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‘Davido requests $5m for one-year endorsement deal’

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‘Davido requests $5m for one-year endorsement deal’

The management team of Afrobeat musician, David Adeleke, stage name “Davido” has revealed that $5 million is the cost of getting the artist for endorsement over a calendar year.

According to a post by a fintech startup’s CEO on Instagram, Davido’s team, in response to a proposal he wrote to have the artiste as his company’s ambassador, noted the price is subject to review at the end of the endorsement period.

The post titled “Re: Endorsement Deal Inquiry” reads “Hello Mr Williams, thank you for your email. Davido’s endorsement fee is $5m for a full calendar year and is subject to review at the end of the endorsement period. Kindly let me know how you would like to proceed.”

Williams, it was gathered, had initially prepared a whopping N150 million (approximately $205,000.

Also, in a follow up post, he proposed paying $500,000 to sign the “Unavailable” singer as his brand ambassador.

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos engaged to long-time girlfriend, Lauren Sánchez

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Amazon’s Jeff Bezos engaged to long-time girlfriend, Lauren Sánchez

Amazon founder and one of the richest people in the world, Jeff Bezos, has proposed to his long-time lover, Lauren Sanchez.

Insiders close to the couple disclosed that they took the big step while sailing across Europe in the billionaire’s superyacht named Koru, Page Six reports.

The pair were most recently sighted at the premiere of Apple Original Films’ “Killers of the Flower Moon” at the Cannes Film Festival.

Sánchez, an Emmy award-winning journalist, was also sighted by paparazzi on Sunday, rocking an engagement ring while cruising on Koru. 

The couple’s relationship became public in 2019 after Bezos finalised his divorce from ex-wife, Mackenzie Scott. The former couple were married for 25 years and shared four children.

At the time their relationship went public, the former TV host had also divorced her husband of 13 years, Patrick Whitesell, with whom she shares two kids. Sánchez has another son from a previous relationship with former American football player, Tony Gonzalez.

After stepping down as the CEO of Amazon in 2021, Bezos directed his attention to earth conservation. Currently, the couple both co-chair the Bezos Earth Fund, an initiative to fight climate change.

South-East governors agree to name Second Niger Bridge after Buhari

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South-East governors agree to name Second Niger Bridge after Buhari

The governors of the South-East region of Nigeria have agreed to name the Second Niger Bridge after President Muhammadu Buhari.

This was according to a terse statement by the Special Assistant to President Buhari on Digital & New Media, Tolu Ogunlesi.

The statement reads; “Following consultations, the Governors of the South-East have agreed that the Second Niger Bridge shall be named the MUHAMMADU BUHARI SECOND NIGER BRIDGE.”

NewsWireNGR reports the president is expected to be physically absent at the official commissioning of the Second Niger Bridge scheduled, which holds Tuesday.

According to a report by The Punch, sources in the works ministry, who do not want to be mentioned in print, the N336 billion bridge, regarded as a legacy project, will be commissioned alongside six other road projects by the president via an online platform, Zoom.

One of the sources, however, noted that the Lagos-Ibadan expressway is not part of the six-road project scheduled to be commissioned.

This is despite promises by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, to ensure its completion before April 30.

The sources said the “second Niger bridge will be commissioned on May 23. The president will perform the ceremony via Zoom. Also, six other road projects will be commissioned.”

Africa’s 1st professor of Geology, Oyawoye, is dead

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Africa’s 1st professor of Geology, Oyawoye, is dead

Prof. Jamiu Oyawoye, Africa’s first Professor of Geology, was on Monday confirmed dead.

Oyawoye also holds the prestigious traditional title of Aremo of Offa, died on May 22 at the age of 95 years.

He was born in Offa, Kwara, on Aug. 12, 1927, and served as a lecturer at the University of Ibadan between 1960 and 1977.

Oyawoye was appointed a professor in 1966 at the age of 39 and became the first Professor of Geology in Africa.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (Unilorin), Prof. Wahab Egbewole, described the death of Prof. Oyawoye, as a great loss to Nigeria and the global environment.

In a statement issued by the spokesperson of the university, Mr Kunle Akogun, and made available to newsmen in Ilorin on Tuesday, Egbewole said the university community had received the news of the  death of the renowned scholar and community leader with rude shock, but with the total submission to the will of God.

He explained that Oyawoye died at a time when his wise counsels and services were still loved and cherished.

The vice chancellor noted that the deceased was a one-time Chairman of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

He described Oyawoye as an outstanding statesman, a deeply religious personality, exciting businessman and a priceless asset to the people of his community.

“He was not only a leading intellectual but one of the pioneer sets of eggheads that took over leading academic positions at the premier University of Ibadan shortly after the nation’s independence,” he said.

Egbewole said that the deceased was a great friend and patron of Unilorin, recalling that he was one of the eminent citizens of Kwara who responded to the call of the university for support.

He  specifically recalled the late elder statesman’s sponsorship of the Mosobalaje Oyawoye
Annual Lecture at the institution’s Faculty of Physical Sciences for the past 15 years.

According to him, the annual lecture has been of tremendous impact on the staff and students of the faculty as well as members of the public over the years.

He condoled with Kwara’s family, government and people on the death of a truly distinguished citizen.

He also sympathised with the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Esuwoye II, and the good people of Offa on the demise of an outstanding community leader.

He, however, urged the bereaved Oyawoye family to take solace in the fact that their patriarch led a fulfilled life full of pioneering achievements in the service of Almighty Allah and humanity.

Nigerians appreciated my deliberate closure of borders — Buhari

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Nigerians appreciated my deliberate closure of borders — Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said Nigerians although first against his decision to close land borders later appreciated it.

Speaking on Tuesday while inaugurating the new customs headquarters that reportedly cost N19.6 billion to construct.

The edifice is located in the Maitama district of the federal capital territory (FCT).

“Please note that from Lake Chad to Benin Republic is more than 1,600 kilometres, only God can effectively guard the borders. So you need a person who has the energy and the competence to supervise. I deliberately closed the borders because knowing Nigerians, they order rice, give some to Niger and the rest, and then they bring the rice here,” he said.

“With our potential, we have people, we have land, and weather – how many nations are as lucky as Nigeria in the world, very few nations.

“So closing that border, 1,600 kilometres, Nigerians insist they eat boiled rice – you eat what you grow or you die. I tried to make my point and later Nigerians appreciated it.”

Buhari said he nominated Hameed Ali as comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) because of his experience and competence.

The president said the late Sani Abacha, a former military head of state, gave Ali “problematic” tasks to accomplish.

“As for Hameed Ali, I asked him to be in charge of customs. No matter what people say about the late Sani Abacha, may his soul rest in peace,” he said.

“I knew him very well, when somehow he became president of this country, head of state, the biggest problematic area was around Kaduna. He picked Colonel Hameed Ali and dumped the problems on him. My decision for Hameed Ali to come to customs was a deliberate one.

“[I brought] Colonel Hameed Ali to ensure that I have peace of mind.”

On his part, Ali said the increase in the salaries of customs personnel has made them less susceptible to corruption.

“We must mention the game-changing intervention of Mr President to rid the NCS of corruption and put it on a path of integrity,” the comptroller-general said.

“The 100 percent increase in the remuneration for officers and men of the service decisively made them less susceptible to corruption.”

Tragedy as school roof collapses, kills 7, injures 23 in Thailand

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Tragedy as school roof collapses, kills 7, injures 23 in Thailand

Thai Government on Tuesday said seven people were killed and 23 others injured after a school sports arena collapsed in northern Thailand.

According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), the accident occurred at around 7:00 p.m. local time on Monday when the roof of a primary school sports arena in Phichit province collapsed in a heavy rainstorm.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha expressed condolences to the affected families and instructed relevant agencies to prioritise search efforts for the missing.

Anucha Burapachaisri, deputy secretary-general to the prime minister and government spokesman, said efforts were being made to assess the extent of the damage and provide prompt assistance to victims.

The injured individuals were transferred to two local hospitals, the DDPM said on its Facebook page.

Local media reports indicated that a whirlwind struck the metal roof of the building, resulting in the collapse of the entire structure and trapping students, parents, and school staff under debris.

Phichit Governor Payon Asavapichayon visited the affected site on Tuesday, where at least 100 local households reported damages due to the storm and further assessments were underway.

The school and other affected areas have been declared as public disaster zones.

As the rainy season begins, the Thai Meteorological Department has forecasted heavy and continuous rainfall in most areas of the country.

[Xinhua/NAN]

Police react as gunmen kill inspector in Ebonyi

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Police react as gunmen kill inspector in Ebonyi

The Police Command in Ebonyi has confirmed the killing of a Police Inspector by suspected gunmen in Abakaliki on Monday.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, confirmed this to newsmen in Abakaliki on Tuesday.

According to Onovwakpoyeya, the command is aware of the incident and is making out for a press statement.

“I am making a press statement now, and I will make it available to the media when I am done,” Onovwakpoyeya told NAN.

An eyewitness, Philip Onwe, said that the killers opened fire at a checkpoint and shot the Inspector and two other police officers, who sustained bullet wounds. 

Kano governor, Ganduje directs all commissioners to hand over

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Kano governor, Ganduje directs all commissioners to hand over

Kano state governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has directed all commissioners and other public officers holding political appointments to hand over the affairs of their offices by Friday.

Those affected by this directives aside from the commissioners are Special Advisers, Chief Executives of Parastatals/Government owned Companies, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants, Personal Assistants, Board Members etc (except Kano State Civil Servants holding the positions of Executive Secretaries and Managing Directors of Parastatals and Government-owned Companies), a statement by of the Office of the Secretary to the State Government said.

They are directed to hand over the affairs of their offices including all government properties in their possession to Permanent Secretaries or Directors Administration & General Services/Directors Personnel Management (DPM) latest by Friday in preparation for the end of the administration and handover of government on May 29.

The statement, however, added that public officers appointed into organizations that are tenure based and whose tenure has not expired should continue to hold office as stipulated by the relevant Laws governing their appointments.

Bilkisu Shehu, the permanent secretary of the Directorate of Research, Evaluation and Political Affairs (REPA) in the office of the SSG, who signed the statement, conveyed the appreciation of the state governor for the contributions of all those affected by the directives, noting that such contributions to the development of the state would remain indelible in the history of the state.

NNPC has resumed oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin in Borno state

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NNPC has resumed oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin in Borno state

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has resumed oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin in Borno state.

The corporation had stopped the process in 2017.

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to join the ceremony virtually and spud-in the Wadi-B oil well drilling in Tuba community , Jere Local Government Area.

According to officials of the NNPC Energy Service Ltd (ENSERV), the project is being done under NNPC Frontier Exploration Service for the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC.

According to the project report, exploration commenced in 1976 and continued until 1996 with the processing of 33,000km of 2D Seismic data which identified three prospective sub-basins (Gubio, Maiduguri & Baga/Lake Area).

From this, two wells (Wadi-1 & Kinasar-1) recorded presence of noncommercial gas.

Between 2008 and 2018, NNPC processed 1,962.20km2 of 3D Seismic data; in 2014, it suspended the Seismic Acquisition Operations due to insurgency. NNPC in July 2017 also announced the halt of the exploration activities after some workers recorded insurgency attacks.

It completed the security risk assessment to resume operations in 2022 to explore the Wadi-B well.

Explaining the process, the Executive Director, Frontier Exploration Services at NNPC, Mukhtar Zanna, said NNPC using ACME Rig 5 will be drilling 14,000 feet into the Wadi-B well to get oil and associated gas.

He said, “We are optimistic because we have read the data, also we have new technology. Following the demographic data, we added new emerging technology and deployed, including assessment detection, magnetic technique.”

Also speaking, the ED, Exploration Services at NNPC, Aminu Maitama, was hopeful of an oil find, saying,

“So, we believe in this location, we are going to report oil and gas in commercial quantities.”

Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State sacks the traditional rulers of Piriga and Arak Chiefdoms

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Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State sacks the traditional rulers of Piriga and Arak Chiefdoms

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has approved the deposition of the traditional rulers of Piriga and Arak Chiefdoms, His Highness Jonathan Paragua Zamuna and His Highness General Aliyu Iliyah Yammah, respectively.

A statement signed by the Commissioner of Local Government, Hajiya Umma K Ahmad, stated that the two traditional rulers cease to hold their respective offices from Monday, 22nd May 2023.

A statement stated that the depositions follow recommendations from the Ministry of Local Government in line with the provisions of Section 11 of the Traditional Institutions Law No. 21 of 2021.

According to the commissioner, ‘’the District Head of Garun Kurama, Mr. Babangida Sule, will oversee the affairs of Piriga Chiefdom, pending the appointment of a new chief, while the Council Secretary has been directed to initiate the process for the appointment of a new Chief.

‘’Mr. Gomna Ahmadu, the Council Secretary of Arak Chiefdom, will oversee the affairs of the chiefdom and also initiate the process for the appointment of a new Chief.’’

According to the statement, ‘’the government found unacceptable the response of HH General Iliyah Yammah to the query regarding his appointment of four district heads, contrary to the one approved for his chiefdom, and his non-residence within Arak chiefdom.’’

‘’The deposition of HH Jonathan Zamuna follows the recent communal clashes between the Gure and Kitimi communities of Piriga chiefdom in Lere LGA, and his non-residence within the chiefdom,’’ the statement added.

The statement also announced the immediate disengagement of the village heads of Aban, Abujan Mada and Anjil in Arak Chiefdom.

27-year-old chef, Hilda Baci shares her grass to grace story

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27-year-old chef, Hilda Baci shares her grass to grace story

27-year-old chef and World Record breaker, Hilda Baci said has described cooking as a career divinely chosen for her by God.

Baci stated this while speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday.

Recall that, last Monday, Baci broke the record for Longest Cooking Marathon (Individual), after clocking 100 hours in the kitchen.

The World longest cooking record is currently held by Indian chef Lata Tondon at 87 hours and 45 minutes.

According to the culinary expert, cooking is something she has always done and wanted to do.

She said, “So, even when I was a TV presenter — and that’s not to say I’m no longer a [TV] host because I’m still very capable of doing those things, it’s more, I chose to apply myself more here because I needed to focus on this aspect of my life and the business aspect, to basically build a system. 

“Even when I was on TV, what I did was host a cooking show and host a cooking segment on a breakfast show. So, someway, somehow, even in the other aspects of my career, cooking still pretty much shines out the best, and I would say it’s what God wants me to do,” she said.

Speaking on how she started her cooking business, MyFood by Hilda, the Akwa Ibom native said her experience was a pointer to her belief that she had found her calling.

“The minute I started my business, the response to it was amazing. The response to it has been amazing and that’s just a testament to show that this is what I’m meant to do and I love doing it. So, for the most part, it doesn’t feel like work,” Baci said.

President Biden has announced the delegation that will attend the inauguration of Bola Tinubu

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President Biden has announced the delegation that will attend the inauguration of Bola Tinubu

President Joe Biden of the United States, has announced the delegation that will attend the inauguration of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Recall that no fewer than 65 world leaders, including Heads of State, have been invited for the Tinubu’s inauguration.

The President-elect will be sworn in as the 16th President of Nigeria on May 29 at Eagle Square, Abuja.

The US delegation will be led by Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Marcia L. Fudge.

The members of the Presidential Delegation of Biden include: 

Mr. David Greene, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., U.S. Embassy Abuja

The Honorable Sydney Kamlager-Dove, United States Representative (D), California

The Honorable Marisa Lago, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce

General Michael E. Langley, Commander of U.S. Africa Command

The Honorable Enoh T. Ebong, Director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency

The Honorable Mary Catherine Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State

The Honorable Judd Devermont, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs, National Security Council

The Honorable Monde Muyangwa, Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development.

Also expected at the nation’s seventh transition ceremony are past presidents, diplomats, heads of international organisations and prominent Nigerians and representatives of foreign governments and agencies.

The inauguration programmes will begin on Thursday with the investiture of Tinubu with  the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic and the Vice-President-elect, Kashim Shettima, as the Grand Commander of Order of the Niger.

Representatives of Nigeria’s traditional allies such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, China, Germany, Finland, Jamaica, Japan, Israel, Turkey and several others are expected at the high-profile event.

Ahead of the inauguration, Biden, in a statement released on the White House website on Monday night, announced a nine-member delegation for the event.

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