Author: Chief Editor

Former Barcelona midfielder, Xavi, has returned to the Spanish club as a manager with a contract until 2024. The Spaniard, 41, has been a manager at Qatari club Al Sadd since 2019, but they agreed on Friday to let him join Barca after his release clause was met. Barcelona says Xavi’s contract will run for the rest of the 2021-22 season and two more seasons. He is expected to arrive back in Spain this weekend and will be officially unveiled tomorrow at the Nou Camp. In a video to fans, the World Cup and two-time European Championship-winning former Spain international…

Roy Keane has delivered a brutal blow to his former Manchester United team-mate and current manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, admitted he “gives up” on their woeful defending. The frustrated former Red Devils captain revealed his thoughts after watching Solskjaer’s team concede two weak goals against Manchester City during the first half, yesterday. City’s first goal against United at Old Trafford was an own goal from Eric Bailly, with United’s defence going to sleep for Bernando Silva’s strike on the stroke of half-time. Speaking at the interval, Keane said: “Just on half time, a huge goal against City dominating possession but…

• CDD Decries Low Voters Turnout, Inadequate Security Deployment In Rural Areas • NYSC Hails Corps Members On Election Duties • Malfunctioning Devices Attempt To Reduce My Votes – Soludo • Ozigbo Slams INEC For Poor BVAS • Poll Smoothest I’ve Ever Seen – Okeke • Ngige Wants Dry Run To Test Facilities Amid multiple bloodbaths in the building-up to the election, a thick blanket of security provided by over 40, 000 armed and unarmed security operatives, and confusion occasioned by a sit-at-home order nearly imposed by a separatist group, the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), residents of Anambra State, yesterday,…

Last Thursday, Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed responded to an article in The Economist, ‘Insurgency, secessionism and banditry threaten Nigeria.’ Quite naturally, the minister faulted a number of assertions in the London-based magazine. That of course is his job, and he did it well. But his attempt to make light of the collection of taxes by bandits in Northwest communities is concerning. Here is what the minister said: “Do you know how many places in this country where area boys collect taxes? And there is no terrorism or banditry there. I don’t want to mention names. In many…

Abimbola Adelakun The Monday collapse of the 21-storey building under construction on Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State is one too many. With an undetermined number of people still trapped under the rubble, so much is unknown yet. In the coming weeks, some of the truth of the official negligence that led to such a gigantic structure becoming a giant pile of debris will emerge. However, the unfolding narrative is consistent with reasons other buildings have recurrently collapsed in Lagos: somebody somewhere thought the rules defining building constructions were mere suggestions and could therefore be abridged. Now, the question is…

Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has told the Nation Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), to go and register and get their voter’s card as a proof of their support for his administration. This position followed the open declaration of support to Oyetola for a second term in officeby the union, which visited him Thursday in Osogbo, the state capital. According to the governor, “I appeal to you all to go and register and collect your voter’s cards. There is still opportunity to do so. This is the only power to further prove your support for us particularly, in the…

•FG to spend N7trn on 854 highways in 2022 budget •Owes contractors N420bn The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, yesterday cautioned against starting new roads and other projects, until progress is made with the ongoing projects. This was as he disclosed that the federal government is currently undertaking a total of 854 highway contracts of over N7 trillion. Fashola who said these when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Works to defend the ministry’s 2022 budget proposal, said the major challenge to the ministry’s efforts towards the timely completion of projects was insufficient budgetary provision…

Pharmacists urge reform of Nigeria’s drug distribution system Pharmacists under the aegis of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), yesterday, said Africa loses at least $16 billion (N8.8 trillion) yearly to 94 per cent importation of its pharmaceutical and medicinal needs. They also called for stronger legislation and empowerment to sanitise the drug distribution system in Nigeria. Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Chairman of the 94th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the PSN in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, tagged Garden City 2021, Odein Ajumogobia, tied the figure to a recent United Nations Economic Commission for…

Victor Osimhen will not be in action when Napoli take on Legia Warsaw on Thursday in the Europa League as he continues his recovery from injury. The Europa League Group C clash comes up at the Stadion Wojska Polskiego, in Warsaw. Osimhen picked up a calf injury in training on Saturday and subsequently missed Napoli’s 1-0 away win at Serie A bottom club Salernitana. The in-form Nigerian striker was back at the club’s training ground on Tuesday but, according to Italian sports daily Corriere dello Sport, will not be available for Thursday’s visit of Napoli to the Polish capital for…

Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa could be overrun by rebels within “months if not weeks”, an Oromo group allied with Tigrayan fighters told AFP Wednesday, as they advance southwards. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which has been fighting Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government for a year, has claimed significant territorial gains in recent days, along with its ally the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). Odaa Tarbii, spokesman for OLA, which has also claimed recent advances in Amhara and in the Oromia region surrounding Addis Ababa, said his group intended to topple Abiy’s government, calling his removal “a foregone conclusion”. “If things…