The Federal Road Safety Corps has said the cost of driving licence remains N6,350 and does not expect any driver to pay more than the amount to obtain any licence whose expiry period is three years.

It said no price increase had been announced, adding that a five-year duration was only added to the three-year driving licence with a cost of N10,350 to give motorists a new option.

The Corps Marshal/Chief Executive Officer, FRSC, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, gave the indication while speaking at a workshop in Lagos and warned motorists not to patronise touts.

He described the action of driving with a fake driving licence as a serious offence.

“We have not increased the cost of processing the driving licence. It remains N6,350. What we have done is to give people the option of taking either for three years or five years. The five-year driving licence is available at N10,350,” he said.

Oyeyemi also said the corps would come hard on violators of speed limit, noting that accident rate attributed to the factor was on the increase.

17:47

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has raided the National Aviation Handling Company at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

A source in the company confided in our correspondent that the operatives of the commission stormed the complex at about 5pm on Thursday and immediately restricted movement in and out of the premises.

It was learnt that during the operation that lasted about three hours, the operatives conducted a thorough search on computers in some key offices, including the Audit department.

 After the search, the junior members of staff were told to go home while they questioned some senior workers.

The source said those quizzed included the company secretary, the head of Internal Audit and other some other senior members of staff. It was gathered that the raid might not be unconnected with the sacking of a senior management worker last Monday.

“They interrogated the company secretary, the head of Audit department and some heads of department, including asset management, infrastructure and cargo and the operatives didn’t leave until around 8pm,” the source said.

Even though the operatives left with no documents, the key officers were summoned to report to the commission at a later date for further investigation.

When contacted to know more about the raid and what date the officers were to report to the commission, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said he did not have the information about the raid but that he would find out and give our correspondent a feedback, which he had yet to do as of the time of filing this report.

But the Manager, Corporate Communications and Services, NAHCO AVIANCE, Mr. Tayo Ajakaye, when contacted, confirmed the operatives’ visit. He said the Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Bamidele Adelaja, was available to attend to them since the Managing Director and the company secretary were not around.

A statement which he later sent by e-mail to our correspondent on Sunday partly read, “Unable to meet with any of the two top company  officials, they (the operatives) then requested to see the Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Bamidele Adelaja, with whom they spent some time sorting out some company documents which they were interested in.

“The CFO confirmed that he was shown a search warrant by the EFCC officials even as he added that NAHCO was always ready to cooperate with government agencies and regulators in every way and was ready to do so in the present case.

“The visit, which started around 4pm ended a little after 7pm when the operatives left with a few documents.”

Ajakaiye noted  that the  actual cause of the visit remained unknown as the EFCC officials were “tight lipped” about the reason for their visit.

17:46

Hillary Clinton’s speech was an insulting collection of clichés and recycled rhetoric. She spent the evening talking down to the American people she’s looked down on her whole life.

Hillary Clinton talks about unity, about E Pluribus Unum, but her globalist agenda denies American citizens the protections to which they are all entitled – tearing us apart. Her radical amnesty plan will take jobs, resources and benefits from the most vulnerable citizens of the United States and give them to the citizens of other countries. Her refusal to even say the words ‘Radical Islam’, or to mention her disaster in Libya, or her corrupt email scheme, all show how little she cares about the safety of the American people.

It’s a speech delivered from a fantasy universe, not the reality we live in today.

Hillary Clinton says America is stronger together. But in Hillary Clinton’s America, millions of people are left out in the cold. She only stands together with the donors and special interests who’ve bankrolled her entire life. Excluded from Hillary Clinton’s America are the suffering people living in our inner cities, or the victims of open borders and drug cartels, or the people who’ve lost their jobs because of the Clintons’ trade deals, or any hardworking person who doesn’t have enough money to get a seat at Hillary Clinton’s table.

07:04

 A #3rdMAW pilot out of @MCASMiramarCA was killed as a result of an F/A-18C Hornet crash. More info as available.

07:02

Simi’s incredible vocals have put her on the map as far as the Nigerian music scene is concerned. In a recent chat with Punch, the singer who is known to collaborate frequently with comic rapper, Falz, attributed her success to realising she has to ‘work harder as a woman’. The X3M music signee spoke on the challenge she has encountered on her musical journey and how she has been able to weather the storm.

She said, ‘It’s very difficult for an artiste to succeed independently before he or she is signed on with a label. This is because having a successful music career is capital intensive. The ability to keep my head straight at times when it seems as though I am wasting time, is no walk in the park’.

‘There are so many talented artistes competing for the top spot, so keeping faith alive is hard. Coming and breaking into mainstream music is also hard. I recently realised that I have to work harder as a woman because I can’t afford to make any excuses,’ the Love Don’t Care crooner said.

06:58

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the removal of Chief Executives of five major parastatals in the nation’s health sector.

They include the Director-General of Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, Prof. Abdulsalami Nasidi; Director-General of National Agency for the Control of Aids, Prof. John Idoko; and Chief Executive of Nigerian Institute for Medical Research, Prof. Innocent Ujah.

The Executive Director of National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Ado Muhammad; and acting Executive Secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme, Mr. Olufemi Akingbade.

They were replaced by Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu (NCDC); Dr. Sani Aliyu (NACA); Prof. Babatunde  Salako (NIOMR); Prof. Echezona Ezeanolue (NPHCDA); and Prof. Usman Yusuf (NHIS).

According to the statement Ihekweazu is the Managing Partner of EpiAfric, a public health consultancy firm that focuses on Africa, while Aliyu is a Consultant in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Cambridge University, United Kingdom.

Salako is the Provost of the College of Medicine at the University of Ibadan; Ezemolue is a Professor of Paediatrics and Public Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA; while Yusuf is a Professor of Paediatrics at St. Jude Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, US.

No reason was given for their removal in the statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations in Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Bolaji Adebiyi.

Sources, however, said it may be connected to allegation by foreign donor agencies that funds were being diverted, particularly in the Federal Ministry of Health.

The Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole, however, said affected agency heads had not been sacked but “replaced.”

“They have not been sacked, they have been replaced. So, you can quote me that government has decided to replace them, but they have not been sacked. They are five of them,” he said.

When asked what must have prompted the move and whether the decision had anything do with the report of Global Fund and Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative, Adewole said it was part of the government’s change mantra

He said, “I believe it is part of the desire for change and to bring on board new blood. As you may be aware, some of them have been there for about seven years. And this administration has been in office for one year. I am saying there is the need to bring on board new blood and that is the agenda of the government.

“Well, I wouldn’t know if it has any links with the reports and indictments. It is only Mr. President that can confirm that. But I am sure that the President must have taken many things into consideration before approving the new changes.”

The Health Ministry and some of its agencies and departments have been accused by GAVI of diverting funds meant for the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria.

Also, GAVI in its report of 2014 accused Nigeria of mismanaging immunisation fund.

06:56

Adekunle Gold, Aramide And BOJ are on the cover of Tush Magazine’s soon to be released 13th issue.

he publication seeks to recognize the likes of Adekunle Gold and those taking their new alternative sounds to greater heights in the Nigerian music industry.

Other exciting and interesting personalities celebrated and featured in this issue include; Audu Maikori, Josh Amor, Lola OJ,Spanky, Uti Nwachukwu and DJ Coublon who all have inspiring stories to share.

See more photos:

06:55

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been declared winner of the Imo North senatorial rerun election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The APC candidate in the poll Rt. Hon Ben Uwajimogu scored 56,076 votes to beat his closest rival, Athan Achonu, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 43,815 votes.

Announcing the result of the election at the central collation centre in Okigwe Local Government Headquarters, the Returning Officer Professor Arinze Agbaogu, said the APC candidate, having scored the majority and lawful votes in the election, is hereby declared winner of the election.

Similarly, the APC candidate in Oru east Nkenna Nzeruo and his counterpart in Isiala Mbano Chiji Collins were also declared winner of the state assembly rerun elections in their area.

06:52

Gwen Stefani gave one young fan a night he’ll never forget during her concert in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday.

Between songs, the singer grabbed a letter from a woman in the front row and started reading out loud.

“My son was bullied from first to fifth grade,” she read, letting out a horrified “What?!” She continued reading, “He would come home every day upset, but he’d go to his room, listen to your music, and smile.”

Before she could even finish reading the note, Stefani demanded the boy “get up here right now.” Once onstage, she hugged the clearly overwhelmed and emotional fan, triumphantly raised his arms in the air, and shared some private words of encouragement with him while the crowd cheered on.

After the show, Stefani shared video of the touching moment on Instagram, writing, “About 3 years ago when things were hard in my life I prayed to God everyday that I could get a chance to use my gift that God gave me and make a difference in some way in this world - last night this little guy was the answer to my prayers 🙏🏻 #zerotoleranceforbullies #onelove #thisiswhatthetruthfeelslike”

She also shared a selfie of the fan and his family backstage, captioning it with just one simple, completely accurate hashtag: “#cuteness.”

06:52

Hillary Clinton solidified her place in history Thursday when she accepted her party's nomination and inspired those who see her as an example of competence and perseverance. President Barack Obama even tweeted approval of her speech in which she did much more than just criticize Donald Trump.

 Follow

President Obama 

✔@POTUS

Great speech. She's tested. She's ready. She never quits. That's why Hillary should be our next @POTUS. (She'll get the Twitter handle, too)

4:30 AM - 29 Jul 2016

 
•  51,65751,657 Retweets
 
•  132,129132,129 likes

Here are the eight standout quotes you can't miss.

06:47

Samantha  (PopS)

There isn't a ton that Kendall Jenner and I have in common: I'm not a top model, my family isn't rich or famous, and I definitely don't have people — fans, paparazzi, the media, etc. — dying to know my every move. But one thing KJ and I do share? The fact that genetics have blessed us with fairly small chests. Only I wasn't as happy about it as she was.

Growing up, and especially in high school and most of college, I was obsessed with wearing a bra, solely because I hated the way my clothes — and maybe my body in general — looked without one. A quick trip the store? I "needed" to wear a bra. Sleepover with friends? That baby wasn't coming off. I didn't own a single piece without padding because life and my outfits looked "better" with cleavage.

Even after gaining confidence as I got older, you'd rarely catch me without a little something to giveme a little something. But then, in 2014, something changed: Kendall Jenner truly exploded onto the fashion scene, rocking a fully sheer top in Marc Jacobs' Fall '14 show — and it turns out the girl, small chest and all, didn't care a bit that she was exposed. Later that year, she showed up at Coachella in a sweatshirt that said "I Have No T*ts," and was soon (and still is) speaking out about her love of going braless and showing her nipples. She admittedly thinks it's a sexy look.

"I really don't see what the big deal is with going braless," Kendall wrote in a blog post on her site called "Free the Nipple". "I think it's cool and I really just don't care! It's sexy, it's comfortable, and I'm cool with my breasts. That's it!"

Perhaps it's because I frequently write about the model for work, but slowly, I've started to see what Kendall is talking about. Through street style alone, she and other women have shown me that a variety of outfits do look good sans that extra support, even more so if you have small breasts. More importantly, Kendall seems supercomfortable and confident with her body, and I've started to feel silly worrying about how I looked in certain shirts or whether or not someone can see my nipples. (The no-nipple thing has truly started to seem weird to me — it's just a body part!)

It's strange to type, but Kendall going braless and then talking about it inspired me to do the same. Bodysuits that show some side-boob? I'm down. Dresses where even a strapless bra will stick out? It's time to go au naturel. I'll now take trips to the store, meet up with friends, and even spend date-night dinners without a bra, and it's a lifestyle/trend I've grown to love.

So if you're addicted to your bra like I was, dare yourself to ditch it for a day. I promise, once you try it, you might just feel freer, more confident, and — just like Kendall — a bit sexy, too.

06:45

Zlatan time is almost upon us.Four weeks on from the confirmation that one of the world’s most flamboyant footballing personalities had become a Manchester United player, Zlatan Ibrahimovic could make his debut against Galatasaray on Saturday. The venue of Gothenburg in his Swedish homeland is no coincidence. This game was made for him.

But after seeing Ibrahimovic in United colours for the first time, in familiar surroundings and backed by thousands of his own countrymen, attentions will immediately turn to the Premier League season ahead and people will question whether the striker can live up to his self-inflated billing.

Ibrahimovic has never been slow to talk up his own ability, but as he approaches the age of 35 he and United must account for a physical slowdown when judging just how big a part the Swede has to play in 2016-17.

While for many the difficulty of the Premier League is exaggerated, there can be little doubt that the faster, more frenetic and fiercely competitive nature of the English top-flight presents a very different type of challenge for any player experiencing the division for the first time. And for a 34-year-old, that only makes the transition from Ligue 1 life that much bigger a proposition to overcome.

Jose Mourinho has the luxury of a number of options. While for Louis van Gaal the numbers looked short in the forward line as United pursued Premier League and Champions League glory followed by Europa League and FA Cup success, the Portuguese is very clear that the league is his only priority.

As such, the opportunity to use the likes of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Wayne Rooney as a number nine without overly weakening the attacking midfield line behind the main striker is massively beneficial to Mourinho. The additions of Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan make all the difference to United in terms of extending their resources.

That depth increases the likelihood of Mourinho using Ibrahimovic sparingly. The majority of people drafting likely first-choice starting line-ups for United in the forthcoming season will have Zlatan fixed in as the regular central striker, but there are no guarantees that he will be able to reproduce the consistency he showed with Paris Saint-Germain any more than there is relating to his form.

In his last season at PSG he netted 50 goals in 51 games, but the heavier workload involved in Premier League football combined with the extra 12 months in his legs suggests that game-time will be harder to come by with United. The very fact Mourinho gave him an extended summer break speaks volumes about the realisation that Zlatan is not the Zlatan of years gone by.

“He was good enough for Ligue 1 but I really don’t think he can play 30 games next season, especially in England,” says Goal’s PSG correspondent Loic Tanzi. “Mourinho will have to manage him but it will not be easy as he wants to play every single game, even cup games.”

06:43

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said on Thursday that he did not receive over N3tn allocation as governor of Rivers State.

He said therefore he never squandered such amount as alleged by his successor, Nyesom Wike.

Amaechi said this at a stakeholders’ a stakeholder’s meeting on the London Summit on Anti-Corruption and the Open Government Partnership.

The event was co-organised by the Federal Ministry of Justice and  the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, Justice For All project.

Amaechi said the Rivers State people were aware of how much he received while he was governor, adding that his successor was only fabricating lies against him.

He said, “Within that period we insisted on engaging the indigenous communities on how much we received and how we spent the money.

“That is why I feel that after this ministerial appointment, I should do everything possible to stay away from government because in spite of all the forms of transparency I introduced in government, one man could begin to tell lies to Nigerians and Nigerians believe him.

“The governor of Rivers State said I squandered N3tn. I did not receive up to N1.8tn as governor both from IGR and funds from federal allocation. So, how could I have squandered money I did not even receive in the first place? You can see the politics of lies and lies.”

Amaechi insisted that he was not corrupt and challenged anybody to bring up evidence to the contrary.

He said, “As Minister of Transportation, I run an open and transparent system. I believe in name and shame.

“What name and shame does is, if you name and shame those of them who don’t have conscience they won’t come to public functions.

“I do have conscience. In fact, it was the word corruption that brought me to this occasion because I wanted to see who will get up and say to me, ‘this is evidence that you are corrupt.’

“We went to court against the Rivers State government on their allegation of corruption against me. The Court of Appeal said, produce that document that found this man (Amaechi) guilty of those crimes and up till today he (Wike) has not produced it.”

Earlier, in his speech the Attorney General and Minister of Justice  Abubakar Malami, said, “ As you are all aware, President Buhari made fighting corruption one of the pillars of this administration’s policy. Since assuming office, every effort has been made to build on and expand on what was initiated by previous governments. Amongst these key priorities is the need to recover stolen funds and to pay back to the Nigerian society what they have lost to corruption.

“You may recall that during the London Anti-Corruption Summit, President Muhammadu Buhari presented a country statement on actions that would be implemented by the government of Nigeria on anti-corruption reforms.”

06:41

Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger on Friday announced his retirement from international duty with immediate effect.

The 31-year-old Manchester United midfielder, who won his 120th and final cap in Germany’s 2-0 defeat to France in the semi-finals of Euro 2016, revealed the news on his official Twitter account.

“With Bastian Schweinsteiger, we are saying goodbye to a big name from the national team,” said German Football Association president Reinhard Grindel.

Schweinsteiger retires from die Mannschaft with his Old Trafford future in the balance having reportedly been told by United’s new coach Jose Mourinho that he is one of nine players free to leave the club.

He still has two years left to run on his United contract.

A knee injury in January flared up again in March, restricting him to just a handful of matches before he played at the European Championship, netting a goal on his return against Ukraine in Germany’s opening pool game.

The defensive midfielder said now is the right time to retire from the national team ahead of Germany’s first qualifier for the 2018 World Cup against Norway on September 9, four days after a home friendly against Finland.

“I have just told the national head coach (Joachim Loew) to no longer consider me for selection in the future as I would like to retire,” wrote Schweinsteiger.

“I would like to thank the fans, the team, the German Football Association and the coaches.

“In 120 internationals, I have been allowed to run out for my country and experience moments which were undescribably beautiful and successful.”

– World Cup joy –
Schweinsteiger’s finest moment in the famous white shirt was his battling performance in the 2014 World Cup final in Rio.

He absorbed everything the Argentina midfield threw at him to help Germany secure a 1-0 extra-time victory as Mario Goetze’s winning goal gave die Mannschaft a fourth title.

“Winning the 2014 World Cup was an historic and emotional moment for us, which will not be repeated again in my career,” said Schweinsteiger.

“Therefore, it is the right time and sensible to finish now and to wish the national team all the best for the qualifying stage and the 2018 World Cup.

“Finally, I just want to say to our fans: ‘It was an honour to have been able to play for you, many thanks for everything that I was able to experience with you.'”

Thomas Mueller, a potential Germany captain of the future, paid tribute to his national team-mate.

“Thanks for 120 internationals and many awesome moments, hours for the national team,” said his ex-Bayern team-mate.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is the favourite to replace Schweinsteiger as Germany’s captain as Loew heaped praise on his midfield marshal.

“On a personal and sporting level, I want to say thanks for 12 trust-filled years,” said Loew.

“On each occasion, I had the feeling he gave everything for the national team and strongly identified with our values and goals.

“As a coach, I benefited a lot from him and can only thank him for everything he has done for me.”

Schweinsteiger says one of his few regrets while playing for his country is Germany’s Euro 2016 semi-final exit.

“Jogi Loew knew what the Euro 2016 in France meant to me, the title I absolutely wanted to win, which hadn’t been brought to Germany since 1996,” he said.

“It wasn’t to be and I have to accept that.”

Germany’s most capped player, Lothar Matthaeus, who made 150 appearances, added his praise.

“Congratulations on a big career with the Germany team. What a fantastic player,” added the 55-year-old, who captained the 1990 World Cup-winning team.

06:40

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney believes new manager Jose Mourinho has restored a “winning mentality” at Old Trafford.

Mourinho was brought in after the end of last season following the sacking of Louis van Gaal.

United have failed to win the league since legendary manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, with David Moyes and Van Gaal, who oversaw an FA Cup final victory last season, failing to live up to the exacting standards set by the Scot.

But Rooney believes the arrival of Portuguese manager Mourinho, who has 17 major trophies to his name, including eight league titles in four countries and two Champions League successes with different clubs, will help propel United back towards the summit of the Premier League.

“It’s always great to get a new manager but when you get someone in the stature of Jose Mourinho he’s great to work under and he’s brought a winning mentality back to the club,” Rooney told Manchester radio station Key 103 on Friday.

“Manchester United as a football club we have to win and we have to deliver for him,” the England captain added.

“There’s pressure on the players but we’re ready and I think this season we’ll give a real challenge on all fronts.

“He’s come in, he’s been great with the players. The training has been hard but enjoyable.

“We’re ready, we’re working hard. We know it’s a big season for us.

“He’s made, in my opinion, some great signings who have gelled in really well with the squad so it’s exciting times,” the 30-year-old striker added.

Rooney needs just five more goals to break United’s all-time scoring record held by England great and 1966 World Cup-winner Bobby Charlton.

He, is however, already planning for life after his playing days are over.

“I’ve started taking my coaching badges now so that will probably take about four or five years to complete,” Rooney said.

“Of course I’ve got a lot of experience playing football so I think it would be criminal if I didn’t try and pass that knowledge on, so hopefully when I finish playing I can get some role as a manager or coach and try and use the experience I’ve built up over the years.”

Mourinho has already brought in several players to United, including defender Eric Bailly, midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan and striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Old Trafford club are also understood to be pursuing a potentially record-breaking deal for Juventus’s France midfielder Paul Pogba.

06:39

The Spain international was sent off in a feisty friendly in the ICC as his side held on to win their third pre-season game against Premier League opposition

Cesc Fabregas was critical of referee, Baldomero Toledo, after he was sent off for a late challenge as the International Champions Cup game ended with six yellow cards and one red card. 

The 29-year-old will now be suspended for Chelsea's next ICC game against Real Madrid but his team-mates went on to beat Liverpool courtesy of a Gary Cahill header in the tenth minute. 

Fabregas's studs were up as he collided with Ragnar Klaven who was making his debut for Liverpool but Fabregas thinks the American referee was giving too many booking for players on both sides which impacted the match. 

"We want to win every game and everything becomes very competitive," Said Fabregas. "I do think the ref for them and for us was giving cards all over the place that’s why. Sometimes when you do that as a ref you lose a little feeling of what is happening." 

"If you give one that is 50-50 or 40-60 then you have to give the next one again and it became a little bit of a farce."

---

Alberto Moreno's late challenge on Willian in the sixth minute set the tone and Marko Gruijic came off with a concussion after clashing heads with Bertrand Traore. 

Chelsea edged the game by winning the midfield battle as both sides struggled to create chances in the game, creating only one each but Fabregas is refusing to let it affect his preparation for the first Premier League match against West Ham. 

“It was the only little negative," He added. "I’m very happy with my performance, first game of the season. I feel very sharp. I feel great and feel the team is improving a lot, especially defensively. With the ball we have to improve a few more things but we should be happy."

“In the Premier League, probably you could get away with it. I got there late, he got a toe to the ball and then I was anxious to win the ball. It was a hard tackle, so I accept it and move on."

00:52