Tuesday
Rivers government reopens NLC secretariat as labour suspends rally
The Officials of the Rivers Government, on Tuesday, unsealed the Nigeria Labour Congress secretariat in Port Harcourt, following collective bargaining agreement signed with the union. Newsmen report that the state government had sealed the NLC secretariat in March for correction of structural deficit. Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, on Sept. 4, issued a notice to hold mass rally over the sealed secretariat among other lingering industrial dispute. However, after a six hour deliberation on Monday, the organised labour reached an agreement with the state government to address all contending issues and for the protest to be called off. Government officials arrived at the secretariat at about 7.00 a.m. and remove the seal to fulfil part of the agreement. Wabba, who addressed workers of the affi...
APC commends labour for suspending planned strike in Rivers
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers has commended the organised labour in the state for suspending its planned strike for Tuesday. It said in a statement issued by its spokesman in the state, Mr Ogbonna Nwuke, that the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and its associates had demonstrated uncommon maturity and discipline. Nwuke noted that labour demonstrated this by allowing last-minute discussions with the Rivers Government. He said that the breakthrough recorded at the meeting was plain as a result of the unique sacrifice made by labour in the overall interest of the state and nation. “We have heard that the Rivers Government and labour have settled their differences. “It took last-minute efforts that lasted late into the night to avert a crippling strike. “While we welcome the res...
Tour de France begins first round of coronavirus tests
The Tour de France started the first round of in-race Covid 19 testing, originally announced for the first rest day, before the start of Sunday’s stage, organisers told AFP. The Tour had scheduled tests for the two rest days, the first of which is on Monday, but started the opening round in their mobile lab at the start in Pau. Organisers did not say if any riders had been included along with members of the Tour entourage. A second wave, focused on the riders, is scheduled for Monday, in line with the health protocol developed with the International Cycling Union. ASO, the Tour organisers, said 650 people would be tested and the results announced on Tuesday before the start of the 10th stage. The teams, their management and support staff are in the “race bubble” but will be thrown off the ...
Villarreal boss applauds Samuel Chukwueze’s performance vs Real Sociedad
Nigeria international Samuel Chukwueze was impressive again as Villarreal recorded a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad in a pre-season game on Tuesday. Chukwueze who scored in Villarreal’s pre season game against Valencia continued from where he stopped as he ran the show against the Basque based team. Chukwueze set up Francis Coquelin for the opening goal in the 8th minute, making him the player with the most assist in pre-season games for Villarreal. Emery was impressed with his performance and he rose to his feet to applaud the 20-year-old when he went past three players in a flash. Despite the arrival of Real Madrid youngster Take Kubo, Chukwueze has continued to get enough game time under his belt and he will be hoping to start in opening their La Liga campaign against newly-promoted Huesca....
LASEMA: Two died, six injured in a four vehicles accident
Two persons died on the spot while four others were seriously injured in an accident along Anthony-inward-Gbagada on Tuesday night in Lagos. The Director-General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed this to newsmen on Wednesday. Oke-Osanyintolu said LASEMA received distress calls on the accident, around 10.30 p.m. on Tuesday. He added that four vehicles were involved in the accident, comprising two tipper-lorries, one petroleum tanker and one commercial bus. He attributed the cause of the accident to reckless driving that left occupants of the bus trapped. “With the use of the LASEMA’s light rescue equipment, six people were rescued from the bus. “They sustained varying degrees of injuries and unfortunately, two female passengers died on ...
CAN: CAMA 2020 dangerous to national interest
File Photo The Christian Association of Nigeria on Tuesday demanded the suspension of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020. CAN, in a position paper, said CAMA 2020 “has the potential that can further undermine the faith of stakeholders in the Nigerian-state.” This is just as the Presidency said CAMA did not target religious organisations. It accused some politicians of latching on to the criticism of CAMA to wrongly characterise its purposes as an anti-religious law. The Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and former National Assembly Presidential Liaison Officer, Senator Ita Enang, made the clarification during a brief ceremony at the secretariat of CAN in Abuja where he received the position paper of CAN on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari. The letter sign...
NFF to unveil new national team jerseys October
The Super Eagles will launch new jerseys designed by kit-sponsors Nike for national teams in October. This was announced in a statement by the NFF’s Communications Department on Tuesday. Nike Senior Director, Global Communications, Heidi Burgett, had February 5, shared the designs of the new national team’s jerseys on Twitter. “New 2020 kits for Nigeria: Home kit’s hand drawn design fuses the traditional aesthetic of an agbada robe w/ modern football design. Away kit trim is inspired by Onaism. Broader collection of Super Eagles apparel includes a poncho, vest, dress, & more,” Burgett wrote. Burgett’s tweet came after NFF president Amaju Pinnick confirmed to newsmen January 28, that the new national team jerseys would be unveiled in New York, London and Nigeria. Further plans for the u...
Anambra guber: No individual can produce PDP candidate – chairman
File Photo Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Anambra, on Tuesday said no individual can influence emergence of its candidates with the returned power structure of the party to the people. Nwobu told newsmen in Awka on Tuesday that anybody wishing to clinch the ticket of the party should work to earn the trust and support of the greater majority. The chairman said that 12 aspirants had so far indicated interest to contest the state governorship election on the platform of the party. He assured that the primary election would be participatory so that only the delegates would determine who would fly the flag. He said the party had given the aspirants the list of statutory delegates for them to start to work with as nobody, not even the state executive committee, ...
Cairo Ojougboh: NDDC did not pay coronavirus palliatives to senators
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has faulted a report that it paid various sums of money as COVID-19 palliatives to members of the Senate. NDDC’s acting Executive Director (Projects), Dr Cairo Ojougboh, condemned the claim in a statement on Tuesday. Ojougboh who clarified the controversy sparked by the claim also denied issuing any statement as purported in the report. He stressed that there was no way the agency could have made such payments as there was no provision for such in the NDDC’s budget. While stating that he would have resisted such a payment if it was brought up, the executive director said the Interim Management Committee (IMC) has championed a campaign to cleanse the NDDC of obvious corruption and frivolous payments. According to him, the IMC has a mandate to re...
Zamfara APC sets up seven-man disciplinary committee
The Zamfara chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has set up a seven-man disciplinary committee to look into activities of party members working against the resolution of the APC National Executive Committee (NEC). The state party’s Chairman, Alhaji Lawal Liman, made this known in a statement in Gusau on Tuesday. Liman said that the committee was set up in line with the directive by the National Secretariat of the party. He said the committee, headed by the Zonal Vice Chairman, Zamfara North, Alhaji Abdullahi Ja’o, has Mr Bello Umar as Secretary. “Other members are Ahmad Maradun, Nasiru Magayaki, Babangida Abdullahi, Aliyu Kagara and Umar Abbas. “The committee has 19 days to submit its report as directed by the National Secretariat of the party,” he said. Liman said that Zamfara A...
Bayern Munich make Lionel Messi transfer decision
Bayern Munich will not be making an audacious swoop to sign Lionel Messi from Barcelona as they simply can’t afford it, according to club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. On Tuesday, Messi sent a fax to Barca officials indicating his desire to leave the club, requesting that he be let out of his contract. The Argentine is unhappy at the decline of the Blaugrana on the field, as in 2019/20 they failed to win any major silverware for the first time in 12 years. He is also disillusioned with how the club is being run at boardroom level. It was actually Bayern who arguably caused the final straw for Messi as it was the German side’s 8-2 destruction of Barca in the Champions League which led to Quique Setien being fired and then the player handing in his request to leave. Only a handful of clubs arou...
Manchester City, Inter Milan favourites to sign Lionel Messi
Manchester City and Inter are considered the favourites to sign Lionel Messi, according to The Independent. The 33-year-old shocked the world of football when he outlined his intention to leave Barcelona after 20 years at the club on Tuesday. There is confidence within Messi’s camp that the clause in his contract that would allow the Argentine to leave Barça for free will be triggered. However, the Catalans believe that clause has expired and will demand a transfer fee of around €700m for Messi. Manchester City are believed to be working on structuring a deal and the report states that a reunion with Pep Guardiola seems to be the most likely option if Messi does end up leaving the Camp Nou. Guardiola is believed to have been in contact with Messi in recent weeks to discuss a potential move...
