Biden’s team wouldn’t comment, but here are five things you may not have known about the logistics of performances at presidential inaugurations — including this unusual week. Most Performances This Year Will Be Livestreams Biden’s team hasn’t announced details for each event, but nobody expects anything to be in person — the pandemic makes concert crowds a health risk, and Biden’s team is astutely aware of Trump supporters’ inauguration threats. “If you have any common sense at all, you’re doing this online,” says Sam Feldman, manager of James Taylor, a headliner for Sunday night’s “We the People” virtual concert. Though this year’s gigs will be virtual, “Everyone’s jumping at the chance ...
Dr. Bolere Elizabeth Ketebu, former Nigerian Ambassador to Ireland is dead. She was 66 years old. Her death was made known by President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday. In a statement, Buhari condoled with the Ketebu family, the Bayelsa State government, as well as friends and professional colleagues of Dr Bolere Ketebu, The President said the former ambassador served her country creditably in several capacities. She was at one time President National Council of Women Societies, Secretary to Bayelsa State government and a member House of Representatives between 1992 and 1993. In September 2001, she was elected Advisor, Habitat to the International Council of Women (ICW). She was elected in 2003 as International Board Member to ICW, position she held till 2009. As a board member, she coordinated...
Tebogo Letsie/Associated Press A clash between two cult groups has allegedly left four persons dead at Bakassi in Cross River State. Eyewitnesses said the clash started on Thursday with the killing of one person at Ekpri Ikang and has been raging till Saturday night. A resident of the Bakassi who gave her name as Etido said one person was killed on Thursday, one on Friday and two persons on Saturday. “I do not know the specific groups involved in the war but I can tell you that we have been experiencing regular gunshots and people running helter-skelter because of one group chasing members of the other group”. She said the killings on Friday and Saturday seem to be retaliation by members for the killing of their members by warring groups. She said many people in the Bakassi have been stayi...
The All Progressives Congress, Ogun State Chapter, has expressed “deep sadness” over the demise of former Minister of Commerce and industries who was also a former distinguished Senator who represented the Ogun East Senatorial District, Senator Jubril Martins Kuye; describing his death as “the passing away of one of Ogun’s finest politicians.” In a statement in Abeokuta on Sunday and signed by the Publicity Secretary of Ogun APC Caretaker Committee, Tunde Oladunjoye, the late politician was described as an “uncommon bridge builder, patriot and a very humane, courteous and humble politician whose model was politics without bitterness”. “Either as a federal minister or as a Senator of the Federal Republic, Pa Martins Kuye gave a very good account of himself as an accessible community leader,...
The police in Zamfara have arrested four suspects over alleged killing of a Fulani herdsman. At a press conference in Gusau on Sunday, the Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, said the police command also recovered 200 rustled cows following its steadfastness in crime fighting. He said some weapons were recovered and the command secured the release of no fewer than eight persons abducted three weeks ago. “We recovered no fewer than 200 stolen cows, five AK 47 rifles, three vehicles and a large number of ammunitions,” he said. According to the commissioner, the peace process being led by the state government has yielded huge results, including the unconditional surrendering of three 3 AK-47 rifles and 47 rounds of live ammunitions. “As a result of the ongoing peace engagement in Shinkafi Loc...
The wife of the embattled Managing Director of the First City Monument Bank, Hauwa Adam Nuru, has shown solidarity with her husband, adding that she had never contemplated leaving him. Adam Nuru was made to proceed on leave as the FCMB MD to allow for an investigation into an alleged sex and paternity scandal involving a former female employee of the bank. Hauwa, in a statement, debunked reports that she left her husband, calling such reports malicious and deliberate falsehood. “I want to clarify for the avoidance of doubt that I am still very much with my husband. This fake news was published by an online newspaper in a calculated attempt to further demonise my beloved husband and a loving father,” she said. “Let me reiterate that at no time did I contemplate leaving my matrimonial home o...
Pfizer and BioNTech said Saturday they will limit the delays of their vaccine deliveries to just one week, after fears in Europe that shipments of the jabs could be slowed for up to a month. The US drugmaker and its German partner “have developed a plan that will allow the scale-up of manufacturing capacities in Europe and deliver significantly more doses in the second quarter,” they said in a joint statement. “As a result, our facility in Puurs, Belgium will experience a temporary reduction in the number of doses delivered in the upcoming week.” Pfizer and BioNTech pledged that deliveries would be back to the original schedule to the European Union from the week of January 25, with increased delivery from the week of February 15. “To accomplish this, certain modifications of production pr...
Niger state government has debunked reports making round in the state that the government is planning to engage youths to fight against banditry in the state. Newsmen learnt that a social media post has been making rounds across the state on Saturday morning that the state government has concluded plans to recruit about 4,000 youths across the 25 local government areas of the state to fight the security challenge in the state. The Commissioner for Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mallam Abdulmalik Sarkin Daji stated this in a statement made available to newsmen in Minna on Saturday. He said that although the state is faced with serious security challenges, the government has no immediate plan to engage the youths in the fight against armed bandits. According...
Among the guests, many of them from Latino advocacy and civil rights organizations, was Deb Haaland, former chairwoman of the Democratic Party of New Mexico; and Claudette White, who shared a traditional tribal song. The overarching theme was the celebration of Joe Biden and the “victory” that is Kamala Harris a the first woman vice president-elect, as well as the first Black woman and first woman of South Asian descent. Janet Murguia talked about how multi-ethnic democracy requires leadership, and that the best days of this country are ahead of us. “Women of color are leading the way and saying, ‘it’s our time,’ she said, referencing the tireless work of Stacey Abrams. She also cited the background of Harris, who is the daughter of an Indian mother and Jamaican fat...
Gombe State Commissioner for internal security and Ethical Orientation, Dauda Zambuk, on Saturday said the state recorded 200 rape, 37 sodomy and 10 kidnap cases in 2020 with five recorded in January of the new year 2021 alone. Addressing a group of journalists in his office in Gombe Zambuk said 61 persons were also arrested for an act of gross indecency while three children were reported abandoned. “In all the total number of 314 suspects were arrested and all were charged to court,” he said. The commissioner said the state government after the investigation was a shock to find out that all kidnappings were perpetrated by criminals from the neighbouring Adamawa and Taraba States. According to Zambuk, 40 rape cases were lodged in Gombe alone while 39 attempted rape were reported in the ent...