Ruling
Manchester United boss backs one-leg Europa League ties after venue change for Sociedad clash
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has called for the Europa League knockout rounds to be played over one leg after Manchester United’s away game at Real Sociedad was moved to Turin. The first of United’s two-legged tie against the Liga side has been moved to Italy due to current travel restrictions imposed by the Spanish government over Covid-19, preventing the team from flying in for the game without the need for quarantine. Real Sociedad’s director of football Roberto Olabe hit out at UEFA over the ruling which saw the Spanish side have to find an alternative venue for next week’s game, claiming Manchester United had an unfair advantage – and Solskjaer agreed, adding that he would have backed it being a one-legged occasion. Solskjaer said: “With Europe, we hope it’s going to be sustainable. Different...
VP Osinbajo: We must resist all attempts to tear Nigeria apart
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has called on Nigerians to resist any attempt to divide the nation saying Nigeria is better as one indivisible entity. He also called for the strengthening of community policing structures which he said will result in improved security situation across the country. Osinbajo who made this known on Tuesday while revalidating his membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ikenne ward one in Ogun state declared “we must resist any attempt to destroy the unity of this country, our people have lived and worked together for decades, even centuries.” He added: “While we must attend to the cries of communities, and the cries of our people for justice, equity and fairness, we can do so within this same union. Ultimately we are stronger together than apar...
Sudan announces new cabinet with ex-rebels as ministers
Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced Monday a new cabinet bringing in seven ex-rebel chiefs as ministers, following a peace deal in October aimed to end decades of war. Veteran rebel leader and economist Gibril Ibrahim, of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) – which played a major role in the Darfur conflict – was appointed as Sudan’s new finance minister. “We have reached consensus on over 25 ministries,” Hamdok said, during a press conference in Khartoum. “This line up aims to preserve this country from collapse… we know there will be challenges but we are certain that we will move forward.” Hamdok dissolved the previous cabinet on Sunday to make way for a more inclusive line up in government. Two ministers were selected from the military, with the remaining coming from th...
ICC ruling brings hope for Palestinians, dismay for Israelis
Many Palestinians see a ruling by the International Criminal Court that it has jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories as a belated chance of justice for victims of Israeli attacks. But for many Israelis, Friday’s ruling is worrying because they say they are the “good guys” defending themselves against Palestinian violence. The ruling, delivered by a pre-trial chamber of three ICC judges, could lead to criminal investigations of Israel and Palestinian militant groups including Hamas. No probe was expected in the near future, however. ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said she would now examine the decision and pointed to the 2014 Gaza war between Israel and militant groups in Hamas-controlled Gaza, the 2018 Gaza border protests and Israeli settlements in occupied territory. In Khan Youni...
CAF clears Ahmad Ahmad for presidential elections
The Confederation of African Football president Ahmad Ahmad has been cleared to contest the body’s elections, scheduled for March 12. The Malagasy official was handed a five-year ban and fined $200,000 by Fifa in November for breaching its code of conduct. Among the allegations levelled against the 61-year-old were offering and accepting gifts, abuse of office and misappropriation of funds, which he has denied. Ahmad subsequently appealed the decision of the world governing body at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and got a temporary respite last month. Cas restored the Malagasy to his post as president of Caf and explained a final decision will be taken before the Caf elections. Following the ruling, Caf’s Governance Committee met to deliberate on the matter and cleared Ahmad to contest...
Court restrains Edo NUT from embarking on strike
Nigeria Union of Teachers The National Industrial Court in Benin, on Monday, restrained the Edo wing of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) from proceeding on any strike in primary schools across the state. Justice Abiola Adewemimo gave the order after listening to the arguments by the state Solicitor-General, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN). Newsmen report that the state government and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) are the applicants in the case, with suit number: NICN/BEN/04/2021. The defendants in the suit are the NUT Chairman in the state, Mr Pius Okhuleliegbe and the state Assistant Secretary- General, Moni Itua, for themselves and on behalf of the members of the union. Delivering her ruling, Adewemimo restrained the NUT chairman and the assistant secretary-general,either acting t...
Former minister Tony Momoh passes on
YouTube Former Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh, has passed on. Prince Momoh was a veteran journalist, lawyer, politician and former Minister of Information and Culture (1986–1990) during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. Momoh was born on April 27, 1939 in Auchi, Edo State, to the royal Momoh family. He was also the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the University of Jos. In January 2011, he became the National Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, one of the “legacy parties” which merged to form the now ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Known for his bluntness, Prince Momoh was one individual who was committed to any cause he believed in irrespective of whose ox was gored. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Des...
Myanmar military to hold new elections after one-year state of emergency
The Myanmar military said on Monday that it will rerun the multi-party general elections after a one-year state of emergency declared earlier in the day. The Union Election Commission will be reformed and the electoral process in the parliamentary elections held in November 2020 will be reviewed in accordance with the laws, the military said in a televised statement. “After the state of emergency period, free and fair multi-party general elections will be rerun and the state power will be handed over to an elected party which meets the democratic standards,’’ it said. The statement came after the President’s Office declared a state of emergency which will last for one year in the country. The declaration of emergency, signed by First Vice President U Myint Swe, who is serving as the acting...
U.S. threatens to take action against detainers of Myanmar’s president, others
The U.S. has threatened to take action against those responsible for the detention of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as President Win Myint in Myanmar. “The United States is alarmed by reports that the Burmese military has taken steps to undermine the country’s democratic transition, including the arrest of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials in Burma (Myanmar). “President (Joe) Biden has been briefed by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan,” White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement. Earlier, Western media reported that Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained along with other members of Myanmar’s ruling party in an early morning military raid on Monday. “We continue to affirm our strong support for Burma’s democratic ins...
Edo governor, PDP leaders fighting over sharing formula for positions – APC
Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), in Edo State, Col. David Imuse (Rtd) said Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government is unexplainably slow because of hidden conflict. Imuse alleged that at a time when the number of persons who test positive for the Coronavirus (Covid-19) is on the increase, Obaseki and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are busy fighting themselves. Imuse’s position was contained in a statement by the Assistant Publicity Secretary of the party, Victor Ofure Osehobo. He added that the alleged infighting is a confirmation that Obaseki has no plans for the state. According to the statement, the infighting over positions and booties of victory has already thrown the state into confusion, as the wheel of governance has since stoo...
Nigerian government seizes bank’s assets over Shell’s N183 billion debt
File Photo Nigerian government have moved to sequester the assets of the country’s premier lender First Bank of Nigeria Limited in an effort to recover the damages oil major Royal Dutch Shell owed the Ejama Ebubu community of Rivers State in a legal contest spanning many decades, Bloomberg reported Thursday. Police operatives and court officials arrived the bank’s main branch in Port Harcourt on Tuesday to execute an order to seize the lender’s asset, FirstBank said in a statement. The bank said the incident leading to the confiscation of its properties was “unjustified, illegal and a reckless misuse of the machinery of justice.” Lagos-headquartered FirstBank resolved to guarantee the damages awarded against Shell by a Rivers State high court judge a decade ago. According to the estimation...
Poland puts into effect new restrictions on abortion
Poland’s government put into effect on Wednesday a constitutional court decision banning terminations of pregnancies with foetal defects, as conservative policies increasingly take root in one of Europe’s most devout Catholic countries. The Oct. 22 ruling had led to weeks of massive protests, forcing the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government to delay its implementation. Small protests gathered late on Wednesday following an announcement PiS would take the official step to enforce the decision imminently, and abortion rights activists announced more would take place on Thursday. Abortion has emerged as one of the most divisive issues since PiS took power in 2015, promising poorer, older and less educated Poles a return to a traditional society mixed with generous welfare policies. Th...