NLC President, Wabba worst in Nigeria’s history – Deji Adeyanju

 

Deji Adeyanju, the convener of Concerned Nigerians, has slammed Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, over the latest fuel price increases in the country.

The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) on Thursday night announced the new increment on its website, explaining that it was due to the market determinants and importation costs.

This is coming days after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) assured Nigerians there would be no price hike in the price of PMS in the country.

PPPRA fixed the lower band of the new fuel price at N209.61 per litre and upper band at N212.61 per litre.

Reacting, Adeyanju in a tweet described the inaction of the NLC as a shame.

According to him, Wabba is the most useless NLC presidency in the history of Nigeria.

The popular Abuja based activist in a post on his Twitter page wrote: “You are the most useless NLC president in the history of Nigeria.

“Six fuel price increases , no single protest or mass action nationwide. A shame.

“Useless NLC will not do anything about the fuel price hike.”

Adeyanju further described President Muhammadu Buhari as a ‘heartless’ president for increasing the fuel price to N212 per liter.

“Nigerian government hikes fuel price to N212 per litre. Change is here indeed. Buhari is just heartless,” he added.

Queen and Prince Philip 'saddened' over Meghan & Harry interview- Palace statement in full

 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were the subject of an explosive two-hour interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sunday night, in which they delivered their side of the story of events since stepping down from their roles as senior royals in January 2020.

 The couple have since lived in Montecito, California, and haven't said anything about their exit from the UK until Sunday's prime-time special. 

The interview aired in the UK last night, and laid forth a number of accusations of race, bullying and mental health denial within the Royal Family, and for the first time admitted the Duchess of Sussex had experienced suicidal thoughts while living in Britain. 

The statement said: "The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip statement in full 

Neither the Queen, nor anyone in the Royal Family, had responded to the allegations laid forth in the interview – until now. 

The Palace has released a statement from the monarch and Duke of Edinburgh detailing how they feel following the revelations this weekend. 

"The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning.

"While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.

"Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members."

The interview was first aired in the US on Sunday night on CBS before being broadcast onto British screens on Monday. 

24 hours on from the interview’s own broadcast, senior members of the family are said to have been engaged in crisis talks about the allegations. 

The Times reported that the Queen had refused to sign off on an initial prepared statement officials hoped would ease tensions and show the royal’s loss for the couple. 

The reason for the delay is understood to be because the Queen wanted more time to consider her reply to the couple and the allegations put forth about the family. 

One source told reporters Prince Harry had “pressed the nuclear button on his own family” by doing the two-hour interview. 

We've Got the Deets on the '90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?' Season 6 Cast

 If you've been absolutely starved for interpersonal drama since the pandemic began because you've hardly left your house for the past year, you're in luck, because 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? is about to return for season 6. 

And what screams drama more than this show? Cosmopolitan can exclusively reveal that the show will return Sunday, April 25 at 8 p.m. EST on TLC. And guess what? We know which couples will be featured this season, too.

Here are the first four couples we know will for sure be on this season, and what we know about what we're going to see from all of them. Three more couples are yet to be announced.

Angela, 54 (Hazlehurst, Georgia) and Michael, 32 (Nigeria)

TLC

The last thing we saw from Angela and Michael, they had gotten married in Nigeria and were looking forward to spending their lives together. But soon after the wedding, the couple received sad news regarding Angela's mother's health, and she had to fly back home to the U.S. When her mom later passed away, the two were separated by the pandemic. During this season, they'll grapple with Angela's decision to have weight loss surgery and Michael's desire to have kids. And based on the trailer it looks like there's something about a tracking device??

Kalani, 32 (Washington, Utah) and Asuelu, 25 (Samoa)

TLC

The Weeknd says he will boycott the Grammys going forward

 

The Weeknd has announced he will boycott the Grammy Awards going forward, again slamming the Recording Academy's perceived lack of transparency in selecting nominees.

The "Blinding Lights" singer, who was shut out of this year's Grammy nominations, said in a statement to The New York Times, "Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys."

"The secret committees" refers to the Grammys' complicated and obscure nomination process, which involves anonymous committees who review the nominees chosen by the Recording Academy's membership. (Voting members of the body include "performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, instrumentalists, and other creators currently working in the recording industry," according to the Grammys' official website.) Ultimately, the committee members have the final say over who and what is nominated, voting via confidential ballot to select each category's finalists.

Representatives for the Recording Academy didn't immediately respond to EW's request for comment.

The Grammys have come under renewed scrutiny in recent years, after longstanding accusations of bias against Black artists and women in particular. The Weeknd follows Frank Ocean in opting not to submit his music for Grammy consideration in protest, while artists including Drake, Kanye West, and Ariana Grande have criticized or publicly clashed with the awards show.

Last year, furthermore, Recording Academy chief Deborah Dugan was fired after just five months in her position, and mere days before the Grammy Awards ceremony. Though the academy alleged misconduct by Dugan, she claimed her dismissal was "retaliation" for raising concerns about the "boys' club" atmosphere and corruption within the organization.

The Weeknd previously slammed the Grammys in November, after this year's nominees were announced.

"The Grammys remain corrupt," he wrote on Twitter at the time. "You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency."

Sources close to the situation also claimed the singer was given an "ultimatum" saying he had to choose between performing at the Grammys ceremony or at the Super Bowl, which Recording Academy chief Harvey Mason Jr. denied.

"We understand that The Weeknd is disappointed at not being nominated," Mason said in a statement to EW at the time. "I was surprised and can empathize with what he's feeling. His music this year was excellent, and his contributions to the music community and broader world are worthy of everyone's admiration."

The Recording Academy has taken several steps in the last year to diversify its membership, inviting more than 2,000 new members in July and implementing numerous recommendations to help better its representation.

"The changes have been transformative," Mason told The New York Times.

The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards air Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS.

NSCDC arraign two for allegedly raping minors in Oyo

 

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Oyo State on Thursday arraigned two people over allegations of rape.

The two suspects were arraigned by the Anti Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit of the Command, before the Magistrate Adetuyibi P O at the Iyaganku Family Court 2.

One of the suspects, Olaniyi Segun an indigene of Ondo State who lives at No 3 Farayola Street Bodija Ibadan, aged 26 yrs, is an attendant in a hotel.

He lured a female minor name withheld aged 16yrs to his apartment when the victim was sent on an errand to buy Petrol.

Olaniyi Segun raped the victim and impregnated her in the process.

The second suspect Olalekan Joshua male, 16yrs, a Barber and native of Ibadan from the Onipasan area of Odejayi raped an 8-year-old minor in her mother’s shop on December 18, 2020, around 8pm.

Magistrate Adetuyibi P O. of family Court 2 Iyaganku Ibadan later remanded the two suspects at Abolongo Correctional Service in Oyo and adjourned the case to 15th May 2021.

The state commandant of NSCDC, Mr. Iskilu Akinsanya who frowned at the two incidents, warned all people indulging in such acts to desist as the NSCDC will not hesitate to punish offenders.

He admonished parents to take proper care of their children and also encouraged them to be disciplined and contented with what they are given.

Police declare Anambra govt official wanted over child trafficking

 

The Police in Anambra State has declared an Anambra State government official, Mrs Sabina Izuora wanted, over alleged involvement in child trafficking.

Mrs Izuora was alleged to have sold three children, who were recently rescued from a home in Onitsha, where a woman and her mother who operate a ministry was said to have locked them up, waiting to pound them in a mortar for ritual purposes.

The state police command’s spokesperson, CSP Haruna Mohammed who disclosed this during the parade of suspects said, “The Anambra State Police Command has declared Mrs Sabina Izuora wanted in connection with alleged cases of child trafficking, stealing, forgery and perjury.

“The Command enjoins Ndi Anambra and the general public to apprehend or report at the nearest police station or call police emergency numbers whenever they see her. Mrs Sabina Izuorah ‘f’ was formerly a staff of Social welfare Dept Awka South LGA but recently transferred to Social Welfare Department Ihiala LGA.

Meanwhile, the state police command has paraded Rejoice Raymond, ‘f’, aged 39 years and Mrs Chidi Felicia Nwafor, said to be her mother, over the illegal detention and torture of two boys and a girl in 3-3 area of Onitsha.

The children were, however, rescued on the 19th of February, following privileged information, shared with the police command by good spirited individuals.

CSP Harun Mohammed, the spokesperson of the command who paraded the suspects said, “Suspects allegedly confined three children (2 boys and a girl) inside different rooms at No.13 Akunwanta Mbamalu Street, Federal Housing Estate, Onitsha, and subjected them to physical and emotional torture without food and inflicted several wounds on their bodies, leaving them unconscious and at the point of death.

“The victims who were badly battered with lacerations all over their bodies, one with a broken arm, were found in the pool of their blood, rescued and rushed to the hospital for medical attention. Exhibits recovered at the scene included some fetish substances, blood-stained canes, concoctions and other incriminating items.”

Mohammed said, “Preliminary investigations revealed that the three children were allegedly sold to the suspects by a notorious child trafficking kingpin named Sabina Izoura ‘f’ who has been on the police wanted list for child trafficking, child stealing and forgery.

“Further investigations also revealed that the suspect was involved in unlawful adoptions, using forged police reports, forged authorisation letters from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and sworn court affidavits, to sell children stolen from all parts of the country to her waiting customers, both within and outside Nigeria; including a recent attempt to smuggle out two children (a boy and a girl) allegedly stolen from Niger State since 2018.”

He said all the children recovered by the police are presently under the protective care of the Anambra State Ministry for Social Welfare, Women’s and Children’s Affairs, pending when their biological parents will surface.

We are not racist – Prince William fires back at Harry, Meghan Markle

 

Prince William on Thursday, defended the British royal family, after his younger brother Harry and wife Meghan Markle, accused them of racism in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

“We’re very much not a racist family,” William said during a visit to a London school today, the Daily Mail reports.

Meghan admitted she contemplated committing suicide after joining the royal family.

She also raised allegations of racism in the monarchy during the explosive television interview on Sunday.

The former actress claimed there were concerns about the skin colour of her unborn son.

“In those months when I was pregnant… we have in tandem the conversation of ‘he won’t be given security, he’s not going to be given a title’ and also concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he’s born,” Meghan said.