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Military arrest Mali’s president, premier, defence minister
Military officers in Mali arrested the president, prime minister and defence minister of the country’s interim government on Monday after a cabinet reshuffle, multiple diplomatic and government sources told Reuters. President Bah Ndaw, Prime Minister Moctar Ouane and defence minister Souleymane Doucoure were all taken to a military base in Kati outside the capital Bamako, the sources said. The arrests bring further uncertainty to the West African country after a military coup in August overthrew President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Ndaw and Ouane had been tasked with overseeing an 18-month transition back to civilian rule after the takeover, but many inside government and the opposition worried about the military’s hold over key positions. The arrests occurred after the announcement of a chan...
Minister charges diplomats to change the narratives about Nigeria
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, yesterday, charged officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to change the narratives about the country. Onyeama stated this during the opening of a three-day induction programme for over 350 officers posted to Nigerian missions abroad in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Onyeama told the officers that it had been a rocky and bumpy road to get to the point in which they were set to depart the country, adding that he was however glad that the day had arrived. “I am here to rejoice and to express my love for you all and to say that we have to keep hope alive, we have to maintain solidarity. We are in this thing together and by God’s grace, we will all be an asset for our country, Nigeria. That is what it is really all about, about Nigeria,...
UNESCO exhibit in Venice focuses on rebuilding Mosul sites
The United Nations’ cultural agency has opened an exhibit detailing plans to restore multicultural landmarks in the Iraqi city of Mosul, underlining the role of architecture in helping heal wounds. The exhibit, “Revive the Spirit of Mosul,” will be featured on the sidelines of the 17th International Architecture Exhibition, which opened Saturday after a one-year pandemic delay under the title: “How will we live together?” The Venice Biennale’s central question resonates in particular in Iraq, which is experiencing turbulent change, and the old city of Mosul, where 80% of the city’s monuments were destroyed by extremists during the city’s 36-month occupation by the Islamic State group. Iraq is one of three countries participating for the first time at the Biennale, with an exhibit by Rashad...
Anambra guber: Zoning favours APC, not APGA, PDP – aspirant
An All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant, Dr Amobi Nwaokafor, has argued that if zoning is to be a consideration in the Anambra State governorship election, the APC should be favoured since it has not ruled the state. Speaking after submitting his declaration of interest and nomination form at the party secretariat he insisted that having governed Anambra State previously, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should allow APC to test the seat. He also argued that since Awka indigenes never occupy the position too, he stands a better chance to benefit from zoning. The former President General of Awka Progressives Union also described himself as the best candidate for the race to occupy the states’ number one seat. He argued that with his wealt...
Nuno Espírito Santo to leave Wolves after four years
Nuno Espírito Santo will leave Wolverhampton Wanderers by mutual consent after the club’s final Premier League game of the season against Manchester United on Sunday. The 47-year-old has been in charge at Molineux for four years, arriving in 2017. In a statement on the club’s official website, Espírito Santo said: “Since the first day we arrived at Compton, our ambition was to make a positive change and push this football club forward, and I am proud to say that we did that every single day. “We achieved our goals, we did it with passion and we did it together. “Sunday will be a very emotional day, but I am so happy that the fans will be back in Molineux and we can share one last special moment together, as one pack.” Under the Portuguese, Wolves were promoted from the Championship as cham...
WTO chief: Patent waiver not enough to close vaccine gap
World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said that intellectual property waiver alone will not be enough to narrow the huge COVID-19 vaccine supply gap between rich and poor countries. She told the European Parliament that it was clear that discussions around vaccine patents alone would not suffice, saying that global leaders should do more to ensure that there is equitable production and distribution of the jabs. Okonjo-Iweala said developing countries had complained that the licensing process was cumbersome and should be improved upon. She added that while it makes sense to protect research and innovation, it is also important to expand access to the vaccines. According to her, manufacturers should work to expand production, pointing to idle capacity ...
CISLAC raises concerns over Nigeria’s debt profile, coronavirus accountability
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), has expressed concerns over $2.18 billion foreign loan request to the Nigerian Senate to fund the 2021 Appropriations Act, by President Muhammadu Buhari. It has therefore urged the National Assembly to insist on an analysis of debt repayment strategy to be in place as its key priority to approvals. In a statement by Executive Director, CISLAC and Head of Transparency International – Nigeria, Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, he said national public finance management regime is meant to save the nation’s economic system from collapse: rescuing jobs, supporting livelihoods and bailing out many businesses on the brink. He warned the government to avoid the catastrophe that the international finance institutions forced on Greece: destroying ...
Sam Allardyce: Premier League is becoming boring
Press Association Sam Allardyce has warned that the Premier League is in danger of becoming boring because teams have been “brainwashed” into using the same playing style. The English top-flight has opened up to different tactical approaches over the last decade, with an influx of coaches coming from elsewhere in Europe. However the West Brom manager fears coaches are being prevented from sticking to their preferred style and that the league is suffering as a result. He said to Sky Sports: “What’s the point of playing out from the back against Man City and Liverpool, the best high-pressing team in this country. If they drop off, you play out from the back. Where’s the space? Exploit the space. I tried to get the players to think about that. It’s a simple game that’s been complicated far to...
Zinedine Zidane ready to walk away from Real Madrid
Zinedine Zidane will almost certainly leave Real Madrid at the end of this season, regardless of whether the team wins LaLiga. They face Granada tonight and if they pick up a win they will still be just two points behind Atletico Madrid with two games to go. But the 48-year-old coach, who has won two league titles and three Champions League crowns in less than four seasons, has all but made up his mind to walk away after the final game of the campaign at home to Villarreal on May 23. Zidane will be an immediate target for Juventus and for the France national side if they make a change after the Euros this summer. Madrid president Florentino Perez will be under pressure to promote Raul to replace him. He currently has the club’s youth team on the verge of promotion but Perez could also turn...
Nollywood actress: Why I changed my name
Nollywood actress, Belinda Effah, has revealed that she will now be officially addressed as Grace-Charis Bassey. The actress recently announced this development on her Instagram page. Speaking at a press conference which held on the set of “Nollywood Queens” reality show during the week, Effah disclosed that she changed her name from Belinda Effah to Grace-Charis Bassey. According to the actress, her divine encounter with God prompted the name change. Her words; “I had to change my name and the only thing that can make me change my name will be the most supreme being which is God. A lot of people will not understand that. So I don’t bother to explain to people when they ask me why. On the 15th of August last year. I had a divine encounter with God to change my name to Grace. Nobody changed...
CBN governor seeks PPP model to improve healthcare infrastructure
Bloomberg The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has urged stakeholders in the public and private sectors to collaborate to build a more healthy and robust healthcare infrastructure in Nigeria. The CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, made the call at a movie launch titled: “UNMASKED”, a feature documentary on leadership, trust and the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. The movie was produced and directed by Mr Femi Odugbemi, a Nigerian documentary filmmaker, and co-produced by Ms Kadaria Ahmed, a renowned journalist, media entrepreneur and television host, on Friday in Lagos. According to Emefiele, addressing the public health crisis along with the downturn in the economy required strong coordination. He said the measures and interventions put in place by the CBN and private sector to improve governme...
Afenifere: We’ll not support military takeover
Pan-Yoruba sociocultural group, Afenifere, has said it is against military takeover of any kind. In a statement, National Publicity Secretary of the group, Comrade Jare Ajayi, described military intervention in government as a curse. He said the recent clamour for change in the country was borne out of frustration over the state of the nation. Ajayi said, “Going by what the nation went through under the military, we will certainly not support another military rule in Nigeria under any guise. “It is on record for example that apart from the general abridgement of the rights of Nigerians under the military, members of the the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) masterminded by Afenifere suffered greatly. “It is on record that we lost a lot of patriotic Nigerians all because they were prot...
