Nigerian superstar, Wizkid has won ‘Best Music Video‘ for his role in ‘Brown Skin Girl‘ at the 63rd Grammy Award.
He won the award alongside Beyonce, who owns the song and featured artists, Saint Jhn and Blue Ivy. The award will also go to Jenn Nkiru who directed the video.
— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) March 14, 2021
The song was made for Beyonce’s album, ‘Lion King:The Gift’ which featured other Nigerian artists.
Wizkid will get the Gramophone for his role on the song and in its video. The rules provide that the artists, producer and video director will get a statuette for this category.
Nigerian international and Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho’s first Premier League hat-trick inspired Leicester City to a 5-0 demolition of bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United at the King Power Stadium.
It was Paul Heckingbottom’s first game as interim coach of Sheffield United after Chris Wilder departed the club on Saturday.
Leicester started to dominate possession early and created chances through Ayoze Perez and Jamie Vardy, but the Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale did brilliantly to save both efforts. Before halftime, Vardy made a run down the left flank and unselfishly squared the ball to Iheanacho for an easy tap-in to make it 1-0 to the hosts.
Nigerian international and Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho scores first goal during Premier League match against Sheffield United
The Foxes continued to press the visitors in the second half and the Super Eagles striker set up Vardy twice. However, the former England striker failed to convert and his run of seven games without a goal continued.
Leicester’s second eventually came when half-time substitute Marc Albrighton picked out Perez after a great run down the right wing. Perez fired the ball into the bottom corner of the net to extend the lead for the hosts.
Shortly after, Iheanacho added his second goal of the afternoon after a neat one-two with Vardy. The Nigerian found himself in the box and fired the ball into the net to make it 3-0 to the hosts.
Kelechi Iheanacho fires in Leicester’s third goal during match against Sheffield United
With two goals already in the game, Iheanacho was in the mood and wasn’t planning to stop there. The Nigerian has been displaying his great abilities in recent games and his potential was finally being realised against Sheffield United.
Five minutes later, fellow Nigerian Wilfred Ndidi found Iheanacho in the middle of the opposition half, and the striker worked himself into space before firing the ball from 25 yards out into the right bottom corner of the net.
Kelechi Iheanacho celebrates first Premier League hat-trick during match against Sheffield United
Leicester’s fifth goal came when Vardy’s cross was turned into the net at close range by Sheffield defender Ethan Ampadu for an own goal to round off the demolition of Sheffield United.
It was a vital win for Leicester, who move into second place above Manchester United. Sheffield United remain at the bottom of the table with 14 points.
With a number of Leicester players out injured, Man of the match Iheanacho has been showing why he deserves a regular spot in the starting eleven team. He has scored in three successive Premier League games for the first time.
“[Iheanacho] has been in great form, he’s playing at a really high level,” Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers said. “It wasn’t just his goals, he is dropping in short to get into the right spaces that we wanted him to where we could take advantage of it.”
“Him and Jamie up front, the combination was very good with Ayoze in behind. His [Vardy’s] movement is just so good and it allows the players to get up with him.”
London police faced criticism from the public on Sunday and an official inquiry into their actions after using heavy-handed tactics to break up an outdoor vigil for a woman whose suspected killer is a police officer.
The disappearance of Sarah Everard, 33, as she walked home on the evening of March 3, has provoked a huge outpouring of grief and dismay in Britain at the failure of police and wider society to tackle violence against women.
Police had denied permission for a vigil on Saturday evening at London’s Clapham Common, near where Everard was last seen alive, citing regulations aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
But hundreds of people, mostly women, gathered peacefully at the park in defiance of the ban to pay their respects to Everard throughout Saturday, including Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Later on Saturday dozens of police officers marched into the crowd to shouts of “shame on you”. Scuffles broke out and officers dragged women away from the scene.
London police chief Cressida Dick backed her officers and said that they needed to make a very difficult judgement.
“We’re still in a pandemic, unlawful gatherings are unlawful gatherings, officers have to take action if people are putting themselves massively at risk,” Dick told reporters.
Asked if she was considering resigning, she said: “No, I’m not.”
Home Secretary Priti Patel, the minister in charge of policing, described footage of the incident as “upsetting”. Her office said she had ordered an independent inquiry after an initial police report left some questions unanswered.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also said he was not satisfied with police chiefs’ explanation of the events and said officers’ conduct must be examined.
An image of officers handcuffing a woman on Saturday night as she lay on the floor was widely shared and condemned on social media.
The woman, Patsy Stevenson, told LBC radio: “The main point that everyone was trying to get across when everything happened is that women don’t feel safe, they don’t feel safe walking down a street and that’s the bare minimum we should feel the freedom to do.”
She said she was fined 200 pounds ($278) for breaching COVID regulations
Everard’s murder has resonated with woman across the country, prompting thousands to share on social media their experiences of violence and sexual assaults perpetrated by men, and vividly describe the daily fear they feel.
On Sunday, hundreds gathered outside police headquarters and marched to a grassy square outside parliament where they lay down en masse in calm protest. Some carried anti-police placards, while others protested against violence against women.
Separately, a steady flow of quiet mourners continued to visit the site of the vigil, placing flowers around a bandstand.
A police officer charged with Everard’s murder appeared in court on Saturday. Police discovered her body on Wednesday in woodland about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of London. The court heard that her body was found in a builder’s refuse bag, and identified using dental records.
The top infectious disease expert in the United States, Dr Anthony Fauci has urged former US President Donald Trump to encourage his supporters to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as recent polls show high levels of hesitancy among Republicans.
Dr Fauci said on Sunday “if he came out and said: ‘Go and get vaccinated. It’s really important for your health, the health of your family and the health of the country,’ it seems absolutely inevitable that the vast majority of people who are his close followers would listen to him,” Fauci said during an interview on the Fox News Sunday programme.
There was no immediate comment from the former president’s office on Sunday.
Trump, who downplayed the threat of the virus while in office, urged people to get vaccinated late last month during a conservative political gathering in Florida.
But he was widely criticised for his administration’s handling of the pandemic, which has killed more than 534,000 people across the US and pushed millions of families into economic hardship amid a pandemic-related downturn.
The US still has the most COVID-19 cases and coronavirus-related deaths in the world, with more than 29.4 million infections and more than 534,000 deaths as of Sunday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Fauci’s comments come as Biden has sought to speed up inoculation efforts as COVID-19 infection rates slow nationally. The US president last week said he expects all adults would be eligible for a vaccine by May 1.
Just over 20 percent of the US population has received at least one COVID-19 jab so far, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while 11.1 percent are considered fully vaccinated.
The country has administered more than 105 million jabs to date.
But a recent poll conducted by Monmouth University and released on March 8 shows that one in four Americans say they do not plan to get vaccinated.
Of that, 36 percent of Republicans said they would avoid the vaccine compared with just 6 percent of Democrats, while 31 percent of independents said they want to avoid a COVID-19 jab altogether, as well.
A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey released on March 11 also found that of the 30 percent of Americans who said they do not plan on taking a COVID-19 vaccine if they have the chance, Republican men and Trump supporters were the most hesitant.
Forty-nine percent of Republican men polled and 47 percent of people who supported Trump in 2020 said they would not choose to be vaccinated.
Forty percent of white men without college degrees said the same, as did 38 percent of white evangelical Christians.
The Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through its Health and Human Services Secretariat has advised every eligible Nigerian to take the COVID-19 vaccine to curtail the further spread of the virus in the country.
Dr Mohammed Kawu, Acting Secretary of the Secretariat, gave the advice in an interview with journalists in Abuja Nigeria.
Kawu said that the country would not be considered safe until 70 per cent of the nation’s population was vaccinated against the COVID-19 pandemic.
He disclosed that FCT got 219,800 doses of vaccines from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, adding that the priority was to vaccinate all the health workers in FCT.
He explained that the brand of COVID-19 vaccine currently being used in Nigeria was safe and efficacious.
“The President of this country, the Vice President and all the political leaders of this country have taken the vaccine. If it is not safe, we are not that bad as to allow our President, Governors and other political leaders to take this vaccine. So, you can be sure this vaccine is safe.
“This vaccine is coming from a 21-year-old company, established in 1990 in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is not a Third World vaccine production facility as so many people are saying.
“The UK is presently taking this vaccine despite the hitch they got in Sweden and one other country that has withheld the administration of this vaccine.
“The UK said, as far as they are concerned, they have not seen or heard any side effects that warrant stoppage of the vaccine. The vaccine is as potent and as safe as required.
“The problem that other countries got was some people develop embolism which is common in the UK. Probably it’s a coincidence, probably it’s one of the side effects, they are not sure.
“So, they want to investigate further with the batch that they are using and the batch is ABC 1530 and that is not the batch we are using in this country and that is not the batch the UK is using; Italy too is not using it.
“So, all these countries, as far as they are concerned, the one they are using they have not seen any side effects that warrants stoppage so they are ok; they are comfortable.
“Let me also tell you, the moment this vaccine was produced, it has been under trial and testing.
“The samples were sent to all regulatory agencies of all countries, especially (including) our NAFDAC. NAFDAC has worked on all the Vaccines that have been produced in the world in case Nigeria wants to import them.
“After importing the vaccine, before they were administered, NAFDAC had to take the samples from this batch that have been produced. And processed and investigated the safety and all other parameters and they came out to say that this vaccine is perfect.
“So far as I am concerned, as a scientist, this vaccine is good, safe and efficacious and I recommend it for myself, family and all Nigerians,” Kawu said.
Security forces killed at least 14 protesters in the Hlaingthaya suburb of Myanmar’s main city on Sunday after Chinese-financed factories in the area were set ablaze, according to local media.
A further 14 people were reported killed elsewhere in Yangon and other parts of Myanmar and state television said a policeman had died in one of the bloodiest days of protests against the Feb. 1 military coup.
China’s embassy said many Chinese staff were injured and trapped in arson attacks by unidentified assailants on garment factories in Hlaingthaya and that it had called on Myanmar to protect Chinese property and citizens.
As plumes of smoke rose from the industrial area, security forces opened fire on protesters in the suburb that is home to migrants from across the country, local media said.
Myanmar Now said at least 14 protesters had been killed, according to the local hospital and a rescue worker.
Martial law was imposed in Hlaingthaya and another district of Myanmar’s commercial hub, state media announced.
Army-run Myawadday television said security forces acted after four garment factories and a fertiliser plant were set ablaze and about 2,000 people had stopped fire engines from reaching them.
A junta spokesman did not answer calls requesting comment.
Doctor Sasa, a representative of elected lawmakers from the assembly that was ousted by the army, voiced solidarity with the people of Hlaingthaya.
The latest deaths would bring the toll from the protests to well over 100 while the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners advocacy group had said over 2,100 had also been arrested by Saturday.
China’s embassy described the situation as “very severe” after the attacks on the Chinese-financed factories. It did not make a statement about the killings.
“China urges Myanmar to take further effective measures to stop all acts of violence, punish the perpetrators in accordance with the law and ensure the safety of life and property of Chinese companies and personnel in Myanmar,” its statement said.
No group claimed responsibility for burning the factories.
Anti-Chinese sentiment has risen since the coup that plunged Myanmar into turmoil, with opponents of the army takeover noting Beijing’s muted criticism compared to Western condemnation.
Only two factories had been burnt for now, protest leader Ei Thinzar Maung posted on Facebook.
Britain was appalled by the use of deadly force by security forces against innocent people in Hlaingthaya and elsewhere on Sunday, its ambassador said in a statement.
“We call for an immediate cessation of this violence and for the military regime to hand back power to those democratically elected by the people of Myanmar,” Ambassador Dan Chugg said.
Away from Hlaingthaya, at least 14 deaths were reported elsewhere in Myanmar, including in the second city of Mandalay and in Bago, where state television MRTV said a police officer had died of a chest wound after a confrontation with protesters.
He is the second policeman reported dead in the protests.
The violence came a day after Mahn Win Khaing Than, who is on the run along with most senior officials from the Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy Party, said the civilian government would seek to give people the legal right to defend themselves.
The army said it took power after its accusations of fraud in a Nov. 8 election won by Suu Kyi’s party were rejected by the electoral commission. It has promised to hold a new election, but has not set a date.
Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, said on Sunday that Nigerians can surmount their challenges, urging the people and leaders to remain undaunted and focused in the work to develop the nation.
Prof. Osinbajo stated this at the first-anniversary celebration of the administration of Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, held at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, the state capital.
Kogi State Governor, His Excellency Yahaya Bello greets The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo as Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Senator Osita Izunaso and other stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress join the Governor of Imo State.
“So, I say to you, people of Imo State and the great people of Nigeria; yes, we have work to do, yes, we have much to repair but we are undaunted, the problems we see today are the stepping stones to our great future. We are by the grace of God mightier than our challenges.” Prof. Osinbajo said.
Advising Governor Uzodinma on the provision of good governance, the Vice President identified three forms of opposition that the government must face.
“One is political opposition, the second is time and the third is the leader himself—-i.e. when the leader is discouraged or distracted. But the most critical factor is you, the leader. How you deal with time and political opposition will determine success or failure. Don’t look back. Keep focused. Stay on track.” The Vice President advised.
Referring to the bible in the book of Numbers 13, Osinbajo reminded the governor of the story of the spies that Moses sent to spy out the promised land which was then occupied by giants and enemies.
He said the majority of the spies said that they could not take the land, but few of them saw it differently and encouraged their people to take over the land.
Honouring God
The Vice President said people who occupy public offices should serve the people faithfully as a way of giving honour to God.
“So how can you or we in public office honour God? By serving the people faithfully. Serving the people is honouring God who gave you the opportunity.” He said.
Governor Hope Uzodimma and his wife, Barr. Chioma Uzodimma offer their Thanksgiving offerings for the 1st Anniversary of the Shared Prosperity Government led by Senator Hope Uzodimma
Prof. Osinbajo said that Uzodinma has started well as Governor of Imo State, and encouraged him to remain on track.
“Morning shows the day, and you have started well. I am aware that over the past year, your administration has invested extensively in the construction and rehabilitation of physical infrastructure, the rehabilitation of educational and health institutions as well as markets.
“The administration is currently undertaking a number of measures aimed at restoring power supply to rural communities and increasing power supply to urban areas.
“I know that you have also issued an executive order reducing the right of way charges for telecoms companies laying broadband infrastructure – which bodes well for the emergence of the use of technology and an innovation economy in this state.
“I understand that these are only a few of the initiatives that this administration is undertaking.
“I am told that this year’s budget has been tagged a ‘budget of wealth creation.’ This theme is apt because we recognize that our major challenge as a nation is that of creating enough wealth and opportunities to meet the expectations of our fast-growing population.
“The theme also gives an insight into your focus and orientation. Very well done.” Prof. Osinbajo said,
President of Nigeria’s Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who was also at the event, said that the willingness of the people to face their challenges makes the difference in the path of any nation to achieving greatness.
President of the Senate, His Excellency, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan on arrival in Owerri, Imo state to attend events to mark Governor Hope Uzodimma’s one year in office.
“We have some issues today; we have some security challenges; no country develops without facing challenges.
“But what makes the difference is the willingness, the capacity to fight your challenges and we can do this together and make Nigeria a safer place, a better place and provide the growth for all people of Nigeria to have a better life,” Lawan said.
In his address, Governor Uzodinma reeled out the work that his administration has done in the past year, including 46 road projects, rural electrification and tackling erosion problems.
“Another area we have made a difference in is by remaining accountable to the people. I know that I cannot govern without the full support of the Imo people. I’ve created many channels through which we can interface with the people.
“That is what informed the quarterly stakeholders’ forum to update our people on the policy directions of my administration.” Governor Uzodinma.
The Archbishop of the Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Anthony Obinna, who delivered the homily at the service, admonished Nigerian leaders to embrace the light that Jesus Christ gives to his followers instead of taking to darkness.
Archbishop Obinna blesses the Communion bread and wine at the Thanksgiving Service for the 1st Anniversary of the Shared Prosperity Government led by Senator Hope Uzodimma
He reminded Uzodinma that what his administration has achieved in the past one year was only possible through the grace of God.
The weeklong programme of activities for the governor’s first anniversary continues on Monday with the inauguration of some of the projects executed by the administration.
Italy’s northern region of Piedmont on Sunday said it would stop using a batch of AstraZeneca coronavirus shots after a teacher died following his vaccination on Saturday.
The region, around the northern city of Turin, had initially suspended all AstraZeneca vaccines in order to identify and isolate the batch from which the jab administered to the teacher, from the town of Biella, came.
The decision, following similar moves elsewhere in Europe, was precautionary and the region is awaiting the results of checks which will verify whether there is a connection between the death and the vaccination, the regional government said in an online statement.
The statement did not specify what batch it had banned nor did it say how the teacher died. Italian newspapers reported it was batch ABV5811. A source close to the regional government confirmed it was batch ABV5811.
The regional government’s statement said that the Piedmont region was also awaiting decisions from Italy’s medicine’s agency Aifa and a regional health commission on the issue.
“It is an act of extreme prudence, while we verify whether there is a connection. There have been no critical issues with the administration of vaccines to date,” Luigi Genesio Icardi, head of regional health services, said in the statement.
Italy’s medicine authority Aifa on Thursday banned the use of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine belonging to the ABV2856 batch.The decision had been taken after the deaths of two men in Silicy.
Aifa had said that the ban was precautionary, adding that no link had been established between the vaccine and subsequent “serious adverse events”.
Authorities in Denmark, Norway and Iceland have suspended the use of the vaccine over blood clotting issues, while Austria stopped using a batch of AstraZeneca shots last week while investigating a death from coagulation disorders.
The European Medicines Agency has said there is no indication that the events were caused by the vaccination, a view that was echoed by the World Health Organisation on Friday. AstraZeneca also said it had found no evidence of increased risk of deep-vein thrombosis.
Ireland also temporarily suspended AstraZeneca’s vaccine “out of an abundance of caution” on Sunday, citing reports from the Norwegian Medicines Agency regarding a cluster of serious blood clotting in some recipients there.
Earlier on Sunday, Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said vaccines in Italy and Europe were “effective and safe”, with all checks being carried out, when asked in an interview about the ban.
Mr. Kenneth Udeze, the incumbent National Chairman of Action Alliance (AA) party, has been re-elected alongside Mr. James Vernimbe as the National Secretary, to run the affairs of the party for another term.
Mr. James Vernimbe, the re-elected National Secretary of the party made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Vernimbe said that Udeze emerged winner during the party’s convention on Sunday with a total of 160 votes against his only opponent, Mr. Uzewuru Nwachukwu, who had five votes.
According to him, a total number of 180 member-delegates were present at the party’s convention in its national office in Abuja, however, only 165 delegates were accredited.
“The tenure of the present National Executive Committee of Action Alliance expired on March 13, 2021, and in pursuant to articles 13 and 34 of our constitution 2005, as amended, we held a convention.
“The convention was to elect new members of the NEC and the mode for the election of the party’s national chairman was done by Option A4, while those for the other positions in the National Executive Committee (NEC) were done by affirmation.
“Also certain internal issues were looked into and the following decisions and resolutions were unanimously reached.
“The expulsion of Mr. Adekunle Rufai Omoaje in Osun state, Mr. Olu Omotoso in Oyo and Mr. Adeyemi S.O in Oyo from the party for gross misconduct,’’ he said.
Vernimbe added that the list of the National Think Tank Committee (NTTC) of the Party was also ratified.
Those elected included Mr. Ibrahim Umar as Deputy Chairman, Alhaji Abdulahi Adamu M, Alhaji Ali Abacha and Dr. Samuel Asha as National Vice Chairmen of North West, North East and North Central respectively.
Others were Mr. Akitan Micheal, Mr. Obinna Nwofoke and Mr. Gabriel Baju as National Vice Chairmen of South West, South East and South-South, respectively.
Also, Mr. Rapheal Onakorere, Mr. Ekeng Effion-Effion, Mr. Sanusi Ibrahim, Mr Abdulahi Mohammed and Mr. Ogumodede Adeloye were elected as Deputy National Secretary, National Treasurer, Deputy National Treasurer, National Financial Secretary and Deputy National Financial Secretary.
Mr. Tanko Sulieman, Mr. Emmanuel Kyugun, Mr. Done Duke, Rev. Dennis Ubani J, Alhaji Idris Jakusko and Mr. Malachy Nwaekpe became National Auditor, Deputy National Auditor, National Organising Secretary, Deputy National Organising Secretary, National Publicity Secretary, Deputy PRO and National Legal Adviser.
Mr. Ameh Johnson, Mrs. Amie Mbadiwe, Hajia Fatima Ndakun, Mr. Bonaventure Akabude and Aliyu Idris emerged Deputy National Legal Adviser, National Women Leader, Deputy Women Leader, National Youth Leader and Deputy Youth leader.
The Philippines is on track with its COVID-19 inoculation drive, the head of the government’s vaccine strategy said on Sunday, addressing criticisms the rollout has been slow as worries grow about a surge in new cases.
The Department of Health reported 4,899 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, a day after recording the largest single-day increase in more than six months with 5,000 additional infections.
The latest tally brought the country’s total confirmed cases to 621,498, among the highest in Asia, with the reported death toll increasing by 63 to 12,829.
Carlito Galvez, who is in charge of the government’s vaccine procurement programme, said almost 90% of the more than 1 million doses that arrived so far had been deployed nationwide.
“(The government) is on track in implementing its immunisation programme and optimistic that it would be able to achieve its target of inoculating about 70% of the country’s population within this year,” Galvez said in a statement.
The country’s vaccination drive started on March 1 with 600,000 Sinovac shots donated by China. The Philippines also received an initial 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine through the COVAX facility.
The total volume is just a small fraction of the 161 million doses the government plans to acquire to inoculate 50 million to 70 million Filipinos this year.
With limited supply, only frontline medical staff and healthcare workers are being given shots at the moment.
The rise in cases has prompted mayors in Metro Manila to reimpose localised lockdowns and nighttime curfews for two weeks beginning on Monday.
In Quezon City, the capital region’s most populous city, additional restrictions will be enforced including a liquor ban and the closure of gyms, spas and internet cafes.
