Parks
Dua Lipa wins album of the year at Brit Awards
Dua Lipa won the coveted British Album of the Year prize at the Brit Awards on Tuesday, in a ceremony that saw female artists dominate the mixed categories. Around 4,000 guests streamed into London’s O2 Arena for the biggest night in British pop music, as the ceremony welcomed guests for the first time in two years as part of the government’s pilot scheme easing coronavirus restrictions. The Brit Awards have been criticised in the past for nominations seen as skewing heavily male, but this year almost all of the main prizes went to female artists. Little Mix won best British group — becoming the first female act ever to do so. Singer and poet Arlo Parks took the Breakthrough Artist award, and best international group went to the American band HAIM. In another history-making moment, Taylor ...
Ebonyi government closes illegal, private motor parks
IN a bid to checkmate the movement of arms and ammunition within the Abakaliki metropolis, Ebonyi State Government, Tuesday directed the closure of all illegal and private motor parks not expressly approved by the Ministry of Capital City Development. The Government further directed that all loading and offloading of vehicles within the state capital should only take place in approved public and private motor parks. In a joint press statement signed by Barr. Chief Onyekachi Nwebonyi, Commissioner for Capital City Development and Chief Anthony Oko Ewa, Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Ebonyi State Council, the duo explained that undercover security and precautionary measures were being put in place to avert further security breaches in the state. According to them:...
Uganda election: Will Bobi Wine derail Yoweri Museveni’s sixth term bid?
As millions of Ugandans prepare to pick the country’s president this week, the stakes could not be higher. The run-up to Thursday’s vote has been marred by restrictions on campaigning, arrests of opposition figures and deadly violence. At least 54 people were killed in November as security forces put down protests by opposition supporters. Longtime President Yoweri Museveni, 76, is facing a strong challenge from popular musician-turned-politician Bobi Wine in his bid to secure a sixth, five-year term in office. Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, was just four years old when Museveni, a former rebel leader, came to power in 1986. In 2005, Uganda’s ruling-party-dominated parliament removed presidential term limits. And in 2017, lawmakers scrapped the age limit of 75 fo...
Coronavirus: Nigeria now at tipping point – PTF
The Federal Government, yesterday, took stock of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic vis-a-vis the attitude of Nigerians to embracing safety precautions, and concluded that the country was now at a tipping point. This came as government announced its decision to establish oxygen plants in all states of the federation as part of measures to resolve the “oxygen crisis” that had engulfed some of the isolation and treatment centres in the country. Meanwhile, Edo State has recorded 28 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 270, as the state government cautions residents to abide by the precautionary health and safety guidelines. Vanguard, meanwhile, gathered that former vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe and th...
National park trains 1,200 officers on combat readiness
Dr. Ibrahim Goni, the Conservator-General of the National Park Service, says the agency has trained 1,200 officers on basic combat readiness paramilitary by the Nigeria Army. Goni, who disclosed this at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja, said that the training was to help the officers and men to meet the current and future conservation requirements. “Training and re-training of officers is key to achieving success in the implementation of the service mandate. “Therefore, manpower development as a human capital function is responsible for developing the skills, knowledge and competence of the service,” he said. Goni said that the agency would focus more on manpower development to help the officers and men achieve the mandate of the service. He said that in spite of its limited resources...
Coronavirus: FCT taskforce clears Abuja recreational spots of fun-seekers
The FCT Ministerial Task Team on Enforcement of COVID-19 Protocols, on Friday, cleared some recreational parks of fun seekers who trooped there to celebrate Christmas. Newsmen report that some of the parks where fun-seekers were sent out by taskforce included the famous Millennium Park, Jabi Lake, Unity Fountain and Magic Land. Although the gates at the Jabi Lake were closed, some anxious fun-seekers made their way into the park through porous entry points. Upon arrival at the Lake, many of the violators took to their heels for fear of being arrested but the task force had to call them to sensitise them on the need to adhere to safety regulations. Head, Media and Enlightenment of the task force, Mr Ikharo Attah, who addressed the fun seekers, said that the second wave of the COVID-19 pande...
FCTA prosecutes 20 for breaching coronavirus protocol
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) yesterday arrested 20 persons for flouting COVID-19 protocols. The offenders were charged before Chief Magistrate Raphael Egbe of the FCT Mobile Court, sitting at the Eagle Square Abuja, and slammed with a one-count charge of violating COVID-19 protocol by not wearing face masks. The 20 accused persons, who were arrested by FCT TaskForce on COVID-19 were given an option of fines that ranged from N1,000 to N5,000, depending on their conduct during and after the arrest. Chairman of the FCT COVID-19 Taskforce, Ikharo Attah, said seven parks were shut within two days of the exercise for operating in stark violation of the new guidelines on the control of the pandemic. However, an officer of Nigeria Police Force, attached to the taskforce, sus...
Yuletide: Police chief orders tight security nations wide
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP, M.A. Adamu, has ordered 24/7 water-tight security arrangement and proactive high visibility patrols in all the States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), ahead of the Christmas and New Year Celebrations. The IGP gave the directives to all Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police in charge of Zonal and State Commands nationwide to ensure a peaceful celebration. The IGP equally directed the Strategic Officers to ensure massive deployment of intelligence and other operational assets of the Force particularly on major highways, airports, railway stations, recreational centres, motor – parks, places of worship, financial institutions, amongst others. They are also to ensure that personnel deployed are adequat...
Kano restates commitment to sanitation, hygiene
The Kano State Government has reiterated its commitment to the improvement of sanitation and hygiene for sustainable development in the state. Dr Kabiru Getso, the state’s Commissioner for Environment, stated this while inspecting the monthly sanitation on Saturday in Kano. Getso said that the state government had introduced the monthly exercise to mobilise residents’ participation in waste and drain clearance in their communities. He said that the exercise was designed to enhance cleanliness, protect the environment and public health. “I call on the people to participate in the exercise to clear waste and keep a clean environment. “The exercise is being conducted between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. on the last Saturday of the month. “It is good for the people to support the government and particip...
Sallah: Lagos warns residents against unhealthy disposal of waste, degradation of environment
Amid battle against COVID-19 pandemic, the Lagos State Government has charged residents against the unhealthy practice and be mindful of a cleaner environment as they celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir coming up at the weekend. Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, who disclosed this in a release, Wednesday, reiterated the need for residents to demonstrate utmost love to their environment even as they celebrate. Bello, while wishing all Muslims a happy Sallah celebration, urged residents to respect the environment, bearing in mind that a lot of wastes would be generated during the period and must be disposed of properly after bagging through approved PSP operators. The commissioner committed that the ministry, through the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAW...
