The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Brentford delay Arsenal title bid in 1-1 draw

    Brentford delay Arsenal title bid in 1-1 draw

    Substitute Leandro Trossard scored his first goal for Arsenal on Saturday but the Premier League leaders missed the chance to move eight points clear at the top as Ivan Toney earned resilient Brentford a deserved point.

    After a goalless first half in which the Bees hit the woodwork through Toney, the Gunners took the lead when Trossard struck at the back post four minutes after coming off the bench.

    But Brentford got the reward their excellent away performance at Emirates Stadium deserved when Toney nodded in Christian Norgaard’s cross from close range.

    There was a lengthy check by the video assistant referee for a possible offside in the build-up but the goal was eventually confirmed.

    Arsenal raised the tempo in the closing stages – including seven minutes of added time – as they searched for a winner but Brentford completed an excellent defensive display by holding firm for a point.

    Arsenal face Manchester City – six points behind before their game on Sunday afternoon against Aston Villa – in a top-of-the table showdown on 15 February.

    Brentford, meanwhile, are eighth and just five points off fifth place.

  • Anthony Joshua: I’ve apologised to Usyk

    Anthony Joshua: I’ve apologised to Usyk

    Anthony Joshua has apologised for his actions in the aftermath of his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk which saw him throw the Ukrainian’s belts out of the ring and launch into a bizarre tirade.

    The Whales of Hermanus!

    Usyk defeated Joshua in their rematch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last August on a split decision after he had beaten him by unanimous decision a year prior at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

    With his place at the top seemingly hanging by a thread after a third defeat in his career, Joshua appeared to experience something of a meltdown.

    Speaking ahead of his return to the ring against Jermaine Franklin in April, Joshua told the BBC that he apologised for his actions before offering something of an explanation for the way he acted.

    READ ALSO : Anthony Joshua counselled to take one year break from boxing

    ‘Listen, I’m not perfect, it was not the right thing to have done. I didn’t speak to Usyk. I spoke to Wladimir (Klitschko) and I said, “give Usyk a pat on the shoulder and I apologise”

    ‘But it was just raw, uncut and… It may not make sense to a lot of people but it made a lot of sense to me and it was just how much it means to a degree.

    ‘I thought I’d feel like that at the end of my career when it’s all said and done and I’d be like, “Wow! What a rollercoaster. I made it through the trenches.”

    ‘I feel getting so close to fighting for the undisputed title and getting that fight with [Tyson] Fury that people want so much. I was like “yeah, I’m nearly there” and then bosh when I didn’t hear my name.

    ‘Then there were certain things in the ring that were said – not excuses – and one of them was “you’re big and strong, you’re strong”.

    ‘Remember a lot of athletes from the African-Caribbean community are told they’re strong and I feel like it’s quite degrading, because you don’t get mentioned in terms of talent or technique.

    ‘When he said I’m big and strong the alarm bells went off. There were loads of things that were triggering me at the time, but it was just raw and uncut emotion.’

  • EPL: Iheancho shines as Leicester thrash Spurs 4 -1

    EPL: Iheancho shines as Leicester thrash Spurs 4 -1

    Leicester City put in one of their best team performances all season against Tottenham on Saturday, but Kelechi Iheanacho won just about all of the plaudits after the game.

    The Super Eagles striker was the man of the match, getting a goal and an assist for Leicester City in their 4-1 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur.

    The Foxes did not win a Premier League game between the second week of November and the start of February, but they have now managed back-to-back victories, over Aston Villa and Spurs.

    That is despite the fact that the visitors opened the scoring through Rodrigo Bentancur in the first half.

    But Leicester City hit back with three goals from Nampalys Mendy, James Maddison and Iheanacho before the break.

    Harvey Barnes scored the fourth late on, but it was the Nigerian striker, who also assisted Maddison’s goal, who drew the majority of the praise.

    Spurs, with boss Antonio Conte back in the dugout following a gallbladder removal, had an ideal start when Rodrigo Bentancur diverted home Victor Kristiansen’s sliced finish.

    But the resurgent Foxes netted twice in less than two and a half minutes to turn the game on its head.

    First Nampalys Mendy scored only the second goal of his entire career when he crashed a first-time screamer into the top corner from the edge of the box.

    Soon after, Wout Faes’ tackle on Harry Kane on halfway ricocheted into the path of Kelechi Iheanacho, who squared for James Maddison to score.

    Spurs defender Eric Dier stood off Iheanacho, who stroked a shot into the bottom corner for a Leicester third before the break.

    Harvey Barnes had a goal disallowed by the video assistant referee for offside but Spurs failed to learn their lesson and the winger slotted in a fourth from James Maddison’s pass 10 minutes later.

    To cap off a truly rotten afternoon for Spurs, they lost goalscorer Bentancur to a knee injury suffered as he tackled Mendy after an hour.

    The Foxes are now 13th, six points above the relegation zone, while Tottenham remain fifth, one point behind the top four.

  • ‘Content creation, marketing are today’s, tomorrow’s industries’

    ‘Content creation, marketing are today’s, tomorrow’s industries’

    Digital content creation has taken the forefront in the self-employment market and, in times of job loss and pay cuts, has helped people to multiply their income.

    Founder and Creative Director of Apollo Endeavor, Oladapo Adewunmi, stated this while sharing insights on how African content creators can tap into the $100billion global content economy.

    He spoke at the 2023 AfricaNXT conference, with the theme ‘Digital Economy and Monetization’.

    According to Adewunmi, the content creation industry is thriving and becoming the next big thing in terms of job creations and growing wealth for African youths.

    He noted: “The demand for tailored, topic-focused content has witnessed a tremendous increase in consumption, with video and live streaming taking the centre stage. Content creation and content marketing’ is the industry of today and tomorrow.”

    A panel session, featuring Shawn Faqua (filmmaker and entrepreneur), Nicole Ndigwe-Kalu (actress and producer) and Lilian Imoni (creative entrepreneur and brand strategist), agreed that unemployment in Africa has spurred the youths to seek alternative employment opportunities, and the content creation industry is rapidly becoming one of the most lucrative sectors to explore.

    It also noted that with a mobile phone and data, anyone could become a content creator and begin to capitalise on the enormous opportunities in the sector at a relatively low cost.

    The panel also concluded that in order to develop a successful career in the content creation industry, authenticity and consistency is a prerequisite for content providers.

  • Adhoc staff to swear oath of neutrality, says INEC

    Adhoc staff to swear oath of neutrality, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that all adhoc staff engaged to assist the commission in conducting the forthcoming general elections shall swear to an oath of neutrality before being deployed.

    Chairman of the Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this while inspecting ongoing training for Supervisory Presiding Officers on Saturday.

    Yakubu said they owed allegiance to the Nigerian people and not to any political party or candidate in the election, hence the need for them to be neutral.

    He told them that while the commission was determined to conduct one of the best elections in the nation’s history, the integrity of the polling officers would have positive or negative effect on the elections.

    He said the adhoc staff were carefully selected for the exercise, adding that no electoral officer across the world conducts elections on the basis of its staff alone.

    While commending them for agreeing to
    serve as supervisory presiding officers, Yakubu said “you are going to supervise the Presiding Officers who are actually going to conduct the elections in all the polling units for Nigeria.

    “It is important to bear in mind your commitment to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and what counts most is your integrity as Presiding Supervisory Officers

    “You have been carefully selected by the commission to perform a very important responsibility for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You are doing this for Nigeria and you are going to swear to an oath of neutrality. Your loyalty is to Nigeria, your allegiance is to the people is to the people of Nigeria and not anybody.”

    Read Also : Election logistics: NURTW writes INEC, appoints coordinators for Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Osun

    He warned them that INEC is not a political party and has no candidate in the elections.

    Yakubu also told journalists that 352 adhoc staff were being trained in the FCT to serve as Supervisory Presiding Officers, out of which, 282 will be deployed for election duty.

    He added: “What is happening in the FCT is happening in the 36 states of the Federation. This is a further assurance to Nigerians of the readiness of the commission to conduct the elections as planned the staff to be deployed to conduct the election are being trained nationwide.

    “We will make sure that the process is what we say it should be so that the choice made by Nigerians determines who becomes what at whatever level”

  • Nigeria records 763 Monkeypox cases, 53 Lassa fever deaths in January 

    Nigeria records 763 Monkeypox cases, 53 Lassa fever deaths in January 

    Nigeria has recorded 763 (501 male, 261 female) confirmed cases of Monkeypox diseases from thirty-four (34) states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as of January 1, 2023, according to the latest epidemiological data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).

    Of the states with the cases of Monkeypox in the country, Lagos leads with 188 cases, followed by Abia (58), Bayelsa (45), Imo (45), Ogun (40), Ondo (40) Rivers (37), and Delta (31).

    Others are: Edo (27), Anambra (25), FCT (23), Kwara (21), Nasarawa (17), Adamawa (16), Plateau (16), Kaduna (15), Cross River (12), Ebonyi (12), Akwa Ibom (12), Borno (11), Benue (10), Oyo (10), Katsina (8), Taraba (7), Kano (7), Gombe (6), Kogi (5), Osun (5), Enugu (4), Kebbi (2), Niger (1), Bauchi (1), Zamfara (1), Not specified (1), Ekiti (1), Yobe (1).

    Furthermore, seven associated deaths were recorded from seven states last year, namely: Delta (1), Lagos (1), Ondo (1), Akwa Ibom (1), Kogi (1), Taraba (1), and Imo (1).

    Since the re-emergence of Monkeypox in September 2017, 989 confirmed cases have been reported from 34 states and FCT.

    Similarly, the NCDC data obtained by The Nation also revealed that as of January 29, 2023, the country recorded 361 confirmed cases of Lassa fever, with 53 deaths reported from 18 states and 67 Local Government Areas (LGAs).

    The NCDC said: “74 per cent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from these three states (Ondo, Edo and Taraba) while 26 per cent were reported from 11 states with confirmed Lassa fever cases.

    “Of the 74 per cent confirmed cases, Ondo reported 36 per cent, Edo 31 per cent, and Taraba 7 per cent. The predominant age group affected is 21-30 years (Range: 1 to 93 years, Median Age: 30 years). The male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:0.9.

    Read Also : Plateau records seven monkey pox cases

    “The number of suspected cases increased compared to that reported for the same period in 2022. One new Healthcare worker was affected in the reporting week 4 (January 22 to 29, 2023).

    “National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) activated to coordinate the response activities at all levels.”

  • Mint has capacity to print new Naira notes says CBN

    Mint has capacity to print new Naira notes says CBN

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has denied claims that the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Plc (NSPMC) does not have enough materials to print the new Naira notes.

    Spokesman for the CBN, Osita Nwanisiobi in a statement on Saturday said “the NSPMC has the capacity and enough materials to produce the required indent of the Naira.

    He said CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele had assured the National Council of State that the NSPMC was capable of printing the nation’s currency needs.

    According to Nwanisiobi, “the NSPMC was working on printing all denominations of the Naira to meet the transaction needs of Nigerians”.

    Reacting to the report, Nwanisiobi said at no time did the CBN Governor disclose to members of the National Council of State that the NSPMC had shortage of printing materials.

    The CBN said it was “alarmed at the extent to which vested interests are attempting to manipulate facts and pitch the public against the Bank”.

    The CBN, Nwanisiobi noted, “remains committed to performing its monetary policy functions, as stipulated in the CBN Act, 2007, as amended”.

    He said the CBN was working “assiduously to increase the circulation of the new notes in the country”.

    The CBN spokesman also debunked a voice note circulating on social media that the bank was planning to shut down some banks in a particular geopolitical region of the country.

    According to Nwanisiobi, “there is no such plan and the claims are illogical and do not comply with the workings of the Nigerian banking system”.

    Read Also : Group asks CBN to comply with S’Court verdict on new naira notes

    “The public is therefore advised to ignore such recordings as they do not represent the policy thrust of the CBN and are only the desperate attempts of persons bent on inciting the public against the Bank” Nwanisiobi said.

    The NSPMC has also reacted to the report.

    Its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Ahmed A. Halilu in a statement said “De-la-Rue of United Kingdom does not produce nor supply paper substrate within the currency industry.

    Halilu assured Nigerians that “the NSPM has made adequate arrangement to continuously produce redesigned banknotes as well as other denominations in line with the CBN indent for the year 2023”.

  • Court restrains AMCON from selling IBEDC

    Court restrains AMCON from selling IBEDC

    The Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) from selling the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) Plc.

    Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke made the latest order while ruling on an application for interlocutory injunction brought by IBEDC and 10 other defendants in the suit through counsel to the applicants, Dele Adesina (SAN).

    The judge specifically restrained the AMCON from “alienating, selling or disposing or transferring the IBEDC pending the final determination of the suit before it.”

    The 11 defendants are the integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Company Limited (in receivership); John Olatunde Ayeni; Dr. Olusola Ayandele; Personal Legal Representatives of the estate of Captain Idahosa Okunbo (deceased) a.k.a. Captain Hosa Wells Okunbo; Akere Ayanwola; Kayode Ojutiku; Folu Olusanya; Mallam Aliyu Ibrahim; Usman Mohammad; Alhaji Abubakar A. Aminu and IBEDC.

    They sued AMCON acting through its nominee, Mr A. B. Ogunba, (SAN), asking the court to determine “whether the plaintiff was entitled to remain in possession of and exercise all the powers of a Receiver/Manager on all the 1st defendant’s assets under the Deed of Debenture, Deed of Share charge, the AMCON Act 2010 as amended and the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, without interference from the defendants.”

    They also sought the court’s position on whether or not all the defendants are liable to the plaintiff for the debts charged against 1st defendant’s properties and assets.

    Read Also : IBEDC eyes 20% of female gender mix in employees

    On its part, the plaintiffs sought several reliefs including “an order of the court affirming the appointment of the plaintiff as Receiver/Manager and protecting the powers of the plaintiff to act and continue to act as the manager through its nominee, Mr. Osayaba Giwa-Osagie, SAN over all the assets of the 1st defendant charged by virtue of the Deed of Debenture dated 16th August 2013 and Deed of Debenture registered on the 23rd August 2013 as well as the corporate and personal guarantees given by the 1st to 4th Defendants and is entitled to exercise all the powers of Receiver/Manager over all the assets of the 1st to 11th Defendants including the 1st Defendant’s shares and assets in the 11th Defendant I.e. IBEDC Plc.

    In his ruling delivered on January 25, 2023, Justice Aneke, granted the injunction sought by the applicants pending final determination of the substantive suit.

    Recall that AMCON took over the management of the IBEDC following the judgment by a Federal High Court on September 8, 2021, which granted orders in its favour as Receiver/Manager of Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing (IEDM) Limited, IBEDC’s core investor, over default in Loan Service Agreement.

  • Kogi movement cautions EFCC over Bello’s wife

    Kogi movement cautions EFCC over Bello’s wife

    A group known as Kogi Democratic Movement (KDM) has cautioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against conducting what it described as media trial against Governor Yahaya Bello’s wife, Hajia Rasheedah.

    The group admonished the anti-graft agency to employ professional best practices in the conduct of its operations.

    The group also urged operatives of the agency to always follow due process contained in their operational module, saying these were needed to engender public confidence and respect for it being a critical organ of state necessary for good governance.

    Its Executive Director, Comrade Isah Achema spoke in a statement on behalf of the group in Lokoja on Friday while reacting to reports suggesting that Hajia Bello had abandoned the state for an undisclosed location to evade arrest by operatives of the commission.

    The media had been awash with claims that the governor’s wife had bolted away following the prosecution of some persons for their alleged involvement in corrupt practices.

    He said the EFCC, in its attempts to undermine the governor, his nephew, Ali Bello and others were on Thursday arraigned before a court in Lokoja, the state capital on allegation of diverting N3billion belonging to the state government into private accounts.

    Read Also : EFCC appeals Kogi court verdict jailing Bawa for contempt of court

    EFCC had in the charge sheet stated that the governor’s wife had been at large but the group accused the commission of media trial and propaganda, saying the she had been performing her duties in the state.

    “We wonder why the EFCC is making this wild allegation that she has disappeared from the state and is evading prosecution while she is in Lokoja performing her duties to the people of the state. This kind of issues are not what the EFCC should be seen doing to be taken seriously by Nigerians.

  • Nigeria, Israel direct flight commences March, says NCPC

    Nigeria, Israel direct flight commences March, says NCPC

    The Executive Secretary (ES) Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rev. Yakubu Pam has said that a direct flight from Nigeria to Tel- Aviv, Israel would commence soon.

    He spoke in Yenogoa, the Bayelsa State capital, during the 17th Biennial Conference of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, held at the Ecumenical Centre, Yenogoa.

    Pam stated that since his assumption of duty in 2020, he was able to conceptualize the idea of having a direct flight from Nigeria to Israel and that dream would come to fruition by March this year.

    He reasoned that having a direct flight to Israel would help to boost Nigeria’s bilateral relations with Israel.

    The NCPC boss said the licence for the direct flight had been awarded to an indigenous airline which would be airlifting Nigerians and other nationals.

    Read Also ; 150 Adamawa Christians set for pilgrimage

    He further explained that the NCPC establishment Act of 2007 gave the Commission the sole mandate to coordinate and supervise the movement of Christians from Nigeria to the Biblical Holy Sites around the world.

    Pam noted that within one year in the saddle, he was able to explore Holy Sites in the Kingdom of Jordan and afterwards had the maiden Pilgrimage exercise in Jordan in 2021 which was celebrated with pomp and circumstance by the Jordanians.

    According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Director and Head Media and Public Relations, Celestine Toruka, the NCPC helmsman claimed that the PFN is the sixth fastest growing organisation in the world.

    According to him,”our growth has been from a humble beginning to Cathedral.”