Mauricio Pochettino has described English football’s tendency to criticise their leading players as “strange” and called on the country to put club loyalties aside and back Harry Kane, Dele Alli et al. at the World Cup. He warned that the current negativity around Kane, which includes a tweet mocking the striker from a Football Association (FA) account, could affect the England talisman’s form in Russia this summer. Pochettino said: “[The criticism] is a little bit strange from my point of view. Both Harry and Dele are massive talents and they are going to defend the England national team shirt. “But…
Author: David Folami
Jose Mourinho has blamed his previous success for some of the anxiety surrounding Manchester United’s trophy-less season, saying that winning the FA Cup has become vital for him and his side. Mourinho, who has won two Champions Leagues and eight league titles in his career, suggested his past standards have put the pressure on United to win at Wembley next month. “It’s my fault because my career was built to win,” Mourinho told ESPN Brazil. “It’s always victories and victories. And now it’s been almost a year without any victories and I feel like that’s more important than people who…
Unai Emery has confirmed he will leave his job as Paris Saint-Germain head coach at the end of the season. Emery has led PSG to Ligue 1 and Coupe de la Ligue success this season, but his long-term future has been the subject of scrutiny since the Champions League round-of-16 exit to Real Madrid — the second successive year in which they had gone out at that stage. He is out of contract at the end of this campaign, and it had been widely predicted that the deal would not be renewed. “There was a meeting with the president [chairman…
Mikel Arteta is a big reason for Manchester City’s success, Pep Guardiola has said, amid speculation linking the assistant coach with the Arsenal manager’s job at the end of the season. With Arsene Wenger announcing his departure from the Emirates Stadium at the end of the season after 22 years, Arteta has been talked about as a possible replacement. “I’m not the right guy to talk about that because my opinion of Mikel is overwhelming,” Guardiola told a news conference when asked whether the Spaniard is ready to move into management. “He deserves the best, hopefully. We are so comfortable,…
Diego Simeone faces a touchline ban if his club reach the Europa League final because of his conduct at Arsenal, UEFA said on Friday while charging both clubs. UEFA said Simeone faces separate charges of insulting a match official and “improper conduct” that could carry a two-match ban, but UEFA’s disciplinary panel will not judge the case until next Friday — after the semifinal second leg in Madrid. Simeone was sent from the dugout in the first half of Atletico’s 1-1 draw in London on Thursday and watched the rest of the first leg from the stands. Thursday’s game ended…
Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara has assured local government councils in the state that he will ensure that all outstanding salary arrears are fully paid. Ahmed gave the assurance on Thursday while speaking with chairpersons of the councils and representatives of ex-councillors at Government House, Ilorin. “All arrears owed local government workers, pensioners and past political office holders will be liquidated until everybody in the state is on the same platform. The N4 billion loan made available to the councils was to help defray outstanding salaries of teachers at the basic level, local government workers and pensioners, including past political…
The new Commissioner of Police (CP), in Kwara, Aminu Saleh has declared that there is no more space for criminals in the state. The new CP, who made this known in Ilorin on Thursday in his office during his maiden press briefing, advised criminals to change and be responsible citizens. “This briefing is to announce my presence and to alert the people that there is a new sheriff in town. “There is no space enough in Kwara to accommodate criminals, hence criminals are advised to change and be responsible citizens,” he said. “As part of our effort to walk the…
The national leadership of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) has rejected former chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ali Modu Sheriff’s bid to publicly dump the opposition for the ruling party at its national secretariat. Media reports had indicated that Sheriff would be received formally into the party by national officials by 12pm on Thursday, April 26, 2018. Bolaji Abdullahi said, “The information I heard is that it will be tomorrow (Thursday) at 12pm.” However, in a new statement released Abdullahi, he has asked the former Borno governor to go register for the party in his ward as is…
Ali Modu Sheriff has made the decision to dump the party and rejoin the ruling All Progressives’ Congress (APC). Bolaji Abdullahi disclosed that Sheriff would be received formally into the party. “The information I heard is that it will be tomorrow (Thursday) at 12pm,” he said. The former PDP governor is expected to defect with the PDP’s 2015 gubernatorial candidate in Borno state, Gambo Lawan. Lawan confirmed that he would be defecting with Sheriff, saying he is leaving the PDP because it has been hijacked by some few people. He said, “Yes, we have moved to the APC; I and…
John Odigie-Oyegun has described as absolutely childish, the endorsement of the immediate past governor of Edo, Adams Oshiomhole by South-South stakeholders of the party to take over from him. Odigie-Oyegun, who did not confirm if he would seek re-election as APC national chairman or not, however, said he had concluded consultations and would make his decision public in a few days. “The consultation, I think is concluded; I’m going to make it known when the convention committee announces their programmes. “Then when I am going to buy a form, if I will re-contest I will let you know,” he said.…
Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja reassured Nigerians that the unity of the country would remain his paramount objective and that of his government. The president stated this when he received a delegation of the Tijjaniya Movement led by Sheikh Muhammadu Mahi Ibrahim Inyass at the Presidential Villa. He also lauded the group for complementing government efforts in bringing social, economic development, and stability in the country by encouraging discipline, unity and spirituality among its members. While reiterating his remarks on Thursday at the palace of Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Adamu, after he was presented with the Holy Quran,…
Muhammadu Buhari on Friday met behind closed doors with leadership of the Tijjaniyya Islamic movement at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Malam Kashim Yahaya said they briefed the president on the successful hosting of the 32nd Maulud of Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse in Kaduna. He said they were on the visit in solidarity with the President in his efforts to make Nigeria great. “We came to declare our solidarity and support for Mr President in his concern to put Nigeria in the right track, fighting against corruption and trying to revive and put Nigeria on the path of justice. “We have come…
Muhammadu Buhari will leave Abuja on Saturday on an official working visit to the United States of America, on the invitation of President Donald Trump. Mr Femi Adesina, in a statement in Abuja on Friday, said Buhari while in America would hold bilateral meeting with President Trump and a working lunch on April 30. He said the meeting would also advance shared priorities, such as: promoting economic growth, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security. “The meeting will further deepen the US-Nigeria relationship as the United States considers Nigeria’s economic growth, security and leadership in Africa to be…
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to honourably resign from his position due to his apparent inability to secure the lives and properties of Nigerians. Most Rev. Augustine Akubeze, and secretary, Most Rev. Camillus Umoh, on Thursday, April 26, 2018, the religious organisation argued that President Buhari has left Nigerians feeling exposed and vulnerable while faced with dark clouds of fear and anxiety. The statement read in part, “Since the President, who appointed the heads of the nation’s security agencies has refused to caution them even in the face of the chaos and barbarity…
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the death of Prof. Adebayo Adedeji, whom he described as “a patriotic Nigerian, economist, administrator, scholar and international statesman.’’ He said that Adedeji used his leadership of this pan-African institution to promote African development and was in the vanguard of intellectual efforts to find solutions to Africa’s developmental challenges from within the continent. According to the president, Africa remains grateful to him for the intellectual effort to challenge and reverse the damaging Structural Adjustment Programmes imposed on the continent by conceiving the African Alternative Framework for Structural Adjustment Programmes (AAF-SAP). “It is noteworthy…
Senator Dino Melaye has explained why he carried out a daring escape while he was being transported in police vehicle to his home state to answer criminal charges. In a statement released by the lawmaker’s media aide, Gideon Ayodele, early on Wednesday, April 25, he said despite surrendering to operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) early on Tuesday, Melaye refused to be transported to Kogi due to fears that he would be assassinated by officers in collusion with the Kogi state government. The statement read, “Earlier in the morning, Senator Dino Melaye as a law-abiding citizen voluntarily submitted himself…
Senator Dino Melaye has not eaten any food or taken water since he was hospitalized, Sen Bala Na’Allah has said. Na’Allah disclosed this after his visit to the National Hospital where Melaye was receiving treatment on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. Na’Allah and his colleague who visited the hospital were denied access to Melaye. “We went to the National Hospital this morning where Senator Dino was alleged to have been kept from yesterday and we confirmed that he was brought yesterday at about 11pm,” he began. “We spoke to the doctor who is in charge of the ICU and they assured…
The Senate has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to withdraw $496 million from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) for the purchase of military aircraft with the National Assembly approval. After the withdrawal, Buhari had written a letter to the Senate seeking the approval of the legislature for the withdrawal of $496 million from the ECA. However, he noted in the letter that the money had been withdrawn and paid to the United States for the 12 Super Tucano aircraft, ahead of legislative approval. The President said he did this to beat the deadline for the arms deal. The planes are…
Bukola Saraki has said that Senator Dino Melaye, who is being hospitalised, is stable. There had been reports that Melaye went into coma. The senator representing Kogi west is being treated at the National Hospital in Abuja after sustaining injuries while trying to escape from the police vehicle conveying him to a court in Kogi State on Tuesday, April 24. The police had accused Melaye of supplying guns to some murder suspects, who allegedly confessed that the lawmaker is their sponsor. Melaye has since denied the allegations, accusing the Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello of being behind his police ordeal.…
Shehu Sani has said that those who worked for the election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 are now targets of attacks by security agencies. The Kogi-West lawmaker was later rushed to a hospital where he was re-arrested by the Police in the evening of the same day. Speaking at plenary on Wednesday, April 25, 2018, Sani described the incident as shameful and “an attempt to silence perceived political opponents.” The Kaduna state lawmaker allayed fears that he could be a target of an attack. “I am deeply concerned about the systematic pattern of violation of fundamental human rights in…