The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) has confirmed that Nest of Champions Stadium, Uyo will host the 2022 CAF Champions League final scheduled for Sunday, May 29.
CAF officials had visited the Akwa Ibom stadium over four weeks ago to inspect the state of the sporting facilities according to the Senior Special Assistant on Sports to Akwa Ibom State Governor, Paul Bassey.
Aside the stadium, the delegation also inspected the Victor Attah International Airport, Ibom Icon Hotel and Golf Resort and Ibom Specialist Hospital among others in line with CAF standard for host city.
Al Ahly of Egypt that have won a record 10 Champions League titles will face ES Setif of Algeria in the semi-final.
The Egyptian giant will be hoping to reach their 3rd consecutive finals, having won the last two finals.
In another semi-final game, Petro Atletico of Angola will lock horns with Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.
This is the third time the CAF Champions finals will be played in a single final format as opposed to a two-legged fixtures format, which was being used in the competition since 1966.
Cairo International Stadium in Cairo, Egypt hosted the 2020 final, while the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, Morocco, hosted the 2021 final.
azaar and Fair is a week long event that brings together elements of education, entertainment, and capacity building, using fashion as the driver. The event is designed as a campus style hub that will house a fashion show, masterclasses, skills acquisition, an experience center, and an SME Bazaar. The theme for this years event is Creativity.
Commercialization and Scale. We have identified the growth of Nigeria’s creative skill segment, and the various opportunities that exist with this sector. However we understand that in order for this creative skill to truly thrive and compete on a global scale, there is a need to transition into a creative economy, that allows for commercialization. At the fair we will be providing a platform and opportunity to contribute to building this creative economy.
Do you know any upcoming artiste that lives in AKWA IBOM that is very talented and you think we should help this 2021?
Naijaloaded is collaborating with music lovers all over Nigeria to pick talented upcoming artistes in each state across the country.
We have created this platform to help music talents in all the 36 states of Nigeria who don’t have the opportunity or needed resources to achieve their heart desires in the music industry.
As such, we want you to nominate an Artiste in AKWA IBOM you think we should work with/help this 2021 – we want people to pick for us, no cheating!
List will be released on:- 15th February 2021 (We will release the 20 Most Nominated Upcoming Artistes list for each state).
Why You Should Take This Serious As An Artiste
As an Artiste, imagine Naijaloaded put up a Post with your Photo, short profile on a post with this title 👇
Naijaloaded Top 20 Most Valuable Upcoming Artistes In AKWA IBOM To Watch Out For In 2021
You will have the 100% brag right in front of your Friends, Family members and those who said you cannot achieve anything in the Music industry.
Infact, Music investors and Record Labels will begin to take you serious because you made it to the list knowing fully well that you didn’t pay for it and millions of people participated.
What Artiste Stand To Gain From This
1. Massive promotion on Naijaloaded website and on our Social media platforms
2. Promotion on other top music blogs in Nigeria
3. Massive social media promotion for their songs through Naijaloaded, Instablog, Gosippmills and other platforms we know will help the Artiste positively.
4. Massive YouTube Promotion
5. Massive Audiomack Promotion and so much more
6. Winners will also get to be Naijaloaded Ambassador in their respective states and so much more.
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Let the nomination start now!!!
Start getting your fans, family & friends to start voting for you massively.
The United States government has finally responded to the alleged Lekki toll gate killings, calling for immediate investigation into the shootings by the Nigerian military on #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll gate on Tuesday night, October 20.
United States Government finally reacts to shootings of #EndSARS protesters by Nigerian military
In a statement on Thursday, October 22, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo strongly condemned the use of excessive force by security agents against unarmed protesters in the country and said an immediate investigation will begin.
“We welcome an immediate investigation into any use of excessive force by members of the security forces.
“Those involved should be held to account in accordance with Nigerian law,” Mr Pompeo tweeted.
“The United States strongly condemns the use of excessive force by military forces who fired on unarmed demonstrators in Lagos, causing death and injury.
He noted that peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are “essential human rights and core democratic principles” that should be respected by authorities.
“We extend our condolences to the victims of the violence and their families.
“We welcome an immediate investigation into any use of excessive force by members of the security forces,” he added.
Akwa Ibom Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, has imposed curfew from 9 pm Thursday, 22 October to 12noon Friday, 23 October, 2020
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Ini EmemObong, in a press release on Thursday evening, said the curfew was due to the violence in the protest
He noted that the curfew was necessary to forestall further breakdown of law and order as well as to protect lives and properties.
The Commissioner said there must be total cessation of movement except those who are on essential services but must show proper means of identification.
“Due to the violent manifestations of some persons masquerading as #EndSARS protesters trying to create chaos this evening, in Uyo, the capital city of Akwa Ibom state, HE the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has declared a curfew effective 9 pm today, Thursday, 22nd October,2020 till midday tomorrow, Friday, 23rd October, 2020.
There is pandemonium and uproar in Wellington Bassey way popularly known as Barracks Road in Uyo,
Akwa Ibom State when a personnel of Nigerian Correction Service, allegedly shot one of the youths protesting against police brutality and anomalies in the country.
There has been a nationwide protest for the past one week in which youths in Akwa Ibom State are not left out.
The protest over the period it had lasted in the state had been adjudged peaceful until today when the youths were matching this evening towards government house situated along the road. It was gathered that the warden officer pulled the trigger in defense when the victim jumped into their moving van may be to dispossess them of their gun.
Infuriated by the gunshot, the protesters went back, regrouped themselves,set some houses ablaze including Anchor insurance House where the incident happened.
Uyo metropolis and suburbs have been enveloped with flames as according to information available some miscreants have used the opportunity to unleash mayhem and escalate the crisis to other areas.
Motorists and pedestrians were stranded as many roads have been blocked and wild fire set on them.
About 48hours after Lekki Massacre, President Buhari has addressed Nigerians on the issues leading to #ENDSARS protest.
The Live broadcast which started around 7:00pm yestarday had Buhari talking about various things the government is doing in response to #ENDSARS protesters demands and agitation.
In case you missed the Live broadcast or you didn’t understand Buhari’s presentation, here are 10 key points in the speech.
READ BELOW
1. Buhari admits that the protest started as a genuine and peaceful protest
2. Buhari sends strong warning to those that have hijacked the peaceful protest and turned it into violence and looting in the name of #ENDSARS
3. Buhari said right to protest does not include disturbing other citizens going about their daily activities
4. We have accepted the youths 5 of 5 demands of the youths and scrapped SARS and the government is working on other demands.
5. We are currently working on extensive police reforms
6. Buhari said all the killing, Lootings that happened in the name of #ENDSARS protest are painful and unneccessary.
7. The government has created N75 billion National Youth Investment Fund to provide opportunities for the youths, and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Survival Fund through the following means;
a. paying 3-months salaries of the staff of 100,000 micro, small- and medium- enterprises
b. paying for the registration of 250,000 businesses at the Corporate Affairs Commission
c. giving a grant of N30,000 to 100,000 artisans
d. guaranteeing market for the products of traders
8. The National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission has been directed to expedite action on the finalization of the new salary structure of members of the Nigeria Police Force.
9. In order to underscore the importance of education in preparing youths for the future, this administration has come up with a new salary structure and other incentives for our teachers.
10. Buhari calls on youths to discontinue the street protests and constructively engage government in finding solutions.
It was a dark day in Nigeria.Early evening of Tuesday, October 20, 2020.
We started hearing reports about shooting at the Lekki Toll Gate.
Sadly, not only were the reports true, the situation was a lot more gruesome than anybody could imagine.
The picture above is from someone who saw a stray bullet land in their house from the shootings.
However, throughout the live, Switch and other people present were able to find some of the bullets that were shot at them. One by one they continued to collect the bullets and save them as evidence. These bullets were long and according to people on the live, bullets that are used in machine guns and heavy weaponry
Thankfully, one Nigerian DJ, DJ Switch was live on the scene and able to capture the events that unfolded at that Lekki Toll Gate LIVE as it happened.
I watched the ENTIRE thing and I have to say it is one of the most gruesome and hardest to watch videos I have ever seen in my life.
If you were unable to watch the video or are still not able to watch the entire video right now, then here is a quick summary of what happened.
**Before reading on, please make sure to like and follow my Facebook page so you don’t miss out on any new and interesting lists, articles, and stories that I post every single day. I have a really fun page. If you like my page, you will have fun too. So what’s stopping you? Like my page and let’s have fun together!
1. There was no room for escape
What I think was the hardest part about the entire video and what is still so vicious is that not only were the peaceful protesters shot at, they were BARRICADED.
Switch showed on her live how the two exits on either side of the protesters had been blocked by fires. Yes, fires were set so that there would be no room for the protesters to escape.
In one of the most gruesome and hardest to watch moments in the live, Switch and some other protesters present gathered around a man who had been shot in the leg and attempted to take the bullet out of the leg. It was like something out of a television show, only worse. They had the man bite down on something, they got a lighter and some metal to burn the wound so it doesn’t further bleed. It was by far one of the most unsettling moments of the night.
DJ switch and other brave Nigerians are trying to remove the bullet from this young man’s leg💔💔💔💔#Genocide in Lekki.
There is no right way to behave. There is no right thing to do. There is no manual for something like this. Throughout the live, people kept on tagging media companies like CNN and AlJareeza, and CNN at one point wanted to go live with Switch, but she was too pre-occupied with all of the chaos around her to deal with doing an interview. At another moment, she started talking about football club, Barca, because according to her “If they were going to shoot them, then at least they should be doing something they love when it happens.” At another moment, her phone was about to die and she realized she had no power bank with her.
Amidst all of these, comments kept on piling about what she should and should not do, like: “Answer CNN”, “this is not time for football talk”, “why would she not bring power bank”.
There is no way someone could have planned for something like this. I have to also use this opportunity to praise the courage of DJ Switch. She is indeed a powerful woman.
If finally there is something that we all learnt from that live, it is that it is the Nigerian youth that will save this country. The way everybody banded together, both people that were there at the Lekki Toll Gate and the people at home tagging, DMing, trying to find solutions from wherever they are. One thing that this horrible evening has shown us is that at least, if there is any hope to be had in this country, it is the hope in our youth.
Also, a big shout out to the celebrities who lent their voice and brought awareness to the situation. There are too many to tag and share, but I’ll just post some below.
So is nigeria flag a weapon now???? Shooting at peaceful protesters like u’re playing gta.#BuhariResignNow#lekki
Unarmed protesters bearing the National flag, singing the national anthem gunned down by the very people assigned to protect them. 💔. #EndSARSpic.twitter.com/Qffv9cxu1p
US President Donald Trump told loyalists in North Carolina on Thursday there is only one person more popular than himself.
According to Trump he said the only person more popular than him in the United States is Jesus Christ.
“Someone said to me the other day, ‘You’re the most famous person in the world by far.’ I said, ‘no I’m not.’ … They said, ‘Who’s more famous?’”
Even though some polls show his predecessor, Barack Obama, and his wife, Michelle Obama, are among the most popular people in the United States, Mr Trump said he ranks second – ever, Independent UK reports.
The crowd roared its approval in the deeply religious southern state as the president laughed.
“I’m not taking any chances,” he told them. “Hey, I’m not having any arguments. Jesus Christ. … Let me look up, and I’ll say, it’s not even close.”
He laughed. They laughed.
But data compiled by 538 puts the president’s approval rating at 42.7 per cent and his disapproval mark at 54.3 per cent.
His recent low point came on 28 July, with an approval rating of 40.1 per cent and disapproval of nearly 56 per cent.
Those figures have mostly held in the mid-50s and low-40s for most of Mr Trump’s term.
The World Bank has advised President Muhammad Buhari’s administration to strengthen the education system and ensure transparency in Nigeria.
The President, David Malpass, gave the counsel at the 2020 Annual Meetings press conference.
He spoke while stating the position of the World Bank regarding human capital in Africa, Nigeria in particular.
“We have an enormous youth population with rising unemployment, and now an added coronavirus concern. Do you see a problem or opportunity”
a journalist asked.
In response, Malpass said he sees many problems.
“It’s harder to see the opportunities; this is a bad thing that happened to the world and particularly to poor people in the world because there’s not an evident solution.
“As I discussed earlier, the K-shaped recovery is a daunting challenge, because of the inequality that is expressed in that kind of outlook.
“For Nigeria, the vital steps are to strengthen the health system and the education system, and we try to work in those areas.
“Also, the governance system and transparency are vital in order to reduce the corruption within the system.”
Malpass commended Nigeria for tackling the problem of subsidies in the hydrocarbon area.
He stressed that there are substantial benefits by reducing subsidies and allowing gasoline prices to rise.
“It means that there are fiscal savings. It also means there are environmental benefits that are large, and it also allows markets to work better and to allocate resources better.”
The World Bank chief added that he believes progress is being made in the area and that it’s valuable.
On the question of opportunities, the institution urged countries to think about where they want to be in a post-COVID world that’s going to be very different from the pre-COVID-19 world.
“That means a different way of people interacting, hopefully better; a greener way of operating; and an emphasis on health care.
“I mentioned earlier that we’ve extended the emergency health response to include vaccines and distribution of vaccines for COVID-19, but it also has the benefit of helping the vaccination programs in other areas and the healthcare outreach in other areas that will be so valuable”, Malpass said.
Nigeria’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) which measures inflation, rose by 0.40 percentage points between July and August 2020 on a year-on-year basis and now stands at 13.22 percent.
This is Nigeria’s highest inflation percentage since March 2018.
The 13.22 percent recorded in August is higher than the 12.82 percent recorded in July.
“On a month-on-month basis, the headline index increased by 1.34 percent in August 2020. This is 0.09 percent higher than the rate recorded in July 2020 (1.25 percent),” the NBS
(Nigeria Bureau of Statistics) report reads
“The urban inflation rate increased by 13.83 percent (year-on-year) in August 2020 from 13.40 percent recorded in July 2020, while the rural inflation rate increased by 12.65 percent in August 2020 from 12.28 percent in July 2020.
“The composite food index rose by 16.00 percent in August 2020 compared to 15.48 percent in July 2020.”
According to the NBS, the rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, potatoes, yam and other tubers, meat, fish, fruits, oils and fats and vegetables.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo departs Abuja this morning, Tuesday, September 15, 2020 for Accra, Ghana to attend an extraordinary summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the crisis in Mali.
Osinbajo will be representing President Muhammadu Buhari at the summit, according to Laolu Akande who is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity.
The vice president and other leaders in the sub-region will discuss the political crisis in Mali and the security situation in the sub region at large.
“The Accra meeting will form part of several efforts by leaders in the sub region to resolve Mali’s political crisis.
Militants in Niger Delta under the auspices of Joint Revolutionary Council, JRC, a merger of militant groups, Monday morning, threw their weight behind Minister of Niger –Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio,
saying findings by them showed the National Assembly was after him because he refused lawmakers from continuing their plundering of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
Spokesperson of JRC, Cynthia Whyte, in a statement, the group with its constituent groups like Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, was also in support of the ongoing forensic audit of NDDC.
“On the matter of the revelations at NDDC, we all know that if the Minister and the Interim Management Committee had agreed to a deal with the National Assembly like has been the case in the past two decades, we would not have heard the things we have been treated to in the past few months.
“Nothing will change at NDDC if the attitude of the National Assembly towards NDDC is not re-worked, re-calibrated, and re-jigged.
“If it will take an Akpabio to change that, then fine. Akpabio understands infrastructure development.
“Apart from King Alfred Diete Spiff, no other governor in the Niger Delta has met or matched the measure of Infrastructural development that Akpabio brought to Akwa Ibom state.
“That is without question. We will like to see that kind of infrastructure deployed across the Niger Delta.
“In the years to come, he will be called to give an account of his stewardship at the Ministry of Niger Delta and NDDC,” the group added.
On JRC’s quietness before now, the spokesperson explained:
“We have not been quiet. We have also been watching and listening to the revelations from all sides, studying the situation and then laugh at the dance of hypocrisy that has taken over the Niger Delta and the Nigerian state.”
“A forensic audit of NDDC is long overdue. It represents the kind of effort that a Buhari Administration should expend energy on.
“If Buhari has lost the nerve to punish all those who raided and looted NDDC, he should at least help us officially expose them.
“So we are 100 per cent behind a forensic audit. Even if it just ends up being a media fanfare, as we are now witnessing. We want the forensic audit to continue.
“We are also 100 per cent behind Minister Godswill Akpabio. We commend his initiative for a forensic audit.
In return, we demand a timed completion of the East-West Road. With the same manner and quality that he delivered roads in Akwa Ibom state. It may be the only legacy that the Buhari administration will leave for the Niger Delta,” JRC stated.
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has reiterated his decision that no known cultist will take over from him as the governor of the State in 2023.
The governor, who stated this on Sunday in an open interaction with the people, denied plotting a third term in office through a surrogate.
According to him, “for peace to reign and for Christ to have control, I am not interested in a third term through a surrogate, the only thing you can help is to ensure that no cultist is allowed to emerge Governor of the state.”
He, however, admitted that some local government areas in the State are highly volatile, noting that no known cultist, when arrested, would be released.
The Governor said
“the only way to ensure peace is to make a way to eradicate cultism, we look up to God, then we embrace peace.
“Some cult groups are clashing in some parts of the state and we have tried to make sure we crush them. We will stop at nothing in ensuring we crush them. It is not our intention to deploy soldiers to volatile areas and you are forcing us to do so.
“Please, let parents talk to their children, they gain nothing from cultism. It can’t be because of one man the whole village would run away. It is time to go their right way. Most armed robbers and kidnappers are cultists and we will crush them.”
Gov.Emmanuel also explained why he is opening up more internal roads in the State, saying that it was to allow for ease of transport and movement of goods and services.
He admitted that the lockdown caused by COVID-19 has affected the completion time of those projects.
