Chelsea have agreed a fee of £35.2million with Monaco for Tiemoue Bakayoko. Blues boss Antonio Conte has made it clear he wants Bakayoko, 22, who made his debut for France last month. The midfielder enjoyed a fine season in the Monaco side that won Ligue 1 and reached the Champions League semi-finals. The midfielder has attracted a lot of significant interest this summer but it is understood that Chelsea have won the race to sign him. He joined Monaco from Rennes in 2014 and has improved year-on-year as a defensive midfielder. Bakayoko also made his first senior appearance for France…
Author: David Folami
Manchester United and Bayern Munich are still in the frame to land Romelu Lukaku, according to reports. The Belgian powerhouse has been linked with a move away from Everton ever since he refused to sign a new contract. Chelsea were the favourites to sign Lukaku but the Mirror are reporting that sources close to the player are saying no deal is close. Toffees boss Ronald Koeman is desperate to keep his star striker, who still has two years on his current contract. And that means the Blues could be forced into a bidding war that drives up Lukaku’s price over…
A cross section of workers in Ebonyi have urged the Federal Government to urgently inaugurate the 29-member committee on National Minimum Wage, so that it could begin negotiations on wage increase for workers. The workers, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abakaliki, said that the current N18, 000 minimum wage was no longer feasible in view of the prevailing economic realities. They, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to urgently inaugurate the committee comprising labour, the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (NECA), representatives of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and the Federal Government. The respondents stressed…
The Federal Government has declared Monday, June 26, 2017, and Tuesday, June 27, 2017, as public holidays. According to Punch, this is to enable Muslims mark Eid-el-Fitr. The minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (Rtd.) made the announcement on Thursday, June 22, 2017, in Abuja. Dambazau also warned Nigerians to desist from promoting hate speeches, adding that every citizen has the right to live anywhere in the country. The minister of Interior said the Federal Government has the capability to deploy security forces to quash any form of violence. Dambazau also called on Muslims to use the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations to…
The Ondo State Government has promised to help the victims of the recent rainstorm in Akure and environs. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the rain, which fell last Friday, wreaked havoc on some neighbourhoods in the state, particularly Akure and its environs. Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu on Wednesday pledged to help the victims when he visited the areas that were ravaged by the storm in Akure. The governor, who was represented by Mrs Margaret Atere, the Chairman of Akure South Local Government Council, said that the government was aware of the plight of the affected people. NAN reports that…
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has recorded a total of N39.3billion deficit in approximately four months. According to a report by Punch, the monthly financial losses of the corporation since the beginning of this year continued in the month of April. The report states that figures from NNPC’s latest oil and gas financial report showed the NNPC Group losing a total of N39.3billion between January and April 2017. With a deficit of N33.99bn as at March 2017, the loss was increased by N5.3billion to close at N39.3billion in April 2017. The NNPC’s group financial report by entity allegedly showed that…
Over 300 houses were submerged after a flood wrecked havoc in Ibadan, Oyo State on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. This was confirmed in a statement by the South West Zonal Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Yakubu Suleiman. Areas heavily affected by the rain include Olodo, Oki, Akobo, Onipepeye, Kute, Eleyele and Ariyo. Suleiman also revealed that property worth millions of Naira were destroyed in the flood that got the attention of the state government. NEMA further disclosed that it is still collating the number of families displaced and the means of livelihood destroyed. The agency identified the major cause…
Over 67 percent of Nigerians, which amounts to over a hundred million poor families, cannot afford to pay hospital bills for treatment of illnesses such as malaria in public health facilities, Speaker Yakubu Dogara has disclosed. He added that if Nigeria must achieve its national health objective of providing health for all, a situation where poor and vulnerable families in Nigeria do not have access to basic health services must be addressed by extending the coverage of national health insurance to them. Dogara, who was speaking while declaring an investigative hearing to examine the compliance rate of Health Maintenance Organisations…
An Indonesian firm, PT Intim Perkasa Nigeria Ltd, a subsidiary of PT Intim Perkasa, Indonesia, on Wednesday indicated its interest to build a refinery in Nigeria. Mr Adi Hartadi, the Head of Investor Relations of the firm gave the indication at a business meeting with the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru in Abuja. In a statement Mr Ndu Ughamadu, the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the NNPC, said the Federal Government’s plan to attract investment in modular refineries as part of efforts to boost local refining capacity had started…
The Cross River Government has appealed to civil servants in the state to suspend the ongoing strike, having met all the demands of the workers. Speaking with newsmen on Thursday in Calabar, the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Tina Agbor, urged the striking workers to consider the interest of the state and return to work. Agbor assured that no staff would be victimised for embarking on strike. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that on June 19, organised labour in the state embarked on indefinite strike to protest non-payment of gratuities, release of promotion letters, among others. Agbor,…
The President Muhammadu Buhari led administration might start looking at avenues and ways to curb the increase in the country’s population going by a recent report by the United Nations. According to the report, Nigeria will overtake the United States to become the third most populous country in the world by 2050. This, according to the figures by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, has become a subject of discourse amongst thought leaders who feel it might have a negative effect on the country’s economy. As at 2015, when President Buhari took over the reigns of power, the…
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said it has upgraded and strengthened its security and logistics to meet the expectations of airport users especially during the Sallah celebration. A statement signed by Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, the Acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN in Abuja on Thursday, said the upgrade was to provide for the expected increase in passengers’ traffic in and around airports. Yakubu said that new directional display units and airport dos and don’ts had been placed at strategic locations to guide travellers and educate new comers. “The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) hereby assures all…
The Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdullahi Muhammadu, has directed that 40,000 personnel be deployed nationwide to provide security during the Eid-el-Fitr celebration. The spokesperson of NSCDC, Emmanuel Okeh, made the disclosure in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja. He said that in addition to the 40,000 personnel, sniffer dogs and specialised units such as SWAT, Special Force, CBRN, Surveillance Monitoring Team, Ambulances/Rescue Officers would also be deployed to strategic areas. Muhammadu assured Nigerians that adequate preparation had been made by the Corps to protect critical areas. He listed such areas to include…
The Acting president, Yemi Osinbajo has condemned the killings in Taraba state. Osinbajo also commiserated with the people of Taraba, and promised to bring perpetrators of the attack to book. A statement issued by Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande reads: “Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, condoles with the victims of the recent violent attacks in a number of communities in Taraba State, where deaths have been reported. “He outrightly condemns the acts of violence, adding that perpetrators of the attack would be brought to book. “While commiserating with the people of the affected communities, the entire government and people of Taraba…
On Wednesday, June 21, 2017, during a press conference, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde explained what makes her upcoming movie “Alter Ego” unique. According to the actress who is making her comeback to the industry after three years with the movie, “Alter Ego” is the first movie to truly address PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). “We don’t talk about that in Nigeria, so, when you see someone that is mentally traumatized, the first thing that comes to your mind is ‘this person is crazy,” the actress said. “We don’t talk about depression in Nigeria. We don’t talk about how it affects children,…
With the upcoming movie “Alter Ego,” Omotola Ekeinde is yet again ready for viewer’s criticism. The movie which features the actress as Adaora Igwe, a lawyer who specializes in defending less privileged abuse victims, comes with quite a number of sexually explicit scenes. Speaking during a press conference on June 21, 2017, the actress said she is ready for the criticism that would come with her sex scenes. “What they gonna do,” the actress said in a humorous manner. “When I wasn’t even confident, there was a movie called “The Prostitute,” if I didn’t die then, is it now?” The…
The great war is here and a new “Game of Thrones” trailer is here to remind us all. “Don’t fight in the North or the South; fight every battle everywhere,” Littlefinger says in the background of the trailer which was released on Wednesday, June 22, 2017. “For centuries our families fought together, against their common enemy. Despite their differences, together. We need to do the same if we’re gonna survive, because the enemy is real. It’s always been real,” Snow says in the new footage. The new trailer also features Daenerys Targaryen’s arrival to Dragonstone, Jon Snow arriving the Wall,…
Ashionye, Denrele Edun, Ayoola Ayoola, Daniel Effiong and others star in a new drama series “Everything In Between” – a drama series that explores issues of sacrifice, love, sexuality, and societal pressure. The series tells the stories of three young professionals; Emma Okoye, Dayna Elliot and Demola Ogunjimi, and their struggle to conform to what is considered the norm in the Nigerian society. All characters faced similar challenges – judged on the basis of who they are and who they love. Everything In Between is produced by The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs) in association with Alleykat Media.
Kcee and Olamide jump on a Fuji-Hop like beat for song ‘We go party’. Kcee is having a good run this year with singles dropping steadily including ‘Tinana’, ‘Desire’ among others this year 2017. The funky beat for ‘We go party’ was produced by the talented Mystro. Enjoy.
Diamond Platnumz has dropped a collaborative single with Tiwa Savage titled ‘Fire’. The song gives you that vibe that gets your head bumping. ‘Fire’ comes after his amazing team up with American singer Neyo in ‘Marry’. Listen.