Author: Chief Editor

•Committee of Nigerian VCs opposes removal, rejects acting VC The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, University of Lagos, Dr. Wale Babalakin, yesterday said the Council followed due process in the removal of the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe. Babalakin stated this when he briefed journalists in Lagos, adding that under the laws of the university, voting on contentious issues was either done in secret or in the open. Regardless, the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Universities in Nigeria (CVCUN) has condemned the removal of Ogundipe, saying it was done without due process and that he was not given fair…

•Begs citizens to embrace lawful means of resolving grievances The Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has expressed optimism that the Special Forces deployed in the southern part of the state yesterday would help to end the senseless killings and restore peace in the area. The Forces approved by the Defence Headquarters, arrived Kafanchan in the morning ahead of their deployment to the various Kaduna flashpoints today. Addressing the Forces that arrived the Sector 7 Headquarters of Operation Safe Haven in Kafanchan (OPSH) in the morning, the Kaduna State governor said he was pleased with their deployment. The governor, who…

Arsenal confirmed the arrival of Willian on Friday and Mikel Arteta is delighted to have the experienced former Chelsea player in his ranks. Mikel Arteta hailed Arsenal’s capture of Willian and expects his new signing to “make a real difference” with his versatility and experience. Arsenal confirmed the arrival of free agent Willian on a three-year deal on Friday, five days on from the Brazil international’s departure from Premier League rivals Chelsea. Predominantly used on the right wing for Chelsea, Willian is also comfortable playing on the left or in a central role and arrives at the Emirates Stadium with…

Barcelona have reportedly considered the idea of sacking Quique Setien after the conclusion of their UCL run. The Spaniard has failed to win over the dressing room since being appointed at the helm in January. Barcelona have reportedly shortlisted three names as potential replacements for Quique Setien should he be sacked after their UEFA Champions League campaign, as per reports. https://twitter.com/OptaJose/status/1232425322735394819 The Spaniard was appointed at the helm of the Nou Camp in the wake of Ernesto Valverde’s sacking in January earlier this year. However, Setien has also faced his fair share of criticism, particularly after their title loss to fierce rivals Real…

Fola Ojo IF Nigeria were a society where ethnic bigotry and tribal dogmatism do not cheaply overrun and almost eviscerate commonsensical rational thinking and open-mindedness, the discussion about what region or geopolitical zone the next president should come from in 2023 wouldn’t have attracted my flimsiest attention. If mutual distrust and bruised co-existential relationship sincerely do not exist among Nigerians positioned high or low, who becomes the presidential charge-d’affaires should have been freely weighed strictly around a candidate’s competence and savviness to govern and administer free and easy without a hamper from invisible shackles that come with governance. If…

Niran Adedokun A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Maduke, stepped on the tail of the tiger this last week. It is curious that Nigerian political leaders do not see how angry the people are at the continuous rape of the country and the mismanagement of people. Not just that, they also do not seem to see a nexus between this mis-governance and the frustrations that lead a lot of ordinarily hardworking youths into shadiness they would rather not dabble into. That is not to justify crimes, but the English say that idle hands are the devil’s tools. Now,…

Abimbola Adelakun In Nigeria, when beggars die, there are no comets seen. But when a politician dies, we have to contend with hagiographic writings that fly into the public space seeking to beatify these dubious saints. As noted when the President’s chief of staff, Abba Kyari, died recently, the attendant obituarisation-the effusive rain of tributes poured on him and which was at dissonance with the inept government that he served till his death-was a strong indication of how the living was using the dead to rewrite public memory. Since that time, a few more people that have served in…

•ZLP is a car without engine, says Akeredolu The third force in the October 10, 2020 governorship election in Ondo State finally emerges, as the deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi, officially declares for Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). Though ZLP had conducted its primary election and elected an oil mogul, Mr. Solomon Benjamin, from the South Senatorial District as its candidate, news has it that he has willingly yielded the ticket to Ajayi. Just last week, the state chairman of the party, Joseph Akinlaja, disclosed that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party had concluded plans to substitute Benjamin with Ajayi as…

• Stakeholders lament, blame inconsistent policy • Less than 5% CBN credit approved • Health sector plight compounded by importation There is no end yet in sight in the wait for Federal Government’s bailout for aviation and health sectors. The unfulfilled promise has left trails of hopelessness and frustration in the two industries as stakeholders lament their fate. In the aviation industry, ministry officials had compounded the despondency by declaring they had no knowledge of any promised bailout, even as stakeholders have held tenaciously to a bailout announced by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika. Some aviation officials, who spoke…

Lionel Messi has been named as the richest player in world football – edging his long-standing rival Cristiano Ronaldoin the rankings. French magazine, France Football, have compiled a list of the top 10 best-paid players in 2019, which predictably saw two of the game’s greatest-ever players sit first and second. Messi made a staggering £120million last year, £11m more than Ronaldo who enjoyed his first full campaign at Juventus. The duo were also the only players to surpass the £100m mark. The figures are made up of wages, bonuses, endorsements, commercial revenue and other streams. Following on from the top…