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Myanmar protesters burn junta leader’s images on his birthday
Protesters burned mock coffins and pictures of Myanmar’s army ruler Min Aung Hlaing on Saturday in the latest demonstrations against the coup over five months ago that has plunged the Southeast Asian country into chaos. “May you not rest in peace” and “may your birthday and deathday be the same,” read the messages on funeral wreaths in Theinzayet township in eastern Mon state. Similar protests took place in many parts of Myanmar. “We are burning this as a curse,” said one protester in the second city of Mandalay, setting ablaze a small pile of picture of the general, 65. A spokesman for the military authorities did not respond to requests for comment. Min Aung Hlaing took power on Feb. 1, overthrowing elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and cutting short a decade of democratic reforms that had...
APC insists Governor Matawalle is Zamfara party leader
The All Progressives Congress on Friday reiterated its conferment of the leadership of the Zamfara State chapter of the party on Governor Bello Matawalle. This is coming on the heels of the rejection of the governor’s leadership by former governor Abdelaziz Yari, and a party stalwart, Senator Kabiru Marafa. The Chairman, Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the party, Governor Mai Mala Buni, had while welcoming Matawalle into the party, dissolved the APC state executive committee and announced Matawalle as the new party leader. However, Yari and Marafa had in separate interviews with the Hausa Service of the BBC, rejected Buni’s declaration, insisting that negotiations were still ongoing. When contacted, via the telephone, on Friday, the National Secretary of t...
Brazilian potential presidential candidate announces he is gay
Brazilian governor and potential major party presidential candidate Eduardo Leite, a prominent critic of President Jair Bolsonaro, came out as gay in a TV interview. Leite, governor of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, would be the first openly gay presidential candidate in Brazil. Anti-gay rhetoric has been a staple of speeches by Bolsonaro, who once declared that if he had a gay son, he would rather the child died in an accident. “I have never spoken about a subject related to my private life,” Leite told Brazilian journalist Pedro Bial in a TV interview on Thursday evening. “But during this moment of low integrity in Brazil, I have nothing to hide, I am gay. I am a governor who is gay, not a gay governor, as former President Obama in the US was a president who was Black, not a Bl...
South Africa’s Jacob Zuma mounts last-ditch legal fight against jail term
South Africa’s ex-president Jacob Zuma on Friday mounted a last-ditch legal bid to avoid prison after the country’s top court ordered him jailed for failing to appear before graft investigators. In a landmark ruling, the Constitutional Court on Tuesday handed Zuma a 15-month term for contempt after he snubbed a probe into the theft of state assets under his tenure. If the 79-year-old fails to turn himself in by Sunday, police will be given a further three days to arrest him and take him to jail to start the sentence. As the deadline loomed, Zuma pleaded on Friday that the order be “reconsidered and rescinded.” “It will not be futile,” Zuma said in papers filed to the court, “to make one last attempt to invite the Constitutional Court to relook its decision and to merely reassess whether it...
Ondo assembly passes anti-open grazing, judicial autonomy bills into law
In a bid to regulate the activities of herdsmen and the rearing of livestock in the state, the Ondo State House of Assembly has passed into law the anti-open grazing bill. The House also passed into law the bill on the autonomy of the judiciary and the bill on violence against persons prohibition. The bills were passed after the chairmen of three committees submitted their reports on the bill. The plenary session of the Assembly, held on Thursday, was presided over by the Speaker, Mr Bamidele Oloyeloogun. Speaking on the bills at the session, the committee chairmen remarked that the bills were in the best interest of all citizens of Ondo State. On the anti-open grazing bill, Mr Taofik Mohammed of the House Committee on Agriculture explained that the bill was to regulate rearing and grazing...
Deputy governor unveils new coach for Edo Queens
The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has announced Wemimo Matthew as the new head coach for Edo Queens Football Club with a charge to return the team to its glory days. Shaibu who supervised the unveiling ceremony at the New Festival Hall, Government House, on Friday, charged the new coach to use her wealth of experience to transform the team. He said, “What we’ve done with Edo Queens is to make it a model for the girl child to look up to. So, we decided to unveil a new head coach because of our poor performance in the just concluded Super Six tournament. “Coach Wemimo Matthew is well-educated, highly disciplined and she has the knack for unearthing and grooming young talents. We have already felt her impact since she joined the team. “She will help us develop young talent and ...
Ekiti governor urges Nigerians to rise up, defend democracy
The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has called on Nigerians to rise to the defence of democracy in Nigeria with a view to advancing the development of the country. Mr Fayemi made the call Tuesday in Abuja when he visited the Canadian Ambassador to Nigeria, Nicolas Simard, at his residence. The visit by the NGF Chairman was part of the Chairman’s shuttle diplomacy to representatives of the diplomatic corps in Nigeria, which is one of the initiatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum’s secretariat towards engendering inter-governmental synergy between global governments at the subnational level. Mr Fayemi’s visits on Monday took him to the residence of the Canadian ambassador to Nigeria, and the embassy of the People’s Republic of China and...
FRSC seeks partnership with EEDC to enhance operations in Enugu
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it will partner the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) to enhance its operational capabilities within Enugu State. The FRSC Sector Commander in Enugu State, Mr Joseph Udoabba, said this when he paid a courtesy visit to the management of EEDC at its corporate headquarters in Enugu on Thursday. Udoabba said that the visit was essentially to “further fortify and cement the already existing cordial relationship’’ between the Command and EEDC. “I hope we will continue on that cordial note,’’ he said. He also commended the efforts of EEDC in ensuring effective electricity distribution in the state as well as entire South-East states. “FRSC is soliciting for support in the area of power supply to its Command headquarters, unit and licensing off...
Imo governor presents cheques to families of deceased soldiers
Gov. Hope Uzodinma has presented undisclosed amount of money in cheques to six families of deceased soldiers who lost their lives recently while on duty in Imo. Uzodinma presented the cheques on Thursday during condolence visits to the 34th Artillery Brigade, Obinze, the 211 Regiment of the Nigerian Airforce Base, Naze, and families of deceased soldiers. Speaking during the visits, the governor pledged continuous support and commitment to the families to boost their morale and bring lasting solution to the security crisis in the state. Uzodinma, while presenting the cheques to the families and next of kin of the fallen soldiers, prayed to God to grant them fortitude to bear the loss. Earlier, the Brigade Commander, Brig.-Gen. Raymond Utsaha, expressed gratitude to Uzodinma for identifying ...
NNPC, Shell donate 10 solar power water projects to communities in Borno
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) have donated 10 solar powered boreholes and 16 VIP latrines to some communities in seven LGAs in Borno. Speaking at the formal handover ceremony of the projects in Maiduguri on Wednesday, Borno Deputy Governor, Alhaji Umar Kadafur, lauded NNPC/SNEPCO for the intervention. He said it would impact positively on the lives of the benefitting communities. Kadafur, whose speech was read by Alhaji Mohammed Wanori, the Commissioner for Inter-Governmental Affairs, said the intervention was in line with the administration’s policy of restoration of livelihood in communities worst affected by decade-long insurgency. “This administration places a high premium on the adage which says ‘water ...
Anthony Baffoe leaves role as Caf deputy general secretary
Anthony Baffoe has left his post as Confederation of African Football (CAF) Deputy General Secretary after almost four years at the helm. The former Ghana international, who was appointed in 2017, has been in charge of Football and Development at CAF. Baffoe said: “This was a decision I took three months ago due to personal reasons. The journey which started in November 2017 sadly ends, giving way to the start of a fresh journey. “I count myself lucky to have served CAF and being at the forefront of the administration of the game on the continent. Praise be to Almighty Allah. I am grateful to the CAF Executive Committee led by Patrice Motsepe for the opportunity, not forgetting former CAF President Ahmad Ahmad for seeing the potential in me at first hand.” He added: “I leave with my head h...
House speaker lauds Ebonyi lawmaker over democracy dividends
Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has applauded Chief Chinedu Ogah, representing Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency, for delivering democracy dividends to his constituents. The Speaker made the commendation on Wednesday at Ekpelu community in Ikwo local government area while inaugurating constituency projects attracted by Ogah. The Speaker, represented by Mr Abdulkadir Babayali, said that the lawmaker has demonstrated uncommon love, uncommon will and uncommon wisdom in attracting the projects which he said would enhance the living conditions of the people. He added that the lawmaker had demonstrated effective representation through the provision of many life changing infrastructure and other development projects for the people. The Speaker urged the people to...
