B.J. Novak Defends Friend Ashton Kutcher Amidst Demi Moore's Cheating Accusations

Ashton Kutcher is one of the most magnetic men in Hollywood. Since his early days on That ’70s Show, the 42-year-old has been able to charm anyone who was around, including the ladies. He has been in several high-profile relationships including Brittany Murphy, January Jones, and of course, former co-star and current wife, Mila Kunis. 

But before the Punk’d host found his happily ever after with his current wife, Kutcher was married to Ghost star Demi Moore. Though the couple has been divorced for nearly a decade, Moore’s new memoir thrust the details of their relationship back into the spotlight. Most of the couple’s current and former friends have stayed mum on the subject. But during a recent appearance on You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes, B.J. Novak, The Office star and a regular on Punk’d, defended his friend amidst the ongoing scrutiny of Kutcher’s behavior |||READ MORE …

Ganduje removes Sanusi as Emir of Kano

Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi ll has been dethroned over disrespect to the office of the governor and other government agencies. The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, said the removal was with immediate effect.

The emir’s action violated the part 3 section A-E of Kano state law, hence the removal.

He said the removal was in line with consultation with relevant stakeholders |||READ MORE …

FCT IRS Explains Reason For Sending SMS To Taxpayers

The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT IRS) says the Short Message Service (SMS) sent to federal workers and those residence in the territory is in order.

According to the Executive Chairman of FCTIRS Mr Abdullahi Attah, the SMS is in compliance with the law which mandates the Service to do so.

Attah said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

He explained that the law required every taxable individual to file a tax return within 90 days after the end of the financial year |||READ MORE …

NCC Deactivates 2.2m Improperly Registered SIM Cards

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has completely deactivated 2.2 million Improperly registered Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) Cards across Telecommunication networks nationwide.

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, made this known in a statement signed by Dr Henry Nkemadu, Director, Public Affairs in Abuja.

Danbatta said that the Commission’s efforts in this regard was in line with one of the key agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari to strengthen security of lives and property for all Nigerians |||READ MORE …

AbdulRazaq Seeks Equal Opportunity, Empowerment For Women, Girl Child

LORIN- Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Sunday rallied support for women empowerment, girl child education and equal opportunity for all genders.

“I join the rest of the world to commemorate the International Women’s Day,” the Governor said in a statement by his spokesman Rafiu Ajakaye.

The statement is in commemoration of the International Women’s Day with the theme #EachForEqual.

“As an administration, we are unshaken in our belief that no meaningful development can take place when half of our population is unheard. We stand firm in our resolve to empower the girl child, as we do to our male child, to aspire to the highest height,” the statement said |||READ MORE …

UNILAG suspends convocation

Four days after it announced a four-day programme to marks its 51st convocation, the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has suspended the events, scheduled to start on March 9.

A circular on the institution’s website signed by the institution’s Registrar, Mr Oladejo Azeez, who announced the cancellation, gave no reason.

But a leaked memo to the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Ochono, noted that the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the varsity’s Governing Council, Dr. Wale Babalakin, had informed the Education Minister, Adamu Adamu in a letter dated March 2, that the programme was not approved by the his board |||READ MORE …

INEC targets e-voting from next polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday unfolded plans to kick start electronic voting with the 2023 general elections.

Its chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, said should the Electoral Act is amended, based on its proposals, the 2019 elections would be the last mainly manually conducted election.

He spoke in Lagos at a retreat on the review of the Electoral Act. The retreat, which was declared open by Deputy Senate President and Chairman of National Assembly Committte of Constitutional Amendment Ovie Omo-Agege, was witnessed by members of the Senate Committee on INEC, led by Senator Kabiru Gaya, and House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, led by Dr. Sishati Dukku |||READ MORE …

‘Are you looking at me with pity?’ – Oshiomhole

Despite passing through trying times, Adams Oshiomhole looked unperturbed and unruffled on Thursday.

Oshiomhole who was in his usual boisterous mood told a team of reporters in his Aso Drive Office, Abuja that there was no need for him to be troubled or pitied over development in the party.

It what could be referred to as Oshiomhole’s first public appearance after the Abuja High Court suspended him from, the APC leader decked in his usual khaki attire asked reporters: “Are you looking at me with pity?” |||READ MORE …

Time to end SARS’ menace

Sir: There has been a nationwide campaign especially on social media for the proscription of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) because of their excesses as a result of which many innocent Nigerians have been killed.

Their most recent victim is the late Kazeem Tiamiyu, a footballer with a club in Sagamu known as Remo Stars. According to his friend who was himself nearly murdered – the footballer had parked his car and left him there to get something from across the road when SARS officials accosted him and later bundled his into their waiting van after he was thoroughly searched ostensibly on suspicion of being a cyber-criminal. The friend said the late footballer was pushed out of the van and then got crushed to death by an incoming vehicle. The account given by SARS was that he tried to escape and jumped out of the van and met his death when an incoming car ran over him.

Bill Gates, it was, who was said to have said that Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places to give birth to a child. How true; if diseases don’t kill you, a trigger happy SARS official may most probably finish you before your time |||READ MORE …

Cameroon confirms first case of coronavirus

Cameroon’s health ministry on Friday confirmed the country’s first case of coronavirus, a 58-year-old French citizen who arrived in the capital Yaounde on Feb. 24.

It said the man has been quarantined in the city’s Central Hospital. “All measures have been taken by the government to contain potential risks of the virus spreading,’’ it said in a statement.

Cameroon, which is situated in Central Africa, is the fourth sub-Saharan country to report coronavirus after Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa |||READ MORE …

Mayweather Predicts Joshua, Fury Heavyweight Dominance Will End Soon

Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jnr. believes the heavyweight division will soon welcome a new fighter that will end Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury’s dominance.

Both Joshua and Fury are undoubtedly the two best boxers in the world as they hold all title belts between them.

Joshua, 30, holds the WBA, WBO and IBF belts while Fury is the newly crowned WBC champ after his stunning win over Deontay Wilder.|||READ MORE …

Women criminal tendencies overweigh that of a lot of men, says Don

Prof. Hauwa’u Yusuf of Kaduna State University (KASU), says women criminal tendencies overweigh that of a lot of men, because of gender discrimination and violence meted to them.

She stated this in Kaduna, at the 7th Inaugural Lecture entitled, “Challenges of Humanity: The Nexus Between Criminality, Women, the Girl Child, Patriarchy and Religion”, organised by the university in her honour.

According to her, women involvement in crimes often go unnoticed and unpunished, because they are often seen as the weaker sex and incapable of committing certain crimes |||READ MORE …

IN FULL: $1.25bn for Abuja rail, $500m for NTA — Buhari’s $22.7bn loan spending plan

The senate has approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s $22.7 billion loan request — years after it was rejected by the previous assembly.

At its plenary session on Thursday, the upper legislative chamber approved the 2016-2018 external borrowing plan which the president said would be used for critical projects across the country.

TheCable understands Nigeria’s public debt profile stands at N26.215 trillion as of September 2019.

According to a document accompanying the president’s request, the fresh loan is for about 35 projects, many of which are infrastructural |||READ MORE …

‘I’ve Worked Hard For This’ — Ighalo Relishes FA Cup Brace For United

Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo is delighted that his hard work behind the scenes to get himself into shape is finally paying off.

Ighalo scored a brace in Manchester United’s 3-0 win over Derby County at Pride Park on Thursday night and helped his side to progress to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

The striker, who joined Manchester United on loan in January, has already netted three goals for the club and has been turning out to be a good squad option for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer |||READ MORE …

South-South Governors To Establish Regional Security Network

Governors of the south-south region have agreed to adopt a security outfit to address the security challenges in the region.

Chairman of the South-South Governors Forum Governor Ifeanyi Okowa disclosed this on Thursday to journalists after a closed-door meeting that lasted nearly three hours.

“We have agreed as a region that there is a need to have a regional security outfit and we have mandated the brace commission to begin to work out the details and brief us at our next meeting which is going to hold in Port Harcourt,” he said.

Highlighting some of the resolutions reached at the meeting, Okowa said on the top of the agenda was the resuscitation of the brace commission which according to him, would help to harmonise policies that would drive the economic cooperation and integration of the region |||READ MORE …

Thousands of US residents have been asked by state governments to 'self-quarantine.' Here's what that looks like

(CNN)With US coronavirus cases topping 220 across 19 states and the death toll climbing to more than a dozen, state governments have asked thousands of residents to seclude themselves from the rest of the community to help contain the virus.

In New York alone, more than 2,500 people were instructed to self-quarantine as health officials scour for anyone who may have been exposed to the state's first coronavirus cases. At least 22 have tested positive and are in isolation.

In California, health officials said Thursday more than 9,700 returning travelers were told to stay at home and monitor their health. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency earlier this week after California saw its first virus-related death |||READ MORE …

Fayemi says no mercy for rapists in Ekiti

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, said on Tuesday that his administration would have no mercy on rapists and molesters in the state.

Fayemi said his administration had put in place the enabling legal framework that criminalises all abuse on women in the state, noting that the era when women were maltreated and subjugated was over in the state.

The governor made this known in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital while declaring open the 4th Ekiti Gender Summit with the theme, “Gender equality and women’s empowerment post-Beijing: Political will and impact” |||READ MORE …

[BREAKING] Coronavirus: Nigeria disease control agency boss quarantined, says Health Minister

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire,  said on Tuesday that the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control,  Chikwe Ihekweazu, has been quarantined for 14 days.

Ehanire stated this when he appeared before the Senate leadership to provide an update on the activities of his ministry to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country.

He told the Senate principal officers that Ihekweazu was quarantined because he just returned from China |||READ MORE …

Lagos Assembly passes Amotekun law

 Lagos State House of Assembly at plenary on Tuesday passed the bill to create Amotekun Corps as a special unit of the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps.

It passed the bill after taking the third reading of the amendment to the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps Agency Law 2019 |||READ MORE …

Rep to criminalise casualisation, outsourcing of jobs

The House of Representatives on Tuesday moved to criminalise the rampant cases of casualisation and outsourcing of jobs in the country, passing for second reading a bill to stop the practice.

The House expressed concern that employers of labour, especially those in banking, telecom as well as oil and gas sector often resort to casualisation and outsourcing of jobs, thereby making Nigerians slave workers in their own country.

Organised Labour as well as officials of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, led by the Minister, Senator Chris Ngige have been in the forefront of the crusade to end casualisation and outsourcing in the country which forms one of the new conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as adopted during the centenary celebration of the world body |||READ MORE …