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News

WAEC Suspends Manual Confirmation Of Results

The Nigerian office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC)  has announced that it will no longer use manual confirmation or stamping of certificates of candidates who sat the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from 1999 till date.

This is coming after the launch of the examination body’s Digital Certificate Platform.

Members of the public and stakeholders have been asked to utilise the digital certificate platform to ease the bottlenecks associated with the manual access and confirmation system.

The council’s acting Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina said in a statement;

“The WAEC Digital Certificate Platform allows candidates to access, download, and share their original WAEC certificates. Institutions and organisations can also promptly and securely confirm the certificates of candidates.

“Note that certificates accessed and shared through the platform are authentic and sourced directly from the WAEC database.

“We kindly request that institutions, organisations, agencies, embassies, high commissions, among others, provide email addresses for the digital sharing, receiving, and verification of certificates.”

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Entertainment News

Pay $84 Per Annum for Twitter Blue or Lose Checkmark From April 1 – Twitter

Twitter may soon end its free blue “verified” checkmarks for notable users, referred to as legacy checkmarks.
Elon Musk hinted at removing the “legacy” checkmarks that confirmed users’ identities like government officials, corporations, journalists, celebrities and other high-profile tweeters in a tweet.
The company tweeted on Thursday on plans to remove the legacy checkmarks and said: “On April 1, we will begin winding down our legacy verified program and removing legacy verified checkmarks”.
 
“To keep your blue checkmark on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue,” the company added.
Twitter Blue is a subscription service that Musk relaunched late last year, costing individuals $84 a year or $8 a month.
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Sport News

Tottenham Manager Antonio Conte Leaves Club By ‘Mutual Consent’

Antonio Conte has left Tottenham by mutual consent.
The club confirmed this on its website and wrote:
We can announce that Head Coach Antonio Conte has left the Club by mutual agreement. We achieved Champions League qualification in Antonio’s first season at the Club. We thank Antonio for his contribution and wish him well for the future.
 
Cristian Stellini will take the team as Acting Head Coach for the remainder of the season, along with Ryan Mason as Assistant Head Coach.
 
Daniel Levy, Chairman: “We have 10 Premier League games remaining and we have a fight on our hands for a Champions League place. We all need to pull together. Everyone has to step up to ensure the highest possible finish for our Club and amazing, loyal supporters.”
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2023 Elections

INEC To Spend Over N3 Billion For Election Litigations

Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission has allocated over N3 billion to fight litigation arising from the 2023 general election.
The electoral body budgeted over N3 billion to defend itself from the results of the February 25 presidential and national assembly election and the March 18 governorship and state assembly polls.
It was gathered that INEC in its Election Project Plan for the 2023 general election earmarked N3 billion for the prosecution of election-related cases.
The election projection plan which was sighted by The Punch on Sunday partly reads, “Litigation and prosecution: N2,104,965,000 (2022) and N3,087,195,425 (2023). Total, N5,192,160,425.’’
The document further reveals that INEC budgeted N886.2 million for legal drafting and clearance in 2022 and 2023, while N337.4 million was earmarked for legal drafting and clearance in 2022 and N548.7 million was budgeted for the same legal drafting and clearance in 2023.
However, the commission is yet to disclose the number of lawyers it wants to engage for the numerous election petition cases lodged at the tribunals.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi also told The Punch on Sunday that he did not know the number of solicitors that would be employed by the commission.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that over 100 election petitions have been filed by aggrieved candidates both from the presidential and state election petition tribunals to challenge the outcome of the polls.
Also, it was gathered that those election petition tribunals in over 12 states including Edo, Plateau, Ondo, Kwara, Ogun, Bayelsa, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Bauchi, Lagos and Niger states received petitions from National Assembly candidates who are contesting their results.
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Entertainment News

Vee speaks on dating experience in UK, gives kudos to Nigerian men

Popular reality star, Vee Iye speaks on her experience in the dating pool while giving kudos to Nigerian men over their counterparts in the UK.

The former Big Brother Naija housemate made this known in a podcast show where she referenced the financial aspect of going on dates.

According to Vee, Nigerian men are better at shouldering the finances of a woman when on a date, unlike UK men who go by the 50:50 method of splitting bills.

She, however, clarified that it had nothing to do with UK men being stingy, rather, it is a thing of culture which is different from how it is done in Nigeria.

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Entertainment News

Brymo speaks following loss of AFRIMA awards

Nigerian artist Ibrahim Olawale, also known as Brymo, has opened up after losing the All-Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA.

Recall that some social media petitioned the award organizers to drop Brymo from their awards nominations after he waged a war against the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi saying that an Igbo presidency would be a “pipe dream” because of the drive for Biafra.

As long as there (are) talks by prominent people from Igboland about Biafra, an Igbo presidency will be a pipe dream, he tweeted.

After about 47,000 had signed the petition to be removed from the award list, Brymo rendered an apology to the public but eventually lost the awards to Mali-based Iba One.

In an interview with Cable, Brymo disclosed that he wanted to win that award before that petition could go viral. He added that his loss was not associated with Southeast brouhaha but was the result of a number of factors.

He also announced his retirement from the music space making him unqualified for the award.

In his words;

“I think, months before, I’d announced that I was no longer a musician and that I was instead a sonic artist. It meant I was no longer eligible for awards that musicians get.

“However, AFRIMA nominated my work ‘Esan’, so I forgot all that and looked forward to the event. But in truth, I’m no longer a singer so I didn’t want it.

“There’s a songwriting category but they shouldn’t nominate sonic artists. I was looking forward to it anyway, and then something happened. I got into trouble talking about Biafra leaving and staying.

“So, I stayed out of AFRIMA and didn’t attack the award afterward. Not winning had nothing to do with southeast fracas. Everything only just came together.”

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Entertainment News

Avoid Urgent N2K Girls If You Want To Suceed – Whitemoney

BBNaija season 6 winner and singer, Whitemoney has shared important tips on how one can make it in life.

The reality star, who has been on the news frequently for his previous controversial advice, counseled struggling men to put God first in all their endeavors.

He advised that when grinding in their hustles, they shouldn’t be too eager to hit riches, or cut corners; there’s always a process to everything, he said.

According to him, young men should avoid urgent N2K girls who are only eager to take from them rather than add any significant value to their lives.

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Entertainment News

BBTitans: Justin, Blaqboi And Thabang Evicted, Five Finalists Standing

BBTitans housemate, Justin, Blaqboi and Thabang were evicted from the house on Sunday, March 27.

Justin was the first to be evicted, causing his fellow housemates to shed tears and offer hugs of comfort. Despite the news, Justin reacted with a smile and expressed his immense pride for making it this far in the competition.

After recapping some of the week’s memorable moments, Blaqboi was announced as the next evicted housemate. He, too, remained positive and accepted his fate with a smile, stating that leaving the house at this point felt like destiny.

Thabang also followed the eviction train, leaving five finalists Ebubu, Ipeleng, Kanaga Jnr, Khosi, Tsatsii, and Yvonne on the show.

With their departure, the remaining finalist will be competing for a grand prize of $100,000 after spending a total of 105 days (or 10 weeks) in the house.

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News

BREAKING: General Abacha’s Ex-Chief Of General Staff, Oladipo Diya Is Dead

Lt. General Oladipo Diya, a former Nigerian Chief of General Staff under the late Head  of State, General Sani Abacha, has died.

His death was announced in a statement by his son, Prince Oyesinmilola Diya, on Sunday morning.

It read, “On behalf of the entire Diya family home and abroad; we announce the passing on to glory of our dear husband, father, grandfather, brother, Lt-General Donaldson Oladipo Oyeyinka Diya (rtd) GCON, LLB, BL, PSC, FSS, mni.

“Our dear Daddy passed onto glory in the early hours of 26th March 2023. Please keep us in your prayers as we mourn his demise in this period. Further announcements will be made public in due course.”

The former Chief of General Staff was born on April 3, 1944 at Odogbolu in Ogun State.

Diya joined the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna and fought during the Nigerian Civil War.

He was appointed Chief of General Staff in 1993 and Vice Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council in 1994. As Chief of the General Staff, he was second in command and the de facto vice president of Nigeria under Abacha from 1994.

Diya lost his wife, Folashade, in May of 2020.

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Uncategorized

Election Violence: SERAP Tells INEC To Commence Investigation Or Face Legal Action

Nigerian civic group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent a message to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The group told Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the INEC to immediately seek the appointment of an independent counsel to investigate allegations of electoral offences and other electoral violence, including bribery during the recently concluded general elections.

SERAP disclosed this in a letter on Saturday, signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP deputy director.

The statement partly read, “Identifying, arresting, investigating and prosecuting those suspected of perpetrating electoral violence and other electoral offences during the 2023 general elections would act as a deterrent against electoral violence in future elections.

“We would be grateful if immediate steps are taken to implement the recommended measures within seven days of the receipt and publication of this letter. If we haven’t heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel INEC to comply with our request in the public interest.”

Recall that the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections were conducted on February 25.

Also, the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections were held on March 18 across 28 states out of 36 states in Nigeria.

Sen. Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, won the Presidential election after defeating strong contenders, the PDP’s Atiktu Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi. Tinubu has already received his Certificate of Return from INEC.

Twenty-six (26) Governors-elect have been announced so far by the INEC and will be presented their Certificate of Return later this month.