Why I joined Manchester United – Amorim
New Manchester United boss, Ruben Amorim, has revealed his reason for joining the top Premier League club.Amorim, who left his Portuguese top-flight side, Sporting CP, to move to Old Trafford, claimed he felt a connection with the Red Devils, which pushed him to join the club. The 39-year-old former Portugal international added that Manchester United’s history also drove him, and he wanted to ensure they were back to their best. He told United’s official website that it was important for him to connect with the people at the club. “First of all, I think I felt a connection with the club. And when I say with the club, everybody knows Man United,” the Portuguese said. “But I feel the connection with the people in the club and that is very important for me because I want to work with people that I like and I feel a connection. “The second point is the history of this club. All the people are hungry for success and I feel that this is the place that I want to be also because of that, because you can be part of something special, not just one more. And that is something that I really like. “But when you see the games here, when you see the games, the interaction with the managers, with the players, even in difficult moments, I think it is a special club,” he added.
‘F**k you’ – Brazil’s first lady swears at Elon Musk at G20 event
Brazil’s first lady, Janja Lula da Silva, swore while addressing billionaire Elon Musk during a G20 event on the weekend, at which she spoke about the need to regulate social media to rein in misinformation. A ship’s horn sounded as she spoke Saturday and she joked, “I think it’s Elon Musk,” before adding, “I’m not afraid of you, f**k you, Elon Musk.” Musk, owner of social media network X, reacted to a video of her remarks by posting a laughing out loud (LOL) emoji graphic. In another post, he added, “They are going to lose the next election,” in a reference to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The president’s wife spoke at an event ahead of the Rio de Janeiro summit of the G20 group of largest nations set for Monday and Tuesday. X was suspended in Brazil for a month this year for failing to name a legal representative in the country and ignoring the top court’s orders to block accounts accused of spreading “fake news” and hate messages. X was cleared to resume service in Brazil last month, after it reversed course and started complying with the court rulings.
LAWMA seals office, cracks down on illegal waste disposal practices
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has ramped up enforcement across the state, sealing off Ile Iyan, a business place located on Herbert Macaulay Way, Sabo, Yaba, for violating waste disposal rules. The agency has also launched a major crackdown on illegal cart pushers to address growing environmental concerns. Speaking on the action via their X page on Wednesday, LAWMA’s Managing Director and CEO, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, revealed that the facility was shut down due to reckless waste disposal practices. Gbadegesin said, “Our operatives discovered evidence of Ile Iyan’s waste disposal at an illegal dumpsite near Aje Comprehensive High School’s fence in Sabo, Yaba. Although the facility claimed to have enlisted with LAWMA, they were unable to provide any proof of registration or documentation. This left us with no choice but to seal off their premises to compel compliance.” Gbadegesin stressed LAWMA’s commitment to strict enforcement, insisting that all businesses in Lagos must adhere to waste management regulations to ensure a cleaner, healthier environment for residents. “Every business operating in Lagos must be registered with LAWMA and comply with approved waste management guidelines. Defaulters will face strict penalties, including the sealing of their premises. This will help us safeguard our environment, making it livable for all residents.” Also, the agency also extended its crackdown to illegal cart pushers operating in areas like Ejigbo, Isolo, and Somolu. Gbadegesin described these cart pushers as a significant threat to LAWMA’s efforts, accusing them of indiscriminate waste dumping that harms the environment and endangers public health. “These illegal cart pushers are sabotaging our work. They dump waste carelessly, degrading the environment and putting residents at risk of serious health problems. We urge Lagosians to stop patronizing them. Anyone caught will face arrest and prosecution. Instead, residents should use assigned PSP operators for proper waste disposal,” he said. Referring to the legal basis for LAWMA’s actions, Gbadegesin highlighted the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law. “Section 82 (1) of the law clearly states that dumping waste in unauthorised locations, such as road medians, is illegal. Offenders risk fines of not less than ₦25,000 and potential jail term under Section 109. These regulations exist to protect our environment and the health of Lagosians,” Gbadegesin noted. LAWMA is working closely with other state agencies, including the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), to prosecute violators and uphold environmental standards. Moreso, Gbadegesin highlighted, “There is no hiding place for defaulters. With the support of sister agencies, we will continue to arrest and prosecute those who flout waste management laws. Our goal is to make Lagos cleaner, safer, and more sustainable for everyone.” Calling on Lagos residents, the managing director charged thm to take responsibility for proper waste disposal, emphasizing the collective effort needed to maintain a sustainable environment. Therefore, Gbadegesin warned that improper waste disposal contributes to preventable issues like flooding and the spread of diseases such as cholera.
FG sacks FUHSO Pro-Chancellor over misconduct
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has issued a dismissal letter to Ohieku Salami, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences (FUHSO), Otukpo, Benue State over misconduct. This decision came after Salami allegedly took illegal actions, “including the suspension of the Vice-Chancellor without following the prescribed procedures.” The announcement of the sacked lPro-Chancellor was dated on Wednesday. According to Punch, the Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folashade Boriowo, noted that despite calls for the unlawful suspension to be revoked, Salami refused to comply. Moreover, Salami resorted to abusive and threatening behavior toward the ministry’s directors, including the Permanent Secretary. The Federal Government underscored that the responsibility of the university governing council is to ensure the university operates smoothly in accordance with the principles of law, due process, and accountability. Alausa has directed the appointment of a new Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council for FUHSO, urging them to restore proper governance. President Bola Tinubu has called for progressive governance among universities, as his administration focuses on making improvements. In a separate incident, President Tinubu has called for the dissolution of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, in Anambra State, and the removal of the new Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bernard Odoh, along with the Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Nwokike. The dissolution and removals came after a controversy escalated, with the FG being asked to address the situation following the alleged illegal appointment and selection process of the council. The ordered resolution includes the removal of five council members, including Greg Mbadiwe, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioeran Osahon, and Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin.
Kenya, US forge strong anti-drug partnership
As the fight against illegal drug usage continues, the authority of Kenya and its United State (US) partners has united to fight against narcotic abuse among Kenyans. Kenya’s Delegation on Cooperation and Partnership in combating drug abuse, led by Mr. Mohamed Amin, Director of Criminal Investigations, met with Mr. George Papadopoulos, Principal Deputy Administrator of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to discuss strategies for tackling narcotics. The meeting was held on Wednesday. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to addressing the challenges of drug sale, distribution, and consumption. The U.S. pledged to support Kenya by providing training, resources, and strategic guidance to enhance its fight against drug trafficking. Kenya thanked the U.S. for its ongoing partnership and highlighted the importance of joint initiatives. These efforts strengthen law enforcement, improve intelligence-sharing, and promote grassroots awareness campaigns to curb drug abuse. The collaboration also boosts forensic capabilities, equips local officers with specialized training, and launches youth-focused outreach programs targeting vulnerable communities. This meeting solidified the partnership between Kenya and the U.S. as both nations reinforced their shared vision of creating a safer, drug-free society through collective action and community engagement.
Russia arrests German citizen on sabotage allegations
The Russian domestic intelligence service, the FSB, has reportedly arrested a German citizen in Kaliningrad on Wednesday for allegedly planning acts of sabotage. Upon entering the Russian Baltic Sea exclave from Poland, 50 grams of liquid explosives were allegedly seized in his car, which he had driven from his home in Hamburg. According to the Russian news agency, the FSB alleged that the man had received orders from a Ukrainian man who also lives in Hamburg to carry out some sort of attack. Russian authorities also suspect the German man of having carried out an explosives attack on a gas distribution station in the Kaliningrad region in March. According to Russian media reports, the FSB alleges that the man again intended to damage Russian energy facilities when he re-entered Russia. He has been remanded in custody on charges of terrorism and smuggling explosives, and Russian authorities are searching for suspected accomplices in the alleged plot. However, there was no independent confirmation of these accusations by the Russian intelligence service. Russian news agencies reported that the man in question is a German national who was born in 1967 in Hamburg. The German Foreign Office in Berlin said it is keeping itself informed of the case but did not have immediate comment on the allegations and the man’s arrest. Relations between Russia and NATO countries, including Germany, have been at their worst point in decades since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. During the conflict, Russian authorities have repeatedly arrested foreign citizens on hotly disputed charges, including in several incidents which Western governments have denounced as false or trumped-up cases.Russia has been accused of trying to use foreign citizens as bargaining chips for possible prisoner exchanges.
120 Afghan couples marry in mass wedding ceremony
A charity organization on Wednesday organized a mass wedding ceremony for about 240 grooms and brides in western Afghanistan’s Herat province. Mawlawi Abdul Sadiqi, head of the organization said each newlywed couple was gifted household appliances, including carpet, blanket, and kitchen tools valued at 100,000 afghani (about 1,460 U.S. dollars). Young people may have to wait for years to have their wedding ceremonies due to unemployment, the economic crisis, the high cost of lavish dowries and expensive gifts in the poverty-stricken country.Earlier, a mass wedding event was held in northern Sari Pul province, where 100 couples got married. The Afghan caretaker government has repeatedly called on people to prevent irrational marriage customs and avoid wasting money on wedding ceremonies.
Stranded Zamfara students in Cyprus: Parents seek Lawal’s intervention
The parents and guardians of the Zamfara students stranded in Cyprus have called for Governor Dauda Lawal’s urgent intervention. The Chairman of the parent’s association, Ibrahim Tudu, made the appeal while addressing newsmen in Gusau on Wednesday. Tudu called on the state government to take tentative measures to rescue their children. He said, “This is to highlight our concern about the condition of our 88 children sent on scholarship by the Zamfara Government studying various courses at Cyprus International University Nicosia, facing numerous problems currently. “We would like to clear that the affected students are bonafide indigenes and citizens of Zamfara from decent backgrounds and families. “They secured the offer of scholarships to study in Cyprus based on their academic performances, competency examinations and screening interviews, all conducted by the State Scholarship Board under the previous administration,” he said. “I would like to use this medium to inform the state government based on our daily communication with all the 88 students currently in Cyprus that they are facing numerous problems. “They are facing lack of feeding, accommodation, upkeep allowances , their safety, studies and serious state of mental health as a result of the non-payment of registration, tuition and students’ allowances.” Tudu added that the students were now in great pain and encountering a lot of hardship as they were ejected from their school accommodation. “They are now living in a Mosque and rented houses where they are being harassed for non-payment of rent. “In fact, the female students among them are facing multiple problems,” he lamented. According to Tudu, the student’s International Passports and Cyprus resident permits had since expired and they were at the risk of being caught at the other side of the law of foreign land. “They are facing various challenges that may lead to their detention, imprisonment, and deportation to Nigeria as well as risking their lives. “We are appealing to the state government to immediately save the lives of these students without further delay,” he urged.
Man to sweep court premises for 3 weeks over tiles theft
A Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, ordered an unemployed man, Vincent Danladi, to sweep the court premises for three weeks for stealing one carton of floor tiles and other items worth N130,000. The police had earlier charged Danladi, 30, of Ungwan Pama in Kaduna, with theft. Delivering ruling, Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel, said the court took into consideration the fact that Danladi was a first time offender. He ordered the convict to report to the court for three weeks to sweep the premises, after he pleaded guilty to the offence without an option of fine. Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Chidi Leo, told the court that defendant and two others at large, on Nov. 9, stole a carton of 3×3 floor tiles from a house under renovation in Sabon Tasha in Kaduna. Leo said the defendant and his accomplices also stole one bucket of paint and one carton of wall tiles, all valued at N130,000. He added that the defendant was however arrested and the items were recovered from him in the cause of investigation. He said that the offence contravened Penal Code of Kaduna State 2017.
I-G sues Andy Uba, others over alleged N400m fraud
The Inspector-General (IG) of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, has sued former Senator representing Anambra South, Andy Uba, and two others, for alleged fraud . The IG, in a two-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/538/2024 filed before Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja, joined Crystal Uba and Benjamin Etu as 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively. The charge, dated Oct. 8, was filed on Oct. 10 by Abdulrashid Sidi in the Legal/Prosecution Section at the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja. In count one, Uba, Crystal, Etu and Hajiya Fatima now at large, sometimes in 2022, were alleged to have conspired amongst themselves to commit the offence. Una and others were accused of obtaining by false pretence, by making a presentation to George Uboh that they had perfected ways for the appointment of the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to any interested persons who could afford N400 million. “A presentation which you know is not true and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006.” In count two, the defendants and Fatima, who is at large, in 2022 within the jurisdiction of the court, were alleged to have conspired amongst themselves with intention to defraud and induced George Uboh by making a presentation to him that they had perfected way to give an appointment of the post of Managing Directorship of NDDC to any interested person who could afford the sum of N400 million. “A presentation which you know is not true. You obtained the money and converted it into your own personal use and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (2) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006,” the count read in part. Uboh, in a letter dated April 5, 2023, and addressed to the I-G, said the petition was based on documentary and voice recording. According to Uboh, the evidence is overwhelming and irrefutable. No fewer than six witnesses had been listed to testify against the ex-lawmaker and others.Justice Ekwo adjourned their arraignment until Feb. 18, 2025. The adjournment followed a complaint by M.L. Anthony, who appeared for the I-G on Nov. 13, that the defendants had been evading the service of the court documents despite being given administrative bail. Anthony told the court that they had been on the matter since 2023. He said the defendants obtained a fundamental rights enforcement order which had prevented the police from bringing them to court. The lawyer said it was until after the order was lifted that the defendants were finally charged before the judge. Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter to allow the defendants take their plea.
