AFRIK REPORTS: July 2018

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

BASKETBALL: MAHINMI READY TO ROCK FOR TEAM AFRICA

Ian Mahinmi will go full circle when he steps onto the hardwood floor of The Sun Arena at Times Square in the colors of Team Africa on August 4 for the third edition of the NBA Africa Games.

Loyalty in the NBA was said to be in short supply earlier this month, when a few of the league’s offseason transactions looked and felt particularly bloodless.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun the investigation of Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose, his wife Feyisetan Fayose, and his top aides including Lere Olayinka, spokesperson to the governor; Toyin Ojo, the state’s commissioner for finance; Oluyemisi Owolabi, the state’s accountant general.

Some protesters on Tuesday morning stormed the headquarters of Nigeria’s ruling party, APC, demanding the sack of Senate President Bukola Saraki from the party.

Barely 24-hours after Eze Madumere was impeached as the deputy governor of Imo State, the Swearing-In ceremony of his replacement, Calistus Ekenze is underway.

POLITICS: Atiku speaks on plot to oust Benue Governor, Samuel Ortom

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the political development in Benue State where lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress launched a bid to impeach Governor Samuel Ortom.

The Deputy Governor of Imo State, Eze Madumere, has been impeached, Channels Television reports.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, Yakubu Dogara. [Photo credit: Newmail-ng.com]

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, have condemned the plot to impeach the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom.

The golf world is back to normalcy. A week after missing the cut in The Open - his only missed cut of the season - Dustin Johnson returned to a more familiar place on Sunday: the winner's circle. Here's how things unfolded in the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey:

Leaderboard: Dustin Johnson (-23), Whee Kim (-20), Beyong Hun An (-20), Keegan Bradley (-19)

What it means: DJ joined Bubba Watson as the Tour's only three-time winners this season. It was his 19th career win, his first in the Canadian Open after two runner-ups in the past five years. He also became the first player since Tiger Woods (2007-9) to have at least three wins in three consecutive years. And his 19 wins tied him on the all-time list with Ben Crenshaw, Doug Ford, Ernie Els, Hubert Greem and Tom Kite.

Round of the day: Keegan Bradley sizzled on Sunday with a 64. Making six birdies and an eagle, Bradley finished fourth, his highest finish in an official event since a second place in the CIMB Classic in October 2017.

Full-field scores from RBC Canadian Open

RBC Canadian Open: Articles, photos and videos

Best of the rest: Numerically there were a few rounds lower than DJ's 66, but none more important. Starting the day in a four-way tie for the lead with Kim, An and Kevin Tway, DJ immediately broke loose with birdies on the first two holes. He wasn't able to match his performance from Saturday, when he birdied five of his first six holes, but Johnson established a lead that he would never relinquish.

Biggest disappointment: Tway, son of 1986 PGA champion Bob, had hopes of securing his first PGA Tour win, but he wasn't able to get anything going. He shot 76 and finished T-17.

Shot of the day: Ryan Palmer put his tee shot on the 192-yard fourth hole just 3 feet from the cup, leading to a short birdie putt.

Quote of the day: "Thanks to him, I get a lot of fans out here, so it makes it a lot more fun playing out here in front of a big crowd. I had a lot of support this week, and it was a lot of fun." - Johnson on the support he gets in Canada because his fiancee Paulina's father is hockey legend Wayne Gretzky

NEWS: Nigeria police arrest fake currency note producer

The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a suspected fake currency note producer.

The command’s spokesman, Ebere Amaraizu, said in a statement in Enugu on Sunday that the suspect, Collins Oputa, was nabbed on July 26.

Eight of 30 lawmakers of the Benue State House of Assembly have served impeachment notice on Governor Samuel Ortom.

Some people joined queues at 02:00 local time waiting for the polls to open at 07:00 local time
Long queues have formed at polling stations in Zimbabwe in the first general election since long-serving ruler Robert Mugabe was ousted.

The act Kadaza is a traditional inspirational poet/instrumentalist/musician.
The name Kadaza means the naturally grown three is more rooted than the planted one..

Beautiful woman...

The current ‘father of players with roots in Africa’ in the NBA will, once again, be returning home to represent the continent of his birth in the biggest basketball exhibition game in this part of the world.

POLITICS:APC asks Saraki-led appointees from Kwara to resign or be sacked

Ilorin- Minister of Information and culture, Alh Lai Mohammed has said that all members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state in the camp of the Senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki, holding various federal government appointments are to resign immediately or risked being sacked.

Zimbabwe's ex-president Robert Mugabe has given a surprise press conference on the eve of the nation's elections.

NO ROAD!—Motorists and residents continue to groan under the unending traffic chaos at the Mile 2 end of Oshodi-Apapa Expressway caused by petroleum tankers. By Mike Ebonugwo, Evelyn Usman & Bose Adelaja FOR many eye-witnesses, it was a familiar accident and tragedy. Yet they were shocked beyond words as the fatal accident was an avoidable one. The scene was the popular Ijesha Bus-stop on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. The victim of this tragic incident was a pregnant woman who made the mistake of trying to cross the expressway rather than use the pedestrian bridge there. She was knocked down by a fast-speeding commercial bus popularly known as danfo that was being driven against the traffic. She died on the spot, while the fate of her unborn baby remains unknown.

Her tragic death is considered avoidable because on that fateful Thursday she was with her sister who, it was gathered, implored her to use the footbridge rather than risk her life dashing across the traffic-busy expressway. But she was said to have argued that in her condition she could not climb the bridge. Unfortunately that decision proved fatal. Same fate befell another pregnant woman who was said to have been hit by a motorbike at Second Rainbow Bus-stop. Eye witnesses said she could have survived had help reached her on time. Rather than rush her to the hospital, sympathisers reportedly clustered round her, with each person suggesting what should be done, without any of them taking any step to act on the suggestions. She was said to have been on the ground for close to one hour before breathing her last. Pregnant woman The death of these unfortunate pregnant women only added to the growing list of those who have lost their lives in recent time to vehicles being driven against the traffic particularly between Cele Bus-stop and Mile Two/Berger on the expressway. It also re-echoes concern about the lingering traffic-gridlock in that axis and beyond which has repeatedly been blamed for why many motorists resorted to driving against the traffic in order to get to their destinations on time and meet up with their appointments. Indeed the lingering gridlock along the Mile Two/Apapa axis of the Oshodi – Apapa Expressway created by a siege of articulated heavy duty vehicles and failed sections of the road left many motorists, especially commercial bus drivers, with no choice but to drive against the traffic from Cele bus-stop to Berger Under bridge (outward Apapa). Before the recent intervention of government by way of bringing some semblance of sanity in the area, most of them felt justified that it was the only way to beat the traffic if they must get to their destinations on time. It was an option many commuters readily embraced, especially clearing and forwarding agents as well as those whose places of work are situated in Apapa. In most cases, many of them preferred mounting readily available motorbikes to and from their destinations within that axis. The fact that the relevant authorities, including security and traffic regulating agencies for a long time, did not move against commercial vehicle operators taking this accident-prone alternative seems to reinforce the popular impression that the law against ‘one-way’ driving had been suspended pending when the traffic situation in the axis improves. Unfortunately, the cost in lives has been high, especially for motorbike riders plying the expressway. While some of them are presently confined to their sick beds with severe injuries, others did not live to tell their stories after being knocked down by fast-moving trucks with defective break system. Statistics at Vanguard Spotlight’s disposal showed that at least five lives are lost along the expressway in a week. The latest included a motorcyclist who was crushed by a speeding truck after he lost control of his bike at the Cele Bus-stop and another who was killed along with his two passengers after being knocked down by a commercial bus. Same fate also befell an old woman, a trader at Cele Bus-stop. The pepper seller identified simply as Mama, was said to have gone to the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Movement Church, located at Ijesha. She was said to have been on the verge of crossing the road, when a vehicle being driven against the traffic hit her. She died on the spot. Bitter tales of victims families While some families are still bitterly counting their losses on account of fatal accidents caused by vehicles being driven against the traffic on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, those who survived after being involved in similar mishaps are no less traumatised by the experience of their narrow escape. Vanguard Spotlight met with three separate families who claimed their loved ones were knocked down by motorists driving recklessly against the traffic. One of them, Alhaja Mulikat Ogunremi, said her younger sister, Adunni, had since been under medical observation due to the injuries sustained after she was knocked down by a commercial motorcyclist. “She was a factory worker at Warehouse Bus-stop and was returning home on that fateful Tuesday when she was knocked down by a commercial motorcyclist at Mile 2 Oke. This affected her limbs. She has since been confined to a wheel chair,” she lamented. The case of the Aigboas family from Ekpoma, Edo State is worse as they lost the mother of the house in a one-way related accident that also left their 12-year-old grandson hospitalised. The head of the family, Mr. Sunday Aigboas, who is still mourning the tragic loss of his wife, informed that the incident happened precisely at Sanya Bus-stop while she was on her way home from Sanya market where she was a petty trader. She was said to have left Sanya Market at about 7.30pm and was on her way home at about 7.30pm when she was knocked down by a hit-and-run motorist, which left her legs broken and her grandson seriously injured. Unfortunately Dorcas died while sympathisers were taking them to hospital. Meantime, the grandson is still in the Intensive Care Unit where he is undergoing medical treatment. The 59 years old Dorcas was interred in her home town soon after. In a chat with Vanguard, the widower, Mr. Aigboas, said his wife’s death left a vacuum in the family. He said: “My wife died shortly after leaving the market. She was knocked down while trying to cross the street beside the popular white garment church at Sanya Bus-stop on her way to Coker/Orile with our grandson. She died on the way to the hospital but our grandson survived the accident though with severe injuries.” He also informed that the late Dorcas, a mother of seven, was a peace-loving trader. Some of her co-traders and associates described her as a gentle and hardworking trader. Why we drive against traffic – Motorists When questioned why they gamble with their lives by driving against the traffic on the ever-busy expressway, many of the motorists attributed this to what they described as the “total stand still” traffic often from Second Rainbow to Berger and beyond. They added that the traffic jam usually reduced the number of trips they made per day. A commercial bus driver, Mr. Jubril Abdu-Gafaru, said he bought his bus on hire for N1.5m and was expected to make a weekly return of N50,000. “My vehicle is routed and how do I balance this if I don’t drive against the traffic? If I fail to meet up the owner of the bus will threaten to take the vehicle from me,” he informed. Another motorist, Mr. Ridwan Ajani, said he was compelled to drive against traffic in order to meet up with his family upkeep. He said: “I am an obedient citizen and was initially against one-way driving, but with the present crazy traffic situation along that route, I had no choice but to join those doing it. Before now, I used to make ten trips daily but this has reduced to three. My three children have dropped out of school while my wife is critically ill and I have no other business. So, tell me, why I won’t drive against traffic?” Some commuters who patronise ‘one-way’ commercial vehicle operators claimed they do so for different reasons. Madam Tope Adedeji said she resorted to doing so because “I must get to Wharf before 7.30am otherwise I risk losing my job. The only option is to join the vehicles plying one way to Coconut and then take a commercial motorcycle to Wharf”. Untill recently, ‘one-way’ driving by commercial buses had seemingly become permissible on that route. Not surprisingly, the situation also attracted garage touts, hawkers and road side traders. They claimed that their businesses were affected by the lingering gridlock and so had to shift base with the one-way commercial vehicle operators. Touts operating as ticketing officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, also became increasingly visible on the one-way route since most commercial motorists had abandoned the regular route. One of the ticketing officials simply called “Orofo” said he was sent there by his union leaders. According to him: “My Oga asked me to move to this side because the gridlock has affected our daily delivery and the only option is to go to where we will make more money”. Intervention by Task Force But in a bid to curtail the excesses of erring motorists on the axis, the Lagos State Task Force had moved into action following which a total of 98 commercial motorcycles were impounded on the expressway within a week. The Chairman of the Agency, Mr. Olayinka Egbeyemi, said the enforcement operation was carried out after several warnings issued to commercial motorcycle operators to desist from operating on the route. He said government was uncomfortable with the flagrant disregard of the law by some commercial motorcycle operators, coupled with the reports of crime incidents allegedly perpetrated particularly on the expressway. He said the commencement of repair works on the 3000 capacity ‘ABAT Truck Terminal in Orile-Iganmu and other road construction/rehabilitation around Apapa axis, were part of the steps taken by the government, to address the perennial gridlock around Apapa. Menace of tanker drivers In the same vein, the Lagos Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Mr. Hyginus Omeje, has described as alarming casualties resulting from the menace of tanker drivers and people driving against the traffic. Though, he did not give the crash figure, he, however, informed that accidents will reduce soon as the agencies involved in managing the situation intensified their efforts. He also warned motorists that the law on driving against the traffic was still in force, adding that the Apapa route was not an exemption. He particularly appealed to people living within the area to exercise patience as the long awaited solution was in sight. “We appreciate the difficulties people living in Apapa are presently facing. We’re aware that on account of this, especially the traffic problem, many people are leaving the area,” he said.

NEWS: Indonesia earthquake: 14 dead on tourist island of Lombok

A powerful earthquake has struck a popular tourist destination in Indonesia, killing at least 14 people.

The 6.4 magnitude quake hit the central island of Lombok just before 07:00 local time (00:00 GMT) on Sunday.

The publisher of the New York Times has urged President Donald Trump not to continue labelling reporters "enemies of the people", saying it could "lead to violence" against the media.

The stars are aligning for the third NBA Africa Game that is set to tip off next Saturday, August 4 at Sun Arena in Pretoria, South Africa. The rosters have been finalized and set with both Team Africa and Team World looking really exciting. There are young players and experienced veterans all looking to showcase their skills for the adoring NBA fans in attendance. Tickets are still on sale via Computicket for the star-studded event.

*A scene from Aghoro Kingdom
THE rancid stench of spilled crude oil was the ugly reminder of a creek that once bubbled with fishing activities. All around the banks were signs of oil industry- induced pollution as the grasses and other vegetation bear the signs clearly, including fishing nets and timber. The impacted creek told a saga of heavy volume of crude oil spewed into the environment. Besides the crude oil stained grasses, other vegetation and materials at the banks, the surface of the body of the water (on the creek) displayed the colours associated with crude oil. Although the recovery of the spilled crude into the environment is on-going, the odour could still be smelled as the temperature rises during the day due to the swamp and the nature of the terrain. This has been the sad tale of Aghoro Kingdom, a sprawling coastal settlement on the Atlantic fringe in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State whose natives are predominantly fishermen and farmers. Sunday Vanguard gathered that this year alone, the natives have had to contend with two separate oil spills. Since the rustic settlement was rocked by a devastating oil spill from the 24-inch Trans-Ramos pipeline owned by oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), on May 17, 2018, the people and the community have become like the proverbial orphan. Their socio-economic condition has worsened and drinking polluted water has become a second nature. Fishing, the main source of livelihood of the natives, Sunday Vanguard investigation revealed, has not only been crippled but the once alluring Otobo-Iba creek is also polluted with the result that they now rely on sachet water brought from Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, and the neigbouring Warri in Delta State. Disturbed by impact of the May 17 spill, the 24-member Bayelsa State House of Assembly had speedily passed a resolution, urging the SPDC to send relief materials to affected communities and also commence immediate payment of compensation to victims. The lawmakers also called on the oil giant to put in motion the machinery that will stop further spread of spilled crude oil to other areas. However, it was learned that before the spill could be contained, it had impacted some communities in Delta State, polluting the environment and rivers and killing fishes and other aquatic lives. The cause of the spill is yet to be officially ascertained as relevant bodies were yet to conclude the Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) on the impacted sites.

*Dead aquatic life
Fishing activities grounded Meanwhile, the troubled natives painted a bleak picture. Lamenting the adverse effect of the spillage, Secretary of the Community Development Committee, CDC, of Aghoro II, Justin Gbagbiri, said: “This oil spill happened on May 17. The river is one of our major sources of drinking water. But since this spillage occurred, we have not been able to use the river, and the spill has affected most of our activities. Fishing, which is our major occupation, has been adversely affected; as we cannot go to the river again to fish. “Our children now cough. Some have eye and skin problems; in fact, there are different kinds of illnesses in town. But the situation seems a bit better now. When it first happened, you could not breathe well because of the gas that spewed into the air.” Also an indigene of the area, simply identified as Ebi, said: “It has been a trying moment for us. Some of our people have been experiencing health challenges including eye, nose, stomach upset and throat irritation. We can no longer go fishing because of the polluted creek. As I speak, I have huge debt to pay as I borrowed money to buy the fishing net I had planned to use this season. Crude oil, which should have been a blessing to us as in civilised climes, has turned out to be a pain. How do I cater for my family now? I have bills to settle and other needs to meet but I am handicapped.” Appeal to SPDC On his part, Zide Sunday, another native, said that though Shell had sent relief materials to the area, “we don’t have water to drink and bathe. Our water has been polluted. Recovery work is on-going but we are calling on Shell to send water and also their medical team to the area.” A mother of three, Madam Ebiere, said: “We are mostly into fishing and it is the proceeds from our catch that we use to send our children to school. If you are familiar with the Delta terrain, you will know that we don’t do much farming here because of our mangrove surrounding. “Sadly, fishing, which we depend on for a living, has been grounded. How do we survive this condition? Frozen fish that comes from Warri in neighbouring Delta State is very expensive because of the high cost of transportation. Though some relief materials were recently sent to the community, I am appealing to the company, state and federal governments to come to our aid.” A former commissioner from Bayelsa West, Hon. Augustine Lugbenwei, expressed sadness over the development and called on Shell to do the needful and ameliorate the plight of the natives. Lugbenwei said: “Shell should provide our people with potable water and medicals. Their water has been polluted. And our people have no drinking water. What will it cost the company to send water to our people just as it supplied bottle water to its personnel in the area?” He lauded the efforts of the member representing the Sagbama-Ekeremor federal constituency, Hon. Fred Agbedi, who, according to him, has been to the area on three occasions and working round the clock to draw attention to the plight of the people. Sunday Vanguard learned that the wife of the state governor, Dr (Mrs) Rachel Dickson, who is from the area, also sent relief materials to her people to mitigate their suffering. Lamenting the sad turn of event in the area, Oil and Gas Producing Areas Enlightenment and Empowerment Initiative (OGPAEEI) said about 10,000 fishing nets, sources of water and farmland with crops were adversely impacted and damaged. Spokesman for the group, Dr. Anapunere Awoli, representing the President of the group, Mr. Jackson Igbabiri, said, “From the assessment we conducted on the incident, we found out that about 10,000 fishing nets, over 50 fishing settlements, farmlands, including coconut farms, plantain and water yam farms were impacted by the spill. “We are calling on SPDC to urgently provide alternative sources of water like borehole for the people; the people are also in dire need of medical aid and food items; the situation can lead to public health challenges if not taken care of.” The group commended state government officials for their visit to the affected communities, describing the gesture as encouraging and an indication of the state government sensitive to the plight of victims. The leader of Famous-Ama, one of the affected communities in Aghoro, Enimikem Famous, described the incident as “unfortunate” and urged the Federal Government, Shell and well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aid by providing potable water and medical items for victims. Describing the adverse effects on human health worrisome, he said, “We have suffered too much of constant oil spills; our people have suffered from unexpected illnesses such as cholera, severe cough and infertility caused by the type of water we consume.”

Impediment to movement A source, who spoke anonymously, told Sunday Vanguard that exhumed pipelines were hampering activities in the area as residents could no longer transport goods and services. “The Joint investigation Visit (JIV) by the SPDC on the spillage has commenced, but some exhumed pipelines have blocked the surface of our water which is the only route to our market and farmlands. Things are very difficult now because we have no access to the farms. We urged Shell to expedite action on recovery and cleaning of the spill so as give unfettered access on our water,” the source said. Integrity test A Bayelsa State government delegation, led by the deputy governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (ret.), which visited the area, was disturbed by the havoc wreaked on the environment and called on Shell to conduct integrity test on its pipelines in the Niger Delta to avert a recurrence. John-Jonah decried what he described as the frequency of oil spillages from the company operations, as well as the fact that a good number of its pipes were laid a long time ago and may have suffered corrosion. He berated SPDC for the delay in carrying out remediation activities and provision of relief materials. While noting the usual Joint Investigation that would be carried out to ascertain the cause of the spillage, the deputy governor advised SPDC to ensure that all the relevant parties are involved in the exercise, stressing that it should be done in accordance with international standards. The deputy governor also commended the people of Aghoro for their patience and peaceful disposition, assuring that, the state government will do the needful. “You can see the pollution even after the very long time, the amount of the sludge, the thickness of oil spill that were found there. When you are exploiting the resources and you don’t think of what happened to human beings, the impact on lives cannot be assessed and may be after some years. “We are breathing fumes of crude oil. It is a very devastating incident; I want Shell to redouble its efforts. We will submit our report to government so that we can have coordinated efforts to ensure that this type of thing is avoided in our environment,” he said. Also, the member representing Sagbama-Ekeremor federal constituency in the House of Representatives, an indigene of Aghoro, stated that the community had suffered from two oil spillages in recent times, with the first one occurring in April, this year at Odimodi Area in Delta State, which extended to Aghoro and the second on May 17, 2018, at Aghoro axis, all from the SPDC River Ramos pipeline. According to him, the two spillages have devastating effects on Aghoro and other surrounding communities, resulting to massive destruction of the aquatic life, which is their major source of livelihood. He, therefore, called on the Federal Government and SPDC to take quick actions to alleviate the plight of the people. “We expect Shell and the Federal Government and its partners to quicken action. I expect that medical team should have been on ground long before now dealing with health issues because lives are involved, environment is involved and people need to have their source of livelihood restored”, the lawmaker said. But a member of staff of the company at one of the sites, Engr. Charles Ebulu, assured that SPDC was doing all that was necessary to contain further spread of the spilled crude and pleaded for understanding from all stakeholders. Speaking on the incident, the Amananaowei of Aghoro, His Royal Highness, Ibamua Ojukonsin, lamented that it took SPDC two weeks to respond after the incident was reported, adding that the community was yet to receive medical supplies from the company. He decried the situation whereby SPDC was eager to effect repairs on the pipeline in order to resume production while nothing had been done for the impacted communities. Team to impacted area underway But SPDC says a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to Aghoro community was underway to investigate the cause of the oil leak in the area, adding that relief materials had been sent there. Mr. Bamidele Odugbesan, Media Relations Manager, SPDC, in a telephone interview, said the oil firm had convened a Joint Investigation Team to visit the area. He, however, regretted that rains and swampy nature of the area were hampering the spill response operations. On the claim of delayed response to the spill, which was first reported in May, Odugbesan said that the allegation was baseless, adding that Shell was doing everything possible to address the situation. “We have been working round-the-clock since the leak occurred and, as we speak, the JIV is underway but it is not yet concluded because of the swampy nature of the terrain, coupled with problem of rains and high tide”, he said “The JIV is not a one-man show. The JIV team, comprising SPDC officials, regulators, community representatives and Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment officials, must visit the leak spots before arriving at a conclusion.” But, according to Agbedi, who represents the area in the House of Reps, “I have been speaking with Shell officers, including the GMD, and I am shocked to hear that, even as at today, we are still expecting medical attention. It’s not fair, it is not good enough. You don’t treat a peaceful people that way. You don’t treat your host community that way”.

POLITICS: Ortom - Why I left the APC

…Senator Akume sacrificed me and Benue people to become Senate President ……..there was a grand conspiracy to deny me APC ticket

ENUGU- ARDENT supporter of President Mohammadu Buhari and the Director General Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Okechukwu has picked holes in Igbo leaders rejection of ceeding Presidency to Ndigbo in 2023.

Renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is the Cover Star for the July edition of French magazine M Lemonde.

Award-winning gospel singer, Kirk Franklin, 48, has been called out by his eldest son, who claims he trying to kill him.

Men of the Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Rivers State Police Command,

Following the recent defections from the APC by federal lawmakers from Kwara State, among others, the Hon Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, today July 29th, visited the state to consult with stakeholders on how to strengthen the APC and ensure victory for the party in the state in 2019.

Lynx star Maya Moore won her third straight All-Star MVP award to lead Team Parker past Team Delle Donne, 119-112, in the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday.

Moore scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out six assists to win the MVP award on her home court. She joined Lisa Leslie as the only three-time MVP of the game and became the all-time scoring leader in All-Star history, passing Tamika Catchings’ mark of 108 points.

Allie Quigley of the Chicago Sky also scored 18 points and Skylar Diggins-Smith added 17 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists for Team Parker.

Team Delle Donne’s Kristi Tolliver of the Washington Mystics led all scorers with 23 points, including 7-for-11 shooting on 3-pointers. Rookie A’ja Wilson of the Los Vegas Aces added 18 points.

Liz Cambage capped off the game with a dunk, becoming the sixth different player to do it in the game.

Eschewing the traditional East-vs-West format for the first time, the league let captains Elena Delle Donne of the Mystics and Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks choose sides from a pool of the top players in All-Star voting. That allowed for the rosters to be heavily dominated (16 of the 22 players) by the Western Conference, home of six of the top seven teams in the league standings.

Four players from the hometown Minnesota Lynx were selected for the game, two on each roster, creating a festive atmosphere with the crowd cheering loudly for both sides throughout the game. Moore and Brunson (four points, five rebounds) played for the winning side, while Seimone Augustus (14 points) and Sylvia Fowles (two points, six rebounds) played for Team Delle Donne.

PASSING THE TORCH

The second quarter began with the league’s career leaders in scoring (Diana Taurasi), rebounding (Rebekkah Brunson) and assists (Sue Bird) on the floor. But youth was served with Wilson scoring eight straight points for Team Della Donne. Wilson, the No 1 overall pick out of South Carolina, was the only rookie selected for the game and scored 12 points in the second quarter to lead all scorers at halftime.

VIVA LAS VEGAS

WNBA president Lisa Borders announced that the 2019 All-Star Game will be held in Las Vegas, home of the Aces, who relocated from San Antonio after last season. The Aces, who were represented by Wilson and guard Kayla McBride, reached the All-Star break only 1.5 games out of the final playoff spot.

First appeared on WNBA.com

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, WNBA, their clubs or Kwesé Sports.

SPORT NEWS: MIDDLETON PROVIDES TEAM WORLD WITH AN OFFENSIVE EDGE

It is a tough ask to stand out in a team with a single All-Star who deservedly gets all the attention—but Khris Middleton has proved that he is more than a sidekick to the phenomenal talent that is Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 26-year-old star is a versatile player who was one of the league’s most underrated members last season after his eye-catching progression.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced the full roster of players and coaches who will participate in the NBA Africa Game 2018, the NBA’s third game in Africa, which will take place Saturday, Aug. 4 at 5:00 pm CAT at Sun Arena at Time Square in Pretoria, South Africa.

The lawmaker representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Senator Adesoji Akanbi, tells LEKE BAIYEWU about the defections in the Senate, some senators’ meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, and other issues

Malians set to pick their president in a vote against a backdrop of fragile security and calls for economic improvement.

Tamimi was arrested after a video of her slapping and hitting two Israeli soldiers went viral.

Tamimi's father said he worries about his daughter's safety after her arrest

President Buhari will depart Abuja Sunday for Lome, Republic of Togo, to participate in two high-level meetings. On arrival, the President will have an interactive session at the Nigerian embassy with the Nigerian community based in Togo.

Civil society group which tracks government spending, TrackaNG shared these photos of a dilapidated primary school in Enugu state despite the alleged allocation of N30million for construction of new classrooms.

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has fined DAAR Communications (owner of AIT/Raypower) N500,000 for persistent violation of the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.

The Red Devils boss was not happy about his squad, the referees and plenty more after defeat to Liverpool in Michigan
Jose Mourinho saw his Manchester United side beaten by Liverpool in Michigan – and then insisted American supporters deserved more from the International Champions Cup.

Read the press statement from the party below

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the factional National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Adams Oshiomhole, to stop behaving like an attack dog.

Two non-governmental groups, JCI Nigeria and ACT Foundation, have started a campaign against indiscriminate refuse dumping and implementation of efficient waste management which captures recycling.

NEWS: Afghanistan: Gunmen storm Jalalabad medical building

Officials say gun battle between attackers and security forces ends inside midwife training facility in Jalalabad..

Arsenal secured a comfortable International Champions Cup win over Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, with Mesut Ozil among the goals.

Kutama residents say they have nothing to show for Mugabe's long reign and they do not miss Zimbabwe's former president.

Senior members of outlawed Muslim Brotherhood among those ordered executed by the Cairo Criminal Court...

AFRIK takes a look at the biggest transfer news and rumours from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and beyond...

Only 5% of the fire has been contained
A raging wildfire in northern California has killed two firefighters and forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

The Gunners head coach is happy with his squad and believes versatile attacking player Iwobi will soon agree a new contract
Alex Iwobi is close to signing a new deal with Arsenal, head coach Unai Emery has confirmed.

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