Author: Opalim Lifted

Cody Gakpo might have joined Liverpool too early and is struggling to find his feet in an underperforming team, says new Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman. The 23-year-old forward had a breakout World Cup in Qatar, scoring three goals in five matches as the Netherlands reached the quarter-finals. However, he has yet to score in six appearances for Liverpool since joining from PSV Eindhoven in January. “He has ended up in a team that is not doing well,” Koeman said. “If you don’t score or you’re not important and you don’t win any matches, it’s very difficult, especially for a young…

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, says if elected President his administration will build a new Nigeria where things will work and the country will become buoyant and economically viable. He stated this in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, where he went to seek support for his presidential ambition. The former governor of Anambra State promised to make Kwara State an agricultural hub for industrialisation and exportation in the country. He called on the people of Kwara to shun vote-buyers. “They will come to you to vote for them and give you money. Collect their money…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has cancelled the registrations of 817 candidates in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The cancellation affected 178 Computer Based Test (CBT). Registrar of JAMB, Prof Is-haq Oloyede made this known on Tuesday after separate meetings with stakeholders in Abuja. Oloyede said the registrations were invalidated over identified infractions bordering on use of strange biometric fingerprints in the registration process. While saying some registration officers in the affected 178 CBT centres added one of their fingerprints to complete the registration process for the candidates, Oloyede, however, said the 817 students would be…

The Federal Government’s plan to outlaw the use of the old naira notes as of February 10, 2023 was temporarily blocked by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. A seven-member panel’s decision in an exparte application filed by three northern states – Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara – stopped the federal government’s action. The Supreme Court had earlier taken a short break before returning with its decision on three state’s appeal to stop the Federal Government from implementing its February 10 deadline for the phase-out of the old naira notes. New naira: Emefiele’s policy designed to scuttle elections – Oshiomhole A application…

Mr. Tijani Isa, the President of, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), says only a government that comes to power through free and fair elections can redeem the country’s economy. Isa disclosed this during the institute’s 17th Western Zonal Accountants’ Conference held at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Topo, Badagry, Lagos. The media reports that the theme of the conference was “Professional Accountants Uncertain Economy and Sustainable Development”. According to the ICAN president, a government that comes to power with a vision and a programme to uplift the population will surely redeem the economy. “When you…

In Edo State, protesters, comprising members of Edo State Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO), shut the Benin branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over the naira scarcity. Motorists were stranded on the busy Akpakpava Road in Benin, where the CBN branch is located. Groaning commuters and motorists opted for alternative routes. The police staged a show of force in the early hours to deter those who may be planning attacks. But many banks did not want to take chances. They were shut. Most Zenith Bank branches were under lock and key, with the institution trending on social media as…

Some Nollywood actors have openly endorsed the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The actors spoke at a program held at the Baale of Allen’s Palace, organized by Queen Bunmi Ajibade a.k.a Mama Miliki in conjunction with Emilokan Entertainment. Those who spoke include Yinka Quadri, Jide Kosoko, and Oga Bello among others. According to them, Tinubu is a bridge builder across regional, ethnic, and religious lines that is capable of uniting the country. Speaking at the event, Quadri said he and other colleagues have identified the APC presidential candidate as an exceptional manager of resources and seasoned…

With about 16 days to the general election, there are strong indications that the new naira notes scarcity may disrupt the exercise. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, said this during a meeting with the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele at the CBN headquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday. He explained that many service providers to INEC had no bank accounts. He, therefore, solicited the support of the apex bank to address the concern related to the CBN cash withdrawal policy which had caused chaos across the country. The apex bank had last year pegged weekly cash withdrawal…

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Lagos State, has announced the suspension of its campaign activities ahead of the forthcoming elections due to fuel scarcity and cash crunch occasioned by the Naira redesign. The Lagos state Chairman of the party, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, announced in a statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Seye Oladejo, on Tuesday. Ojelabi said the decision was reached due to the scarcity of fuel and the pain caused by the Naira redesign. The chairman said that the party empathized with the general public, especially the downtrodden who were at the receiving end. According to him, it…

The Group Chief Executive Officer, of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, Mele Kyari, has assured Nigerians that the lingering fuel scarcity will ease off next week. Kyari said this in a video clip shown on Channels Television on Tuesday evening. He however said he could not assure that the queues at the fuel stations would disappear, but added that there would be a significant improvement in the next week He said, “Now within the next one week, I’m not saying that you’re going to have zero queues within the next one week, no, because a number of things are out…