Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho hit back at claims over their tax arrangements on Friday with their agent declaring they had fully complied with British and Spanish fiscal requirements. They have respected “fully their obligations regarding Spanish and British authorities,” read a statement for Gestifute, run by their agent Jorge Mendes. Spanish newspaper El Confidencial, quoting documentation from the Football Leaks website, alleged Ronaldo had benefited from keeping assets in a tax haven. The website said the footballer of the year favourite had used Irish-based Multisports & Image Management Limited to ramp down his…
Author: David Folami
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane insists his side travel to Barcelona on Saturday full of confidence after opening up a six-point lead over the Catalans at the top of La Liga. Madrid have not tasted defeat all season during a 32-game unbeaten run stretching back to April. Just prior to the start of that streak, Madrid ended a 39-game unbeaten run by Barca by coming from behind to win 2-1 at the Camp Nou. And Zidane believes Madrid will have far more confidence to express themselves, having started nervously on their last visit before roaring back to win in the…
President Muhammadu Buhari will visit Ebonyi in March, 2017 to inaugurate three flyover projects being constructed by the state government. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three flyovers, being constructed on the Enugu-Abakaliki federal highway, is part of the trans-Saharan route to Cameroon. Gov. Dave Umahi made the announcement on Friday during his inaugural visit to the permanent site of Ebonyi State University. He said: “the projects are in their eight months of construction and they are expected to be completed by March to be inaugurated by the President. “Despite the criticisms that initially trailed their construction,…
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday in Ibadan reiterated that Nigeria’s future was bright in spite of the pains caused by the economic challenge the country was currently experiencing. Osinbajo gave the assurance in Ibadan at the burial ceremony for Prophetess Christiana Abiara, the wife of Prophet Samuel Abiara, the General Evangelist of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Worldwide. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the deceased died on Sept. 3, and was aged 70 years. The vice president said there was nothing good that comes without pains, adding that the current hardship was “ a road to bliss…
President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to declare open the Chief of Army Staff’s annual conference for 2016 scheduled to take place in Owerri from Dec. 4 to Dec. 10, 2016. According to a statement issued by the army Spokesman, Col. Sani Usman on Friday in Abuja, the theme of conference is “Consolidating on the Gains of Counter Insurgency Operations Toward Achieving National Security”. Usman said that the conference which was part of activities in the Nigerian army’s forecast of events was designed to critically appraise its activities and operations in the preceding year. According to him, it will also make…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described his Chelsea counterpart Antonio Conte as “maybe the best coach in the world” on Friday ahead of their Premier League showdown on Saturday. Chelsea have stormed to the top of the league after seven straight wins, during which they have conceded only one goal, but City are just a point behind them in third place. “Conte is without doubt one of the best — maybe the best, maybe one of the best — coaches in the world right now,” Guardiola told a press conference at the City training centre in Manchester. “His statistics, his…
Barcelona boss Luis Enrique accepted his side are by far the more in need of the three points when Real Madrid visit the Camp Nou on Saturday (1515GMT) in El Clasico. Madrid hold a six-point lead over Barca, who are off to their worst La Liga start in nine seasons, at the top of the table. “Without a doubt (Barca are the most in need), you just have to look at the table,” Enrique said on the eve of the game Friday. Back-to-back draws against Malaga and Real Sociedad for Barca have allowed Madrid to amass a comfortable lead. Indeed,…
Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann will battle it out for the world player of the year title, FIFA said Friday. Real Madrid star Ronaldo is favourite for the crown after winning the Champions League and also Euro 2016 with Portugal, even though he exited the final win over France with an early injury. Perennial rival Messi of Barcelona and Argentina, the reigning player of the year, had a less stellar year by his exacting standards. Griezmann suffered double heartache with France and Atletico Madrid at Euro 2016 and in the Champions League final. German Olympic champion Melanie Behringer…
Former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been honoured with the Global Fairness Award in the United States of America. Okonjo-Iweala received the award in Washington DC in recognition of her focus on implementing development programs that benefit the poor and less privileged. “I appreciate the Trustees of the Global Fairness Award for recognizing a lifetime devoted to development, including the privilege I have now of working for children’s immunization, through Gavi, and for managing climate risk in Africa through the African Risk Capacity,” Okonjo-Iweala said. “Let 2017 be a year of continued fight for fairness for the most vulnerable among…
Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri has urged his players to forget their fairytale run to the Premier League title last season and be wary of dropping into the relegation zone in this campaign. Ranieri’s side, who are two points above the relegation zone, travel to bottom side Sunderland on Saturday and will hope that a first away win of the season can lift them up the table. “Believe me, I have forgotten completely what happened last season,” Ranieri told the club website. (www.lcfc.com) “This is a new season and we have to react and come back. We know it will…
Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has said that every institution, including the anti-graft agency, suffers from corruption. Magu made the comment on Friday, December 2, when he paid a visit to Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai in Abuja. “There is corruption in every institution, including the EFCC. The reasons why we are here is that we need everyone’s support,” Magu said. “We do not have the monopoly of knowledge to do what we are doing. There is corruption everywhere, every institution, including the EFCC. We are battling with internal corruption. So, everybody…
Mr Ibrahim Magu, the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has called for inter-agency collaboration to make the fight against corruption in the country succeed. He made the call on Friday when he paid a visit to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai in Abuja. Magu said “there is corruption in every institution, including the EFCC. “The reasons why we are here is that we need everybody’s support. We do not have the monopoly of knowledge to do what we are doing. “There is corruption everywhere, every institution, including the EFCC. We are battling…
Nigerian singer, CDQ has just revealed he doesn’t mind if he’s wife doesn’t have culinary skills. The rapper, real name Sodiq Abubakar Yusuf, while showing off his cooking skills on Accelerate TV‘s Day Pass made this revelation. According to him, “I don’t see it as a criteria for a man to marry a woman. They say it’s tradition that a woman must know how to cook but the way I am though, I don’t mind. I don’t care whether she knows how to cook or not.” He also revealed that he used to be a backup dancer for Kaffy when…
Today is the birthday of Ghanaian music act Fuse ODG. Fuse ODG, real names Nana Richard Abiona, is best known for his ‘Antenna’ in 2013 which charted on UK charts. The same year he released the viral hit ‘Azonto’ which further established his presence in West African pop music. In 2014 he released his debut album T.I.N.A which peaked at number 25 on the UK Albums Chart. Fuse ODG has won several awards including the Best African Act at the MOBO Awards; a category has won since 2013.
Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick are back together. The 37-year-old “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star and the television personality have reportedly rekindled their romance. Reports have it that the parents of three are giving their relationship “a try again” after breaking up last year. A source told E! News, “They are back together and giving their relationship a try again.” It is believed the entrepreneur has toned down his former partying ways, which was the cause of their fights and break up in the first place. We heard the both of them are desperate to make amends for their…
Veteran actress Victoria Inyama has penned some words for moms with sons. According to her, most men who don’t have emotions and are not sensitive were not showered with attention at a young age. “To all d moms, Sons Do you show your sons love. Like loving them & showing them genuine sincere love. I feel that most men that don’t have emotions & are not sensitive is just cause they don’t know what love is. How can they give what they don’t have So pls my fellow moms to boys that will grow to be men. Give him night…
Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez cannot imagine Lionel Messi leaving the Catalan club, despite the Argentine forward stalling over a new contract with the La Liga champions. Xavi is Barca’s all-time appearance leader and was the heartbeat of the club’s midfield from 1998-2015, spending nine years in the first team alongside Messi, who made his debut in 2004. “I’m in contact with Messi and I think he’s happy and satisfied. He knows Barcelona is the best club in the world for him and I can’t see him in any other club,” Xavi, who now plays for Al Sadd in Qatar, told…
Winger Raheem Sterling has urged Manchester City to declare a statement of intent with a victory over Premier League leaders Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. With only a point separating the sides after 13 games, City will hope to bring an end to Chelsea’s seven-game winning streak to jump to the top of the standings, at least until second-placed Liverpool face Bournemouth on Sunday. “We want to be competing with teams like Chelsea at the end of the season, so this game is a massive one for us,” Sterling told Sky Sports. City have not only progressed to…
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has suspended plans to increase the cost of data. The NCC had instructed service providers in Nigeria to increase the data tariffs from Thursday, December 1. The commission however said, on Wednesday, November 30, that it would suspend the plans to allow for further consultation. The suspension comes just hours after the Senate ordered the NCC to stop the planned hike. The proposed hike has caused outrage in the country and the Senate described it as the height of irresponsibility by the NCC. Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu also said that the order to increase…
A former Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Archbishop George Amu, has prophesised that billionaire, Alhaji Aliko Dangote will be Nigeria’s President one day. Amu said God showed him Dangote will surprisingly rise to that position, just like Donald Trump shockingly won the United States Presidential election. The cleric was quoted to have disclosed this in Lagos over the weekend. He said he had on August 21, on the occasion of his 75th birthday, told newsmen that Trump would win America’s election. Amu said his prediction of Trump’s victory was not published by any newspaper. “I even told my…