One dies, others trapped as Foursquare building collapses

At least one person died, while several others were trapped in Lagos on Tuesday as a four-storey building under construction belonging to Foursquare Gospel Church, collapsed.

The building on Bashiru Street, Berger, collapsed as some artisans were carrying out carpentry work on it.

We learnt that the incident happened around 3.30pm.

The cause of the collapse could not be ascertained, but observers said it might have been caused by the use of substandard materials.

A 15-year-old apprentice, Joshua Ayandokun, who was among the artisans that were working on the building, escaped being trapped in the building.

I have murdered poverty – Saka

                                               Hafiz Oyetoro

Hafiz Oyetoro’s controversial move from Etisalat to MTN as a brand face seems to have changed his fortune for good, writes CHUX OHAI

South Africa-based scholar, Prof. Kole Omotosho, and lecturer at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Hafiz Oyetoro, do not belong to the same generation. The distance between Nigeria and SA also implies that they cannot be meeting each other constantly. Yet, they both have something in common.

They have the enviable record of successfully combining their work as lecturers with advertising. Apart from the fact that Omotosho is a writer, best known for his controversial novel about Nigeria – Just Before Dawn – he has made a name for himself in SA where his face has graced several advert bill boards. The latest is the one in which he is advertising for Fidelity Bank Plc.

Sir Alex Ferguson factfile

                                         *Sir Alex Fergoson
LONDON (AFP) – Factfile on Alex Ferguson, who announced his retirement as Manchester United manager on Wednesday:

Name: Alexander Chapman Ferguson

Age: 71

Date of birth: December 31, 1941

Place of birth: Glasgow, Scotland

Playing career

Position: Striker

How women can earn more

Meg, a married woman with two children, presently earns N60,000 as monthly salary. In order for her to earn this amount she left her husband behind and relocated to a cosmopolitan city with her children. Her reason? She wanted to make enough money to supplement her husband’s income to support the children’s education.

A quick analysis of the monthly salary, in relation to the costs of living in the city, means a big chunk of the salary doesn’t belong to her. She will give a portion to transport owners, a part she will give for clothing to enable her dress well to fit into where she works, she will pay market women for food items and other basic needs. Also, she may have to buy lunch for herself while at work and if she is a religious gal, she will pay her dues of offering and ten per cent. At the end of all payments, she will be left with less than N20, 000 as real income.

I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E: Bank detain female customer 3 days for default in payment of loan

                                         *The Micro Finance Bank (Insert Mrs Rose Abbey)
A Petty trader, Mrs. Rose Abbey got what she didn’t bargain for when she was allegedly detained in a Micro Finance Bank at Ipaja area of Lagos, for failing to pay a weekly N2,000 earlier agreed on towards offsetting the N17,000 loan she borrowed from the bank.

It was alleged that she was abducted and beaten up before she was locked up in a room at the bank located at 170/ 172, Ipaja Road Baruwa on April 25. She was, however, released three days later. Before then, she was allegedly neither allowed to have access to members of her family nor given food. The housewife who hails from Edo state later regained her freedom, after her friend paid the N2,000 to the bank.

Workers insist on 10% equity in PHCN

WORKERS in the nation’s electricity sector, have insisted that they will not forgo the 10 percent equity share in the assets of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, being privatized by the Federal Government in accordance with the law setting up the National Council on Privatisation, NCP.

This came as they urged Government to come up with a policy statement on metering of customers in the sector because of seeming confusion over provision of meters to customers. Under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, and its Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, counterpart said any individual or group who buy any of the assets 100 percent, does so at his or her own risk.

Youths protest Ekiti varsity student murder

ADO-EKITI— Scores of youths, mainly students, yesterday, staged a protest at Ilupeju Ekiti over the killing of 400 level student of Ekiti State University, Mr. Seyi Fasere.

Fasere was killed in controversial circumstances in February 28, in Oye Ekiti by the police after some armed bandits struck at a first generation bank in the town.


*PROTEST: Youths and students protesting the killing of a student of Ekiti State University in Ilupeju-Ekiti, yesterday.

Breaking news: Manchester United, Alex Ferguson retires

LONDON (AFP) – Alex Ferguson is to retire as Manchester United manager at the end of this season, the English Premier League champions announced Wednesday, bringing down the curtain on one of the most successful careers football has known.


Ferguson, 71, has been in charge at Old Trafford for 26 years, guiding United to 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns.

“The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time,” Ferguson said in a statement released by the club.

Bloodbath in Borno as 22 policemen,14 prison officials, others killed

                                 

MAIDUGURI— Boko Haram militants, yesterday, launched series of coordinated attacks on Police, Army and Prison formations in Bama town, Borno State, leaving no fewer thatn 55 persons dead.

JTF spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, who conducted newsmen round the affected places in company of the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel AG Laka, confirmed that the dead include 22 policemen, 14 prison officials, 2 soldiers, 13 Boko Haram members, one woman who just got married to a police corporal and three children.

The burnt Bama Police Barracks yesterday

100 LASPOTECH students donate blood

AT least 100 students of Lagos State Polytechnic have participated in the just concluded voluntary blood donation exercise which took place in the Ikorodu main campus recently.

During the exercise organised in conjunction with the Lagos State Blood Transfusion committee, Nigerians were urged to donate blood voluntarily without expecting financial reward.

A member of the committee, Mr. Solomon Eka, described blood donation as an important exercise in saving lives adding, ” Nigerians should show concern when privileged to do so.”

Nigerian doctors seek national policy on e-Health

FEDERAL government has been urged to urgently develop and establish an effective strategy for the implementation of e- Health in Nigeria.

President of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele who made the plea in Lagos, regretted that Nigeria is yet to explore the many benefits of e-Health, which he described as a safe, secure, ethical and cost effective transmission and exchange of health data and information

Enabulele, who called for implementation of the strategy through the Federal Ministries of Health, Communications and Technology, spoke during the 53rd NMA Annual Conference with the theme: “e-Health and its potentials for Improving Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria” sponsored by Dettol.

Uncivilised treatment of female suspects

THE herding of male and female suspects into a detention cell or prison is one more example of the callousness and human rights violation perpetrated by the police and other law enforcement agencies in the country. Undoubtedly, it is an action not associated with decent societies as it violates the United Nations rules for the treatment of women prisoners and offenders. Regrettably, Nigeria seems to be descending into this immoral abyss without the authorities realising it or aware of its dangers. The UN specifically states that women must be kept in separate quarters from men; and girls in separate quarters from boys. There is an urgent need to educate and train security agents on gender-specific rights of those in detention.

Burna Boy signs Glo ambassador deal

                                             *Burna Boy
‘Like to party’ crooner Damini Burna Boy Ogulu has signed an ambassadorial deal with telecom giant Glo worth over 10 million naira. Burna Boy broke the news himself on twitter.

It is reported he replaced Wande Coal who had earlier been in negotiation with Glo but was later dropped

Lewd lyrics: Mountain Dew drops Lil Wayne as spokesperson

Mountain Dew has severed business relationship with American rapper Lil Wayne over lewd lyrics on 14-year-old Emmett Till, who was killed nearly 60 years ago.

Emmett was killed in Mississippi in 1955 for allegedly flirting with a white woman. He was beaten to the extent that his face was unrecognizable when his body was discovered. He was identified by a monogrammed ring belonging to his father.

Lil Wayne’s Future’s Karate Chop leaked online containing the lyric, “I’mma beat the pu**y up like Emmett Till”

Travelling on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway with tears

                                         A failed section at Adura Bus/Stop.

 Travelling on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway can best be described as nightmarish, given the number of potholes motorists have to contend with.

Although it is a federal road, it covers some parts of Lagos State. Right from Oshodi, Iyana Ipaja, down to Meiran, Ijaiye, Alakuko, among others, Lagosisans are currently suffering from the deplorable state the road has fallen into.

Worsened by floods from recent rains, countless potholes, which cause gridlocks, have surfaced in several sections. This causes untold hardship to motorists and commuters, who spend endless hours in traffic snarls, which have become a regular feature on that road. A motorist says between Iyana Ipaja and Sango alone, a distance of about seven kilometres, he has counted up to 52 potholes.