Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says President Muhammadu Buhari does not see any reason to replace Ibrahim Magu, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He said the President does not believe the indictment of Magu by the Department of State Services (DSS) is enough ground to bow to the Senate pressure asking Buhari to consider another candidate for the EFCC Chairmanship position. The Vice stated this while speaking to newsmen at the presidential villa in Abuja The Senate had on two different occasions rejected Magu’s confirmation as the substantive Chairman of the anti-graft agency based on…
Author: David Folami
As early as 6am, Tuesday, April 6, 2017, members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) gathered outside General Electric’s offices at Mansard Place, Victoria Island. They had placards, banners and raised voices. The gathering was organised to protest the firm’s perceived breach of a contract it allegedly entered into with Arco, an oil services firm, in November. According to Comrade Eze Obara, Deputy Chairman of the Lagos Zone of PENGASSAN, General Electric contracted Arco for its services in November with the express agreement that they would be paid after the services were fully rendered.…
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, on Tuesday urged oil giants to build signature refineries in Nigeria. Signature refineries are bigger than modular ones but do not produce up to the large scale refineries in Nigeria. They are built mainly to augment local need to reduce importation. Kachikwu made the appeal at a meeting in the U. S. with oil giant, ExxonMobil, as he made a case for the deepening of investment in the Oil and Gas sector by International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria. In a statement by Mr Idang Alibi, Director Press, Ministry…
The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has called on the Federal Government to extend its whistle-blower policy in the anti-corruption war to the proliferation of arms. Ekweremadu made the call in a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media) Mr Uche Anichukwu in Abuja on Wednesday. Anichukwu said Ekweremadu made the call when a delegation of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) paid him a courtesy visit in his office, Abuja. He said the right to life remained the single most important human right, saying that unless such illicit arms were mopped up, the mass killings…
Google Earth does a fine job of describing just where La Joya — the jewel — was first mined. It shows Paulo Dybala’s hometown of Laguna Larga, in Argentina, as a grey-white rectangle surrounded by hundreds of green rectangles. In the aftermath of World War II, Dybala’s grandfather Boleslaw was forced to emigrate from Poland to Argentina. The Nazis had occupied his village and taken him away to work for the German Reich, and he struggled to find work when he returned home. His story, eloquently told in this documentary, was of an immigrant, who arrived penniless and slept rough,…
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has been omitted from the squad to face Anderlecht in the Europa League quarterfinal first leg on Thursday. Manager Jose Mourinho had also left Rooney, 31, out of his squads against Saint Etienne and FC Rostov in the round of 32 and round of 16 in the competition. The England captain — who has made only one start in the Premier League since Dec. 17 — sat out the last two league games with ankle problems. But although he trained this week, he was not fit enough to travel to Belgium with the United party…
Manchester United’s Paul Pogba believes his “mountain” transfer fee has led to unrealistic expectations and has urged his critics to forget about his price tag. Four years after swapping Old Trafford for Juventus, the 24-year-old returned in an eye-watering deal that could reach £92.35 million. Increased anticipation, pressure and scrutiny was only natural after becoming the world’s most-expensive player, so too the way Pogba has struggled to fulfil such lofty expectations. It has led to criticism that has clearly irked the France international, who laid bare that frustration in his first news conference since returning to United. “The people are…
Monaco beat Dortmund 3-2 with a double from Kylian Mbappe in their rearranged Champions League quarterfinal, to take the advantage into the second leg next week. Due to scheduling concerns, the teams were forced to replay the game within 24 hours despite the fact that two people (including Dortmund defender Marc Bartra) were injured by three explosions that rocked the German side’s bus on Tuesday night. With Barta hospitalised with a hand injury, Dortmund rallied although coach Thomas Tuchel insisted in prematch quotes: “We wished we’d had more time to deal with what happened but someone in Switzerland decided we…
Antoine Griezmann’s controversial first-half penalty handed Atletico Madrid a tight 1-0 win over gutsy Leicester in their Champions League quarterfinal first leg. The France striker was fouled outside the box by Marc Albrighton but referee Jonas Erikssson pointed to the spot — yet the Foxes’ European hopes remain alive. It was deja vu for Leicester after another dubious penalty at the Vicente Calderon helped knock them out of the UEFA Cup in 1997. They will also have to overturn a deficit at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday without Robert Huth, who is suspended after collecting his third booking of…
Ten-man Bayern Munich had goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to thank for keeping the scoreline down as Real Madrid beat them 2-1 in their Champions League quarterfinal first leg as Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 100th European goal. Bayern were forced into a change before the game as Robert Lewandowski was ruled out with a shoulder injury, with Thomas Muller replacing him up front. Bayern started the stronger of the two, but there was little action in the opening 15 minutes as Ronaldo fizzed a free kick well over the bar. Real Madrid then came close to opening the scoring and grabbing a…
When the end of the season rolls in, Jose Mourinho, far from the cameras, will doubtless conduct a very intense and private inquest. The main question will be just what went wrong. How, in a season which featured 21 unbeaten league games and counting, his team transpired to be so far from title contention? During that reflection, he may ponder how the Europa League, which was probably no more than an afterthought in August, has recently become this season’s last real chance of redemption. Though he is of course no fool, there is a very good chance that he underestimated…
Music star Janet Jackson appeared in public for the first time since her split today, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. Janet was seen indulging herself in furniture shopping in London. This marks the first time the superstar has been seen in public since the news that she and husband Wissam Al Mana had split after five years of marriage. The couple welcomed their first child, son Eissa, in January. Jackson and Al Mana, who have kept most of their romance hidden in privacy while splitting their time between Dubai and Qatar, famously met in 2010 at a hotel opening. Two years…
Popular Nollywood actress, Mide Funmi Martins, the daughter of late actress Funmi Martins, is a year older today, April 12, 2016. Known as one of the most sought after names in Nollywood, Mide Funmi Martins is an actress and producer in the industry. Known for her acting prowess, Martins is happily married to colleague and movie producer, Afeez Abiodun. She has starred in several Yoruba movies especially, “Omo oku òrun” (2004), “Erù elérù” (2003) and “Arewà” (2003). Happy birthday Mide!
Nigerian songstress Tiwa Savage shared this yummy photo of herself and fans can’t get over it. Tiwa took to Instagram on April 11, 2017, sharing some incredible melanin popping shots. Reminding us of caramel-filled chocolate, she captioned one post, “I appreciate my melanin so much nowadays.” Tiwa is really on a roll this year as she shared more melanin shots.
The Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has begun verification of 236 ex-agitators from Abia benefiting from the programme. The Coordinator of the Programme, retired Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh, gave the indication in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja on Tuesday. This followed the recent pronouncement by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that youths from Abia and Imo must be included. The vice president said their participation in the programme would help in reducing youth restiveness in the oil producing areas, adding that social and economic activities would be allowed to thrive. Boroh, who is also the Special Adviser…
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says as head of the nation’s economic management team, President Muhammadu Buhari allows him call the shots in matters pertaining to the economy. Osinbajo made the revelation on Tuesday during an interactive session with select journalists inside his Aguda House residence at the presidential villa. Pulse was in the building as always. A school of thought has often suggested that an ailing Buhari is weak on economic matters; an area of governance which is perceived as Osinbajo’s strong suit. “I control macro-economic policy as Chairman of the economic management team”, Osinbajo said. He added that; “Of…
The Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has again blamed the Zamfara State Governor, Abdul’aziz Yari, for the spread of meningitis. Writing on his official Instagram page on Tuesday, April 11, Sanusi said that the leaders in northern Nigeria are using their knowledge to impoverish the people of the region. He pointed that when many other Muslim countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are competing with other developed western countries, leaders in the north are racing backwards. The monarch said Yari’s statement that the meningitis outbreak is a punishment from God for the sin of fornication…
Juventus forward Paulo Dybala has said he expects to sign a new contract soon, despite speculation that had linked him with Real Madrid and Barcelona. Dybala has been in talks with Juve over an extension to his current deal — which expires in 2020 — since December, but nothing has yet been signed. However, after playing a starring role in his side’s 3-0 Champions League win over Barcelona on Tuesday, he told Spanish TV channel Mega: “I’m very happy at Juventus and I’m very close to signing a new contract. “I want to make the most of what I am…
Luke Shaw believes Manchester United have what it takes to become “unstoppable” in their quest for Europa League glory. Glimmers of promise have been counterbalanced by frustrating individual and collective displays during Jose Mourinho’s first season in the Old Trafford dugout. An unhappy knack of drawing matches they have dominated means United are scrapping for a top-four finish rather than the Premier League crown, although the Europa League offers a fail-safe as they bid to return to the Champions League. Mourinho’s men continue their tilt at continental trophy success when they face Anderlecht in the first leg of their quarterfinal…
Robert Lewandowski faces a late fitness test ahead of Bayern Munich’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg with Real Madrid on Wednesday. Lewandowski, 28, suffered a shoulder injury in Bayern’s 4-1 win against Borussia Dortmund last weekend and on Tuesday did not complete the club’s final training session ahead of the Madrid clash. The Poland international only trained for 20 minutes on Tuesday morning, and speaking at his prematch news conference, Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti said the forward remains highly doubtful for the clash at the Allianz Arena. “He feels good but we won’t make a decision on whether he can…