locked in a war of words over the latter’s presidential nomination forms pegged at N100 million.
Recall that the opposition party also pegged its presidential nomination form at N40 million earlier in the year, as the costs by both parties elicited scathing criticisms from the public.
While Ayu described the APC presidential nomination and expression of interest forms as over priced, APC accused PDP of doing same when it was in power and had no right, therefore, to condemn its price.
ECONOMY
- Price Of Cooking Gas Soars By 83.62% In One Year – NBS
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Friday disclosed in its report that the average retail price of cooking gas increased by 83.62 per cent from N2057.71 in March 2021. The March 2022 report also revealed the average price for refilling a 5kg Cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) stood at N3778.30 in March 2022 from N3708.58 recorded in February 2022 showing an increase of 1.88 per cent month-on-month.
- Forbes: Amid Economic Troubles, Wealth Of Nigerian Billionaires Grows In 2022
Nigerian billionaires improved their ranking in the latest Forbes World’s Billionaire List, which compiles the fortunes of the richest people in the world. The feat was achieved despite rising prices across the world which have been ignited by the aftershocks of the Covid pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote saw his wealth increase from $11.5 billion in 2021 to $14 billion in 2022. Mike Adenuga, Nigeria’s second richest man, grew his wealth from $6.1 billion to $7.3 billion.
Abdulsamad Rabiu, the third Nigerian on the list, also saw his fortunes improve from $4.9 billion to $6.9 billion. Forbes, in its summary, said “war, pandemic and sluggish markets hit the world’s billionaires this year.
- Nigeria, Other Nations At High Risk Of Debt Distress, IMF Warns In New Report
Nigeria and 72 other countries are at high risk of debt distress, the International Monetary Fund has said in a new report. The report titled ‘Restructuring Debt of Poorer Nations Requires More Efficient Coordination’ was published on Thursday. “Low-income countries face fewer debt challenges today than they did 25 years ago, thanks in particular to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative, which slashed unmanageable debt burdens across sub-Saharan Africa and other regions,” said the global financial institution.
IMF stated that the debt ratios of DSSI countries have increased, partly reversing a decline seen in the early 2000s. it added that this was spurred by low-interest rates, high investment needs, limited progress in raising additional domestic revenue, and stretched systems for managing public finances. It said the economic shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine were adding to the debt challenges faced by low-income countries, even as central banks begin to raise interest rates.
On the way forward, IMF recommended putting in place mechanisms that ensure coordination and confidence among creditors and debtors. It added that improvements to the G20 Common Framework could play an important role by ensuring broad participation of creditors with fairer burden-sharing.
- EU Ambassadors Visit NNPC, Seek Deeper Partnership In Energy Sector
European Union (EU) Ambassasdors in Nigeria on Monday paid a courtesy call on the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) seeking to strengthen its partnership with Nigeria in the energy sector. This is according to a statement signed by NNPC spokesperson, Garba Deen Muhammad.
Speaking on behalf of the group, the EU Ambassador in Nigeria, Samuela Isopi, said as a result of the current geopolitical situation in Europe, the continent was interested in strengthening its cooperation with Nigeria particularly in the area of possible increase in the supplies of liquiefied Natural Gas (LNG).
Responding, the GMD/CEO of NNPC, Mele Kyari, assured the European delegation that the company would continue to deepen its historical relationship with EU companies in Nigeria in order to add more value to its business, particularly towards increasing gas supply to the global market and enhancing domestic gas utilisation.
BUSINESS
- Netflix Shares Plunge More Than 30% On Lost Subscribers
Netflix shares plunged more than 35 percent early Wednesday following disappointing results, while the Dow pushed higher in a mixed open for US stocks. The streaming giant caught Wall Street off guard for the second quarter in a row, reporting a drop in subscribers for the first time in a decade.
The company blamed the quarter-over-quarter erosion on suspension of its service in Russia due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The drop in shares was reminiscent of the prior quarter, when a weak subscriber outlook sent Netflix shares diving.
- End Of An Era As Netflix Faces Stagnation Challenges
Having lost subscribers for the first time in more than a decade, Netflix faces the new challenge of stagnation from a position of strength. A drop of just 200,000 users — less than 0.1 percent of its total customer base — was enough to send Wall Street panicking, with shares plunging more than 30 percent on Wednesday.
The loss of subscribers and the company’s various plans to revive business “change the historically simple story” of Netflix’s solid success, said Wells Fargo analysts, who cut its price target in half. “The new outlook is clear as mud,” they said.
HEALTH
- Adamawa govt decries poor services by healthcare service providers
The Adamawa State Government has expressed concern over the poor services provided by healthcare service providers in the state. The Chairman, Adamawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Sulaiman Bashir, stated this at the inauguration of the Health Provider Accountability and Patient Bill of Rights, on Thursday in Yola.
According to him, many healthcare providers in the state treat consumers poorly and do not consider or treat patients with respect.
He said the Patients Bill of Rights listed health workers as professionals that would be answerable for their actions. The health workers, he said, are trained on high clinical practice and ethical standards, adding that they must accept professional responsibility when or if deviation occurred.
According to him, the bill seeks to strengthen provider’s accountability and entrench implementation of Patient Bill of Rights, adding that the agency accorded priority to the passage of the bill.
- Untreated hypertension fuelling sudden death, not witchcraft —Epidemiologist
An Epidemiologist and Public Health Physician, Dr. Japheth Olugbogi, says the cause of the increasing cases of sudden deaths among Nigerians could be due to complications from undetected and untreated hypertension, noting that the deaths are not caused by witches or diabolical powers as many people assume. According to the physician, a lot of people die in their sleep while many people just slump and die because their blood pressure is high.
Dr. Olugbogi explained that though he may not dispute the activities of witches, findings have shown that so many people die from complications that arise from non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and cardiovascular disease which he said were preventable and treatable.
The physician said to curb the increasing cases of sudden deaths in Nigeria, people must go for regular health screening so that the killer diseases could be detected early. He also urged companies and non-governmental organisations to offer free health screening to communities.
- People with history of asthma, allergies may be more at risk of high blood pressure —Study
A new study has revealed that people who have a history of asthma or allergies may be at higher risk of developing high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. The study conducted by researchers in China used a 2012 data from the National Health Interview Survey, which included over 10,000 adults who had asthma or at least one allergic disorder such as a respiratory, food or skin allergy.
The findings of the research will be presented at the American College of Cardiology and Korean Society of Cardiology’s spring conference in Gyeongju, South Korea. According to the study findings, participants between ages 18 and 57 who had previously dealt with an allergic disorder had an increased risk of high blood pressure. Also, the study discovered that individuals with allergies between the ages of 39 and 57, male and Black/African American had a higher risk for coronary heart disease.
People who had asthma had the highest risk for developing high blood pressure and coronary heart disease, the study revealed. Based on the study findings, the researchers encouraged clinicians to add a cardiovascular risk assessment to clinical examinations of individuals with asthma and allergies.
EDUCATION
- Fund varsities from N4tn subsidy budget, ASUU tells FG
The President, Academic Staff Union of University, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, has accused the Federal Government of not giving priority to tertiary education. According to him, the government had addressed the issue of fuel subsidy with a budget of N4trillion, whereas, it ignored issues concerning university education.
Speaking during a programme on Channels Television on Wednesday, Osodeke asked the government to take N200bn from the N4trillion budgeted for subsidy to address the challenges of its members, thereby putting an end to the industrial action embarked upon by the union. Osodeke said, “It is always funny that the government cannot raise N200bn to revamp all Nigeria’s universities annually, to world standards. The same government can raise N4trillion for fuel subsidy.
“You can raise a budget to make N4trillion for subsidy in a year, but you cannot raise N200bn to fund your education where you don’t have the infrastructure. You can spend N228bn to feed children in primary or secondary schools but you cannot raise this fund for your university; it is an issue of priority. That is the problem. If you remove N200bn from N4trillion to fund your universities, you still have N3.8trillion for fuel subsidy.
WORLD
- Biden announces new $800m military aid for Ukraine
US President Joe Biden announced Thursday a new package of $800 million in military aid for Ukraine, saying it would help Kyiv in the fight against Russian forces in the Donbas region. The Pentagon said the newest round of US support will include 72 155mm howitzers, 72 armored vehicles to tow them, 144,000 rounds of ammunition, and more than 120 “Phoenix Ghost” tactical drones recently developed by the US Air Force specifically to address Ukraine’s needs.
Biden said the new package was tailored to help Ukraine’s forces meet the emerging Russian offensive in the country’s east, which he said would be a different kind of fight than that in the north around Kyiv, where Ukrainian forces successfully beat Russian forces back in the first six weeks of the war.
“We’re in a critical window now… where they’re going to set the stage for the next phase of this war. And the United States and our allies and partners are moving as fast as possible to continue to provide Ukraine… the weapons their forces need to defend their nation,” the president said. Biden also announced that Russia-affiliated ships would be banned from US ports, and that the US Treasury was putting up a fresh $500 million for Ukraine’s government so it can pay salaries and pensions and provide services.
- WHO ‘Strongly Recommends’ Pfizer’s COVID-19 Pill
The World Health Organization said Friday it “strongly recommended” Pfizer’s Covid-19 antiviral pill Paxlovid for patients with milder forms of the disease who were still at a high risk of hospitalisation. However the UN agency warned it was “extremely concerned” that the inequality in access seen with Covid vaccines would again leave low- and middle-income countries “pushed to the end of the queue”.
US pharma giant Pfizer’s combination of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir was the “superior choice” of treatment for unvaccinated, elderly or immunocompromised people with Covid, the WHO’s experts said in the BMJ medical journal. For the same patients, the WHO also made a “conditional (weak) recommendation” of the antiviral drug remdesivir made by US biotech firm Gilead — which it had previously recommended against.
The WHO recommended Paxlovid over remdesivir, as well as over Merck’s molnupiravir pill and monoclonal antibodies. Pfizer’s oral treatment prevents hospitalisation more than the “available alternatives, has fewer concerns with respects to harms than molnupiravir, and is easier to administer than intravenous remdesivir and antibodies,” the WHO’s experts said.
- Kenya’s Former President Kibaki Dead At 90
Former Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki, who led the East African country for more than a decade, has died, his successor Uhuru Kenyatta announced on Friday. He was 90. “it is a sad day for us as a country. We have lost a great leader,” Kenyatta said in an address on state television. He ordered a period of national mourning until sunset on the day Kibaki is to be buried, with all flags to be flown at half-mast. Kibaki served as Kenya’s third president, from 2002 to 2013.
“As a leading figure in Kenya’s post-independence history… Kibaki earned the biding respect and affection of the people of this nation,” Kenyatta said. President Kibaki will forever be remembered as a gentleman in Kenya’s politics. A brilliant debater whose eloquence, wit and charm won the day time and time again.”
- Over One Million Children In Africa Have Taken Malaria Vaccine – WHO
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says at least one million children in Africa have received one or more doses of the world’s first malaria vaccine. Children in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi were captured in the pilot programme coordinated by WHO, the agency said in a statement on Thursday ahead of World Malaria Day.
The malaria vaccine pilots, first launched by the government of Malawi in April 2019, have shown that the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) vaccine is safe and feasible to deliver, and that it substantially reduces deadly severe malaria, it added.
“As a malaria researcher in my early career, I dreamed of the day we would have an effective vaccine against this devastating disease,” WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was quoted as saying. This vaccine is not just a scientific breakthrough, it’s life-changing for families across Africa. It demonstrates the power of science and innovation for health. Even so, there is an urgent need to develop more and better tools to save lives and drive progress towards a malaria-free world.”
According to the WHO, these findings paved the way for its historic recommendation of October 2021 for the expanded use of RTS,S among children living in settings with moderate to high malaria transmission.
- Russian Actions In Ukraine ‘May Amount To War Crimes’- UN
The United Nations on Friday accused Russia of taking action in Ukraine “that may amount to war crimes”, including an indiscriminate bombing that killed civilians and destroyed schools and hospitals.
“Russian armed forces have indiscriminately shelled and bombed populated areas, killing civilians and wrecking hospitals, schools, and other civilian infrastructure, actions that may amount to war crimes,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
- Ukraine’s Membership In EU Is A ‘Priority’ – Zelensky
European Union membership is a “priority” for Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday during a joint press conference with visiting EU chief Charles Michel.
“Regarding our future membership in the EU, it is a priority for our state, for the strength of our people, those who are ready to defend our land against Russian invaders even without arms,” Zelensky said.
- Italy Chases African Gas To End Dependence On Russia
Italian ministers headed to central Africa Wednesday in an urgent quest for new energy deals as Italy scrambles to break away from Russian gas over the Ukraine war. Prime Minister Mario Draghi is looking to add Angola and the Congo Republic to a portfolio of suppliers to substitute Russia, which provides about 45 percent of Italian gas.
“We do not want to depend on Russian gas any longer, because economic dependence must not become political subjection,” he said in an interview with the Corriere della Sera daily published on Sunday. Diversification is possible and can be implemented in a relatively short amount of time — quicker than we imagined just a month ago,” he said.
ENTERTAINMENT
- Davido set to tour North America in June
Award-winning Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has announced his North American tour, set to kick off by June. Posting a picture of the tour schedule, the Afrobeats star made this known via his Twitter page on Tuesday. “I miss my fans in North America so much I had to put together a short run just to come see you all,” he tweeted.
Hinting on a new album, Davido also stated he might preview some of its tracks during the shows. Last month, the father-of- three sold out the popular O2 arena in London for his March concert.
- Nigerian choirs bag medals in African choral competition
The Christ Holy Church Female Ensemble bagged a gold medal in the female choir category during the recently concluded African Choral And Gospel Championship. The competition, which hosted about 600 participants across the African continent, for its inaugural edition, took place in the city of Kigali, Rwanda from 22nd to 28th March, 2022. Another choral group, the BACMAC Choir, also won a silver medal in a category, as revealed in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday.
The African Choral and Gospel Championship is a pan-African choral festival aimed to celebrate African music, with the motive of uniting nations. The inaugural edition was organised in collaboration with Chorale de Kigali – a local choir with a membership of about 60.
The Lagos City Chorale led by Sir Emeka Nwokedi participated as a guest choir, performing at the Africa Unity Concert 1 with other notable ensembles across Africa, such as the The Harmonious Chorale Ghana, directed by James Varrick Armaah; Bokamoso Gospel Choir – BGC, South Africa; Chorale de Kigali, Rwanda etc.
Nigeria’s multiple award-winning choir, the Lagos City Chorale, thrilled the large audience with scintillating performances, showcasing the rich cultural heritage and positivity of Nigeria both in choice of indigenous folk repertoire.
- Respect Nigerians, they understand talent, Shattawale tells Ghanaians
Ghanaian dance hall star, Shatta Wale, has called on his compatriots to respect Nigerians because they understood music talent. Shatta Wale made this known in a tweet via his verified Twitter handle which was preceded and followed by a series of tweets.
The rapper, has had a war of words with Nigerian music fans and artistes in the past, with most recently Grammy award winning singer, Burna Boy. He said Nigerians should be respected for the hard work they put into their music, adding that they understood talent. He slammed Ghanaians for comparing themselves to Nigerians stating that the lifestyle of both countries are different.
“Please can we just respect Nigerians for their hard work and stop comparing our lazy lifestyle to theirs. It’s shame people think Nigerians will come hard at me but see they are the ones doing the streaming because they understand what talent means. Ghana music is a shame,” he wrote.
- Rapper ASAP Rocky arrested over shooting incident
American rapper, ASAP Rocky, has been arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department in connection with a shooting that occurred in November 2021. The Department announced via its Twitter page on Wednesday, that the rapper whose legal name is Rakim Meyers, was arrested for assault with a firearm at the Los Angeles International Airport.
“33-year-old Rakim Mayers, a Los Angeles resident, also known as music artist A$AP Rocky, has been arrested in connection to a shooting that occurred in the Hollywood area in November of 2021,” the tweet read. LAPD gave details of the November incident, stating that the victim claimed the rapper shot at them after an altercation. The rapper was returning from Barbados with his pregnant girlfriend, Rihanna when the arrest was made, TMZ reports.
- Soludo appoints actor Bob-Manuel as special adviser
The Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Soludo, has appointed popular Nollywood actor, Bob-Manuel Udokwu, as his Special Adviser on Entertainment, Leisure and Tourism. This was announced in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Paul Nwosu, and made available to newsmen on Tuesday. Bob-Manuel had previously served as Senior Special Assistant on Creative Media during the administration of Peter Obi, and as an aide to the immediate past governor, Willie Obiano.
Soludo also approved the appointment of Mr Chike Anyaonu as Managing Director, Anambra State Housing Development Corporation. Christian Aburime was appointed Chief Press Secretary while Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata was appointed MD/CEO, ICT Agency. For the role of MD/CEO, Anambra State Signage and Advertising Agency, Soludo named Joe Anatume while Okey Ezeobi was appointed GM/CEO of Anambra State Bureau of Public Procurement
- Abuse allegations have cost me everything, says American actor Johnny Depp
Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp said Wednesday that domestic abuse allegations made against him by his ex-wife Amber Heard had cost him “nothing less than everything” and claimed that she was the one who was frequently violent.
Depp, taking the witness stand for the second day of testimony in his defamation case against Heard, said she would regularly insult him and once threw a vodka bottle at him, severing the tip of one of his fingers. The 58-year-old Depp filed the defamation suit against Heard over a column she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018 in which she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”
Heard, who starred in the movie Aquaman, never named Depp, whom she met in 2009 on the set of the film The Rum Diary, but he sued her for implying he was a domestic abuser and is seeking $50 million in damages. Heard, who turns 36 on Friday, countersued, asking for $100 million and claiming she suffered “rampant physical violence and abuse” at his hands.
SPORTS
- EPL: Troost-Ekong, Kalu return for Watford, Brentford’s Onyeka out
Watford have been handed a huge boost ahead of their trip to league leaders Manchester City on Saturday with the return of Nigerian duo William Troost-Ekong and Samuel Kalu. Troost-Ekong returns to full training with the side after recovering from a slight hamstring strain that kept him out of the home clash against Brentford last Saturday.
The Nigeria international has made 16 Premier League appearances this season but last featured for the Hornets in their 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur at Vicarage Road on New Year’s Day. His compatriot Kalu, who joined in January from French Ligue 1 club Bordeaux, will be hoping to be part of the fold after returning from an ankle injury that kept him out against Brentford. The 24-year-old has made just two substitute appearances for the relegation-bound Hornets.
- Lewandowski faces Haaland as Bayern target 10th straight Bundesliga title
Star strikers Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland go head-to-head for what could be the last time in the Bundesliga in Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
A home win over second-placed Dortmund at Munich’s Allianz Arena will secure a tenth straight Bundesliga title for Bayern with three games left.
Lewandowski can also lift the Bundesliga trophy for the tenth time – in each of his eight seasons at Bayern, plus twice with former club Dortmund, whom he left 6 in 2014. Haaland, 21, and Lewandowski, 33, have played key roles in the last six showdowns – all won by Bayern – with Lewandowski netting eight goals compared to Haaland’s five.
They are “two absolute world stars who outshine all the others” in the Bundesliga, Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke told Sport Bild, and are “the most popular abroad”. The pair appeared recently in a English-language television advert for the Bundesliga playing a dense game of poker.
A different kind of deal is reportedly already in place between Haaland and Manchester City, where the Norwegian star could earn around £500,000 ($652,000) per week next season.
METRO PLUS
- Ishaku Condemns Taraba Bomb Attack, Pledges Aid To Injured Victims
Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku, on Thursday, condemned the bomb attack that claimed several lives in Ardo-Kola Local Government Area, describing it as unprovoked aggression against innocent people. In a statement, the governor’s media aide, Bala Abu, extended the condolences of his principal and the state government to the victims and families of those who died during the attack.
The governor asked security agencies “to go after the perpetrators of this heinous crime and to make them pay for their sins”. While sympathising with the families of those killed in the attack, Ishaku promised that his administration would assist the injured and those receiving treatment in hospitals. He equally asked residents of the state “to be vigilant always and to report strange visitors to their communities promptly to security agencies and traditional authorities in their communities”.
The governor’s comment comes about two days after the explosion rocked a drinking bar in Mashaya market, Iware Community in Ardo-Kola. Shortly after the attack, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed responsibility, saying it was behind the “killing and wounding nearly 30 Christians and damaging the bar”.
- Osinachi: Justice’ll be served, CAN assures
The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has pledged to ensure justice for the late gospel music star, Mrs. Osinachi Nwachukwu, who died recently, following alleged maltreatment and assault by her husband, Peter Nwachukwu.
CAN President, Rev. Dr. Samson Ayokunle, gave the pledge in a statement in Abuja yesterday, condemning the gruesome murder of the late gospel music minister.
Ayokunle, who described Osinachi’s untimely demise as sad and worrisome, commiserated with her family and promised to ensure that justice was not perverted in the matter.
- Police Declare 12 Wanted Over Killings In Isu-Aniocha, Anambra
Police authorities have declared 12 persons wanted in connection with the violence in Isu-Aniocha, a community in Awka North Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State. The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, announced this in a statement on Friday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
“The police force hereby declares wanted the following 12 persons in connection with a case of conspiracy, murder, armed robbery, an act of terrorism, kidnapping, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms, housebreaking, burglary, malicious damage, and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace in Isu-Aniocha, Awka North LGA of Anambra State, Nigeria,” the statement said.
Adejobi listed the suspects to include Edward Okoye (aka Stone), Donatus Okeke, Onyemazi Ngini, Onyebuchi Nwekeizu Okoye, Nonso Eboh, Chukwuka Onyibor, Chukwujekwu Anaekeokwu, Chuka Ilodigwe, Chinedu Nwoye Okoye, Nonso Awusionwu Obinna, Cosmos Okonkwo, and Chukwujekwu Okoye.
- Attacks On Police Officers In South East Would No Longer Be Tolerated, IGP Warns
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba Alkali has warned against attacks on police officers and facilities in the country, especially in the South East region, saying such would no longer be tolerated by the force. The police boss, who lamented the destruction of the facilities, other police operational assets across the country, and the killing of officers, also ordered the deployment of additional assets to support the fight against the criminals.
“Consequently, the IGP has ordered the immediate deployment of additional operational assets to complement officers and men attached to Operation Restore Peace in the South East, and other launched operations, with the aim of flushing out criminal elements who hide under the guise of aggrieved citizens to perpetrate criminal acts,” a statement issued by the Force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi on Thursday, read.
Adejobi quoted the IGP as reassuring of the police’s resolve to protect lives and properties in the country. He said, “it is vital to respect the lives and fundamental rights of Police officers and other security operatives, in order to enable them to advance their sacred mandate of serving and protecting the citizens better”.
