Akon In Liberia To Install Electricity At Schools

Senegalese-born hip-hop musician Akon was yesterday in Liberia to install solar electricity at two primary schools in the West African country.

It is part of his Lighting Africa project to bring electricity to 600 million people across the continent.

In this instance he has partnered up with Bridge International Academies, which, in association with other international organisations, is behind a pilot project in Liberia to run 50 government junior schools.

As his motorcade drove into the capital, Monrovia, under police escort, the musician said it was “crazy” that he could not see a single street light on the 50km (32-mile) road from the airport.

NIGERIAN 'On Track To Fly Solo Around The World'

Nigerian pilot Ademilola Odujinrin, who works for Air Djibouti, has started on the second leg of his journey to fly solo around the world.

He is now on his way to Malta from the UK and will then head to Djibouti in a light single-propeller aircraft, the airline said in a statement yesterday.

It added: From there, Odujinrin will continue around the rest of the world, through India and Australia, and intends to set a further aviation milestone with the fastest US coast-to-coast flight in a single-propeller aircraft."

Mr Odujinrin, who has already completed a transatlantic crossing from Washington DC, said:

"Fewer than 115 people have completed a solo circumnavigation of the globe by air, and it's been my dream since my youth to join them.

South Africa 'To Withdraw From War Crimes Court'

South Africa has formally begun the process of withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC), media reports say. They say diplomats have notified the UN of the move, accusing the ICC of bias against African countries.

Last year, South Africa refused to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the ICC on charges of genocide and war crimes. He was attending an African Union summit in Johannesburg. Mr Bashir denies allegations he committed atrocities in Sudan's troubled western Darfur region.

Several media outlets say they have obtained a copy of the "Instrument of Withdrawal", signed by South Africa's foreign minister.

Robbers Hijack Tanker, Divert N4.5m Fuel

The police in Lagos are on the trail of some suspected robbers, who allegedly hijacked a tanker laden with 33,000-litre fuel valued at N4.5m on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The robbers were also said to have abducted the vehicle’s escort, Shittu Oluwasegun.

It was learnt that the product was to be delivered to a filling station in Ore, Ondo State, before the tanker was hijacked in the Sagamu, Ogere, Ogun State end of the expressway.

The police said a man, identified simply as Lateef, from whom the tanker was hired to transport the fuel, allegedly connived with the robbers.

A Punch correspondent gathered that the owner of the product, Muyideen Adebayo, had sometime in September, rented the tanker for N170,000 through one Muyideen Abdulhameed and Tunde Adeleke, who reportedly presented themselves as managers.

Abuja To Suffer Water Shortage For Three Days

Water supply to some parts of the Federal Capital Territory will be disrupted for three days, the Federal Capital Territory Administration has said.

Authorities said disruption in supply became necessary to enable technicians to carry out repairs on a damaged water trunk main line around Gishiri in the Mabushi District of Abuja.

“Accordingly, residents of Wuse I, Wuse II, Garki I, Garki II, Maitama, Asokoro, Wuye, Gudu, Games Village, Karu and Nyanya would experience water supply shortages from Thursday October 20th to Saturday October 22nd, 2016,” Muhammad Hazat Sule, the Chief Press Secretary at the FCTA, said in a statement.

Aregbesola Explains How To Cope In Recession; Practice Birth Control, Consume Local Food

I like the birth control part, lol. Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun has called on Nigerians to curb excessive appetite for foreign foods and fabrics. Mr. Aregbesola said this in Osogbo on Thursday while playing host to some youth who returned from Germany after two months of training in modern agricultural techniques.

He said it was more pertinent to practise birth control as panacea to poverty reduction during economic recession.

According to him, the reality today is that Nigeria is in economic crisis especially as the nation’s economic mainstay, oil, was cheap on the international market. He added that the production capacity had reduced significantly due to the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers.

94,000 Pregnant Women HIV Positive In Zamfara – USAID

This is SERIOUS. No fewer than 94,141 pregnant women are said to be HIV/AIDS positive in Zamfara. A United States Agency for International Aids (USAID) funded programme said this through Management Services for Health Organisation, the USAID Prevention and Organisational Systems-AIDS Care and Treatment (PRO-ACT).

The team leader of the organisation, Aminu Sarki, spoke at the end of a seven-year treatment and support rolling plan for those living with HIV in the state in Gusau on Thursday.