Swansea City striker Andre Ayew has been named August’s Barclays Premier League Player of the Month. The 25-year-old Ghana international has scored three goals this season to help propel the Welsh outfit to fourth position with eight points from four league matches so far. Ayew, who joined Swansea from Marseille in June, beat his team-mate Bafetimbi Gomis as well as Manchester City duo of David Silva and Aleksandar Kolarov to the award. Leicester and Algerian forward Riyad Mahrez and Manchester United’s Chris Smalling were also nominated. Swansea visit Watford on Saturday, looking to continue their unbeaten run. Manchester City boss…
Author: Wale Adebayo
Manchester City midfielders Fabian Delph and David Silva are out for a month-and-a-half and Saturday’s visit to Crystal Palace respectively, says coach Manuel Pellegrini. Defender Bacary “Sagna is 100% fit” for the game at Selhurst Park, despite limping off during France’s friendly win over Serbia on Monday night. Summer signing Delph was injured seconds into England’s game against Switzerland in midweek, and will be sidelined for around six weeks with a hamstring problem. “Fabian worked with us before he went to his national squad – he worked without problems and he played some minutes with our team. It’s very unlucky…
A former Governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Timipre Sylva, has described former President Goodluck Jonathan as “President of Bayelsa” in response to the latter’s endorsement of Governor Seriake Dickson’s re-election bid. Sylva, who is seeking the All Progressives Congress, APC, ticket for the December 5 governorship poll in the state, however, said the ex-president’s support for Dickson is no threat to his ambition to return to Government House. He spoke in an interview in Abuja on Thursday after going through a screening exercise, preparatory to contesting the APC governorship primaries. He said, “Well, frankly, I am not worried. I always…
The Comptroller General of Immigration, CGI Martins Abeshi, has warned officers involved in charging extra payment for issuance of passports to desist or be ready to be sacked once exposed. He gave the warning during his maiden visit to Lagos since his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari. The immigration boss said President Buhari specifically appointed him in order to address the high rate of corruption in the Nigeria Immigration Service. He said, “I don’t want any of us to engage in corrupt practices. Corrupt practices in passport offices are not far from extortion, charging more than what government said you…
Retired President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi (retd.), on Thursday said that after 100 days in office, President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has inspired hope in Nigerians. He said what is now expected from all sensible Nigerians is to “pray for Buhari to succeed”. The pioneer chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) made this known in Ilorin, Kwara State at a press briefing as part of activities to mark his 83rd birthday. He said: “I did not imagine in my time that people will work for six months and they are not…
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has lifted the embargo it placed on 113 vessels from engaging in crude oil/gas loading activities within Nigerian territorial waters. The corporation in a statement Thursday, explained that the lifting of the ban is subject to the receipt of Letters of Comfort from all Terminal Operators, Oil Companies and off-takers of Nigerian oil and gas as guarantee that nominated vessels, pending the outcome of detailed investigation, are unencumbered and would not be utilized for any illegal activity whatsoever. It also said the Federal Government has approved the establishment of an Inter-Agency Committee made up…
Governor Nasir el-Rufai has declared himself fit as a fiddle after rumours of his purported collapse and near-death spread like a wild-fire last week. He described the rumours as a mere hoax designed by mischief makers for purposes best known to them. The governor stated this while receiving members of the Kaduna State chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on Thursday. El-Rufai told the workers that not only is he alive, hale and hearty, he is determined more than ever, to make Kaduna great again. “You can say el-Rufai has…
Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, has confirmed that Thibaut Courtois will be “out for quite a long time” as the Chelsea goalkeeper requires surgery on his knee. The Belgian goalkeeper injured his right knee in a training session with fellow goalkeeping colleagues. The nature of damage and recovery period for the former Atletico Madrid loanee, who made 32 league appearances last season, has yet to be revealed. “I just lost a goalkeeper, I want to be positive,” said the Portuguese boss in his press conference ahead of Saturday’s game at Everton. “I cannot tell you much but I can tell you…
David De Gea has signed a new four-year contract at Manchester United with an option to a further one year. The 24-year-old, who almost joined Real Madrid this summer, said he is “delighted” to be “starting the new chapter” at the Old Trafford club. The Spaniard told the club’s website: “I have always enjoyed playing with these great players in front of our fantastic fans.” In June 2011, De Gea joined United from Atletico Madrid for a British record fee for a goalkeeper of around £17.8m. He has since made a total 175 appearances for the club. He won the…
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) says Floyd Mayweather did not adhere properly to the rules in seeking for an intravenous drip before his victory over Manny Pacquiao. The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) passed but after the 2 May mega-fight, a Mayweather application to have a drip of saline and vitamins prior to the American’s points decision victory over Pacquaio. But the NSAC says only it could approve the issuance of the IV infusion, and not the USADA. Unbeaten multiple weight champion, Mayweather, and the USADA have denied any drug testing violation, with the 38-year-old, who is due to fight…
A former Chairman Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Senator Hassan Barata, is reportedly cooling his heels in detention in Saudi Arabia. The Nation newspaper reports that the senator, when he was arrested and quizzed, claimed to be an employee of the Nigerian Embassy – a claim that was found to be false. Mr. Barata, who is believed to have travelled to the Kingdom a few weeks ago, may have been arrested following the expiration of his visa. Barata represented Adamawa South in the sixth Senate, having been elected in 2011 on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)…
Three persons were confirmed killed while several others sustained injuries when the Joint Task Force (Operation Pulo Shield) engaged suspected militants in a gun duel in Delta State. The JTF Commander, Maj.-Gen. Alani Okunlola, made the disclosure on Thursday in Warri while briefing newsmen at the 3 Battalion, Effurun. Parading one suspect arrested with various arms and ammunition, Okunlola said the operation took place on September 5 in Benigboye community, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State. “My men raided a militant camp in Benigboye. “On sighting the troops, the suspects opened fire which led to a gun battle that…
The Federal Government on Thursday said it had dispatched a high-powered technical team to examine the location where a 300-level Accounting student of the University of Lagos, Oluchi Anekwe, was reportedly electrocuted. The technical team led by the Managing Director of the Nigeria Electricity Management Services Limited, Engr. Peter Ewesor, had arrived Lagos and were on the ground to commence investigations into the matter. “At the end of the exercise, the team is expected to find out what actually went wrong and which group or individuals are culpable after which appropriate sanction will be forwarded to the regulator, Nigeria Electricity…
A former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 4th National Assembly, Prince Chibudom Nwuche, has urged all public office holders in the country to emulate President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo by declaring their assets publicly.Nwuche, in a statement he issued in Abuja on Thursday, lauded Buhari and Osinbajo for leading by example, saying such step would enable Nigerians compare the worth of leaders on assumption of office and when they left. The ex-deputy Speaker, who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, of which he was a founding member on 29 March, 2015 added that with…
The remains of Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Prof Adebowale Adefuye, is expected to be flown into the country ahead of a three-day burial. Adefuye died August 27, 2015 at the Suburban hospital, Washington, DC. According to details of the burial activities released by Mr Babatunde Adefuye on behalf of the family, there will be a Christian wake on September 17 at Harbour Point, 4 Wilmot Point Road, off Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos, by 5p.m. The funeral service will hold the following day at Christ Church Cathedral, Marina Lagos at 10a.m., while interment follows immediately at Ikoyi…
President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) has ordered the immediate removal of the heads of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Internal Revenue Service, Secondary Education Board (SEB) and the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB). The announcement was contained in a letter addressed to the FCT Permanent Secretary, Engr. John Chukwu, on Thursday, according to the Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary in the FCT, Muhammad Sule. He said the directive applies to all the Boards of the FCT parastatals, agencies, institutions and government-owned companies. “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate removal of the Chairmen of the FCT Internal Revenue Service, Secondary Education Board…
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) said on Thursday that it is willing to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in the fight against corruption. The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, who stated this in on Political Platform, a Radio Nigeria political programme monitored in Abuja said the party believes in the sincerity of President Buhari in addressing problems of insecurity, corruption and the economy. “On security, we believe that this President should be serious. We give it to him that he is serious, being a General and the President and an expert in the management of crisis, we…
Nigeria’s women freestyle wrestler, Odunayo Adekuoroye, clinched one of the available slots at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro after claiming third place in the 73kg weight category at this year’s World Championships in Las Vegas, USA. Adekuoroye, who won gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, recorded a 10-0 Technical Fall (TF) against Belarusian Nadzeya Shushko and then a 4-0 win by Pin over Asian champion Zhong Xuechun of China in the second recharge round at The Orleans Arena on Wednesday. The win saw the 21-year-old become only the second ever world medalist from Nigeria since Ifeoma…
The National Judicial Council (NJC) has queried a serving judge in Osun State, Justice Olamide Falahanmi Oloyede, over her petition to the state House of Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against Governor Rauf Aregbesola and his deputy, Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori for allegedly mismanaging the state’s resources. A committee was set-up by the House of Assembly to look into the petition and the house subsequently dismissed the petition for lack of evidence against the governor and his deputy. Following this, the Osun Civil Societies Coalition petitioned the National Judicial Council, alleging that the judge over-stepped her limit as she failed to…
Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai on Thursday said his administration would deliver good governance to the people through a sustained fight against corruption in the state. El- Rufa’i made the remarks during a rally tagged, “The National Day of Action against Corruption and for Good Governance”, organised by the joint labour unions in the state. According to him, the APC-led government is the government of the masses and is committed to safeguarding the rights of all. “As a public officer and servant to the people, it is my responsibility to ensure that the right thing is done always”. The…