Andres Iniesta has confirmed he’s begun talks with Barcelona over a new contract, adding that he hopes the situation is resolved as soon as possible. Iniesta is one of five figures — along with Luis Enrique, Lionel Messi, Ivan Rakitic and Marc-Andre ter Stegen — who the Catalan club hope to tie down to new terms in the new year. The midfielder’s current deal expires in 2018 and he has already reiterated earlier this week that it remains his desire to retire at Camp Nou. “I would be delighted if there was no need to talk about this matter tomorrow,”…
Author: David Folami
Jose Mourinho has ruled out a move for a new striker in January despite saying it would be a “disaster” if Manchester United were to lose leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic to injury. Ibrahimovic, a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, has scored 17 goals in 26 appearances for United — 12 more than Juan Mata and Paul Pogba, who have contributed five each in all competitions. With his fellow strikers Wayne Rooney (three), Marcus Rashford (four) and Anthony Martial (four) scoring just 11 between them, Ibrahimovic’s goals have carried United to their current position of sixth ahead of the…
Jose Mourinho has said Memphis Depay’s absence from his Manchester United plans is a result of the player having made his determination to leave the club clear two months ago. Depay, a £25 million signing from PSV Eindhoven in summer 2015, has started just one senior game under Mourinho this season — the EFL Cup tie at Northampton Town on Sept. 21 — and made four substitute appearances totalling 20 minutes in the Premier League. The 22-year-old Netherlands international has been overlooked completely since making an eight-minute outing off the bench against Feyenoord in the Europa League on Nov. 24…
Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi has recovered from a hamstring injury for the London derby against Crystal Palace but winger Theo Walcott and left back Kieran Gibbs will miss Sunday’s Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal have missed Mustafi’s calming influence in defence, losing two of their last three games since the 24-year-old German, who is yet to taste defeat since joining the Gunners in August, limped off in the win over Stoke City this month. “Shkodran is back in normal training and he will be back in the squad,” manager Arsene Wenger told reporters on Friday. Gibbs injured…
Factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ali Modu Sheriff has said that leaders of the party begged him to take control of it. Sheriff also accused four governor-members of the party of working to destroy it, He made the comments on Thursday, December 29, while speaking in Makurdi, Benue state. “I was invited, begged and followed to my house by all the leaders of PDP to come and lead the party. I told them that if I must lead, the party must be returned to the people,” Sheriff said according to Vanguard. “Today PDP has only 12 governors…
Media personality Toke Makinwa is balling into the New Year! The author and TV host threw a pyjama party on December 29, 2016, at luxury house, Oasis Med Spa, Ikoyi. Popular female artiste, Tiwa Savage, alongside Beat FM radio personality, Gbemi Olagbegi-Olateru were present at the all night soiree. Others include: Elohor Aisien, Arese Ugwu, Bolanle Olakunni, Latasha Ngwube and Yvonne Nwosu. The evening kicked off with a pillow fight to cocktails tasting and deep conversations. Apparently, Toke and her clique were toasting to a year of success. Guests were also treated to sweet and savoury treats in silky robes…
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, has urged Nigerians to exploit the opportunities offered by the current economic situation to make the country great in 2017. Kachikwu gave the charge during the “Night of Soulful Music”, organised by him as part of Christmas celebration at his residence in Onicha-Igbo, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta state. He said Nigerians should face the difficulties posed by the recession and make the best of every challenge in 2017. The minister noted that the recession had brought out the ingenuity in Nigerians to look within. “We must make sense…
Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state, has called on President Buhari to resign, adding that he has failed Nigerians. The Ekit Governor also slammed the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly tapping his phone. This is coming on the heels of a leaked phone conversation between Fayose and the Governor of Rivers, Nyesom Wike, where they reportedly talked about committing murder. The Ekiti Governor also called on the Federal Government to provide food for poor Nigerians who are hungry, instead of coming after him. He also accused the DSS of editing the phone conversation and leaking it to Saharareporters,…
The Presidency has dismissed claims made by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike that it is planning to blow up his plane. Wike made the allegation on Thursday, December 29, during the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) end of year party in Port Harcourt, the state capital. “They said they would blow up the plane that I would board. You, who are plotting, do you know whether God will blow your own plane before that time? What is this thing about Rivers State? Why should a man spill blood if he is so loved?” he said. “If a man is loved and…
Tekno might have been disqualified from the 2016 Headies Artiste of the Year category, but Billboard has recognized his talent by naming him among the 10 hip-hop and R&B artistes to watch in 2017. The magazine wrote an glowing appraisal for him: ‘Tekno already has a number of hits in Nigeria, and Columbia Records took note, throwing its weight behind this agile, elastic-voiced singer. Tekno’s “Pana,” which has already accumulated more than 13 million views on YouTube and inspired a minor version of a video challenge, is romantic and light on its feet with little more than a nagging guitar…
Adekunle Gold has had a wonderful two years as a YBNL artiste. The singer, who was signed to the label in December 2014, released his debut album, Gold, in July 2016. His contract with the prominent music label expired after the conclusion of Olamide’s 2016 concert, OLIC3. Now, would you advise him to renew his recording contract there, or become a label boss like Lil Kesh?
Tekno took home some of the major awards at Soundcity MVP awards 2016 that took place on December 29 at Eko Hotel, Lagos. The singer received plaques for Digital Artiste of the Year, Viewer’s Choice Award and Song of the Year for ‘Pana’. ‘Thank you Africa, the cassava will always be big,’ Tekno said during his acceptance speech after receiving the Listener’s Choice award. This is coming a week after the singer was snubbed for the 2016 Headies awards. Award organizers withdrew his ‘Next Rated’ nomination and he in turn shunned the event. Wizkid’s signee, Mr. Eazi won the award,…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes his Manchester United teammate Paul Pogba has settled into life at Old Trafford and is no longer playing like he has something to prove. Pogba, 23, arrived at United from Juventus for a world-record £89.3 million fee over the summer, while Ibrahimovic moved to Manchester from Paris Saint-Germain on a free ahead of the 2016-17 campaign. The two superstars are clicking for Jose Mourinho right now — with United having gone unbeaten in their last 11 matches in all competitions — but the two endured a turbulent start to life in the Premier League after their high-profile…
In the week before Christmas, just as Arsenal were beginning to slip away from the top for the first time this season, Arsene Wenger was asked why his teams have faded at crucial points in their campaigns. He was asked about leaders. More specifically, he was asked whether Alexis Sanchez is a leader, the type of figure that Arsenal have lacked since last winning the Premier League in 2003-04. This was obviously something of a loaded question, given the ongoing uncertainty over the Chilean’s contract, and Wenger answered with an element of qualification. “He is a leader in his way…
Brazil star Neymar says taking the last penalty of the shootout against Germany in the final at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics was the most nervous moment of his life. Neymar converted the kick to give Brazil their first-ever Olympic gold medal for football, winning 5-4 on penalties after the game in August ended 1-1 after extra time. The Barcelona forward was back at the Maracana stadium in Rio for a charity game organised by former Brazil great Zico. Looking at the goalmouth where he scored the Olympic decider, Neymar recalled his key role in the penalty showdown. “I am…
The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, has reiterated that the Corporation will generate revenue for Nigeria from gas. In a statement in Abuja on Thursday by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr Ndu Ughamadu, Baru said monetisation of natural gas was a cardinal mandate of the corporation. Baru expressed NNPC’s commitment to carry on with its twin gas projects, Brass LNG and OK LNG when he received the management of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). He said the two projects were high priority gas ventures which would boost the…
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has explained why he located that Eastern Palm University and Police college to his home town, Ogboko in Ideato South Local. He claimed that the move was to encourage education among his people. The Imo State governor said this to newsmen through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Sam Onwuemeodo. ”I located the Eastern Palm University at Ogboko, and the Police College in the area, to encourage my people to be interested in education. ”All these efforts are aimed at making education popular and attractive in the area” as well as “attracting Federal Government attention…
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday said laboratory result of the suspected fake rice showed that the product was not plastic but rice contaminated with micro organisms. The Acting Director General, NAFDAC, Yetunde Oni, said this at a news conference in conjunction with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Abuja. Oni said the seized rice was unsatisfactory and therefore unwholesome for human consumption, stressing that the consignment would be destroyed upon handover by the NCS. She explained that the product branded ”Best Tomato”, was in 25kg bag, without NAFDAC number, batch number, date…
Gov Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Thursday in Ibadan presented N207.67 billion as the 2017 Appropriation bill to the state House of Assembly. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 2017 Appropriation bill, tagged “Budget of Self-Reliance”, is 19 per cent higher than the 2016 budget, which was N173.43 billion. Ajimobi, while presenting the appropriation bill, said that its structure reflected the priority government accorded the various sectors in terms of their anticipated developmental effects. “Government will raise N59 billion (28.41 per cent) from Federation Account and N7.49 billion(3.60 per cent) from Transfers from Local Government JAAC, among…
Following the presentation of the “Budget of Repositioning” by the executive governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the State House of Assembly has passed N221 billion 2017 appropriation bill into law. Although the House approved the bill in less than 40 days after the presentation, the amount proposed by the governor was reduced by about N38m. Currently, capital expenditure stands at N118.3 billion which is 53.5% of the total budget, and recurrent expenditure stands at N102b representing 46.5% of the budget. Expected revenue stands at N114.3 billion. Also, the amount allocated for salaries was increased from the proposed N62.7…