Author: Ekpedeme Umoh

Nicki Minaj confirms she has MARRIED convicted sex offender Kenneth ‘Zoo’ Petty and Christina Aguilera and Winnie Harlow are among the A-list well-wishers The Grammy-nominated artist, 36, revealed the news on Monday. She ‘Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty 10•21•19,’ alongside a clip in which she showed off ‘Bride’ and ‘Groom,’ caps and ‘Mr.’ and ‘Mrs’ mugs The comment thread under Minaj’s announcement was populated with well wishes from her fellow celebs. Minaj said she was ‘very happy about that because my baby makes me so happy’ in reference to Perry, who she’s been seeing since late last year. Petty was convicted in…

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Hundreds of Haitians took to the street of Port-au-Prince Sunday, piling pressure on President Jovenel Moïse to resign. The protesters gathered in the Champ de Mars, the largest plaza in front of the National palace, singing and chanting ‘‘Moïse leave!”. “[SPEAKING TO PRESIDENT MOISE] If you have a little bit of morality, a little bit of nationalism, if you have a little bit of love for the country, then please, hand over the keys. Because the people can’t stand it any longer. We’re asking you to step down, step down! Let the people go, we can’t take it any longer, Jovenel step…

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The World Bank has agreed to give Nigeria $3 billion loan for the expansion of the transmission and distribution facilities of the power sector, Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, has revealed. According to her, the loan would be disbursed in four trenches of $750m each beginning from next year and it would cover the funding gap as well as the current tariff which investors in the sector had described as very low compared to what is obtainable in other countries. “It will also enhance our ability to pay previous obligations in the sector that has crystallized so that investors in the…

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Police said on Saturday they had freed nearly 150 students from a purported school in northern Nigeria that claimed it was teaching the Koran but had instead subjected them to abuse. It was the fourth such operation in a month and brings the total released from religious schools in northern Nigeria to more than 1,000. The raid will put more pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to take action on loosely regulated Islamic schools called Almajiris, which experts say teach millions of children across the mainly Muslim north of the country. Kaduna state governor Nasir El Rufai ordered the raid on…

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Mexican officials on Friday admitted they had bungled the arrest of kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s son, who they let go during shootouts with drug gangs in the streets of a major city, but the president insisted his security strategy was working. Cartel gunmen surrounded around 35 police and national guards in the northwestern city of Culiacan on Thursday and made them free Ovidio Guzman, one of the jailed drug lord’s dozen or so children, after his brief detention set off widespread gun battles and a jailbreak that stunned the country. The chaos in Culiacan, a bastion of Guzman’s Sinaloa…

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Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Elder Simon Achuba, has been impeached by the State House of Assembly on the recommendations of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry that investigated allegations of gross misconduct levelled against him. The leader of the House, Hassan Bello Abdulahi, representing Ajaokuta state constituency, who announced the decision of the House, said that Achuba stood impeached after a careful consideration of the report of the John Bayasea committee submitted earlier on Friday. He said that the report was received, studied and deliberated upon and a unanimous decision was arrived at to impeach him and  “he therefore stands…

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The World Food Prize Foundation and the newly launched World Hunger Fighters Foundation are partnering to provide year-long fellowships for young African food innovators and entrepreneurs.  The World Hunger Fighters Foundation will award annual Borlaug-Adesina Fellowships to young Africans to develop new technologies, champion public policy, and develop viable businesses in the field of agriculture. The young leaders will gain experience in international agriculture research centres, including food and agribusiness companies.  Felix Tshisekedi, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a guest speaker at the launch of the foundation in Des Moines, Iowa, said: “Agriculture can be the…

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The African Development Bank on Thursday signed off on its €12.5 million equity investment in Adiwale Fund 1, a first-generation private equity fund targeting high growth potential Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in francophone West Africa. The Bank Group’s board of directors approved the investment in March as part of its commitment to grow  SMEs and improve livelihoods in countries underserved by the global equity market. With a target fund size of €75 million, the Fund will take minority stakes in vibrant SMEs in countries where economic prospects and the Fund’s networks permit a rapid scale up. Deal size…

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Arlette Kavugho was discharged from an Ebola ward in eastern Congo in March, but her troubles did not end there. When the mother of six tried to return to work as a seamstress in her hometown of Butembo, her customers were too scared of catching the disease, despite doctors’ assurances that she was no longer contagious. Instead she found work as a caregiver to children suspected of having Ebola only to be accused by neighbors of faking her illness to get the job. To this day, Kavugho has not been able to find the graves of her 19-year-old daughter and…

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The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Tuesday, said the Federal Government will be willing to partner with 21st-century innovative companies like Karmod Nigeria in the implementation of the planned national cooperative housing scheme aimed at providing affordable houses for Nigerians. According to Fashola, the scheme will help tremendously in addressing the huge housing deficit in Nigeria. The Minister, who spoke during the grand opening of the Karmod Nigeria showroom in Abuja, said, “Let me say that very soon we will initiate a national cooperative housing scheme. We have seen that cooperatives have been successful in markets; it has been…

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American space program NASA plans to carry out the first all-female spacewalk this week, it said Tuesday. Astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir will venture outside the International Space Station either Thursday or Friday to replace a power controller unit that failed over the weekend. ‘‘There are a lot of people that derive motivation from inspiring stories of people that look like them,’‘ Koch said when asked about the significance of women making strides in the space program. ‘‘What we are doing now shows all the work that went in for the decades prior, all the women that worked to get us…

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The Federal Government has vowed to sustain the border closure policy until the neighboring countries stop violating Nigeria’s laws against food smuggling, even as the Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, debunked reports that hunger was heightening in the country. The minister said that there is no hunger in the country and food security has been achieved. He said that hunger in Nigeria was a creation of foreigners who have no stake in the country. He said, “I think so long as these bordering countries do not respect our protocols on these very important issues of bringing food into Nigeria,…

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The family of an 18-year-old Nigerian student of the Kennesaw State University, who was shot dead on Sunday, believe i was because of an argument on Friday night, over loud music. Oluwafemi Oyerinde and two other people were shot at Stadium Village Apartments on Sunday morning. The two others survived. They were on their way out when the suspect opened fire on them. Cobb Country police said that they believe they know who they’re looking for. Femi was a freshman at the university. He was studying mechanical engineering and had dreams of joining the military.

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The African Development Bank, in partnership with the Government of Madagascar and the African Risk Capacity (ARC), has launched the Africa Disaster Risks Financing Programme (ADRiFi) in Madagascar. ADRiFi is intended to strengthen Madagascar’s country’s resilience and increase its capacity to manage climate-related disasters. Over the next five years it will also strengthen the country’s capacity to evaluate disaster risk and provide early warning systems and contingency plans. It would also support its participation in the African Risk Capacity sovereign risk transfer mechanism. The Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ARC to join forces to prepare, develop and implement…

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Kenyan Brigid Kosgei broke Paula Radcliffe’s 16-year-old women’s marathon world record when she ran two hours, 14 minutes, four seconds at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday (October 13). Kosgei set a blistering pace from the start to shatter the previous record of 2:15:25 which Briton Radcliffe set in London in April 2003. Radcliffe was on hand to witness the fall of her record. Kosgei’s run came little more than 24 hours after fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge became the first man to run 26.2 miles in less than two hours, clocking 1:59:41 in Vienna. Unlike Kipchoge’s performance, however, Kosgei’s mark was…

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The Nigerian government and international oil companies are trying to find a common ground on a dispute over oil revenues. Citing a 2018 Supreme Court decision, the government says it is entitled to $62 billion from companies after they failed to comply with a 1993 law that gives the state a larger share of revenues when oil exceeds $20 a barrel. The companies have questioned this. “We have opened a process of engagement between the parties,” Justice Minister Abubakar Malami said at his Abuja office late Saturday.The government hopes to see whether this will lead to opening up a full-blown…

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The First Lady, Mrs Aisha Buhari has returned to the country, two moths after she left for the United Kingdom, for holiday. She arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 4:30am via a British Airways flight. Speaking to reporters, Mrs. Buhari said she was happy to be home after a well deserved rest. She confirmed that she was fully rejuvenated to continue the work of improving the health and well-being of women, children and other vulnerable Nigerians. She used the opportunity to thank her husband, family and well-wishers for their support and encouragement.

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Vinegar is such an important kitchen ingredient that almost every household has a bottle of it. If you think it is required only to be added while cooking noodles or in salads dressings, you will be surprised to know that vinegar has a number of uses other than this. When added to baking soda it becomes a cleaning agent, when mixed with salt, it acts as a potent disinfectant, and when mixed with sugar and ash, it works as a wonderful metal polish. But it is also a beauty agent and comes handy in a number of different ways. Have…

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34-year-old Kenyan athlete, Eliud Kipchoge, made history on Saturday by becoming the first person to run an unofficial marathon under two hours. Kipchoge completed the 42.2km course in 1:59:40. “I am feeling good,” Kipchoge said minutes after completing the run. “It has taken 65 years for a human to make history in sport. After Roger Bannister, it took another 65years. I’m happy to be the man to run under two hours. No human is limited, and I’m expecting more people to do it after today,” he added.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has issued an order barring all members of the cabinet and heads of government agencies from traveling abroad. The President said in a statement released on Friday that the ministers and government agencies are required to lead the process of budget defence at the National assembly and in order to ensure timely passage of the Appropriation Bill. The 2020 Appropriation Bill tagged, ‘Budget of Sustaining Growth and Job Creation’ was presented by President Muhammadu Buhari on 08 October. Among other things, the 2020 budget proposes an increase in VAT rate from 5 percent to 7.5 percent Shortly…

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The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has sacked the Senator representing Kogi West, in Kogi State, Dino Melaye. The Appeal Court upheld the judgment of the Kogi State National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal. In a unanimous judgement, the three-member panel, led by Justice A. O. Chijioke, ordered INEC to conduct fresh elections within 90 days from today in the senatorial district. In his reaction to the judgement, Melaye via his official twitter handle said, “I just lost my election at the Appeal Court and Fresh election ordered. “In all things I give God the Praise. He who started a…

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Thousands of Iranian women in merry jester hats and face paint blew horns and cheered Thursday at the first FIFA soccer match they were allowed to freely attend in decades. In what many considered a victory in a decades-long fight by women in Iran to attend sporting events, they wrapped themselves in the country’s vibrant red, green and white colors and watched with excitement as Iran thrashed Cambodia 14-0 in a 2022 World Cup qualifier at Tehran’s Azadi, or Freedom, Stadium, although they had to sit well apart from the men. Women have effectively been banned from stadiums when men…

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 A Senegalese government delegation, led by the country’s Minister of Water and Sanitation, His Excellency Serigne Mbaye Thiam, briefed the African Development Bank  on Senegal’s preparations to host the World Water Forum in Dakar in March 2021. Minister Thiam met with the Bank’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human, and Social Development, Jennifer Blanke, and her senior management team on 8 October to discuss the Bank’s participation in the event’s organization and delivery. “The forum is a great opportunity for the Bank to showcase and advance its water and sanitation agenda, and we commend the government of Senegal for the preparatory work they…

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The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed on Thursday said that online news platforms will soon be regulated. The minister made this known during the inauguration of a seven-man committee set up to implement reforms in the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in Abuja. Speaking at the inauguration, he said, “The terms of reference of the committee are as follows; To establish and publish a new regulation for the licensing of web and internet broadcasters/international broadcasters in Nigeria. “To immediately commence work on all statutory, legal and regulatory framework for further legislative action on the review of the NBC act by…

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Former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku has presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to the African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina, describing him and the Bank’s work as “ legendary, unprecedented and worthy of emulation.” The Hallmarks of Labour Foundation presented the Outstanding International Icon Award to Adesina at a ceremony held in Lagos on October 6th. The Hallmarks of Labour Foundation is a non-profit that recognizes Africans who have achieved success through hard work, honesty, integrity, and justice in every field of human endeavour. Previous beneficiaries of the award include Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka. Thanking the foundation for the recognition, Adesina…

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As the Communication Tax Bill passes first reading a the National Assembly, the chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Babatunde Fowler, has said that there is nothing wrong in introducing the tax. The Cable reports that Fowler said this on Monday in Abuja. According to him, “I will put it in this way, Nigerians talk a lot on the phone; they even talk more than is required so for them to have capacity or revenue to talk that much, I don’t see any harm in paying a little bit more to government. We compare ourselves to developing countries…

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After 99 entertaining days, Mercy was announced as the winner by Ebuka Obi Uchendu during the Live Finale show, which held on Sunday, October 6. The 26 year old video vixen defeated fellow housemates, Mike, Frodd, Omashola and Seyi to emerge the winner of the whooping 60 Million grand prize in the just concluded Big Brother Naija season four. In the house, Mercy was popularly referred to as ‘Lamborghini Mercy’, ‘Queen of Highlights’, and leader of the Power Puff girls in the house. She is the first female winner of Big Brother Nigeria and she got into the finale by using her…

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New Zealand-based Israel Adesanya has dethroned the UFC middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker. The Nigerian-born fighter achieved this latest feat in spectacular fashion at UFC 243 in Melbourne, Australia. Adesanya dethroned Robert Whittaker in stunning fashion, knocking him out in the second round to unify the division in front of a UFC-record crowd of 57,127. “I eat it and I give it back two times,” Adesanya said after knocking out Whittaker. “That’s a two-piece right there.” Adesanya has now extended his winning streak to 18 straight wins. The former kickboxing star came into the UFC with 11-0 straight wins. He won the…

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The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, granted bail to the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Mr. Omoyele Sowore. Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu granted bail to Sowore in the sum of N100m with two sureties in like sum. The sureties who must be resident in Abuja must also have landed assets worth the bail sum in Abuja, and they are to deposit the original title documents of the assets with the court. The judge also ordered him to deposit the sum of N50m in the account of the court as security. She granted bail to the second defendant in the sum of…

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In this interview with The News Chronicle (TNC), Thandie Williams, the CEO of The Rainbowme Store talks about her business, motivation, challenges, future plans …and many other issues TNC: First, let me congratulate you for The Rainbowme Store. We all know it is not easy to set up a business and run it successfully. Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and your company: what does it do? Why did you venture into that line of business? How has it been so far? Tell us about the company’s growth trajectory, including the number of employees. TW: Thank…

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