Bayern Munich has won the Champions League for a sixth time by beating Paris St Germain 1-0 in Sunday’s final thanks to a goal from former PSG youth academy graduate Kingsley Coman. Coman, France international appeared at the back post to glance home a cross from Joshua Kimmich in the 59th minute, completing a sweeping move by Bayern, who until then had been the second-best side on the pitch. Coman’s strike punished PSG’s wastefulness in the first half as Neymar and Kylian Mbappe both failed to beat Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer from close range while Angel di Maria and Ander…
Author: Peters Okwudili
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has approved the use of blood plasma extracted from survivors of COVID-19 in the treatment of the disease. FDA said in a statement on Sunday that the move was part of its ongoing efforts to fight COVID-19. “Based on scientific evidence available, the FDA concluded, as outlined in its decision memorandum, this product may be effective in treating COVID-19. “It also agreed that the known and potential benefits of the product outweigh the known and potential risks of the product,” it said The treatment involves taking blood rich in antibody from recovered COVID-19 patients,…
The newly signed Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020, if well implemented will enhance borrowings to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by financial institutions. Some stakeholders in the financial industry gave the submission at the 10th webinar series by DCSL Corporate Services Limited in Lagos. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had on Aug. 7, signed into law the amended CAMA Act 2020 to further promote ease of doing business in the country. Mr Shofola Osho, Company Secretary and Legal Adviser of the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) said that MSMEs were…
The figures are climbing higher in the latest release of data for COVID-19 by the NCDC. The Agency has reported 593 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in the country and has surpassed the 50,000 mark. Plateau state reported the highest number of cases with 186 while Lagos recorded 172 infections. FCT had 62 cases while Oyo has 27, Delta 25, Rivers 20 and Ondo 19. Other states include Edo 18, Kaduna 17, Enugu 12, Akwa Ibom 10 among other states. The total number of discharged cases is 37,304, while the death figure stands at 985.
The Bauchi State Commissioner for Commerce and Industries, Alhaji Mohammmed Sadiq, has resigned his appointment. Sadiq said in his resignation letter a copy of which was made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN ) on Thursday in Bauchi, that he resigned voluntarily. He said he tendered the letter of resignation on Wednesday, adding that he was no more Commissioner, Ministry of Commerce and Industries and member of the State Executive Council. ”It is a rare privilege and opportunity to have served my state in such an exalted position. “I thank the Executive Governor, Bala Mohammed, for the wonderful opportunity accorded to…
The Academic Staff Union of Universities on Tuesday told the Federal Government that the University Transparency and Accountability Solution, which it developed as an alternative to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System is ready for integrity tests. According to ASUU, the software for UTAS was unveiled and demonstrated to the Minister of Education and senior management staff of the Ministry of Education, including the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abdulrasheed Abubakar, on Monday. The national President of ASUU, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, made this known during a press conference held at the Gwagwalada campus of the University…
Facebook has said it had launched Avatars in Africa to give people new ways of expressing themselves online. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Avatars were digital personas that enabled people to engage themselves across Facebook and Messenger in a more personal and dynamic way. The company, in a statement on Monday, said that people could personalise the Avatar to share a range of emotions and expressions via a digital persona that was unique to them. According to Facebook, there are many ways one could use the avatar even in comments, stories, messenger and soon, text posts with…
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Sunday insisted that the incessant Southern Kaduna crisis will stop when people in the region are willing to embrace peace. El-Rufai said that no number of military troops can resolve the crisis in Southern Kaduna, adding that it is far more complicated than what is obtained in other parts of Nigeria. Appearing on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics, the governor also vowed to deal with perpetrators of crimes in the region, adding that crises in Kaduna are a mix of ethnoreligious reasons and banditry. According to El-Rufai: “The Southern Kaduna crisis is far more…
The Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa (NICASA) on Sunday called for gender equality and an end to all forms of gender-based violence. Coach Oscar Emetuei, National Deputy President of NICASA, made the call in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the outcome of the monthly virtual conference of NICASA’s Women’s wing. The conference titled: “Gender equality; towards a just and equal world” was organised to mark this year’s women’s month in that country. Emetuei said, “The conference seeks to achieve the following objectives -build a collective and common understanding for driving change toward the…
Former Senate President David Mark on Sunday described former military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, as an inspirational leader. Mark, in a message to congratulate Babangida, who turns 79 on Monday, August 17, said that the former military leader had stimulated many Nigerians to the peak of their careers through good leadership. The statement was signed by his media aide, Paul Mumeh, and made available to newsmen in Minna. “His wealth of experience and leadership dexterity will remain priceless and indeed evergreen to generation of leaders to tap from,” he said. Recalling his days at the helm of affairs in Nigeria,…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on Saturday said his side lost 3-1 to Olympique Lyonnais to exit the UEFA Champions League because they lacked the perfection needed in Europe’s top competition. Manchester City fell behind to Maxwel Cornet’s strike in a sloppy first half of the quarter-final match. They then looked like their usual selves after the break and levelled through Kevin de Bruyne. However, they were downed by two strikes from Moussa Dembele, sandwiched between an unbelievable open-goal miss from Raheem Sterling. “It is what it is and hopefully one day we’ll bridge this gap,” Guardiola said after a…
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 325 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 48,770. The NCDC, which made this known on its official twitter handle on Saturday, also said that one death was recorded in the country. The health agency said till date, 48,770 cases had been confirmed, 36,290 discharged while 974 deaths were recorded in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It stated that the 325 new cases were recorded in 20 states and the FCT. The NCDC said that Lagos, the nation’s COVID-19 epicentre,…
German champions Bayern Munich utterly humiliated FC Barcelona with a stunning 8-2 victory on Friday. It was a sensational outing that sent them through into the semi-finals of the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League in an extraordinarily emphatic manner. Thomas Mueller scored twice for a rampant Bayern Munich, who led 4-1 after 31 astonishing minutes. Lionel Messi and his teammates were condemned to a thrashing that felt like the end of an era for the illustrious Catalan club. Both teams have been crowned European champions five times. But, while Bayern Munich look to have a real chance of adding a sixth…
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 329 fresh cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak in the country. The NCDC made this known on its official twitter handle on Friday. The NCDC also announced seven additional deaths to take the country’s toll from the virus to 973. It stated that 21 states recorded the 329 infections bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria to 48,445. The health agency said that 35,998 persons have been treated and have recovered from the infection across the country. “In what is now the second-highest number of COVID-19 patients to be discharged…
Governors of the north-east zone met President Muhammadu Buhari and security chiefs at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday. The meeting was also attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha. National Security Adviser Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) and the Chief of Staff to the President Prof. Ibrahim Gambari also attended the meeting. Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum led his colleagues – Ahmadu Fintri (Adamawa), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Darius Ishaku (Taraba) and Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) – to the meeting over insecurity in the…
Brazilian midfielder Willian has confirmed he would leave Chelsea after seven “wonderful” years at Stamford Bridge. The 32-year-old, linked with a move across town to Arsenal, posted a farewell letter to the club’s fans on Twitter. “The time has now come to move on. I am certainly going to miss my teammates,” he said. “I leave with my head held high, safe in the knowledge that I won things here and always did my best in a Chelsea shirt!” Willian, who began his career with Corinthians in Sao Paulo, joined Chelsea from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013 and made over 300…
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it is considering a new date for the commencement of the 2020 admission processes from the earlier announced date of Aug. 22. The board disclosed this in its bulletin made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday. According to the Board, it will be meeting all the tertiary institutions on Aug. 10 to brainstorm on the possibility of shifting the commencement of admissions to a date that would better accommodate the vagaries of the COVID-19 Pandemic. “As a responsive organisation whose mantra is equity and fairness, the Board desires that every aspiring…
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 437 new cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of infections in the country to 46,577. The NCDC made this known on its official twitter handle on Sunday. The health agency stated that the number of those successfully treated and discharged from various treatment centres across the country also jumped to 33,186, representing an increase of 142 persons. According to the NCDC, while more people have recovered from the disease, the country reported three new fatalities, raising the number of those who have lost the battle to the virus…
Juventus have sacked head coach Maurizio Sarri a day after being knocked out of the Champions League in the last-16 stage to Lyon, according to Sky in Italy. The former Chelsea and Napoli boss only took charge of Juventus in June last year, signing a three-year contract at the time, and led the side to a ninth consecutive Serie A title last month. “Maurizio Sarri has been relieved of his post as coach of the first team,” the nine-time reigning Serie A champions said in a statement. Sarri, 61, had replaced Massimiliano Allegri last summer, after leading Chelsea to success…
Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has a gentleman agreement on rotational presidency. Ngige, speaking with ThisDay, said the decision was taken to ensure the stability of the country. The minister, however, admitted it was not written into the ruling party’s constitution. “It is not written in our constitution. But it will make for stability and fairness if it rotates back to the South. I was in PDP, we practised it. “I was one of the wise men that drafted the APC constitution with Chief Segun Osoba as the…
ExxonMobil has announced the appointment of Richard Laing as chairman and managing director of its three affiliates in Nigeria. Exxon said in a statement that Richard will oversee its subsidiaries including Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria (Offshore East). The oil major made the announcement on Saturday in a statement entitled ‘ExxonMobil Nigeria names new chairman and managing director’. It said effective August 1, Laing replaced Paul McGrath, who had been appointed to vice president of Global Projects for ExxonMobil in Houston after more than three years in Nigeria. The…
U.S. President Donald Trump vowed on Friday to act unilaterally to suspend payroll taxes for all Americans through the end of 2020 and possibly longer and extend supplemental unemployment benefits and other coronavirus aid if no deal can be reached with Democrats on a new spending bill. “If Democrats continue to hold this critical relief hostage I will act under my authority as president to get Americans the relief they need,” Trump told a news conference. He added that an executive order could be signed by the end of the week, without specifying whether he meant this week or next…
The Premier League has released a seven-man list of nominees for the 2019/2020 Player of the Year. Liverpool, who won the title emphatically ahead of Manchester City, have three players in the running. They are: Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Henderson, who has already been named the FWA Player of the Year, was the Reds’ captain, as they ended a 30-year wait for the title. Alexander-Arnold bagged 13 assists, while Mane netted 18 goals and registered seven assists. Also listed are Golden Boot winner Jamie Vardy, who scored 23 times for Leicester City and Manchester City’s Kevin de…
Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday ordered the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to immediately pay its scholarship beneficiaries studying abroad. The students had earlier staged a protest at the Nigeria High Commission office in London to express their grievances. A statement issued by NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, on Tuesday, said Buhari conveyed the directive to the Minister of Niger Delta. The statement said under the Commission’s finance protocol, only the Executive Director (Finance) and the Executive Director (Projects) could sign for the release of funds from the Commission’s domiciliary accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.…
A former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Section on Business Law, Olumide Akpata, has been declared the president-elect of the Association. The declaration was made by The Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the NBA, Tawo Tawo (SAN), by 12:52 am on Friday. Mr Taiwo stated that Akpata scored the highest number of votes cast and satisfied the provisions of the NBA constitution, which were conducted via electronic voting began at 11 pm on Wednesday and ended by 11 pm on Thursday. “I, Tawo Tawo, the Chairman, Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), as the electoral officer…
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Committee, Mai Mala Buni, has dismissed the purported 2023 presidential ticket of the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and former Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, as mere rumour. Buni stated this while speaking with BBC Hausa on Thursday. When the Yobe state Governor was asked whether Dogara joined the party, so that Tinubu/Dogara would contest to have Muslim/Christian ticket, he replied: “These are mere rumour and rumour strive in democracy. That’s not even our concern for now. “It is not even proper to start talking about 2023 when we have a…
The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that 17 political parties have submitted the names of their candidates for the Ondo state governorship election scheduled to hold on October 10. INEC’s spokesperson, Festus Okoye said the list and documents of the 17 candidates would be uploaded and published in the state office in Akure on Friday 31. Okoye said, “Seventeen out of the 18 registered political parties gave the commission the requisite statutory notice of their intention to conduct primaries and they conducted primaries to nominate candidates for the governorship election. “By section 31 (5) & (6) of the Electoral…
After months of investigation, the Accident and Investigation Bureau (AIB) has revealed why the helicopter, which conveyed Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to Kabba in Kogi state crashed last year. During the last election campaigns, Osinbajo had departed Abuja on February 2, 2019, on a chartered helicopter flight to Kabba in continuation of the family chats and next level engagements. The helicopter, which conveyed the VP, an Agusta Westland (AW139) helicopter with nationality and registration marks 5N-CML, is owned and operated by Caverton Helicopters Limited. It had 12 persons on-board, including the VP, his entourage and three crew members which included…
Tyrese Devon Haspil, the 21 years man who killed Fahim Saleh, the founder and CEO of Gokada was caught embezzling $90,000 from his boss. People with knowledge of the matter said Haspil’s duties included handling Saleh’s finances and personal business. Haspil was also said to have no prior criminal records. Yesterday, the New York Police Department said the suspected killer of Fahim Saleh, Tyrese Haspil has been charged with second-degree murder. According to a report by The New York Post, the lead detective, Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison, said during a brief news conference at 1 Police Plaza that Tyrese…
Manchester United kept up their chase for a Champions League qualification spot with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial on target in a 2-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Thursday. United, with two games remaining, are in fifth place on 62 points, behind Leicester City on goal difference with third-placed Chelsea on 63. United visit Leicester on the final day of the season. Rashford put United in front on the stroke of halftime, his smart footwork sending the Palace defence the wrong way before he coolly slotted home. Mid-table Palace thought they had drawn level in…
