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2022 Grammy Awards Postponed Over COVID-19

The much anticipated 2022 Grammy Awards has been postponed due to the recent surge in the spread of the new variant of COVID-19 disease across the cities.
The music awards gala night had been scheduled for January 31, however, the recent widespread of the Omicron variant across United States cities have called for a reschedule.

The current overall cases of Coronavirus in the United States is about sixty million while deaths recorded so far is over eight hundred and thirty thousand.

A statement released on Wednesday evening by the organizers of the Grammy Awards said: “Holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks.”

The Recording Academy, however, said it would announce a rescheduled date as soon as possible.

“The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience, and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remain our top priority,” the statement added.

Record Academy had in November 2021 confirmed the names of nominees for the 2022 Grammy Awards which was earlier scheduled to hold in Los Angeles on Monday, January 31, Naija News recalls.

Nigerian superstars, Wizkid and Burna Boy got nominated in different categories for the 2022 Grammys.

Nigerian singer, Ayo Balogun, better known as Wizkid got nominated in two categories for the 2022 Grammy Awards.

Wizkid’s fourth album, ‘Made in Lagos’ which was released in 2020 has continued to dominate music charts in the country and abroad. Also, his hit song, Essence has been on the lips of music lovers as it also made its way to the playlist of former US President Barack Obama.

In the list of nominees released by the organizers, Wizkid’s ‘Made in Lagos’ album was nominated in the Best Global Music Award category, while Essence featuring Tems makes the list of nominees for the Best Global Music Performance category.

Wizkid would be hoping to clinch the award and follow the footstep of popular Nigerian singer, Burna Boy who won the award for Best Global Music Album Award this year, Naija News reports.

Recall that Wizkid had won an award for his part in the video for Beyonce’s Brown-Skinned girl at the 2021 ceremony.

Another proud Nigerian singer, Damini Ogulu popularly known as Burna Boy got a nomination for the 2022 Grammys.

Burna Boy, a two-time nominee and winner was nominated alongside, Wizkid, Femi Kuti, and, Made Kuti.

Police has Misplaced over 88,000 AK-47 Rifles – Report

The Office of Nigeria’s Auditor General of the federation reported that over 88 thousand AK-47 rifles have been unaccounted for as of December 2018.

This was disclosed by Nigeria’s Auditor General, Adolphus Aghughu in its weapons review of police armouries, according to Reuters.

This comes at a period of rising criminal activities by violent non-state actors acquiring weapons.

The report stated that multiple weapons were missing and unaccounted for under the Nigerian Police which covered a period till December 2019.

They stated that the “total number of lost firearms as reported as of December 2018 stood at 178,459 pieces,” adding that “out of this number, 88,078 were AK-47 rifles.”

They also warned that there is a serious risk of the weapons ending up in the wrong hands.

The report is set to be presented before the National House of Assembly where the Police is expected to appear to explain themselves.

Recall Nairametrics reported last year that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the establishment of a National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), which is part of the ongoing restructuring of Nigeria’s security architecture to address rising threats and strengthen the regional mechanism for the control, prevention and regulation of Small Arms and Light Weapons.

Meanwhile, Socioeconomic research firm, SBM Intel reported earlier this year that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons has driven the rise in violence in Nigeria. This violence has led to mass displacement and has resulted in Nigeria having several internally displaced people that rival countries that are officially at war.

Culled from Nairametrics

WEARING OF MILITARY UNIFORM BY UNAUTHORISED PERSONS AND POLITICIANS FOR ELECTIONEERING CAMPAIGN POSTERS IS ILLEGAL

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has noticed with dismay that some politicians have formed the habit of wearing military uniforms and accoutrements for electioneering campaign posters.

The campaign posters of some Governors, dressed in military camouflage uniforms, are displayed in noticeable areas in their respective states. This is manifestly illegal and an abuse of the privilege of allowing civilians wear military uniforms during military training exercises.

It is necessary to restate that the Armed Forces of Nigeria, as a professional institution, remains apolitical and, as such, would not want to be dragged into any form of political bias. Accordingly, it is important to advise politicians and others to desist from the use of military uniforms and accoutrements for political events and other engagements henceforth. Please note, anyone found culpable in this regard would be liable to prosecution

Chairman Northern Speakers Forum Salutes COAS On 56th Birthday

The Chairman Northern Speakers Forum, Speaker Kaduna State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani has congratulated the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya on the occasion of his birthday.

This was contained in a statement signed by his SA Media and Publicity, Honourable Ibrahim Dahiru Danfulani, dated January 5, 2022.

“I heartily felicitate with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya as he marks another milestone on the occasion of his 56th birthday,” it said

Zailani said just like wine, the older the better, he is optimistic that the new age comes with more wisdom and experience to help Nigerian Army succumb the various security challenges bedeviling the country.

“I am optimistic that he will consolidate on the successes achieved since he was appointed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” he said.

It would be recalled that the COAS, General Yahaya was born on January 5, 1966 in Bodinga Local Government Area, Sokoto State.

He is a Lieutenant General of the Nigerian Army and the 22nd Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria, appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on May 27, 2021.

Why We’ll Miss Hon Adetoun Adediran, Lagos Speaker Obasa Mourns Ex-Lawmaker

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, has described the demise of Hon. Adetoun Adediran, a former Deputy Speaker of the State as shocking.

The late Adediran served as a member of the House representing Surulere Constituency 1 between 1999 and 2003.

In a tribute by his media office, Dr. Obasa expressed sadness at the former lawmaker’s demise saying the late Adediran died at a time her legislative and political experiences were still very important to Lagos and Nigeria.

Obasa described Adediran as a passionate woman who wanted the best for her society adding that to achieve this, she played major roles in the Fourth Assembly of Lagos State.

“Hon. Adetoun Adediran is leaving behind fond memories of her roles as a lawmaker in the emergence of a more modern Lagos.

“As a principal officer at the House, she was passionate and active making sure her voice was heard among her colleagues who were mostly men.

“It was this same passion for service that got her the position of Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos. She also later became the Chairman of the Lagos State Building and Investment Company.

“We mourn her demise as it came at a time her experience and wisdom were still desired for the progress of our state. We mourn because death has snatched one of our finest politicians.

“While I pray that God grant her a peaceful rest, I also pray that He strengthen those she left behind and give them the fortitude to bear this huge loss,” Obasa said.

BREAKING: Nigerians Warned As FG Finally Designates Bandits As Terrorists

The federal government has released the official gazette categorizing bandits as terrorists.

A federal high court sitting in Abuja had on November 26 proscribed Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda bandit groups and subsequently declared their activities as acts of terrorism.

THE WHISTLER reported that Justice Taiwo Taiwo, presiding judge, had granted the order following an exparte motion filed by the Director, Public prosecution (DPP), Federal Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Abubakar.

According to the motion, “banditry, incessant kidnappings for ransom, kidnapping for marriage, mass abductions of school children and other citizens, cattle rustling, enslavement, imprisonment, severe deprivation of physical liberty, torture, rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, other forms of sexual violence, attacks and killings in communities and commuters and wanton destruction of lives and properties in Nigeria, particularly in the Northwest and Northcentral states in Nigeria are being carried out by Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda groups and other groups associated with or engaged in the same or similar activities as Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda groups in Nigeria.”

On Wednesday, the FMOJ announced that the court proscription order is now cited as the Terrorism (Prevention) Proscription Short Order Notice, 2021.

“Consequently the general public is hereby warned that any person or group of persons participating in any manner whatsoever in any form of the activities involving or concerning the prosecution of the collective intentions or otherwise of the groups referred to in paragraph 1 of this Notice will be violating the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevent ion) Act, 2011 and liable to prosecution,” the document stated.

Organizers Of Teni’s Show Didn’t Apply For Security – Rivers Police

Rivers State Police Command has disclosed that the organisers of the music concert held in Buguma, Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Rivers State, which was disrupted when a popular Nigerian artist, Teniola Akpata, popularly known as Teni, was performing last week did not apply for security prior to the event.

The command denied reports that its operatives fired gunshots that scared the A-list musician and ended her performance abruptly.

Recall THE WHISTLER had reported that Teni, who was the star artist of the concert, was already on stage thrilling fans before a melee suddenly ensued from amongst the crowd.

The dispute which degenerated into a fight was later discovered to be a misunderstanding between two youths.

However, the organisers managed to whisk off Teni to safety.

Reacting to reports on the alleged attack, the spokesperson of the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, while speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, insisted that no police officer fired a gunshot during the event.

According to Iringe-Koko, the organizers of a show of such magnitude ought to have applied to the Commissioner of Police for security, but said the command never received any application or request.

In her words: “No police officer from Rivers State Police Command fired any gunshot that day. Normally if they have such an event, they are supposed to write an application to the Commissioner of Police.

“Then the Commissioner of Police will direct the Area Commander covering that Degema axis, while the Degema Area Commander will also assign it to the Divisional Police Officer over there at Buguma that will cover that event.

“But there was no application of such. The DPO did not have any knowledge of it. Perhaps the DPO might know they have an event and say maybe his men should just stroll around on patrol. But there was no application of such to cover that event,” she explained.

Despite CBN’s Monetary Tightening Policy, FG Predicts Double Digit Inflation For 2022

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed and CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National planning, Zainab Ahmed, has revealed that Nigeria’s inflation rate will remain at double digit in 2022.

Zainab disclosed the development on Wednesday at the Public Presentation and Breakdown of the Highlights of the 2022 Appropriation Act in Abuja.

The minister said, “Inflation, well, it will continue at double digit. Our projection is that it will continue to decline throughout 2022.”

She further admitted that the Federal Government failed to meet its target of moderating inflation to 11.95 per cent by the end of 2021.

According to Ahmed, the inflation rate by November was at 15.4 per cent which was above its projections.

The three highest inflation rates recorded last year were: 18.17 per cent in April, 17.93 per cent in May and 17.75 per cent in July.

But the rates moderated to 15.99 per cent and 15.4 per cent in October and November respectively.

The Godwin Emefiele-led Central Bank of Nigeria has been battling to reduce the inflation rate to between six to nine per cent.

Inflation is projected to moderate to 14.91 per cent by February 2022, Emefiele had said at an event in 2021.

The apex bank governor had projected that he would reduce Nigeria’s inflation to a single digit by 2024.

The last time the economy witnessed a single digit inflation was in 2015 when it was 9.5 per cent.

Meanwhile the World Bank had said in its November edition of the Nigeria Development Update that the country’s inflation will be among the highest in the world in 2022.

The World Bank said, “In 2022, Nigeria is expected to have one of the highest inflation rates in the world and the seventh highest in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

FG Imposes N10 Per Liter Tax On Coke, Sprite, Other Carbonated Drinks

The Federal Government has imposed a N10 per liter excise duty tax on all non-alcoholic, carbonated and sweetened beverages.

The excise duty tax is one of the amendments made in the Finance Act 2022 which was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on December 31 last year.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this at the public presentation of the 2022 budget.

She said the purpose of the additional tax is to discourage the consumption of excessive sugar by Nigerians which contributes to diabetes and obesity.

The Finance Minister said the new measure is in line with the 2022 budget priorities which enables the government to introduce new sugar tax to raise revenue for health-related and other critical expenditures.

About four million Nigerians suffer from diabetes linked to excess sugar consumption.

Nigeria ranks the 4th highest soft drink consuming country globally, with over 40 million litres sold yearly.

Nnamdi Kanu: Ohanaeze ‘Attacks’ IPOB Over Ban On National Anthem, Cows

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has cautioned the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) stating that the move to ban the singing of the Nigerian National Anthem and the consumption of northern cows in the south-east region might be counter-productive.

A statement on Wednesday by the Ohanaeze Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro submitted that the move by IPOB might negatively affect efforts to secure the release of Biafra agitator who is also the group’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

Apart from that, Ohanaeze in its statement observed that the step taken by IPOB may put an end to the moves to actualize a 2023 Igbo presidency and also mislead the younger ones.

It also cautioned that the southeast region may be opened to military raids accompanied by fighter jets capable of inflicting hardships on the people of the southeast zone.

The Igbo socio-cultural body made its views known in reaction to the declaration by the proscribed IPOB banning cows reared by Fulani herdsmen for any social event in the Southeast as from April 2022.

The declaration by its Head of Directorate Mazi Chika Edoziem through its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful also banned the recitation of the National Anthem in schools in the region, Naija News reports.

But Ohanaeze has now cautioned IPOB against plunging the southeast region into regrettable action that will pitch the region against the federal government of Nigeria and the other parts of the country.

Ohanaeze noted that the IPOB order “will affect the ongoing diplomatic efforts to free Nnamdi Kanu. Instead, the FG might unleash bitterness on the South-East.

“This order is also nonetheless destructive to the campaign for the Igbo presidency in 2023 and will give birth to avoidable military raids on all public schools in Southeastern Nigeria, with the ongoing ‘Operation Golden Dawn’.”

The Ohanaeze scribe added that “reciting of the Biafra anthem in public schools remains prohibited, forbidden and proscribed, as the South-East is still an integral part of Nigeria.

“We cannot afford to mislead and misinform our pupils into trending into paths that will attract grave consequences for Ndigbo.

“Ndigbo should flout such despicable orders of absurdity, as it will be the rationale for future deployment of military Tucano fighter jets to South-eastern Nigeria.”

Instead, Isiguzoro urged IPOB to “join Ohanaeze in the promotion of Igbo language, cultural heritage, and values in all South-East public schools. This is the best way to get our youngsters to remain committed and imbibe the cultural values and heritage of Ndigbo.”

He added that killer herdsmen disguised as normal cattlemen were responsible for the killings and general insecurity in the southeast.

“The recent security challenges in South-eastern Nigeria are created by killer herdsmen masquerading as cattlemen to perpetrate heinous onslaught against our local communities.

“The enforcement of the ban on consumption of Fulani cattle should be a protest against unhealthy and disease-infested cows being sold to Ndigbo,” he noted.