Russia 2018: FIFA Unveils Proposal for 48-Team World Cup

  FIFA is proposing a six-nation play-off tournament to decide the last two slots at the 48-team World Cup in 2026.

Football’s world governing body has revealed its plans for how the 48 places will be allocated, with 16 European teams set to qualify.

The proposal — approved by FIFA’s president and his counterparts at the six confederations — is expected to be ratified by the FIFA Council on May 9.

FIFA members voted in January to expand the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said he was “satisfied’’ with the proposals and that European nations would be “fairly represented’’.

Prospective candidates destroy JAMB office in Makurdi

  Several prospective candidates of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, on Thursday, hurled stones at the zonal office of the examination body located along George Akume Road, Makurdi, Benue State.

The protesting candidates shattered the windows of the JAMB zonal office even as some other properties were destroyed.

The applicants had thronged the major road leading to the zonal office around 8am, blocking the road with bonfires which disrupted the free flow of vehicular traffic.

It took the intervention of policemen deployed in the area before the applicants could leave the arena.

Some of the prospective candidates also took their protest to Benue State Government House, where they expressed their anger over the tedious manner it was taking to enrol for this year’s examination.

We’ve not dumped CBT, says JAMB

 The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on Thursday described as “misleading” reports in a national Newspapers (not THE PUNCH), that it had dumped the Computer-Based Test mode in the forthcoming Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, four years after its introduction.

The organisation said contrary to the report, it would continue all its examinations using CBT mode.

A statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by the spokesperson of JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said the clarification became necessary “following the misleading caption” that it had dumped CBT and adopts eight keys.

He said, “The headline was not only misleading but capable of causing panic, distortion and confusion in the minds of Nigerians particularly the candidates planning to take the UTME of a well-conceived CBT examination which the Board was consolidating on the gains and feat recorded.

UTME: JAMB reduces questions, exam hours

   With effect from 2017, candidates sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination would spend two hours instead of three hours, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board said on Wednesday.

The test on Use of English which used to be 100 questions has been reduced to 60 questions, while the other three subjects would be 40 questions each, making a total of 180 questions.

The organisation said the reduction in hours was in line with international best standards and practices where no candidate sits for an examination such as UTME for more than two hours.

The Registrar/Chief Executive of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, announced the changes in Kaduna during the commencement of a strategic planning retreat on monitoring, supervision and evaluation of 2017 UTME with the theme, ‘Inclusiveness and sensitisation of key external actors.’

Here’s how Facebook, Instagram kill your sex life

  If you’re struggling with body image, social media may not be the place for you.

According to psychologists, struggling with body image affects an individual’s sexual behaviour, as people in that category may be unable to undress before the opposite sex and enjoy sex.

People who have body image issue also have problems having sex, psychologists say.

Add to this the extra burden of watching, reading or hearing posts about what a perfect body looks like, and you have a double whammy! Or so researchers say.

A research compiled by the online diary site Pencourage.com found that more than half of Facebook and Instagram users in England admitted that reading gushing romantic or fitness-related updates by users left them feeling very insecure about their bodies.

The insecure users were so affected by these updates that they were less likely to have sex with their own partners after reading other people’s posts.

To Proud Doctors – It’s Not Always About You

  I have always heard of this saying ‘Doctors are proud’, but I never completely understood what that meant.

Maybe doctors have a reason to be proud, because they save lives.

My first fictional meeting with a proud doctor was with Dr Stephen Strange, and as they say pride goes before downfall. He understood that it wasn’t always about him.

So to the Proud Doctors: it is not about you. It is not because you spent a greater part of your life in school, while others were steps ahead. You should not regard others as inferior because your course puts you at the top of the pyramid.

It takes a lot of things to make up a whole; so for one part to work, it must move with the other. Irrespective of what someone studied, or did not study, that person plays a vital role in evolution.

5 Things To Consider Before Jumping into a Business Venture

  Many entrepreneurs in Nigeria and around the globe entirely sometimes have fear or anxiety when they want to invest in any small business opportunity. Some people may be afraid, if they are risking their money in a business that wouldn’t be worthwhile, or unsuccessful .

If I am in their shoes I’d probably feel the same way. It is the hardest decision every aspiring entrepreneurs would want to take. However, if you want to invest in any business, think about the type of product you are selling, whom your potential customers are, evaluate the market and analyse the business structure.

Here are some few things you need to know or do before jumping into any new business of your choice:

Hadi Sirika vows to Resign if Abuja Airport is not Reopened in Six Weeks

  The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has declared that he will resign if the repair of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) runway was not completed and reopened in six weeks as planned, Daily Sun reports.

The Federal Government had shut down the airport with effect from March 7 while Abuja-bound traffic was diverted to Kaduna International Airport. The promised date for the reopen is April 19, 2017.

He spoke on Monday alongside Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed who debunked some rumours carried by people about the postponement of the reopening.

The duo spoke at a special session of Aviation Round Table (ART), held in Ikeja, Lagos State, adding that it was not true the work has been extended.

Police Arrests Accounting Graduate for Impersonating Lagos State Land Use Officials in Lekki

   Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested one Olaitan Shofolahan, 37, for impersonating Lagos State Land Use officials.

Shofolahan, an Accounting graduate of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, was arrested on Thursday in Lekki Phase 1, Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos. He was arrested while attempting to defraud a resident of the posh estate of several millions Land Use Charge dues.

Shofolahan blamed unemployment as the cause of his action.

“I was working with my brother in his audit firm in Sabo, Yaba, earning N45,000 monthly salary before I left the firm in search of employment…. I was at Lagos State Civil Service Commission several times to seek employment. It was during one of my visits that I learnt that payment for Land Use Charge in the state is through a code. The code is engraved on every metal sticker issued to every house.

Before You Think Outside the Box, Think Inside It

    If you’ve never ventured outside the box, you will probably not be creative. But if you never get inside the box, you’ll probably be stupid. – Christopher Peterson

I know you’re familiar with the cliché…

I’m certain you’ve used it tirelessly, well possibly on your team.

This cliché was adopted from the nine-dot puzzle where you’ll have to connect all the nine dots with four straight lines or a fewer without lifting the pen and tracing the same line more than once.

Certainly, ‘thinking outside the box’ connotes thinking differently and unconventionally.

You won’t also be mistaken by attributing breathtaking innovations we see today from this same cliché, at least someone thought to create the coffee dispenser. In 1908, Mellita Bentz invented the first coffee maker.  He must have considered how the old coffee pot worked and decided it would be better to see it improved.

Ciroc Nigeria announces Toke Makinwa and Tekno as Brand Ambassadors & Renews with Banky W

  At a brunch event today hosted by Ciroc Nigeria, media personality and author Toke Makinwa, singer and producer Tekno, were announced as brand ambassadors for the luxury brand. Singer and actor Banky W also renewed his contract with the brand as an ambassador

Int’l Friendly: Iheanacho scores to preserve unbeaten record for Nigeria

   The Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Teranga Lions of Senegal on Thursday played out a 1-1 draw in an international friendly in London.

Senegal’s playmaker Moussa Sow had put his team in front in the 54th minute of the game before a hard fighting Kelechi Iheanacho stole the show for the Nigerian side after he converted a penalty kick in the 83rd minute for the equaliser.

The match played at The Hive, home ground of Barnet Football Club saw the Teranga Lions dominate in full control of the first half and also hitting the Nigerian post.

The Senegalese effort paid off early in the second half when Sow found the back of the Eagles net before Iheanacho restored parity for the Gernot Rohr’s tutored side minutes to the end of the encounter.

There was, however, a sad moment in the encounter as team’s stand-in captain, Ogenyi Onazi, was stretched off the pitch after he was injured in the first half.

ISIS Claims Responsibility for London Attack as Police Arrests 7

   The Amaq News Agency, which is seen as the press service of ISIS terrorists has said that the “terrorist” attack in London on Wednesday was carried out by an “Islamic State soldier”.

Amaq said: “The perpetrator of the attacks yesterday in front of the British parliament in London is an Islamic State soldier and he carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of the coalition.”

This is coming after the British Police said it has arrested 7 people in the investigation into the attack.

At least 4 persons, including the attacker died in the incident and more than 40 others were injured.



Police had said late on Wednesday that the death toll was five.

Mark Rowley, a senior counter-terrorism official said police had searched addresses in London, Birmingham and other parts of the country in their investigation.

“It is still our belief … that this attacker acted alone and was inspired by international terrorism. At this stage we have no specific information about further threats to the public,” Rowley said.

Certificate: Dino Melaye shares photo of himself in NYSC camp

                                     

ABU 99 set at NYSC camp in KD. Me in blue short

 The Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, has shared a photo of himself at the National Youth Service Corps camp in Kaduna State, amid the raging controversy over whether he graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria or not.
.

Online news portal Sahara Reporters had in a report alleged that the Senator did not graduate from ABU, sparking a certificate scandal that has dragged for days.

Melaye, however, insisted that he graduated from the institution and that he headed the student union government while there.

Despite his insistence that claims that he did not graduate are laughable, the Senate has opted to probe the claims.


Meanwhile, the ABU authorities have yet to confirm whether he actually graduated or not.

The Information Officer of the institution, Mr. Adam Mohammed, had told our correspondent on Tuesday that the management would take a decision on the matter and make its finding public on Wednesday.

However, ABU made a U-turn on Wednesday and kept mum on the matter.

Mya Williams: What’s Love Got to Do With It?

   He asked her – are you loving me? She hesitated, not because she was trying to be coy but because she was processing the question and trying to decide the best response. She wasn’t confused about the response either, she knew what her response was, it was simple – Love is a second hand emotion. What he doesn’t know is how she got to thinking and believing that. How much hurt she has been through and how much it has stretched her emotionally, that she can never ever be returned to her initial state. A state which had so much promise for the kind of love she wanted to experience, for the kind of love she yearned for. Little did she know that love she yearned for would be her undoing.

He comes with his baggage, and so does she; but they have a rhythm, a rapport, a friendship, an understanding in the short time they’ve known each other, which makes it feel like much longer. It’s a rhythm that is sometimes uncomfortable and weird but she likes the way he relates with her when it isn’t.

He’s like her Dad, Brother and Lover all rolled in one, which is weird as f*ck, but at the same time endearing. He drives her nuts but he takes care of her. He listens, he shows concern, he advises. He could pamper and spoil her much more though, by giving in more and letting her get away with more than he currently does. After all there’s a good nine years between them. He can also be less hard on her sometimes, when he’s being particularly rigid or irritable.

Paris Club refund: NLC, TUC, Umar disagree on disbursement of fresh N500bn

  The two main labour movements in the country, the Trade Union Congress and the Nigeria Labour Congress  on Monday,  differed on the disbursement of fresh N500bn Paris Club loan refund to state governments.

While the NLC said that governors, who were unable to account for the first tranche of the refund should not be paid, the TUC supported a call by a former governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar (retd.) that the Federal Government should investigate the initial payment before releasing the second one.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Thursday directed the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, and the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, to release the second tranche of the Paris Club loan refund to states.

The President had said that the money-about N500m-should be used to pay salaries of workers.

The Federal Government had in  a few months ago released N522bn as the first tranche of the refund.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was reported to be investigating seven governors over the payment of N19bn out of the N522bn into their accounts.

New Yorkers vote to Read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “Americanah” in the “One Book, One New York” Campaign

   Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel “Americanah” has won the “One Book, One New York” campaign by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and BuzzFeed.

The office said on Monday that New Yorkers cast their ballots for the book throughout February and said they wanted millions of residents to read it simultaneously.

It stated that the voting was done both online and at an interactive digital kiosks on subway platforms.

The office added that “finally, Americanah was the book most New Yorkers wanted to read, as 50,000 voters who participated in the #OneBookNY campaign voted for it.”

It explained that New Yorkers were encouraged to form their own book clubs and discussions around the book, which detailed the story of a Nigerian couple that left military-ruled Nigeria.

Americanah centred around two young Nigerian lovers who departed for different cities in the Western world and later reunited in a democratic Nigeria.

Ifemelu, the protagonist, headed for America, where her life as an immigrant changed her perspective on race and identity.

Before being reunited in their homeland, Ifemelu was forced to confront new issues of race and class in the United States, and her lover, Obinze, who was blocked from joining her due to post-9/11 travel restrictions, struggled for dignity as an undocumented immigrant in London.

Queen’s College Health Crisis: FG Directs JSS 3 & SSS 3 Students to Resume Classes

  
 The management of Queen’s College, Lagos over the weekend sent a text message directing parents and guardians to return their wards to school on Sunday, March 19 2017.

This directive was met with resistance from members of the public and Unity Schools Old Student Association (USOSA).

Two students died last month over what the Lagos state government called bacterial infection spread through contaminated water.

Over a dozen others were hospitalised and reports say more than 1,200 students were sick.

The Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), Dr. John Ofobike had over the weekend, said that there was no going back on resumption.

He described the government’s position as “giving a dog a bad name in order to hang it,” The Nation reported.

10 important Google links

   Google stores everything privately and here are the 10 important links (URLs) that will unlock everything Google knows about you. They are hidden somewhere deep inside your Google Account dashboard and they may reveal interesting details about you that are otherwise only known to Google. Let’s dive in.

Google stores a list of usernames and passwords that you have typed in Google Chrome or Android for logging into various websites. They even have a website too where you can view all these passwords in plain text.
passwords.google.com

Google creates a profile of yourself based on the sites you visit, guessing your age, gender and interests and then uses this data to serve you more relevant ads. Use this URL to know how Google sees you on the web.
www.google.com/settings/ads

You can easily export all your data out of the Google ecosystem. You can download your Google photos, contacts, Gmail messages and even your YouTube videos; head over the Google Takeout page to grab the download links.
www.google.com/takeout

US travel ban: Onyeama vs Dabiri-Erewa

   The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, recently said that no Nigerian with full valid entry visa has been denied entry to the U.S. This information was contained in his reaction to a statement made earlier by President Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

The statement signed by Dabiri-Erewa’s media aide, Abdurrahman Balogun said that in the recent, the office received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas who were denied entry into the United States of America by US immigration authorities and were sent back to Nigeria. In addition to being sent back on the next available flight to Nigeria, their visas were cancelled.

She also advised Nigerians who have no compelling or essential reasons to visit the US to consider rescheduling their trip until there is clarity on the new immigration policy.

Following the furore this statement generated, Onyeama, dismissed Dabiri- Erewa’s claims. He said Nigerians are free to travel to U.S. as Nigeria is not on the list of countries whose nationals are banned from visiting the US.

Namicit Nanshall: My Uniform Makes it All Better

 So throughout the course of my almost three decades on earth, I have had to wear uniforms. The first I ever wore was my nursery school uniform: a beautiful grey gown worn over a white pinafore. The uniform was one of the reasons my mum choose that school for us. I was a very cute, chubby, almost two-year old. Well, what were the benefits I got? Strangers admiring me, telling me I was a beautiful child and gifting me biscuits and sweets which I couldn’t collect for fear of turning into a goat or worse still yam (at least goat is a living thing.)

I wore two other uniforms before moving to secondary school, but wearing them didn’t come with any spectacular benefits. The next advantageous uniform I wore was my secondary school uniform – a white shirt worn over a light blue pleated skirt. My school was quite a distance from our house, and I left home early in order to get to school in good time. My uniform proved useful when it came to getting lifts. My brother and I could be walking to the junction, and a car would pull over and start horning, we would jog to it and look in. When we see blue and white uniform we would just hop in, greet and start calculating what we would buy with our transport money. There was a particular junction where kids from my school stood and parents driving by stopped to pick as many kids as their cars could carry.

Airport closure: Hotels, others sack workers as patronage drops

   Hotels, transportation companies and some other businesses in the Federal Capital Territory are cutting down their workforce following the crash in the patronage of their services as a result of the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Operators in the tourism and hospitality sector, transporters, as well as owners of small scale firms like bureau de change, business centres and managers of restaurants, said they had to trim their workforce pending when flight operations would resume at the NAIA.

The Federal Government officially shut the Abuja airport on Wednesday, March 8, 2016 in order to carry out repairs on its runway and taxiways. It diverted all Abuja-bound flights to the Kaduna International Airport, as it declared that the NAIA would remain closed to flight services for six weeks, starting from last Wednesday.

Although, the Abuja airport would be closed for less than two months, hotel owners in the FCT told Saturday PUNCH that their patronage had dropped considerably, adding that it would be unwise to retain a bloated workforce.

“There is tension among workers of many hotels in Abuja, including ours,” said a senior employee of the popular Sandralia Hotel in Utako.

“Many hotel managements in Abuja are not happy with the recent development. They know it is because of the airport’s closure and the current economic recession, but some of them have had to reduce their staff strength while others are planning to do same,” the employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added.

Confirming the development, the President, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, who also runs a hotel in Abuja, Mr. Tomi Akingbogun, said the Abuja airport closure had reduced the rate of financial recovery of hotels in the FCT, attributing it to the reason why “some managers have to adopt measures of staying afloat.”

He said, “This airport closure thing has reduced our recovery rate and it is like adding malaria upon typhoid fever for most of us right now. The patronage has dropped, because if customers are coming to Abuja from Lagos, or any other area, you land in Kaduna and you have to take a trip of about three hours to Abuja.

“And at times when you get to the airport you have to wait for one hour, bringing it to at least three and half hours that you will have to spend just to get to Abuja. That has really affected the hospitality industry, especially with regards to those who travel regularly, as they have cut down on the number of journeys they make to Abuja.

“However, it is expected that the closure of the Abuja airport will affect the hospitality industry, which is why you hear of the survival decisions being taken by some operators.”

The FTAN president stated that the actual percentage drop in the rate of patronage they get could not be given due to the unavailability of adequate statistics in the sector.

He said, “Categorically we have not been able to capture statistics because of the unwillingness of people to share figures with their colleagues. Some owners fail to know the importance of statistics, but we can say we’ve experienced considerable reduction.

“However, that does not mean customers are not coming at all. Once you buy a ticket, you can get transport to Abuja or from Abuja to Kaduna at subsidised rate or for free as provided by the government. This has helped us because it has encouraged those who really need to come to Abuja to do so. But the truth is that not many travellers are aware of this option.”

On whether hotel owners in the capital city had interfaced with the government on this matter, Akingbogun replied, “There is often less communication between the private sector and the government. Most of the time, what government is particular about is for it to raise tax or money to be collected from the private sector. We’ve tried to fill that communication gap but this has not been successful as expected.”

Explaining the effect of the Abuja airport closure on transportation services to and from the NAIA, the Secretary, Disciplinary Committee, Airport Car Hire Association, Abuja, who is also a car hire operator, Mr. Emmanuel Etuokwu, stated that transporters had to reduce their workforce since the closure of the airport to flight operations.

He said, “We know that we will enjoy after the repair of the runway because flights will come to Abuja freely. But the negative effect now is that businesses here, including car hire service and restaurants, have been paralysed. Government should have considered us when making major decisions like closing the airport.

“They should have arranged with car hire services to transport passengers to Kaduna and return those in Kaduna to Abuja.”

When asked what members of the car hire association were currently doing, he replied, “We are not doing much again. Most of our services have been reduced to once per week as opposed to when we used to work every day. This is why some of us had to reduce our workers too, at least, till things return to normal.”

On whether the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria was considering the request of the car hire operators at the Abuja airport, the International Terminal Manager, NAIA, Mrs. Hajara Musa, said there was no such plan.

Man Utd fined after feisty Chelsea cup clash

   Manchester United have been fined £20,000 (23,000 euros, $25,000) after accepting a Football Association (FA) charge of failing to control their players during Monday’s fractious FA Cup quarter-final at Chelsea.

United, who saw their hold on the trophy ended with a 1-0 defeat by the Premier League leaders, were punished for several of their players surrounding referee Michael Oliver and arguing with him over the sending off of Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera in the 35th minute.

Herrera was given his marching orders for a foul on Eden Hazard seconds after Oliver warned United captain Chris Smalling his patience had worn thin with continual fouls on Chelsea’s Belgian playmaker.

“Manchester United have been fined £20,000 after the club admitted an FA misconduct charge and accepted the standard penalty,” said an FA statement on Friday.

Buhari urges Governors to pay salaries, pensions and gratuities from Paris loan refunds

Buhari , left at the meeting with the governors

  President Muhammadu Buhari  told Nigerian state governors today that their priority when they receive the second tranche of Paris loan refund should be to pay salaries, pensions and gratuities.

I will not rest until I address those issues that affect our people. One of these basic things is the issue of salaries. It is most important that workers are able to feed their families, pay rent and school fees, then other things can follow,” Buhari  said, according to a statement by  the president’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu.

The National Economic Council is made up of State Governors and chaired by the Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

Buhari directed the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to act with dispatch in releasing the second tranche of the London-Paris Club refunds to states because of the importance he attaches to the welfare of the Nigerian workers, serving and retired.

The president expressed the hope that the early release of the refunds by the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun and CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, would ease the financial hardships being experienced by the states.

It is most important that workers are able to feed their families, pay rent and school fees, then other things can follow,” he said.

Ligue 1 leader Monaco stuns Manchester City to reach Champions League Quarter-Finals

   Manchester City is out of the UEFA Champions League after Monaco struck late to seal a thrilling away-goals victory, which ended 6-6 on aggregate making Leicester City the only English team left in the competition.

The English side were 13 minutes from a place in the quarter-finals after clawing themselves back into a second leg their host had dominated, but slack marking from a set-piece allowed Tiemoue Bakayoko to head home the decisive goal.

Having won the competition twice in his time at Barcelona, this is the first time in manager Pep Guardiola‘s career that he has gone out at this stage.

Monaco however are through to the quarter-finals for the second time in three seasons after a sensational comeback despite losing away to Manchester City in the first leg which ended 5-3.

JAMB exam to hold May 6, sale of forms begins March 20, 2017

   • Blind candidates exempted from CBT
The Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Prof. Ishaq Oloyede yesterday disclosed that the 2017-2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) admission into the country’s tertiary institutions would hold between May 6 and 28.

Oloyede, who disclosed that blind candidates would be exempted from the Computer-Based Tests (CBT) due to inadequate training, added that experts would assess them and score them as appropriate.

Oloyede told reporters at a stakeholders meeting in Lagos that 600 CBT centres have been accredited across the country for the examination.

The registrar clarified that the one-month registration period was to eliminate all the ills associated with the prolonged exercise.
Oloyede further added that the board had concluded plans to hold a mock examination for interested candidates to test their level of preparedness for the examination.

Beautiful! Corps Member Renovates the only Health Centre at Kwara Community

  National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Member, Olayemi Ajibola was deployed to Oyun in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State. On getting there, he was shocked to see the state of the only Health Centre in the area.

“You could see the sky from the lobby of the PHC,” Olayemi wrote on Twitter.

He made up his mind to renovate the facility, took it as his personal Community Development Service (CDS) project, and today the facility is way better than what it was.


Photo

Credit: Twitter – @chexfactor

Olayemi shared the story on Twitter. Read below:

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has responded to the controversy facing her recent comments on women and trans-women. She had, in an interview with UK Channel 4, for the promotion of her new book “Dear Ijeawele, Or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions”, said that it’s difficult to equate the issues of women and trans-women because it’s simply not true. Her comments caused a stir in the media. While some persons agreed with her, others said she should not discriminate between women. The Half of a Yellow Sun author wrote on Facebook: Of course trans women are part of feminism. I do not believe that the experience of a trans woman is the same as that of a person born female. I do not believe that, say, a person who has lived in the world as a man for 30 years experiences gender in the same way as a person female since birth. Gender matters because of socialization. And our socialization shapes how we occupy our space in the world. To say this is not to exclude trans women from Feminism or to suggest that trans issues are not feminist issues or to diminish the violence they experience – a violence that is pure misogyny. But simply to say that acknowledging differences and being supportive are not mutually exclusive. And that there is space in feminism for different experiences. Photo Credit: Facebook – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

   Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has responded to the controversy facing her recent comments on women and trans-women.

She had, in an interview with UK Channel 4, for the promotion of her new book “Dear Ijeawele, Or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions”, said that it’s difficult to equate the issues of women and trans-women because it’s simply not true.

Her comments caused a stir in the media. While some persons agreed with her, others said she should not discriminate between women.

The Half of a Yellow Sun author wrote on Facebook:

Of course trans women are part of feminism.

How we will conduct 2017 UTME – JAMB reveals

  The Lagos State Coordinator of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Sunday Aladegbaye, has assured intending candidates of the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, of a hitch-free examination in 2017.

Speaking on the sideline of the Parents’ Forum organised by the Management of the King’s College in Lagos, Aladegbaye said there will be no compromise in the accreditation of centres to be used for this year’s UTME.

Aladegbaye disclosed that measures were being put in place to avoid technical hitches, ranging from malfunctioning of computers to poor power supply.

According to Aladegbaye, “We have taken time to go round designated centres in states, in order to ascertain the level of functionality of their computers, the backups and other requirements.

Airlines cancel 4,300 flights to Kaduna airport

 About 4, 300 out of the 8,694 flights to and from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja in the next six weeks may have been cancelled following the diversion of flights to the Kaduna International Airport.


While seven out of the eight international airlines plying the Abuja airport have suspended flights to the Kaduna airport, Saturday PUNCH’s investigation revealed that most local airlines have reduced their flights by 50 per cent.

The Federal Government had on Wednesday closed the NAIA, the country’s second busiest airport, for six weeks to repair its runway and diverted the airport’s operations to the Kaduna airport, which is about two hours drive from Abuja.

With the development, Saturday PUNCH learnt that about 50 per cent of the number of flights operated from NAIA on the average have been affected as airlines have been forced to opt for skeletal operations.

It was learnt that about 14,300 passengers used the Abuja airport daily, while an average of about 207 flights landed or left the facility every day.

The Plan was to Threaten him and Demand N63,000 – Man Accused of Killing his Boss

Victor and Ahmed. Photo Credit: PUNCH

  The Lagos State Police has paraded one Precious Victor, a barman at King’s Bar in the Anifowose area of the state, for allegedly killing his boss, Tajudeen Oso.

Victor was paraded alongside his friend Ahmed, a regular customer at the bar. The crime was said to have been carried out by Victor, Ahmed, and another man identified as Kelechi.

Narrating what happened to PUNCH, Victor said:

I live in an accommodation on the premises of the bar. Kelechi lives with me as well. I was actually introduced to my boss (the victim) by Kelechi’s boss. We discussed the plan and when Ahmed, whom I had known as a regular customer, came to the bar to drink on Friday, I also told him about the plan and he said he was interested.

The plan was only to threaten my boss, and tell him we needed N63,000. We had no intention of killing him.

Crowds Clash in Seoul As South Korean Court Removes President

Demonstrators for and against President Park Geun-hye took to the capital as the Constitutional Court announced the president's removal.

“President Buhari expected back Friday” – Femi Adesina

  President Muhammadu Buhari will be back in Nigeria on Friday, a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Femi Adesina has said.

See the statement below:

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to return to the country tomorrow, Friday March 10, 2017.

The President left the country on January 19, 2017 for a vacation, during which he had routine medical check-ups.

The holiday was extended based on doctors’ recommendation for further tests and rest.

President Buhari expresses appreciation to teeming Nigerians from across the country, and beyond, who had prayed fervently for him, and also sent their good wishes.

According to photos released via Buhari’s Twitter handle, the president met with Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury on Thursday afternoon.

Arsenal 1-5 Bayern Munich (agg 2-10), UEFA Champions League RESULT: Gunners tumble out the last-16 again after Laurent Koscielny sees red

  Arsenal crashed out of the Champions League last-16 in spectacular fashion on Tuesday night as they were thrashed by Bayern Munich.

Bayern took full advantage when Laurent Koscielny was shown a red card for a foul on Robert Lewandowski in the Arsenal penalty area.

That penalty from Lewandowski, including goals from Arjen Robben, Douglas Costa and Arturo Vidal, easily wiped away Theo Walcott's opener in the 20th minute.

Arsenal are humiliated as they tumble out the Champions League again
And for nearly an hour Arsenal still had a shout of getting back into this tie.

Akanna Okeke: Breaking the Rules but Obeying the Law

   There was a little fish named Azu.  He lived in a river with his parents.  As he was growing up, he began to swim with his mates, together as a school.

His parents always told him to make sure he swam along with the rest, and kept formation –stayed in line.  He obeyed his parents but he just found it boring, swimming with the same group and in the same pattern every single day.  He would do this back and forth every day, and return home to his parents in the evenings and they always welcomed him home with a smile.

One day, Azu was at the peak of his boredom and frustration from sticking to the rules without any understanding as to why he had to.  So, he decided to break formation.  He stepped out of line, out of school, and was swimming alone.

He felt so free and he did many flips and twirls, dives and glides.  He was regaining balance from one of his (freedom) twirls when he saw a very big fish approaching, with speed, from a distance.  It had a very mean look on its face, and its teeth were very sharp.  Azu instinctively knew that the big fish had decided to have him for lunch.  So, he started swimming frantically, and the big fish darted towards him with intensity.

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic accepts three-match ban for elbow vs Bournemouth

  Zlatan Ibrahimovic has accepted the Football Association's violent conduct charge and the Manchester United striker will now serve a three-match ban.

The 26-goal Swedish striker was charged for elbowing Bournemouth's Tyrone Mings in last Saturday's Old Trafford 1-1 Premier League draw.

Referee Kevin Friend and his assistants didn't see the incident just before half time and so the FA were able to punish him with retrospective action.

They charged the 35-year-old yesterday and he had until this evening to appeal but United's leading scorer decided against that course of action and he'll miss next Monday night's FA Cup quarter final at Chelsea, the trip to Middlesbrough and the home game against West Bromwich Albion.

Justice Walter Onnoghen Sworn-in as 20th Chief Justice of Nigeria

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo (R) decorating the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) insignia after the Swearing-in the CJN at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday (7/3/17)

01861/6//7/3/2017/Callistus Ewelike/NAN

  Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has sworn in Justice Walter Onnoghen as the 20th Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), following his confirmation by Senate last week.

Onnoghen was also decorated as a Grand Commander of Order of the Niger (GCON) during the ceremony.

The inauguration was witnessed by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki; former Chief justices of Nigeria, ministers, Justices of the Supreme Court and other dignitaries.

The swearing-in ceremony was conducted Tuesday inside the council chambers of Aso Rock presidential villa, Abuja.

Onnoghen, a native of Cross River state, was first appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as acting CJN on November 10, 2016 after the retirement of former CJN, Mahmud Mohammed.

Acting President Osinbajo returned his name to the Nigerian Senate for confirmation as substantive CJN on February 8.

Immigration Policy: Don’t go to the U.S. if you don’t have “compelling or essential reasons” – FG Advises Nigerians

  The presidency has advised Nigerians without “any compelling or essential reasons to visit the US to consider rescheduling their trip until there is clarity on the new immigration policy”.

This was disclosed in a statement by Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora.

“In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to the Nigeria. In such cases reported to the office, such affected persons were sent back immediately on the next available flight and their visas were cancelled,” the statement signed by Dabiri-Erewa’s media aide, Abdurrahman Balogun said.

“I’ve found my next person” – Yes Adele confirms she’s Married!

 British Singer/Songwriter and Multiple Grammy Award Winner, Adele has finally confirmed her longtime partner, Simon Konecki as her husband.

There were speculations after the last Grammys when she addressed Konecki as her “husband” without giving further clarification. Social media has been buzzing ever since. Finally, at her concert in Brisbane, Australia, while giving a rendition of her powerful ballad “Someone Like You“, Adele confirmed that she and Konecki are married. She said:

I was trying to remember how it was I felt at the beginning of the relationship that inspired that record, because as bad as a break up can be, as bitter and horrible and messy as it can be, that feeling when you first fall for someone is the best feeling on earth and I am addicted to that feeling. Obviously I can’t go through with those feelings because I’m married now. I’ve found my next person. Being in such an amazing relationship with someone that’s so there for me and so loyal and is really part of my core now. That’s what made me write about everything I’ve ever done, because I’ve got his love.

Oshonaike spreading t’tennis gospel through clinic

   Nigeria table tennis star, Funke Oshonaike, has called on other former national table tennis stars to come to the aid of the sport in the country.

The six-time Olympian on February 27 began a three-day table tennis clinic for the junior players in the country. The event had 20 players across the country gathered at the National Stadium, Lagos.

After the clinic ended on Wednesday, the national top 16 championship for the junior and cadet players began. The event will end on Sunday.

The top 16 features the top-ranked 16 boys and top 16 girls in the junior cadre competing for prizes and laurels as part of the plans to select the best hands to represent the country at the 2017 ITTF African Junior Championship holding in Tunisia in April.

Such players as Agnes Onoja from Ondo State, Alimot Ayinla from Lagos, Michael Obayomi from Lagos and Abayomi Animashaun from Ekiti headlined the event.

The clinic, which was handled by Oshonaike, national table tennis coach, Nosiru Bello, among other coaches, taught the players more about their ball handling on the table and racket control.

Ikeja and its Environs to Experience one Month Power Outage from March 6 for Maintenance Work

   Residents of Ojodu, Magodo, Alausa, Oke-Afa, Bolorunpelu, Egbe, Igando, Shasha, Ipaja, Alimosho, Agege, Egbeda, will experience power outage from March 6 to April 4 2017, the management of Ikeja Electric (IE) said on Friday.

Other areas to be affected include Ayetoro, Abule-Taylor, Ogba, Ifako, Shomolu, Gbagada, Oworonshoki, Ogudu, Isheri-Olowora, Berger, Anthony and Otta.

Felix Ofulue, the company’s Spokesman, told newsmen on Friday in Lagos that the interruption is to enable maintenance work.

Ofulue said the outage was to enable the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to carry out routine work on the Ikeja West Transmission Station.



“We are appealing to consumers to bear with the company during the maintenance work. The maintenance will enhance improved service delivery,” he said.

Adeboye’s fame continues to grow at 75 – Saraki

  President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Thursday, congratulated the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (Worldwide), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, on his 75th birthday anniversary.

Saraki, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, described Adeboye as one of the leaders “who make so much impact on the people and whose fame continues to grow both in Nigeria and in the Diaspora.”

Saraki said leaders across board had a lot to learn from Adeboye, a mathematician and scientist, “who has remained faithful to the call of God, unflinchingly walking his talk and being a positive example to his teeming followers and non-followers alike.”

Spain appoints a Minister of Sex whose Primary Duty is to Help Battle the Decline in Population

   The Spanish Government has appointed a Minister of Sex in order to boost the nation’s declining population.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy confirmed Edelmira Barreira as the country’s top sex official.

With this move, the government hopes to boost Spain’s falling birth rate, which is one of the lowest in the developed world.

Spain in recent years has recorded declining birth rates which, according to reports, places it among developing countries with the lowest index.

Last year, for the first time, Spain’s deaths outnumbered its births. According to experts, they claim the reasons for the decline in births are: working long hours, eating late at night, and going to bed after midnight. In addition, youth unemployment rose to 48% in 2015, second only to Greece in Europe.

Facebook Visits Ghana’s Top Tech & Creative Entrepreneurs

  Chris Cox, Chief Product Officer at Facebook, visited the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) in Accra, Ghana on Wednesday to meet with Ghanaian entrepreneurs and see how they are working to build sustainable technology businesses. Later in the day he witnessed the force of Ghana’s creative talent in an event at ANO Gallery, which was co-hosted by ANO Gallery and Bless the Mic.

Chris’s visit is part of a week-long trip to Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal where Chris is keen to understand how creatives, developers and entrepreneurs are using mobile technology to create services, content and businesses that address local needs.

Official Statement: “JAMB has NOT Scrapped Awaiting Results for Prospective Candidates for the Forthcoming Exam”

 The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reacted to news making the rounds that it had barred those awaiting O’level results from registering for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

It made this known in a series of Tweets on Tuesday night.


The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has concluded all restructuring, transformation, reforms and other preparation for the 2017 UTME and is now set to commence the sale of its application document in March, 2017.

We sincerely appreciate the patience exhibited by Nigerians in allowing us take time to add value to the services we have been offering to Nigerians for over three decades.

Because we need a different and progressive result that will position Nigerian educational system in an enviable height in the comity of nations, then we must do things differently. The Board is poised to see that a reasonable percentage of candidates who take this examination and are qualified find placement in tertiary institutions.

Sharp Guy! Winner of GT Bank Porshe 911 Giveaway Opts for Cash Equivalent

The winner of the Porsche 911 Giveaway Draw organized by Guaranty Trust Bank, has opted for the cash equivalent of his Porsche 911 Carrera reward.

Abdulkareem Buhari, a 30-year old trader in Kaduna, was announced as the winner after a raffle draw held on Wednesday, December 15, 2016, at the Corporate Head Office of the Bank.

Following his preference of a cash equivalent, the Bank presented him with a cheque.

The GTBank Giveaway is part of the Bank’s Platinum rewards for its platinum banking customers, a niche segment that enjoys premium products and dedicated services such as access to personal banking lounges, fast track banking services, Platinum MasterCards and specialized Credit Facilities, as well as higher transaction limits on alternative channels.