Author: Chief Editor

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says the Manchester United players are desperate to “learn how to win” and lift a trophy this season after three semi-final appearances last term. The 47-year-old Norwegian takes United to another in-form side Everton on Wednesday for a League Cup quarter-final clash. United go to Everton on the back of six Premier League wins in seven games following Sunday’s 6-2 thumping of Leeds. However, whilst their recent run has led to the abating of cries for Solskjaer to be replaced he knows that guiding the team to trophy success is crucial in their development. “Yes, of course…

President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigeria has moved a step closer to the nation’s dream of fully utilising its abundant gas potential. The president said this on Tuesday at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa while inaugurating the Integrated Gas Handling Facility and LPG Processing and Dispensing Plants. The plant was built and operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, an Upstream Subsidiary of NNPC in Oredo, Edo. According to him, the Oredo Integrated Gas Handling Facility and its associated NGLs depot will be delivering 240,000 metric tons of commercial grades Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Propane. He added that the…

The Federal Government says it has not imposed travel ban, particularly to and from UK, over the mutated strain of COVID-19. The government said it will require the concurrence of neighbouring countries for the ban to be effective. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this when he featured on a Radio Nigeria programme, “Politics Nationwide’’ on Tuesday in Abuja. During the programme monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mohammed said, ”although the government is concerned over importation of the COVID-19 new strain, it did not want to take a hasty decision”. He said the…

Chelsea are eyeing a summer swoop for Erling Haaland according to the latest reports. Ben Chilwell might miss Chelsea’s clash against Arsenal after picking up an ankle injury. Chelsea returned to winning ways in the Premier League and beat West Ham United on Monday. The Blues will now hope for a good run of results over the festive period. Let’s take a look at the latest news featuring Chelsea from 22 December 2020: Lampard not worried about Werner’s goal drought Timo Werner has failed to score in his last six Premier League games, with his last goal coming against Sheffield United in early November.…

Zidane has fired back at his Barcelona counterpart over his comments regarding the match officials. The Real Madrid coach also heaped praise on star striker Karim Benzema. After a relatively underwhelming start to the campaign, Real Madrid have returned to winning ways in LaLiga Santander and are in superb touch at the moment. The Blancos looked a shadow of themselves for a few weeks but when their backs were against the wall, Zinedine Zidane’s troops responded in stunning style and won their last four fixtures, powering through to second place on the table. Ahead of their home game against Granada in LaLiga, here, we take…

• Restricts weddings, conferences, others to 50 persons The Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19, yesterday, said discussions were ongoing around the calls for restriction of international travels due to discovery of new strains of the virus in some countries. The task force, aviation and health authorities are assessing the situation closely, and would take a position as soon as cogent scientific basis is established. Following the rise in confirmed cases nationwide, the PTF has, however, ordered restriction of all informal and formal festivities, including weddings, conferences, congresses, office parties, concerts, seminars, sporting activities and end-of-year events to not more than 50…

Ekiti State Stakeholders Forum of the All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, distanced itself from an alleged endorsement of Governor Kayode Fayemi for the 2023 presidential race. The party’s Caretaker Chairman in the state, Paul Omotoso, had said the party members would cajole Governor Fayemi into the 2023 presidency, if he refused to join the race. He stated this spoke at Ayede-Ekiti in Oye Council Area at the weekend during a Christmas programme organised by a chieftain of the party, Dr. Olusegun Osinkolu for 1,000 APC members in Ekiti North Senatorial District. Omotoso, who was represented by the APC Caretaker Publicity…

Junaid Mohammed, HURIWA, CDD upbraid NASS Elder statesman and Second Republic Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, has upbraided the National Assembly over its rubberstamp posture towards President Muhammadu Buhari. Mohammed wondered why the National Assembly did not drag President Buhari to the Supreme Court over his refusal to offer explanations about the appalling security situation in the country. Mohammed’s position was reinforced by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), which predicted that hard days await Nigerians due to the National Assembly selling out on their constitutional mandate…

• NASS approves N3.324tr for debt servicing • Passes N453.2b NDDC 2020 budget • FG to sell assets to finance N5.196tr deficit The wobbly fiscal position of the country is set to remain uncertain as two chambers of the National Assembly, yesterday raised the proposed 2021 budget by as much as N508 billion and retained the revenue benchmarks, which economists described as “spurious.” The two chambers increased the proposed budget from N13.08 trillion to N13.588 trillion. It also retained the oil production and price benchmarks at 1.86 million barrels per day and $40 per barrel respectively. The decisions have raised…

•Lists terms to suspend industrial action The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may suspend its nine-month industrial action today, THISDAY learnt yesterday. The suspension of the strike is, however, predicated on the condition that the federal government will show evidence that it has met three conditions to be marshalled out by the ASUU leadership at the meeting with the government side later today (Tuesday). THISDAY investigations showed that all branches of ASUU in the federal universities met yesterday where majority of them resolved to call off the strike with a condition that the government pays at…