Agriculture / News / Production

Why Nigeria must legalize cannabis cultivation, Akeredolu insists

Ondo State Governor and Chairman of the South-West Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, says it is important for the country to legalize the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

He spoke on Thursday on a live interview program tagged ‘Governor Speaks’, which is part of activities lined up in commemoration of his 100 days of his second term in office. Akeredolu was sworn in for a second term on February 24, 2021 after he won the October 10, 2020 governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

Speaking during the live interview, the governor said cannabis could be a strong foreign exchange earner for Nigeria if its cultivation was legalized.

Akeredolu said, “We must find a way to legalize cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes. There is nothing wrong about it. We are only shooting ourselves in the foot. It is a foreign exchange earner for people outside the country. People want this. We ourselves, even our pharmacies want to develop.

“I travelled out of here and I was in Thailand trying to study the cultivation of cannabis for pharmaceutical use. We did all these, we even went there with NDLEA (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency), the chairman at that time went with us, maybe he came and said what he went for was for a different thing but that was why we went and all I felt that let us look at the way they did it over there.

“Everybody has drug problem, most country has drug problem. We are having it here, it is not as pronounced here as in other places but there are ways they went about these things that those who are involved in drugs, those who are selling, those who are exporting had other ways of doing things that they had to leave it. So, when we talk about cultivation, we are saying in which it is a monitored one, in which NDLEA will have an office (near farms).”

It was earlier reported on January 7, 2021, that the House of Representatives was …

News / politics

Buhari meets Governors of Cross River, Kogi

President Muhammadu Buhari has met behind closed doors with Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State at the Presidential Villa, Abuja,

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the President met separately with the two governors as Ayade was visiting the Presidential Villa for the first time since his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to All Progressives Congress two weeks ago.

Fielding questions from State House correspondents after the meeting, Ayade emphasised that he left the PDP for the sake of Buhari, adding that the President’s virtues attracted him to the APC.

He said: I moved into the APC because of my personal relationship with Mr. President.“I have watched him and I found honesty, integrity and I see his wish and commitment to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“To that extent, I have a leader that I trust.

“Opposition in the third world means let everything happen that will make the other party look bad.

“I am one of the strong Nigerian Governors who has risen beyond party lines and ethnic lines by virtue of my education and exposure.”

According to Ayade, his decision to join the APC is generating a lot of concern for the PDP occasioned by the fact that it came as a rude shock.

He said: “And sincerely, it is indeed a rude shock because until I defected, I was a very strong member of the party in truth and in spirit.

“And the reality is that PDP had the best result in Cross River – of all the elected offices, all the chairmen of council, all the counsellors, all the National Assembly members, but one, all the chairmen of the local governments, all commissioners, all the appointees, all of them were PDP before I defected.

“So, in terms of performance of PDP, it should be highest performance in the last election in Cross River, which means of all the elected offices, except for one office, PDP cleared all.

“So, for such a governor who led PDP to …

Basket Ball / Sports

Nuggets pick out Trail Blazers in second half to take Game 6 126-115

Nikola Jokic tallied 36 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 26 points, all in the first half, as the Denver Nuggets closed out the Portland Trail Blazers 126-115 in Game 6 to win the series 4-2. Damian Lillard led Portland with 28 points, but struggled from the field. CJ McCollum added 21 points for the Trail Blazers.

Porter Jr. started the game 5-5 from behind the arc to give the Nuggets an early advantage, but Portland found its rhythm to eventually get a 33-29 lead after one.

The Trail Blazers then went on a 16-6 run to open up a 63-53 lead in the second quarter. Portland took a 68-61 lead into halftime and went on a run early in the third quarter to open up a 93-79 advantage, but from there it was all Denver.

Jokic scored 20 points in the third quarter as Denver closed the frame on a 19-8 tear, trailing by three entering the final period. The Nuggets then went on a 21-7 run to open the fourth and never looked like letting up.

Lillard set a playoff record for 3-pointers made in a series, but will face speculation about his future with the franchise after his fifth first-round exit. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic could also be on the way out if the Trail Blazers look to start from scratch again. The Nuggets will face the Suns series in the second round.…

Basket Ball / Sports

LeBron James, Los Angeles eliminated from playoffs by Phoenix

The Phoenix Suns have knocked off the defending champions as Chris Paul and company have bested the Los Angeles Lakers in their best-of-seven series following their 113-100 victory in Game 6 on Friday night.

In the end, the Lakers had no answer for the loss of Anthony Davis as Los Angeles found themselves facing an insurmountable lead after the All-Star big man was forced to leave the floor in the opening six minutes. While Los Angeles was faced with their own injury issues, the Suns took advantage of the situation as Devin Booker led all scorers with 47 points to ensure Phoenix would take care of their opponent in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs. This marked the first time that a team led by LeBron James had been eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

With the win, the Suns advance to face the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals. Denver advanced out of their first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers with a win on Friday night. Here are the three biggest takeaways from Phoenix’s win.

Devin Booker has been compared to Kobe Bryant for pretty much his entire career. Like many of today’s young stars, Bryant mentored Booker. Their playing styles are eerily similar and grew more so this season. Booker took the most mid-range shots of his career this season. More important by Bryant’s reckoning would be the fact that Booker made the playoffs for the first time in his career.

He happened to do so against Bryant’s former team, and on Thursday, he delivered a performance that would have made his idol proud. Booker scored 47 points, including 22 in the first quarter alone, but the variety of shots and moves that led to them were what truly stood out. Booker made 8-of-10 3-point attempts. He killed the Lakers in the mid-range. Every time they started sneaking up on the Suns, Booker nailed a dagger to remind us how big the margin in this game really was.

It was a …

Entertainment / Stories

I Married Annie Because She Offered Me Her All When We Had Very Little – Tubaba

Award-winning Nigerian artist, Tubaba Idibia has opened up on why he married his wife, Annie Idibia Innocent despite having kids from different women.

The artist is a father of seven; 5 from his previous relationships with other women and two with his wife, Annie; Olivia, and Isabella.

In an interview 2Baba disclosed his reasons for his choice and also talked about his past relationship.

2Baba said. “You see Annie is from an average background like myself. We both started from nothing. She stuck by me through it all. When there was no car she hopped on bikes, took the bus, and trekked with me. When there was no money or house or hit song or millions of albums sold or big awards and accolades.”

“When I used to repeat just 3 sets of clothes, she would always hold my head, look me in the eyes and tell me things will be fine one day. When I wasn’t handsome, she would call me her prince charming. When I wasn’t celebrated, she called me her king and said she is my number one fan and to this day, she still is.”

“Even when I made it big as a musician and started misbehaving and controversies almost destroyed my career, she would go down on her knees and pray to God to show me the way and give me victory over my enemies.” “Now if am still that small boy struggling to make it like every other young chap on the streets of Lagos, do you think a doctor, a lawyer, and a multi-millionaire businesswoman would want to look at me or even have my kids? No, so to answer your question, I did not choose who had more to offer me, I chose Annie because she offered me her all when we had very little”.

 …

Basket Ball / Sports

Blazers lose in Double OT thriller

Needing a win, the Portland Trail Blazers came out with their pants full of soup in Game 5 of their series against the Denver Nuggets. With defense as porous as a broken screen door and offense as dry as the Sahara, the Blazers dug themselves a 20-point deficit by the second period. Denver’s mission to capture advantage in the series seemed secure.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the rout. Portland ate away at the increasingly-complacent Nuggets, then Damian Lillard went nuclear, posting an amazing performance culminating in 17 straight points over two overtimes…a feat impossible to describe.

When the smoke cleared, Lillard had the best performance in Blazers playoffs history with 55 points on 17-24 shooting, an NBA record 12-17 from distance, with 10 assists. But Lillard’s teammates came up woefully short, missing rotations and easy scoring plays in the double-OT thriller, leaving the Blazers down 147-140 in the game, 2-3 in the best-of-seven series.

First Quarter

The Blazers opened the game with a new wrinkle: stiff defense! They made the Nuggets waste dribbles and passes. Denver tried to run the offense through Aaron Gordon but he couldn’t deliver. Portland forced him to go away from the basket instead of towards it once he received the ball. Unfortunately the Blazers were ice cold on offense, missing easy shots and hard. Jusuf Nurkic went scoreless on three fairly makeable conversions. CJ McCollum drifted on his jumpers. As the Blazers bricked their first 8 shots, the Nuggets opened up a 10-0 lead.

The Blazers finally got their first point at the 7:53 mark on a free throw after an Illegal Defense call on Denver. Their second score came on a goaltend of a Norman Powell layup. They didn’t make a real bucket until the clock read 6:25, when Robert Covington got loose in the lane. By that time Denver was like butter on a roll. Nikola Jokic, Facu Campazzo, Michael Porter, Jr., everybody was scoring. The Nuggets ended up hitting 7 threes in the period, Portland only …

Basket Ball / Sports

James Harden triple-double leads Nets past Celtics

The Brooklyn Nets are headed to the second round. The Eastern Conference’s second seed completed a gentleman’s sweep against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. All three of the Nets’ stars put together strong performances, but James Harden led the way in the 123-109 victory.

Harden did a little bit of everything as usual and led all scorers with 34 points in a triple-double effort. He also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists to finish with a game-high 75.5 DKFP. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant poured in 25 and 24 points, respectively. Boston’s lone star wasn’t enough to keep up with one of the NBA’s most productive offenses. Jayson Tatum only trailed Harden in points with 32 to go along with 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Tatum tallied 55.25 DKFP in a game-high 41 minutes.

The Nets covered the spread by the skin of their teeth as 12.5-point favorites. The absences of Kemba Walker and Robert Williams gave the home team a major edge, and it handled business for Brooklyn backers.

The Nets will take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. Milwaukee lost its first matchup against Brooklyn two-thirds of its Big 3 were active, but won the next two matchups. Milwaukee’s offense and defense dominated the Miami Heat in a sweep in the first round thanks to far above-average offense and defense. Keeping that up against the NBA’s best scoring offense will be a challenge, but Giannis Antetokounmpo and company might have the tools to pull an upset off…

Business / News

Ketron Investment Limited acquires Shoprite Nigeria

A deal has been reached in the acquisition of Retail Supermarkets Nigeria Limited, owner and operator of the Shoprite stores in Nigeria, by Ketron Investment Limited, a Nigerian company owned by a group of reputable institutional investors led by Persianas Investment Limited.

The divestment by Shoprite International is in line with its strategy to change from an ownership model to a franchise model.

This change in ownership has also received the approval of the Nigerian regulator, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Speaking on the acquisition, Chairman, Ketron Investment Limited, Tayo Amusan, said: “We are thrilled to complete the acquisition of Shoprite, ensuring the continued operations of one of the biggest retail success stories in Nigeria.

Since its launch in Lagos in December 2005, Shoprite has expanded to 25 outlets across eight states and Abuja, FCT.

According to the terms of this acquisition, Ketron acquires 100 per cent ownership of Shoprite in Nigeria and will continue operations across all existing outlets.

It also plans to open additional stores and introduce more Nigerian-made products in the stores.

This, he noted, will also result in more opportunities for Nigerians.

“It is our vision to create fundamental change for the better within Nigeria,” said Amusan.

“With benefits from our knowledge of the ever-evolving Nigerian retail marketplace, well-grounded social and economic research, and hands-on experience from our team, we are confident that this acquisition will foster a robust and sustainable business model for the ultimate benefit of all stakeholders.”

Professional services firms, KPMG, MBO Capital Management Limited and Banwo & Ighodalo, advised Ketron on the deal.

Jide Ogundare, CEO, MBO Capital, stated that the deal signals an opportunity for Ketron to uphold a thriving business.

“It will be hard work,” Ogundare said, “but with the plans we have in place, and with the support of the larger Shoprite family in Nigeria including our staff and every Nigerian shopper that walks through our doors, we are confident of success.”

Shoprite Holdings is Africa’s largest food retailer, operating 2,843 supermarkets in 15 countries and serving …

News

South East Governors will approve Biafra Day – Umahi

Following the sit-at-home ordered by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra to commemorate the 54th anniversary of the declaration of the Sovereign State of Biafra, the South East Governors’ Forum Chairman, Dave Umahi, has said May 30 would be set aside as a day to remember millions of Igbo that lost their lives during the civil war.

Governor Umahi of Ebonyi State, who stated this during a television interview on Tuesday, said there was the need to set aside a date to honour the Igbo who died during the three-year war, insisting there was nothing wrong with it.

He said if a proposal to do so comes before the South East Governors, they would give it consideration.

Explaining the reason May 30 should be set aside in Anambra, Abia, Enonyi, Enugu and Imo States as a day to remember the dead, he said if the country can recognise June 12 as Democracy Day to honour M.K.O. Abiola, winner of the 1993 presidential election, there was nothing wrong in setting aside a day to remember five million Igbo, including children who were killed during the war.…

Kidnapping / News

N110m ransom Demanded by Bandits for Tegina Islamiyya schoolchildren

Bandits, who abducted children attending Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School in Tegina town in Rafi Local Government of Niger State, have demanded N110m ransom for their release.

The school headmaster, Alhaji Abubakar Alhassan, disclosed this on Tuesday.

He said the bandits made contact with the school on Monday to demand for the ransom.

Alhassan told reporters the bandits claimed to have 156 children in their custody, adding they threatened to kill them if the ransom is not paid.

It was gathered that parents of the children and the community have started soliciting funds for release of their children.

Niger Deputy Governor Ahmed Ketso has stated the government would not pay ransom for the release of the children.

He said the government believes that negotiation would work like it did during Kagara boys abduction.…

News / politics

Those who want to destroy my government have shock coming their way — Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday issued a stern warning to those bent on destroying the country through promoting insurrection and burning down critical national assets: a rude shock awaits them, and very soon too.

The President spoke after he received briefing from the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, on series of attacks on facilities of the electoral body round the country.

“I receive daily security reports on the attacks, and it is very clear that those behind them want this administration to fail,” President Buhari said.

“Insecurity in Nigeria is now mentioned all over the world.

President Buhari recalled that he visited all the 36 states of the country before the 2019 election, “and majority of the people believed me, and the election proved it.”

He promised to continue leading the country in accordance with Constitutional provisions.

He said those misbehaving in certain parts of the country were obviously too young to know the travails and loss of lives that attended the Nigerian Civil War, adding: “Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.

“We are going to be very hard sooner than later.”

The President said the Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police have been changed, “and we will demand security from them.”

On the dangers posed to future elections by the burning of INEC facilities, President Buhari said he would give the electoral commission all it needed to operate “so that no one would say we don’t want to go, or that we want a third term.

“There will be no excuse for failure. We’ll meet all INEC’s demands.”

“Most of the attacks happened in the last seven months, and they are unrelated to protest against previous elections.

“From the pattern and frequency of the most recent attacks, they appear to be targeted at future elections.

“The intention is to incapacitate the Commission, undermine the nation’s democracy and precipitate a national crisis.”…

Education / News

Thousands of candidates may miss 2021 JAMB – NANS

Kaduna State Chapter of the apex students union in the country, the National Association of Nigerian Students has raised concern that thousands of candidates may be disenfranchised from taking part in this year’s Joint Admission and Matriculation Board examination due to hitches in their NIN/Profile code.

NANS Chairman in Kaduna State, Huzaifa Bello in a statement disagreed with the JAMB on reasons it gave, hence, called for reasonable extension of electronic registration instead of risking students’ lives to travel to JAMB headquarters in their respective states capital for manual registration.

According to him, JAMB had shut out thousands of candidates who were unable to obtain profile codes before May 27 from registering online for this year’s examinations. As a result, we have been inundated with calls and all manner of correspondences by students, parents and other concerned persons who have expressed their dissatisfaction and bitterness at this decision taken by the Board.

“Obtaining a profile code is mandatory for all prospective JAMB candidates. This year’s procedure has been plagued with numerous challenges due to the requirement that candidates have to link their phone numbers with their National Identity Number (NIN). “These challenges have already caused a shift in the closing date for registration from May 15 to May 29 and a shift in the examination dates as well. But even with the latest two weeks extension granted by JAMB yesterday (Monday), thousands of candidates are still out there without the mandatory profile code. We therefore call on the examination body to further extend the closing date for another two weeks, making one month to allow all intending candidates register.”…

Business

Nigeria hopeful of $700m yearly from sugar backward integration

Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc has urged the government to faithfully follow through with the Backward Integration Policy (BIP) in the sugar industry as the nation stands to rake in foreign exchange up to $700millon yearly from Sugar production self-sufficiency.

Chairman of Dangote Sugar Refinery Aliko Dangote while addressing shareholders, at the company’s 15th yearly general meeting held in Lagos recently said, allowing for distortions in the sugar masterplan framework will adversely affect the target of the nation attaining self-sufficiency as projected.

He described the backward integration policy as commendable, which will not only reduce imports of raw sugar but save the nations enormous foreign exchange used for importation.

Dangote expressed delight that the BIP in the sugar industry is going on well, noting that if the national sugar master plan is followed strictly and the players follow the rules, Nigeria will save between $600 million to $700 million yearly as foreign exchange.

He stated that the backward integration policy of the company is recording appreciable progress even as he expressed the company’s commitment to the policy.

Dangote said despite the disruptions in the economy occasioned by the covid-19 pandemic, the company recorded an increase in production volume which rose by 13.7 percent to 743,858 tonnes in the financial year ended December 31, 2020, compared to 654,071 tonnes in 2019.

He stated that the company posted a group turnover of N214.3 billion, 33 percent increase over the N161.1 billion in 2019, while in the same period the Sugar Group also posted 6.9 percent rise in sales volume from 684,487 tonnes in 2019 to 731,701 tonnes in 2020.

Shareholders at the meeting, approved N18.22 billion dividend, translating to N1.50 kobo per ordinary share of 50k each.

Dangote said the company has revised its sugar production target to 550,000 metric tonnes achievable by 2024 in line with the revised plan on the BIP by the federal government.

In his remarks, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Ravindra Singhvi, speaking on the results said the sugar group continued the growth path with commitments to …

News / Penson

Lagos State pays N29 billion to 7,308 retirees in two years

Lagos State Government has said it paid N29,088,291,668.35 as accrued pension rights to 7,308 retirees in the last two years.

The Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Mrs Ajibola Ponnle, said this at the 2021 ministerial briefing to commemorate the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

She disclosed that the money was paid between May, 2019 and April, 2021, adding that the government implemented the upward review of pension contributions into Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs) from 7.5 per cent of employee contributions and 7.5 per cent employer contributions to 8 per cent employee contributions and 10 per cent employer contributions, which s affect electronic archiving of records of payments and vital pensioners’ documents for preservation and ease of reference.

She also explained how the entire public service witnessed capacity development despite restrictions on physically gathering, following the outbreak of covid-19 pandemic last year.

The commissioner revealed that over 73,448 public servants were trained in 2020 as against the yearly average of 3,000 trained employees.

She said the ministry leveraged on several online virtual platforms to embark on training programs in a successive manner for the state’s employees.

She said: “A total of 3,101 officers were trained in 2020 across 98Ministries, Department, Agencies and Parastatals under the virtual training initiative comprising of 52 Grade Level 17 officers, 274 GL 16, 1023 GL 15, 901 GL 14, 9 and 851 GL 13.”

Ponnle further disclosed that the government paid N4,203,784,514.49 to pensioners in the state under the Defined Benefits Scheme otherwise known as ‘Pay As You Go’ from May 2019 to March 2021.

Ponnle stated that as part of commitment to the welfare of pensioners, Sanwo-Olu approved payment of 33 per cent increment for all State pensioners under the Defined Benefit Scheme and also paid the balance of the 25 per cent rent allowance for officers on Grade Level 07 and above who retired between May 2000 and August 2004.

Similarly, Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to staff welfare and conducive working conditions of all public servants to ensure …

Sports / Tennis

Naomi Osaka: Spotlight on media, authorities & player after French Open withdrawal

When Naomi Osaka won the US Open in 2018, she pulled down her visor to hide her tears.

It was her maiden Grand Slam title, she had beaten the great Serena Williams to win it, and she had a bright future ahead.

Except that the victory had come in unusual and traumatic fashion, with boos and controversy surrounding Williams’ infamous outburst at the umpire.

And we now know that this title also marked the start of the “long bouts of depression” that have led to Osaka pulling out of the French Open in a move that has sent shockwaves through the sport and raised the prospect of some soul-searching for the authorities and media.

Roland Garros is now without one of the sport’s biggest stars, and despite Osaka’s desire to not “be a distraction” she and the issues she raises are firmly in the spotlight.

Did the authorities handle things well?

Osaka received a lot of support from fellow players and athletes over her decision to boycott news conferences at Roland Garros.

And there was criticism of the sport’s governing bodies’ strongly-worded statement on Sunday, which threatened her with expulsion from the French Open and future Grand Slams over what she said was a decision based on seeking to protect her mental health.

American basketball player Stephen Curry was critical of the authorities, saying the “powers that be don’t protect their own”, while former British number one Laura Robson also questioned whether the matter could have been dealt with differently.

“I’m sure a lot of people are disappointed with how the statement was handled yesterday from the Grand Slams and how strong it was,” Robson said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Maybe if they had not let it escalate to this point then we wouldn’t be here.”

In a statement after Osaka’s withdrawal, French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton said major tennis bodies were committed to athletes’ wellbeing and improving their tournament experience, including their interaction with the media.

Osaka said “the rules are quite outdated in parts” and that …

Football / Sports

Kevin De Bruyne Wont need Surgery says Roberto Martinez

Kevin De Bruyne will not need surgery on his facial injuries but is at risk of missing Belgium’s Euro 2020 opener, according to manager Roberto Martinez.

The Manchester City midfielder suffered multiple fractures to his face during their Champions League final loss to Chelsea. De Bruyne had to be substituted off after a clash with Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger.

De Bruyne, 29, is now a doubt for Belgium’s game against Russia on June 12.

What has Martinez said?
He said: “Kevin had a different programme to the rest of the players.

“He was only going to join us seven days later because he was playing in the Champions League final. But that programme has obviously been changed, he won’t be able to relax and rest just yet.

“We’ve got to be very cautious, and we will get more clarity in the next few days, but I’ve spoken to Kevin and he was quite positive. We are very fortunate that even though he has a double fracture, he doesn’t need surgery.

“An operation would have made it impossible for him to play in the European Championship. We don’t know if we can use him in the first game. I cannot give an answer because I don’t have any medical facts right now.

“We are still assessing the injury and over the next four to five days we expect clarity.’ Then we will know what the next steps for Kevin will be.”

How did De Bruyne get injured?
De Bruyne went down injured shortly before the hour mark of Saturday night’s game.

The Belgian was assessed by City’s physios and the club doctor. De Bruyne was seen with a noticeable black eye.

The decision was then taken for De Bruyne to be substituted off due to the injury. He was clearly not happy with the call.

Gabriel Jesus came on in his place, with a visibly devastated De Bruyne being consoled by City’s backroom staff as he left the pitch in tears.

Who will Belgium face at Euro 2020?
They kick off their …

Basket Ball / Sports

Russell Westbrook makes history as Washington forces Game 5

The Philadelphia 76ers lost Joel Embiid to a knee injury during the first quarter of Game 4 of their best-of-seven series against the Washington Wizards but that was just one of their issues coming out of Monday night’s matchup in D.C. as the Wizards were able to take advantage of Embiid’s absence in order to pick up a 122-114 win to extend the series to, at least, a Game 5.

While Bradley Beal performed at a high level as he has throughout the series, he finally received some support on the offensive end as Washington had seven players, including their entire starting five, score in double figures. Philadelphia was able to hold off Washington in the first half to take a one-point lead into the break but it was the Wizards who took control from there on out.

With the win, this series will shift back to Philadelphia for Game 5 as that matchup is scheduled to take place on Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Center.

Here are three key takeaways from the game:

1. Embiid leaves after hard fall

Yes, the Wizards won the game and extended the series, but the biggest takeaway from this game is by far Joel Embiid’s injury. Late in the first quarter, Embiid drove to the basket and tried to contort his body to get a shot away against Robin Lopez. In the process he lost his balance and landed awkwardly on the baseline.

He got up grabbing his hip and lower back, and that seemed to be the problem based on his landing. However, the Sixers later announced that he would be out for the rest of the game due to knee soreness. Upon further review of the video, you can see that he sort of jolts his knee when he comes down, and that was apparently a bigger issue.

When Embiid left the game, the Sixers were leading 20-12. Without him, they were outscored by 16 points the rest of the way and ended up losing 122-114. They’re still a better team …

Military / News

Eight gunmen, two policemen killed in Abia State

The Abia State Police Command has confirmed the killing of two police officers in the attack on state CID in Umuagu, Umuahia on Saturday by gunmen.

The Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, who made the confirmation, also said eight of the hoodlums were gunned down in the crossfire.

This was in addition to the commercial tricycle operator said to have been killed by a stray bullet during the gun duel police had with the criminals.

Briefing journalists in Umuahia, the PPRO expressed regret that two Inspectors lost their lives in the attack.

The police image maker said policemen on duty engaged the gunmen before reinforcement from the command headquarters, which added to the fierce engagement with men on ground that eventually saw eight of the hoodlums neutralised.

He added that some of the attackers escaped with gunshot wounds, while two vehicles were recovered.

The State CID, Ogbonna said, was razed following the detonation of an explosive through the back of the building.

While informing that suspects in detention were released and an exhibit car burnt, the PPRO, however, said no firearm was carted away.

Ogbonna urged medical facilities within and outside the state to report to security agencies anybody who comes for treatment with bullet wounds.…

Covid 19 / Health / News

Smokers face 50% higher risk of developing COVID-19, other diseases – WHO

World Health Organisation Director-General, Dr. Tedos Ghebreyesus, says smokers have up to a 50 per cent higher risk of developing severe diseases and death from COVID-19.

Ghebreyesus said this in a message to commemorate World No Tobacco Day, globally marked on May 31 annually, to highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocate effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.

According to him, quitting is best thing smokers can do to lower their risk from coronavirus as well as the risk of developing cancers, heart disease and respiratory illnesses.

“We urge all countries to play their part by joining the WHO campaign and creating tobacco-free environments that give people the information, support and tools they need to quit, and quit for good,” he said.

“The Quit Challenge gives daily notifications of tips and encouragement for up to six months to help people remain tobacco-free. It is available for free on WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger and WeChat,” he said.

According to Ghebreyesus, the agency also released a “quitting toolkit” which includes these innovations, but also existing services such as brief advice from health professionals and national toll-free quit lines.

Globally, he stated roughly 39 per cent of men and nine per cent of women use tobacco; the highest tobacco use rates among men are currently found in the Western Pacific region at 49 per cent and among women in Europe at 19 per cent.

He said: “As part of the ‘Commit to Quit’ initiative, WHO calls for the adoption of bold policies that promote tobacco cessation; increasing access to smoking cessation services; raising awareness of the tobacco industry’s tactics; and support for consumers trying to stay away from tobacco.

“Currently, 29 countries are working with the agency to support tobacco cessation through national awareness campaigns and new digital tools.”

Ghebreyesus added that the efforts included policy review, training of health workers, opening of specialised clinics, support for nicotine replacement therapies, and courses to quit smoking.

According to the UN health agency, the report that smokers are more likely to develop …

Covid 19 / News

Nigeria records huge spike in deaths, new cases of the Corona Virus

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has confirmed additional 203 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 166,518.

The NCDC made this known on Monday night via its official Twitter handle, where it disclosed that the additions were recorded in five states, including the Federal Capital Territory.

The public health agency stated that Benue State led the chart with the highest number of infections, with 178 new cases, followed by Lagos State with 10 and Ondo with six infections.

The FCT and Kaduna State also reported four cases each, while Plateau State confirmed one case.

It noted that its report for May 31 included a backlog of data from Benue and Nasarawa States, recorded from February to May 2021.

The agency added that zero cases were registered from Ekiti, Enugu, Kano, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Sokoto States.

The public health institution said that with 39,818 tests processed across the nation in one week, the country had now conducted a total of 2,133,061 tests since the first case relating to the disease was announced in 2020.

The agency also disclosed 28 additional COVID-19 related deaths in the past 24 hours.

It, however, said that 2,223 people who have been successfully treated have recovered from the virus and have also been discharged from isolation centres across the nation.

According to it, till date, a total of 166,518 cases have been confirmed, 158,781 cases have been discharged and 2,099 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the FCT.

Meanwhile, the agency noted that the number of active cases of COVID-19 in the country remains below 10,000.

It added that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre, activated at Level 2, continues to coordinate the national response activities.…