Doubts
Majority of Brazilians support impeaching President Bolsonaro, poll shows
For the first time, a majority of Brazilians support impeaching President Jair Bolsonaro, according to a poll released on Saturday, as serious graft allegations related to vaccine procurement hit the right-wing leader’s already battered image. According to the survey by Datafolha, 54% of Brazilians support a proposed move by the country’s lower house to open impeachment proceedings against Bolsonaro, while 42% oppose it. In the last Datafolha survey on the issue, released in May, supporters and opponents of impeachment were essentially tied. In a separate Datafolha poll, released on Thursday, 51% of Brazilians said they disapproved of Bolsonaro, the highest figure since he took office in January 2019. In recent weeks, Brasilia has been rocked by allegations that federal officials solicited...
Ondo governor: Why Amotekun will transform into state police
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on Saturday said that the State Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps would eventually transform into a State Police overtime. Akeredolu, who insisted that every federating unit in the country should have its own police for effective security, noted that there was no serious attempt to redesign the nation’s security architecture to respond to the demands of a nascent country at the time of independence. Speaking at the 2021 Democracy Day lecture held in Akure, the state capital, the governor also said that he does not believe in secession. At the event held at the International Event Centre (DOME), Akeredolu said the local government could not be absolutely autonomous and that the Federal Government should have no control, whatsoever, over h...
PDP: OGSIEC plotting to shut us out of Ogun council poll
The Ogun chapter of Peoples Democratic Party has accused the Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission, OGSIEC, Barr. Babatunde Osibodu, of meddling in the affairs of the party. Alh Sikirulai Ogundele, Ogun chairman of PDP said this during a press conference at the Ogun NUJ Secretariat, Okelewo, Abeokuta. Ogundele who was accompanied by some aggrieved members of the party, said there was a renewed calculated attempt by OGSIEC to keep meddling in the affairs of the party by deliberately obstructing the cause of justice as far as PDP’s participation in the forthcoming LG election is concerned. He said this was in spite of the fact that that the party had gone through a phase of robust reconciliation of all interests while verifiable documents have been submitted to properly guid...
Antonio Conte unconvinced by Tottenham project
Antonio Conte has major doubts about becoming Tottenham’s next head coach and is inclined to turn them down, according to Sky Italy. Spurs have been in talks with the former Chelsea boss, who left Inter Milan after winning Serie A last month. But after considering the role for several days, Conte remains unconvinced Spurs are a team ready to win trophies immediately. The Italian has won five league titles in the last decade and is looking for another ‘winning project’. He is trying to understand if it is possible to bridge the gap with the top four or five Premier League teams in a short period of time – with Spurs having finished 24 points behind champions Manchester City. It is understood Spurs would not pressure him to win trophies. If the parties fail to strike a deal, Conte could also...
South-east group hails re-organisation in Nigeria Police Force
The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders has expressed delight over the recent re-organisation in the Nigeria Police Force. The group, an umbrella body of youth organisations in the zone, described the measure as “a step in the right direction”. This is contained in a statement issued by the group’s President General, Goodluck Ibem, in Owerri on Wednesday. It commended the Acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, for his “foresight” in appointing Mr Etim Okon as the Assistant Inspector General in charge of Zone 9. Ibem said that Okon’s appointment could not have come at a better time, considering the rising cases of insecurity in the zone. “We are deeply grateful to the IGP for his foresight in appointing a tested and experienced hand to man the affairs of Zone 9, Umuahia in Abia. ...
Jose Mourinho ‘set to land another Premier League job’
Jorge Mendes is to help Jose Mourinho secure his next job in the Premier League, with Wolves being mentioned as a possibility by Don Balon. After his sacking by Tottenham, you get the impression that Mourinho has exhausted all of his options at the top end of the Premier League table. His past affiliation with Chelsea and Spurs rule him out of the running for the Arsenal job, while any ex-Manchester United manager is not going to be replacing Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. If The Special One is to remain in England, compromises may have to be made. As per Don Balon, a drop down to mid-table could be on the cards for the Portuguese. Don Balon report that, with doubts emerging over the future of Nuno Espirito Santo at Molineux, Mourinho could take the Wolves job ahead of next season. It’s...
UEFA confirms Rome as Euro 2020 host city
Rome’s Stadio Olimpico has been “fully confirmed” as a venue for Euro 2020 matches after the Italian government guaranteed the presence of at least 25 per cent of fans, UEFA announced on Wednesday. Rome was one of four of the 12 host cities threatened with having its matches removed because it could not give assurances that spectators would be allowed into grounds given the ongoing Covid-19 situation. “The authorities have guaranteed at least 25 per cent of the stadium’s capacity will be filled,” European football’s governing body said. “As a result, UEFA considers Rome to be fully confirmed as a venue for the tournament.” Three other cities — Munich, Bilbao and Dublin — have until April 19 to provide UEFA with additional information on their plans for spectators. Rome is set to host the o...
Ex-pope Benedict chides ‘fanatical’ Catholics who reject his resignation
Former pope Benedict has chided conservative Roman Catholics who have not accepted his decision to resign as “fanatical”, telling them that there is only one pope and it is Francis. Benedict, now 93, in 2013 became the first pope in more than 600 years to resign instead of ruling for life, saying he no longer had the strength to govern the 1.3 billion-member Church. Some hardline conservatives unhappy with the more liberal Pope Francis have often voiced doubts about whether Benedict stepped down willingly, even though he has said several times in the past eight years that he did. “It was a difficult decision. But it was a fully conscious choice and I think I did well (to resign),” he told Italy’s Corriere della Sera in a interview published on Monday. “Some of my more fanatical friends are...
Thiago Silva reveals ‘nice surprise’ from Frank Lampard after Chelsea move
Thiago Silva says a “nice surprise” from Frank Lampard immediately assured him he made the right choice when joining Chelsea over the summer. The Brazil defender moved to the Premier League shortly before his 36th birthday, bringing to an end his eight-year spell at Paris Saint-Germain. Silva says he had no doubts about his decision to head to Stamford Bridge, but appreciated a gesture he received from his new manager as he prepared for the move. What did Lampard send Thiago Silva? “As soon as I said yes, he sent me a picture of us both shaking hands as national team captains in 2013,” Silva told FourFourTwo. “It was a nice surprise. He understood exactly what I needed at this stage of my career, probably because he had made a similar move when he was also 36, from Chelsea to Manchester Ci...
Lucas Vázquez rejects first offer from Real Madrid
Real Madrid have got down to work with the renewal of Lucas Vázquez and for now, there’s no agreement. ‘Marca’ published that the winger has rejected the first offer from the club. A few months ago it was clear that Lucas Vázquez’s cycle at Real Madrid had ended, but the winger has surprised both as a full-back and in his natural position. He is another totally different player and this has led to the renewal. Lucas’ contract ends on 30th June and at the start of the season, there were doubts about his continuity. Only the insistence of Zinedine Zidane, who always trusted him, kept his options open. But in the end, he has ended up winning him over on the park. For that reason, with the arrival of the new year, Real Madrid have got down to work with the extension of his contract. The Madrid...
Governor Masari: Kidnapped Katsina schoolboys moved to Zamfara
Katsina State governor, Aminu Bello Masari, says the schoolboys kidnapped last week have been moved by their captors to a forest in neighbouring Zamfara State. Gunmen invaded the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, on Friday, December 11, 2020, with over 300 students unaccounted a week later. In an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, Masari said most of the abducted students are believed to be in the forest in Zamfara. “Right now the security forces have surrounded all these places where the children are thought to be,” he said. Masari had said earlier this week that the government has already commenced negotiations with the kidnappers. He reiterated on Wednesday that this was to ensure the students are returned unhurt. He also disclosed that 400 students ar...
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Understanding the strength of small businesses
The number of small businesses keeps growing in the formal and informal sectors of the Nigerian economy, due to the role of small businesses as the live-wire of any economy and the backbone of major developed economies the world over. Though Nigeria rely majorly on oil and revenues derived from it, from context observation the economy is largely supported by small businesses covering almost all spheres of activities within the country, ranging from Nano, kiosk, and Micro businesses most importantly. A visible reference usually includes the vulcanizers, corner shop owners, single retail marketers, repairers, painters, business center operators, restaurants, market women, and men in the various open markets, among others. and the formal operations such as the law firms, accounting firms, con...