Country
TUC opposes sale of Port Harcourt refinery
File Photo The Trade Union Congress (TUC) is opposed to the sale of the Port Harcourt Refinery as canvassed by many Nigerians, its secretary-general, Musa Lawan, has said. The Federal Executive Council last week approved $1.5 billion (about N600 billion) for the rehabilitation of the 210,000 barrels per day refinery. The FEC approved the amount at its virtual meeting presided by President Muhammadu Buhari. The approval came amidst a controversial price increase in the pump price of petrol that was later reversed. Although Nigeria has four refineries, all government-owned, it currently imports virtually all its refined petroleum products. The approval for the Port Harcourt Refinery was greeted with mixed feelings as the country in the past spent billions of dollars on refinery maintenance w...
NIWE advocates partnership to address Nigeria’s water challenges
File Photo The Nigerian Institution of Water Engineers (NIWE) has sought for effective partnership between all levels of government and relevant stakeholders to resolve Nigeria’s water challenges especially in the rural areas. Chairman of NIWE, Abuja chapter, Engr Douglas Oloton stated this in Abuja yesterday at a talent hunt organised by the chapter to commemorate the 2021 World Water Day (WWD), with the theme, “Valuing Water”. He noted that population explosion, climate change, high demand on industry and agriculture is threatening the limited water resources, saying that water makes up 60 percent of human body and its fundamental for human, social and economic development. Oloton quoted the United Nations as saying that WWD raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without acces...
B.J. Thomas Diagnosed With Stage 4 Lung Cancer
Thomas, 78, has logged 26 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1966 through 1983 and achieved No. 1 singles across the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Adult Contemporary charts. “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” was his first leader on any Billboard chart, spending four weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and seven weeks at No. 1 on Adult Contemporary in 1969-70. The song, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, went on to win the Oscar for best original song. “I just wanted to take this unique opportunity to share my gratitude to Gloria, my wonderful wife and my rock for over 53 years, my family, friends, and fans,” Thomas said in a statement about the diagnosis. “I’m so blessed to have had the opportunity to record and perform beautiful ...
2023: INEC reassures on continuous voters registration
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it plans to resume Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) across the country in the second quarter of 2021. Mrs Wunmi Balogun, INEC Head of ICT, Ibadan, said this at the training of electoral officers and assistants electoral officers on access to Polling Units (PUs) in Ibadan on Monday. Balogun added that the commission would be using INEC Voters Enrolment Devices for the CVR instead of the Direct Data Capturing Machine. Mr Mutiu Agboke, the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) said the training was to address the challenges being faced by voters on access to polling units during elections. Newsmen report that the workshop was specifically held for INEC’s head of departments, electoral officers and assistants electoral of...
Dolly Parton’s 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year Gala to Air on Netflix
“I am so happy that Netflix is going to be showing the MusiCares tribute to me,” Parton said in a statement. “MusiCares has done so much for the people in this industry and continues to be a beacon of light for those in need. I am so proud and impressed with all of the great artists. It was such a joy and a humbling experience to be able to sit and watch all of the great artists singing songs that I had written or had been a part of. I am so thankful to the Grammys and the people that worked so hard to put this together, and I hope that you enjoy watching it as much as I did.” Parton was the first country star to be named Person of the Year. She was the seventh female solo artist from any genre to receive the accolade, following Bonnie Raitt, Natalie Cole, Gloria Estefan, Aretha Franklin, ...
Benue governor: Do not politicize attempt on my life
Governor Samuel Ortom Monday cautioned against anyone politicizing last Saturday’s attempt on his life by gunmen at Tyo-Mu community in the outskirts of Makurdi town along Makurdi-Gboko road. He stressed that the level of insecurity in the country was a clear indication that Nigeria was sitting on a gun powder and everyone must be conscious to avert an implosion. The Governor who spoke at the end of an emergency State Security Council meeting held in Makurdi, appealed to Benue people to be calm and await the outcome of the investigation being carried out by the Police as directed by the Inspector General of Police, IGP. The Governor who said he was still in shock, lauded the Presidency, the Inspector -General of Police, IGP, as well as the array of groups including Nigeria Govenors’ Forum,...
MTN donates 300,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines to Nigeria
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 said it received 300,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines from MTN Nigeria. Speaking at the National briefing, the Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha said: “Yesterday, Sunday, March 21, 2021, the PTF received 300,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines from MTN Nigeria. “This is acknowledged with thanks as we encourage other partners to contribute towards the fight against COVID-19.” Recall that the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, had said that the first part of the 1.4 million doses promised to be donated to Nigeria would be delivered by end of February, while the remaining balance would be delivered by end of March, 2021. Mustapha also said: “The disclosure that Nigerian...
TikTok Country Star Priscilla Block Signs Booking & Management Deals: Exclusive
“I’m so excited to be working with Priscilla,” Foster tells Billboard. “She has spent the last 6-to-7 years in Nashville writing, working on her music and building her own creative team of writers and musicians. While one song may have blown up on Tik Tok and gotten her a record deal, she’s the real deal and a killer writer. She knows who she is and what she wants to sing about. We’re looking forward to getting out on the road with the new music and watching this grow with the new team in place.” Foster’s F2 Entertainment Group roster also includes Kelli Pickler, Jessie James Decker, Levi Hummon and Runaway June. “Priscilla is such a star,” adds CAA’s Rod Essig. “She’s an incredible person, writer, performer and vocalist – and she’s hilarious! Priscilla knows exactly who she is and where s...
Carrie Underwood Announces Easter Livestream Concert
Carrie Underwood will celebrate Easter with the virtual live performance “My Savior: Live From the Ryman,” during which she’ll perform songs from her upcoming gospel album, My Savior, at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The set of gospel hymns Underwood grew up singing will stream on the country star’s Facebook page at noon ET on April 4, with donations from the show earmarked for Save The Children. The free show will feature a special appearance from gospel legend CeCe Winans, Underwood’s duet partner on “Great Is They Faithfulness,” as well as singer/songwriter and Needtobreathe frontman Bear Rinehart,” who will join in on the hymn “Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus.” You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking fo...
Makin’ Tracks: Ryan Hurd, Maren Morris Put Vulnerable Spin On Riff-Led Duet
Tension, rather than comfort, is at the heart of “Chasing After You.” Much of it revolves around a haunting signature riff tipped with a hint of Eastern tonalities, delivered by a gritty guitar that sounds as if it’s being played in an empty Holiday Inn lounge just before opening. “Ryan likes kind of a rock’n’roll edge while hiding in the facade of clean, if that makes sense,” says guitarist Teddy Reimer, who played the part on the single. “That was my attempt to create something that sounded kind of gritty and unpolished, but yet clean and professional. That’s kind of where the tone scape began.” The guitar line itself is where “Chasing After You” started, though it was songwriter Jerry Flowers (“House Party,...
World Forest Day: Nigeria’s forests reduced to less than 25% – environmentalists
Some environmentalists on Monday said that unwholesome human activities had reduced the nation’s forest resources to less than 25 per cent. The environment experts made the assertion during an event in Lagos State to commemorate the 2021 World Forest Day, held every March 21, to raise public consciousness on conservation of forests. Newsmen report that the theme of the 2021 edition is “Forest Recovery, a Path and Wellbeing’’. The environmentalists, who envisaged danger as a result of depletion of forests, advised Nigerians to always replenish nature, whenever their activities caused violation of nature. At the event, Executive Director, Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development, Nigeria, Dr Leslie Adogame, said “with reduced forestry resources the human habitat is under...
UN official highlights values of water in fighting coronavirus pandemic
Water has many values that are just not priced, Sasha Koo-Oshima, the Deputy Director, Land and Water Division, UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), told Xinhua ahead of the World Water Day on March 29. The official highlighted that with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a large part of the world population still lacks access to handwashing facilities at home. “This is the first line of defence against this virus and the value of water is very evident in this progression. “The first thing we realised is handwashing. Many countries just don’t have clean water to even just wash hands,” she said. The UN on Monday warned that more than two billion people do not have direct access to water, the “blue gold” which is essential in defeating the pandemic. In its World Water Development Re...
