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Mikel Obi leaves Stoke City, joins Kuwaiti club
Former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel has joined Al Kuwait SC, the Kuwaiti Premier League side on a year’s deal. The announcement was made by the club on Thursday, after Mikel and Stoke City cancelled their contract by mutual consent. Mikel’s new club finished third in the division last season behind Al-Qadsia and champions Al-Arabi. The Nigerian spent 11 years and made 372 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea. After Chelsea he played for Trabzonspor and Middlesbrough, before heading to China to spend two years with Tianjin Teda in the Chinese Super League. Mikel returned to UK in August 2020 to play Stoke City. Stoke boss Michael O’Neill told the club’s official website: ‘Although John triggered the second year of his contract, we always had an agreement in place whereby we wou...
Laurent Gbagbo files for divorce, to end 30-year marriage
Ivory Coast’s former president Laurent Gbagbo filed for divorce on Monday from his wife of three decades, his lawyer said, days after his highly anticipated return to the country. Gbagbo’s lawyer Claude Mentenon said in a statement that after years of “rejected requests for Simone Ehivet to consent to an amicable separation”, the ex-president had asked an Abidjan court for a divorce. The announcement comes four days after Gbagbo returned to Ivory Coast following a decade’s absence, during which he was tried for crimes against humanity during the post-election conflict of 2010-11. Simone Gbagbo wielded significant political influence as first lady, and was arrested alongside her husband in April 2011 after he refused to concede defeat, sparking a conflict that left some 3,000 people dead. G...
Antonio Conte leaves Inter Milan
Title winning Antonio Conte has parted ways with Inter Milan amidst rumors he’s set for a return to the Premier League. Conte who guided Inter to the Scudetto for the first time since 2010 has been embroiled in a dispute with the club’s owners following their decision to cut down the size of the squad. A statement on the club’s website reads, “Internazionale Milano can confirm that an agreement has been reached with Antonio Conte for the termination of his contract by mutual consent. The Club would like to thank Antonio for the extraordinary work that he has done, culminating in Inter’s 19th top-flight title. Antonio Conte will forever remain a part of our Club’s history.” There are, however, rumours that the former Chelsea boss is set for a return to England to manage Tottenham Hotspurs. ...
Nuno Espírito Santo to leave Wolves after four years
Nuno Espírito Santo will leave Wolverhampton Wanderers by mutual consent after the club’s final Premier League game of the season against Manchester United on Sunday. The 47-year-old has been in charge at Molineux for four years, arriving in 2017. In a statement on the club’s official website, Espírito Santo said: “Since the first day we arrived at Compton, our ambition was to make a positive change and push this football club forward, and I am proud to say that we did that every single day. “We achieved our goals, we did it with passion and we did it together. “Sunday will be a very emotional day, but I am so happy that the fans will be back in Molineux and we can share one last special moment together, as one pack.” Under the Portuguese, Wolves were promoted from the Championship as cham...
WTO chief: Patent waiver not enough to close vaccine gap
World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said that intellectual property waiver alone will not be enough to narrow the huge COVID-19 vaccine supply gap between rich and poor countries. She told the European Parliament that it was clear that discussions around vaccine patents alone would not suffice, saying that global leaders should do more to ensure that there is equitable production and distribution of the jabs. Okonjo-Iweala said developing countries had complained that the licensing process was cumbersome and should be improved upon. She added that while it makes sense to protect research and innovation, it is also important to expand access to the vaccines. According to her, manufacturers should work to expand production, pointing to idle capacity ...
Imo attacks: IGP tasks CPs, AIGs to evolve new policing strategies
The Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Usman Alkali Baba, on Friday, met with Police Strategic Commanders, Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police, Commissioners of Police, and Deputy Commissioners of Police (Operations), in the South-South and the South-Eastern States of the country and tasked them on checkmating security challenges. A statement by CP Frank Mba, Force Public Relations Officer, said the meeting, which held at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, is part of efforts by the new Police leadership to critically diagnose the security threats in the region and evolve new policing strategies and responses towards tackling the threats. The IGP, while noting that the South-East and South-South geo-political zones of the country are very critical in the socio-economic stability and ...
Azman Air apologises to NCAA chief over false accusations
After series of accusations and counter-accusations generated by the suspension of Azman from flight operations by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) over violation of safety rules, the management of the airline has finally apologised to the regulatory agency for the rash actions it took over the suspension. The suspension of Azman by the NCAA was negatively reacted to by the airline with the management issuing a scandalous statement which accused the director-general of the NCAA, Captain Nuhu Musa, of suspending the airline to punish it for a previous disagreement between him and the airline. Azman had in the statement accused the NCAA DG of embarking on a vengeance mission which elicited reactions from key players across the sector. However, the latest statement issued and sig...
Court rules on suit over Olubadan’s seat
File Photo An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, on Friday, dismissed a suit filed by the Seriki chieftaincy lineage seeking the nullification of the appointment of Oba Saliu Adetunji as the Olubadan of Ibadanland. Olalekan Fakunle, Rasheed Abinupagun, Gabriel Amao, all of Seriki line, had approached the court, challenging the appointment of Mr. Adetunji. They are also challenging the consistent occupation of the Olubadan throne by both the Balogun and Olubadan chieftaincy lines. While dismissing the case for lacking in merit, Justice Muniru Owolabi said that it was not the business of the court to promote the claimants to the position of Olubadan and other vacant positions in the Olubadan-in-Council. Justice Owolabi said that the 1959 Chieftaincy Declaration of Oyo State had regulate...
Ogun council polls: Governor Abiodun urges OGSIEC to conduct credible election
Ogun State governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has urged members of the newly inaugurated Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) to be transparent in their dealings with all political parties. The governor said this Friday while swearing-in the newly constituted 6-man electoral commission at the Executive Council Chambers of Governor’s Office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the state capital. Abiodun specifically charged new OGSIEC members to make fairness, firmness, dedication and objectivity their watchword as the state prepares for the local government poll to be conducted later this year. The governor said the inauguration was a demonstration of his administration’s commitment towards ensuring that democratic dividends get to the grassroots through electoral processes at the local gover...
President Buhari writes Senate, seeks confirmation of service chiefs
President Muhammadu Buhari has written formally to the Senate for the confirmation of the appointment of the newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and service chiefs. He has also sought the consent of the upper legislative chamber for the appointment of the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonisakin (rtd) and erstwhile service chiefs as non-career Ambassadors. The two separate confirmation request letters were read on Tuesday at the resumption of Senate plenary after the Christmas break by the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan. The first letter dated January 27, 2021 read in part: “In compliance with the provisions of Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act. Cap A20 Laws the Federation of Nigeria 2004, I hereby forward for confirmation by the Senate, the app...
Rivers governor seeks end to external influence on NDDC
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has regretted the continuous interference of external forces who are not from the oil-rich region on the activities of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, noting that the act frustrates programmes of the commission. Wike, however, condemned the posture of some ethnic groups in the region that behave as if the commission belongs to them, clarifying that NDDC was set up to cater for needs of the states of the region. The governor disclosed this in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, after the visit of the Interim Management Committee of NDDC to Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday. The governor said people are abusing the entire region because the commission has wasted trillions of Dollars without lifting the mass...
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UFC star Israel Adesanya tenders apology after ‘rape’ comment
UFC star Israel Adesanya has apologized to fellow fighter Kevin Holland after he came under attack for his rape comment. Isreal Adesanya made the “rape comment” while trash-talking Holland in a since-deleted video. “Bro, I will fuckin’ rape you,” Adesanya said in an Instagram video directed at Kevin Holland, who had targeted him with a series of insulting remarks. However, in a statement on Friday morning, the Nigerian-born New Zealand MMA fighter said he “crossed the line” and he understands the gravity of what he said. The statement on Adesanya’s official Twitter account reads: “Last week fight talk escalated to a point in which I crossed the line. I understand the gravity of this word and how it can affect and hurt other people apart from my opponent, although that was never my intentio...