Socioscope News Agency

Happy Birthday Adegbuyi Anuoluwapo Birthdays are a new start, a fresh beginning, and a time to pursue new endeavors with new goals. Move forward with confidence and courage. You’re a very special person. May today and all of your days be amazing! Ogundokun Doyinmola

Nairobi/Mombasa - More than a century after a colonial railway gave birth to modern Kenya, the country is betting on a new Chinese-built route to cement its position as the gateway to East Africa. The $3.2 billion (2.8 billion euro) railway linking Nairobi with the port city of Mombasa will Wednesday take its first passengers on the 472 kilometre (293 mile) journey, allowing them to skip a hair-raising drive on one of Kenya's most dangerous highways. The railway is the country's biggest infrastructure project since independence, and while it has courted controversy, it is a key selling point for the ruling Jubilee party ahead of August elections. It is also part of a "master plan" by east African leaders to connect their nations by rail, with the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) planned to eventually link Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi and Ethiopia. "There is no country which has ever developed without having a very robust railway system. It was long ...

President Donald Trump on Monday condemned the fatal stabbings of two Good Samaritans who tried to stop a man from harassing a pair of women who appeared to be Muslim, in a tweet issued days after an advocacy group urged Trump to condemn the attacks it said his anti-Muslim rhetoric had encouraged. A third man who also came to the aid of the women suffered serious wounds in the attack on a Portland commuter train on Friday, hours before the start of Ramadan, Islam's holy month. One of the women tearfully thanked the men for their sacrifice. "The violent attacks in Portland on Friday are unacceptable. The victims were standing up to hate and intolerance. Our prayers are w/ them," Trump said in a Twitter message before taking part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The tweet appeared only on Trump's @POTUS account, which has about 12 million fewer followers than his better-known @realDonaldTrump account, where the president frequently expre...

By Tom Miles | GENEVA The United States has notified the other 163 members of the World Trade Organization that it is considering putting emergency "safeguard" tariffs on imported solar cells, according to a WTO filing published on Monday. The move raises the stakes in a global battle to dominate the solar power industry, which has grown explosively in the past five years. As production has increased, prices have tumbled, favoring producers who can take advantage of economies of scale. The United States, China and India are vying to be the market leader, and are looking out for any perceived breach of the international trade rules by their rivals. Last September, the WTO ruled that India was illegally discriminating against U.S. solar exports, while India launched its own WTO complaint about solar subsidies in eight U.S. states. The United States' ability to attract renewable energy investment has been tarnished by the shift in energy policy under U.S. President ...

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has commended the President Muhammad Buhari’s administration for a stable policy and regulatory environment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. ALTON Chairman, Mr Gbenga Adebayo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos, that the industry’s policies and regulations had been consistent and considerate. Adebayo said that on the average, the administration had done quite well. He said that government had taken the issue of multiple taxation seriously and the industry had worked the consistency of taxes. According to him, there is now clarity on what taxes are applicable to the industry and the Right of Way (RoW) fee meant for federal or local government has been resolved. “The issue of gross regulation between the industry regulator and other sectors regulators has been resolved. “We are thankful of government at the highest level. The industry is very appreci...

financial aid and donations on Monday organised a green party show in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to celebrate Nigeria’s Democracy Day. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the party, which held at the Millennium Park, was opened to members of the group and non-members alike. Mr Seyi Bello, the President of Abuja Guiders Forum of the MMM-Nigeria said the gesture was part of solidarity by the group for Nigeria’s 18-years of uninterrupted democracy. “This party is put together to celebrate our Democracy Day and since Nigeria’s flag is green-white-green, we decided to call it ‘green party’ as a mark of solidarity. “We invited everyone to be a part of this event because friendship and unity is what this community of mutual help represents. “As a community, we do not only provide help to our members, we also extend that to the larger society as part of our social responsibility,” he said. Musicians, comedians and other entertainers in the territory performed...

Golf star Tiger Woods was arrested on a drunk driving charge in Florida early on Monday morning, police say. Police recorded the arrest at 07:18 local time (11:18 GMT) and the golfer was released a few hours later, records from Palm Beach County police show. He was arrested in the town of Jupiter at around 03:00 local time, media reports say. The 41-year-old has been recovering from recent back surgery and last blogged about his health on 24 May. He wrote that the surgery had relieved terrible pain and that he hadn’t “felt this good in years”. He said the outlook for a return to competitive golf was “positive” but that he was not in a “hurry”. “I want to play professional golf again but I’m not looking ahead,” he said. “I can’t twist for another two and a half to three months. Right now, my sole focus is rehab and doing what the doctors tell me. I am concentrating on short-term goals.” The former world number one has not won a major championship in nearly a decade. Amer...

Newly-crowned English champions, Chelsea have offered Spanish champions, Real Madrid €100m for Welsh superstar, Gareth Bale ahead of the summer transfer market according to Don Balon. Bale was not at his best last season due to different injury issues that hampered his performances, though he was part of the team that won the La Liga, there tend to be questions over his future at the Bernabeu due to his inconsistent form. With Real Madrid looking at the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, Bale could find himself expendable to Zinedine Zidane. Bale, who was once the most expensive player in football history when Madrid shelled out £85m to sign him from Tottenham, has never really been taken in by the Madrid fans in the way that Cristiano Ronaldo has. Hazard is one of Zidane’s top targets at Madrid but getting Bale in return wouldn’t be the worst outcome. Bale will be up against Juventus in the Champions League finals in his homeland Wales, on June 3. ...

Former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd) has claimed the reason he is yet to visit his hometown, Vimtim, in Mubi North Local Government of Adamawa is because he does not have a house to stay. Badeh said this on Monday in Yola in his goodwill message at a Public Forum organized by Adamawa Government to mark this year’s Democracy Day. Badeh, who lauded the transformation recorded in Yola town by the Bindow administration, said that he was unable to go to Mubi to see the much talked about transformation there because he has no where to stay. Badeh said that his house in Mubi had been destroyed by insurgents. “I was not even able to go to Mubi because I have nowhere to stay; everything I have has been destroyed”, Badeh said. While commending governor Bindow for his achievements in transforming the state within the past two years, Badeh criticized Adamawa leaders for not doing much for the state. He observed that Adamawa leaders were most of the time en...

National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bolaji Abdullahi at the weekend said his party did not promise to completely wipe out hunger in the country in two years as the ruling party. Speaking in an interview with newsmen on the occasion of Nigeria’s Democracy day, which also marks APC’s two years as the ruling party having dislodged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 presidential election, Abdullahi said Nigerians have several reasons to celebrate owing to his party’s achievements in the last two years. When asked what the government is doing to bring the country out of recession, address poverty and hunger in the country instead of devoting all its attention to fighting corruption, the APC spokesman said “I don’t think that what the government promised is that at the end of two years, it would have wiped out hunger from Nigeria”. “ What the government promised is what I have told you. Since when have we been hearing the report that 70 per...

The Lagos wing of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) on Monday said the basic challenge of the education sector had been adequate funding. The Deputy Chairman, NUT, Mr Adedoyin Adesina said in Lagos that the sector was not improving due to underfunding. Adesina said that the country was yet to meet the UNESCO standard of 26 per cent allocation to education and the maximum students per teacher ratio. “The basic challenge of education is poor funding; the country has not met the UNESCO standard of 26 per cent. “The best the country has had is 11 per cent which was last year. “Aside from the funding, the curriculum planners insert subjects in the curriculum without providing specialists for such subjects,’’ he said. Adesina said that government at all levels had not met the expected standard of education in every aspect, aside from the promises made. “For instance, the entrepreneurship that was introduced has no specialists in schools to teach the subject. “You will be ...

Few days after Funke Akindele called out AirFrance for losing her luggage in Paris, Nigerian filmmaker and actor, Kunle Afolayan who gave us movies like ‘Phone Swap’ and ‘October 1’, has taken to social media to cry out for help after he lost his luggage in same Paris. Kunle According to him, he forgot his small bag in the uber he rode this morning from the airport, and the lost bag contains his international passport, laptop and other valuable items

Kelechi Iheanacho has left the Super Eagles’ training camp in Paris, to sort out his future in England. The Manchester City forward is the subject of a £24million bid from West Ham and is reportedly set to undergo medicals with the London club However, several other clubs are showing a late interest in Iheanacho. Leicester City are believed to be keen on the 21-year-old, amid the uncertainty surrounding the future of Riyad Mahrez at the King Power Stadium. Everton and Southampton are also reportedly interested. Iheanacho is expected back in the Eagles’ camp, in time for an international friendly match against Togo in Paris on Thursday.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Monday said it had dismissed 20 of its personnel over corrupt practices. Mahmud Hassan, LASTMA’s head of public affairs, confirmed the dismissal to journalists in Lagos. He said the action was part of efforts by the state government to reposition, improve the agency so that it could continue to offer better services to the state. “The management of the agency has dismissed 20 traffic officials and sanctioned 20 others for offences ranging from extortion, misconduct to indiscipline,” he said. “The actions of those dismissed were considered not to be in tandem with the agency`s new philosophy, rules and provisions of the Lagos state civil service. “The decision was taken by the Lagos state civil service commission at the end of its policy meeting. “The meeting considered the minutes of the personal management board (Disciplinary) of LASTMA and representations made by the traffic officials involved in the unwholesome act...

The Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Ikeja, was a shadow of itself on Sunday during the Sunday service as many members of the church did not show up. According to The PUNCH, it was observed that the chapel was sparsely filled as the service, which usually ended around 1pm, was brought to a close at 11.30am. Of the 30 church members that were supposed to be part of the birthday thanksgiving service for the month of May, only nine were present. From the prayer session, led by the Chaplain, Very Rev. Ayo Oyadotun to the choir ministration, the general theme was overcoming difficult times and fighting forces seeking to scatter the church. This low turnout by the members was allegedly attributed to the sacking of Venerable Femi Taiwo by the Governing Council of the church allegedly on the orders of the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode. A source also told the newspapers that registered members of the church were told to stay behind for a meeting which is to be held as regards t...

2 DEAD, 14 RESCUED IN ANOTHER THREE-STOREY BUILDING COLLAPSE IN LAGOS Two people were feared dead while 14 others were rescued alive by emergency respondents on Monday from a collapsed building that happened on Lagos Island. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered from a reliable source at the scene of the incident that it happened around 7.30a.m., at Daddy Alaja Street, Oke Arin on Lagos Island. The source said that the two dead persons, a man and a woman, whose identities could not be confirmed by the respondents, were pulled out of the debris from the three-storey building. The source said that the building, housing many occupants, was also under renovation when it crashed. The source said, “As at 1.30p.m., all the rescue operations had been concluded. Some of those rescued alive were treated at the scene.

South African President Jacob Zuma survived fresh calls within the ruling ANC party for him to resign, party officials said Monday, as they acknowledged support was “drifting away” from the movement. Senior figures in the African National Congress met over the weekend after Zuma endured months of criticism over his sacking of respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan. “There was a call made in the national executive committee for the president to consider stepping down,” said ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe. “A number of members… were of the view that the ANC should listen to this call.” Mantashe said that the meeting had not backed the resignation demands, and had instead discussed “the need to reconnect with sectors of society that are drifting away from the movement.” A string of ANC allies have also urged Zuma to go, among them the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the South African Council of Churches (SACC...

Huddersfield Town earn Premier League promotion after shootout win Huddersfield are back in the top flight after 45 years, clinching Premier League football and a £170 million windfall by beating Reading on penalties in the Championship playoff final. Few backed these sides to be challenging for promotion at the start of the campaign, with David Wagner’s men considered to be in for a relegation fight as the Royals started anew under Jaap Stam. Both teams have had memorable campaigns but Reading’s has ended in heartache, whereas Huddersfield can look forward to life in the Premier League after securing a 4-3 penalty shootout triumph after 120 goalless minutes at Wembley. Advertisement The Terriers faced an uphill battle after fans’ favourite Michael Hefele missed his spot-kick, only for Liam Moore to blaze over and Danny Ward — the shootout hero in the semifinal at Sheffield Wednesday — to save Jordan Obita’s penalty. Christopher Schindler stepped up to send Huddersfield into the...

Suleiman Kazaure, the director-general of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), on Monday said that the scheme would soon begin posting of corps members to farms. Kazaure said this in an interview with journalists during his official visit to the NYSC permanent orientation camp in Sagamu, Ogun state. He said that the move to deploy corps members in farms as in line with the agricultural development programme of the NYSC. According to him, the NYSC has concluded preparations to begin the posting at the conclusion of the three-week orientation exercise. He said that Bauchi, Oyo, Kebbi and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, had been earmarked for the pilot phase. “It should interest you to know that the NYSC will soon begin its agricultural development scheme where corps members will be posted to farms for their primary assignments,” he said. “Already the NYSC has acquired active farmlands across the nation’s geopolitical zones with four already fully operational in Kwa...

The management of the University of Ibadan on Monday shut the institution and directed the students to vacate the campus on or before 6 p.m. According from a report from NAN,  Vice Chancellor, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, had convened an emergency meeting of the university Senate to review the circumstances surrounding the development. He said that undergraduate students are to resume back in school on July 17, while the post graduate students would continue to stay on campus for their research activities. The students at a congress on Saturday passed a resolution to disrupt the forthcoming examinations if students were not provided with identity cards. They also asked the authorities constitute the Students’ Welfare Board as well as allow use of cooking appliances that had been banned in the halls of residence.

 Youth Service Corps - NYSC FAKE CORPS MEMBER ARRESTED IN OYO A fake Prospective Corps member has been arrested for allegedly presenting himself for registration at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Iseyin, in Oyo State. The NYSC State Coordinator, Mrs. Ifeoma Anidobi, disclosed this when the Director-General, Brigadier General Sulaiman Kazaure, visited the camp as part of his 2017 Batch 'A' (Stream One) tour of Orientation Camps. She said the culprit, Destiny Enimigbai, had been handed over to the police for prosecution. Anidobi said the 2,231 registered Corps members had since settled down, adjusted to the regimented camp life, and had been well behaved. Addressing the Corps members, the Director-General, Brigadier General Sulaiman Kazaure, stressed the need for them to join the fight against corruption, which he described as the bane of development in the country. Kazaure urged them to avoid cutting corners, and imbibe the virtues of honesty and hard work. ...

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has distributed about 15,000 exercise books and writing materials to public primary schools in Gombe State in commemoration of the 2017 Children’s Day. According to a statement released by the NANS’s President, Mr Chinonso Obasi on Saturday in Abuja, the books and other materials were meant to encourage the pupils and the Gombe State government. Obasi called on governments at all levels to reform public schools which were in sorry state. “In line with NANS’ resolve to encourage state governments that are doing well in the area of education and social welfare of young Nigerians, we have distributed over 15, 000 exercise books and writing materials to primary school pupils in Gombe State. “This gesture by NANS is to challenge the pupils to devote themselves to education as key to a better future and reach out to these future leaders. “As a nation’s greatness depends on the quality of its citizens, the Federal Government shoul...

A Kenyan presidential aspirant was arrested by the police at the country’s electoral commission headquarters for allegedly attempting to jump from the 6th floor after he was disqualified from contesting. Independent presidential hopeful Solomon Gichira broke a window and attempted to jump off the Anniversary Towers in the capital Nairobi. He was rescued by security officials and then arrested, local media Daily Nation reported. “Mr Gichira is now under police custody as he had been arrested when he tried to jump out of 6th floor of Anniversary Towers when he was rejected by IEBC to run for president,” divisional police commander Robinson Thuku told the news portal. Gichira, who has not been granted bail, will be arraigned in court on Monday for attempting to commit suicide and property damage, he added. The independent aspirant is among eight others facing disqualification by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for not meeting the requirement of securing...

U.S. President Donald Trump attacked the news media and dismissed leaks from the White House as "fake news" on Sunday, following reports his son-in-law tried to set up a secret channel of communications with Moscow before Trump took office. Shortly after Trump's remarks on Twitter, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly made the rounds of Sunday television news shows to praise any so-called back channel communications, especially with Russia, as "a good thing." The Republican president returned to the White House after a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe that ended on Saturday to face more questions about alleged communications between Jared Kushner and Russia's ambassador to Washington. "It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media," Trump wrote in a series of Twitter posts on Sunday. The White House faces mounting questions about potential ties between R...

The United States might ban laptops from aircraft cabins on all flights into and out of the country as part of a ramped-up effort to protect against potential security threats, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said on Sunday. In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Kelly said the United States planned to "raise the bar" on airline security, including tightening screening of carry-on items. "That's the thing that they are obsessed with, the terrorists, the idea of knocking down an airplane in flight, particularly if it's a U.S. carrier, particularly if it's full of U.S. people." In March, the government imposed restrictions on large electronic devices in aircraft cabins on flights from 10 airports, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Turkey. Kelly said the move would be part of a broader airline security effort to combat what he called "a real sophisticated threat." He said no decision had been made as to the...

North Korea fired an unidentified projectile on Monday from the region of Wonsan on its east coast in an easterly direction, South Korea's military said, coming after a series of test-launches of missiles in recent weeks. The launch was immediately reported to President Moon Jae-in, who called a meeting of the National Security Council at 7:30 a.m. (2230 GMT Sunday), the South Korean office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT The projectile was likely a ballistic missile, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said citing an unidentified source. The projectile is likely to fall within Japan's exclusive economic zone, Yonhap news reported citing an unidentified source in Japan as saying. North Korea last test-fired a ballistic missile on May 21 towards the sea off its east coast and on Sunday said it had tested a new anti-aircraft weapon supervised by leader Kim Jong Un. (Reporting by Jack Kim and Ju-min Park; Editing by Peter Cooney and Mary...

The immediate past Presiding Chaplain of the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Lagos State, who was removed from his post allegedly on the orders of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode breached church protocols and had long-standing disciplinary problems, Premium Times reports. Reverend Femi Taiwo, who was removed on May 15, was also ordered out of his official quarters within 24 hours of receiving the letter. Media reports suggested Mr Taiwo’s removal came after his actions during an anointing service on May 14 angered the Lagos State governor’s wife, Bolanle Ambode, who was in attendance. The reports said Mrs Ambode waited endlessly as she joined a queue to be anointed without any preference accorded her; and that she left the church in anger after been anointed. However, according to a report provided by the Premium Times, a series of letters, documents and correspondence that the rift between the Chaplain and the First lady of the state had predated the incident that occurred on th...

Ramadan comes from the Arabic root ramiḍa or ar-ramaḍ, which means scorching heat or dryness. Fasting is fardh (obligatory) for adult Muslims, except those who are suffering from an illness, travelling, the elderly, pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic or going through menstrual bleeding. Ramadan is a month of fasting and prayers for the Muslims and believers of Islam faith. The fast consists of total abstinence from food and drink from dawn to dusk. However, there is a greater significance to fasting than mere abstinence from eating and drinking. The real objective of fasting is to inculcate in man/woman the spirit of abstinence from sins and cultivation of virtue. The Qur’an declares that the fasts have been prescribed with a view to developing piety in man, as is clear from the verse quoted at the top of this page. O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint. [Quran 2:183] There are over 2 billion m...

Reno Omokri, an aide of former President Goodluck Jonathan, says the economy has fared better in the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari. Speaking at the conservative international summit in Miami, Florida, on saturday, Omokri said the value of the naira picked up during the period that Buhari left the country. “The Nigerian Stock Exchange contracts when President Buhari surfaces and expands when he goes on his many foreign trips especially to his London doctors,” Omokri said. Buhari is currently on an indefinite visit to the UK, where he is receiving medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment. Omokri, who sid he was invited to the conference as a conservative strategist, referred to Acting President Yemi Osinbanjo as a better leader than Buhari. He said Nigeria is currently experiencing “much-needed relief” under the leadership of  Osinbajo than it did under Buhari. “These are historical facts that show that the acting President is a better manager of men and resou...

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo says he had not met Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos state, when he was appointed a commissioner. Osinbajo served as attorney-general and commissioner of justice between 1999 and 2007. Speaking at the Lagos at 50 anniversary Gala Nite, which held at the Lagos house, Ikeja, on Saturday, Osinbajo commended Tinubu for taking cognisance of the diversity of the state while forming his cabinet in 1999. He said the quest to evolve a greater and more prosperous Nigeria lies in the prosperity of Lagos. Osinbajo described the state as the foremost migrant community in Nigeria, aggregating talents from everywhere and the undisputable commercial capital accounting for over 70 percent of business in the country. “I did not and I had never met Bola Tinubu before I was appointed commissioner and that says a lot about the kind of individual that he is,” he said. “This is the kind of thinking that makes nations great; that is the kind of thinking that wou...

Unknown assailants have strangled an elderly couple in the Gbongan area of Osun state. Folasade Odoro, spokeswoman of the police in the state, who confirmed this in a statement, said their bodies were found around 11am. Odoro said the son of the couple, Caleb Akanbi, reported the death of his parents to the police. “When police got to the scene of the incident, Mr Reuben Akanbi, 70, and Mrs Victoria Akanbi, 68, who lived in an isolated house were found dead with marks of violence on them,” she said. “The crime is suspected to have been carried out overnight and the body of the deceased couple had been removed and deposited at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital for autopsy. “Police special detectives had, however, been deployed to fish out the killers.”

Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, says the May 30 sit-at-home order declared by some right groups in south-east should be optional. The Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) had called on citizens of south-east to stay at home on May 30 to observe their anniversary. Ekweremmadu gave the advice on Sunday at an Inter-denominational church service at the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, Abakaliki, to commemorate 2017 Democracy Day and the second year in office of David Umahi, governor of Ebonyi. He said while the agitation and concerns of the groups are genuine, they should not be pursued with force or other forms of armed struggle. “I addressed the World Igbo Congress in Enugu and I told them that we all condemn the marginalisation of our people. We can never support it and we will continue to fight against it wherever we find ourselves,” he said. “It is our life… The idea of trying to force pe...

Wahab Toye, former majority leader of Osun state house of assembly, says the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, Adamawa state, was in existence before the election of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. Toye said this in reaction to the comments of Femi Falana, a human right lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), that the pension of Abubakar and former President Olusegun Obasanjo is not enough to build a primary school, yet they own universities. In a statement on Sunday, Toye said the establishment of AUN dates back to the early 1990s when ABTI Academy, which is the progenitor of the university, was formed. While describing Falana’s remarks as “uninformed and beneath the expected standard” of a senior lawyer, he accused him of deliberately orchestrating an attack on the integrity of Abubakar. “Falana needs to be reminded that the AUN group of schools had a humble beginning in 1992 (as ABTI) with the nursery school, it was then followed with the addition of t...

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has advised the youth not to wish death on him and the nation’s elder statesmen. The former president said this on Sunday, at the youth governance dialogue held by the Youth Development Centre of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun state. Describing the current agitations across the country as an expression of frustration, Obasanjo advised the youth not to lose hope or get frustrated. “Don’t wish us dead; don’t wish us to disappear because you will need us. You need us to mentor and prepare you for the future. You need our experience and assistance of some of us to guide you through life,” he said. “You should not lose hope, you should not feel frustrated. Whenever I go abroad, they always ask me what my fear about Nigeria and Africa is, and I tell them my greatest fear is youth anger, frustrations and youth explosion which have no bound. “We have the Boko Haram in the north, the MASSOB and IPOB in the south-east, th...

Babafemi Ojudu, special adviser to the president on political matters, has described governance in Ekiti state as a comedy skit. In statement issued to mark Democracy Day, Ojudu urged the people of state not to despair despite “current challenges of good governance in the state”. He assured them that hope was on the horizon, pointing out that “democracy provides for peaceful mechanisms to rectify the current situation we have found ourselves in Ekiti state”. “No doubt, our state is at its lowest ebb since its creation. While several states are celebrating development and accountable leadership, governance in Ekiti is nothing but comedy skits and capricious decisions laced in dictatorial spices,” he said. Ojudu, however, pleaded that despite those challenges, residents of the state should be resilient in their faith in democracy. “Our people should stay peaceful, strong and resilient. This is the time for unity. We must be united in hope to change the Ekiti narrative. We must ...

Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika sacked his tourism minister Sunday days after he was appointed to the post, the presidency said, with one television channel claiming he had a criminal record. A terse statement from the presidency, carried by the APS news agency, did not say why Bouteflika had fired Messaoud Benagoun, who became minister of tourism and crafts just three days earlier. Algerian media had criticised Benagoun’s appointment, claiming that the 38-year-old had never had a job before joining the new government that was formed on Thursday. On Sunday, private television station Enahar claimed Benagoun held a fake university diploma and a criminal record, with several convictions, but did not specify for what offences. According to Enahar, the sacked minister had submitted a doctored curriculum vitae in order to stand in the May 4 parliamentary election. Benagoun belongs to the Popular Algerian Movement (MPA) which won 13 seats. Bouteflika’s party and its coalit...

Super Mario Balotelli has jokingly stated that his desire to win the prestigious yearly award, Ballon d’Or can only be achieved if he ‘kills’ Barcelona star player Lionel Messi and his eternal rival, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Nice forward Balotelli, 26, has ambitions of winning the trophy awarded each year to the world’s best player at some point in his career. However, Messi and Ronaldo have had a duopoly over it in recent seasons, and Balotelli jokes that he would need to ‘kill’ both star players to have a chance of earning his own award. ‘I’ll have to kill those two to win it,’ he told Bresciaoggi. ‘What I’ve done since the start of my career has not been enough, I will have to do more.’ Messi and Ronaldo have shared the honour between them for nearly a decade – one or the other has won the Ballon d’Or for each of the last nine seasons. During that time Balotelli has had a mixed career, with controversial stints at both AC and Inter Milan, along with Manchester City a...

Trump foreign tour: G7 leaders turn attention to Africa Leaders of the G7 group of rich nations are due to meet African heads of state for talks on the migrant crisis. The leaders of Tunisia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Niger and Nigeria will join the second day of the G7 summit in Taormina, Sicily. Italy chose to host the meeting there to draw attention to Africa and the millions of migrants who risk the crossing to Europe. But discussion has been dominated by terrorism and climate change. Saturday also marks the last day of US President Donald Trump's foreign tour. Attending his first summit, he told his fellow G7 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan on Friday that he had not yet decided whether or not to endorse the Paris agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is feared a US withdrawal could cause others to question the deal. But UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who is also in Sicily for the meeting, told the BBC the accord would survive ...

Egypt hits 'jihadist camps' after attack on Coptic Christians Egyptian forces have struck "terrorist training camps" in retaliation for an attack on Coptic Christians, President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has said. State media say six strikes hit the town of Derna in neighbouring Libya. Gunmen earlier attacked a bus carrying worshippers in central Egypt, killing at least 28 people and wounding 25 others. President Sisi said he would "not hesitate to strike terrorist camps anywhere". Announcing the strike in a TV speech late on Friday, he promised to "protect our people from the evil". Countries supporting terrorism should be punished, he said, as he appealed to US President Donald Trump for help. Military sources told Reuters news agency that the militants targeted in Libya had been involved in the attack on Egyptian Christians earlier in the day. Although no group immediately said it was behind the attack, Islamic State (IS) militants have targe...

Sri Lanka: Buddhist leader stokes anti-Muslim tension A manhunt is on in Sri Lanka for a hard-line Buddhist leader after a series of attacks on mosques and Muslim-owned businesses that authorities accuse him of encouraging. President Maithripala Siresena had vowed to investigate anti-Muslim hate crimes after assuming power in 2015, however, attacks have escalated over the past two weeks. Another Muslim shop in the town of Kahawatte was reportedly burned to the ground this week by unidentified attackers. Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General-Secretary Galagoda Atte Gnanasara has encouraged his Buddhist supporters to lead another campaign against Muslims following the deadly Aluthgama riots in June 2014, which attempted to create disunity between Buddhists and Muslims. Less than 10 percent of Sri Lanka's population of 20 million are Muslim. The majority are Sinhalese Buddhist, while most Tamils are Hindu. Political analyst Amjad Mohamed Saleem told Al Jazeera it was worrisome that vio...

Lagos @50: Olanrewaju, Okunnu, Anibaba, others say marginalization of Lagos indigenes must stop Major stakeholders of Lagos State have said that the time has come for inclusiveness of Lagos indigenes on how the administration of the state is run. This demand was made during a symposium, during the week, celebrating Lagos State at 50, organized by the Eko Foundation, held in Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja. They were worried that the future of their children and grandchildren was not secured if people who came to benefit from Lagos continue to deny them their legitimate rights and privileges. At the symposium, former Minister of Communications, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, who was chairman of the occasion, noted in his address that “fifty years in the lives of the people as indigenes of the most liberal and accommodating state is worth celebrating”, made straight to say that it was time indigenes of Lagos State began to know and be part of the day-to-day administration o...

Ramadan: Moon sighted, Muslims begin fasting today Nigerian Muslims will commence their 2017 Ramadan fasting today, the Nigerian Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has said. The Secretary General of NSCIA, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, said the crescent moon has been sighted in several locations across the country, and that fasting would commence today. He said: “We wish Muslims in Nigeria and all over the world a prayerful, meaningful and purposeful Ramadan.” The Sultan had on Thursday urged Muslims in the country to be on the lookout for the new moon for the month of Ramadan on May 26 (today). Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, had also on Thursday announced that the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan would begin on Saturday. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting which is one of the five pillars of Islam.

KSA, Obey, Olamide, Davido, Pasuma, to perform at Lagos @50 grand finale Lagos @ 50 to end with a big bang as 50 top artistes that have rocked the Lagos entertainment scene are set to perform at the event . Among the notable names to make the night a memorable one at the Eko Atlantic include juju music maestros – King Sunny Ade and Evangelist Ebenezer Obey as well as the legendry Highlife patriarch, Sir Victor Olaiya . Other superstars on board are Davido , Phyno , Olamide , Humble Smith , Adekunle Gold , Lil Kesh , Partoranking , ‘ Mr Capable ’ Banky W , Runtown, Vanessa, MI, Eedris Abdulkareem , Mr . Eazi , DJ Spinall and Waka Music star , Queen Salawa Abeni . Also expected are star Fuji artistes like Adewale Ayuba , Abass Akande Obesere and Wasiu Alabi ( Pasuma Wonder ). The Lagos State Government on Friday said it has concluded plans to climax the Lagos @ 50 celebrations with a spectacular display of fireworks . In a statement signed by the Commissioner for In...

Fear as herdsmen, hoodlums convert Akure stadium into hideout The new Akure Stadium project has been taken over by some hoodlums and Fulani herdsmen following its abandonment for many years by the Ondo State Government. Work on the stadium commenced during the tail end of the administration of the late Olusegun Agagu. However , the project was at 30 per cent construction stage before Agagu was sacked by the Supreme Court . The Olusegun Mimiko administration , which replaced the Olusegun Agagu government ignored the project , paving the way for hoodlums , and recently Fulani herdsmen to take over the abandoned large and bushy premises. According to residents of Maronu area of Akure where the multi - billon naira stadium project is located , many criminal activities now take place there during the day and night without any hindrance. Following the deadly attacks by Fulani herdsmen in parts of the country, including Ondo State , as well as armed robberies in Akure , residents of Mar...

Democracy Day: Osinbajo pays surprise visit to Garki market, interacts with traders Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday paid a surprise visit to Garki Model Market in Abuja. The visit was part of the activities marking the second anniversary of the Muhammad Buhari administration. Osinbajo interacted with traders in order to get first-hand information on the cost of goods and food items in the market. He arrived the market at about 3:10 pm to the cheers of the traders who shouted “Osibaba! APC!” He left the market after about 45 minutes. While pricing some food items which included fish, onions, rice and beans, the Acting President also received complaints from the traders who said that the cost of renting shops was high. A fish seller who sought government’s intervention to reduce the cost of the shop said it was as high as N250,000 per annum. She also complained that the prices of locally smoked fish had gone high just as the imported ones had also skyrock...

Jonathan to el-Rufai: you’re a liar Former President Goodluck Jonathan was all fury yesterday as he responded to the allegation by Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State that he (Jonathan) denied some states ecological fund for sentimental reasons. He branded the governor’s allegation as a lie and said el-Rufai “has an incurable knack for lying.” The governor had told reporters in Abuja on Thursday that Jonathan took N2bn each from the Ecological Fund and “gave to some PDP states. Any PDP state that was not his friend, like Kano and Kwara, didn’t get.” But reacting yesterday in a statement through Ikechukwu Eze, his Media Adviser, Dr.Jonathan said: “That Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, has an incurable knack for lying has been proved by his own boss, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who described el-Rufai in his book-My Watch Volume 2- as follows: ‘Nasir’s penchant for reputation savaging is almost patho...