Personal interest affecting local coaches — Ikpeba

A former Super Eagles international, Victor Ikpeba, has called on indigenous coaches to set aside personal interest, if they desire to compete favourably with their foreign counterparts.

Ikpeba made the call on Thursday during a novelty match organised by the Nigeria Football Federation, the Edo State Football Association and the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin.

Keshi’s burial rites begin, Pinnick says ex-Eagles coach extraordinary

The funeral Mass for former coach of the Super Eagles, late Stephen Keshi, was on Thursday held at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Airport Road in Benin, Edo State.

Keshi died on June 8 in Benin at the age of 54, after a 44-month spell as coach of the Super Eagles.

He was one of  only two men to have won the African Cup of Nations both as player and as coach in 1994 and 2013.

Mikel denies donating $30,000 to Olympic Eagles

Captain of Team Nigeria to the Rio Olympics, Mikel Obi, has denied that he gave $30,000 to his teammates in the U23 Eagles squad who are camping in Atlanta, USA. Earlier reports on Thursday had stated that the Chelsea midfielder made the donation to the team as a way of helping to ease the financial struggles of the players.

Mikel’s denial was made public via the website of the Nigeria Football Federation. The player who spoke from the team’s camp at the Hyatt Place was quoted thus, “I was first told of this unfortunate story by a friend who called me from Nigeria. I thought he was joking until he sent me the link.

Iheanacho, Adarabioyo start as City beat Dortmund

Pep Guardiola got his first taste as Manchester City’s manager Thursday night after beating Borussia Dortmund on penalties in a friendly, but expressed concern about the looming English Premier League season. It was a game that gave Tosin Adarabioyo and Kelechi Iheanacho places in the starting line-up.

“Football today is tough,” said Guardiola, whose side beat their German opposition in the southern Chinese city of Shenzen.

OAU announces resumption after two months strike

The authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife have asked students of the institution to resume next Wednesday.

The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr Biodun Olarewaju, confirmed this in a press statement on Thursday.

The announcement came two months after activities on OAU campus were halted by members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities.
According to the statement, new students are expected to resume next Wednesday and  next Sunday was approved for the stalites resumption.

[UPDATED] PDP: Makarfi caretaker committee is illegal, says court

A Federal High Court in Abuja has said that the Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party is illegal.

Justice Okon Abang said this in preliminary ruling in an application filed the Ali Modu Sheriff-faction of party.

The Sheriff faction of the party had filed an application on July 4 for an interlocutory injunction seeking to stop the national convention of the party, which was planned by the Makarfi faction and scheduled for August 17.

Court remands teenager in prison for alleged rape of 35-yr-old woman

An Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday remanded in prison custody a 19-year-old man, John Julius, for alleged rape of a 35-year-old woman.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Bayo Ajiboye, had told the court that the accused allegedly committed the offence on July 12 at Efon Alaaye-Ekiti.

Ex-govs fraud cases: AGF lists Saraki, Akpabio, Daniel, Odili, Ladoja for fresh probe, trial

Senate President Bukola Saraki, factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali Modu Sheriff; and Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, are among 31 former governors whose alleged corruption cases investigated by the anti-graft agencies are likely to be reopened soon.

The PUNCH had exclusively reported on Tuesday that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, had written to the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, directing the reopening of the cases of the ex-governors.

MTN to list on Nigerian Stock Exchange

Telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria, has said it will list its shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 2017.
The company said in a statement on Thursday that the listing was part of a settlement arrangement with the Federal Government.
“The Board of Directors has resolved to proceed with preparations for a listing of MTN Nigeria on the NSE as soon as commercially and legally possible, and has established a management task team with the responsibility to guide the company towards a listing,” it said in the statement.

PHOTO SPEAK: FULL PICS OF NEW TRAIN LINE FROM ABUJA TO THE SOUTH

Ekweremadu will lose seat to APC candidate, says Okorocha

The Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has said Ike Ekweremadu should be warming up to lose his seat as the Deputy Senate President.

Okorocha said a candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Benjamine Uwajumogu, who contested in the last Saturday re-run senatorial election in Imo State would displace Ekweremadu as soon as he joins the Senate.

World Cup: FIFA considers two additional slots for Africa

The visiting President of world football governing body, FIFA, Gianni Infantino, on Monday said if the organisation should consider increasing the number of teams that will be participating in the World Cup, he would propose two more slots for Africa.

Budget padding scandal confirms my position on NASS -Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday said the ongoing revelation on budget padding in the National Assembly only confirmed his earlier position that lawmakers are “armed robbers and rogues.”
He said the best way out of the current mess was to ensure that only men of integrity are elected into the National Assembly.
Obasanjo spoke with State House correspondents shortly after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

BREAKING: Edo Speaker steps down

Mrs. Elizabeth Ativie, the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, has stepped down from the role.

She was replaced by the Deputy Speaker, Dr. Justin Okonoboh, by 18 out of the 24 members of the House and sworn in at about 11am on Monday.

It would be recalled that Ativie was sworn in on May ‎3 her predecessor, Victor Edoror, was impeached.
Ativie decided to step down after a motion was moved by the Majority Leader, Folly Ogedengbe, under matters of urgent public importance, for a change in the leadership of the House.

Artistes must do right thing to succeed in music –D-TRUCE

Talented rapper, D-Truce, has called on musicians across the country to always strive towards excellence if they hope to have successful careers.

The young artiste who is signed unto X3M Music, the same label that houses the soulful duo of Simi and Praiz – a product of the famous MTN Project Fame Academy, made the call in Lagos recently during the filming of the video of his latest single, Better Days.

It’s nobody’s headache if I change my religion –Lola Alao

Popular Yoruba actress, Lola Alao, almost broke the internet when the news hit the social media that she had switched from Christianity to Islam. But in an exclusive chat with Saturday Beats, Lola said she wondered why  there should be so much frenzy that she became a Muslim as she disclosed that she came from a Muslim background.

DGN benefitted from N3bn grant –Fred Amata

Despite the controversies that surrounded the Project Act N3bn grant given to the Nollywood industry by the Federal Government, the President, Directors Guild of Nigeria, Fred Amata, has said his guild actually benefitted from the grant.

While on a courtesy call to The PUNCH Place with some members of his executive, Amata said different guilds benefitted from the grant, which had helped them in one way or the other to boost their industry.

Piracy chased me out of Nollywood –Lillian Bach

Lillian Bach, once upon a time, was one of the happening babes in Nollywood. The babe really charmed so many people especially with her light skin and pretty face.

But somehow, the actress no longer graced the screens as nothing more was heard about her again. So many people felt she was no longer in the scene because new acts had come and overtaken her.

Popular Bollywood star, Salman Khan, avoids jail

An Indian court on Monday acquitted Bollywood superstar Salman Khan of killing protected wildlife 18 years ago, ending the latest long-running case against the actor.

Khan was convicted in 2006 of hunting rare gazelles while he was shooting a film in the northern state of Rajasthan eight years earlier.

Interest on loot recovered from ex-IG, Alams hits N1.9bn –EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Sunday said as of March 2015, it had realised N1,956,007,974 as interest on the loot recovered from convicted former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun; the late former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and other prominent Nigerians.

The EFCC further revealed that between March, 2012 and March, 2013, it generated N185m rent from the forfeited properties of a former Managing Director of the defunct Intercontinental Bank, Mr. Erastus Akingbola; a convicted ex-Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion; a former Plateau State Governor, Senator Joshua Dariye; and nine others.