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Happy Birthday Opeoluwa Birthdays mean a fresh start; a time for looking back with gratitude at the blessings of another year. It is also a time to look forward with renewed hope for bigger blessings. May you find true bliss as you face your next milestones. Happy birthday! From all of us at Socioscope News Agency, we wish u a happy belated birthday

I will accept that my generation had done a number of wrong things but … – Obasanjo Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday said Nigeria was yet to get the right leadership that will move it to true development. Obasanjo spoke in Kaduna at the one-day Trade Fair seminar of Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, KADCCIMA, saying he had identified the pitfalls inhibiting the nation’s growth and development. He said: “Look, don’t worry unduly about the mistake the generation before you had made. When people talk to me and said ‘yes, you are wrong.’ I will accept that my generation had done a number of wrong things. But, we must have done some good things as well. “My own generation fought for the unity of Nigeria. You cannot deny that. There are many things we must have done wrong but we fought for the unity of this country. I still have shrapnel from grenades that entered my body that our brothers shot at me ...

Makarfi accuses Okorocha , Amaechi of destabilising PDP The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was at the point of crossing party lines, yesterday, after the Senator Ahmed Makarfi faction presented what it claimed to be damning evidence of the deep involvement of All Progressives Congress, APC, in the affair. The Makarfi’s faction, at a world press conference, named Governor Rochas Okorocha and the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, of stirring the crisis by propping the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff faction through covert means. However, Deputy National Chairman of the party, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, in an entreaty to the Makarfi faction, warned, yesterday, that the party stood the risk of losing the 2019 elections if the factions did not reconcile. The offer nonetheless, supporters of the Makarfi faction, yesterday, staged a demonstration in front of the national secretariat of the party that was taken over by Sheriff last Thursday, chanting that Sheriff shoul...

Queens College liable for students’ deaths -parents Emotions ran high as parents of Queens College students and wellwishers gathered at the requiem mass yesterday in honour of Vivian Osuyi, a junior secondary school 2 student of the school who allegedly died of diarrhoea. The death of Vivian and another student has continued to generate posers as parents allege negligence on the school’s authority. The Vice Chairman, PTA , who was identified as Alhaja Shittu who was present at the event, was accosted and questioned by the parents to give comprehensive details about the death of the two students. Parents also accused the former School Principal of trying to drag the name and reputation of the school into mud due through her manner of handling issues . Parents who spoke exclusively to Vanguard said that the cause of the students’ deaths was due to the cholera outbreak occasioned by the contamination of the school’s water system, a development they said the sch...

UTME: JAMB scraps awaiting results registration With effect from this year ( 2017 ), candidates awaiting results would no longer be eligible to apply for the Universities Tertiary Matriculation Examination , the Joint Admissi ons and Matriculation Board , said in Abuja on Tuesday . The organisation also said it had concluded all r estructuring and reforms and is now set to commence the sale of its application document in March . The restructuring exercise will now allow for only one choice of public university in which new registration platform will now be first choice , second choice , third choice and fourth choice and not most preferred , preferred choice . A statement by the spokesperson of JAMB , Dr . Fabian Benjamin , said the agency had taken time to add value to the services it have been offering to Nigerians for over three decades . According to him , the restructuring was aimed at expanding the opportunities available to candidates since almost all the public universitie...

Ban on okada, keke will affect Nigeria’s economy – Amaechi The Minister of Transportation , Rotimi Amaechi, has said that motorcycles and tricycles should not be banned nationwide because doing so would affect the nation’ s economy negatively. Amaechi said this on Tuesday in Abuja at the celebration of the national day of Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners, Repairers and Riders Association of Nigeria . The minister advised state governments not to ban commercial cyclists but train them to reduce their recklessness on the road and ensure strict compliance with rules and regulations. He said , “ I don ’ t think we should ban Okada because if we do , it will affect the economy ; they only need to be trained to obey rules and regulations. “ The issue of security , safety and regulation should be dealt with at the state level ; state governments should train Okada riders . ” He urged the operators avoid recklessness and obey ...

Igbo will never be President of Nigeria – MASSOB The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra , on Tuesday declared that an Igbo man would never become Nigeria ’ s President . In a statement signed by MASSOB leader , Comrade Uchenna Madu , entitled ‘ We insist on Biafra through non - violence , not Igbo presidency ’ , the secessionist group berated Igbo leaders , describing them as ‘ political slaves ’ who have no chance of ruling the country. Leading Igbo politicians are nursing strong hopes that the presidency would be zoned to the South - East in 2023 , and a former President , Olusegun Obasanjo , recently suggested that that the Igbos should run for the office in 2019 . But MASSOB described expectations that an Igbo man would become the country’ s President in 2019 or 2023 as mere wishful thinking . “ The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra has declared that an Igbo man may not be...

Court rejects plea to abort foetus with Down’s Syndrome India’ s top court Tuesday denied a plea by a pregnant woman to terminate her 26 - week old foetus diagnosed with Down ’ s Syndrome, the latest in a string of women to have her abortion request rejected . Indian law does not permit terminations after 20 weeks but the Supreme Court has made exceptions in cases where there is a danger to the life of the mother or baby . The latest petition was denied after the court relied on a report by doctors which said there was “no physical risk” to the life of the 37 - year- old mother if she continued with the pregnancy . The two - judge bench also said it was not confirmed the foetus would suffer from severe mental and physical challenges . Down ’ s Syndrome is a genetic disorder typically associated with physical growth delays and intellectual disability . “ The medical report clearly does not , and possibly cannot, observe that this particular...

Why Nigerian elite are corrupt – Osinbajo The Acting President on Tuesday said so much corruption was prevalent among the nation’ s political, religious and private sector elite because of the high premium placed on wealth in the country. He said the elite had decided to view wealth as a measure of worth , hence the large scale corruption in the system . Osinbajo said this while inaugurating the Private Sector Advisory Group for the Sustainable Development Goals at the Presidential Villa , Abuja . He said some nations were doing better than nations who attach importance to wealth because such nations that do better decided that the value of human beings was in their contribution to the society. Osinbajo said , “ We have decided as an elite in this country that wealth is a measure of worth . It is a decision we made consciously or unconsciously . “ The political elite have decided that wealth is a measure of worth and that is why you find so much corruption ...

Prosecution of crime suspects ‘ll be prioritised – IG The Inspector - General of Police , Ibrahim Idris has said the Force would henceforth monitor the prosecution of suspects arrested for kidnapping , terrorism , armed robbery and other crimes in the country. This , he said was necessary to ensure the diligent trial of crime cases and make sure that the suspects were duly punished for their crimes . Addressing a seminar for state commands ’ public relations officers on Tuesday at the Force headquarters , Abuja , Idris said it was not just enough to parade crime suspects before the media and not follow through with their prosecution . “ When you arrest suspects , ensure that you follow up with the trial ; People believed that when you arrest and parade them ( before the media ) , that is the end of it , but it is important to follow up the case to the point of conviction. This is necessary to serve as a deterrence to others, ” he said . He admonished t...

Naira appreciates further, sells at N425/$ in parallel market The naira continued to regain strength and appreciate in value in the parallel market on Tuesday as it was sold for N425 to a dollar . However , it was N450 to a dollar at the close of transactions on Monday . At the Bureau De Change market in Abuja on Tuesday BDC operators bought at the rate of N 415 and sold at N425 . The BDC operators bought the Pound Sterling at N500 and sold at N510 , while the Euro was bought for N420 and sold for N 425 . For the inter - bank rate, the dollar exchanged for N331 . 6 , Euro 335 . 75 , while the pound exchanged for N394 . 25 Some of the BDC operators said that the provision of forex by the CBN to the commercial banks was responsible for the appreciation of the naira in the market . Mr Sani Ahmed , one of the operators said that the best way to crash the high rate in the market was the continuous injection of liquidity into the market . According to him , the appreciation of the na...

Reps clash over Buhari’s health status Members of the House of Representatives exchanged words on Tuesday over the health status of President Muhammadu Buhari . Lawmakers quarrelled over the use of the word “ sickness” in referring to Buhari or explaining his reason for being away from the country to the United Kingdom since January 19 . The disagreement was more pronounced among members of the ruling All Progressives Congress , the President ’ s party . While some members said Buhari was sick and was away to treat himself , others claimed that he was on “ medical vacation . ” It was the House Majority Leader, Mr . Femi Gbajabiamila , who started the argument when he tried to stop the Chief Whip , Mr . Alhassan Ado -Doguwa , from describing the President as a sick man . Both Gbajabiamila , who is from Lagos State , and Ado - Doguwa, who is from Kano State , are members of the APC. Ado - Doguwa was contributing and opposing a motion seeking to i...

US-Mexico border plans not well communicated – Trump U. S . President Donald Trump on Tuesday admitted to poor messaging regarding his plans for security along the U. S . – Mexico border . Trump said in an interview with broadcaster Fox News that he did not think his border policies have been communicated well . “ Maybe that ’ s my fault , ’’ he added . He said his administration was seeking to keep drug and human traffickers , in some cases murderers , from entering the United States . “ We ’ re getting the bad ones out, the bad people, ’’ Trump said in regard to his policies. This concept has been lost in the discussion , the president suggested. Trump was also somewhat critical of spokesperson Sean Spicer , for his efforts to find the source of leaks by investigating the mobile phones of his staff . He said , “ I would have done it differently ”. Trump said that he nevertheless respected Spicer ’ s...

Fayose blasts Obasanjo Ekiti State Governor , Ayodele Fayose , has asked former President Olusegun Obasanjo to stop making provocative statements that could distract and discourage Nigerians from fixing the economy . The governor was reacting to a statement credited to Obasanjo in which he said his generation had failed the nation. Fayose , who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary , Idowu Adelusi , said Obasanjo ’ s sanctimonious self -righteousness was misleading , self -serving and discomfiting , and not what the country needed at this time . He advised Obasanjo to speak for himself rather than making a generalised statement . “ There is much suffering in the land . The people are hungry . Yet , one of those responsible for this unsavoury state of affairs relishes in adding insult to the people ’ s injury . He makes statements that are not only reckless but also untrue . “ Obasanjo , truly , has failed this country many times over but not all members o...

41 trafficked Nigerian girls evacuated from Mali The Federal Government on Monday evacuated 41 Nigerian girls who were trafficked to Mali for forced labour and sexual exploitation. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that six persons, alledged to be human traffickers, were also arrested and brought back to the country alongside their victims. The Hercules C-130 military aircraft, with registration number NAF 913, conveying the returnees landed at 7:45 pm at the Airforce Base of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. They were brought back by the Nigeria Air Force in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant, Diaspora and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). They were received at the Hajj Camp area of the airport by officers of the NAPTIP and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS). Addressing newsmen, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, commended the Chi...

Australia PM confirms arrest of suspect who helped ISIS build missiles Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of an Australian man who tried to help the extremist militia organisation Islamic State develop high-tech laser and missile capabilities. Turnbull said the 42-year-old man was arrested in the town of Young in the state of New South Wales on terrorism offences, but that he had not been involved in planning any attack in Australia. “Police will allege that this individual, in a regional centre, acted with intent to provide ISIL (Islamic State) with the capability, with the technical capability, and high-tech capability, to detect and develop missiles,” Turnbull told reporters in Canberra. Australian federal police commissioner Andrew Colvin said the man, a trained electrician, used the internet to provide services to Islamic State to help research and design laser warning technology and systems to develop long-range guided missile capabilit...

KWASU: 1st Nigerian university to offer aeronautical engineering programme The Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, in Moro Local Government Area of the state, has become the first university to run Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering degree programme in the country. This is sequel to the approval by the National Universities Commission (NUC). The NUC approval is contained in a statement by the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, in Ilorin on Monday. The Vice-Chancellor claimed that the university had formally submitted an invitation to NUC for accreditation, and assured that the university was fully ready for the exercise. Na’allah congratulated all the students and staff of the institution`s College of Engineering and Technology, particularly the Department of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. He attributed the accreditation of the course to the hard work and patience of the students and staff of the university. KWAS...

Oil theft, illegal bunkering have reduced in Niger Delta – Buratai The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Tuesday said oil theft and illegal bunkering have reduced in Niger Delta. Fielding questions from journalists in Uyo, Buratai said with the establishment of new army formations in the region, illegal activities were being checkmated. The army chief was on tour of army formations in Aka Ibom, including the newly established 2 Brigade in Uyo. “Strictly speaking, there is no rise (in illegal bunkering and oil theft) because of the efforts of all the stakeholders – the military and other security agencies – working hard to make sure that the sabotage is checked,” Buratai said to journalists on Tuesday. “That is why you see so many arrests, so many moves to stop the illegal bunkering. It is a new drive, new effort put by all the security agencies. “You know that we have a new 6 Division (of the Nigerian Army) that has been esta...

1,000 Egba indigent students to get scholarship At least 1,000 indigent students of Egba extraction in Ogun State have been listed for scholarship in this year’s edition of the annual Lisabi Day Celebration. The festival, which began with the booming of guns atop the Olumo rock on Monday, ends with a thanksgiving service at the Cathedral of St. Peter, Ake, on March 5. The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, who made this known at his Ake Palace, Abeokuta, at the weekend, said the scholarship was the initiative of the Egba in diaspora. Gbadebo added the Egba sons and daughters abroad took it upon themselves to address the educational plights of the beneficiaries, whose parents lack the means to finance their education. “Ahead of this year Lisabi Day Celebration, I can confirm to you that a minimum of 1,000 indigent students have been penciled down for scholarship by Egba in diaspora,” he said. According to him, the beneficiaries would be selected on merit. ...

Acting Commissioner: LASG has no plan to ban ‘danfo’ Lagos State Ministry of Transport has no plan to ban yellow buses known as “Danfo” but to upgrade them to international standard, the acting Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Lanrewaju Elegushi, has disclosed. Elegushi made the disclosure in Lagos on Tuesday during a stakeholder’s forum to deliberate on how to improve the transport system in the state. He said that the plan of the government was to restructure the transportation system in the state to international standard. “What we are planning is to restructure the transportation system in the state to meet international standard. “That is why we organised this forum to seek the contributions of the people involved at the new Bus Terminal at Tafawa Balewa Square. “We are changing the face of the transport system in Lagos state with fully air condition buses, charging port, CCTV and other infrastructure for the benefit of commuters...

Bolt: No grudges over lost medal Usain Bolt has admitted he ‘holds no grudges’ against former Jamaica team-mate Nesta Carter whose recent positive drug test subsequently stripped the ‘fastest man in history’ of one of his nine gold Olympic medals. Bolt lost his title as a ‘triple-triple’ Olympic champion when Carter retrospectively tested positive for a banned substance in a re-analysis of urine and blood samples from the Beijing Games, thus voiding the 4 x 100m relay gold medals won by Bolt and his then team-mates. Carter, the sixth fastest 100m runner of all time, ran the opening leg of the Olympic 4 x 100m final nine years ago as Jamaica stormed to victory in a then world-record 37.10 sec, helping Bolt to a clean sweep of sprint titles as he burst on to the global stage at his first Games. Almost one month on from since Carter tested positive for the prohibited substance methylhexaneamine, Bolt said he has not spoken to the disgraced athlete bu...

MY WORDS OF APPRECIATION - Hon. Man Pea. While adopting succinctness and lexical conciseness as a watchword, I would not do without picking from the eternal words of Steve Maraboli which states that "Those who have the ability to be grateful are the ones who have the ability to achieve greatness". In the light of this, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude for your illimitable kindness, support and votes which led to the accomplishment of the great vision. I pray that the God, which I serve day and night, will never forsake everyone Of us. My immeasurable appreciation goes to *Mr. Shittu Akeem O*.(Socioscope News Agency Editor-In-Chief), *Mr. Wisdom Hagia Sophia* (Megaphone news agency Editor-In-Chief),  *Mr. Omole Isaac* (Former NANCE PRO), *Mr. Olaoluwa Joseph* (Former ACJOAU General Secretary), *Miss Adeyeye Mofehintoluwa* (Public Voice Editor-In-Chief) for your unflinching support and sagely words of advice. I pray that the spirit of leadership, which God has bestow...

'THANK GOD WE AREN'T PLAYING TOMORROW!' - KLOPP TEARS INTO WOEFUL LIVERPOOL The Reds boss was fuming with his players following their defeat to Leicester City which left hit their hopes of finishing in the top four hard Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp struggled to conceal his anger after their Premier League top-four hopes were dealt a blow in the lacklustre 3-1 loss at Leicester City. Liverpool reach new level of embarrassing The anticipated wake for sacked title-winning boss Claudio Ranieri took on an unexpectedly celebratory air at the King Power Stadium, as Jamie Vardy netted his first top-flight goals since December 10 either side of Danny Drinkwater's spectacular long-range strike. Philippe Coutinho pulled a goal back for the visitors but Leicester were able to move out of the relegation zone, while Klopp's men are fifth having played a game more than Manchester City and Arsenal immediately above them as well as sixth-placed Manchester United. "If we...

Trump 'seeks $54bn increase' in military budget Proposal, which could entail big cuts in foreign aid and spending on domestic agencies, to fulfil key campaign promise. Donald Trump has reportedly proposed an increase in the 2018 US defence budget by $54bn, while imposing funding cuts to other domestic programmes and foreign aid. Administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity at the White House's insistence, spoke about the bid to boost military spending by about 10 percent on Monday, the same day that Trump promised a "historic" increase in the defence budget. "This budget follows through on my promise on keeping Americans safe ... It will include a historic increase in budget spending," Trump said as he met state governors at the White House. The Pentagon's budget increase would fulfil a Trump campaign promise to build up the military. A senior budget office official said there will be a large reduction in foreign aid and that mo...

Jewish community centres hit by wave of bomb threats Jewish community centres and schools in a dozen US states have reported bomb threats, days after hundreds of headstones were knocked over at a Jewish cemetery. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a Jewish NGO, said there were at least 20 bomb threats against Jewish community centres and schools on Monday in 12 states across the eastern half of the country. The group described the latest threats as the "fifth wave" observed in 2017. For the year, about 90 such threats have been received, including one against the ADL's New York headquarters. No bombs were found after the latest threats. "While this latest round of bomb threats to Jewish community centres and day schools across the country again appears to not be credible, we are nonetheless urging all Jewish institutions to review their procedures," ADL chief executive Jonathan Greenblatt said. He described the bomb threats as "not the only manifestati...

Chile floods leave more than a million without water Severe water shortages in Santiago after mudslides caused by torrential rains choked intakes for urban water systems. Chilean rescuers search for victims after heavy rains caused landslides Santiago's water company is working to restore water supply for more than 1.4 million people in the Chilean capital following deadly flooding. More than half of the communities in the greater Santiago area and as many as 5 million people nationwide were affected by the weekend flooding as rocks and other debris choked the intakes for urban water systems. Three people died in the torrential rains and landslides that hit central Chile over the weekend, emergency officials said. Nineteen people remain missing. Approximately 400 people in the Andes mountain region remain cut off from the outside world. The Aguas Andinas water company said on Monday that service had been restored to about 50 percent of the homes and businesses that initially...

US sanctuary schools defy Trump's immigration raids A growing number of school districts are refusing to cooperate with immigration officials. As the Trump administration lays out its plans to crack down on undocumented immigrants, a growing number of school districts are declaring themselves sanctuaries and refusing to cooperate with immigration officials. In Connecticut, Syracuse, New York and Chicago, principals have been told to make Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents wait outside unless they have a criminal warrant. Al Jazeera's John Hendren reports from the school district of Elizabeth in New Jersey, where some parents are worried about sending their children to school after recent raids on immigrants.

German-Turkish reporter arrested in Turkey for 'terrorist propaganda' The Turkish authorities have arrested a German-Turkish journalist they accuse of producing terrorist propaganda and undermining the government. Deniz Yucel, who works for Die Welt, was detained almost two weeks ago and has since been held in police custody. He had earlier reported on leaked emails that allegedly highlight the influence wielded by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's son-in-law. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the move "disappointing". "We will continue to insist on a fair and legal treatment of Deniz Yucel and hope that he will soon regain his freedom," she said. Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Mr Yucel's arrest showed in "glaring light" the differences between Germany and Turkey on matters of freedom of the press and freedom of opinion. Is Turkey still a democracy? No cause for optimism in divided Turkey Die Welt says Mr Yucel, 43, is th...

Syria al-Qaeda leader 'targeted in strike on car' The deputy leader of al-Qaeda was the target of an air strike in the Syrian province of Idlib on Sunday, according to unconfirmed reports. It is not clear whether Abu al-Khayr al-Masri survived the attack. The Egyptian is second-in-command to overall al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Syrian opposition activists, the Local Co-ordination Committees, posted photographs showing a car in which two people had been killed, it said. The car, in the town of al-Mastuma, was targeted by "international coalition aircraft", the group said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that an al-Qaeda official was killed in a strike, but did not confirm it was Abu al-Khayr al-Masri. Tahrir al-Sham - al-Qaeda's latest incarnation in Syria Why is there a war in Syria? The Egyptian, whose real name is Abdullah Muhammad Rajab Abd al-Rahman, was reportedly released from custody by Iran in 2015 as part of a prisoner swap...

Oscars apologize as mix-up overshadows ‘Moonlight’ win Coming-of-age drama “Moonlight” won the coveted best picture Oscar, but not before a historic mix-up that saw “La La Land” mistakenly handed the award — eclipsing what should have been a night of triumph for black cinema. An inquiry was underway Monday to determine the cause of a jaw-dropping error which saw presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announce the wrong winner, sparking painful scenes as Hollywood’s annual awards season came to a chaotic close. Tens of millions of viewers witnessed the most shocking incident in the Oscars’ 88-year history with the commotion largely overshadowing the significance of the achievement of “Moonlight” on a night of a record number of wins by black stars. Not only did the underdog pull off a stunning upset against an awards juggernaut experts had seen as a lock for best picture, it was also the first winner in history made...

BBNaija : 7 housemates up for possible eviction With the emergence of Thin Tall Tony as the new Head of House in Big Brother Naija taking place in South Africa, seven housemates are up for this week’s possible eviction. Big Brother, also known as Biggie, annulled nominations for week five eviction on Feb. 20. With the exit of the fake housemates, Ese and Jon on Sunday, the remaining seven housemates were up for possible eviction as Bisola and Bally went on vacation. Thin Tall Tony became Head of House after Monday’s task and was exempted from eviction nomination. So far, four of the housemates; Soma, Monyse, Coco Ice and Gifty have been evicted from the house. There is going to be only one winner in the reality show, who will take home N25 million. (NAN)

#BBNaija Day 36:Singer Simi visit housemates; ThinTallTony escapes eviction Nigerian singer Simi, paid a visit to the #BBNaija housemates on Monday, after her sterling performance at the eviction show on Sunday. She was welcomed by the housemates with a dance routine they earlier rehearsed from one of her song titled, ‘#Pardonmypun’. Simi also visited Bisola and Bally in a Maldives inspired vacation destination. Simi The housemates took turns to share their dreams and aspirations at the end of their stay in the house with the singer. Housemates also took turns for a selfie with the “JAMB Question” crooner before her departure. Meanwhile, ThinTallTony (TTT) has emerged head of the house (HoH) for this week and will not be needing viewer’s vote to stay in the house this week. There has been series of scrutiny of TTT’s behaviour in the #BBNaija House by viewers, many were awaiting when he will be put up for eviction. It would be recalled that ...

Oscars 2017: Diversity triumphs, as more blacks win awards By Benjamin Njoku with Agency reports THE 89th edition of the prestigious Academy Awards show took a shocking turn, Sunday night, when presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty mistakenly announced Hollywood musical film “La La Land” as the winner for Best Picture, instead of the coming-of-age story “Moonlight.” The biggest mistake in the history of Oscars: In extraordinary scenes, the La La Land team were halfway through their victory speeches when it was noticed that the wrong film name had been read out by Warren Beatty and that “Moonlight” was actually the winner. “There’s a mistake. Moonlight, you won Best Picture,” Jordan Horowitz, La La Land producer, announced to the gasps of a shocked crowd. He held up the card clearly showing the winner was Moonlight. However, after the mix-up was corrected, the actor stepped in and explained how it happened. “I opened th...

Dele Momodu, presidential aides in media war over Buhari, Osinbajo’s performance comment What seems like a media war has erupted between the media aide of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mrs. Lauretta Onochie on one hand and both the Publisher Ovation Magazine, Otunba Dele Momodu and the former aide of Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri on the other hand over the Ovation publisher’s comment that “Osinbajo is doing what Buhari failed to do.” Mr. Momodu had on his twitter handle and in a write-up said that President Buhari’s medical leave abroad has turned out to be a blessing owing that the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo whom President Buhari had handed over before leaving the country is redirecting the All Progressives Congress, APC-led federal government back on course from it’s derailed path of fighting many war fronts while the economy suffered. According to him, “What has happened in Nigeria in the past few weeks, even days, can onl...

Board shuts Delta secondary school as students beat up teachers THE Permanent Secretary, Ughelli Zone, Post-Primary Education Board, Williams Orutu, yesterday, said the board decided to shut Ekuigbo Secondary School, Ughelli, Delta State, following attacks on teachers and the destruction of property worth millions of naira by the students. Giving details of the attack, which occurred on February 16, Mr. Orutu told Vanguard that eight students of the school were apprehended by the Ekuigbo community vigilante and handed over to the police for prosecution. He said: “Following a distress call from the school’s principal on February 16, members of the board and I rushed to the school, only to see teachers running for safety. “We saw students armed with battle axes and other dangerous weapons; they had destroyed the glass window of the school hall, pulled down a portion of the school’s fence and had cornered a team of armed vigilante group from the community broug...

Naira rises as CBN pumps $180m into forex market The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) injected another $180 million into the foreign exchange market, prompting the Naira to further appreciate by N10 against the dollar in the parallel market. Details of the foreign exchange supply showed that the apex bank injected $100m into the wholesale forwards segment of the market and sold an additional $80m into the banks specifically for the settlement of dollar demand for school fees, medicals and Personal Travel Allowance (PTA), among others. Consequently, the CBN has injected about $541 million into the foreign exchange market since last week, when it unveiled new measures to boost dollar supplies in order to halt Naira depreciation in the parallel market. In a statement announcing the additional dollar supplies, Acting Director, Corporate Communication Department, CBN, Mr. Isaac Okorafor, said: “The CBN’s commitment to providing enough forex for legitimate business remains unsha...

Police inspector arrested with 75 bags of cannabis The Kogi State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a serving police inspector with a police truck loaded with 75 bags of substances suspected to be cannabis. Forty - three- year- old Abali Zagi was among the 14 suspected drug peddlers paraded on Monday at the Kogi State Command of the NDLEA . The state Commander , Muhammed Bello, put the street value of the over 800 kilogrames of the cannabis found with the inspector at N 4 m. The suspect was said to have gone to Okpila in Edo State using the Force headquarters , Abuja , welfare bus to transport the cannabis. “ When he got to the Crusher area of Lokoja , luck ran out on him as he was apprehended together with the truck , with number plate NPF 7973 C, ” Bello said . The command also paraded three suspects arrested by the army with 190 bags of substances suspected to be cannabis. They were said to have been arrested along Crusher Road on the...