Author: Chief Editor

Sacked by Paris Saint-Germain on Christmas Eve, Thomas Tuchel is going back to the Champions League final for a second consecutive season after his rejuvenated Chelsea cruised past Real Madrid in the last four. Tuchel said he felt like he had found “the best present still under the tree” when Chelsea came calling in January after sacking their all-time top goalscorer Frank Lampard. The Blues’ billionaire owner Roman Abramovich did not allow sentiment to get in the way of making the tough call when Lampard failed to get the best out of a £220 million ($305 million) spending spree on…

President Mohammadu Buhari said the synchronisation of the National Identification Number (NIN) across the country was crucial to providing a digital framework to combat insecurity and strengthening the nation’s economy. Launching the National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content in Nigerian Telecoms Sector and Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Cards registration, President Buhari, Thursday in Abuja, urged Nigerians to participate in the ongoing exercise. He said proper identification of all Nigerians and legal residents in the country and the ability to conveniently access a database will provide an impetus for more effective planning and security oversight. “The NIN…

The Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has said his ministry is mindful of current security situation in the country and understands the need to maintain proper synergy among the security agencies in the country. The minister, who as part of efforts to improve security agencies’ response to various threats to public peace and safety across the country, on Thursday flagged off an inter-agencies training on Nigeria Internal Security and Public Safety Alert System (NISPSAS). Aregbesola, while declaring open the training in Abuja, said that the ministry which is charged with the responsibility of ensuring internal security of Nigeria, public…

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected Federal Government’s plan of downward review of salaries and emoluments of workers. President of Congress, Ayuba Wabba, in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, decried the statement credited to Minister of Finance and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, that the Federal Government was working to reduce the high cost of governance by cutting down on the salaries of Nigerian workers. Labour was also irked by the minister’s directive to National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to immediately review the salaries of civil servants as well as the number of federal agencies in the country.…

•To harmonise positions next week in Asaba •Ondo evicts 137 illegal occupants from forest reserves The Southern Nigeria Governors Forum has convoked an emergency meeting to discuss the state of the nation. The umbrella body of the 17 state chief executives in the southern part of the country, The Guardian learnt, met virtually on Tuesday evening at the instance of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Ifeanyi Okowa and David Umahi of Ondo, Delta and Ebonyi. The conveners are chairmen of South West, South South and South East Governors’ Forums. Fifteen 15 of the 17 governors participated. They included Ekiti State helmsman and…

Real Madrid were not just beaten but outplayed, their defeat by Chelsea on Wednesday clear enough to spell the end of a team that has gone on and on but can no longer match the best in Europe. After a historic run that has seen Zinedine Zidane’s grandees win three consecutive Champions League titles and four in eight years, Real Madrid can be under no illusions. This is the third year they have failed to reach the final and the second in a row they have faced elite English opposition and been found wanting. “Chelsea were the better team,” said…

• Over N250b received by housing ministry • Housing agencies exonerate selves from poor bookkeeping • Anti-corruption agencies blamed for lack of monitoring • Sector reflects nation’s opaque budgeting, governance, says CSJ • Housing industry needs reform, audit, says CODE • Activists seek N’Assembly public hearing on ministry Despite budgeting billions of naira for new housing schemes, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing has no record of homes built and sold in six years under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. Efforts by The Guardian to obtain the records for over three months proved abortive as the ministry’s Department of…

Controversial Catholic Church preacher Father Ejike Mbaka Wednesday said Nigeria’s secret police was not involved in his supposed disappearance. Supporters of the fiery Catholic preacher went on a rampage in Enugu on Wednesday in protest, thinking he may have been arrested by the Department for State Services for his recent criticisms of President Muhammadu Buhari. But Mbaka said he was kept incommunicado by his bishop and ordered to not make public statements for a month. “I thank God you have never attacked the wrong people,” Vanguard quoted the priest as saying on Wednesday.   “The DSS was not involved in what…

Pep Guardiola took a swipe at his critics after the Manchester City manager finally led his team to the Champions League final with a 2-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. Riyad Mahrez’s brace at the Etihad Stadium sealed a 4-1 aggregate success in the semi-final second leg. City will make their first-ever Champions League final appearance against Chelsea or Real Madrid in Istanbul on May 29. It was a cathartic moment for City boss Guardiola, who has been needled by claims that he only won the Champions League with Barcelona thanks to the genius of Lionel Messi. The Argentine…

Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino said his team “deserved better” after losing 4-1 on aggregate to Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals following a 2-0 defeat in Tuesday’s second leg. Riyad Mahrez’s double at the Etihad Stadium denied the French champions a second straight final appearance, as PSG struggled to break down the City defence without the injured Kylian Mbappe. “I think that if you analyse the two games, we dominated a team that is very difficult to dominate, but you need this percentage of luck sometimes to score in the key moments,” Pochettino told French broadcaster RMC Sport.…