Global Naija Info

Ayodele Zubair Jamiu Yisa Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday confirmed Ayodele Zubair as the Chairman, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS). The State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode had sent Zubair’s name to the House for approval as the new LIRS boss. Born in 1960, Zubair is an accountant whose grandfather and father were professional accountants. He is a graduate of Accounting from Manchester Polytechnic, worked for five years at Pricewater before he later became one of the directors at his father’s firm, Hamzat Zubair Folami & Co. He is a fellow of some professional bodies in the country among which are Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAN) and Institute of Taxation. The new LIRS boss also told the lawmakers before his confirmation that he had worked as one of the pioneer directors at the state Lottery Board. He promised to bring a new lease of transformations to raise tax collection in the state, saying through computerization and collaboration better res

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State Kazeem Ugbodaga Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode On Thursday said the state government has concluded plans to send over three million adult residents who are not literate to literacy schools in order to accelerate its plans of making the state Africa’s modern mega city. The governor said this at the official global launch of a new literacy programme tagged:‘Lagos is Learning (Èkó ńkẹ kòó)’ held at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria organized by the Agency for Mass Education in the office of Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Education. According to him, UNESCO statistic showed that 54 million people were illiterate in Nigeria, adding that the number is larger than the entire population of Southern Africa. The governor said the move to launch the scheme was in line with his administration’s commitment to combat the illiteracy level in the State, adding that the target was to raise the literacy level in the Sta

Bob Dylan For more than six decades he has remained a mythical force in music, his gravelly voice and poetic lyrics musing over war, heartbreak, betrayal, death and moral faithlessness in songs that brought beauty to life’s greatest tragedies. But Bob Dylan’s place as one of the world’s greatest artistic figures was elevated further on Thursday when he was named the surprise winner of the Nobel prize for literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”. After the announcement, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, Sara Danius, said she hoped the Academy would not be criticised for its choice and said it had “not been a difficult decision”. “We hoped the news would be received with joy, but you never know,” she said, comparing the songs of the American songwriter to the works of Homer and Sappho. She added: “We’re really giving it to Bob Dylan as a great poet – that’s the reason we awarded him the prize. He’s a great poet in

eye test Dr Sewuese Bitto, Head, Department of Ophthalmology, Garki Hospital, Abuja, has warned against the use of harmful substances such as onion fluid, breast milk, urine and battery water in treating eye infection. Bitto, who gave the warning on Thursday in Abuja said such practices were dangerous and harmful to the eyes. The HOD, who was speaking on the sidelines of the celebration of `World Sight Day’, a day set aside annually to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. Bitto, a Consultant Ophthalmologist, urged those with eye infection to seek professional medical assistance in treating infections. “People need to also stop the use of traditional harmful practices like use of breast milk, urine, onion fluid, battery water, saying these could be dangerous to the eyes. “Although some of these practices were handed over to us from past generations, they are wrong. “Please, take this information to your families, neighbors and friends; everybody needs to s

Representative of Lagos State Governor & Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare (middle), cutting the tape to commission the Water Hyacinth Removal Machines at the Ebute Ero Jetty, Lagos Island, on Thursday, October 13, 2016. With him are Managing Director, Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Engr. Abisola Kamson (2nd right); Chairman/C.E.O, Lagos Ferry Services, Hon. Paul Kalejaiye (right); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Mr. Nurudeen Salami (2nd left) and his counterpart in Ministry of the Environment, Engr. Adeyemi Abidemi. Kazeem Ugbodaga The Lagos State Government has procured two modern equipment to tackle the menace of water hyacinth from the state’s waterways. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode unveiled the two Water Hyacinth Removal Machines on Thursday at the Ebute Ero Jetty, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. The machines were procured by the governor for the Lagos State Waterways Authority, LASWA, to remove water hyacinth

magistrate-court Two men Chukwudi Williams and Bayo Akinjide charged with forging a magistrates’ court’s affidavit and police report, were on Thursday brought before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos. Both Williams, 49, and Akinjide, 46, whose addresses were not stated, are standing trial on a three-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and impersonation. Police Prosecutor Roman Unuigbe told the court that the duo with others still at large committed the offences on Sep. 29 at Mangoro/Cement Bus Stop on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway. He said the accused forged a magistrate’s notary public affidavit and police report of the Ikeja Magistrates’ Court registry and Ikeja Police Station. He said they forged the documents to impersonate a man, Mr Umoru Godwin and retrieve his Glo phone no. 08058579191. The offences contravened Sections 363 (1), 378 (1) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The duo, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Magistrate, Mr P.A. Ojo,

Bob Dylan For more than six decades he has remained a mythical force in music, his gravelly voice and poetic lyrics musing over war, heartbreak, betrayal, death and moral faithlessness in songs that brought beauty to life’s greatest tragedies. But Bob Dylan’s place as one of the world’s greatest artistic figures was elevated further on Thursday when he was named the surprise winner of the Nobel prize for literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”. After the announcement, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, Sara Danius, said she hoped the Academy would not be criticised for its choice and said it had “not been a difficult decision”. “We hoped the news would be received with joy, but you never know,” she said, comparing the songs of the American songwriter to the works of Homer and Sappho. She added: “We’re really giving it to Bob Dylan as a great poet – that’s the reason we awarded him the prize. He’s a great poet in

The Senate on Thursday approved the allocation of three percent of Value Added Tax (VAT) accruable to the Federal Government in the next 10 years to the rebuilding of the North-East. This was sequel to the adoption of the recommendation of the Ad hoc Committee on North-East Development Commission Bill, which also proposed that the commission be domiciled in Borno. It would be recalled that in June when the Bill came for third reading, the two issues of allocation and headquarters of the commission stalled its consideration. The Committee on Special Duties had proposed that the commission’s headquarters be located in Abuja but Sen. Ali Wakil insisted that it should be sited in Bauchi. Other senators from North-East states of Gombe and Borno, who also deferred, insisted that the commission headquarters be located in their own states. Another contentious issue which the senators kicked against then was the proposal that 15 percent of federal allocation to every state of the region b

Kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls The Bring Back our Girls (BBOG) group has commended the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Military in securing the release of 21 abducted Chibok girls. Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, the Convener of BBOG, on Thursday expressed the group’s gratitude on her Twitter handle from London. Ezekwesili said the group was using this development as a point of contact for the remaining 197 girls. “With tears of unspeakable joy at the release of 21 of our Chibok girls, we cry out and use them as point of contact for the rest of 197. “We, BBOG, are thanking our soldiers in the front line of battle. You have given and keep giving us so much hope and sacrifices; we wait for the Federal Government for release of the remaining girls,’’ she said. On his part, the BBOG Spokesman, Mr Abubakar Abdullahi, also commended the efforts of government and security agencies for the release of the girls. “We welcome the development; we are delighted on the release of t

Senator Bukola Saraki, Senate President The validity period of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result has been stretched to three years as against the current one year validity. The extension was done by the Nigerian Senate after to the amendment of the Act establishing the examination body, Joint Admission and Matriculation Examination, JAMB scaled through third reading today, October 13. The Senate adopted the recommendation that the UTME result should have a validity period of three years in order to cut down the financial burden on parents. Consequent upon the recent change, results obtained from the board by candidates seeking admission into Nigerian institutions of higher learning are expected to remain valid for admission for three years. Still on the issue of admission into tertiary institutions, the Senate also reached a resolution that the examination fees be reviewed downwards to N2,500 while the change of course and institutions as well as any oth

court-of-law An FCT High Court on Thursday adjourned the Police Pension fund scam till Nov. 29 and Nov. 30. Esar Dangabar, Atiku Kigo, Ahmed Wada, Veronica Onyegbula, Sani Zira, Uzoma Attang and Christian Madubuke, are standing trial for complicity in the over N24 billion scam in the police pension office. The judge, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, adjourned the case after admitting letters and documents tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) . The EFCC Prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had through his witness, Mustapha Gadanya, who began his testimony on Wednesday, tendered the documents. Dangabar’s Counsel Lateef Fagbemi did not oppose the tendering of the documents Gadanya, an EFCC witness, said that N1.09 billion was discovered in the bank account of Esar Dangabar, a former Director of Police Pension fund. He told the court that Dangabar had on Sept.2, 2009 deposited seven million naira into a particular bank account, adding that the defendant had m

eye-screening No fewer than 300 drivers in Ilorin, Kwara, benefited from free eye screening organised by the Nigerian Optometric Association(NOA) in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). Mr John Meheux, the North Central Zonal Commanding Officer of the FRSC, who spoke on Thursday, said the exercise was part of activities to mark the World Sight Day. Meheux noted that good vision was a prerequisite to safe driving and urged drivers to embark on regular eye check. The zonal commander said that there had been fewer crashes in the state in recent times. Mr Sunday Maku, the State Sector Commander, who also spoke, said that good eye sight and visual perception were fundamental toward achieving safe driving. He commended the NOA for deeming it necessary to collaborate with the FRSC and transport unions to mark the World Sight Day. “Visual impairment hampers the ability of motorists to see clearly and this affects driving activities while on motion. “This risk is h

Some of the released Chibok schoolgirls running with security operatives The federal government has assembled a team of medical doctors, psychologists, social workers and trauma experts to examine the 21 released Chibok schoolgirls. The schoolgirls were released Thursday morning following a negotiation between the Federal Government and Boko Haram brokered by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Swiss Government. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed disclosed this afternoon that the team was assembled to properly examine the girls because they have been in captivity for so long. The minister disclosed that upon release, the schoolgirls were flown to Kaduna from the location of their release. ”We expect the released girls to land in Abuja shortly. Ahead of their arrival, we have assembled a team of medical doctors, psychologists, social workers, trauma experts, etc to properly examine the girls, especially because they have been in c

Displaced women The Federal Government has concluded plans to offer skills training to 1,000 women displaced by conflicts in the country, Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Alhassan, has said. Alhassan made the disclosure at the opening of the 16th regular meeting of the National Council of Women, holding in Kaduna. She said the National Centre for Women Development had since outlined modules for the training, which would hold between now and December. Alhassan said that at the end of the training, the beneficiaries would be provided with starter pack “to ensure that the skills learnt are translated into income generating activities for poverty reduction.” The minister also said that the government had rolled out the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, and National Women Empowerment Fund to enhance inclusive empowerment for vulnerable groups. “The two programmes are microfinance schemes where loans of between N10,000 to N100,000 are given to interested Nigeria

millitants The Nigerian Army has reiterated its resolve to flush out militants from the creeks of Bakassi and Akpabuyo local government areas of Cross River. The Commander of 13 Brigade Nigerian Army, Calabar,Brig.-Gen. Bulama Biu, said this on Thursday. Biu said that the army had re-strategized on its operation with a view to curtailing all the activities of the militants in the creeks. He said that the Army was aware of some criminal activities in the creeks, especially the `Bakassi Strike Force’ and other militants groups disturbing the peace of residents in the area. “There are no rooms for criminals; whether they call themselves militants or whatever structure or organisation they belong to, once you are a criminal, we will flush you out. “We have been following and smoking them out; but for now, the creeks are safe and I must also say that it can be unpredictable. “On Sept. 30, my soldiers repelled an attack in Bakassi by killing seven armed militants that were led by th

Some of the released Chibok schoolgirls running with security operatives The Cable News Network (CNN) has released an “exclusive photograph” of some of the released 21 Chibok schoolgirls. The photograph shows the girls wearing full hijab with slippers and running with security operatives sent to retrieve them. The girls were also carrying their belongings. The girls were first taken to Maiduguri to meet the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima before they were flown to Abuja.

Kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls Some residents of Yola, Adamawa, have expressed delight at the release of 21 Chibok girls by their abductors. The residents said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the development would boost government efforts to secure the release of the rest of the schoolgirls. The state Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Malam Ahmad Sajoh, lauded the development and called for more action to secure the release of the remaining Chibok girls and others abducted by the insurgents. “I also want to advise on the need for more synergy among the security agencies. “We are waiting for a more detailed report on the development to know the true position of things,” Sajoh said. Hanatu Adamu, a market woman, who described the development as “exciting”, said she was happy for the girls’ parents and the people of Chibok. “It is a sign that things will be better. May Almighty God help us to secure the release of the rest of the abducted girls,”

President Muhammadu Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for Berlin, Germany, on an official visit from Oct. 13 to 15. The president, before his departure, was briefed on the release of the 21 abducted Chibok schoolgirls by the Director-General, Department of Security Services (DSS), Alhaji Lawal Daura. The president, while expressing delight on the development, assured that negotiation would continue until the remaining girls and other Nigerians abducted by the insurgents were released. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while in Berlin, Buhari would confer with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany on issues of interests between the two nations. A statement earlier issued by Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the president would discuss issues of further security cooperation with Merkel. The president, Adesina said, would also discuss issues on the humanitarian sit

The gavel of justice “The accused is guilty as charged, and sentenced to 100 hours of community service,” said Magistrate Tolu Idowu to punish a pickpocket, who admitted guilt before her. Chogozie Ozokwere, 28, had appeared on a count charge of stealing before Idowu of the Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos. The prosecutor, Insp. Chinalu Uwadione said that Ozokwere picked four handsets from pockets of pedestrians at Oyingbo Bus Stop in Ebute Meta, on Oct. 13 at about 9:30a.m. He submitted that the handsets worth N20,000. “The accused had been lynched and beaten to a pulp when he was caught before being handed over to the police and brought before the court,” Uwadione said. He noted that pickpocketing contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section states that any person who steals any property is guilty of a felony, and liable if no other punishment is provided, to imprisonment for three year

Some members of the Oyo State House of Assembly on Thursday described as sad the death of a high chief in Saki, Busari Adeleke, who died on Oct. 5. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lawmakers spoke when they paid a condolence visit to the people of the community. The Deputy Speaker of the assembly, Mr. Musah Abdulwasi, who is also the member representing Saki in the house, led the delegation. Adeleke, who died at the age of 75 was the Bakoja, the third in line in the monarchical hierarchy in Saki. Most of the legislators described the death as an irreparable loss to the people of Saki and Oyo State in general. His death, they said, had created a vacuum that would be difficult to fill. The deputy speaker, who spoke on behalf of other lawmakers, expressed sadness over the development and prayed to God to grant the deceased a peaceful rest. He also prayed God to grant his immediate family and the people of the community the fortitude to bear the loss. “Even though

Muson Mr Emeka Nwokedi, Choir Director for the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON), on Thursday said that Nigeria’s indigenous music had in the last 10 years won 15 international awards. Nwokedi said this in Lagos that the performances of Nigeria’s indigenous music in China, Germany, U.S., Russia, Austria and other countries had won gold and silver medals for the country. “Nigeria is today well known through the performances of the MUSON Diploma Choir and the Lagos City Chorale in some major cities across the world. “We have in the last 10 years won gold and silver medals for our beloved country, Nigeria, through our performances in these great cities. “We have won laurels for Nigeria from our performances in International Cultural Festivals, Choir Olympics, Competitions and World Conference for Music Education. “Through these efforts, Nigerian indigenous music is gradually spreading to major towns and cities of the world with a trail of positive image for Nigeria’s culture

Prison inmates Adamawa Chief Judge, Justice Ishaya Banu, on Thursday, released 85 awaiting trial inmates in Jimeta Prison in Yola. Banu, who released the suspects during a jail delivery at the prison, also granted conditional bail to 33 others. The chief judge said that the measure was part of efforts to decongest prisons across the state, adding that the open sitting would continue in Jada and Numan prisons on Saturday, Oct. 15. He lauded the Jimeta prison authorities for the support and cooperation and tasked released inmates to be of good behaviour. “You need to keep off things that will bring you back to prison, be law abiding,’’ Banu said. Also, the Assistant Controller-in-Charge of Jimeta prison, Mr E.B Bakari, lauded the committee for its commitment to decongest prisons in the state, and assured the Chief judge and members of his committee of Prison Service support in that direction. One of the released inmates, Abdulmajid Peter, who spoke on behalf of others, thanked t

National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) on Thursday lauded the Federal Government’s decision to sack and demote 22 top officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). Mr Olayinka Abioye, the NUATE General Secretary, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the restructuring should be extended to other aviation agencies. NAN reports that as part of the Federal Government’s plan to restructure the aviation sector, some general managers and deputy general managers of parastatals in the sector were demoted. Some managers formerly placed on Level 17 were in a letter issued by the Federal Ministry of Transport demoted to Level 10 and redeployed to other departments in the same organization. The restructuring followed the recommendations of the Presidential Committee chaired by Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. Abioye said, “We have written several letters to the

court A man, who allegedly outsmarted a woman in the queue in the banking hall on the pretext of helping her to pay N80,000 into her account and bolted with it, is facing trial at an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos. The accused, 45-year-old Olushola Adebayo, is arraigned on a two-count charge of obtaining money under false pretences and stealing. He, however, denied the charge. But Police Prosecutor Hafsat Ajibode insisted that the accused committed the offences on Oct. 11 at about 1. 12 p.m. at UBA Oyingbo branch. Ajibode alleged that the complainant, seeing that the queue in the banking hall was long, gave the accused the sum of N80,000 to help her to deposit into her account. “When the accused received the money, he pretended to have paid in the money. But after observing that the complainant was not paying attention, he escaped through the back door with the money.” The offences contravened Sections 285 and 312 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, accordi

union-bank An Akure Magistrates’ Court on Thursday slammed a bail of N500, 000 each on two Union Bank staff, Tunde Daramola and Samuel Babatunde, for alleged assault and theft of N420,000. Daramola, 30, a driver, Babatunde. 38, a cash officer, and others now at large, were arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy, assault, stealing and threat to life. The Magistrate, Mrs Victoria Bob-Manuel, said the sureties must reside within the magisterial district and one them must be a religious leader or community leader in the residential area of the accused. Bob-Manuel adjourned the case till Nov. 21 for trial. The Prosecutor, Insp. Martins Olowofeso, told the court that they committed the offences on Sept.30 at about 11:15 p.m along Oba-Ile Airport Road. Olowofeso said that the accused persons assaulted Sunday Obafaye by punching the left side of his face and eye and dragged him from his Toyota Highlander Jeep, KJA 50 DY, which caused bruises on his face. “They also unlawfully

Mr Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma A member of the House Representatives, Mr Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, said rather than destroy illegal refineries in the Niger Delta, Federal Government should license and regulate them. He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday that the government should leverage on the skills of operators of the refineries to develop small outlets for refining crude oil for domestic use. Agbonayinma, who represents Egor/ Ikpoba-Okha Constituency of Edo, said that his advice to government became necessary at the backdrop of failure of persons given licenses to build refineries by previous administrations, to do so. He also said that it was because of the inability of the government to fix existing refineries and had resorted to sustained importation of petroleum proudcts. He said that the number of illegal refineries being destroyed and the rate at which they resurfaced was evidence that the operators had some engineering skills that government should harne

FCMB The absence of a prosecution witness on Thursday stalled the trial before a Federal High Court Lagos, of a former FCMB branch manager, Rosemary Usifo, charged with N30 million fraud. The accused was arraigned by the Special Fraud Unit of the police on a charge of fraud. She had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted bail in the sum of N10 million, with two sureties in like sum, one of who must be a blood relation with landed properties. The accused was, however, remanded at the Kirikiri prisons as she was unable to perfect her bail conditions. On Thursday, the trial of the accused could not go on due to the absence of a prosecution witness. When the case was called, the prosecutor, Mr Effiong Asuquo, apologized to the court that he could not proceed with trial as his witness was absent. He said that he had called the witness to remind him of the day’s proceedings, and to ensure his attendance, but was informed by the witness that he was bed-ridden. Asuquo there

Muson Mr Emeka Nwokedi, Choir Director for the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON), on Thursday said that Nigeria’s indigenous music had in the last 10 years won 15 international awards. Nwokedi said this in Lagos that the performances of Nigeria’s indigenous music in China, Germany, U.S., Russia, Austria and other countries had won gold and silver medals for the country. “Nigeria is today well known through the performances of the MUSON Diploma Choir and the Lagos City Chorale in some major cities across the world. “We have in the last 10 years won gold and silver medals for our beloved country, Nigeria, through our performances in these great cities. “We have won laurels for Nigeria from our performances in International Cultural Festivals, Choir Olympics, Competitions and World Conference for Music Education. “Through these efforts, Nigerian indigenous music is gradually spreading to major towns and cities of the world with a trail of positive image for Nigeria’s culture

Bob-Dylan The singer and songwriter Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition,” in the words of the Swedish Academy. He is the first American to win since the novelist Toni Morrison, in 1993. The announcement, in Stockholm, came as something of a surprise. Although Mr. Dylan, 75, has been mentioned often as having an outside shot at the prize, his work does not fit into the literary canons of novels, poetry and short stories that the prize has traditionally recognized. “Mr. Dylan’s work remains utterly lacking in conventionality, moral sleight of hand, pop pabulum or sops to his audience,” the former Rolling Stones bass player Bill Wyman wrote in a 2013 Op-Ed essay in The New York Times arguing for Mr. Dylan to get the award. “His lyricism is exquisite; his concerns and subjects are demonstrably timeless; and few poets of any era have seen their work bear more influence.” Mr.

Lancelot Imasuen A movie producer, Launcelot Imaseun, on Thursday urged tertiary institutions to expose theatre arts students to more practical aspects of the profession. Imaseun, said in Abuja, also stressed the need for experienced practitioners to coach actors-in-the-making on acting skills. According to him, acting schools should take advantage of the platforms provided by film festivals for their students to interact with practitioners on the field. “I am at the forefront of pushing the universities to release their students to start interacting with practitioners. “In Nigeria, there seem to be a huge gap between the practitioners in the field and the students; what they learn theoretically, they need the practical experience to put it to bear. “Schools can take their theatre arts students in filmmaking to film festivals; in that way they encourage their students. “That is still lacking, but some universities are already doing it,” Imaseun said. According to Imaseun, exp

Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand, died on Thursday, the palace said, prompting what is certain to be deep mourning in a country which viewed the world’s longest serving monarch as a figure of unity. The health of the 88-year-old, who came to the throne 70 years ago, had been ailing for years but he had been seriously ill for about a week. “His Majesty has passed away at Siriraj Hospital peacefully,” the palace said, adding he died at 15:52 (9:52 BST). King Bhumibol Adulyadej was widely revered in Thailand as he was seen as a stabilizing figure in a country hit by cycles of political turmoil and multiple coups. Bhumibol Adulyadej had been in poor health in recent years and made few public appearances. His death comes as Thailand remains under military rule following a coup in 2014. The palace had warned on Sunday that the king’s health was “not stable”. Many Thais had been wearing pink to try to bring good luck to the ailing monarch whi

Lancelot Imasuen A movie producer, Launcelot Imaseun, on Thursday urged tertiary institutions to expose theatre arts students to more practical aspects of the profession. Imaseun, said in Abuja, also stressed the need for experienced practitioners to coach actors-in-the-making on acting skills. According to him, acting schools should take advantage of the platforms provided by film festivals for their students to interact with practitioners on the field. “I am at the forefront of pushing the universities to release their students to start interacting with practitioners. “In Nigeria, there seem to be a huge gap between the practitioners in the field and the students; what they learn theoretically, they need the practical experience to put it to bear. “Schools can take their theatre arts students in filmmaking to film festivals; in that way they encourage their students. “That is still lacking, but some universities are already doing it,” Imaseun said. According to Imaseun, exp

Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), on Thursday, said the 2017 budget announced by the Kaduna State Government would stimulate agriculture. Alhaji Nuhu Aminu, state Chairman of AFAN, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that the N4.5 billion allocated to agriculture if properly utilised would make a huge impact on the sector. The AFAN chairman, however, appealed to the government to collaborate with commercial banks for additional funding through soft loans to farmers. He advised that mass recruitment of extension service workers be done, to promote new farming methods among farmers for enhance production. Mrs. Jummai Victor, state Chairman of Rice Farmers Association (RIFAN), said the government should provide additional storage facilities and processing plants for rice farmers. Victor said that the budget should be targeted at providing vital infrastructure and encouraging modern farming system for all year round production. NAN

Dr Oby Ezekwesili Co-convener of #BringBackOurGirls, the popular campaign group for the release of the more than 200 schoolgirls abducted from Chibok in 2014 in Borno State, Oby Ezekwesili, on Thursday said he can only weep right now following news about the release of 21 of the Chibok girls by Boko Haram. Reacting to the release of the girls on her twitter handle, Ezekwesili tweeted: “I can only weep, right now. You know that kind of cry that is a mix of multiple emotions. Lord. Some of OUR Girls ARE BACK!!! B. A. C. K.!!” Tweets by Oby Ezekwesili on learning about the release of 21 Chibok schoolgirls

President Muhammadu Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday expressed delight over the release of 21 Chibok schoolgirls by the Boko Haram sect. Malam Garba Shehu, the president’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, said this in his twitter handle. He stated that the president, however, cautioned “Nigerians to be mindful of the fact that more than 30,000 fellow citizens were killed via terrorism.” According to him, the release of the girls, in a limited number, is the outcome of negotiations between the Federal Government and the Boko Haram, brokered by the International Red Cross and the Swiss Government. He said that the negotiations would continue. He said the released girls would soon be handed over to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo by the DSS. More than 200 female students were kidnapped on April 14, 2014, from the Government Secondary School in Chibok town, Borno. There were reports that 57 of the schoolgirls managed to escape over the next few months an

woman wearing brassiere Dr Kike Adesina, the Technical Adviser to Life Empowers Anchors Hope (Leah) Foundation, has warned women against placing money inside brassiere, saying it could cause breast cancer. Adesina gave the warning on Thursday in Ilorin at Al-Hikma University, Ilorin, as the Foundation embarked on cancer awareness campaign across secondary and tertiary educational institutions in the state. The gynaecologist said women should stop the practice of saving money in their brassiere because the money had passed through numerous dirty hands, saying it was dangerous. According to her, the mere chance that they are created females with breast has already predisposed them to having breast cancer. He, therefore, urged women not to create problems for themselves as placing money around the breast or any other part of the body was dangerous. Adesina, who said that Nigeria still faced high burden of breast and cervical cancer cases in women, listed the risk factors of brea