Author: Chief Editor

The away goals rule in European club football is to be abolished from the start of next season, governing body Uefa has confirmed. The rule, used since 1965, decided drawn two-legged games by favouring the team that scored the most away goals. All ties level on aggregate at the end of the second leg will instead go to extra time and potentially penalties. “It is no longer appropriate for an away goal to carry more weight,” said Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin. Uefa’s club competitions committee made the proposal in May and it has now been approved by the body’s executive…

A former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has said the need to ensure that the rule concerning federal character and quota system is enforced in employment and promotion in civil and public service should not be elevated over merit. Chidoka, also a former Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission, speaking on the topic: “Getting Big Things Done- Improving the Effectiveness of Cross-Over Professionals in Government”, a public discussion organised by Nextier and Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) in Abuja on Wednesday, said quota system or the need to ensure federal character in employment…

Pays N24.8bn to 413,630 beneficiaries under public work scheme The federal government has ruled out the possibility of lifting embargo on recruitment into the public service, saying it will not make any significant difference to the unemployment problem in the country. It also disclosed that it had paid N28.8 billion as stipends to 413,630 beneficiaries across the 774 local government areas under its public work scheme introduced last year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo, who made this disclosure Thursday at the State House, Abuja…

• FG spends N1.02 trillion on debt servicing in Q1 2021 • Explore taxes to rev up revenues, Egypt Central Bank governor advises • Borrowed funds should go into high-yielding activities, says ex-minister • ‘Debt relief may not lead to economic growth’ The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and ex-Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina; Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), Tarek Amer and other regional economic stakeholders, yesterday, expressed concern about rising national debts, warning that majority of countries in the continent to face a high…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday, re-arraigned Peter Hena, former Coordinating Director of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and eight other officers of the agency before Justice Toyin Bolaji Adegoke of the Federal High Court, Abuja. The others are Mohammed Bello Auta (Director of Finance), Amina Sidi (Finance and Account Department), Umar Aliyu Aduka (Internal Audit), Mbura Mustapha (Deputy Manager), Obi Okeke Malachy (Services Group), Obaje Napoleon Adofu (Head of Budget), Udo-Inyang Effiong Alfred (Officer II) and Benjamin Jiya (Assistant Director). The defendants however pleaded “not guilty” to the charges. Their re-arraignment followed the transfer of the former…

• Soludo wins the factional ticket, ‘suspended’ • Journalists barred at the venue of accreditation, voting For violating the Electoral Act 2010 as amended, the rulling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has been ruled out of the November 6, 2021 governorship poll in Anambra State. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which dropped the hint, yesterday, in Abuja, APGA’s disqualification followed the party’s failure to comply with Section 85 of the Electoral Act. The commission disclosed that APGA did not notify it when it purportedly held its ad hoc congress to elect delegates for the party’s governorship primary. INEC’s…

has suffered a shoulder injury while rehearsing an fight scene for the upcoming “Indiana Jones 5” film. “In the course of rehearsing for a fight scene, Harrison Ford sustained an injury involving his shoulder,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement. Disney gave no details on how the 78-year-old was hurt or how badly. “Production will continue while the appropriate course of treatment is evaluated, and the filming schedule will be reconfigured as needed in the coming weeks,” Disney added. Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. | Image: Paramount/Everett/Rex Features Filming of the untitled fifth and…

R. Kelly has been transferred from prison in Chicago to a jail in New York ahead of his sex crimes trial next month, records showed Wednesday. The singer is now being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. The artist born Robert Sylvester Kelly was arrested on sex-trafficking charges in July 2019. He is accused of systematically recruiting girls for sex while touring and coercing them into sexual activity. Kelly, 54, faces charges including racketeering, sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping, bribery and forced labor. They span from 1994 to…

Says AGF studying court ruling on twitter The Presidency has washed its hands off the current attempt by the National Assembly to amend the Nigerian Press Council (NPC) Act and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act, a move media stakeholders have condemned as an attempt to gag the press. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, who spoke Wednesday with newsmen after the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), however, said although it is an initiative of government which only the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, can address. He said: “That…

National Working Committee of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) faction, led by Chief Jude Okeke, on Wednesday, announced the suspension of former Governor of the Central Bank, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, from the party. The National Publicity Secretary of the faction, Comrade Ikechukwu Chukwunyere, while briefing journalists in Abuja said the decision to suspend Soludo was due to anti-party activities threatening the unity of the party. He described the governorship primary election held in Awka on Wednesday, June 23, as a sham and an effort in futility, maintaining that in due time, the court will declare it as invalid, unconstitutional,…