ONE WORD

Lagos—A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, yesterday set aside May 6, for the judgment  of a suit filed by human rights activist and lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN),  against the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC). A choked-up section of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, taken over by trucks. More photos on Page 37. Photos by Joe Akintola, Photo Editor, Kehinde Gbadamosi, Bunmi Azeez, and Akeem Salau. Falana had urged the court to order the removal of all obstructions on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, including deadly trailers and tankers, and to repair it. He is also seeking a declaration that “the parking of tankers and trailers on the overhead bridges in Lagos is illegal and unconstitutional. The lawyer said such acts “constitute a threat to the fundamental right to life of the applicant and other motorists” as guaranteed by Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 4 of the African Charter on Hu...

A passenger plane reportedly had to turn around and go back to a Saudi airport after a mother left her baby at the terminal, Gulf News reports. The Saudi flight from Jeddah was said to be on its way to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, when the woman realised she had left her infant behind and alerted the airline staff. A voice recording of the pilot requesting Air Traffic Control in Arabic for permission to return has gone viral on social media. The translation of the conversation goes: “May God be with us. Can we come back or what?” the pilot is heard asking. One of the surprised controllers can then be heard telling a colleague: “This flight is requesting to come back…a passenger forgot her baby in the waiting area, the poor thing.” He then adds: “OK, head back to the gate. This is totally a new one for us!” The Gulf News reported that the bizarre incident took place over the weekend, implying that the plane was already in the air. However, some reports have suggested that the ...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed March 23 for supplementary election in the six states, where March 9 elections were declared inconclusive. This was contained in a statement signed by the chairman of the commission’s information and voter education committee, Festus Okoye, on Tuesday. The seven states where the polls were not concluded are: Plateau, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Sokoto, Kano and Rivers states. More to follow… Source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/03/inec-fixes-march-23-for-supplementary.html

video grab from footage broadcast by the UK Parliament’s Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) shows Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May speaking to the house after losing the second meaningful vote on the government’s Brexit deal, in the House of Commons in London on March 12, 2019. AFP / PRU British MPs overwhelmingly rejected Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal for a second time on Tuesday, pitching Britain into the unknown just 17 days before it is due to split from the European Union. The House of Commons voted by 391 to 242 to reject the divorce deal, even after May secured further guarantees from Brussels over its most controversial elements. The move risks unleashing economic chaos, as Britain is scheduled to end ties with its biggest trade partner after 46 years on March 29, no matter what. Appealing to MPs in a voice half-breaking due to a cold, May had urged them to avoid the “economic shock” of leaving without an agreement. But she also warned eurosceptics, m...

A beggar, Binta Umar on Tuesday dragged a fellow beggar, Hajara Kano, to a Sharia Court ll sitting at Magajin Gari, Kaduna over alleged assault and stealing. Judicial symbol for justice Umar, said she was in court because Kano stole her charity money given to her by a passer-by. She alleged that when she confronted Kano about the matter, she hit her and threw her into the gutter. The complainant prayed the court to grant her justice and punish Kano for what she did. The defendant however was not in court to answer to the charges. The Judge, Musa Sa’ad- Goma, said that the defendant had disobeyed the court by not appearing which contravened Section 300 of Criminal Penal Code. The Judge ordered the immediate arrest of the defendant and adjourned the case until March 19. Source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/03/how-beggar-drags-co-beggar-to-court.html

Clad in a wedding dress, Sara Baluch mourns while visiting the grave of her fiance, Mohammad Sharifi, on Sunday, March 10 A heartbroken student has worn her wedding dress to mourn at the grave of her fiance, who was allegedly shot dead by a Facebook Marketplace killer shortly before they were due to marry. It was supposed to be the happiest day of Sara Baluch’s life - the day she married Mohammad Sharifi - but instead, the 22-year-old found herself kneeling beside his grave in Nashville, Tennessee. The sorrowful moment was captured by a photographer from Chattanooga's Times Free Press. Fighting against tears, Baluch said: “We were supposed to be together.” “I'm so sorry, Mohammad. I'm so sorry. So sorry. “'I want to be with him. Why do I have to wait?" Sara Baluch, centre, mourns with her father Masoud Baluch, left, and her fiance's father Mohssen Sharifi while visiting the grave of her fiance, Mohammad Sharifi Her 24-year-old fiance was shot ...

A video grab from footage broadcast by the UK Parliament’s Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) shows Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May as she speaks during the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons in London on February 13, 2019. – The British government denied Wednesday it was secretly plotting to bounce MPs into a last-minute choice just days before Brexit between a rejigged deal or a lengthy delay. ITV television reported that it had overheard Prime Minister Theresa May’s chief Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins in a Brussels bar saying the European Union would probably let Britain extend its March 29 departure date. (Photo by – / PRU / AFP) / Britain faces a moment of truth Tuesday when parliament votes on Prime Minister Theresa May’s ill-loved Brexit plan — a day after she said she secured last-minute changes to the deal from the EU. May huddled late Monday with EU leaders in Strasbourg in a bid to salvage the vision of Brexit she set out after comi...

File Photo The controversies trailing non-conclusion of governorship elections in some states will be resolved today at a crucial meeting summoned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Top INEC sources confirmed to LEADERSHIP yesterday that the electoral umpire would meet today to take decisions on the yet-to-be-concluded elections and possibly fix dates for rerun polls, especially in Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Sokoto, Rivers, Plateau and other states where the processes were stalemated. The commission has 21 days to complete elections in areas or states where the processes have been declared inconclusive. The states were among the 29 states in the country where the governorship elections were held on Saturday, March 9 but the final results were either not announced or the leading candidate did not have a convincing margin of votes. In other cases, the number of voided votes and the figure required for a winner to be declared was below the cancelled vot...

Boeing 737 Max 8 Nearly 40 per cent of 371 Boeing 737 Max 800 in operation globally have been grounded as Australia and Singapore joined the growing list of nations banning the use of the troubled aircraft. This is despite assurances by the United States aviation authorities that the plane is safe. Aviation industry publication said China, with 97 Max 800 planes in service, accounts for the bulk of the grounded planes, estimated at 148. There are 371 Boeing 737 Max 800 planes in service. Ethiopian Airlines, which has four other 737 MAX 8 jets, said it was grounding them as a precaution. Gol in Brazil temporarily suspended MAX 8 flights, as did Argentina’s state airline Aerolineas Argentinas and Mexico’s Aeromexico. Singapore Airlines, whose SilkAir brand operates 6 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, said it has temporarily withdrawn its fleet and would re-accommodate affected customers. Other airlines that operate Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to Singapore – China Southern Airlines, G...

[FILE] This undated picture released from North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / KCNA VIA KNS / AFP) / – South Korea OUT / REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT Turnout in nuclear-armed North Korea’s single-candidate elections hit 99.99 percent this year, state media said Tuesday — up from a seemingly unimprovable 99.97 percent the last time they were held. With participation figures that Western democracies would never achieve, millions of North Koreans head to nationwide polls every five years to elect the rubber-stamp legislature known as the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA). But with only one approved name on each voting slip in the isolated country, which is ruled with an iron grip by Kim Jong Un’s Workers’ Party, the result is never in doubt. This year’s turnout fell a tiny fraction short of 100 percent as those “abroad or working in oceans” were unable to take part, the North’s official KCNA news agency reported. “Single-minded unity” is on...

The United States will withdraw all remaining diplomatic personnel from its embassy in Caracas as the crisis in Venezuela deepens, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said late Monday. The move worsens already tattered relations, with President Donald Trump having said he rules out no options including military intervention to oust President Nicolas Maduro as Washington monitors rapidly unfolding events in the oil-rich but crippled South American nation supported by Russia and China. The US has already imposed sanctions designed to choke off Venezuelan oil sales, the lifeblood of the leftist government in Caracas. Much of Venezuela has been without electricity for going on five days now due to a power outage that the government blames on what it calls sabotage encouraged by the US. Venezuela is in the grips of an acute economic crisis that has fueled the rise of opposition leader Juan Guaido, the national assembly speaker who in late January declared himself to be the interim lea...

Coronation Merchant Bank Limited, Africa’s leading financial institution, has released its 2018 Full Year Results to stakeholders in which the Bank posted a Profit Before Tax of N5.3billion. Commenting on the results, Abu Jimoh, Group Managing Director/CEO of Coronation Merchant Bank Limited said that “despite a difficult operating environment, our company stayed the course, recording modest growth across most financial indices. “The growth we recorded in our profitability and capital position is a testament to the strength of our business model and the commitment of our people. “When we look at where we stand today, our company is stronger, simpler, and better positioned to deliver long-term value to our stakeholders, thanks to the straightforward way in which we serve our customers and clients. “As a platform for improving lives, our aim is to assist our customers to identify growth opportunities, harness these opportunities and in the process, enable businesses thrive, ec...

Onu Chukwuma arrested for overstaying A 32-year-old Nigerian man was, today, sent back to Thailand for overstaying his visa in Cambodia. Onu Chukwuma Christian was arrested on February 18, 2019. He was eventually deported through the Poipet international border crossing, back to Thailand. Source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/03/nigerian-man-deported-from-cambodia-to.html

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, is undoubtedly Nigeria’s most stylish king. The 51 year old king shuttles between Nigerian and Canada. He’s married to a Jamaican beauty, Chanel Chin. Oba Rasheed is not letting his Royal status stop him from showing off his youthful swag. In a post on Instagram recently, he bragged about his swag, saying when the world moves, you move with it. He also said he got the right dose of swag Here is the Emperor’s caption for the photo above:- How can you lead a generation of this era when you are stuck to the past? When the world moves…. you move with it, The confidence of an Emperor #firstcanadianking #Teluoftheuniverse…… most of our youths thinks kings don’t have a life and can’t swag down !! Guess what guys ….. you got it all wrong EmperorTelu1 got the right dose of swags for ya #dontgetittwisted #notconservativelyremoted The Oluwo of Iwo land is considered one of Nigeria’s richest Monarchs. However, In August this...

Authorities have made the largest cocaine seizure in New York after they found  3,200 pounds of cocaine in a shipping container that arrived at the Port of New York and New Jersey on Feb. 28. On the crates, it was written dried fruit from Colombia but inside the crates, they were tens of millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine. The cargo ship had arrived in Newark from Buena Ventura, Colombia, and its next stop was Antwerp, Belgium. According to the authorities, the drugs had an estimated street value of $77 million. source:https://samueljackson12.blogspot.com/2019/03/authorities-make-largest-cocaine.html

Whoever came up with the wise saying that Nigerian politics is dirty deserves an award for perspicacity. I have just returned from that dirtied, muddled up, confused, uncertain, the unpredictable zone of Nigerian life and society with truck-loads of stories in my head and enough impressions in my mind to last me another lifetime. As you may be aware, I was Deputy Governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded 2019 general elections in Ogun State. It was quite an experience. Before now, I had followed President Goodluck Jonathan to every nook and cranny of Nigeria during the 2015 Presidential campaign. I also served previously as a member of the Governing Council of Olabisi Onabanjo University (2003- 2007), member of the Board of Lagos State Security Trust Fund (2007 – 2011), and Official Presidential Spokesperson (2011 -2015). But I can tell you that the major lesson I have learnt in the last few months is that there is a serious difference betw...

The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 11, Mr. Leye Oyebade and the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Mr. Shina Olukolu, on Monday disclosed that one person has been arrested in connection with the killing of a member representing Akinyele/Lagelu in the House of Representatives, Hon. Temitope ‘Sugar’ Olatoye. The duo while addressing journalists, however, disclosed that Olatoye’s killing was not in connection with the Saturday’s gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections. They insisted that about 18 persons were arrested in connection with various criminal activities while, six guns, nine live cartridges, axe and knives were recovered from the suspects. The duo, who revealed that the police got enough facts and evidences that led to the arrest of the suspected killer of the lawmaker, said that the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) had been carrying out investigations on the matter. Oyebade said, “We have got a s...

By Obadiah Maliafia I AM writing this piece from Rabat, having been invited on the conference circuit in the beautiful Moroccan capital. I missed the governorship and state assembly elections on Saturday. Friday, March 9 was International Women’s Day, an event that was celebrated here with solemnity. Morocco is a Muslim country, but also a progressive one. Women here have made considerable progress, unlike in Nigeria. During the Obasanjo era women did enjoy some prominence in government. To a lesser extent, they played important roles in the Goodluck Jonathan administration. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, enjoyed the status of de facto prime minister. Another powerful woman was Diezani Allison Madueke. She was virtually a rival for influence with First Lady Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan. Ever since, women have fared worse. After the February elections, several female colleagues phoned me with tearful lamentations. One had ...

MEST Five promising start-ups from across Africa, have been chosen as regional winners in MEST Africa’s yearly, Pan-African Pitch Competition.    The winners move a step closer to winning $50,000 in equity investment, a place in the MEST Africa incubator of their choice and global mentorship to help their company scale. Winners will pitch on a global stage in the finals at the fourth MEST Africa Summit, to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, June 10-12. Out of nearly 1000 applicants from across the continent, 10 finalists were chosen to pitch at the regional finals in Accra, Lagos, Nairobi, Cape Town and Abidjan, held February 27-28th. Winners from each region included, Nigeria – AMPZ.TV, the ‘LinkedIn for Sports’ that is developing the next generation of Etos, Drogbas and Aubameyangs through technology; Ghana – OZÉ, a data insights company that helps businesses make data-driven financial decisions and achieve growth to improve performance; South Africa – Snode Technologies, a platfo...

The number of United Nations, UN, officials killed in the Ethiopian Airlines’ plane that crashed on Sunday has risen to 21 from the initial 19 reported by the global intergovernmental organisation. The UN headquarters, in an update on Monday, said the World Food Programme (WFP) lost seven officials as against the six reported on Sunday, while the Office of the High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) lost three officials, as against the two earlier reported. The International Telecommunications Union lost two officials in the ill-fated Ethiopian airplane, which crashed shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa, killing the 157 people on board. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in South Sudan, World Bank and UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) each lost one staff member. Six members of staff from the UN Office in Nairobi (UNON) also died. Amb. Abiodun Bashua, a retired Nigerian career diplomat, who was until his deat...

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) had for the past six weeks, put the application documents for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME/Direct Entry) on sale.The sale of the UTME and DE application documents commenced on Thursday, January 10th, 2019 and ended on Thursday, February 21st, 2019. The number of candidates that registered for the 2019 UTME increased due to the fee slashed by the Federal Government from N5, 000 to N3, 500. Many candidates who were interviewed disclosed that they were encouraged to register when they discovered that they could afford the new fee. The UTME is for candidates seeking admission into universities, polytechnics/monotechnics, innovative enterprise institutions and colleges of education. Direct Entry (DE) application is for direct admission to second year for first degree programmes. It is mandatory for all candidates to take the UTME to be eligible for admissions while the DE candidates would have had an advanced...