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Kaduna in total blackout as workers begin strike
Kaduna State on Sunday was thrown into total blackout ahead of the five-day warning strike directed by the Nigeria Labour Congress to commence from midnight of Sunday in the state. The total blackout followed a warning by the National Union of Electricity Employees, an affiliate of the NLC, directing its workers to join the strike action in Kaduna beginning on Midnight Sunday. But the state government said it won’t bow to the intimidation of the NLC over its planned ‘rightsizing’ of the state workforce. While speaking at a press conference in Kaduna on Saturday, the Commissioner of Local Government Affairs, Malam Jafaru Sani, said it uncovered a plot by the NLC to recruit hoodlums from other states of the federation to cause mayhem under the pretext of embarking on strike. Sani, therefore,...
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...
Bodies of coronavirus victims among those dumped in India’s Ganges – document
Bodies of COVID-19 victims have been found dumped in some Indian rivers, a state government said in a letter seen by Reuters, the first official acknowledgement of an alarming practice it said may stem from poverty and fear of the disease in villages. Images of corpses drifting down the Ganges river, which Hindus consider holy, have shocked a nation reeling under the world’s worst surge in infections. Although media have linked the recent increase in the numbers of such bodies to the pandemic, the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, home to 240 million people, has until now not publicly revealed the cause of the deaths. “The administration has information that bodies of those who have succumbed to COVID-19 or any other disease are being thrown into rivers instead of being disposed of as per p...
Thomas Tuchel reacts as ‘unlucky’ Chelsea suffer back-to-back FA Cup final defeats
Chelsea suffered late VAR heartache as they slipped to back-to-back FA Cup final defeats after a 1-0 loss to Leicester City, Youri Tielemans’ second-half strike proving decisive. In front of a reduced, yet undoubtedly noisy, Wembley crowd, it was Chelsea who made the brighter start, Timo Werner showcasing his electric speed to test the Foxes backline early on. Despite controlling the opening exchanges, the first real chance of the match fell to their opponents, Timothy Castagne getting in down the right and teeing up Jamie Vardy inside the area, the veteran striker’s effort well blocked by Reece James. At the other end of the pitch, Thomas Tuchel’s men almost fashioned a chance of their own, Thiago Silva’s dinked cross agonisingly evading the head of Cesar Azpilicueta at the back post, aft...
World Bank to construct 13.16km Lagos farm roads
Lagos State Government says its World Bank-assisted Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement, Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) Project will construct 13.16km Farm Access Roads (FARs) in four cluster areas. The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, said this on Thursday during the activities to commemorate the second year of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration. Olusanya noted that the four farm cluster areas were Igbodu in Epe, Araga also in Epe, Erinkorodo in Ikorodu and Afowo in Badagry. She said the access roads when completed would ensure smooth movement to and fro the farms. Olusanya added that it would reduce losses encountered by egg farmers as a result of the bad road. The commissioner said it would also improve productivity of the concerned farmers....
NMA: Worsening insecurity affecting healthcare delivery
File Photo The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), has raised the alarm over the poor delivery of healthcare services, as a result of the worsening state of insecurity in the country. This was contained in a communique signed by President of the NMA, Prof. Innocent Ujah and the Secretary General, Dr. Philips Ekpe, issued at the end of the NMA’s Annual General Conference and Delegates Meeting held in Jos, and made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja. The NMA urged the Federal Government to renew efforts to quickly bring what was described as a “humanitarian disaster” under control, and appealed to all citizens to jettison dangerous unpatriotic and tendencies. The communique reads in part: “The Conference is saddened by the worsening spate of killings, maiming, kidnapping, banditry, a...
World Bank: Nigeria responsible for over 40 percent diaspora remittances in Sub Saharan Africa
The World Bank says Nigeria is responsible for over 40 percent of diaspora remittances in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). In a statement on Wednesday, the Washington-based financial institution said remittances to SSA declined by an estimated 12.5 percent in 2020 to $42 billion. The decline was almost entirely due to a 27.7 percent decline in remittance flows to Nigeria, “Remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa declined by an estimated 12.5 percent in 2020 to $42 billion,” the statement read. “The decline was almost entirely due to a 27.7 percent decline in remittance flows to Nigeria, which alone accounted for over 40 percent of remittance flows to the region. “Excluding Nigeria, remittance flows to Sub-Saharan African increased by 2.3 percent. “Remittance growth was reported in Zambia (37 percent), ...
Bauchi traffic agency to enforce ban on commercial motorcyclists – chairman
The Bauchi State Road Traffic Agency (BAROTA), on Tuesday, reiterated that activities of commercial motorcycle riders, popularly known as ‘Okada’ or ‘Achaba’, remained banned in the state. Mr Tijjani Gamawa, Chairman of the agency, who made this known at a news conference in Bauchi, stated that the agency would ensure the enforcement of the ban. Newsmen recall that the Bauchi state government, in March 2020, banned the activities of commercial motorcyclists as one of the measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus in the state. Gamawa also explained that anybody conveying three or more people on his motorcycle and riding recklessly would be regarded as a commercial rider, and would be arrested and his motorcycle seized. Similarly, the chairman warned that any tricycle rider (Keke Napep)...
NASU: Decision to reduce civil servants salaries ’provocative’
File Photo The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) says plan by the Federal Government to slash salaries of Federal civil servants is “provocative’’. NASU made this known in a statement by its General Secretary, Mr Peters Adeyemi on Sunday in Abuja. It will be recalled that Mrs Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of Finance, had given the hint on May 4, at the National Policy Dialogue on Corruption and Cost of Governance in Nigeria, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Abuja. Ahmed said during the dialogue that the review of salaries of civil servants and some federal agencies were part of measures to reduce cost of governance. She said the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) had bee...
‘Boko Haram members’ arrested in Kano mosque
Armed security men on Saturday night raided a mosque in Filin Lazio, Hotoro, in Kano metropolitan area, arresting an unspecified number of worshippers. Eyewitnesses told newsmen that the operation, led the military, occurred at about when the Muslim faithful were breaking their Ramadan fast. Sources indicate that the operation was targeted at suspected Boko Haram members who are believed to have gathereed at the said mosque. The arrest, which took members of the immediate area by surprise, automatically resulted into a scare as many residents left the vicinity in order not to run into harm as a result of the operation Nigerian Army spokesman in Kano State Captain Irabor told Daily Sun by phone that the army are working on a public statement on the operation. Get more stories like this on T...
Police dismiss explosives in Oshodi market fire
Hours after Lagos Emergency Management Agency said its investigation showed some for of explosive or accelerant was used in the fire which gutted Oshodi Market, police has ruled out any explosive being involved in the incident. It signals a controversy over the cause of the fire, which started with an explosion on Thursday night. Lagos police spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi said police and expert investigations showed the fire was “not caused” by bombing or explosives. “The commissioner of police has debunked the rumour that the Oshodi market inferno was caused by bombing or explosives. The public is hereby urged to disregard such news or rumour,” said Adejobi. The CP visited the scene on Friday in company of Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit (EOD) operatives to assess the scene and give their ex...
Christian Pulisic dismisses Chelsea exit rumours
Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic has dismissed rumours he could quit Stamford Bridge this summer. The United States international has found himself in and out of the side under Thomas Tuchel and admitted he was “very frustrated” not to start against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg earlier this month, giving rise to speculation he could seek a move this summer. However, Pulisic says he isn’t going anywhere and is “up for the challenge” of proving himself in west London. When asked whether he saw his long-term future at Chelsea, Pulisic told ESPN: “Yeah, I’m obviously happy here. It has been an incredible two years. “People have always doubted and said: ‘Oh, he’s not playing, does he want to go here, does he want to go there?’ I’m always up for a challenge, I love c...