Omawumi clears air on pregnancy rumour

 

Popular Nigerian singer, Omawumi Megbele, popularly known as Omawonder, has made clarifications on her pregnancy rumour.

The rumour started after the music star posted a picture on her Instagram page where she was seen wearing a swimsuit.

In the post, her belly looked slightly protruded which had her fans and Nigerians speculating she was pregnant.

The mother of two has, however, denied the rumour on her Instagram page.

She explained that the protruded stomach was ‘because of ‘Eba and Starch’.

Her post read: “It is a beautiful day and the sunshine is just right. Dear womb watchers, nothing they happen, na just Eba and Starch dey show themselves.”

Biden Signs Executive Orders Reversing Trump Policies on the Border Wall, Paris Climate Accords and More

 

With the sweeping stroke of a pen President Joe Biden moved quickly to dismantle former President Trump's legacy on his first day in office, signing a series of executive actions that reverse course on immigration, climate change, racial equity and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic. 

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"With the state of the nation today there's no time to waste. We're going to get to work immediately. As we indicated earlier we're going to be signing a number of executive orders over the next several days to weeks and I'm going to start today," Biden said. "Some of the executive actions I'm going to sign today are going to help change the course of the COVID crisis, combat climate change in a way that we haven't done so far and advance racial equity and support other underserved communities. We're going to rebuild our economy as well."

Biden signed orders halting construction on Trump’s U.S.-Mexico border wall, ended the ban on travel from some Muslim-majority countries, rejoined the Paris Climate Accord and the World Health Organization and revoked the approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

The 15 executive actions will amount to an attempt to rewind the last four years of federal policies with striking speed. Biden appears intent on demonstrating a sense of urgency and competence that he argues has been missing under his Republican predecessor.

Biden has said getting a grip on the pandemic, which has claimed more than 400,000 lives in the U.S., is his top policy priority. On the list of presidential orders he signed Wednesday was one putting in place a mask mandate on federal property. Biden's executive order will require employees and contractors to wear face coverings in all federal buildings and on federal land — a departure from Trump's White House, where masks were rarities. Biden is asking all Americans to wear masks for his first 100 days.

Many noted on social media that Biden wore a face mask as he signed the orders and addressed reporters from behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office.

Biden also signed an order extending the federal eviction freeze. He created a federal office to coordinate a national response to the containing the coronavirus and distributing the vaccine. Yet another executive order restored the White House’s National Security Council directorate for global health security and defense, an office Trump had closed.

Biden's orders also targeted Trump's environmental record, calling for a review of all regulations and executive actions that are deemed damaging to the environment or public health. Another order instructed federal agencies to prioritize racial equity and review policies that reinforce systemic racism. Biden revoked a Trump order that sought to exclude noncitizens from the census and ordered federal employees to take an ethics pledge that commits them to upholding the independence of the Justice Department.

Biden also took steps to halt construction on a border wall, which Trump has cited as one of his main accomplishments. He issued a proclamation terminating the national emergency declaration that Trump used to divert money to wall construction.

One of his orders will seek to fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA, a signature effort during the Obama administration that provided hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants protection from deportation and a pathway to citizenship. That's part of a broader immigration plan that would include provide an eight-year path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal status.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Biden to Sign Executive Order Asking Americans to Wear Face-Masks for 100 Days

 

President Biden was sworn into office Wednesday, and one of his first priorities will be to sign an executive order urging Americans to wear masks for 100 days and requiring them on federal property. 

His first executive order, the “100-day masking challenge,” will require masks and social distancing in all federal buildings, on all federal land and by federal employees and contractors, and on airlines, trains and transit systems traveling between states. 

While a president cannot tell state and local officials what to require, Biden’s order will urge states to enact their own mandates. Most states have already done so. 

During his inaugural address, the new commander in chief warned that the nation’s “darkest and most deadly” coronavirus pandemic days could be ahead of it. 

Another executive order Wednesday will create a White House COVID-19 response office, headed by Biden’s coronavirus czar Jeffrey Zients. 

Last month, Biden said the coronavirus pandemic would be “first priority, the second priority, and the third priority” of his White House. Last week, Biden unveiled his “bold” new vaccination plan to fix former President Trump’s “dismal failure,” he said.

NEWS : Joe Biden speaks on letter left by Trump

 

President Joe Biden said the letter his predecessor Donald Trump left him before leaving the White House on Wednesday was “very generous”.

He gave the description while speaking from the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office after signing Day One executive orders.

The Democrat said he would not immediately reveal the contents out of respect for Trump.

“The President wrote a very generous letter. Because it was private, I will not talk about it until I talk to him, but it was generous”, he told reporters.

It is a modern tradition for outgoing presidents to drop a letter for their successors.

A senior Trump aide told CNN that the “personal note” prayed for the success of the new administration to care for the country.

The aide disclosed that the letter was one of the items on Trump’s list in the Oval Office Tuesday night.

White House press secretary, Jen Psaki refused to provide an insight during his chat with the media Wednesday night.

“This is a letter that was private. As he said to you all, it was both generous and gracious, and it was just a reflection of him not planning to release the letter unilaterally”, Psaki said.

In 2017, Trump described Barack Obama’s letter as “long, complex, thoughtful”.

In his farewell address on Tuesday, the former President had some kind words for the new administration.

“This week we inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous. We extend our best wishes. And we also want them to have luck”, he said.

Trump grants presidential pardon to Lil Wayne and Kodak Black.

 

Donald Trump in his last day as the President of the United States of America has granted pardoned to American rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black.

Lil Wayne in 2020 had pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a loaded weapon on a private jet while travelling to Miami.

Also pardoned is Kodak Black who is in federal prison after pleading guilty to a firearm possession charge.

Trump also pardoned his former campaign manager, Steve Bannon, former Detroit Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick among other 100 on the list.

However, Wikileaks’ Julian Assange and Edward Snowden were not on the list.

Lil Wayne’s pardon may not come as a surprise as the Grammy award-winning rapper had endorsed Trump for re-election in October 2020.

UPDATE : Joe Biden sworn in as 46th US President

 

Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th United States President.

Biden took his oath of office on Wednesday at the Capitol in Washington D.C.

Chief Justice, John Roberts Jr, administered the pledge at exactly 11:48am ET.

Kamala Harris did the same before him after the national anthem rendition by Lady Gaga.

Harris becomes the Vice President. She is America’s first female, first Black and Asian-American person to hold the office.

As expected, former President Donald Trump was absent. Mike Pence, the former Vice President, fulfilled his promise to attend.

Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush Jr, Barack Obama and their wives attended.

BIAFRA : Nothing can separate Igbo nation from Nigeria’ — Ohaneze Ndigbo

 

Obiozor disclosed this on Wednesday in Enugu during his inaugural press conference as the president general of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation.

The President General, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Prof. George Obiozor, has said that nothing demands the separate existence of the Igbo nation from the rest of Nigeria.

He reiterated the belief of the Igbo nation in a united, prosperous and progressive Nigeria.

The President general however, said that the Igbo nation was still in search of a nation where justice and fairness would prevail.

He said that though the search for equity and fairness by the Igbo man had been torturous and agonising, “all actions and utterances that put us in harm's way must be avoided.

“The Igbo nation is not at war with the rest of the country and there is nothing that demands our separate existence from Nigeria.”

Obiozor 

advised all separatist groups, especially the leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB),

 Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, 

not to go beyond his bounds.

“Kanu is one of us and must listen to us. The issue of Biafra is beyond his capacity to decide and like him, we are all in this Biafra dilemma together.

“We have mutual responsibility in this matter and it is sacred in our hearts. All actions or utterances that put us in imminent or present danger must be avoided.

“Kanu should act and play his part well. There lies his honour,” he said.

He said that the Igbo nation in its search for fairness and equity in the country, must tread carefully in order not to make enemies or be misunderstood.

According to Obiozor, after 40 years of involvement in Nigerian politics, the greatest priority of the Igbo nation is security.

“How we are perceived as a people is borne out of our feeling of insecurity in the country. Our leadership will find out how to reduce this vulnerability of our people.

“I am ready to provide leadership and we shall not disappoint,” he said.

Obiozor commended President 

Muhammadu Buhari,

 governors, ministers and National Assembly members from the region, sociocultural organisations and others who congratulated him after his emergence to lead Ohaneze Ndigbo.

“We must invent a well defined common course for our people. We must unite our people. We need a leadership that will be progressive.

“I, therefore, call on our people to join hands with us to bring accelerated development to our place,” Obiozor said.