President
President Buhari approves appointment of 18 appeal court judges
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of 18 Justices of the Court of Appeal. Newsmen reported that the 18 candidates were recommended to Mr Buhari by the National Judicial Council (NJC) for appointment in March. NJC’s Director of Information, Soji Oye, had in a statement on March 19, said the council’s interview committee made the decision recommending the candidates for appointment at its 94th meeting which held on March 17 and 18, under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad. The president approved the recommendations in a memo by his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, and addressed to the CJN. A copy of the memo titled, ‘Re: Appointment of eighteen (18) Justices of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria’ was circulated online on Thursday. Our corr...
NDDC: Ijaw youths tackle minister over forensic audit, sole administrator’s tenure
Bayelsa youths under the aegis of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide accused the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio of overseeing an unending forensic audit and illegal extension of the tenure of the sole administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Efiong Akwa, describing it as a delib-erate attempt to delay the constitution of a substantive NDDC board. According to the youths, though the conduct of the forensic audit was ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari and supported by the stakeholders from the region, Senator Godswill Akpabio has turned the forensic audit into an unending exercise used to perpetuate corruption and further bleed the commission of scarce funds. The spokesman of the IYC, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, who made the statement...
Lagos: Police arrest protesting Uber, Bolt drivers
The police in Lagos have arrested some members of the Professional E-hailing Drivers and Private Owners Association (PEDPA), the umbrella body of e-hailing ride companies including Uber and Bolt, who had embarked on an industrial action over the services rendered by the platforms. Five drivers, including the president of PEDPA, Idris Shonuga, were arrested on Tuesday. Speaking on the arrest, Kolawole Aina, the Regional Vice President PEDPA, South-west, said the drivers were picked up by the police at the National Stadium in Surulere while they were gathering for a peaceful march to Alausa. Newsmen reported that Bolt and Uber drivers commenced strike on Monday to express their displeasure over the “unfavourable pricing” of the companies and its impact on their business. Shonuga, who listed ...
PSG president replaces Juventus supremo as ECA chairman
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been appointed as the new European Club Association chairman, replacing Andrea Agnelli in the wake of the Juventus executive’s departure. Agnelli stepped down from the ECA in response to the formation of the Super League, assuming the role of the new competition’s chairman. Although the Super League is not set to go ahead, Al-Khelaifi has been named as Agnelli’s replacement after his club resisted an invite to join the new competition. “I am honoured and humbled to have been appointed by my fellow ECA Executive Board Members as Chairman,” he said in a statement. “The leadership, integrity and togetherness of our organisation has never been more required than at this pivotal moment in European football. “I will provide my unconditional co...
FIFA chief to break silence as Super League plunges Europe into crisis
FIFA president Gianni Infantino is expected to deliver his verdict on the European Super League on Tuesday after the widely condemned breakaway competition triggered threats of legal action and punitive measures. European body UEFA will look to support from the world football chief at its congress in Switzerland as it attempts to quash an initiative that threatens its prized Champions League and the health of domestic competitions such as England’s Premier League. Twelve powerful clubs – six from England, and three each from Spain and Italy – have signed up for the Super League, which offers guaranteed spots for its founding members and billions of dollars in payments. Currently, clubs have to qualify for the Champions League each year through their national competitions, and face a length...
NLC to declare nationwide strike over Kaduna government’s plan to sack workers
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has resolved to declare an industrial action nationwide if the Kaduna State government goes ahead with its plans to sack civil servants. The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with newsmen on Monday. Last week, Governor Nasir El-Rufai announced the plan to disengage civil servants in the state, citing fiscal reasons. El-Rufai said a significant amount of the statutory federal allocations to the state is being spent on the wages of public servants. According to the governor, the decision was one of the necessary moves to salvage the state’s finances. “Therefore, the state government has no choice but to shed some weight and reduce the size of the public service. It is a painful but necessary step to take, for the sake of th...
Florentino Perez: Cristiano Ronaldo will not come back to Real Madrid
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has ruled out a return to Santiago Bernabeu for Cristiano Ronaldo and claims to have had no contact with Paris Saint-Germain regarding a move for Kylian Mbappe. Movement in the Spanish capital is being mooted ahead of the summer transfer window, with Perez – who is famed for his ‘Galactico’ recruitment model – being re-elected to remain at the helm of the Liga giants. It has been suggested that efforts will be made to re-sign a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, with Ronaldo having left Real for Juventus as the club’s all-time leading scorer in 2018, but no bid is being lined up to land the 36-year-old Portuguese. Perez has told El Chiringuito: “Cristiano Ronaldo will not come back to Real Madrid. “It does not make sense, he has a contract with Juventus. I...
UEFA exco member: Super League clubs will be thrown out of Champions League
Manchester City, Chelsea and Real Madrid could be kicked out of this season’s Champions League this week, according to the Danish FA chairman Jesper Moller. Moller, who is a member of UEFA’s Executive Committee, says the teams involved in the new Super League could face sanctions following Sunday’s groundbreaking announcement. One team that wasn’t part of the Super League’s unveiling was Paris Saint-Germain, who are the only semi-finalists currently not involved in the new competition. “The clubs are going out, and I expect that to happen on Friday, and then you have to see how to finish the Champions League,” Moller told DR Sport. He added: “There must be one extraordinary executive committee meeting on Friday. I have an expectation that the 12 clubs will be thrown out.” As things stand, ...
NIMASA: SPOMO act improving Nigeria’s image
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) says the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act, is improving Nigeria’s image in its fight against piracy and sea robbery. Dr Bashir Jamoh, Director-General, NIMASA, said this in a statement on Sunday in Lagos. He said that the Act signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in June, 2019 was to end piracy and sea robbery in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. He made this known at the maiden edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium organised recently in Lagos by the agency, in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute (NJI). The colloquium had the theme, “Achieving Maritime Safety, Security and Shipping Development (TRIPODS) through Enforcement of Legislations and the Implementation of th...
US: Chad rebels heading towards capital from north
The United States said rebel fighters in Chad appeared to be moving towards the capital N’Djamena and ordered non-essential staff to leave, warning of possible violence. A spokesman for the rebel Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) said its fighters had “liberated” the province of Kanem, some 220 km (136 miles) from the capital N’Djamena, but the government denied this. “The authors of these false statements are not even on the ground, but somewhere in Europe,” the government said in a message posted to Facebook. A day earlier the British government urged its citizens to leave Chad because of information that two rebel convoys on the move, one near the town of Faya, some 770 km (478 miles) northeast of N’Djamena, and another by the town of Mao, the provincial capital of Kanem. On S...
George Weah wants Liberia to host AFCON
Reuters Liberian President and football legend George Weah has stated that the West African country should host the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in the future. Weah, who has served as Liberia’s president since January 2018 and was FIFA’s World Player of the Year (now known as the Ballon d’Or) in 1995, revealed this ambition while speaking at the official commissioning ceremony of the Samuel K Doe Sports Complex practice pitch earlier this week. The 54-year-old believes that if Liberia can build new venues, hosting the AFCON is a realistic proposition. “Everywhere they’re hosting African Cup, the only reason we can’t host it they will tell you we don’t have so many fields, we don’t have the facilities but I can assure you, we will continue to advocate and make sure the facilities are bu...
President Buhari condoles with Adamawa community over insurgents attack
President Muhammad Buhari has condoled with Kwapre community in Hong Local Government Area (LGA) of Adamawa over the recent Boko Haram insurgents attack. Buhari, represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said this when he visited the community on Sunday. The president expressed his deepest sympathy and condolence to the affected community. ”I am in Kwapre to see things under the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari and to symphatise and condole with the community. ”I have seen the level of destructions which is tragic of monumental dimension. ”I am deeply saddened by what I saw and am assuring the community, government will do all what is possible to protect lives and property of the citizens,” he said. He said that from information available, over 78 ...
