Nvidia is in advanced talks to acquire ARM, the chip designer owned by SoftBank Group, according to people familiar with the matter.

The two parties aim to reach a deal in the next few weeks, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. Nvidia is the only suitor in concrete discussions with SoftBank, according to the people.

A deal for ARM could be the largest ever in the semiconductor industry, which has been consolidating in recent years as companies seek to diversify and add scale. Cambridge, England-based ARM’s technology underpins chips in products including Apple devices and connected appliances. SoftBank acquired the business for US$32-billion in 2016.

No final decisions have been made, and the negotiations could drag on longer or fall apart, the people said. SoftBank may gauge interest from other suitors if it can’t reach an agreement with Nvidia, the people said. Representatives for Nvidia, SoftBank and ARM declined to comment.

Any deal with Nvidia, which is a customer of ARM’s, would likely trigger regulatory scrutiny as well as a wave of opposition from other users of the company’s technology. Other ARM clients could demand assurances that a new owner would continue providing equal access to ARM’s instruction set. Such concerns resulted in SoftBank, a neutral company, buying ARM the last time it was for sale.

Source: Vanguard

A former prosecutor with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Chief Godwin Obla (SAN), says the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission under the leadership of its suspended acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, has refused to pay him a joint sum of N763.9m in legal fees.

He, however, said amid several demands for his pay, Magu ordered his detention and prosecution on trumped up charges of bribing a judge.

Obla said this while reading out an 18-page letter to the Justice Ayo Salami-led Presidential panel titled, ‘Presentation In Respect of Malicious and Reckless Abuse of State Power of Investigation and Prosecution Resulting in Mismanagement of Forfeited Assets by Deliberate and Contrived Incompetence and Suspicious Dealing of Forfeited Assets’.

The senior advocate testified before the panel in the presence of Magu at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa on Monday. He also presented 12 questions to the panel which he said the suspended EFCC chairman must answer and made five recommendations

Obla, who presented over 10 documents to the panel including his bill of charges, said he prosecuted 40 cases for the EFCC including those of former bank chiefs sacked by the Central Bank of Nigeria under the leadership of Lamido Sanusi and also helped the commission recover hundreds of billions of naira in cash and assets.

He said, “As of date, the EFCC owes me an outstanding balance of N685, 389, 928.10 and $202,460.47 (N78.5m) or its naira equivalent at the prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria exchange rate, together with interest at prime lending rate, being professional fees for the prosecution of over 40 high profile cases. See Statement of Claim in Suit No: FCT/CV/3220/17 BETWEEN Obla v. EFCC.”

The senior advocate said all subsequent letters sent to the EFCC were ignored but the fee was never contested. He said rather than pay him his legal fees, Magu decided to level several allegations against him in order to discredit and deny him his due.

“In effect, Ibrahim Magu deliberately and maliciously denied me the fruits of my services for EFCC whilst putting me to great expense to defend a worthless charge,” the lawyer said.

The senior advocate, who helped the EFCC to secure the conviction of a former Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Temisan Omatseye, in 2016, said he in the course of the case which lasted for six years, he travelled from his base in Abuja to Lagos several times and made 46 court appearances but was not paid a penny.

He said despite securing the conviction for the EFCC, Magu accused him of bribing Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia to secure the conviction.

Obla said, “I have never made any payment of N5m or any other amount to Justice Ajumogobia. To the best of my recollection, the payment of N5m under reference was a payment I made on May 21, 2015 to a company named Nigel & Colive Nig. Ltd, for the purchase of building materials for my construction site in Abuja (now my present office building).

“At that material time of this commercial transaction and till date, I had no prior knowledge that Justice Ajumogobia had any interest whatsoever in the company.”

The senior advocate said based on the allegations, he was informed by EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, that Magu, had personally directed that he be detained and he remained in custody for 21 days before he was subsequently arraigned alongside the judge.

The senior advocate called on the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to ensure that the frivolous criminal charges brought against him were withdrawn.

Obla said after he received a letter of disengagement from the EFCC, he turned in all files and gave his professional opinion on how to ensure that the cases continue seamlessly.

He said unfortunately, the lackadaisical manner in which most of the matters had been handled either indicate that the matters had been compromised or constructively withdrawn or abandoned like the N18bn pension fraud case involving the Head of Service.

The senior advocate said Magu went ahead to unceremoniously redeploy the Head of Legal Department, Chile Okoroma, who was assigned those cases.

Obla added, “Secondly, material evidence, which we returned to EFCC custody, were seemingly, withheld from him as he severally reached out to my office for help. Next, when it seemed that Mr. Chile was gaining some traction with the pension fraud cases, Ibrahim Magu conveniently despatched Mr. Chile off to National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, thus foisting a constructive abandonment of the pension fraud cases.

“In 2016, when Ibrahim Magu took over the files, those pension fraud cases were all part-heard in various courts of the Federal High Court, Abuja. Today, most of those cases are now in limbo and constructively abandoned.

“It has been suggested that one of the reasons why the Pension Fraud prosecutions have been stalled/frustrated has to do with the interest of one Alhaji Ali Abatcha who is a kinsman of Ibrahim Magu. The said Alhaji Ali Abatcha was the president of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners and was undergoing prosecution by myself before Mr. Magu took over. The status of this case and others should be reviewed.”

When contacted on the telephone, a lawyer to Magu, Tosin Ojaomo, said it was unfortunate that the panel could invite someone facing corruption charges to testify against Magu.

Ojaomo admitted that Obla was being owed funds but said the EFCC had to verify the fee before payment could be made.

“Really it’s inexplicable, unexplainable, strange and the height of absurdity for a panel on a serious matter like this kind of investigation to be inviting suspects standing trial to testify against their prosecutor.

“The salami panel is offering its platform to those aggrieved one way or the other against Magu by inviting them to make presentations. The presentations/ allegations were not made available to Magu.

“Even elements with pending corruption cases in court are invited. People being prosecuted by the prosecuting agency are making wild allegations even when pending allegations have yet to be cleared in court.”

THE country is sinking deeper into the debt peonage. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently joined other observers to highlight this, deploring the Federal Government’s recourse to borrowing for every spending need rather than the sensible path of fiscal reforms to stimulate production and private investment.

The alarm bells have pealed louder since it emerged that of the total government revenue of N950.56 billion in the first quarter of this year, N943.12 billion — a massive 99.21 per cent — was spent on debt servicing. Elsewhere, this would have triggered a shift into emergency mode; but the regime of Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) appears unperturbed at the imminent national bankruptcy.

Debt servicing deepens poverty, drawing funds away from infrastructure, education, health, roads and agriculture. “High public debt can inhibit private investment, increase fiscal pressure, reduce social spending, and limit governments’ ability to implement reforms,” the World Bank warns.

Ironically, a debt buy-back package in 2005/06 had enabled the country to exit a three-decade old external debt overhang. About $12.4 billion was paid to the Paris Club of creditors to obtain forbearance of $18 billion. But successive governments since then have been borrowing afresh, reaching a feverish, irresponsible pitch under the Buhari regime. In his first four years in office, external debt rose by 148 per cent, from $10.32 billion in June 2015 to $25.61 billion by March 30, 2019. With the Senate’s approval last month of another $5.51 billion loan request, external debt reached $33.18 billion by June end, a frightening 91.37 per cent of total external reserves. In December 2019, at $27.68 billion, foreign debt was 75 per cent of reserves. Total public debt as of March 30 was N28.62 trillion.

Debt should be assessed with consideration of the key indicators of sustainable debt management. These reflect to a degree the economy’s capacity to repay the debt. Some of these are composition of debt maturities, the ratio of debt to Gross Domestic Product and the ratio of debt service to export earnings. Also important is the government’s capacity to meet its debt servicing burdens. Both the World Bank and the IMF had separately and repeatedly declared that Nigeria’s debt is unsustainable. For them, the modest debt-to-GDP ratio of 28 per cent by November last year should not be the marker; rather, rising revenue-to-debt ratio should dictate caution. A former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Lamido Sanusi, believes the country is already bankrupt.

There is no doubt that a well-structured debt is recognised as an essential tool for developing and emerging economies to break out of the poverty loop. For an economy characterised by low domestic savings, external debt is considered as an important funding source. But government borrowing is only productive when it is used to enhance the economy’s growth potential through targeted investment in infrastructure and human capital. The World Bank says, “Debt can be a useful tool if it is transparent, well-managed, and used in the context of a credible growth policy.” One major problem is that with the binge borrowing, the economy and the state’s productive assets have not expanded. There are doubts too of where the debt has gone into. Deploying debt to fund infrastructure development when government resources are inadequate makes a lot of economic sense. But debt service payments have seriously affected the government’s capacity to fund basic services, such as security, education and health.

This debt is unsustainable. Debt-to-GDP ratio has since climbed to 28-30 per cent by various estimates. Fitch, a global rating agency, is set to downgrade the country’s credit score, forecasting that the debt-to-revenue ratio will deteriorate further by this year’s end. The government unwisely borrows massively for what, with liberalisation, foreign and domestic private capital will undertake more efficiently without burdening the taxpayer. One is railways where Chinese loans have become the ready recourse for imprudent Nigerian governments. By overthrowing the state monopoly and emplacing a robust regulatory regime, private capital, local and foreign, will do the job better. This applies also to other state-owned enterprises such as the Ajaokuta Steel, airports, seaports, downstream oil and gas assets. The privatisation of eight of India’s container ports promoted competition and encouraged the state to pursue further Public Private Partnership deals.

Foreign or external debt is distinguished from other kinds of foreign investment capital inflow such as foreign ownership, because it carries with it the obligation to pay interest or repay principal when it is due. The impact of exchange rate movements on the level of debt is also critical for a country like Nigeria. That explains why the Asian countries relied more on a mix of loans, aid, liberal economic policies and direct foreign investment, coupled with state funding to emerge from underdevelopment to become export-oriented economies.

Instead of crashing further into debt traps, the Buhari regime should look at what some progressive African leaders are doing to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Rwanda, for instance, owes $3.2 billion, but is praised by development agencies for channelling it into critical infrastructure and opening up job-creating sectors. Ethiopia is building its landmark $4.8 billion Grand Renaissance Dam while avoiding foreign credit. It limited foreign borrowing to $1.8 billion, raising the remaining $3 billion partly from bonds targeted at the Ethiopian Diaspora. Yet, the dam is expected to transform the economy by providing 6,450 megawatts of electricity power for domestic use and export, generate a massive tourism industry and produce 7,000 tonnes of fish annually while providing hundreds of thousands of jobs down the sectoral value chains.

Private capital will also eliminate the interference of politics — ethnicity, religion sectionalism — in economics where loans are diverted to projects that cannot pay their way, while neglecting revenue-yielding projects like the Apapa port access roads. Borrowing $500 million for the Nigerian Television Authority is unreasonable; $500 million for airports “remodelling” and $470 million for the installation of CCTV facilities both failed. Nigeria’s airports are still rated some of the worst in the world and the CCTV funds simply vanished. Unprofitable SOEs should be privatised to end the waste and raise funds for productive purposes. Let the private sector lead and the government concentrate on social services, regulation and security. Other countries may run the SOEs, but Nigeria has failed woefully in this regard because politics overcomes rationality in government business ventures. Loans should be taken only for projects that can repay and are capable of creating thousands of jobs, boosting exports and raising human capital and technology acquisition.

What is more, as Nigeria is borrowing, the public treasury is leaking through illicit financial outflows and outright stealing. The Brookings Institution reports that the top four emitters of illicit flows — South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Nigeria — emit over 50 per cent of total illicit financial flows from sub-Saharan Africa put at over $1.3 trillion between 1980 and 2018. As of 2005, Nigeria’s past rulers reportedly stole or misused £220 billion. The Economist (London) says as of 2019, about $582 billion had been stolen from Nigeria since independence in 1960. The much bigger question, says The Economist, is where Nigeria could be if its politicians and officials were a little more honest. It quotes PwC as claiming that Nigeria’s economy, which was worth $513 billion in 2014, might have been 22 per cent bigger if its level of corruption were closer to Ghana’s, a nearby West African country or “worth some $534 billion more (adjusted for inflation), or about as much as the economy is currently worth.”

Forestalling bankruptcy and bridging the infrastructure gap demands an intelligent approach to public finance, debt management and governance. Corruption, the country’s number one enemy, should be tackled differently. Countries where corruption is high attract less foreign investment. The federal and state governments need to drastically cut down the cost of governance, plug all revenue leakages, improve and enforce tax laws and regulations and ensure remittance of all statutory revenues.

Compellingly, the government needs a new funding strategy that would emphasise private investment, PPP and bonds over loans. Debt should be a last resort, not the first as the regime lazily makes it today. The bonds market offers more disciplined use of credit and the prospect of deepening the capital market.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, on Tuesday, announced the cancellation of third term for pupils in both primary and secondary schools in the state.

Mr Makinde, who announced this through his education commissioner, Olasunkanmi Olaleye also released a new academic calendar.

Mr Olaleye said the third term of the 2019/2020 session has been cancelled and promotion of students, for all affected classes, will now be determined by first and second term continuous assessment.

He said the 2020/21 academic session will begin on September 21 and end on July 30, 2021.

He said “The Oyo State Executive Council at its meeting today 21st of July 2020 has approved the academic calendar to guide resumption of schools and other associated educational activities in the State.

“According to the approved calendar, Third Term 2019/2020 session has been cancelled and promotion of students, for all affected classes, will now be determined by First and Second Term Continuous Assessment.

“Pry 6, JSS 3 and SSS 3 will proceed on holiday from 30th of July and resume for their Examination as follows;

“Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE)- 10th to 18th August 2020

“Competitive Entrance Examination into the Schools of Science- 19th August 2020

“Placement/Screening Test to JSS1- 20th August 2020

“Placement Test into Technical Colleges- 28th August 2020

“The SSS 3 will resume for their Examination as soon as WAEC announce the date.

“The 2020/21 academic session, according to the calendar approved by the State Council is as follows;

“First Term- 21th September to 18th December 2020

“Second Term- 11th January to 9th April 2021

“Third Term- 3rd May to 30th July 2021

“The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology enjoins all stakeholders and members of the public to take note of the details of the academic calendar.”

A UN finance support platform tagged “One UN COVID-19 Response Basket Fund”, says it has received additional one million dollars to help Nigeria to address challenges posed by the pandemic in the country.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP), which manages the basket fund, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

The statement quoted Mohamed Yahya, the UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, as saying that the additional fund was to aid Nigeria, as it witnessed a rapid rise in the number of confirmed cases.

Mr Yahya said the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated one million dollars in support of the Nigerian government in addressing the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic on July 14, 2020.

He said the UN welcomed the contribution of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as it aimed to support the country’s response in the management of the crisis and the realities of post-crisis, particularly in the protection of vulnerable persons.

He added that “as a recognised COVID-19 Response Financing and Investment Platform, this facility provides us a timely opportunity to stand with Nigeria and channel financial contributions toward the COVID-19 multi-sectoral response.

“Working as one UN enables us to minimise the risk of duplication of efforts and ensures efficient mobilisation and rapid deployment of resources.”

The UNDP resident representative said that the unfolding COVID-19 situation in Nigeria called for solidarity and coordinated support to the government to the response plan of the country.

“Through the Basket Fund, the UN aims to ensure policy coherence, programmatic alignment, harmonisation, and coordination of support to the Government of Nigeria during the time of crisis,’’ Yahya said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the UN, in collaboration with the Nigerian government, launched the One UN COVID-19 Response Basket Fund on April 6, 2020.

The Basket Fund serves as the One COVID-19 Financing and Investment Platform, through which different stakeholders can channel their financial support to the multi-sectoral efforts of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 Response.

The overall management of the One UN COVID-19 Response Basket Fund is led and coordinated by the Project Board.

The Project Board has representation from the Presidential Task Force; Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), relevant government departments, fund contributing donors and the UN.

As of June 2020, the Basket Fund, managed by UNDP mobilised 61.3 million dollars, including 54.6 million dollars from the European Union (EU) and 2.2 million dollars from UN agencies.

Also, the fund received four million dollars from the private sector (Dangote 3.8 million dollars and AP Maersk 0.2 million dollars); and 0.4 million dollars from the Government of Switzerland.

The Egyptian parliament on Monday, gave approval to a possible deployment of troops beyond its borders after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi spoke of potential military operations in neighbouring Libya.

Lawmakers unanimously approved “the deployment of members of the Egyptian armed forces on combat missions outside Egypt’s borders to defend Egyptian national security against criminal armed militias and foreign terrorist elements,” the parliament said in a statement.

Monday’s vote took place in a closed session where members of parliament discussed “threats faced by the state” from the west, where Egypt shares a porous desert border with war-torn Libya.

The vote came a day after the Egyptian president met the National Defense Council which includes the parliament speaker, the defense minister, the foreign minister and military commanders.

Sisi has warned that advances by forces backing the western Libyan-based Government of National Accord also known as GNA on the city of Sirte could prompt an Egyptian military intervention.

The GNA called his warnings a “declaration of war”.

The Gunners booked their spot in their 21st FA Cup final with a 2-0 win against Pep Guardiola's holders

There’s just something about Arsenal and the FA Cup.

Mikel Arteta’s side arrived at Wembley with next to no-one giving them a chance against Manchester City, yet it’s the Gunners and not Pep Guardiola’s men who will return next month for the final after a fabulous 2-0 win.

This was a victory that came straight from the training ground, one in which every single player played their part. Fortune may have favoured Arsenal when they saw off champions Liverpool in midweek, but they deserved everything they got at Wembley on Saturday evening.

Tactically, Arteta got it spot on. It was a win which highlighted why, after the dark days of the first half of the season, there is real cause for optimism now in north London.

Time and time again we’ve seen Arsenal sides capitulate in the face of superior teams. Since beating City here in the 2017 semi-final they’ve played them seven times, losing all seven, conceding 20 and scoring just two

But they shrugged that record aside to book their spot in what will be the club’s 21st FA Cup final, where they all meet either Chelsea or Manchester United on August 1.

It’s been a horrible season for Arsenal at times, one of the worst in recent memory. The fact they dropped below Burnley in the Premier League table moments before kick-off said it all.

But the past week has shown that, under Arteta, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

In terms of quality, the gap between themselves, Liverpool and City is vast. It’s been clear to see over the two games in the past few days. But the signs of improvement under Arteta are undeniable.

And whilst they were gifted their goals against Liverpool in midweek, at Wembley they earned them through fabulous moves which City had no answer for. Both were scored by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, his 24th and 25th of the season, but both came from moves that started deep inside their own half.



Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Alexandre Lacazette Arsenal vs Man City FA Cup 2019-20
The first came after 19 minutes and was finished by Aubameyang after a move which started with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, and featured 18 passes and included 10 of Arsenal’s 11 players.

Eight of the passes were actually made in Arsenal’s own penalty area as they sucked City in before springing forward on the counterattack. Alexandre Lacazette, who was magnificent throughout, found Nicolas Pepe, who picked out Aubameyang perfectly at the back post to score.

It was a wonderful goal and the 25 minutes which followed up to half-time were the best Arsenal have produced under Arteta since he arrived in December. Defensively, they were superb, with Martinez not having to make a single save, and going forward they produced some excellent combinations, with the final ball all that was lacking.

The inevitable onslaught from City came in the second half and in previous meetings Arsenal would have folded. But not on Saturday night. Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos were magnificent in front of a defence marshalled superbly by David Luiz, dropping in and offering real protection.

City dominated possession, but only mustered one shot on target - with Martinez saving well down to his left after Riyad Mahrez had cut inside and got a shot away.

And then on 71 minutes, Arsenal broke away and put the game to bed. Pepe was again involved, chasing down a clearance before finding Kieran Tierney. The Scotland international spotted Aubameyang’s run and there was only one outcome once the Gabon international had sprinted clear.

City tried to raise themselves but couldn’t. Cross after cross came in, but Luiz dealt with everything that came his way and anything that bypassed the Brazilian was collected by Martinez.

City were well beaten in the end. Out-fought on the pitch and out-thought off it. This may be Arsenal’s worst league season in 25 years, but for the first time in a long time they look like they have a plan.

They hit rock bottom during the final weeks of Unai Emery. The long journey back towards the top looks like it has begun.

MTN Nigeria has begun the trial of e-SIM services on its network based on approvals received from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The telecom company said the e-SIM would lead to digital transformation, foster inclusion, improve customer experience and maintain the highest quality of service for its customers.

Below are 10 things you need to know about the technology.

1. The trial started on Wednesday and it will run for one year.

2. The e-SIMs are designed to deliver unprecedented freedom and flexibility. Unlike the physical SIMs, e-SIMs are built into smartphones, devices and wearables. They support multiple profiles and allow customers to connect multiple numbers to their e-SIM devices.

3. Notwithstanding the sophistication of e-SIMs, the onboarding requirements are the same as are required for a physical SIM. Hence, SIM registration in line with existing regulatory prescriptions remains a requirement for activating a device embedded with an e-SIM.

4. e-SIMs are particularly useful for people who want to manage personal and business lines easily and effectively or want a separate profile for data.

5. The new technology will also be extremely convenient for frequent travellers and tourists, making it easier for them to opt for and keep a local subscription when visiting Nigeria.

6. The trial is open on a first come first served basis to a limited number of subscribers who own compatible devices.

7. The e-SIM will also offer customers a seamless and distinctive digital experience with new levels of flexibility, simplicity and convenience.

8. MTN spearheads e-SIM adoption in Nigeria as part of efforts to enable the digital economy.

9. For all MTN mobile subscribers who own e-SIM compatible devices, setting up an e-SIM profile with a new or existing mobile plan is quick and easy. All it takes is a visit to an MTN service centre where frontline staff will help in registration and onboarding at no cost.

10. Soon, e-SIM users will also be able to link multiple compatible devices and smart wearables such as tablets, smartwatches etc to their profile.

Los Blancos tied up their first league title since 2017 with a 2-1 victory over Villarreal and are worthy winners despite claims of VAR assistance

As a player, Zinedine Zidane was renowned for sudden, violent outbursts. As a coach, he is far more adept at keeping his emotions in check.

Monday night at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes was different, though.

Zidane knew that a win would leave his Real Madrid side needing just two points from their two remaining Liga fixtures to secure their 34th title.

He celebrated Ferland Mendy and Karim Benzema's first-half goals wholeheartedly and when Granada pulled a goal back just after the interval, he booted a ball away in frustration in his technical area.

Despite intense late pressure from the hosts, though, Madrid held firm, and as the final whistle blew on a crucial 2-1 victory, Zidane let out an almighty roar.

"That scream at the end was only normal," he said afterwards, "because you suffer a lot."

Indeed, this wasn't an expression of joy but a cry of defiance, because Zidane and Real have suffered a lot over the past two years.

And now, following their 2-1 win over Villarreal on Thursday, that suffering has paid off.

When he sensationally stepped down as Madrid coach in May 2018, after leading the club to a third consecutive Champions League, Zidane explained that he felt he was no longer the right man for the job.

He thought Real couldn't continue winning with him; as it transpired, they couldn't win without him. Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari both tried to fill the void left behind by Zidane. Both failed.

So, Perez brought him back last March, at a time when Real were in utter disarray after seeing their prospects of winning a major title in 2018-19 effectively ended by three defeats in a week.

Losses to Barcelona in both the Copa del Rey and La Liga hit the fans hard, but it was the shock Champions League elimination at home to Ajax which devastated Madrid.



Captain Sergio Ramos and president Florentino Perez fell out and the centre-half even considered leaving for China before eventually committing his future to the club during the summer.

Perez, meanwhile, spent €300 million (£285m/$360m) strengthening the senior squad, most notably with the addition of Eden Hazard. The Belgium winger was a player that Zidane had been urging Madrid to sign for a decade and his belated arrival proved that Perez had ceded to the coach's request to have a greater say in the club's recruitment policy.

However, Zidane's second spell in charge still looked more likely to fail than succeed when the 2019-20 season began.

Pre-season had been a disaster. Hazard showed up overweight and then missed the start of the campaign with what proved to be a succession of injury issues.

A 7-3 friendly loss to Atletico Madrid had also set alarm bells ringing and Real looked anything but title contenders after winning just one of their opening three Liga fixtures.

"Everything was lacking tonight," a despondent Zidane confessed after a 2-2 draw at Villarreal on September 1. Just over two weeks later, Madrid were embarrassed by Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League opener.

Real performed abysmally at the Parc des Princes, and against a PSG side shorn of the services of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani. For the first time in 10 years, they had failed to register a single shot on target in a competitive fixture.

AS claimed that Madrid had "no soul", while former forward Predrag Mijatovic cast considerable doubt on Zidane's future.

The 1998 Champions League winner told El Larguero: "I don't see Zidane capable of finding the solutions Real need for the team to improve."

They have improved, though. Not spectacularly, but steadily. As Barcelona disintegrated as the season wore on, Madrid solidified.



Zidane helped Sergio Ramos get back to his best, which was key to transforming the defence into the meanest in the La Liga, and coaxed a stellar campaign out of his compatriot Karim Benzema, who carried the attack.

The two longest-serving players at the club proved Zidane's most reliable performers during the title run-in, producing one decisive moment after another as Real went from second in the standings to top of the table.

It was Benzema who was on hand to open the scoring in the victory over Villarreal - his 20th league goal of the season and the 13th time he scored Madrid's first goal in a league game this term.

And those two combined for the second - almost farcical - goal. Ramos pinched the ball and won a VAR-assisted penalty which he stood over himself. But instead of sliding it past Sergio Asenjo himself, he played the ball forward for Benzema to smash home.

But the referee deemed encroachment had taken place. A retake was ordered and Benzema slotted it home. It was a cushion Madrid were glad to have when the final whistle blew because of Vicente Iborra's fine header to beat Thibaut Courtois late on.

It is testament to the coach's man-management and organisational skills that he has managed to deny Barca's bid for a third consecutive title without being able to rely on his most expensive players.

Hazard has been injured for most of the season, former Eintracht Frankfurt hotshot Luka Jovic has proven a disaster on and off the field, while Zidane's relationship with Gareth Bale has broken down to such an extent that the Welsh winger now spends most of his time trying to stave off boredom while sitting on the bench.

Sergio Ramos Karim Benzema GFX Real Madrid
Madrid's first major trophy since the departure of all-time top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2018 is, therefore, a massive achievement.

Barcelona's implosion undoubtedly helped, with the Catalans inexplicably sacking Ernesto Valverde while his team were top of the table in January and replacing him with Quique Setien, a coach without a single title on his CV.

However, Madrid have ruthlessly exploited the chaos at Camp Nou with an impressive 10 Liga wins in a row following the suspension of play caused by coronavirus.

They are most worthy champions, and Zidane is a most worthy recipient of the plaudits that should now come his way, having made excellent use of his squad; 21 different players have scored for Madrid this season, while the World Cup winner has displayed his tactical versatility by alternating between 4-3-3, 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1 formations since the restart.

He has long been accused of being a 'lucky' coach, while this season's title run-in has been plagued by claims of Real receiving preferential treatment from match officials, with Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu sniping: "VAR always favours the same team."

But Real have fought fairly and tenaciously for every point. As Zidane said last week, "You cannot achieve anything without suffering."

Madrid’s latest Liga win is the perfect case in point. After the pain of last season, Zidane and his players have come roaring back to silence their critics.

The Federal Government has handed over the National Theatre at Iganmu, Lagos State to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bankers’ Committee for rehabilitation.

During the handover ceremony on Sunday, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, said the bankers were aiming to create one million jobs from the project in the next five years.

The event was attended by dignitaries, including the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Emefiele said after the completion of the renovation works at the National Theatre, along with the supporting facilities that would be built around it, the banking sector intended to set up similar creative industries centres in Kano, Port Harcourt or Enugu.

According to him, the supporting facilities include a hotel and an expansive conference centre.

While thanking the Federal Government for its support, he said, “Our goal for the National Theatre is to create an environment where startups and existing businesses are rewarded for their creativity.

“The National Theatre, when fully renovated, will be able to support skills acquisition and job creation for over one million Nigerians over the next five years.

“These Nigerians will be empowered with funds at single-digit interest rate, high-level training, using state-of-the-art tools and networks that will enable them to turn their ideas into reality.

“When they are able to achieve their objective of creating a new music product, a high-quality movie, an IT software application, or a fashionable outfit, the Bankers’ Committee will work to ensure that they are able to distribute their work on a larger scale.”

Towards the realisation of this objective, he said the Bankers’ Committee intended to support the creative venture with about N25bn of initial funding.

Emefiele said the Creative Industries Financing Initiative was a critical factor behind the committee’s decision, following its annual retreat in December 2018 to set up the CIFI with a major focus on four pillars.

The pillars, he added, were music, movies, fashion and information technology.

He said its goal was to support startups and existing businesses across the four pillars, as well as foster the development of a Nigeria Creative Industries Centre in four major cities in Nigeria.

While speaking at the event, Mohammed said it was the first time the facility was going through rehabilitation in 40 years.

Sanwo-Olu also assured the bankers of the state’s support toward realising the set objectives.

The Yobe State Board of Internal Revenue has implemented a 10 per cent relief on all tax assessments for 2019 and 2020 for residents and corporate organisations in the state.

It explained that the gesture was to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the beneficiaries.

A statement dated July 9, 2020, and signed by the Secretary/Legal Adviser to the Board, Rakiya Muktar, which was made available to our correspondent on Sunday in Abuja, explained that the reduction was with effect from September 30, 2020.

It, however, added that only individuals and enterprises that pay within stipulated time would enjoy the tax relief.

“On June 18, 2020, the Yobe State House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation, in consultation with the Ministry of Budget and Planning and the State Board of Internal Revenue, reduced the expected revenue from all individuals and enterprises in the state by 10 per cent as relief to cushion the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Muktar stated.

She appealed to the media, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to sensitise taxpayers on the structure of the tax compliance relief programme between now and the commencement date so as to take advantage of the reduction.

Billionaire oil magnate, Prince Arthur Eze, has said it will take God for an Igbo man to become Nigeria’s President.

According to him, the Igbo people do not love another and are not united.

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Eze advised the Ndigbo not to crave for a President of Igbo extraction but a President who would champion their interest irrespective of his tribe.

He spoke to journalists in Ukpo, Anambra State, on Sunday, during a church service.

He declared that he would support a good leader as Nigerian President irrespective of the person’s ethnic group.

Eze said, “For the Igbo to be President, they must love themselves. Do they love themselves? The North is very kind. If you go to northern Nigerian, you will see churches everywhere. There are churches in Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, Abuja and others yet they say there is hatred. Do we (Igbo) love ourselves?

“Only God can make an Igbo man President. We shall pray to God to find an Igbo man who has character to help people. I would prefer someone who has conscience; somebody who will remember me. I don’t care where you come from.

“I went to the North, they didn’t know who I was. They gave me $12m for the construction of Kano TV in 1980. I didn’t have one naira then. It was the same thing in Katsina, Borno and Kaduna. Then, they put me in oil business. They didn’t care where I came from. Tell me any Igbo man who can do that?”

The All Progressives Congress in the Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State has reportedly expelled the lawmaker from the area, Mr Success Torukerijoh.

Torukerijoh is a member of the state House of Assembly and one of the nine lawmakers opposed to the impeachment of the state deputy governor, Mr Agboola Ajayi.

The development was confirmed by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Donald Ojogo, who is also a chieftain of the party in the local government.

When contacted on the matter, Ojogo simply said the information is “correct.”

Torukerijoh was said to have been expelled for being involved in anti-party activities and the action was taken during the meeting of the leaders of the party held at Igbekebo, the headquarters of the local government, on Sunday.

According to a source, the motion for the expulsion of the embattled lawmaker was moved and duly seconded at the meeting.

Efforts to reach the lawmaker on the telephone were unsuccessfully as his telephone line indicated that it was switched off as of the time of filing this report.

Aside the lawmaker’s expulsion, the APC leaders at the meeting also insisted that the deputy governor must resign his position since he had dumped the party.

Meanwhile, Torhukerhijoh has described his expulsion from the APC in his local government as illegal and embarrassing.

He said the news of his expulsion showed clearly that the leadership of the party had run out of any iota of decency.

The lawmaker stated, “My refusal to sign the impeachment process of the Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, represents the popular wishes of the greatest number of my constituents.

Diri canvasses improved primary healthcare
“This harassment and intimidation by the Speaker, David Oloyeogun, to force me to sign against my conscience and conviction shows the desperation and agony of a ‘Fortunate Fool’.

“I’m not oblivious of the backing of Mr Governor in all of these clandestine moves to conscript my humble self to sign at all cost and by all means. Let me reiterate my commitment to holding on to this noble cause. I remain focused.”

Africa’s most iconic literary maestro and one of the world’s most influential citizens is 86 today. With his ageless physique, it is almost difficult to acknowledge that our own Oluwole Akinwande Soyinka, affectionately called KONGI by his numerous admirers, is 86! Even though 86 might not be a remarkable milestone, it was in 1986 that the Nobel Prize came, hence the reason for this remarkable reckoning and why it’s worthy of celebration.

For me, WS is not the unfathomable mystery that many perceive from a distance and he is not the mythological pantheon that exists in the realm of the gods in the imagination of many. He is a mentor, a role model and a thought-leader with whom I have had the rare privilege of sharing a great moment of significant historic importance in my life.

Even though I had known Prof. Wole Soyinka since my days in Nigeria as a young man before I left for the UK, our path crossed in 1994 while I was living in the UK, shortly after the completion of my doctorate degree. My familiarity with WS however preceded our opportune encounter. My first interaction with him was in his memoir, The Man Died, which I first struggled to grasp in 1975. While the motif of the book was a seductive topic of interest, the inscrutably elevated language and discursive point of view of the book made it a hard nut for me as a 10-year-old. Since then, I have not only read all his other writings I have come across, I have gobbled them with obsessive enthusiasm. His writings and public advocacy for good governance, social justice, democracy and freedom had always made him a distant godfather and constant mentor whose association I had deeply coveted.

An opportunity happily came my way in 1994, when Prof. Soyinka who had become familiar with my work as a democracy activist in the UK through the New Nigeria Forum and its journal, Nigeria Now, which I edited, and through my friendship with his son, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka, invited me to be part of the newly established National Liberation Council of Nigeria (NALICON) as Director of Communications.

Even though my initial attitude to the NALICON was mixed, I jumped at the rare opportunity to work closely with Africa’s only Nobel laureate in literature. I had reasoned that his international reputation, connection and clout would greatly enhance our struggle for the return of democratic order in Nigeria. And I reasoned right! As I indicated in my memoir of the exile years, “I came close to being labelled a passionate enthusiast and defender of the Soyinka mystique, especially having shared his worldview of the Nigerian struggle as one between authoritarianism and democracy, and not purely an ideological fixation between socialism and capitalism” (Fayemi, 2005:210). Throughout his living in exile in the 1990s, I worked closely with him on numerous projects – the most popular of which was the Radio Freedom and Radio Kudirat initiative.

There is no doubt that I have always shared an ecumenical ideology and kindred spirit with Kongi. His natural spur to resist oppression, instinctive spontaneity to defy authoritarianism and his impregnable commitment to civil liberty makes him my natural ideological mentor. In both the youthful and sagely Soyinka, has been a consistent resurgence against brutality and inordinate absolutism. As he often opines, “justice is the first condition of humanity”. His resentment against state terror and abuse of power burns like the inferno of the mythical hade.

For WS, humanity and its happiness are the tunnels through which he travels his mind in the visualisation of social problems. Anything that denies man his inalienable rights is, for Soyinka, an abhorrent act that must be condemned in the strongest terms. He is predictably obdurate and conscientiously unapologetic for his repetitive fidelity to the triumph of human freedom, primacy of his liberty and elevation of his essence as the sole creed that all gods must serve.

His temperament rejects every iota of practices that suborn human happiness. Even in his old age, he continues to prick the conscience of the nation with penetrating homilies that poke a revelatory finger in the nose of public decadence. WS is that bitter remedy that purges a poisoned belly of its troubling constipation. His corrective words are like the surgical knife that cuts out the malignance of a petulant lesion.

He is classical in all aspects of his artistry. For some and for his obscurantism, he is the African Homer; some others say he is the ultimate Aristophanes; some even think he is the rebirth of Socrates and not just for the accident of initials, WS is our own William Shakespeare and John Milton rolled together. He is the agglutination of literary reincarnation of the best that history can recall. He is WS and he is incomparable with any other.

Like his ancestral forebears, WS untiringly rages against the foibles of governmental chieftains and their foreboding delinquencies. He has spoken vehemently against the cowardice of intellectual ambiguity that continues to indulge veneer characters in public places. For him, no space must be yielded to the debauchers who gorge the nation’s wealth and fritter its assets in the realisation of their gluttonous hedonism.

Soyinka is impatient with the loud silence that punctuates clear cases that should strike a thunder of a mass anger. For him, until the obscurity of silence gives way to visibility of voices, any unexplained configuration about the existence of Nigeria will remain an empty indoctrination that serves the hypocritical cowardice of the nation’s power barons.

Soyinka is a patriot who has used his innate talent to serve humanity at every opportunity. His radical posture has come handy in dangerous times when only men of sterner stuff could stand. In 1967, he was imprisoned because of his audacious antagonism to the genocidal assault that the civil war represented. Before then, he had intruded a radio station in Ibadan in 1965 to frustrate the broadcast of an electoral heist that was meant to entrench an unpopular government. The “Man” lives in Soyinka like the ageless Olumo Rock. His stout courage, broad repository and undeniable conviction radiate his writing in plays, fictions, poetry, essays and public interventions. He uses the power of words to carry out corrective surgery and as a righting atonement for the transgressed.

When he chooses his object for critical scrutiny, he deploys the elegance of humour and the pettiness of satire to disrobe the social psychopaths wherever they might be.

Soyinka is spiritual but not religious, ideological but not bigoted; for, he could not submit his intellect to the whimsical machinations of another being. He acknowledges, as he found out through his teacher, Bonany Dombree, that all spirituality sprouts from the relationship between nature and man and that the quest to create a meaning for its inscrutable foundation gave expression to the concept of deity. Thus, Soyinka’s spirituality is in the primacy of humanity and the pursuit of universal egalitarianism; this, I think, is the basis upon which his ideas of the ideal are anchored. No wonder he remains a respectable voice for human advancement in the global arena.

Even though Prof. has been an unsuccessful politician in the narrow manner success in politics is defined, his contribution to the political development of Nigeria is undeniable and inspiring. Apart from constantly being in the trenches for the enthronement of democracy and rule of law, he has floated a political party in the past to advocate a set of political ideas that he believed could provide an alternative answer. More importantly, Soyinka has been one of the public moral giants who continue to point the nation to the path of rectitude in politics, constitutionalism, justice, equality and good governance. His life has been a watershed and a blessing in every aspect.

On behalf of my wife – Bisi who adores him – the Government and the good people of Ekiti State, this is wishing the iconic Nobel laureate, an esteemed mentor and a humanist extraordinaire, a Happy 86th Birthday!

Long live, Eniogun. Long live Prof!

Dr. Fayemi, CON
Governor of Ekiti State

Amid sustained bargain-hunting, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), extended its winning streak to the second consecutive trading yesterday, as market capitalisation gained additional N94 billion.

Specifically, the All Share Index (ASI) increased by 180.59 absolute points or 0.75 per cent to close at 24,278.07 points. Similarly, the market capitalisation garnered N94 billion to close at N12.665 trillion.

The uptrend was impacted by gains recorded in large and medium capitalised stocks including Julius Berger, Guaranty Trust Bank, Lafarge Africa, Okomu Oil, and Zenith Bank.

On the market performance, analysts at Afrinvest Limited, said: “Although we expect some profit-taking in the next session, low prices of fundamentally-sound stocks are attractive.”

Market breadth closed positive, with 25 gainers versus eight losers. Lafarge Africa recorded the highest price gain of 10 per cent to close at N11 per share.

Julius Berger followed with 9.90 per cent to close at N17.20, and Linkage Assurance rose 9.30 per cent to close at 47 kobo, per share.
Regency Alliance Insurance garnered 9.09 per cent to close at 24 kobo, and Red Star Express edged up 8.90 per cent to close at N3.55, per share.
On the other hand, Berger Paints led the losers’ chart by 9.63 per cent to close at N6.10 per share.

Caverton Offshore Support Group followed with 4.40 per cent fall to close at N1.74, while Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) lost 4.17 per cent to close at N4.60, per share.

Flour Mills of Nigeria dipped 2.70 per cent to close at N18.00, while Oando shed 2.17 per cent each to close at N2.25, per share.The total volume traded rose by 49.56 per cent to 232.609 million shares worth N4.698 billion, traded in 3,523 deals. Transactions in the shares of Fidelity Bank topped the activity chart with 37.950 million shares valued at N67.225 million.

MTN Communications Nigeria followed with 27.97 million shares worth N3.218 billion, and Lafarge Africa traded 23.060 million shares at N250.494 million.

Guaranty Trust Bank traded 18.171 million shares valued at N403.612 million, while Zenith Bank transacted 16.776 million shares worth N276.416 million.

A media aide has said the suspended boss of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Ibrahim Magu never gave N4 billion to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Laolu Akande said the reports that Osinbajo ordered Magu to give him the money from the recovered looted funds were “lies”.

“These are totally false and baseless fabrications purporting to reflect goings-on at the Probe Panel investigating Mr Ibrahim Magu,” Akande said in a statement on Wednesday. “They are indeed completely absurd in every respect.”

Magu is being questioned by a presidential panel for allegedly cornering properties recovered from corrupt officials.

The questioning comes after Nigeria’s attorney general in June sent a memo to President Muhammadu Buhari detailing a raft of allegations against Magu that were leaked to the press.

The attorney general accused the anti-graft head of selling off assets recovered during corruption investigations and of “insubordination”.

Critics said the moves aimed at getting rid of Magu and part of a tussle for control at the top of Nigeria’s notoriously opaque elite.

Pointblanknews.com, owned by government critic Jackson Ude, claimed that Osinbajo ordered Magu to release the funds “very day the president left the country for the United Kingdom on medical treatment.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has travelled to the United Kingdom for medical care more than once.

The first medical trip to London, on June 6, 2016, which lasted for 10 days, was over an ear infection, while the second lasted 51 days for an undisclosed ailment. He was away for 104 days, from May 8, 2017, till August 19, 2017, for his third medical trip to the UK.

On September 21, he left from the US to the UK for the fourth medical trip and returned to Nigeria on September 25, 2017.

In his fifth medical trip to London, Buhari was from May 8, 2018, and he returned on May 11.

The report by Pointblank News did not say when Osinbajo supposedly gave the order.

“Such mindless, vicious and reckless publications have now become the preferred tool of unscrupulous and reprobate elements in our society who are procured with monetary inducement to peddle blatant falsehood, tarnish the image of upright public officials and mislead unsuspecting Nigerians,” Akande said.

The Nigerian Army has graduated 1,151 special forces comprising of nine officers and 1,142 soldiers from its School of Infantry (NASI) Jaji, Kaduna State, to combat insurgency and banditry.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai presided over the graduation ceremony on Wednesday in Jaji, Kaduna.

Lessons from Army court martial
Buratai said the training was borne out of the need to tackle insurgency and banditry activities in the Northeast and Northwest regions.

He said that the graduation of the soldiers was a pointer to the fact that they had a big task ahead of troops, noting that whatever they had encountered during the training more should be expected at the frontlines.

Buratai urged the graduating special forces to put what they had learnt to practice on the battlefields to restore peace in the affected areas.

According to him, the training is not only in physical fitness but also on mental alertness, endurance and intellectual capacity to enable them to overcome physical and mental stress.

“We expect nothing less than the best once you are deployed in operations.

“We still have challenges across the country and we expect you to play a very serious role in stabilising the situation, but I must be quick to say that what we are having is nothing compared to you in terms of training and equipment.

“We have very good welfare packages for all of you and all men of the Nigerian Army and the government is doing whatever it can to improve your welfare both in the field and in the barracks.

“So you have no option than to put in your best, continue to sever your country loyalty and diligence as well as all the commitment it deserves.

“We want you to be the force that would bring these adversaries and criminals across the country on their knees,” he said, adding that your skills would be an edge over the enemies.

Buratai cautioned the troops against indiscipline and inordinate use of social media in their operations, reminding them of their allegiance to serve the country with their lives.

The COAS further announced a special promotion to all the soldiers that participated in the training to the next rank.

Also speaking, the Commandant of NASI, Maj.-Gen. Kelvin Aligbe, said the graduation of the trainees was a climax of a 12-week of special forces training, as part of interventions by COAS to end insecurity in the country.

Aligbe said the training, facilitated through a partnership with an international firm, covered aspects of close contact combats, camouflage, unexpected incident operations and extraction under fire.

The special forces were also exposed to first aid, intelligence and surveillance skills, amongst others.

He said the various levels so far attained from the training would be followed up by a consolidated training on selected aspects of counter-insurgency packages to be delivered by the cyber warfare wing of NASI.

According to him, in all aspects of the training, the graduating special forces acquainted themselves as worthy mission capable teams.

The commandant lauded Buratai for his commitment to manpower development of the Nigerian army personnel towards optimal performance. (NAN)

Doctors in Cross River State have suspended the withdrawal of services across hospitals in the state.

The withdrawal of services was announced last Sunday.

The Nigerian Medical Association, Cross River State branch, announced the suspension of the strike in a statement signed by the Chairman, Dr. Agam Ayuk, and Secretary, Dr. Epoke Ezoke.

The statement, titled, ‘Communinique issued by the Nigerian Medical Association, Cross River State’, was issued after an emergency general meeting on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, to appraise the issues that led to the withdrawal of medical services by the association.

“We are most grateful to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha and the Honourable Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Enahire, for the timely 17-member delegation from the Presidential Task Force (PTF) and Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) led by the Executive Director/CEO National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib that arrived Calabar on 6th July 2020, to set up a COVID-19 response strategy in Cross River State that will align with the national response.

“We deeply appreciate the Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu for the activation of two (2) COVID-19 Test Centres at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and Lawrence Henshaw Memorial Hospital, Calabar.

“We also appreciate the NMA President, Prof. I.A.O. Ujah, the National Officers’ Committee and members of NMA for their support to NMA Cross River State,” the statement read in part.

The association said it welcomes the official recognition of the five COVID-19 confirmed cases from the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital by the NCDC which had resolved the lingering uncertainties negatively impacting public health and safety and had provided clarity to the COVID-19 status of Cross River State and the required response strategy.

It said, “We enjoin the Cross River State Government to keep to the resolutions of the meeting held between PTF/FMOH COVID-19 delegation, Nigerian Medical Association – Cross River State branch and the Cross River State Ministry of Health signed on July 7, 2020.

“The association hereby suspends the total and indefinite withdrawal of medical services in all public and private hospitals in Cross River State with effect from today, 7th July 2020.

“We appeal to citizens of Cross River State to follow the NCDC guidelines on infection prevention and control while reinforcing our commitment to working with the Federal and State governments to contain the spread of COVID-19.”

National Chairman of the ADP, Yabagi Sani, made this appeal on behalf of the party at a media briefing, in Abuja, on Wednesday.

This is as the Justice Ayo Salami-led presidential panel investigating the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, continued sitting on Wednesday.

On the ongoing probe of Magu, the ADP national chairman said, “We observe with excitement what is happening in EFCC because the suspended acting chairman is being investigated.

“We call for a thorough investigation of more people in the ruling party and some of the appointees in the administration. It is not only Magu that should be investigated. We want the government to go a step further by investigating some known APC leaders who have been indicted for corruption at different levels.”

Sani also denied reports that some members of the ADP defected to the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the September 19 governorship election in Edo State.

He said, “We are ready in Edo State and all our structures are intact. We implore Nigerians to disregard some political jobbers who are not registered with our party but claimed to have defected to the PDP. These charlatans are never members of our great party ab initio.”

The Police Service Commission has dismissed 10 senior police officers and demoted eight others for misconduct.

The commission took the decision at its 8th plenary meeting which spanned three weeks and ended last Wednesday during which it also approved the promotion of 6,618 senior police officers, including a Deputy Inspector-General of Police.

Those dismissed include one Superintendent of Police, five Deputy Superintendents of Police and four Assistant Superintendents of Police.

The PSC, according to a statement in Abuja on Monday by its spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, also demoted a Deputy Commissioner of Police, a Chief Superintendent of Police, four SPs, one DSP and ASP.

It said, “The commission also approved the punishment of severe reprimand for 16 officers, reprimand for 13 and letters of warning to four others. Two officers are to receive letters of advice while 11 were exonerated.”

A few hours after the resignation of Mr Sunday Abegunde, as Secretary to the Ondo State Government, the governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, appointed Mr Tayo Oluwatuyi, as replacement.

Akeredolu announced Oluwatuyi at the weekly media briefing in Akure, the state capital on Monday.

Abegunde had resigned through a letter which partly read, “I, Hon. Ifedayo Sunday Abegunde, the Secretary to the State Government of Ondo State hereby tender my letter of resignation.

“I want to thank Mr Governor for giving me the opportunity to serve the Government and people of Ondo State.”

However, Abegunde later granted an interview in Yoruba language on Crest FM, during which he said he resigned from office because of the ill-treatment meted out to him by the governor.

He said, “I suffered in his (Akeredolu) administration because he didn’t release any fund to my office. He has been telling lies that he was giving me N5m every month even when he knew he didn’t give me such money.

“Akeredolu didn’t win the election in 2016 but we made it possible for him to become governor. We were the pillars behind him and we will not support him again. He will lose this time around.”

Abegunde, a two-term member of the House of Representatives further said that he resigned because he could no longer be part of a government that made its subjects to pass through hardship.

He said, “The Akeredolu’s administration is making the entire people of the state to suffer and I cannot be part of that any longer. ”

The Ondo State Commissioner, Mr Donald Ojogo, in his reaction, said, “ We make bold to say that there can’t be a better reaction than the fact that the man talking has since been replaced with immediate effect. This means he has not been missed and shall not be missed at all. So we wont join issues with the former SSG.”

The Nigerian Army has flagged off ‘Exercise Sahel Sanity’ to mitigate the current spate of banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling and other related crimes bedeviling Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna and Niger states.

Launched in Faskari, one of the front line LGAs of Katsina state, the exercise which is aimed at restoring peace in the regions is expected to metamorphose into real time operation.

Speaking during the official flag off of ceremony on Monday, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai announced that the exercise is carefully designed to plush out armed bandits, terrorist groups and other criminal elements hibernating in the forests of Dumburum, Gando, Subobo and Kagara in Katsina, Zamfara and parts of Sokoto states.

544 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria;

Lagos-199
Ebonyi-65
Oyo-47
Ondo-46
Ogun-31
Edo-30
FCT-28
Katsina-25
Plateau-15
Bayelsa-11
Kaduna-10
Adamawa-10
Akwa Ibom-8
Gombe-7
Kano-4
Taraba-3
Rivers-2
Abia-2
Ekiti-1

28,711 confirmed
11,665 discharged
645 deaths

Highlights

On the 5th of July 2020, 544 new confirmed cases and 11 deaths were recorded in Nigeria
No new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours.
Till date, 28711 cases have been confirmed, 11665 cases have been discharged and 645 deaths have been recorded in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory

The 544 new cases are reported from 19 states- Lagos(199), Ebonyi(65),Oyo(47), Ondo(46), Ogun(31), Edo(30), FCT(28), Katsina(25), Plateau(15), Bayelsa(11), Kaduna(10), Adamawa(10), Akwa Ibom (, Gombe(7), Kano(4), Taraba(3), Rivers(2), Abia(2), Ekiti(1)

Madagascar has placed its capital Antananarivo under a fresh lockdown following a new surge in coronavirus infections, two months after the restrictions were eased, the presidency announced Sunday.

“The Analamanga region (under which the capital is situated) is returning to full lockdown,” the presidency said in a statement.

No traffic will be allowed in or out of the region starting Monday until July 20.

A strict curfew will be imposed on street movement by people.

“Only one person per household is allowed to go out into the street between 6:00 am (0400 GMT) and 12:00 pm (1000 GMT),” said the statement.

The measures have been taken “because of the spread of the epidemic and the increase of COVID-19 cases,” it added.

Used to registering dozens of coronavirus cases a day, Madagascar has in recent days seen an exponential rise in daily numbers, jumping to a record 216 cases on Saturday.

The latest tally came after 675 people were tested.

Nearly 24,000 tests have so far been conducted on the impoverished island.

By Sunday the country had a cumulative 2,728 cases, including 29 deaths since the virus was first detected on the Indian ocean island on March 20.

All government meetings will now be held via video conferencing, while court hearings have been suspended.

In April, President Andry Rajoelina launched a local herbal concoction he claimed prevents and cures the novel coronavirus.

Rajoelina has been promoting the brew for export, saying it is the country’s “green gold” which will “change history”.

The potential benefits of Covid-Organics, a tonic derived from artemisia — a plant with proven efficacy in malaria treatment — and other indigenous herbs, have not been validated by any scientific study.

The Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of using anti-graft agencies under its control to victimise some of its members.

The PDP stated this while in a sequel to APC’s call that anti-corruption agencies probe some top members of the PDP over their alleged links with alleged international fraudster, Raymond Abbas, aka Hushpuppi.

This was contained in a statement signed by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, and entitled, “Hushpuppi: APC Is Irresponsible, Reckless…Says Fabrication Exposes APC’s Victimization Agenda”.

The party said the allegations were “as reckless, irresponsible and further exposes the victimisation agenda of the APC”.

Ologbondiyan stated, “The fabrications have also further exposed how the APC administration has been using agencies under its control to frame innocent opposition members, dissenting voices, rival political parties and perceived opponents of the government on trumped-up charges under the guise of fighting corruption.

“The PDP states that the desperate bid to frame innocent Nigerians who are not in any way involved with Hushpuppi, even after a very broad investigation by prominent investigators including the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation, leaves no one in doubt that APC government has been victimizing opposition members with fabricated charges.”

The PDP noted that the call for the probe of some of the party members including former House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; and former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, amongst others seen hobnobbing with Hushpuppi in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates was “part of a heinous design by certain power mongers close to the APC administration to commence a fresh clampdown on perceived political rivals within and outside the opposition circles, ahead of the 2023 general election.”

“Nigerians should not be surprised when the APC will begin to list the names of innocent political leaders, including those who are now being persecuted in their party, on trumped-up charges, for political interests.

“While our party has no link whatsoever with Hushpuppi, as the APC also acknowledged, Nigerians are aware that his pictures with some prominent Nigerians, such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, which the APC is frenzied about, do not suggest any affinity beyond the usual jostling by people, world over, to be photographed with leaders,” the PDP added.

President Muhmmadu Buhari has said Saturday’s attack on a United Nations’ (UN) helicopter in the northeastern part of the country, killing two persons, including a five year old, would be avenged.

The UN had reported that the one of its Humanitarian Air Service helicopter was shot at by the Boko Haram terror group during an attack around Damasak in Borno State on Saturday.

The President, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, described the attack as cowardly, vowing that it would be repaid with a heavy consequence.

Condemning the incidence, the President said the latest act by the terror group was carried to camouflage its dwindling strength, assuring both the international community, as well as Nigerians, that security of lives and property remained his administration’s top priority.

In the reaction, President Buhari condemned “the dastardly attack on UN aid helicopter in the Northeast on Saturday by the Boko Haram terrorists.”

“This latest cowardly attack on the UN humanitarian helicopter is yet another desperate rear guard action by the Boko Haram terrorists who have been under intense pressure from the Nigerian military.

“Let me reassure the international community and Nigerians that this latest cowardly attack on a UN helicopter which claimed the lives of two people, including a five year old baby, would not go without severe consequences.

“Boko Haram terrorists are clearly on the back foot and their increasing attacks on innocent civilians, including UN humanitarian workers, was part of their desperation to prove that they are strong in order to cover up their dwindling fortunes.

“The security of foreigners and Nigerians remain the top priority of this administration, and we shall leave no stone unturned until we eliminate these remorseless enemies of humanity”, the President said.

The President also underscored the need for all humanitarian and other aid workers in the region to, at all times, properly coordinate movements — air or land, with the Theatre Commander and other military authorities.

onyotakom:


Thank God I have a companion �

Following the announcement by the Lagos State government that Alimosho is one of the Local government areas with the highest burden of coronavirus in Nigeria, Beulah World Initiative (BWI), a Non-Governmental Organisation with a focus on the emancipation of the underprivileged in the society, weekend stepped up its outreach programme on the highly infectious COVID-19 pandemic with a visit to Idimu in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The enlightenment programme tagged: ‘Surviving the COVID-19 Pandemic’, drew participants from many households in the community, who were educated on the genesis of the disease, how people could contract it, ways to prevent being infected, among others.

Speaking during the outreach programme, the Founder of BWI, Ms. Chinyere Ononiwu, who noted that the vision of the was to ameliorate the plights of disadvantaged communities in Africa, with Nigeria as the starting point encouraged the participants, who were predominantly widows, to have hope of a better tomorrow.

[b]“Losing your husband is not the end of life; you must remain positive-minded and believe that the best is yet to come,” [/b]she added.

On her part, a health worker, Deaconess Abigail Egharevba, spoke on what to do to strengthen an individual’s immunity against coronavirus.

BWI, after the presentations, gave out food products to participants as a token of support to cushion the effect of lockdown occasioned by coronavirus disease.

One of the beneficiaries, Elizabeth Abudu, said: “I now have more knowledge concerning COVID-19 and a lot of preventive measures to be taken. I appreciate,” she enthused.

Another participant, Adaeze Chioma Anthony, stated, “l am one of the widows that benefitted from this NGO, and l want to thank God for the opportunity and the NGO for taking out time to enlighten us and also bless us.

We had enlightenment on how to prevent COVID 19, and l have more knowledge about COVID 19 now. We had a lot of examples to help us live our normal life without being infected. Once again, l wants to appreciate the NGO that organised this programme. To God alone be all the glory for making it a success.”