Wayne Rooney has admitted he overruled former England manager Roy Hodgson by replacing Harry Kane on corner duty during Euro 2016. Hodgson was criticised for a number of his tactical and selection decisions as his side failed in France, with one of the earliest debates centring around his main striker delivering dead balls rather than getting on the end of them. Kane took all six corners in the opening game against Russia, only for Rooney to take over early in the second group match against Wales. The watching Hodgson, who had defended his use of Kane, looked surprised and Rooney…
Author: David Folami
Inter Milan have signed Brazil striker Gabriel “Gabigol” Barbosa on a five-year deal from Santos on the player’s 20th birthday. Inter had been leading the race for the Santos prospect, who is in Ecuador preparing to play in World Cup qualifying matches with the Selecao. He passed his medical over the weekend and the Nerazzurri are reported to have agreed a fee of around €25 million with Santos for the services of the forward, who starred for Brazil at the Olympic Games. “As we wait to see him in action at San Siro, the Nerazzurri club and fans give Gabigol…
Premier League clubs have now spent more than £1 billion on transfers in the summer window. The league had already broken its own transfer record last week, when Manchester City’s signing of Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo pushed clubs’ gross spending up to £880 million — topping the £870m of last summer. Arsenal completed the signing of Germany defender Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia for a reported fee of £35 million on Tuesday night, which smashed through the £1bn mark with another day of dealing to go. It is the fourth successive summer that a new record has been set for Premier…
Arsenal have completed the signing of Spanish striker Lucas Perez from Deportivo La Coruna. The announcement of Perez, 27, is expected to be followed by the arrival of Germany international Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia as manager Arsene Wenger brings in the attacking and defensive reinforcements he targeted in the latter stages of the summer transfer window. Perez, whose £17 million release clause was triggered by Arsenal last week, scored 17 league goals and added eight assists last season. Perez only emerged as a late target for Wenger, who also pursued Jamie Vardy and Alexandre Lacazette in this transfer window, but…
Paris Saint-Germain are considering the sale of David Luiz after former club Chelsea tabled a substantial offer to take the defender back to Stamford Bridge, a source close to the club has told ESPN FC. Luiz moved to the Parc des Princes in the summer of 2014 in a £50 million deal from Chelsea, and won nine trophies as part of a team that completed two consecutive domestic clean sweeps under former boss Laurent Blanc’s leadership. He has started all four of the French champions’ competitive fixtures so far this season. But Le Parisien reported earlier this month that new…
Arsenal have signed German central defender Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia, the London club said on Tuesday. “He is at the right age,” Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said of the 24-year-old. “And he has good experience.” “He is a very focused player who can play with the ball as well. We have taken a great player but have prepared well for the future.” The central defender arrives at the Premier League outfit after injuries to fellow centre-backs Per Mertesacker and Gabriel and has long been pursued by Wenger.
Prominent Ibadan cleric, Bishop Wale Oke has said that he anointed former president, Olusegun Obasanjo to occupy Nigeria’s number one office in 1999. According to Bishop Oke, who heads the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, the incident occurred in his Abeokuta, Ogun State home on God’s instruction. The cleric made the comments while speaking to journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State in commemoration of his 60th birthday, The Nation reports. “The man said: ‘No. What did I forget at the State House that I want to go back for?’ But he did not prevent me from anointing him, as directed by…
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal has said that President Muhammadu Buhari does not have a preferred candidate for the upcoming governorship elections in Ondo State. Lawal also said that the government would deal severely with anyone who attempts to breach the peace during the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Ondo. “The government of President Muhammadu Buhari wishes to reiterate that it has no preferred candidate among the 24 aspirants and that government would do all in its power to provide a level-playing field for all the aspirants,” Lawal said according to The…
Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose has signed the state’s Open Grazing Prohibition Bill into law. The law aims to curb the activities of rampaging Fulani herdsmen who have launched attacks in the state and other areas of the country. Fayose signed the bill into law today, August 29, 2016, in the presence of more than 3,000 traditional chiefs in the state. Under the law, herdsmen are forbidden from carrying arms and indiscriminately moving cattle from one location to the other. The Ekiti Grazing Prohibition Law also provides a jail term of six months without option of fine for any herdsman…
Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Monday nominated Mr Ayodele Subair for confirmation by the state House of Assembly as the new Chairman of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS). Ambode, in a letter to the House of Assembly, said the development became necessary following the retirement of the erstwhile Chairman, Mr Folarin Ogunsanwo, who held the post since September 2015. He said that Subair’s presentation to the House of Assembly for confirmation was in conformity with Section 2 of the Lagos State Revenue Administration Law (2006). Subair, according to the letter, was born on May 21, 1960,…
The Presidency has distanced from the media reports over the weekend that the Federal Government plans to probe former governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and Charles Chukwuma Soludo. The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Shehu Garba, said the presidency is unaware of any plans to probe the former CBN chiefs. Reports of the alleged probe came after Sanusi, the Emir of Kano, and Soludo criticised the economic policies implemented by the Buhari administration.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has said that the Nigerian Army does not have any right to declare civilians wanted. This is following the announcement by the Army, that three people, Ahmad Salkida, (Ambassador) Ahmed U. Bolori and Aisha Wakil, were wanted in connection with the missing Chibok girls. The lawyer also added that by declaring the three people wanted, the Army had violated their rights of dignity of the person and fair hearing as provided by the constitution. Falana said the powers to declare anybody wanted rests solely on the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Nigerian Police.…
Governor Ayo Fayose, on Monday, August 29, 2016, signed the Grazing Prohibition bill into law. The bill among other stipulations, states that any herdsman who violates any of the rules shall be imprisoned for six months without option of fine. Also, Grazing activities must be from 7am to 6pm on daily basis in designated grazing reserves that will be provided by the Ekiti state government. Governor Fayose also said that anyone caught with arms while grazing will be made to face terrorism charges. The Governor said “My government took the bill to the House after what happened in Oke-Ako some…
Irish-born Rock star, Paul David, also known as Bono, and Aliko Dangote and the Federal Government are forging a partnership to raise funds for the Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs) in the North -East of Nigeria. After a meeting among the partners at the office of the Vice President, Bono told State House correspondents that the partnership was aimed at raising international awareness on the plight of the IDPs. According to Bono (real name Paul David), the essence is to save Nigeria from humanitarian crisis in order to save Africa, Europe and U.S. ! adding that “really, people don’t understand what two…
Militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to embrace peace as a means of solving the crisis in the volatile region. The group also accused the Federal Government of plotting a predetermined genocide against the people of the Niger Delta through the recently launched “Operation Crocodile Smile”. NDA made the comments via a statement released by spokesman, Mudoch Agbinibo on Monday, August 29, 2016. The statement reads: “We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to put away the garb of a stooge to the imperialists, whenever he speaks outside Nigeria. We have listened carefully and halted hostilities…
Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari has said that the Niger Delta region didn’t benefit from the Goodluck Jonathan presidency despite the fact that he is from the region. Masari, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, also condemned leaders of the Niger Delta for how they handled the region’s resources. The governor made the comments while speaking during an interview with magazine “The Interview” “For six years, we had a Niger Delta president. Let us see what difference he made in six years when he was president,” he said. “When the excess crude account became pocket money, how…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said that it is investigating the budget padding scandal. The EFCC also said that it would prosecute every House of Representatives member found guilty of the allegations. The assurance was given on Monday, August 29, 2016, by EFCC Deputy Director, Operations, Lagos, Iliyasu Kwarbai while speaking to protesters who were demonstrating against the apparent silence of the agency on the allegations. “We are already in receipt of petitions from some other members of the public and the investigation is being done in Abuja. When petitions are received, we look at them, make…
Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has denied reports that he was slapped by the goddess of Nworie and Otamiri River. Okorocha also dismissed claims that he had travelled abroad to seek treatment for a medical condition. The governor made the clarifications while speaking with journalists in Owerri on Monday, August 29, 2016. “The rumour only came from my political opponents. They wished me dead, but God Almighty has put them to shame,” he said according to Punch. “They even went further to dispel rumours that goddess of Nworie and Otamiri River slapped me. I am alive and bouncing in the…
Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State on Tuesday said that previous administrations in the country were responsible for the poor state of local government councils. Abubakar made the assertion in Bauchi while having an interactive session with the 20 council chairmen in the state. He said that past administrations in the country had reduced activities at the local governments to nothing. “Workers only visit the councils at the end of each month to collect salaries and allowances,’’ he said. Abubakar said that if the councils were optimally utilised, they would propel all core developmental issues such as security, poverty alleviation,…
Leader of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) group, Oby Ezekwesili has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to show more decisiveness in efforts to rescue the abducted Chibok girls. Ezekwesili also said that Buhari seems to be leaving the fate of the girls in the hands of their captors, Boko Haram. She made the comments on Tuesday, August 30, 2016, while speaking with journalists after a protest march in Abuja. “What we have heard has been a lot of tentativeness, at the recent development where our president said that he is ready to do a prisoner swap and that Boko Haram…