VeryConcern

Doyin Okupe, a former spokesperson on Public Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has hinted that the North may rule Nigeria forever. Okupe explained that the inability of states in the South to unite irrespective of their differences, presents the North the opportunity to rule Nigeria “for perpetuity.” He stated this in reaction to the Acting Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Musa Liman Kwande, that Northerners would vote for a presidential candidate from the region in 2023. In a post on his Facebook page, the former Presidential spokesperson noted that lack of unity among Southern politicians would create a platform for the North to continue ruling Nigeria. Okupe wrote: “The Chairman of the Arewa Forum recently declared that in 2023 the North will vote for a Northern candidate irrespective of political party considerations. Many southerners are upset at this audacity and blame it on the failure of southern politicians to form a political united fron...

MTN Nigeria Plc announced that Nigeria has become the first country in West Africa to try 5G technology and applications. It was the outcome of a collaboration between the Ministry of Communications Technology and Digital Economy, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), MTN and Huawei (Abuja), ZTE (Calabar) and Ericsson (Lagos.) MTN said it was honoured to host the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami; the Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, and the Chairman, the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Garba Danbatta; House of Representatives, Committee on Communications, Honourable Akeem Adeyemi at the launch event, without whom the demo would not have been possible. “This immersive demo and experience will travel across three Nigerian cities to showcase the capabilities of 5G and its potential to enable economic growth, and social inclusion”, the statement added. ...

Ahead of the yuletide celebrations, the Federal Government has commenced plans to fix major arterial roads across the country to ease the plight of road users. In continuation of the plan, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has met with the major stakeholders in the implementation of the Ministry’s plan. The meeting according to a statement signed by the Ministry’s Deputy Director of Press, Stephen Kilebi, was aimed at reviewing the state of all on-going construction and rehabilitation work on the major arterial roads with a view to facilitate ease of movement during the Yuletide season. In attendance at the meeting were: the Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Corp, Oyeyemi Boboye, officials of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Directors of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, State Controllers of Works and Housing, Contractors for some ongoing road projects across the six geopolitical zones of the country. Fashola noted that the...

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said it dismissed 62 of its personnel in 2019. The FRSC corps marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, said this on friday in  Abuja on efforts to rid the corps of corruption. “These consist of 14 officers and 48 marshals with several others receiving various degrees of punishment in accordance with the provisions of the FRSC regulations on discipline,” he said He said the collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the State Security Service (SSS) has led to the investigation of 172 officials. “I wish to use this opportunity to urge members of the public not to hesitate to report any wrongdoing by the FRSC personnel for proper disciplinary actions, as the corps will not condone bribery and corruption from any of its personnel,” Mr Oyeyemi said. He said the agency will not condone bribery and corruption within its ranks. According to him, FRSC is the first government agency to collaborate...

Manchester City take on Chelsea at the Etihad this evening as both sides will fight each other to get close to league-leaders Liverpool. Chelsea and City are separated by just a point as the former have 26 points while the latter have 25. Liverpool are running away with the league with 34 points from 12 games and after this match, at least one team could be far behind the Reds (if they win their match). With that in mind, here are the three things to look forward to from this encounter between the Sky Blues and the Blues: 3. Stopping Kevin De Bruyne Key for Chelsea Kevin De Bruyne is at his best right now and we are all aware of what he is capable of when he is in such form. He has started nine times for the Citizens so far this season and has provided nine assists in the campaign. Against Chelsea, he will be against a side that might have the momentum with them but are definitely weak in defence. Only Burnley have conceded more goals than the Londoners among the ...

An 18-year-old Nigerian, Peter Arotiba, from Kogi State, has been awarded the National Distinction and Merit Award by the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) for emerging overall best student in the 2018 examinations. Arotiba, who is currently studying Medicine and Surgery at the University of Ibadan, graduated from the Nigeria Air Force Secondary School, Ikeja, Lagos State. He was recognised alongside two others at the opening of the 57th Annual Meeting of the Nigeria National Committee (NNC) of WAEC, in Abuja on Thursday. Newsmen report that Arotiba had obtained distinction in all the eight subjects offered in the 2018 West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). Speaking with journalists after the awards presentation, Arotiba said that achieving success was a function of so many factors, the chief of which was God’s grace and hard work. “A lot of heroes, who have participated in building me up to who I am today, instilled the spirit of excellenc...

The Senate on Wednesday passed the Social Media into second reading as the lawmakers proposed three years imprisonment for the offenders. The bill is seeking protection from internet falsehood and manipulations. Leading debate on the bill, Senator Mohammed Sani stated that as much as the internet has numerous benefits, it is also used for the purpose of manipulating information and spreading falsehoods. He noted that state and non-state actors engaged in geopolitical interests and identity politics, use internet falsehood to discredit governments, misinform people and turn one group against another. Sani said: “The bill is a 36-clause legislative proposal. “It clearly provides for the prevention of broadcast of falsehood and manipulative content using internet and its intermediaries for transmission. “It prescribes sanctions to offenders with a view to deference. “The penalties for defaulters range from fines up to N300,000 for individuals up to N10 million for others...

A couple in Brazil was greeted by the sweetest and most unexpected smile from their newborn baby. The moment the couple held their precious baby, she instantly began to smile as she heard her father’s voice. The couple was ecstatic as the moment was captured on camera. Flávio Dantas and Tarsila Batista are the proud parents of Antonella, the smiling baby. According to healthylifeboxx, Flávio made a daily effort to talk to their daughter even when Tarsila was just pregnant. Every morning before Tarsila would go for work, Flávio always made time to talk to their baby. While stroking Tarsila’s belly, he would tell his baby that he would always be there for her. As per the report, the couple said that every time they talked, they saw the reactions of their unborn daughter. They said she would always start to kick and move around. Their daughter, Antonella was born at Marcílio Dias Naval Hospital in Rio de Janeiro. When the nurses handed Antonella to her parents, she gave the ...

So it has happened. The dominoes were building up to this the moment Tottenham reached the final of the Champions League. With that squad and that budget, it was their pinnacle in terms of achievements in the last four years. Since then, the dominoes kept falling one after the other and things came crashing down for Mauricio Pochettino as he got sacked. Spurs' greatest manager of the modern era couldn’t survive a string of bad results, which just goes to show what a dangerous world this has become to live in. READ ALSO :  Saha Reveals Why Ruud van Nistelrooy Made Cristiano Ronaldo Cry Tottenham have now brought in Jose Mourinho as his replacement and while most people think they are going to be doomed now, here are three reasons why that won’t be the case… 3. Tottenham Is His Type of Club Jose Mourinho might give the aura that he is a top club manager but the truth is that he has been more successful at not-so-top clubs. For instance, he won the Champions League...

Nigeria Ultimate fighting Championship middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, says more Nigerias will come into the sport and dominate the UFC in the future. Adesanya noted that there are lots of talents in the country, enough to take over the UFC and he is hoping he can do his part by opening a gyms in the country to breed more talents. “(Usman) Kamaru was the first, I was second, there are lots more coming. Guys like Sodiq (Yusuff), first time I watched him fight was in Adelaide, I was cage side and he was hitting his opponent with body shots and I could hear it from outside the cage. “In his last fight he showed fortitude because he got hit a lot. I’m telling you there’s a few more coming, and I really want to open a chain of UFC gyms there (Nigeria). There are currently four Nigerians in the UFC with two of them, (Kamaru and Adesanya) already world champions. Others are, Sodiq Yusuff and newcomer, Kennedy Nzechukwu.

​Tottenham have officially confirmed former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho as their new head coach on a three and a half year deal, replacing the departed Mauricio Pochettino. Pochettino was sacked on Tuesday evening following a poor run of results that began in early 2019, although that run did coincide with Spurs' remarkable journey to the Champions League final. Mourinho was immediately heavily linked with the vacant post following Pochettino's sacking, with ​multiple outlets confirming the 56-year-old as one of the main candidates for the role, and ​Tottenham have now confirmed the appointment. The former United and Blues boss said in a club statement: "I am excited to be joining a Club with such a great heritage and such passionate supporters. The quality in both the squad and the academy excites me. Working with these players is what has attracted me.” Chairman Daniel Levy added: “In Jose we have one of the most successful mana...

Trabzonspor midfielder Mikel Obi has labelled Real Madrid playmaker a lazy player. Mikel who won the Champions League, the Europa League, the Premier League twice and three FA Cups during his 11 years at Chelsea played alongside the Belgian captain for five seasons before he joined Tianjin TEDA in 2017. “Eden Hazard is the laziest player I’ve ever worked with and my favorite African footballer is Didier Drogba,” Mikel said in an interview with beIN SPORTS on Sunday. The 33-year-old also believes Senegal’s Saido Mane can win the FIFA Ballon d’Or but was quick to add that Lionel Messi is on a different level at the moment. “Mane can win the Golden Ball, but I think Messi is still on a very different level,” he replied when he was quizzed. On his decision to join Trabzonspor, the former Middlesbrough midfielder said, ”I chose this place to have a share in Trabzonspor’s successes. “Trabzonspor’s love for football and the team is indescribable. Onazi and Nwakaeme gave me u...

The Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI) and its counterpart, the National Union of Banks Insurance and Financial Institutions (NUBIFIE) told newmen at the weekend that workers in the sector would embark on an indefinite strike over failure of their employers to review the Collective Bargaining Agreement in line with extant law. READ ALSO :   Nigeria is dying says Pat Utomi Speaking at the ASSBIFI 10th Triennial National Delegates Conference held at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja, the President of the union, Oyinkansola Olasanoye said there has been a deliberate disrespect of Human Rights by some of the employers (Banks) contrary to the provision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) anchored principle three of Nigeria sustainable banking principles (July 2012). READ ALSO :  The Afolayan's family: Facts you should know We have been stretched beyond limit and we are by this meeting informing our employers and the Fe...

One of Nigeria’s foremost political economists and former presidential candidate, Professor Pat Utomi, on Saturday said that the country is gradually dying from the actions of its political class. Prof. Utomi further stated that all general elections conducted in the country since1999 have been rigged but did not name those behind the rigging. Utomi, who dropped the bombshell as the guest speaker at the 4th Convocation Ceremony of McPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Ogun State, said that Nigeria is like what the United States of America was in 1979, a country in decline. ”The world says Nigeria has lost its strategic relevance in the world. But can the youths of Nigeria embrace the spirit of enterprise and through it save their country that once was a country of great promise,” Utomi asked. Giving reasons for his position, Prof Utomi said the poverty level in the country is so alarming that citizens can feel it, and that violence has become rampant, with kidnappings in the...

Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has revealed the time when Ruud van Nistelrooy made a young ​Cristiano Ronaldo cry during a training ground row. While discussing the recent Raheem Sterling-Joe Gomez row, Saha has told the story of an argument he witnessed back in the day. "Ruud had that kind of ego: he wanted all the passes," Saha said in an interview with Four Four Two. He continued, "And sometimes, for the development of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, it was difficult for the manager to deal with." Revealing whether Van Nistelrooy made Ronaldo cry, Saha said, "Did Ruud make Ronaldo cry? Yeah, there were stories because I think they ended up in an argument at the moment when Cristiano's father had passed away, so it wasn't the right moment." He concluded, "Things like that happen when two players have lots of spirit, but I'm sure Ruud regrets some of his words." Ronaldo's father, Jo...

​The ​Premier League have officially confirmed the opening and closing dates and times of the January  transfer window during which clubs can conduct their business. The window will open on Wednesday 1 January and close at 23:00 UK time (4:30am India time) on Friday 31 January 2020. Furthermore, it has also been confirmed that Premier League clubs will be given an extension to finalise their 25-man squad for the second half of the campaign. Premier League's official website reveal that under normal circumstances, clubs need to register their final squad for the rest of the campaign the day after the  January transfer window closes, but because Deadline Day is the day before a round of Premier League fixtures, the deadline for submission of final squad lists will be on Wednesday 5 February 2020. The Premier League statement said, "New players signed on 1-2 January will not be eligible for Matchweek 21, but they can be made available for the following Matchwe...

Footballing legend Pele gave an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport to mark the 50th anniversary of his 1,000th goal which was scored for Santos against Vasco de Gama at the Maracana. The 79-year-old great spoke on a variety of topics including his health issues, the toughest defender he has ever faced and who among ​Juventus hitman ​Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi or Neymar he would have loved to play with, and he had no doubts in picking the Barcelona legend. As reported by ​AS, Pele, who suffered kidney problems, a urinary tract infection and a hip operation in recent years, spoke about his health issues first as he said, "Although I’ve got a few aches and pains I feel good, but it is like God is asking me for the bill." He then moved on to reveal who was the hardest opponent he had ever faced in his career and he replied, "(Giovanni) Trapattoni was the best defender I ever came across, he was relentless and precise. He wasn’t like the English and...

It is that time of the year when most football fans focus on the Ballon d’Or. In about three weeks, the best player of the year will be awarded the Ballon d’Or while fans will debate whether he deserved to win. However, this list is not about the future. Rather, the focus is on the past here. A great many players have won the award but this list focuses on the senior citizens. Here are the five oldest players to win the prestigious individual accolade… 5. Fabio Cannavaro – 33 years, 2 months and 14 days Remember the 2006 World Cup? It was a tournament lit up by performances from older players. Zinedine Zidane, at the age of 36, dragged France to the final, where they lost to Italy, who were being led by the mercurial Fabio Cannavaro. Cannavaro was at his best in the tournament and was simply unbeatable in all the matches that he played. In the end, Italy won the World Cup and Cannavaro received the Ballon d’Or in 2006 at the age of 33. 4. Luka Modric – 33 years, 2...

FC Barcelona players from the past and present have one more reason added to the list of reasons that they need to thank legendary Lionel Messi for. In a recent interview, former Barcelona player Juan Carlos Heredia revealed that Messi was the person who inspired former club president Joan Laporta to award every single winner of a European title at the Catalan club a lifetime salary after ​he led Barcelona to the ​UEFA Champions League title in Rome against defeating ​Manchester United in the final in 2009. More than 290 players could benefit - with the Nou Camp side having amassed five Champions League tiles, four Cup Winners' Cups and three Fairs Cups. Juan Carlos Heredia - who was victorious in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1979 alongside Johan Cruyff - is one of the recipients, and explained how the reward was inspired. As reported by the ​Daily Mail, while speaking to 'The Tactical Room', Heredia said, "When Barcelona won the Champions League final ...

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Ebonyi has dismissed two corps members currently undergoing orientation programme for refusing to wear the statutory camp shorts and trousers. The dismissal was made known in a statement made available, on Sunday, by Mrs Ngozi Ukwuoma, Information Officer, NYSC Ebonyi. She gave the names of the affected corps members as Love Okafor and Odji Oritsetolaye. According to her, the duo were spotted by the camp Director, Mrs Josephine Isu and her team during the routing morning inspection wearing white T-shirt with white skirts. “They were accosted and upon interrogation, they disclosed that they could not wear white shorts and the trousers given to them by the NYSC because it was against their religious belief. “Efforts made by the camp director to make them see the need to obey the camp and NYSC’s rules and regulations proved abortive as the matter was then officially reported to the authorities. “The ‘de-kitting’ proceedings then ...

Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, commended the generousity of the billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, who donated N5 billion at the launch of the Cuppy Foundation which held at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja last night. Osinbajo said the donation to the Save the Children Foundation, is the single largest donation to philanthropy in the country. Cuppy Foundation which is owned by DJ Cuppy, daughter of Femi Otedola, is working with the Save the Children Foundation, to bring succour to children in the North East. DJ Cuppy is a board ambassador for Save the Children and a member of the organisation’s Africa Advisory Board. The Vice President was the Special Guest of Honor at the launch, said no one would ever remember the number of houses, or cash that one has, but the impact one made. According to the Vice President, the likes of Bill Gate, Dangote and now Femi Otedola, understand the importance of living an impactful life and that is w...

Frank Lampard has completely changed the atmosphere and ethos around west London since his arrival, and after a shaky start to the season, the Blues have managed to go from strength to strength. Chelsea moved into second place after another confident victory over Crystal Palace, beating the Eagles 2-0 thanks to goals from youngsters Tammy Abraham and Christian Pulisic. The Blues put in an assured display that demonstrated an experience beyond their years, and ​Opta released a telling stat which wrote Saturday's kids into the record books. Lampard fielded Chelsea's most youthful Premier League side in history, and their starting eleven was the youngest in the top flight this season. Chelsea's transfer ban was analysed intensely over the summer, but it seems to have been a blessing in disguise for Lampard's lads. Youth academy products such as Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount, Reece James and Tammy Abraham are following in the footsteps of Callum Hudson-Odoi in d...

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa on Friday disclosed how the immediate past administration of former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode employed blackmail and harassment to witch-hunt and deprive the House of performing its duties appropriately. The Speaker, who stated in his remarks after receiving the 2020 budget proposal from the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said, “Regarding the last administration, I have heard from different quarters about people asking why this House did not properly query the actions of the immediate former governor while in office. Alas, there is nothing of such. “Let me take you down the memory lane that it was in this House that Vision Scape, a policy of the last administration, was openly condemned and tagged a ghost. Remember too that this House questioned the provision of the budget for this idea. “But some people, like one Olu Fajana with his faceless group calling themselves the Legislative Probity and Accoun...

Juventus manager, Maurizio Sarri has opened up on star player Cristiano Ronaldo's angry reaction to being substituted during their ​2-1 win over Lokomotiv Moscow in the Champions League on Wednesday, claiming that, "the Portugese had that reaction because he had sustained a minor knee injury". The 34-year-old was substituted in favour of Paulo Dybala in the 82nd minute of the game, which was the first time since February 2016 that he has failed to complete 90 minutes in the competition. Ronaldo was not a happy man with Sarri's decision, and was seen exchanging words with the Italian as he made his way to the bench. Sarri though has played down the strikers reaction, revealing that it was due to a minor knee problem. "Ronaldo was angry because he wasn't very well, he had a knee problem a few days ago and his adductor easily got tired. At the end of the first half he was nervous. I was afraid he would hurt himself and I preferred to take him ...

Former ​Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger has opened up on Eden Hazard's struggles at Real Madrid, claiming that his "weight gain" is the primary reason why the winger has under performed at the Spanish capital since his move from ​Chelsea in the summer. Reports had emerged that the Belgian returned back to training seven kilograms overweight after his holiday, which Wenger believes is the reason that he has struggled, believing that being physically unfit even by two kilograms makes a lot of difference. "I feel we have not seen the Hazard we’ve known in England yet. He was not physically fit after he was injured. ‘Is he a little bit… he’s not a player usually impressed by anything, but he looked to me like he does not have the same confidence he had at Chelsea," he said to beIN Sports as quoted by ​Mirror. "But I think it was more down to physical reasons. ‘He came too heavy, like we read in the papers. If you want to make a horse lose a r...

The Federal Government says it has commenced the process of injecting sanity into the Social Media space to prevent it from setting the nation on fire. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday in Abuja. “As a matter of fact, we have already put in motion the machinery for this. “We have written letters to the major stakeholders who would nominate representatives and we are going to sit down together to decide on how best to confront this menace,’’ he said. The minister noted that the government had the responsibility to keep the country together, therefore, social media would not be left alone to destabilise the nation. He said the government welcomed the debate that had followed the decision and announcement to sanitise the social media space and the airwaves. “We are glad about the criticism because what we set out to achieve is to bring the matter to the front burner of discourse. “We are not under any ...

Barcelona icon, Lionel Messi has opened up on his club future, suggesting that he has no plans of leaving the Catalan giants atleast for the near future, amid reports that the Argentinian would like to end his career in his native country. Messi who has spent his entire career with the Spanish giants has come under criticism in the past from some quarters over his decision to remain in Spain as compared to his rival, Cristiano Ronaldo who has now played in three of the top five European leagues. However, the 32-year-old who is widely considered as the greatest footballer in the history of the sport, has not contemplated the notion of leaving the club as he not only enjoys the football but also life outside the pitch. "Everyone is looking for their goals and experiences. I never felt the need to leave the best club in the world, which is Barcelona. Here I enjoy training, matches and the city. The dynamic between the club and the city is very complete, and I alwa...