Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue says his administration is in need of N40 billion to clear the salary arrears owed workers of the state. Ortom dropped the hint in a statement issued on Sunday in Makurdi by his Special Adviser on Media and ICT, Mr Tahav Agerzua. “I have kept my agreement with labour leaders that as a result of insufficient funds, the federal allocation of two months would be combined to pay one month’s complete salary for workers.” According to him, it is the accumulation of the unpaid months that gave the wrong impression of 10 months at a…
Author: David Folami
The Osun state government has engaged 5,000 women in local soap production with a view to empowering them and connecting them to the international markets. The programme, conceived in partnership with Kasmo Industries, an indigenous soap making company in Osogbo, is supported with financial impetus from an investor organization in the state. According to facilitator of the programme, Mr. Rufus Idris, the 5,000 women supply black soap which serves as raw material for the local production of over 6 million bar soaps, “Dudu Kasmo”, for the first phase in the growing Kasmo Soap business. He said the state government, through…
Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers on Monday sacked all his Special Advisers of their appointments except one. A statement by Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic Media, said only the Special Adviser on Religious Affairs, Bishop Winston Iwo kept his job. We recall that the governor had earlier sacked the state’s Executive Council on June 24. The governor, who has less than two years into his first tenure, is yet to re-appoint new commissioners.
The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed has said that the Federal Government will respect the privacy of any looter. The minister also said that some of those who returned money, did not know that the funds allocated to them was diverted. Mohammed also said “There are some people who voluntarily returned the loot and explained that when the money was given to them, they never knew the source of these funds. Can you in good conscience name and shame that kind of person? “Those who has voluntarily returned the money, I think we owe them the obligation to…
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has said “no player is bigger than Barca” – four days after they sold Brazil forward Neymar to Paris St-Germain for a world record fee. Neymar, 25, joined the French club for 222m euros (£200m). Bartomeu says the money will be spent with “prudence, rigour and serenity”. Neymar’s departure from Barcelona breaks up the feted attacking trident he formed with Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Uruguay forward Luis Suarez. He scored 105 goals in four seasons at Barca, winning seven major trophies including the Champions League once and La Liga twice. The player said he…
Cristiano Ronaldo has finally returned to training with Real Madrid but the defending European champions are set to be without the Portuguese superstar in Tuesday’s UEFA Super Cup clash with Manchester United in Skopje. Ronaldo’s summer has been dimmed by accusations of tax evasion in Spain, which led to him being charged in a court near Madrid last week, while he was handed an extended summer break by his club after playing for Portugal at the Confederations Cup. “He needed to rest. He has had his holidays and that was important,” said Zidane of the man whose two goals helped…
Romelu Lukaku might not have good memories of the Super Cup. On as a substitute for Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in extra time against Bayern Munich in Prague in August 2013, it was the Belgian who missed the decisive penalty in the shootout. Two days later he was loaned to Everton. That penalty, saved by Manuel Neuer, was supposed to be the moment Mourinho lost faith. Although Mourinho would later explain it was Lukaku’s decision to go, suggesting the striker wanted to be first-choice rather than fight for his place at Stamford Bridge. Lukaku agreed “I was 20 and I wasn’t…
Bayern Munich won the German Super Cup on Saturday with an unconvincing 5-4 win in a penalty shoot-out at Borussia Dortmund after Marc Bartra had his crucial final spot-kick saved. The game finished 2-2 over 90 minutes as Christian Pulisic’s early goal for Dortmund was cancelled out by Robert Lewandowski. “We haven’t had much time to get ready, but now we had a little more time to train and I’m very happy that we won the first title,” said Lewandowski, who scored Bayern’s first penalty in the shoot-out. The victory gave head coach Carlo Ancelotti a welcome boost after a…
Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger believes the strength of competition in the Premier League means his team cannot afford another slow start if they are ready to challenge for the title. Arsenal have lost three of their last four opening games, with last term’s 4-3 defeat at home to Liverpool setting the tone for a campaign in which they missed out on Champions League qualification for the first time since 1997. “We want to find a good balance between the confidence we can get out of these games and the urgency that every Premiership game demands,” he told reporters at Wembley.…
Arsene Wenger hailed an “outstanding” Sead Kolasinac after the signing scored in Sunday’s Community Shield win, and said the defender’s built will make him a perfect fit for the Premier League. Kolasinac met a perfect free kick from Granit Xhaka to head in Arsenal’s equaliser in the second half at Wembley, before the Gunners won a penalty shootout 4-1 to lift the preseason trophy for the third time in four years. It was Kolasinac’s very first goal for the Gunners after joining on a free transfer this summer, and came despite playing in a back three after he replaced the…
Arsenal’s Community Shield deserved win over Chelsea should mean very little beyond the bragging rights of beating a close rival at Wembley, but there were still immense positives to take from the performance and result ahead of the new season. The victory was achieved without Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi — all of whom would be likely first team regulars if they were fit and available — and it showed that there is more depth to this Arsenal squad than people presume. You should not judge players on what is essentially a glorified friendly,…
Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery has accepted the pressure Neymar’s €222 million world record arrival comes with and said the club can achieve even more now the Brazil international is a PSG player. During Emery’s first season in charge PSG failed to win the Ligue 1 title for the first time in five years and were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarterfinal stage by Barcelona. “He’s a player who will help the club to get a level higher,” Emery said. “Without Neymar PSG is a great club but with Neymar it’s a little better. A little greater.…
Javier Pastore says he and his Paris Saint-Germain teammates will d everything possible to ensure Neymar become the world’s best player after the former Barcelona man exited the Camp Nou for the Parc des Princes on Thursday. Neymar was given the hero’s reception he deserved ahead of PSG’s Ligue 1-opening 2-0 victory against newly promoted Amiens on Saturday, and later in the day saw the Eiffel Tower lit in the club’s colours to welcome the Brazil superstar to the city. Pastore dropped his shirt number in order to make the former Santos man more comfortable in his brand new team…
Gary Cahill has come ut to say after yesterday’s Community Shield game that Chelsea cannot afford so many injuries this season as they do everything within their power to defend their Premier League title while returning to the Champions League with a squad short on numbers. Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has repeatedly talked about the need for his team to make more signings before the end of the transfer window, and said before to Sunday’s penalty-shootout defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield that he is anticipating the “most difficult season” of his managerial career. Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Antonio…
Producer of popular TV show, Idan Irawo aired on Africa Magic, Yoruba, Kunle Agboola is down with terminal ailment and seriously needs your financial assistance and prayers to stay alive. According to his medical doctors, he’s with advanced (Stage 5)Chronic Kidney Disease(CKD) and need your support if we want him to be alive to continue with his entertaining show. As you are reading this piece, the ailing producer has sold everything he laboured for over the over the years just to keep up with his weekly dialysis at Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos. Following the tests and diagnosis carried out by…
Phyno features Wande Coal in this tune titled ‘Zamo zamo’. This is the first time the pair will be working together on a song. Tspize produced the love tune.
As a back-up to his recently released video – ‘Latin Lover’, Sean Tizzle is back with the visuals for ‘Roll Up’ featuring rapper Iceberg Slim. ‘Roll Up’ is taken off Sean Tizzle’s EP – “Moving Forward” Vol.1 – and the video was directed by UA Images.
Kenya’s Victoria Kimani has dropped a new single, ‘China love’, for her fans. Kimani rocks the Island-inspired, Drey Beatz-produced track, telling of how she wants true, no fake, no bootleg love. She is collaborating with International artists and Grammy award winning songwriter Rock City (Theron Thomas) who have written songs for Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Adam Levine and Ariana Grande.
Your days are about’ to get turn up as Hypertek’s front line act, 2Baba premieres this new one titled Amplifier. Don’t get late for the party. As usual, he did not disappont.
J. Martins has made his come back with this cool sound titled ‘Betrayal’ featuring Phyno. The ‘Cool temper’ singer in March held a concert celebrating 10 years on stage as a performing artist and African ambassador. The ‘Good or bad’ crooner is known for his collaboration with francophone country artists, the east and west African countries.