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I slapped Senator Akpabio because he harassed me sexually – Ex-NDDC boss
The suspended Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Interim Management Committee, Joi Nunieh, has revealed that she once slapped the Minister of Niger Delta, Godswil Akpabio, for sexually harassing her. She made this known while fielding questions on Arise News on Monday but said what Akpabio attempted to do could not be regarded as ‘attempted rape’. Justifying why she slapped the minister, the former NDDC MD said Akpabio was always scheduling a meeting with her either at his guest house in Apo or in the hotel. She said when he (Akpabio) could not succeed to sleep with her, the Minister then came up with accusation of insubordination to suspend her from office. Ms Nunieh says: “When Akpabio saw that I cannot bring out the money, he now tried Plan B, a case of i...
Google announces $10 billion ‘digitization fund’ for India
Agence France-Presse Alphabet’s Google on Monday said it will spend around $10 billion in India over the next five to seven years through equity investments and tie-ups, marking its biggest commitment to a key growth market. The investments will be done through a so-called digitization fund, highlighting Google’s focus on the rapid pace of growth of apps and software platforms in India, one of the world’s biggest internet services markets. “We’ll do this through a mix of equity investments, partnerships, and operational, infrastructure and ecosystem investments,” Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, said on a webcast during the annual “Google for India” event. “This is a reflection of our confidence in the future of India and its digital economy.” Google has already made some direct and indirec...
Reckitt Benckiser donates N65m worth of hygiene products to Nigerian government
Reckitt Benckiser (RB), makers of Dettol and Jik, has donated hygiene products worth N65 million to Federal Ministry of Health to enable it respond to coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria, improve access to health, hygiene and nutrition for Nigerians. Donated items included hygiene products such as antiseptic disinfectants, dettol soaps, Jik bleach, full Personal Protective Equipments (PPE), and 100 mobile hand wash units to be installed at locations as advised by the ministry of health. The donations which was presented by representatives of RB at the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, was received by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, in company of other senior ministry officials. In his remarks, the Minister thanked RB for the donations, stating that “you have been in business for f...
Lagos doctors begin warning strike Monday
Doctors employed by the Lagos State Government will on Monday begin a three-day warning strike. The Chairman of the Medical Guild, Lagos, Dr Oluwajimi Sodipo, at a briefing on Sunday, said the doctors were embarking on the strike after the ultimatum given to the Lagos State Government had expired. He said, “Following the emergency congress of the Medical Guild held on June 27, we resolved that the previous 21 days ultimatum given to the state government be extended by a further two weeks during which representative council meeting should be held to review the resolutions of the congress and activate the three-day warning strike if 70 per cent of the Guild’s demands are not met.” Sodipo said the demands of the Guild include the wage disparity between the federal and Lagos doctors. “The issu...
Military airstrikes neutralise scores of bandits in Zamfara forest
The Defence Headquarters says the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji has eliminated scores of bandits in an air attack on their camp in part of Kwiambana Forest in Zamfara State on July 10. The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Enenche said the attack followed a discovery that a group of structures hidden under the dense forest vegetation served as hideouts for suspected Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) elements and fighters under the notorious armed bandit kingpin, Dogo Gede. According to him, the Air Component, therefore, dispatched a force package of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets and helicopter gunships to attack the location. “The attack aircraft took turns in engaging the target ca...
Presidency: Why 2020 budget was increased despite drop in revenue
File Photo The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Umar El-Yakub, has said the decision of the Presidency to increase the 2020 Budget despite drop in revenue was meant to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation’s economy. President Muhammadu Buhari had on Friday signed the Appropriation (Repeal and Amendment) Act, 2020 into law. The revised budget provides for aggregate expenditure of N10.81trn, which is an increase of N216bn over the level of expenditure initially proposed in the 2020 Appropriation Act. El-Yakub, in an interview with State House correspondents, attributed the increase to the government’s decision to prioritise infrastructure projects that would reflate the economy. He said, “One needs to und...
Pop Smoke Lights up Australia’s Albums Chart With ‘Shoot For The Stars’
Pop Smoke, the fast-rising hip-hop artist whose life was taken in a home invasion at the age of just 20, is the new leader of Australia’s albums chart. The Los Angeles-based artist’s debut LP Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon (Universal) bows at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, with three tracks from it impacting the national singles survey (“The Woo” at No. 25, “For The Night” at No. 32 and “Dior” at No. 48). Pop Smoke’s posthumous release follows two mixtapes, Meet The Woo (2019) and Meet The Woo 2 (2020), the latter debuting at No. 33 last week and rising to No. 24 on the current list. Shoot For The Stars is the first posthumous LP to top the Australian chart in more than two years. The last to do so was Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s history-making Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainb...
House of Reps quizzes NDDC over N70.495 billion awarded contracts
The House of Representatives at the weekend flagged off its investigation into the N70.495 billion allegedly paid by Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to 1,773 contractors as mobilization fees without resorting to site, between 2008 and 2012. Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Wole Oke who presided over the investigative hearing into the audit queries from the Auditor General for the Federation (AuGF) for the period under review, underscored the need for the NDDC acting Managing Director, Prof. Pondei Kemerbrandikumo to provide details of the projects and list of all defaulting contractors along with a statement of accounts showing the recovered funds as alluded to by the NDDC acting Director of Internal Audit, Mr Itu Eno Ubi who argued that only the sum of N19 bill...
Victor Osimhen re-evaluates Napoli offer, to decide over the next 48 hours
Victor Osimhen will make a decision over the next 48 hours, but a new intermediary has helped smooth things over with Napoli. The Lille forward has repeatedly asked for more time, as he feels undue pressure from his agent and entourage to accept the Partenopei proposal. Sources stated last week that he was ready to reject the move, not so much because of Napoli, but as an act of defiance against those close to him who were trying to orchestrate the transfer. Now Radio Punto Nuovo – and sources – suggest the situation is changing, as Osimhen is being given the time and space to make his choice autonomously. “Napoli is still a possibility,” sources said. This is largely thanks to the introduction of a new intermediary in the negotiations, who is making Osimhen feel more at ease with the deci...
FCT health secretary discharged from isolation centre
The Acting Secretary of the FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr Mohammed Kawu, has been discharged from the Asokoro District Hospital, Abuja, where he has been receiving treatment for COVID 19. Kawu disclosed this in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday moments after he was declared free of the Coronavirus. It would be recalled that the Acting Secretary had announced that he and some members of his family had contracted the disease about two weeks ago. Speaking about his experience as a Coronavirus patient, Kawu said he had moderate to severe symptoms. “I developed a chest infection, so I had to be on antibiotics for some days. But thank God, myself and members of my family do not have the symptoms again and we have been discharg...
AC Milan join Napoli in race for Victor Osimhen
Italian giants AC Milan have joined Napoli in the race for Nigeria and Lille striker, Victor Osimhen. In a surprise development, Football Italia reported Milan had entered the race to sign Lille striker, although Napoli still remain strong contenders. Osimhen visited the Napoli facilities, meeting with coach Gennaro Gattuso and President Aurelio De Laurentiis last week. He wanted time to consider all the options, including waiting for an offer from the Premier League, but that does not appear to be materialising. Instead, Football Italia sources in Nigeria now suggest Milan are in the picture too, preparing their own proposal for Lille and the 21-year-old forward. The asking price is expected to be at least €50m, so the Rossoneri would try to include some players to lower the cost of the o...
Zinedine Zidane reveals Real Madrid’s plan against Granada
Los Blancos manager Zinedine Zidane has revealed his team’s plan against Granada in their next La Liga match on Monday night at the Los Carmenes. Zidane’s men will be up against a Granada side that is chasing a slot to play in the Europa League next season and the manager insisted that the fixture is the only thing on his mind. “Here we are in the final week, with three matches,” he said. “Surely it’s the most difficult week because it’s the end of the season. Almost everyone is playing for something. But, we aren’t thinking about the three matches right now. We’re putting all of our energy into tomorrow’s game. We’re not thinking about the maths of when we could win the league, as we’re just thinking about tomorrow’s match.” Marcelo is expected to miss the rest of the season and the Brazi...
