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‘This Isn’t a Fad’: Three of Africa’s Biggest Stars on Making the Industry Come to Them
Tiwa Savage, Davido and Mr Eazi are opening doors (and labels’ checkbooks). Here’s what they’re up against. The next musical revolution is brewing in Africa. As the industry buzzes with — and profits from — new languages and sounds from all over, the prospects for artists across the continent have never been brighter or more numerous. There have, of course, always been African superstars — from Miriam Makeba to Hugh Masekela to Fela Kuti — as well as great respect for the continent’s music, thanks to projects like Paul Simon’s iconic 1986 album, Graceland, which famously put Ladysmith Black Mambazo and others on the international map. But despite major-label deals, chart successes and eye-popping sales figures, African artists have often been siloed from the popular music landscape, segreg...
IGP orders officers to respect essential workers
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered respect for journalists, medical personnel and other essential workers who are exempted from the eased restriction and curfews across the country. Doctors and journalists were allegedly being harassed by security agents. This had prompted the Nigerian Medical Association to call on its members to down tools. Force spokesman DCP Frank Mba, in a statement on Wednesday, said the IGP had directed Zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and State Command Commissioners of Police to give maximum effect to these orders and extend due courtesies to essential service providers so affected and also ensure that personnel deployed for the enforcement duties respect the fundamental rights of the citizens. Mba stated: “The Force wishes to ...
Oyo governor appoints retired general as Amotekun chairman
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has appointed retired general Ajibola Kunle Togun as the Chairman of the Oyo State Security Network, code-named Amotekun. A statement signed by Moses Alao, Special Assistant to Makinde on Print Media, also indicated that a retired colonel, Olayanju Olayinka, was appointed as the commandant of the security outfit. According to the statement, the two retired military officers will oversee the state security network which was put in place to check insecurity in the state. Newsmen recall that Makinde on March 10, signed the State Security Network Agency (Amotekun) Bill, 2020 into law. The governor remarked that the initiative was purely to complement the existing security agencies in tackling security challenges and not a replacement for the existing ones. Ve...
Presidency: No discrimination against any state
File Photo The Presidency says no state will suffer any such discrimination in dealing with security and all other matters on account of their political differences with the government at the centre. Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said this in a statement issued to announce a massive plan by the Ministry of Defence to launch “Operation Accord” in the North West and North Central States. Shehu said the plan, whose arrangements had been concluded, was a major military exercise aimed at flushing out insurgents from the contiguous states of Kaduna, Niger, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and parts of Kebbi State. He said while Tuesday’s Senate resolution was “perfectly in order”, it was important to state that, in his duty as Commander-in-Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari had already approved th...
Emmanuel Dennis reveals highlights of 2019/20 season
Club Brugge forward Emmanuel Dennis says his goals against Real Madrid and Manchester United are the highlights of his 2019/20 campaign. The young striker hugged the headlines in October after bagging a brace against Real Madrid in a Champions League group stage fixture, that ended 2-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu. The 22-year-old also scored a goal in a Europa League round of 32 first leg tie against Manchester United in February following his team’s demotion to the UEFA second tier club competition. Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports News, the Nigeria international said; “Against Manchester United was a highlight,” “Madrid is a big team, the best in the world, but I was disappointed because I wanted us to win and we drew. I wanted those three points.” “I was happy because I was speakin...
PDP warns against plot to foist emergency rule in Rivers
File Photo The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned against the exposed plots by certain unpatriotic and disgruntled individuals, allegedly working for the All Progressives Congress (APC), to orchestrate a security situation and push for imposition of a state of emergency in Rivers State. The party said it has been informed of plots by such power hungry politicians to sponsor their misguided youth to unleash violence and unrest in certain parts of the state to create an impression of security breakdown so as to validate their plot for imposition of emergency rule in the state. The PDP said such anti-people elements include some individuals who were rejected by the people of Rivers state in the 2019 governorship election, as well as their godfathers, who believe they have the backing o...
Michael Essien: How Jose Mourinho prevented me from joining Arsenal
Former Chelsea star, Michael Essien, has disclosed that Jose Mourinho stopped him from playing for London rival club Arsenal FC. Essien who spoke on Instagram live chat with Carol Tshabalala, stated that he almost joined Arsenal but Mourinho got to know of it and pressed him to play for him at Real Madrid instead. “I was with Chelsea in Monaco for the Super Cup and a strange number called me but I didn’t want to answer it but my cousin who was in the room with me that day told me to pick it up. “The number kept calling so I picked and as soon as I said hello and another hello came from the other end and I realised who was on the phone so I told my cousin it’s Jose Mourinho. “We started talking and he said, ‘I heard you’re on your way to Arsenal’. But I told him it’s not true. I had not hea...
Ogun confirms 25 new coronavirus cases
The Ogun State government has confirmed 25 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 178. A statement on the official Twitter page of the state government on Wednesday said the 25 patients have been quarantined across the treatment and isolation centres in the state, as contact tracing continues. “As at 20th May, 2020, the NCDC announced that 25 COVID-19 cases had been confirmed in Ogun State, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 178.” “The 25 patients have been quarantined across the Treatment and Isolation Centres in the State, as contact tracing continues. “The State has now discharged a total of 69 patients who tested negative to the virus and are now back with their families. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC...
50 ships with petroleum products, food items to arrive Lagos ports
Fifty ships laden with petroleum products, food items and other goods are expected at the TinCan Island Port and the Lagos Port Complex from May 20 to June 3. The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) made this known in its publication, `Shipping Position’, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday. It said that the ships contained vehicles, containers, bulk wheat, inballast, general cargo, sulphur in jumbo bag, base oil, frozen fish, bulk fertiliser, butane gas, petrol and automobile gasoline. The NPA said that another 50 ships that had arrived the ports were waiting to berth with container, used vehicles, bulk wheat, bulk malt, frozen fish, Jet A1, petrol and automobile gasoline. It said that 26 ships were discharging container, bulk sugar, bulk wheat, butane gas, gene...
Nigerian government approves N2 billion for building federal university medical school
The Federal Government has approved N2 billion for the establishment of a medical school at the Federal University, Dutsin-ma (FUDMA), Katsina State. The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Amarya’u Bichi, disclosed this to newsmen shortly after assuming office. Bichi said that the building of the medical school had commenced and would be completed within four months. According to him, the university will admit candidates for medicine and other medical courses in 2021. He appealed to the federal government to provide additional funds for the institution to build its teaching hospital, where the students would do practical and internships. The vice chancellor said that plans were under way to establish Faculties of Engineering, Law and Agriculture in the institution. Bichi, who acted a...
31 coronavirus carriers on the run in Gombe
At least, 31 people who tested positive for Coronavirus in Gombe State are on the run, the state’s Taskforce on COVID-19 said on Wednesday. According to the task force, the 31 people have refused to show up once they knew they were positive. Chairman of the task force, Prof. Idris Mohammed, who spoke while giving update of Coronavirus in the State, said the 31 positive individuals who were yet to be identified and evacuated. The 31 positive cases were among people intercepted at the state entry points, whose samples were taken for tests after being isolated. However, by the time their results came out, which tested positive, they had found their ways back into their communities, refusing to be evacuated to the isolation centres. Mohammed, however, appealed to them to cooperate with the tas...
Bayern Munich reserve shirt number for Leroy Sane ahead transfer
Manchester City’s Leroy Sane has the No.10 shirt reserved for him at German giants Bayern Munich next season. Media outlets in Germany are convinced Sane will finally complete a move back to the Bundesliga this summer. And the current Bundesliga leaders are ready to offer the No.10 shirt worn for a decade by Dutch legend Arjen Robben and currently taken by the on-loan Philippe Coutinho. Sane’s transfer to Bayern was scuppered last August when he suffered a serious knee injury in the Community Shield. City and Bayern have to agree a deal but the 24-year-old now only has one year left on his contract. Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: “It is well known that I never comment on players who are under contract with other clubs.” Sane was one of Guardiola’s first signings ...
