Author: Chief Editor

‘If tiny Israel could feed self, why not South East?’ Stakeholders in agriculture and farmers in the South West, yesterday, allayed fears of food scarcity following the alleged stoppage of food supply to the region. But they were quick to challenge state governments in the region to take full advantage of massive fertile land in South West for food production and stop paying lip service to the development of agric. The Southwest Chairman of All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr. Olusegun Dasaolu, said the stoppage of food supply to the South was a warning of what to expect in…

NorthEast Governors’ Forum (NEGF) has urged the Federal Government to seek assistance from neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroun to end insurgency in the country. Speaking yesterday at their fourth meeting in Bauchi, they promised to float a regional security outfit in line with the 1999 Constitution and guidelines from the service chiefs. Borno State Governor and Chairman of NEGF, Prof. Babagana Zulum said: “I call on the Federal Government to seek support from our neighbours, especially, Niger, Chad and Cameroun with a view to providing a joint action that will assist in ending the insurgency. “Furthermore, the Federal…

The Edo State Government has received doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines for distribution in the state. A statement issued by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie, disclosed that the doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines were in the state government’s custody, saying the government was finalising arrangements for its deployment across the state. Ogie added that the state was preparing a localised distribution mechanism for the rollout of the vaccines in line with the national plan. “The Edo State Government is in the custody of doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from the Federal Government for distribution in the state. We are preparing a…

Andrea Pirlo is still a man under pressure, but Juventus’ win against Spezia grants him an extended stay at the helm. The Italian took over at the start of the season, but results have been indifferent, at best. For the better part of the last decade, Juventus have dominated the Serie A, winning the competition in each of the last nine campaigns. This season, though, Juventus look more like top-four contenders than title challengers. The Bianconeri are currently third in the league table, but Tuesday’s win against Spezia has helped them close the gap on the teams above them. Juventus are seven points adrift of leaders Inter…

Manchester City’s performance on Tuesday night left England legend Gary Lineker in awe. Having watched the Cityzens dig deep to secure an important win against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Lineker heaped praise on the team. “This Manchester City team make the game look ridiculously easy. They might never lose another game,” the 60-year-old noted on Twitter. Pep Guardiola’s side currently looks unstoppable after making Wolves their latest victims. This was expected to be a tight game because of the defensive solidity of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side. However, Manchester City completely dominated the affair, with a late onslaught earning them a 4-1 win, thanks to goals from Gabriel…

Chelsea have no time to sit back after their strenuous run of recent fixtures as they prepare to play the two Merseyside clubs – Liverpool and Everton – in their next two Premier League matches. Thomas Tuchel’s side has recorded four wins and three draws in the league, alongside two victories in cup competitions. Chelsea have only conceded twice under Tuchel’s stewardship. Although they haven’t been as fluent in the final third, a solid defence has helped them wear down the attacks of opponent teams. Tuchel iterated on much of the same ahead of Chelsea’s trip to Liverpool, where he also provided an update on Tammy Abraham and Callum Hudson-Odoi’s situations.…

Mikel Arteta says he is fully focused on doing “much better” at Arsenal after he was linked with the Barcelona manager’s job. Reports surfaced in Spain this week claiming presidential candidate Joan Laporta was eyeing a move for Gunners boss Arteta if he won the race to return to Barca. It was during his previous spell in the role that Laporta appointed Pep Guardiola as the head coach and ushered in an era of sustained success.Arteta went on to work under Guardiola at Manchester City and took over as Arsenal manager in December 2019. Having come through the famed La…

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, fixed May 17 for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to give a report on how it has complied with the court order in the trial of former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke. Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu fixed the date following the absence of the EFCC’s lawyer, Farouk Abdullah, in court. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that that the matter, which was earlier fixed for the report or arraignment of the ex-minister, could not proceed as neither Abdullah nor Diezani was in court. When the matter was called, no lawyer…

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered a stay of proceeding in the ongoing trial of the former Head of Service (HoS), Mrs Winifred Oyo-Its, and others. Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in his ruling, described the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s act in obtaining an exparte order for the freezing of bank accounts of the 4th, 5th and 6th defendants in the matter before another court as “an abuse of court process.” Justice Taiwo, who described the EFCC’s conduct as “judge shopping” aimed at getting a favourable court judgment, said the anti-corruption agency’s conduct was reprehensible and condemnable. He…

All the 279 Nigerian schoolgirls released by kidnappers this week will reunite with their parents later on Wednesday, a senior state education official told AFP. The girls, pupils at Government Secondary School in the remote village of Jangebe in northeastern Zamfara state, were abducted on Friday from their hostels by gunmen known locally as bandits, who released them early Tuesday. Since their release, the students have been in government care in state capital Gusau, where they are receiving medical treatment following their ordeal in captivity. “We are taking the girls back to the school in Jangebe this afternoon, where they…