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Bauchi traffic agency to enforce ban on commercial motorcyclists – chairman
The Bauchi State Road Traffic Agency (BAROTA), on Tuesday, reiterated that activities of commercial motorcycle riders, popularly known as ‘Okada’ or ‘Achaba’, remained banned in the state. Mr Tijjani Gamawa, Chairman of the agency, who made this known at a news conference in Bauchi, stated that the agency would ensure the enforcement of the ban. Newsmen recall that the Bauchi state government, in March 2020, banned the activities of commercial motorcyclists as one of the measures to mitigate the spread of coronavirus in the state. Gamawa also explained that anybody conveying three or more people on his motorcycle and riding recklessly would be regarded as a commercial rider, and would be arrested and his motorcycle seized. Similarly, the chairman warned that any tricycle rider (Keke Napep)...
VP Osinbajo to represent Nigeria at Ugandan presidential inauguration
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will represent Nigeria at the sixth inauguration of President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja. Osinbajo will be joining several other heads of state and government at the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for May 12, at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, Uganda. Nigeria and Uganda share historical antecedents and enjoy good diplomatic relationships, including working together as member-states of the Commonwealth, the African Union, and the United Nations among others. Both countries have signed Bilateral Agreements on Technical Aid Corps, Trade, and on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. The vic...
Thomas Rhett Spins ‘Country Again (Side A)’ Onto Top Country Albums Chart
Rhett, 31, from Valdosta, Ga., follows his last album Center Point Road, which launched atop both Top Country Albums and the Billboard 200 in June 2019 (76,00 units; 45,000 sold), becoming his second leader on both lists. Life Changes debuted atop the tallies in September 2017 with 123,000 units and 94,000 sold, his biggest week to date. Tangled Up arrived at No. 3 on Top Country Albums in October 2015 (76,000 units; 62,000 sold) and peaked at No. 2 that November and It Goes Like This, Rhett’s first full-length, debuted and peaked at No. 2 in November 2013 (36,000 sold). Rhett made his first of five appearances on the chart with his No. 24-peaking 2012 self-titled EP. Rhett, who won the male vocalist of the year trophy at the Academy of Country Music Awards April 18, had a hand in wr...
‘Coronavirus restriction’: Nigerian government quoted out of context – minister
The federal government on Tuesday denied media reports that it has “introduced or re-introduced’’ new restrictions on COVID-19. Information minister Lai Mohammed made the rebuttal at a meeting with online publishers in Lagos. Mohammed said there were no new restrictions, adding that the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 only reiterated existing regulations to control spread of the disease. The Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 had on Monday announced the enforcement of a curfew across the country in a move it said was to forestall a possible new wave of the pandemic. “The nationwide curfew will be imposed tonight at midnight and it will run through till 4:00 a.m.,” the committee stated. But the minister, a member of the steering committee, said the committee’s national ...
Southern governors meet, urge President Buhari to address Nigerians
Worried by the rising rate of insecurity, Southern Governors, Tuesday, met in Asaba, the Delta State capital and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the nation on the spate of insecurity in the country. The Governors in the meeting which started at about 12 noon and ended about 4:20 pm, urged the Federal Government to convocated a national dialogue as a matter of urgency and insisted on the ban of open grazing across Southern Nigeria The Governors in the 12 point communique read by the Chairman of Southern Governors Forum, Governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, “affirmed that the peoples of Southern Nigeria remain committed to the unity of Nigeria on the basis of justice, fairness, equity and oneness and peaceful co-existence between and among its peoples with ...
Donny van de Beek accused of making Manchester United move with ‘big boy’ attitude
Donny van de Beek has been accused by Marco van Basten of leaving Ajax for Manchester United with a “big boy” attitude, with the Dutch icon of the opinion that too many players depart Amsterdam believing that they have already made it. Van de Beek is among those to have been brought down to earth with a bump after leaving the comfort zone of life in his native Netherlands. A £35 million ($49m) switch to Old Trafford has not played out as planned for the 24-year-old midfielder, with only two Premier League starts taken in as questions are asked of his value to the Red Devils’ cause. Van Basten, who made his name at Ajax before going on to win the Ballon d’Or three times with AC Milan, told Ziggo Sport of Van de Beek and his struggles in England: “It just shows what a great life they have wh...
Old Dominion Singer Matthew Ramsey Hospitalized Ahead of Tour
Old Dominion’s publicist tells Billboard that the band will not postpone any concert dates. The band previously had to postpone three concerts in February 2019 because of the frontman’s leg surgery to deal will an old injury. Old Dominion announced earlier this month that they are scheduled to embark on their 2021 tour, dubbed An Evening With Old Dominion: The Band Behind the Curtain Tour, starting with a two-night run at Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Okla., from May 27-28. Pre-sale starts Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET here, while tickets for the general public will be on sale starting Friday. Learn more about the tour on Old Dominion’s website. See Old Dominion’s upcoming tour dates below. An Evening With Old Dominion: The Band Behind The Curtain tour da...
Dan + Shay Reschedule Arena Headlining Tour, Add New Dates
Openers are three-time Grammy nominee Ingrid Andress and The Band Camino. All previously purchased tickets for the AEG Presents outing will be honored for the rescheduled dates. When it originally kicked off in 2020, the tour marked Dan + Shay’s first headlining arena tour, and included two sold-out shows at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena before shutting down because of the pandemic. Dan + Shay are up for top duo/group and top country duo/group at the May 23 Billboard Music Awards. Dan + Shay The (Arena) Tour 2021*newly announced dateSept. 9 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness ArenaSept. 10 – Charlottesville, VA – John Paul Jones ArenaSept. 11 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun ArenaSept. 14 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo CenterSept. 16 R...
Lagos to demolish shanties, takeover abandoned buildings
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday said that the government would continue to demolish shanties across the state. Sanwo-Olu said this during the Security Stakeholders Town Hall Meeting at Ikeja, adding that the state government would also confiscate abandoned buildings. He said that the shanties, abandoned buildings and vehicles were hideouts for criminals, hence, should be tackled. Sanwo-Olu said the government had demolished several hundreds of shanties and illegal structures around the state since November 2020. ”These shanties, by serving as hideouts for criminals, have exacerbated the insecurity situation in Lagos State. ”This clean up exercise will continue, even as we strive to ensure the creation of jobs and economic opportunities that will take people off the s...
Ramadan: Israel donates food items to support Nigerian Muslim families
The Embassy of Israel in Nigeria on Monday donated some food items to support some Muslim families in the on-going Ramadan fasting in the country. Mr Yotam Kreiman, Charge d’Affairs of Israel to Nigeria, who presented the items in Abuja, said that the items worth 260, 000 meals was to support about 1,800 families. Newsmen report that the items donated included some bags of rice, beans, maize, groundnut oil, pasta among others. The envoy said that the items were put together to further deepen ties between Israel and Nigeria. Kreiman said that lessons from the Holy Books during month of Ramadan often reminded people of their needs to always be kind, helpful and thoughtful, especially as the world slowly recovered and battled with COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, it is important to lend h...
NALDA to establish integrated farm estate in Ogun
The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) says it has concluded plans to establish an integrated farm estate in Ogun State. The agency also said it would set up a cassava processing plant and train 200 graduates in the state in soil testing technology. These moves according to NALDA are in line with its determination to boost the Cassava value chain and job creation for youths in the country. The Cassava processing plant would compliment the Integrated Farm Estates to be established in the three Senatorial zones of the state. The farm estate would comprise of different agricultural activities which includes farming, processing and packaging areas, commodity market, residential areas and schools. Executive secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne made this disclosure when h...
Niger Delta: President Buhari has surpassed all past presidents – NYCN
National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) on Sunday said that President Muhammadu Buhari has surpassed all past Presidents of the country in the development of the Niger Delta region. The Council said the array of projects that now littered the coastal area was however made possible by the current Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio. The youths, therefore, warned the region’s politicians against blackmailing Buhari and Akpabio. The youths also threw their weight behind the interim sole administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Effiong Akwa for his prudent, transparent, and frugal management of resources which they said witnessed the execution of the projects within a short period of time. In a communiqué issued after a 3-week tour and assessment o...
