Meeting
Donny van de Beek accused of making Manchester United move with ‘big boy’ attitude
Donny van de Beek has been accused by Marco van Basten of leaving Ajax for Manchester United with a “big boy” attitude, with the Dutch icon of the opinion that too many players depart Amsterdam believing that they have already made it. Van de Beek is among those to have been brought down to earth with a bump after leaving the comfort zone of life in his native Netherlands. A £35 million ($49m) switch to Old Trafford has not played out as planned for the 24-year-old midfielder, with only two Premier League starts taken in as questions are asked of his value to the Red Devils’ cause. Van Basten, who made his name at Ajax before going on to win the Ballon d’Or three times with AC Milan, told Ziggo Sport of Van de Beek and his struggles in England: “It just shows what a great life they have wh...
Police: 21 officers killed by gunmen in Akwa Ibom
The police authorities in Akwa Ibom State said they have so far lost 21 officers due to gun attacks in the state. The commissioner of police in the state, Amiengheme Andrew, disclosed this on Monday while briefing Governor Udom Emmanuel who visited the police headquarters in the state to condole with the families of the slain officers and the police over the loss. Mr Andrew also informed the governor that the police in the state lost 11 vehicles and seven firearms in the various attacks. Mr Emmanuel, who visited the police headquarters immediately after the State Executive Council meeting, announced a donation of N60 million to the families of the slain officers. Besides meeting with the police commissioner in his office, Mr Emmanuel met with officers inside a hall where he thanked them fo...
Lagos to demolish shanties, takeover abandoned buildings
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday said that the government would continue to demolish shanties across the state. Sanwo-Olu said this during the Security Stakeholders Town Hall Meeting at Ikeja, adding that the state government would also confiscate abandoned buildings. He said that the shanties, abandoned buildings and vehicles were hideouts for criminals, hence, should be tackled. Sanwo-Olu said the government had demolished several hundreds of shanties and illegal structures around the state since November 2020. ”These shanties, by serving as hideouts for criminals, have exacerbated the insecurity situation in Lagos State. ”This clean up exercise will continue, even as we strive to ensure the creation of jobs and economic opportunities that will take people off the s...
Rivers governor: We can’t succumb to secessionist agenda
The Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, has declared that his state will not be cowed into secessionist agenda. This is just as Wike condemned the killings of seven police officers in the state. The governor in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, after an emergency meeting of the Security Council at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Saturday called for calm in the state. Wike, who presided over the meeting, condemned the attacks by the unidentified armed assailants on some police formations. He reiterated that no amount of intimidation or cruel resort to barbaric attacks will make the State succumb to the secessionist agenda of those who are bent on plunging Nigeria into another unwarranted crisis. However, Wike, on behalf of the Government of Rivers ...
Femi Falana: NBC’s N5 million fine imposed on Channels TV illegal
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, says the fine imposed on Channels Television by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is illegal. He said the agency should publicly apologise and refund the fine — if it has already been paid. The TV station was sanctioned for interviewing the spokesperson of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Inspiration FM was also ordered to pay a fine of N5 million for airing a broadcast of IPOB wherein “secessionist claims” were allegedly made. Speaking in Lagos on Thursday at the launch of a report by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Falana said NBC did not allow for fair hearing, as stipulated in the broadcasting act. He said the agency didn’t comply with the provisions of law, adding that the amendment code under w...
Edo governor: Current NDDC structure incapable of developing South-South
Edo State’s Governor Godwin Obaseki has reiterated the call for the restructuring of the Niger Delta Development Commission, stressing that such would drive the development of the South-South region. Obaseki made the call during a meeting with the South-South Zone Working Committee of the People;s Democratic Party (PDP) at the Government House in Benin City. According to him, “In the South-South, we must stand up to defend ourselves economically, politically and security-wise. We have pretenders in the region who try to exploit the region and we must stop them.” Obaseki said the region is facing impeded growth because of the inability to make use of its resources for its development. He added, “The current structure of the NDDC has caused underdevelopment in the region, with the Federal Go...
President Buhari presides over FEC meeting — in pictures
President Muhammadu Buhari is presiding over the 44th virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC). The weekly meeting holding at the First Lady’s Conference Hall at the State House, Abuja, is being attended by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari. The ministers who are also physically attending the meeting include those of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Justice, Abubakar Malami; Industry, Trade and Investment; Adeniyi Adebayo; and Power, Mamman Saleh. Other ministers, as well as the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, are participating in the weekly cabinet meeting from their various of...
2023: Niger governor makes case for Southern presidency
Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has made case for a southern Presidency in 2023, saying that there is going to be rotation of positions in 2023. According to him, “those allocated to the North would move to South while those in the south would move to North in 2023”. Governor Bello disclosed this in Minna on Tuesday when he received in audience North Central APC Stakeholders Forum on advocacy visit. He also said that the North Central Governors Forum has agreed that the position of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) should be zone to north central. “As the chairman of the North Central Governors Forum, I have called a meeting of the Governors and we agreed that we should not be left out. There are many aspirants from North West and North East.”. ...
Bayelsa government wades into communal crisis, warns against gunrunning
The Bayelsa State Government has read the riot act to those engaged in gunrunning in the state and warned such persons to desist from the unwholesome activity or they would face the full wrath of the law. Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo gave the warning while addressing the chiefs and people of Peretoru community in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state during a resumed meeting in the Government House, Yenagoa, on Saturday. Among those also present at the meeting were the representatives of the state Command of Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and Joint Task Force (JTF). A statement on Sunday by the deputy governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, said the meeting was part of ongoing efforts by the state government to resolve the leade...
Two persons abducted in Ogun community
Two persons have been abducted in Omu, a community near Ofada town in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of the state. The spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident on Sunday. He explained that the abducted persons – a man and a woman – were on a visit to a farm in the area on Saturday when the incident occurred. Oyeyemi noted that following the incident, the command has launched a manhunt to track the perpetrators and rescue the victims from their abductors. He, however, stressed that no ransom has so far been demanded by the abductors to release their victims. The abduction occurred three days after the police arrested some suspects in connection with the abduction of a community leader, Tajudeen Omotayo, and two students of the Olabisi Ona...
Washington denies Iran state media report saying prisoner swap agreed
The United States on Sunday denied a report by Iran’s state television that the arch-foes had reached a prisoner swap deal in exchange for the release of $7 billion frozen Iranian oil funds under U.S. sanctions in other countries. Iranian state television said on Sunday that Tehran would free four Americans accused of spying in exchange for four Iranians held in the United States and the release of $7 billion in frozen Iranian funds. The U.S. government denied that an exchange was in the works. The state TV, quoting an unnamed Iranian official, also said British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe would be released once Britain had paid off a debt on military equipment owed to Tehran. A British Foreign Office official played down that report. Iran and world powers are holding talks ...
Ex-President Obasanjo: If Nigeria breaks up, minority groups will be exterminated
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday described calls for the disintegration of Nigeria as unmindful and insensitive to the plight of the minority groups in the country. Obasanjo made the observation when he received the Tiv Professional Group (TPG) from Benue State, who paid him a courtesy visit in Abeokuta. The former president recalled a discussion between him and “a military friend” who, according to him, has described major tribes in the country as selfish and not sufficiently caring for the minority groups. Obasanjo, who aligned with his friend’s opinion, expressed worry over what would become of the minority groups if the major tribes decided to secede and begin to operate as separate countries. “If the Yoruba can stand as a country, if the Igbos and the Hausa/Fulani can s...