The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Koulibaly joins Chelsea in 40m Chelsea deal

    Koulibaly joins Chelsea in 40m Chelsea deal

    Chelsea completed the signing of center back Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli on Saturday.

    The Premier League club paid a fee reported to be 40 million euros ($40 million) for the 31-year-old Senegal international, who arrives at Stamford Bridge following the departures of defenders Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.

    Koulibaly, who signed a four-year contract, joined his new teammates in Las Vegas for their preseason tour of the United States.

    Koulibaly played eight seasons with the Italian club, making 317 appearances and scoring 14 goals. He began his career with Metz in France and moved to Belgian club Genk for two seasons before joining Napoli.

    Read Also: Love enough for my wife and I – MC Fish

    “Chelsea came first to get me in 2016 but we didn’t make it,” Koulibaly said. “Now when they came to me I accepted it because they really wanted me to come to the Premier League to play for them.”

    Koulibaly will play in front of Senegal teammate and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Koulibaly is Senegal’s captain and this year led the team to its first African Cup title.

    Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly described Koulibaly as “one of the world’s elite defenders… A great leader and an exemplary team player, Kalidou brings a wealth of experience and attributes that will benefit our squad and the club as a whole

  • COAS tasks promoted officers to be more professional

    COAS tasks promoted officers to be more professional

    The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya on Friday charged the newly promoted officers of the Nigerian Army to continue to be more professional in the course of discharging their duties.

    Yahya, represented by Maj.-Gen. Koko Isoni, the Commander of Sector 2 Joint Task Force, Operation HADIN KAI, made the appeal while decorating some of the officers in Damaturu.

    He urged them to remain apolitical and continue to discharge their duties professionally in the defence of the country and its constitution.

    Read Also: Osun Decides: Commissioner denies aide’s arrest

    He further commended the officers and soldiers for their gallantry and urged them to keep up the good works, ensure synergy with other services security agencies and all stakeholders.

    One of the decorated officers was Anyawu Kennedy, the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Yobe State.

    Kennedy, who was promoted from the rank of Lieutenant to Captain, had expressed happiness and pledged to justify the promotion by protecting the territory and integrity of the country. (NAN)

  • Love enough for my wife and I – MC Fish

    Love enough for my wife and I – MC Fish

    Event host and comedian, MC Fisayo Michael Olagunju aka MC Fish has reaffirmed undying love for his wife, actress Anita Joseph.

    The Emcee, who never misses an opportunity to express intense affection for his heartthrob, declared in a video that he’d always love her.

    Read Also: Anita Joseph, hubby reply haters

    According to him, the love he has for his wife is enough for the both of them should she ever stopped loving him.

    Addressing his wife who stood with him near the poll side, MC Fish said: “I keep saying it, even if you don’t love me; I still love you. My love is enough for the both of us.”

  • Osun Election: NYSC D-G warns Corps members against malpractice

    Osun Election: NYSC D-G warns Corps members against malpractice

    The Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Muhammad Fadah, has warned corps members on election duties in the Osun Gubernatorial Election to strictly abide by the electoral laws.
    This was made known in a statement by the schemes Director, Press and Public Relations, Mr Eddy Megwa, on Saturday in Abuja.
    According to the statement, Fadah issued the warning in Osogbo while addressing the corps members who have undergone training as ad hoc staff by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    He also stated that anyone found wanting would be sanctioned accordingly.
    The statement added that Fadah also urged them to remain neutral while performing their election duties with diligence as good ambassadors of the NYSC.
    “Your colleagues did it successfully in Ekiti and l believe you will also do us proud here in Osun state.
    “Avoid sharp practices, avoid taking gratifications, don’t take sides, play according to the rules of the game and be security conscious,” he said.
    According to the statement, Fadah also visited security agencies in the state to seek for security of the corps members on election duties.

    It added that at the Army Engineer Construction and Command (ECC) in Ede, Fadah commended the cordial relationship between NYSC and the military command.
    The Commander, Brig.-Gen. Suleman applauded the director-general for finding time to check on the corps members on election duties.

    Read Also: #OsunDecides: Voting begins as BVAS malfunctions

    “We will continue to partner with you to ensure the safety of all corps members during and after the election,” he said.
    Also at the State Police Headquarters in Osogbo, the Coordinating Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) for Osun Election, Mr Johnson Kokumo, assured maximum security for the corps members.

    He commended the management of the scheme for mentoring corps members for national assignments.
    He said, “Corps members are our children and our priority. We will not relent in our efforts towards ensuring their safety.”
    Also, the Osun State Director, Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Bankole Alade, while hosting Fadah in his office, assured of a stronger synergy with NYSC.
    He added that the DSS would continue to do the needful to protect corps members during and after the elections including all the corps lodges within the state.
    Also, the Deputy Controller General, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr Mungadi Danladi, described corps members as invaluable assets in the conduct of free, fair and credible elections in the country.
    He promised the readiness of the NSCDC for corps members’ safety across the state.

     

    (NAN)

  • PHOTOS: Governor Gboyega Oyetola, wife cast votes

    PHOTOS: Governor Gboyega Oyetola, wife cast votes

    Photo by Alao Abiodun

     

     

  • PHOTOS: Gov Oyetola arrives to vote as #OsunDecides

    PHOTOS: Gov Oyetola arrives to vote as #OsunDecides

     

     

     

  • Fire razes Accord Party Gov candidate’s residence

    Fire razes Accord Party Gov candidate’s residence

    Fire has razed the residence of Osun governorship candidate of Accord party, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi ahead of Saturday poll.

    It was gathered the fire started at the private room of Ogunbiyi at Ile-Ogbo in Ayedire Local Government area around 7:45pm on Sunday before it was extinguished.

    A statement by the Ogunbiyi’s campaign team, Bishop Seun Adeoye, confirmed the incident but refused to disclosed the cause of the fire.

    Read Also: VIDEO: Millions gone as fire guts Bodija market

    “Ogunbiyi thanked the people of the state for sympathising with him over the fire incidence which occurred in his private residence on Sunday,” he stated.

    He declared he cherished the concerns and prayers of his teaming supporters over the incident.

    Ogunbiyi stated that whatever happens, he was determined to liberate the people of this State from bad and wicked governance at all levels.

    The Accord candidate advised the people to vote for him with their conscience for a new dawn in the State.

  • APC Govs back Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate

    APC Govs back Shettima as Tinubu’s running mate

    All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors on Monday in Daura, Katsina declared their support for the choice of Senator Kashim Shettima as the running mate to the party’s Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

    The APC Governors made the decision shortly after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in his Daura country home.

    They said they had confidence in the combination of Tinubu and Shettima to ensure victory for the party at the presidential election.

    Chairman of the Progressives Governors forum, Abubakar Bagudu, told journalists at the end of the closed -door meeting that the Governors will work for the victory of the party at the polls

    He said: “We were pleasantly surprised when Ashiwaju Ahmed Tinubu announced in Daura on Sunday that Senator Kashim Ibrahim Shettima was the Vice Presidential candidate.”

    ” We were happy that it is no less a person than Senator Shettima who was announced the Vice Presidential candidate.No doubt ,Senator Shettima would compliment the good qualities of Asiwaju Tinubu”.

    ”We are very very happy at the choice.The two will compliment one another and will surely consolidate on the achievements of the President in the past seven years.”

    Bagudu added their visit to Daura was to felicitate with the President for Sallah.

    READ MORE: Shettima’s choice as Tinubu’s running mate wise- Gbajabiamila

    Imo Governor Hope Uzodinma said Shettima’s choice as running mate was a collective decision by all the Progressives Governors, adding they would work hard to ensure victory for the APC in the 2023 election.

    He said: “The choice of Senator Shettima as the vice presidential candidate is a collective decision.We shall work hard to ensure victory in all our states.”

    Plateau Governor,Simon Lalong said while the choice of running mate was the prerogative of the presidential candidate, all the APC Governors would work to ensure the party’s victory at the 2023 general elections.

    He declared” A Presidential candidate has the prerogative of picking his Vice.But ours is to ensure party’s victory in the Presidential election.”

    The nine Governors were: Aminu Masari(Katsina); Abdullahi Ganduje( Kano); Abubakar Bagudu ( Kebbi); Abubakar Bello( Niger); Abdullahi Sule ( Nasarawa); Hope Uzodinma ( Imo); Kayode Fayemi ( Ekiti) ; Simon Lalong( Plateau) and Nasir El-Rufai ( Kaduna).

  • Shettima’s choice as Tinubu’s running mate wise- Gbajabiamila

    Shettima’s choice as Tinubu’s running mate wise- Gbajabiamila

    Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila has described the choice of former Borno Governor Senator Kashim Shettima as the running mate to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a wise decision.

    Gbajabiamila said Shettima has what it takes to turn the economy around.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser in Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker said Shettima has over the years proved his mettle as a shrewd and progressive politician whose eight years as Borno Governor was a defining moment for the State.

    He said: “Asiwaju is widely known as the biggest talent hunter in the country who has over the years assembled an army of performers in governance irrespective of their ethnicity or religious leaning. This unique feature also can be found in Sen. Shettima following his track record of excellence in both the private and public sectors”.

    Gbajabiamila said further as a foremost banker, Shettima has the right character and intellectual capacity to turn things around hence having him as the Vice-President under a Tinubu presidency will be a masterstroke in the management of the economy.

    Read Also: Tinubu/Shettima ticket ‘ll fly -Yakasai

    He recalled his first encounter with Shettima, stating: “My first encounter with Gov Shettima, who I had admired from afar was many years ago when he and I travelled together with Asiwaju to the UK to address the issue of terrorism with the British and Nigerians in the Diaspora.

    “I was amazed by Shettima’s depth, ability and capacity to engage Christiana Amanpour, a journalist of international repute. He earned my respect (and I must say that of his interviewer) even more ever since then.”

    The Speaker said the Tinubu/Shettima ticket is a good combination that will lead to success at the polls for the APC.

    Gbajabiamila congratulated TInubu for making “the wise decision,” noting that Nigerians yearned for such a great team.

    The Speaker called on Nigerians to support the Tinubu/Shettima ticket and other APC candidates for various elective offices during the 2023 elections.

    Ends

  • Yul Edochie carpets FG for Kuje prison attacks

    Yul Edochie carpets FG for Kuje prison attacks

    Popular actor Yul Edochie has criticised the Federal Government for finding the protection of her citizens from bandits a cumbersome task.

    Yul, reacting to the recent attack on Kuje Medium Custodial Centre in Abuja, where the attackers facilitated escape of 64 Boko Haram members, argued bandits find it an easy deal to rescue its members from government facilities but not the government her citizens from the den of bandits.

    READ ALSO: Kuje prison break: Curious contradiction

    “So sad where we find ourselves at the moment. It’s very easy for bandits to rescue their people from Government prisons but very difficult for Government to rescue its citizens from bandits,” he said.

    The movie star, lamenting the fate of the citizens amid the spate of insecurity, noted: “If anything happens to anyone now, you’re on your own. So sad.”

    Seeking God’s intervention, Yul added: “May 2023 be a turning point for Nigeria. God help us.”