Nollywood actress Mercy Aigbe, 37, has been made the ambassador of the Dubai Afrika Sickle Cell Project. The movie star announced this new venture on her Instagram page today (January 15). “Done Deal!!!!!…..So happy to be doing dis in loving Memory of my elder sister JOY AIGBE …..first ambassador of the DubaiAfrika SickleCell Project !…..@dubaiafrika #plsitsveryimportanttoknowurgenotypebeforechoosingurpartner #ambassador # DubaiAfrika #sicklecellproject” wrote Mercy Aigbe. The actress is involved in this initiative as a remembrance to her late older sister Joy Aigbe. On her birthday on January 1, 2016 Mercy Aigbe got a MDX 2015 Acura Jeep from her husband Lanre Gentry.
Author: David F.
Louis van Gaal has been handed another potentially embarrassing FA Cup test after Manchester United were drawn against Derby in the fourth round. Van Gaal came under fire from United fans after his spluttering side laboured to a 1-0 victory over third tier Sheffield United in the third round at Old Trafford on Saturday. It took a stoppage-time penalty from Wayne Rooney to spare United from a replay against the Blades. But Championship promotion chasers Derby are likely to provide another tricky tie for Van Gaal’s side. Derby, managed by former Chelsea and Real Madrid assistant Paul Clement, are second…
Five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi has hinted he could end his career by returning to his native Argentina. Messi left his homeland at just 13 years old to join Barcelona, where he has grown into one of the greatest players of all time. “It was always my dream (to play in Argentina) when I was a boy, though I had to leave at a very early age because of my situation and it didn’t happen,” he said in an interview published on Fifa.com days after lifting a record fifth Ballon d’Or. “I had to go to Europe,…
Spanish giants Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid reacted angrily to being slapped with a one-year ban on registering new players by Fifa on Thursday, announcing their intention to appeal. Both clubs were sanctioned for their transfer dealings in foreign players under the age of 18. “Real Madrid will appeal this decision by Fifa to all sports authorities, considering it absolutely inadmissable,” Madrid said in a lengthy statement on their website in which they challenged the legitimacy of Fifa’s reasoning for the ban. Under international football rules, players under 18 cannot be transferred to another country, except in limited circumstances and…
With a fifth world player of the year award safely tucked away in the trophy cabinet, Lionel Messi can set his sights on one of the next milestones in his remarkable career: reaching 500 goals for club and country. The Barcelona and Argentina forward can add to his jaw-dropping tally of 479 in 609 official games — 430 for Barca and 49 for his national team — in Sunday’s La Liga match at home to Athletic Bilbao. The 28-year-old from Rosario, who picked up the Fifa Ballon d’Or on Monday, is looking close to his best following a two-month injury…
Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has hinted that the Premier League champions could be in the market for a striker during the January transfer window as cover for Diego Costa and Loic Remy. With loan-signing Ramadel Falcao sidelined through a thigh injury and Hiddink unsure when the Colombian will return, the interim manager admitted that the club were short of established striking options. “We are thinking,” the Dutchman told reporters at his pre-match news conference ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League clash with West Bromwich Albion. “We have to have good competition, good double occupation in every position… but we must not…
Champions Chelsea are involved in the relegation battle this season, manager Guus Hiddink said on Friday ahead of his side’s Premier League clash with Everton. Chelsea, who romped to the title last season eight points clear at the top, are 14th in the table after 21 games, six points above the relegation zone. “We all like to look forward, but don’t be unrealistic when you are six points above the relegation line, that is a fact,” Hiddink told reporters on Friday. “I think so, relegation is a reality… we have a little bit more of a breathe, but we have…
Liverpool’s Juergen Klopp described former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson as the “John Lennon of football” ahead of Sunday’s Premier League meeting between the arch-rivals. Klopp’s comments on the man who retired having fulfilled his long-standing ambition of knocking Liverpool “off their perch” will raise eyebrows on Merseyside, especially after he compared the Scotsman to the city’s most famous son. Ferguson led United to a record 20th Premier League title before calling time on his career, eclipsing the 18 won by Liverpool, a club with whom the United manager always had a stormy relationship. “Maybe Sir Alex Ferguson is the…
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal urged his players to keep their cool against fierce rivals Liverpool on Sunday as he dampened down suggestions goalkeeper David de Gea would move to Real Madrid this month. The fixture between the two North-West giants is always one of the high points of the Premier League season and has seen more than it’s fair share of red cards over the years, with former United defender Nemanja Vidic managing to collect four himself in a six-year spell. Despite neither side being in the hunt for the title at present, Sunday’s match at Anfield is…
Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion were charged by the Football Association on Friday for failing to control their players during Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge. An already feisty encounter boiled over following an off-the-ball trip by West Brom’s Claudio Yacob, who had already been booked, on Chelsea striker Diego Costa. The Baggies midfielder avoided a second yellow card and a dismissal before being promptly substituted by boss Tony Pulis. Albion’s James McClean also clashed with Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, while Costa was involved in several skirmishes with Jonas Olsson before reportedly punching a hole in the tunnel wall after…
Arsenal will make a late decision on whether influential forward Alexis Sanchez will be fit enough to be included in the squad that travel to take on Stoke City in the Premier League on Sunday, manager Arsene Wenger said on Friday. The Chilean international had scored six league goals this season before being sidelined after picking up a hamstring injury against Norwich City on November 29. He was expected to return to the side before Christmas but suffered a setback that delayed his recovery, and Wenger was unwilling to risk him in Wednesday’s 3-3 league draw with Liverpool. “Alexis I…
Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Victor Olabimtan has been freed by his kidnappers. Olabimtan, a former House of Assembly Speaker, was reportedly released on Wednesday, January 13, 2016. “We thank and appreciate the Federal Government, police, security agencies and All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders or their prayers and support,” the Secretary, Victor Olabimtan Initiative for Change and Emancipation (VOICE), Gboyega Ajayi said confirming the release. “We also thank the media for their wide coverage of the incident,” he added. Olabimtan was abducted on January 11, 2016 by fake soldiers in Abuja. The kidnappers had demanded an initial…
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Oyo State Command, on Thursday said it destroyed 10,239.26 kilogrammes of narcotics in the state between January and December 2015. The spokesperson of the command, Mrs Mutiat Okuwobi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan that it also seized 9369.8 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa and 34.42 kilogrammes of psychotropic substance respectively. She also said that the agency destroyed 192.39 acres of farmlands in different parts of the state where weeds suspected to be cannabis were cultivated. Okuwobi said that the agency arrested 227 suspects comprising 215 males and 12 females and…
Governor Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa on Thursday approved the retirement of 14 Permanent Secretaries in the state’s public service. This is contained in a press statement signed by the Head of Civil Service, Alhaji Inuwa Tahir, in Dutse. The statement did not give any reason for the development, but added that the retirement was “with immediate effect”. The statement quoted the governor as thanking the officials for their contributions during their service years. Meanwhile, Badaru has also approved the appointment of Alhaji Ibrahim Chaichai as Special Adviser, Due Process and project Monitoring Bureau, and Alhaji Bala Yar-Gaba as Special Adviser,…
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media And Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi has revealed that the 2016 budget is not missing. This is coming hours after the Senate reportedly set up a committee to look into the issue. There were rumours that the 2016 budget was withdrawn by President Buhari. In a swift reaction, the Presidency dismissed reports that the President withdrew the document, saying the National Assembly should be held responsible. According to recent reports, Abdullahi said copies of the budget will be given to the Senators today, Thursday, January 14, 2016, for deliberation Tuesday. January 19 to…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Director of New Media – Adeyanju Deji has alleged that President Buhari placed an empty box without the 2016 budget before the National Assembly. The Presidency, in a statement, dismissed reports that the President withdrew the document, saying the National Assembly should be held responsible. Also, Senator Ali Ndume, the Senate Leader, has said it is impossible for the 2016 budget document to go missing. You will recall that the Minister of State for National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, in an interview with Premium Times said “After the official presentation of the budget by the President…
The All Progressives Congress (APC), Kaduna State chapter, said on Wednesday that Sen. Shehu Sani remained suspended from activities of the party for 11 months. The spokesperson of the APC in the state, Salisu Wusono, said this while addressing journalists in Kaduna. Wusono urged the public and party loyalists to disregard the information circulated by the party’s National Vice-Chairman (North West), Inuwa AbdulKadir, during a news conference on Monday in Kaduna The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that, the vice-chairman had on Monday said that Sani’s suspension was “invalid and of no consequence whatsoeve.” Wusono said that Abdulkadir acted…
The United Progressive Party (UPP) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his determination to fight corruption in the country. The National Chairman of the party, Chief Chekwas Okorie, made the commendation in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday. He said that the party was happy with the progress made by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration to fight corruption. Okorie said that “so far, the Federal Government had been transparent in the fight against corruption. “We do not share the opinion that there is any form of partiality in the way the anti-corruption crusade is being prosecuted. “Any…
According to reports, there is currently a crisis in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sack some persons appointed into various offices by his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan. Some leaders of the ruling party are said to be calling on Buhari to sack the officials and replace them with APC members, Theinfostride reports. “President Buhari took over on May 29, 2015 and has not rewarded APC members. Most of the heads of departments and agencies are members of the PDP who worked for Jonathan. For example, Onyeka Onwenu is still the Director-General of the National…
The Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticized the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for releasing an associate of President Muhammadu Buhari, Jafaru Isa who was linked with the infamous $2.1bn arms deal fraud. The EFCC released Isa after he returned N100 million out of the N170 million he received from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, who is being tried for spearheading the scam. The Ekiti PDP accused the EFCC of being partial in its war against corruption and targeting only members of the PDP. This position was contained in a statement released…