FC Barcelona have exercised their option to complete the permanent signing of red-hot striker Nigerian striker Asisat Oshoala.
The Catalans signed her from China’s Dalian Quanjian for a two-year deal.
Oshoala has been in great form since joining the female team of the Barcelona club.
She scored the only goal in a 4-1 defeat to Lyon Ladies in the 2019 Champion League finals three weeks ago.
What looks like a major crack in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators’ fold emerged on Friday with the public declaration of support for Senator Ahmad Lawan’s Senate Presidency aspiration by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi.
Senator Nwaoboshi, a former Chairman of PDP in Delta State, represents Delta North Senatorial District in the upper chamber.
He threw his support for Lawan to emerge President of the Ninth Senate at a crowded press briefing in Abuja.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, who is a known backer of Lawan’s aspiration, was at hand to receive Nwaoboshi.
The obviously elated Enang “thanked” Nwaoboshi profusely for his “support” for Lawan Senate Presidential project.
Only last month, a PDP Senator elect, Abba Moro, who represents Senator David Mark’s Benue South Senatorial District, also came out to declare support for Lawan’s Senate Presidency aspiration.
To show his support was for real, Moro did not only declare his support for Lawan, he is also a member of Lawan’s campaign organisation.
Moro said that he was there because he believed in the capacity of Lawan to lead the Ninth Senate.
Nwaoboshi is a known ally and staunch supporter of Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
Saraki has not openly declared support for any of the front line contenders for the Senate President of the Ninth Senate.
The implication of Nwaoboshi’s open declaration of support for Lawan is that PDP Senators may not go for block vote during the election of the presiding officers of the Ninth Senate as being taunted in some quarters.
It may also mean that PDP Senators are in disarray especially as more in their fold are said to be warming up to declare support for Lawan ahead of the inauguration of the Ninth Senate this month.
Nwaoboshi noted the leadership of PDP will not direct its elected senators to vote for any particular candidate for the position of the Ninth Senate President.
The Delta North Senator whose victory was revalidated by an Appeal Court judgement on Thursday, said the best the PDP leadership would do was to give the elected members of the incoming Ninth Senate, the direction to follow.
He insisted that the party would not necessarily impose a candidate on its elected members of the National Assembly.
Nwaoboshi said” “The PDP has not taken a decision as a political party as far as the presiding officers of the Ninth Senate is concerned. Our party has not also told us the candidate we should vote for.
“I know the PDP leaders will not say this is the candidate they want. They would only give us a guideline.
“I also have a right as the representative of my people to determine what is good for the Anioma people.
“I am a loyal PDP man. I have not left the PDP and it is not part of my agenda to do.
“However, regarding the leadership of the Ninth Senate, I know my people would be happy with my choice of Lawan.
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As part of the efforts to tackle tobacco-induced cancer, companies and individuals involved in tobacco business in the country have been directed to apply for license.
Such applications are to be sent to the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Tobacco Control Committee (NATOCC).
The Federal Government is also tinkering with the idea of imposing a 50per cent tax on tobacco products.
The moves stem from an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) directive on harmonisation of excise duties which prescribes ad valorem duty rate of at least 50% in addition to a specific tax rate of at least 0.02 US dollar (N7.00) per stick of cigarette, cigar and cigarillos with 20 US dollar (N7,200.00) per net kilogram for all other tobacco products.
Currently, the country tax regime is twenty per cent valorem duty rate in addition to a specific excise tax of N20 per pack of 20 sticks of cigarettes.
Announcing this on Friday, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mr. Abdulaziz Mashi Abdullahi said: “Henceforth, each tobacco business shall apply for license to the FMoH through the National Tobacco Control Committee (NATOCC).
“Tobacco Company that manufactures tobacco products for sale in Nigeria shall print pictorial graphic health warning messages on the packages of their tobacco products as prescribed in the National Tobacco Control Regulations.
“The pictorial graphic health warning shall take effect 18 months from the date of official gazette of the Regulations and this will replace the outdated text warning which says considering the role of weighty tobacco excise tax in demand-reduction, the Ministry is canvassing with the Fiscal Authorities to raise the excise beyond the current rate so that Nigeria can be at per with ECOWAS directive.”
Abdullahi told reporters on the occasion of this year’s World No Tobacco and lung Health that there is a high burden of tobacco in the country with over 20 billion stocks of cigarettes consumed annually and over 16,000 deaths as a result of tobacco related ailment.
He added: “In Nigeria, findings from the 2012 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) show very high burden of tobacco in the country with over 20 billion sticks of cigarettes consumed annually.
“The Nigerian GATS found 4.5 million (5.6%) adults to be current users of tobacco products. Also, the rate of exposure to second-hand smoke in public places is very high at 82% in bars and nightclubs, 36.3% in coffee shops and 29.3% in restaurants. Among our school children age 13 – 15 years, 15.4% are current tobacco users based on the Nigeria Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) that was conducted in 2008 at sub-national level.”
Port Harcourt- A Senior Magistrates’ Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Friday, discharged and acquitted a clergy, George Brown and a housewife, Mrs Tina Tekebe, who had been standing trial for stealing a baby.
Magistrate Helen Hardy held that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond the reasonable doubt.
”Based on the evidence before the court, the prosecution has failed to prove the charge of conspiracy and theft of a one-day baby against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt, the defendants are hereby discharged and acquitted of the charge”, she held.
The police alleged that the one-day old baby, was sold to Tekebe for N150, 000 soon after she was delivered.
The clergy was alleged to have arranged for Grace Sunday to be delivered of her baby and sold to Tekebe.
The alleged offence was committed in December 2011, at Rumuolumeni community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers.
During trial, the prosecution witness (PW1), told the court that she attended the pastor’s church programme where he promised to conduct a spiritual exercise for her to avert giving birth to a doll.
According to her, when labour started in the church, the pastor sent one of his members to call one nurse, Miss Blessing Ogbuiwe (Traditional Birth Attendant) to take the expectant woman to her house.
She said that she was given five injections to “enable her push the baby”
The woman (grace) said she was delivered of the baby while she went out of the TBA’s room to ease herself.
Grace said she delivered a baby girl while the TBA collected the child who kept on crying.
She said that she was surprised when the nurse told her husband Mr Sunday Uboh in the morning that she gave birth to doll, which was robbed with blood.
She said that Tekebe disappeared with her child.
The court was earlier told that the nurse admitted selling the child to the first accused person for N150,000
Justice Danlami Senchi of the FCT High Court, Jabi on Friday dismissed a suit, accusing Justice Tanko Mohammed, the acting Chief Judge of Nigeria (CJN), of age falsification for lack of ‘’Locus Standi’’.
Senchi held that the suit filed by Tochi Michael, a 46-year-old man sometimes in April, ought to have been filed before the court by way of writ of summons and not originating summon.
The Judge also held that there was no evidence before the court to prove Michael’s case that Justice Mohammed reduced his age from Dec. 31, 1950 to Dec. 31, 1953 as claimed by the plaintiff.
Justice Senchi also held that the claimant did not specify in the originating summons the special interest he has in the suit adding that the claimant has no ‘locus standi’ to institute such action.
“There is nowhere in the document before the court where the claimant has been injured by the defendant, the claimant also did not disclose further much information about himself.
“Where a suit was not commenced with due process of the law, it was quite clear that this suit was commenced by way of originating summon instead of writ; the claimant has failed to show to the court necessary document to show that the defendant falsified his age
“I hereby declared that the date of birth of the defendant is Dec. 31, 1953 and not Dec. 31, 1950; this suit is hereby dismissed in entirety,’’ Senchi held.
According to the Judge, the attitude of the claimant counsel, Mr Melkizadeck Zaro is nothing but to scandalized, malign and destroy the person of the CJN and the entire judiciary.
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The trial of former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, was stalled at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday due to his absence.
His lawyer B. F. Ajudua said he was “indisposed”.
He, however, did not state openly what was ailing the former minister.
“We apologise for the absence of the second defendant. A letter to that effect was filed,” he said.
Fani-Kayode, Director of Publicity of the Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation in 2015, is on trial with former minister of state for finance Mrs Nenadi Usman for alleged money laundering.
They were charged with former Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) Chairman and ex-Chairman of Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Mr. Yusuf Danjuma, and a company, Jointrust Dimensions Nigeria Limited.
The four were accused of violating the Money Laundering Act by indirectly retaining N300million, N400million and N800million, all proceeds of corruption, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The prosecution said they allegedly committed the offence, to which they pleaded not guilty, between January 8 and March 25, 2015 ahead of the 2015 general elections.
At the trial on May 14, Fani-Kayode’s counsel had opposed the prosecution’s bid to tender an extra-judicial statement he made.
Usman and Yusuf had also disowned their statements, contending that they made them under duress.
The defence counsel, Messrs Ferdinand Orbih (SAN), Norrison Quakers (SAN) and Clement Onwuenwuenor, urged the judge to order a trial-within-trial to test the voluntariness of the statements.
But the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, maintained that the defendants made the statements voluntarily, adding that there was no need for a trial-within-trial.
Justice Rilwan Aikawa had adjourned till yesterday for ruling on the statements’ admissibility, but Fani-Kayode’s absence stalled it.
The judge adjourned until June 24 for ruling and possible trial-within-trial.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Thursday arrested a Danfo driver driving through one-way on Eko bridge in Lagos
Two weeks after listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), MTN Nigeria Communications Plc on Friday announced a revenue of N1.04 trillion for the financial year ended December 31, 2018.
The revenue is higher when compared with the N887 billion achieved in the comparative period of 2017.
A breakdown of the revenue showed that airtime and subscription remained its cash cow, generating N676.36 billion, up from the restated N556.58 billion in 2017.
Data revenue stood at N165.17 billion, up from N116.79 billion in 2017 ; short message service (SMS) revenue rose to N14.27 billion in 2018 from N12.62 billion.
Interconnect and roaming revenue inched to N107.18 billion from N103.57 billion in 2017; digital revenue stood at N40.71 billion, down from N69.41billion.
Value added services rose to N30.54 billion, compared with N24.015 billion, while other revenue came to N4.66 billion from N3.55 billion in 2017.
The posted profit after of tax of N145.69 billion against N81. 07 billion recorded in 2017, an increase of 79.95 per cent.
Profit before tax increased by N113.45 billion or 105.15 per cent to N221.34 billion from N107.89 billion in 2017.
Its tax expenses rose to N75.66 billion from N26.82 billion, representing 182.09 per cent growth within the period.
Direct network operating cost stood at N305.52 billion from N268.34 billion achieved in the previous year, while value-added services gulped N16.64 billion, down from N28.23 billion in 2017.
NAN reports that MTN Nigeria on May 16 listed a total of 20.35 billion shares at N90 per share on the exchange.
The Akwa Ibom North West Petition Tribunal sitting in Uyo has concluded its pre-hearing session on petitions filed by Senator Godswill Akpabio seeking to invalidate Engr. Christopher Ekpenyong as legitimate winner of the February 23 senatorial elections.
The session, which afforded the tribunal opportunity to meet the parties with a view of setting up modalities to be adopted in the actual hearing of substantive issues in dispute, ended on Friday as trial is set to commence on June 10, 2019, the adjourned date.
Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Robert Egwono Emukpoeruo SAN, submitted to the tribunal Schedules of Electoral Forms and INEC Adhoc Staff
The tribunal was adjourned till May 31 for submission of Schedules of Electoral Forms and INEC Adhoc Staff Reports for Essien Udim, Ini, Abak and Obot Akara Local Government Areas.
On resumption of hearing, Barr. Emukpoeru who represented INEC, sought the tribunal’s consent to tender
1. Schedule of electoral forms and INEC adhoc staff reports for Essien Udim, Ini, Abak, and Obot Akara LGAs.
2. Certified true copies of Form EC40G for Midim 2, Abak LGA.
3.Certified true copies of Form EC40G(1) of INEC adhoc Staff reports for Abak, Etim Ekpo, Ika.
4. Certified true copies of documents for collation at LGA level for Essien Udim.
5. INEC EC8A (1), Polling unit results for four wards (1, 2, 8 and 9) in Essien Udim.
6. Certified true copies of form EC8C (1) for Essien Udim LGA.
7. Certified true copies of form EC8D (1) for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.
8. Certification of compliance with section 84 of the evidence act with a smart card reader report and accreditation from polling units.
9. Regulations of guidelines for conduct of the election.
10. Schedule of polling units for ward 10 in Ini LGA as captured in EC40G.
11. Schedule for forms EC8A(1), EC8B(1), EC8C(1) in Obot Akara LGA.
12. Evidence of Certified true copies of forms EC8A(1), EC8B(1), EC8C(1) in Obot Akara LGA.
The tribunal granted consent and admitted the evidences as exhibits R216, R218, R219, R221, R222-R250, R251, R232, R253 and R253A, R254, R255, R339-348, R349.
INEC adhoc Staff Reports for Abak, Ini, Essien Udim and Obot Akara LGAs were admitted and marked as exhibits R220A, R220B, R220C and R220D.
The tribunal chairman, Justice W. O. Akanbi granted consent to INEC and admitted the evidences as exhibits.
He also announced that the pre-hearing report would be presented on the adjourned date.
The tribunal adjourned to Monday, June 10, 2019 for commencement of the trial proper.
The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) on Friday presented certificates of return to 24 members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly following last week’s verdict of the Supreme Court.
The apex court had nullified all APC votes at the 2019 general elections in Zamfara state and ruled that the party had no candidates,leaving candidates who scored the second highest number of votes to emerge as winners of the polls.
Of the 24 lawmakers who received the certificates, 23 were from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one came under the platform of the National Rescue Movement (NRM).
The certificates were issued to the lawmakers by the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr Asma’u Maikudi.
The names of the lawmakers who received certificate and their constituencies were as follows:
Kaura Namoda North, Zaharadeen M Sada, PDP
Kaura Namoda South, Ana’s Sarkin Fada, PDP
Birnin Magaji, Nura Dahiru, PDP
Zurmi East, Salisu Usman, PDP
Zurmi West, Nasiru Mu’azu, PDP
Shinkafi, Muhammad G Ahmad, PDP
Tsafe East, Musa Bawa Musa, PDP
Tsafe West, Aliyu Na-Maigora, PDP
Gusau 1, Ibrahim Naida, PDP
Gusau 2, Shafi’u Dama, PDP
Bungudu East, Kabiru Magaji, PDP
Bungudu West, Nasiru Bello Lawal, PDP
Maru North, Yusuf Alhassan Muhammad, PDP
Maru South, Kabiru Hashimu, NRM
Anka, Yusuf Muhammad, PDP
Talata Mafara North, Shamsudeen Hassan, PDP
Talata Mafara South, Aminu Yusuf Jangebe, PDP
Bakura, Tukur Jekada Birnin Tudu, PDP
Maradun I, Faruk Musa Dosara, PDP
Maradun II, Nasiru Atiku, PDP
Gummi I, AbdulNasir Ibrahim, PDP
Gummi II, Mansur Mohammed, PDP
Bukkuyum North, Ibrahim Mohammed Na’Idda, PDP
Bukkuyum South, Sani Dahiru,
Gov. Bello Matawallen-Maradun described the occasion as a welcome development.
Matawallen-Maradun represented by his deputy, Alhaji Mahadi Aliyu-Gusau, congratulated the lawmakers for the victory which he described as a ‘victory for democracy’ in Nigeria.
He urged the lawmakers to provide legislation that would provide solutions to various challenges of the state.
He appealed to people of the state to support the new government with prayers to succeed in the task ahead to rescue the state from insecurity, kidnappings among other ills.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC for the state, Maikudi represented by the Secretary of the Commission, Hassan Sidi, urged the lawmakers to carry out people oriented legislations that would enhance the provision of dividends of democracy to the people of the state and attainment of democratic advancement in the country.
He thanked all stakeholders who contributed to the success of the 2019 general elections in the state.
Responding on behalf of the lawmakers, Muhammad G-Ahmad from Shinkafi constituency (PDP) commended the Nigerian Judiciary for allowing justice to reign in the country.
G-Ahmed also thanked INEC for conducting free, fair and credible elections in the state.
He assured the people of the support and cooperation of the 9th assembly’s determination and commitment to move the state forward.