Samuel Ortom has alleged that the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in the state is plotting to take his life. He said, “There are threats on my life and I have reported that to the security agencies that one Gaurus Gololo and his team who are members of MACBAN was planning to attack me. “But I always said life belongs to God, it is God that gives and takes away life so my life is not in the hands of any Fulani man who is not happy with the promulgation of the anti-open grazing…
Author: David Folami
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) on Monday called on the Federal Government to adopt a dual price regime for marketers. Alhaji Debo Ahmed, the Chairman of IPMAN Western Zone, who made the call in Lagos, said that the regime required that NNPC retail outlets sell at N145, while other marketers sell at their own price. “During a recent Senate committee meeting held with stakeholders in the oil industry, one of the suggestions from the Minster of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kwachikwu, was the introduction of dual price regime. “If this regime can be adopted, it may…
Muhammadu Buhari has said Nigeria is open to investments and ready to provide leadership for Africa in oil and gas. He noted that “NIPS is also designed after the OTC in Houston to deepen, enrich and provide leadership for Africa and make it one of the most important annual oil and gas events globally. “It is aimed at engendering potentially-economic benefits, generate employment and expand businesses in Nigeria and Africa. “This summit will afford Nigeria a unique opportunity to showcase to the international community policy direction and efforts of government in the petroleum sector. “This is especially in the new…
Gennaro Gattuso has said it is “easy” to coach AC Milan after they extended their unbeaten run to seven games with a win over Sampdoria on Sunday. “The only merit I have is that I’ve brought something new, with new concepts,” he said. “We just needed to play more as a team, and now you can see we’re doing that. It’s easy to coach these lads and we’re going to enjoy the moment, but we’ve not done anything yet. “What pleases me most is that this is a young squad and these lads have got a lot to look forward…
Eden Hazard has said he is happy at Chelsea but he would be willing to move on if he ever had to. “I still have two-and-a-half years on my Chelsea contract. I’m very good here,” he said. “People have been talking about Real. When it’s not Real, it’s Paris. If ever I have to change, I’ll change.” Hazard, who has scored 11 goals in 23 league appearances this season, said he believed new signing Olivier Giroud, who joined from Arsenal last month, would soon get used to Chelsea’s style. “Little by little he’s going to settle into the squad, understand…
Zinedine Zidane praised his team’s “character” after they came from behind to win a “crazy game” in Sunday evening’s 5-3 La Liga victory at Real Betis. Zidane told the postgame news conference that his team had worked together to make sure they turned the game around for what was just their second win in their last six Liga away trips. “This shows that we have character,” Zidane said. “With the quality we have, and when we are all together like that, it is difficult for any opponent. That is what happened in the second half. “This is football, it was…
Michael Carrick admits the knockout stage of the Champions League is the minimum standard for the club. “It’s what we should expect of ourselves — to be at this stage of the Champions League,” he told MUTV. “That’s not being biase, it’s just that should be our standard. We should be in this competition and fighting in the later stages most years. “This is where we belong and, however this year pans out, this has to be the standard year in, year out. A few years ago, it was relentless. Every season we had some massive games and we tended…
Pep Guardiola’s quest to win an unprecedented quadruple with Manchester City came to a stunning and controversial end when they fell to a 1-0 defeat at third-tier Wigan in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Monday. In an uncanny repeat of the 2013 FA Cup final, in which City had a player sent off before losing to a late Wigan winner, Guardiola’s side had Fabian Delph dismissed amid stormy scenes before Will Grigg’s 79th-minute goal decided the game. A famous night was marred, however, by a post-match pitch invasion by Wigan supporters which saw a number of them…
Eden Hazard has said he’s flattered to earn comparisons to Lionel Messi but insisted he’s a “completely different” player ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. “It’s good to be compared with the greatest ever, Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo,” he said. “But I’m completely different. We play in a different league. “I try to do my job and try to reach their level, because they are the best in the world. Every season I try and do my best. “When we play this kind of games, we need to perform. If you want to be one…
Ivan Rakitic has said the thought of Andres Iniesta leaving Barcelona scares him as the Catalan club’s captain returns to the scene of his most famous goal on Tuesday. Iniesta has always maintained that he won’t outstay his welcome and that he would walk away if he felt he was no longer contributing to the team, but he remains an important part of Ernesto Valverde’s side. “Am I scared of Iniesta going? Very,” Rakitic said in a news conference on the eve of Barca’s Champions League round of 16 first-leg clash with Chelsea. “I don’t want him to leave because…
Pedro is looking forward to the challenge of facing former teammate Lionel Messi in the Champions League on Tuesday, but has cautioned that, while Messi might be the world’s best player, he is not invincible. “It’s difficult… he [Messi] is the best player in the world,” Pedro told the Independent. “But he’s not invincible. It’s probably a hard game for us, a massive game, but if the team are really focused on fighting together, you never know in football. “We’ll have possibilities to get through. But, obviously, it’s Barcelona. It’s Leo Messi. It’s very difficult to stop this guy because…
Juan Mata remains a supporter of the video assistant referee system despite it costing him a goal at the weekend. “A lot has been said about the goal that I scored and was disallowed by the VAR. It was my first time, a new experience for me (and for almost all of us, actually),” he wrote in his blog. “The truth is, once you have celebrated the goal you are surprised and disappointed (as you could see on my face), but this time, luckily, that goal was not needed to win. “As I said in a few interviews after the…
Jupp Heynckes will not waste time in making sweeping changes in the Champions League round-of-16 against Besiktas, but insisted “there is no A or B team, there is only FC Bayern.” Asked about the prospect of heavy rotation for the visit of the Turkish champions, Heynckes said: “It’s not easy to moderate as we have 21 top players. “I wouldn’t have found it funny either as a player if I wasn’t in the starting XI, but there is no A or B team — there is only FC Bayern. “However, there are far more benefits, everyone feels important and gets…
Cesc Fabregas has warned Chelsea to be careful with his old friend Andres Iniesta’s timeless “intelligence” ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Barcelona. “He’s still good; for this type of player age doesn’t really matter,” said Fabregas, of the 123-cap, 33-year-old Iniesta. “Once you have a talent, once you have the class that he and so many other ‘big’ players have, they can play until their late 30s. “Physically, it’s important, obviously because the game nowadays depends a lot on that. But when you have the quality, when you have the intelligence, it can sometimes compensate.” Asked if Iniesta…
Arjen Robben says he plans to extend his career by moving to a new club should Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich fail to offer him a contract extension. “At the moment, I feel very fit, really good and I believe that I can still play at the top level for one or two more years — that’s my goal,” Robben told website sportbuzzer.de. “I have such an open and honest communication with all those responsible here (at Bayern) that I am not worried at all. “The club will have a plan. And then the club and I will have to decide…
Massimiliano Allegri warned against an obsession with the Champions League as be unveiled a revamped side for Sunday’s Turin derby against city rivals Torino. “The Champions League must not be experienced as an obsession, because when you have an obsession, you will not win anything,” said Allegri. “I say everyone around Juventus should be very proud, because we have become stable in the top 10 European clubs. “Our chances of progress are just the same as they were before the first leg,” he insisted. “We got a lot wrong in that game. Having said that, Tottenham have for years been…
Hector Bellerin has said that Alexis Sanchez’s demanding attitude could be “too much” for his teammates at times, but downplayed talk about a dressing room divide over the Chilean. “Alexis is an amazing player, for me one of the best players in the Premier League for sure. But he’s a player who always wants to win. He demands from everyone, and sometimes it can be quite too much,” Bellerin responded. “But the good thing about him, he just wants to win, it doesn’t matter who he’s playing for. At that time when he was playing for Arsenal, he just wanted…
Claude Puel has insisted the Riyad Mahrez drama should end with the reception the midfielder received from the Leicester fans on Friday night. He received warm applause from the home supporters when his name was announced before the FA Cup fifth round tie against Sheffield United, and a standing ovation when he was substituted late on. “It’s behind us,” said Leicester boss Puel. “Riyad came back with high quality and it is a good feeling for us of course. “It was good support from the fans to Riyad and important to remain a good feeling for the future. “I said…
Edinson Cavani netted twice as Paris Saint-Germain beat Strasbourg 5-2 on Saturday to relieve some of the pressure on the runaway Ligue 1 leaders following their Champions League defeat at Real Madrid. “The victory was important after the match on Wednesday. We win all our home matches,” said Emery, whose side last dropped points at the Parc des Princes in May. “We have to show we can maintain this level of play against bigger teams, without meaning any disrespect to Strasbourg.” He added: “We spoke about (the Madrid defeat) in the dressing room. Of course they remember the match from…
Jose Mourinho believes Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology must be more reliable before being rolled out across English football after his Manchester United side saw a goal ruled out in Saturday’s 2-0 FA Cup 5th round win at Huddersfield. United, weren’t made to rue that decision, though, as Romelu Lukaku struck early in both halves to ease their passage into a quarter-final at home to Brighton. “I think our game is so beautiful that to change we have to change for the better,” said Mourinho, who had previously backed the use of VAR. “If they find a way in the…