Author: David Great

The Federal Government’s committee which was set up to ensure the implementation of crude oil sales to local refineries in naira has reached an agreement with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery for the rollout of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, in September this year. The Federal Government also disclosed that the sale of crude oil to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries will commence on October 1, 2024. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, announced this during a meeting with the Implementation Committee on Monday in Abuja. According to a post on the official…

Arsenal have rejected a bid of £25m plus add-ons for 23-year-old England striker Eddie Nketiah from Premier League club Nottingham Forest. (Sun) Wolves have submitted a proposal to sign England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale on loan from Arsenal with an option to buy next summer. (Athletic – subscription required) Arsenal have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Espanyol 23-year-old Spanish goalkeeper Joan García as replacement for Ramsdale. (Arsenal Insider) Brentford expect England striker Ivan Toney to join Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League and are hoping to receive about £50m for the 28-year-old. (Times – subscription required) However, Chelsea could be tempted into making a late move for Toney. (Sun) Chelsea and England forward…

The Lagos Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, August 19, 2024, arraigned one Ayodele Toyosi for an alleged investment fraud before Justice A.M. Lawal of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja. The defendant was arraigned alongside his companies, Reaprite Global Limited and Agrorite Limited, on an 11-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence and stealing to the tune of N600,150,000,00 (Six Hundred Million, One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only) and $50,000.00 (Fifty Thousand United States Dollars). Investigation revealed that the defendant (Ayodele Toyosi) allegedly defrauded a number of persons on the pretence…

Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo, the Global President of Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC), has disclosed that he lost approximately ₦200 million through investments in Nigerian bank shares. In a recently viral video, Ashimolowo explained that despite investing millions in various banks, the returns were far below expectations. Reflecting on his experience, Ashimolowo recounted a particularly difficult period around 2005 or 2006. He shared that he had borrowed ₦60 million from Sterling Bank to purchase shares in Skye Bank. Unfortunately, the value of these shares plummeted from ₦14 to just ₦2.50, leading to a significant financial loss. Ashimolowo advised Nigerians to consider…

President Bola Tinubu has appointed seven persons to serve as the new management team for the Niger Delta Power Holding Company. The Presidency announced the appointments on Monday in a statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, titled ‘President Tinubu appoints new management team for the Niger Delta Power Holding Company.’ The new members of the management of the company are Jennifer Adighije as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Abdullahi Kassim as Executive Director (Generation), Bello Bello as Executive Director (Networks) and Emmanuel Umeoji as Executive Director (Corporate Services). Others are Omololu Agoro as Executive Director…

Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer announced his international retirement on Monday at the age of 35, ending a 12-year career with the national team. Sommer made 94 appearances for his country since making his debut in 2012. Sommer helped Switzerland reach the quarter-finals of the European Championship last month, losing to eventual runners-up England on penalties. He also represented Switzerland at Euro 2016 and 2020, as well as the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Yann Sommer joined Inter Milan last year from Bayern Munich. “After careful consideration, I have decided to end my career as a goalkeeper for the Swiss national…

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken urged Israel and Hamas on Monday not to derail negotiations that he described as potentially the “last opportunity” to secure a Gaza truce and a hostage release deal. Blinken, on his ninth regional tour since Hamas’s 7th October attack triggered the war, stated that he returned to Israel “to bring this agreement to fruition.” “This is a decisive moment—probably the best, and maybe the last, opportunity to bring the hostages home, secure a ceasefire, and set everyone on a path to lasting peace and security,” Blinken said during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog…

Manchester United are not interested in pursuing a deal for England international Ivan Toney. (Sky Germany) Representatives of the Brentford striker Ivan Toney are in talks with Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli to sign the 28-year-old. (Teamtalk) Nottingham Forest, Villarreal, Sevilla, and Valencia have registered interest in Aston Villa and Spanish defender Alex Moreno, 31. (Football Insider) Panathinaikos are in talks with Manchester United over a deal for 22-year-old Uruguay midfielder Facundo Pellistri. (Athletic – subscription required) Atletico Madrid have not ruled out a move for Valencia’s 21-year-old Spanish midfielder Javi Guerra as their deal for Chelsea’s England midfielder Conor Gallagher, 24, stalls. (Athletic – subscription required) Liverpool will wait until the January transfer window to sign a star midfielder…

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was critical of his team’s lack of balance and bad defending in a 1-1 draw at Mallorca in their LaLiga season opener on Sunday. Ancelotti said his players lacked focus after taking an early lead through Rodrygo in the 13th minute but allowing Mallorca to rescue a point with a Vedat Muriqi header after the break. “Today I am not happy. I think we could have been done much better,” a visibly frustrated Ancelotti told a press conference. “We need to be more concentrated, work better as a group… It’s not a fitness problem, it…

Despite extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to 28 matches, Real Madrid were unable to start the 2024/25 LaLiga term with a win as they were held 1-1 by RCD Mallorca at the Estadi Mallorca San Moix. We are still in August, and yet Real Madrid already have one trophy to their name this campaign. They produced a fantastic second-half display to defeat Atalanta BC in the UEFA Super Cup, with superstar summer signing Kylian Mbappe netting his first goal for his new club. Unsurprisingly, the Frenchman was included in the starting line-up against Mallorca as Carlo Ancelotti’s men…