President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived Bauchi, capital of Bauchi state, where a windstorm on Saturday destroyed many buildings and schools.

Buhari, who only several months ago visited the city, returned this morning to commiserate with the people over the loss of lives and property.

President Buhari had on 19 June also dispatched a team led by the minister of education, Malam Adamu Adamu to assess the damage done by the storm.

An estimated 1505 houses, including the office of The News Agency of Nigeria were destroyed by the storm.

The presidential delegation included the Director General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja.

Gov. Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi had said 349 schools were damaged across the state by the windstorm.

Abubakar disclosed this while receiving Chairman and members of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Governing Board in Bauchi on a courtesy visit.

From the report we received so far, 349 schools were affected by the recent disaster from 13 out of the 20 Local Government areas of the state.

The schools need immediate renovation because the roofs, furniture and computers were all damaged and students are about to start examination, he said.

Abubakar called on management of UBEC to assist in renovation of some of the schools, just as he urged the chairman to find time and inspect some of the affected schools.

Source: NAN

A revised animal protection law that aims to ban killings of dogs has been proposed by lawmakers in Seoul.

The proposed legislation seeks to prohibit unlawful killings of animals such as dogs and cats that are not categorized as livestock.

It also mandates people in slaughtering business to prepare measures to minimize sufferings of animals in a killing.

The current law doesnt force suffering preventions but states that slaughtering should not cause fear or stress to animals.

This proposed bill aims to ban arbitrary killings of animals and stop any gruesome acts of killing.

It will give lawful protection to animals and ban any killings of animals that fall into the gray area of the current animal protection law, Pyo Chang-won of the Democratic Party of Korea said in the press statement.

Across the country, dogs are raised and slaughtered for the dog meat trade, but are not regulated by the sanitary processing of livestock act, said Lee So-young, Pyos secretary officer.

Eating dog meat has been practiced for many pears here. However, it has met criticisms for the horrific conditions and ways in which dogs are raised, treated and later killed for the dog meat trade.

As dogs fall into the gray area in the law, there are still many cases in which dogs are slaughtered cruelly in unreported places, Lee So-young, secretary of lawmaker Pyo Chang-Won of the Democratic Party of Korea, told UPI.

This revised law responds to the growing interest in animal protection and the need for a legislation that would offer practical measures to prevent animal abuse and illegal killings, said Lee.

Source:

Source: NAN

The Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has dismissed Prof. Richard Akindele who was allegedly involved in a sex-for-marks scandal.

Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, the Vice Chancellor of OAU, announced Akindele’s dismissal in a statement on Wednesday in Ile-Ife.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the vice chancellor of the university had on April 19 confirmed the suspension of Akindele pending the findings of the investigative panel.

Miss Monica Osagie, a student in the Masters of Business programme, had released a recorded telephone conversation, which went viral, in which the lecturer identified as Akindele demanded five rounds of sex to enhance her marks.

Ogunbodede said that the University Senate at its meeting on June 14 considered the committee’s finding that Akindele had an inappropriate relationship with his student.

He said this was established through their conversation in the audio recording, his reply to the query, the oral evidence and the printed ‘WhatsApp conversations’ tendered before the committee.

The vice chancellor said Akindele had acted in a manner that compromised his position as a teacher and examiner in that his conversations with Osagie were about examination scores and inducement of favour for the alteration of examination scores.

Ogunbodede said : ” He offered to change Miss Osagie’s purported “33%” result to a pass mark in consideration for sexual favours; this was established in the audio recording which he admitted.

” His claim that Miss Osagie knew that she had passed with a score of ‘45’ but was seeking to score an ‘A’ and that this led to him being sexually harassed by Miss Osagie cannot be supported by any evidence.

” Professor Akindele’s actions in requesting for sexual favours from Miss Osagie to change her examination scores was scandalous behaviour that has brought ridicule to the name of the university and has tarnished the reputation of the university, as it portrays the university as an institution where its teachers and examiners trade marks for sexual favours.

” From the evidence, Miss Osagie had no idea that she scored ‘45’, a pass mark as later claimed by Professor Akindele, although she later found out she did not fail the course.

” Professor Akindele’s claim that he reported Miss Osagie’s ‘harassment’ to his colleagues cannot be supported by any evidence as all his colleagues denied it and one mentioned that she only talked about the matter with him after the audio recording was released over the internet.

” Professor Akindele operated in a position of power and authority over Miss Osagie and as such sexually harassed her.

” Professor Akindele was liable for all the allegations of misconduct levelled against him.’’

The vice chancellor said the Senate recommended that Akindele, having been found liable on all the allegations against him, should be dismissed from the services of the university.

” The Council, at its meeting of today, Wednesday, 20th of June, 2018, having considered the recommendation of Senate, as well as the report of the Joint Committee of Council and Senate, decided that Professor Richard I. Akindele should be dismissed from the services of the university for gross misconduct.

” The university has also taken further steps to ensure the total elimination of Sexual Harassment (SH) in the OAU community.

“The university has a legal duty to prevent sexual and gender-based harassment within the institution and ensure that both men and women are protected from this menace; and thereby provide conducive environment for teaching and learning,’’ he said.

Ogunbodede said in order to create conducive environment for teaching and learning, the university was creating more awareness and disseminating information on what constitutes sexual harassment within the university.

He said the veracity of sexual harassment concepts includes sexual solicitation and advances, sex exploitation, prostitution, seduction, pimping, sexual assault, unwanted touching, vulgar sexual jokes and rape among others.

Ogunbodede said that OAU was fully committed to the eradication of sexual and other types of harassment from the university and would do all that was possible to nip the menace in the bud.

” OAU has zero tolerance for sexual harassment and as a renowned university will do everything humanly possible to maintain the rules and regulations of the university,’’ he said.(NAN)

More than 11,000 Australians who rushed for the chance to strip for American photographer Spencer Tunick will soon wear only smiles after a national supermarket chain changed its mind about allowing the shoot to go ahead on a suburban rooftop carpark.

“We’re over the moon,” John Lotton, director of the Provocare Festival of the Arts, told Reuters on Saturday.

Tunick has photographed thousands of nudes in group shots around the globe from Bogota to Vienna. But Australian retail giant Woolworths had refused to allow him access to a car park in the up-market suburb of Prahran, in the nation’s second-largest city of Melbourne, as they feared it would inconvenience their customers.

Organizers of the Chapel Street Provocare arts festival had hoped Tunick’s photo shoot would propel their event onto the world stage.

After festival organizers agreed to move the event from busy weekend trading hours to a quiet Monday morning, Woolworths shed its inhibitions to allow the event to go ahead on July 9.

“It’s a good outcome,” a Woolworths representative said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

Lotton said 11,000 people had registered to disrobe, with a week still left before entries close. Many were willing to travel thousands of miles for a chance to take part, he told Reuters from Melbourne.

It is not known exactly how many au naturel volunteers are needed or how Tunick will choose them, but Lotton said there will not be enough places for all that want to participate.

“It’s well and truly oversubscribed,” Lotton said.

In 2007 in Mexico City, 18,000 people stripped off in the heart of the city’s Zocalo Square for Tunick, an internationally renowned photographer from New York.

Volunteers have also posed naked in freezing temperatures on a Swiss glacier.

(Reuters)

Russia’s phenomenal run in the World Cup is about to take a hit — at least if you believe in Harry, a so-called “oracle” otter in Sochi who correctly forecast the hosts’ first two victories in the tournament.

After trouncing Saudi Arabia 5-0 and then beating Egypt 3-1, Group A leaders Russia will lose to South American powerhouse Uruguay on Monday, Harry was interpreted as predicting.

When a Sochi aquarium employee tossed two balls into a pool on Wednesday, Harry swam straight over to the one labeled Uruguay, grabbed it in its mouth and dropped it on the side of the pool. The white, blue and red ball symbolizing Russia was left floating.

But even if Harry’s forecast were to come true, Russia have virtually booked their place in the second round. Should Uruguay (3 points) beat Saudi Arabia (zero points) later on Wednesday, it will ensure that the South Americans and the Russians go through to the round of 16 before the they meet in their group game. A draw would also be enough to send the hosts through.

Harry also predicted that defending champions Germany, who crashed to defeat in their first game, will make a comeback: He foresees they will win against Sweden on Saturday.

Spain, however, will have to content themselves with a draw against Iran later on Wednesday, according to Harry.

Harry is one of a menagerie of animals predicting World Cup games, with rivals including Samara’s white goat Zabiyaka, St. Petersburg’s cat Achilles, Kaliningrad’s hippos Milya and Glyasik and Nizhny Novgorod’s tapir Cleopatra.

The Sochi aquarium took Harry in as a baby.

“He was brought here by people who found him at a car wash, they saved him and brought him to us asking if we could take this amazing little otter. Of course, we did,” said aquarium director Zhanna Zazina.

Neymar limped out of Brazil's training session at the World Cup on Tuesday because of pain in his right ankle.

The Brazilian soccer confederation said the injury was not serious, adding Neymar left as a precaution and would be back in training on Wednesday.

The federation said Neymar has been in pain since the team's 1-1 draw against Switzerland on Friday, when he was consistently fouled.

Neymar started practising with the rest of the squad but left accompanied by a doctor about 30 minutes into the session in Sochi.

He had been playing keep-away with a few other players when he started showing signs of discomfort in his ankle. He was visibly in pain after he tried to intercept a ball with his right foot while at the center of the keep-away circle.

At one point, he bent down and grabbed his ankle, but tried to continue playing anyway. A few moments later he finally decided to leave, kicking a ball away with his left foot before limping away beside the team doctor.

"Neymar left the training session with some pain in his right ankle because of the number of fouls he suffered in the game against Switzerland," federation spokesman Vinicius Rodrigues said. "Since today was only a recovery session for the starters, and he complained about pain, he ended going to rehabilitation."

Rodrigues said Neymar would continue his recovery process but was set to practice normally on Wednesday, two days before the team's match against Costa Rica in St. Petersburg. Brazil and Switzerland are two points behind group leader Serbia, which defeated Costa Rica 1-0 in its opener.

Neymar had already practiced separately from his teammates on Monday.

Rodrigues said the pain Neymar felt Tuesday was not in the same place where he injured his foot earlier this year. Neymar was sidelined for about three months because of the injury and was not fully fit when he arrived in Russia for the World Cup.

Heavily marked and far from his best, Neymar was fouled 10 times in the match against Switzerland in Rostov-on-Don. He was limping when he talked to reporters after the match, when doctors dismissed anything serious.

Brazil coach Tite said before the tournament started that Neymar wouldn't likely be in his best form until the third match of the group stage.

"Neymar is one of the best players in the world and it's a great plus to have him in the team," said Philippe Coutinho, who has gained a bigger role as Neymar struggles with his fitness. "When he is on the field he helps us a lot. He is a very important player for us."

Dele Alli participation at the World Cup will be carefully managed amid fears he could be a doubt for both of England’s final group matches with a thigh problem.

The FA released an update last night confirming that the Tottenham midfielder had suffered a minor strain. However, it is understood that there are concerns within Alli’s camp that the injury could worsen to the extent his involvement against Panama and Belgium is in jeopardy.

The players were given today off to relax after arriving back yesterday at their Repino base following Monday’s 2-1 win over Tunisia in Volgograd.

It is believed that the players’ families — many of whom are based here, about a 45-minute drive from Repino — have been invited to visit the team hotel, while the squad have also been given the option of exploring the surrounding area, if accompanied by a member of the team’s security detail.

Alli is unlikely to train tomorrow for fear of aggravating his injury, but even without the Spurs midfielder, England are hot favourites to beat Panama in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday and all but seal their progression to the last 16.

Manager Gareth Southgate is keen not to plan too far ahead, but the appetite for winning the group could be diminished given Germany lost their opening game to Mexico. That means the defending champions could face Brazil in the last 16. Were England to finish second in Group G, they would avoid the winners of a Germany versus Brazil clash in the quarter-finals.

Of more immediate concern, however, is who replaces Alli against Panama should he miss out. Southgate planned to introduce Fabian Delph when Alli pulled up with the problem during the first half against Tunisia, but the 22-year-old continued until the 80th minute, when he was replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek. When asked if he is hoping to start against Panama, Loftus-Cheek said: “I am happy if I start or if I don’t. I will be ready.”

(MSN)

Ronda Rousey is quickly finding her niche in pro wrestling.

Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey had quite the weekend in a WWE ring. The former fighter turned pro wrestler had her first singles match on Sunday at Money in The Bank, challenging Nia Jax. She didn’t come out on top there, through no fault of her own, but she got her revenge the next night.

At the PPV, Rousey competed in a realistic-looking match against a woman almost twice her size in Jax, using her MMA experience to attempt submissions and fight her way out of the grasp of the Raw women’s champion. At a point where it looked like she had an advantage, superstar Alexa Bliss entered the fray. Using the Money in the Bank briefcase she won just a couple of hours before that, Bliss clubbed Rousey to knock her out of the ring and finished off the champ, taking the belt home in the process.

Needless to say, Rousey was pissed.

In the opening segment of Raw the next night, Bliss berated Rousey and the crowd on the mic, playing up the fact that she outsmarted everyone. Rousey came out, but was held back by Raw GM (and wrestling Olympic gold medalist) Kurt Angle. Until Bliss went too far, that is. Rousey attacked with the MITB briefcase, and Angle tried to hold her back. So she beat the holy hell out of Angle with it too. Four referees jumped in the ring...and they got dusted as well.

Ronda Rousey is suspended after launching an attack: Raw, June 18, 2018 – 04:38
— WWE

Due to her actions, Angle had no choice but to “suspend” her for 30 days. Which probably means she’s going to film a movie or something. But regardless, her match was high-quality, the Raw segment was one of the best of 2018 involving anyone, and there’s only one conclusion to draw - Ronda Rousey is really good at pro wrestling.

Source: MSN

Super Eagles supporters clubs have refuted a report that they requested permission from the Russian authorities to bring along live chickens while attending the team’s matches during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The refutal was made by both the Nigerian Football Supporters Club (NFSC) and Nigerian Eagles Supporters Club (NESC), in interviews with According to KweseESPN.

“That is ridiculous,” NFSC president Rafiu Ladipo said.

“I have been leading this group for decades, and we have never carried a live chicken into any stadium. The only things we carry are our musical instruments and we pray. Prayer is the only charm we have. Why should we need a chicken? Maybe someone just wants to deceive them [the Russians].”

The Super Eagles in Group D, will next meet Iceland on Friday.

The Eagles lost their opening match against Croatia on Saturday by 2-0.

Hopes that they would qualify for the Round of 16 would only be realised if they are able to beat Iceland and also Argentina, their last match.

Last week, news reports quoted Andrei Ermak, Kaliningrad minister of culture of denying permission to the Eagles supporters to bring live chickens into the stadium, where Eagles was eventually beaten by Croatia.

“Our information centre MCH-2018 receives a lot of various questions: fans from Nigeria asked if it’s possible to go to the stadium with a chicken, it’s their symbol, the chickens are seen with them at all matches.

“We told them that it’s by no means possible to come with a live chicken,” Ermak, told Russia’s Interfax news agency.

“If the Nigerians are rooting for their team in other places, we will of course advise them where the chicken can be bought,” he added.

I found this interesting.

A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Oshodi Local Government, Lagos State, Chief Remi Adiukwu on Tuesday defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) with thousands of her followers ahead of 2019 General Elections.

Adiukwu, a former commissioner in the state said that her defection was motivated by the sterling performance of Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode and the foundation of the ruling party.

“I am back in the party, when I say I am back, I am actively back. I am enlightened now.

“Election is coming, we will do it with all our strength to deliver back to the party all the slots and mandates we took from APC to PDP during the 2015 election.

” PDP is now dead in this council, no more opposition. This council is completely for APC now. I pledge my loyalty.

“My sojourn away from the party was based on principle just as my return today is encouraged today by the same principle of supporting only good things that will be beneficial to Lagos,” she said.

The Chairman of APC in Oshodi Local Government, Alhaji Olamide Kasali said that the ruling party knew the weight of the defector and the challenge she gave the party in 2015 elections.

“She is the bedrock of opposition in the council,” Kasali said as he presented APC flag to the defector.

According to him, with Adiukwu’s defection. the fear of APC during elections has gone as the development marks an end to the opposition in the council.

The Executive Chairman, Oshodi LG, Mr Bolaji Muse-Ariyo said that the defection would make things easier for the council during elections as he presented a broom, the APC symbol to Adiukwu.

Presenting the Party’s Constitution to the defector, Olusola Sokunle, representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly said that Mrs Adiukwu was behind his election to the House in 2015.

“I am happy because the PDP stalwart we are accepting today into the APC happens to be my political mother. I was not happy that she was still in PDP when I moved to APC.

” This development has cancelled the existence of other political parties in Oshodi LG. Now that Chief Mrs Remi Adiukwu is with us, there is no more opposition in Oshodi LG,” Sokunle said.

According to Sokunle, who has also defected from PDP to APC in the House, without Adiukwu, he will not be in the House as a lawmaker representing the constituency.

Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya, a chieftain of the APC in the council described the defector as a strong opposition in the council, commended Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Leader of APC for his forgiving spirit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, held at Oshodi, had several party chieftains and hundreds of party supporters in attendance.