Author: Adejuyigbe Francis

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to boycott their meeting with the Federal Government on Monday (today) if the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, shows up. The labour bodies are expected to meet again with the federal government to review the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding they signed on subsidy removal palliatives. Ahead of the meeting, the organised labour also lamented the devastating impact of the forex crisis on the economy and demanded urgent stabilisation of the naira. The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, released a statement on Sunday, blaming government officials’ for the free fall of…

The chamber of Rivers State House of Assembly has been set ablaze. The development comes amid rumour of the plan to impeach Governor Similanayi Fubara. Sources said the arsonist gained entry into the chamber around 9;30pm on Sunday night and set it ablaze. Our reporter further learnt that the quick intervention of the men of fire service stopped the fire from spreading to the entire Assembly complex. Efforts made to speak with the Rivers State Police Command Public Relation Officer, SP Grace Iringe Koko proved abortive at the time of filing this report. Meanwhile, over 17 security trucks and four…

Marseille’s Ligue 1 match with Lyon has been called off after OL’s team bus was attacked and manager Fabio Grosso injured. The Italian suffered a head injury as objects were thrown at the coach, which shattered some of the windows. Grosso appeared to be given medical treatment and seemed to be bleeding from his head. Ligue 1 released a statement on its official website confirming the match had been cancelled. It wrote: “During a meeting following the incidents that took place outside the Stade Velodrome on the journey of the team bus, Olympique Lyonnais made it known that they were against the…

The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, has said his country is working with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to provide cheap electricity to member states. Scholz disclosed this while addressing a press conference after a meeting with the ECOWAS Commission’s President Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, in Abuja on Sunday. The German Chancellor said his country is also cooperating with the ECOWAS in other areas including pandemic prevention, security and prevention of coups in the region, adding that Germany had increased its financial support to the bloc recently. Speaking earlier, the ECOWAS Commission’s President,…

Olivier Giroud scored twice for AC Milan before hosts Napoli hit back to draw a thrilling game in Serie A. Giroud put the visitors ahead, scoring with two headers from crosses by Christian Pulisic and Davide Calabria. Matteo Politano’s superb strike into the roof of the net halved the deficit five minutes after the break at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Giacomo Raspadori curled in a superb free-kick to level the match, before Natan was dismissed late on for Napoli. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia fired a shot towards goal in the dying seconds but Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan saved with his legs to…

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Sunday, said talks are at an advanced stage between Nigeria and the United States of America concerning the resumption of direct flights from Houston. Keyamo in a statement by his Special Assistant, Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood, also said efforts are in top gear to attract foreign investment into the aviation industry. The minister, who is on a working visit to the United States was a guest of honour at the Fidelity International Trade & Creative Connect that was held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las America,…

The Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties and Domestic Affairs, Toyin Subaru, has assured Nigerians that the planned rollout of Compressed Natural Gas buses will reduce CNG price to N230 per kg. This is coming amidst plans by the government to deploy 11,500 gas-powered buses across the country from next week, as part of measures to ease current transportation challenges. Subaru said the initiative would help Nigerians save two-thirds on transportation costs and promote the use of CNG as an alternative to petrol. The presidential aide made this known at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Bank of…

Erling Haaland scored his first derby goals at Old Trafford with a classy double as Premier League champions Manchester City coasted to a 3-0 drubbing of fierce rivals Manchester United. The Norway forward tucked away a penalty for the opener on 26 minutes by sending United keeper André Onana the wrong way from the spot after VAR decided Rasmus Hojlund had pulled back Rodri in a crowded home area. He added his 11th league of the season when he finished off a blistering sweeping move to power home a header from a Bernardo Silva cross on 49 minutes. And Haaland…

PSG snatched a 3-2 win away to Stade Brestois in Ligue 1 courtesy of Kylian Mbappe’s late goal to make it four victories on the spin. Luis Enrique’s side, fresh from their 3-0 victory over AC Milan in midweek, began confidently and broke the deadlock when Bradley Barcola twisted past two challenges before finding Warren Zaire-Emery who fired his shot from distance into the corner for a superb goal. The visitors continued to dominate and doubled their lead when Lee Kang-in pinged the ball over the top for Kylian Mbappe to bulldoze his way into the box and score. Brest…

Liverpool’s players showed their support to absent team-mate Luis Diaz during a comfortable win over Nottingham Forest at Anfield. Diaz missed the match following reports his parents had been kidnapped in Colombia, with officials still searching for the winger’s missing father after his mother was rescued. Diogo Jota, surrounded by his team-mates, held up the Colombia winger’s shirt after firing the Reds into a 31st-minute lead when Matt Turner turned Darwin Nunez’s attempt into the Portuguese forward’s path. Liverpool were dominant and Uruguay striker Nunez doubled the advantage four minutes later with his sixth club goal of the campaign after a…

Tyson Fury escaped defeat in a split-decision victory over Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night. The pair met in Riyadh in what was Ngannou’s first professional boxing match after his move from UFC, where he was the heavyweight champion. While few expected him to win, he had been training with Mike Tyson and others and many believed him to at least have a puncher’s chance, such is his power. Fury, meanwhile, came to the ring as the undefeated WBC heavyweight champion, one of the pound-for-pound best and despite standing a full 6′ 9″, is a fluid and technical…

South Africa clinched a record fourth Rugby World Cup title by doing just enough to deny 14-man New Zealand and retain their crown in a helter-skelter final in Paris. The Springboks seemed to have control when, with Handre Pollard’s dead-eyed goalkicking having already given them a 9-3 lead, Sam Cane caught Jesse Kriel high in the 27th minute. The New Zealand captain was shown a red card on review and another Pollard penalty left the All Blacks a man down, nine points behind and in deep trouble. But New Zealand rallied, rode their luck and dragged themselves back into the…