Author: Opalim Lifted

Arsenal took a huge step towards qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League as Bukayo Saka starred in a victory over Sevilla before limping off late on. Saka set up the opening goal for Leandro Trossard before scoring the second himself as the Gunners secured a straightforward 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium that leaves them on the cusp of the last 16. Mikel Arteta opted to play Trossard through the middle as his central striker, with Eddie Nketiah joining Gabriel Jesus in the treatment room, with the Belgium forward the only change from Saturday’s contentious defeat at…

President Bola Tinubu said on Wednesday that the Niger Delta will witness monumental development at the grand finale of the All Progressive Congress (APC) gubernatorial rally in Bayelsa State ahead of Saturday’s election. Chronicle NG reports that Timipre Sylva, the immediate former minister of state for petroleum resources and Bayelsa gubernatorial candidate for the APC, previously served as governor of Bayelsa State from 2007 to 2012. Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media Communications, Office of the Vice President, said this in a statement. The statement said, “Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Wednesday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa…

The Federal Road Safety Corps Marshall, Ali Biu, has ordered FRSC operatives to collaborate with Nigerian police and other security agencies to enforce restrictions on vehicular movement in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo during the gubernatorial elections. Bisi Kazeem, FRSC deputy corps marshal and public education officer, said this on Wednesday in a statement. The statement said, “As part of preparations towards ensuring a smooth conduct of the forthcoming Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa gubernatorial elections scheduled by the electoral umpire to hold on Saturday, November 11, 2022”. “The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dauda Ali Biu, has ordered operatives of…

Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court has granted former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, bail. The judge ordered that Emefiele be released immediately to his lawyers, who were charged with the responsibility of producing him in court for his arraignment next week or on any other day. According to the judge, the ex-bank chief must also deposit his travel documents before the chief registrar of the court, pending his arraignment. The judge also pointed out that there must be an end to detention without trial. The court must also not overlook…

Businessman and former lawmaker Ben Murray-Bruce has said that a nationwide strike is not what Nigeria needs right now. Bruce made this statement after the Nigeria Labour Congress on Tuesday declared a total nationwide strike effective Tuesday, November 14, 2023. The former senator disclosed this on his X handle on Tuesday. Bruce’s tweet read, “A national strike over a local issue in Imo is not what Nigeria needs right now. “The reforms are working. The naira is responding to such reforms. Multiple banks have declared record profits. PEPT Judgement: Emulate Jonathan’s doctrine – Murray-Bruce Urges Atiku, Obi “The manufacturing sector…

The naira has appreciated to N970 per dollar on the black market as the government’s plans to shore up dollar liquidity in the foreign exchange (FX) market triggered positive sentiments. Street traders were already buying dollars at the rate of N950 at the weekend, as against N1,130 bought on Thursday last week. Speculators who have been hoarding dollars for arbitrage are now offloading the same to avoid losing money. “There are enough dollars in the market now. People are now bringing in dollars. The dollar rate will fall further next week,” Abubakar Ibrahim, a black market operator, said on Friday.…

Israel’s ground forces in the Gaza Strip aimed on Wednesday to locate and disable Hamas militants’ vast tunnel network beneath the enclave, the next phase in an Israeli offensive that has killed thousands of Palestinians. Since Hamas gunmen killed 1,400 people and took some 240 hostages in an Oct. 7 cross-border raid, Israel has pounded Gaza from the air and used ground troops to divide the coastal enclave in two. Gaza City, Hamas’ main stronghold in the territory, is encircled. Israel says its troops have advanced to the heart of the densely populated city, while Hamas says its fighters have…

Daizen Maeda was sent off as Celtic suffered a thumping 6-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid, leaving them adrift in their Champions League group. Celtic were already trailing Antoine Griezmann’s deflected goal when Maeda saw a yellow card upgraded to a red following a VAR review midway through the first half at the Estadio Metropolitano. Alvaro Morata and Griezmann both netted doubles, and Samuel Lino and Saul Niguez scored as Atletico capitalised on their numerical advantage in devastating fashion with a string of spectacular second-half goals. The damage was done when Maeda left a foot dangling as he went in for…

Erling Haaland took his Champions League goal tally to 39 in 34 games as Manchester City cruised into the last 16 with two games to spare by barely breaking sweat against Young Boys. The Norwegian striker shrugged off the ankle injury that forced him off at half-time in Saturday’s hammering of Bournemouth to clinically convert a 23rd-minute penalty after Sandro Lauper had fouled Matheus Nunes. He then smashed home a second from the edge of the area six minutes after the restart, shortly before Lauper was sent off for a second booking following a foul on Nathan Ake. In a…

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday appointed Abdu Mukhtar as co-ordinator of the presidential Healthcare Value Chain. Chronicle NG reports that Tinubu seeks a measurable increase in the domestic manufacturing of generic pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biologics, devices, and the quantity of quality jobs. In a statement, Ajuri Ngelale, the president’s spokesperson, said Tinubu expects that Abdu Mukhtar will bring to bear his vast experience in healthcare delivery systems that can move from theory into reality. The statement said, “President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr. Abdu Mukhtar to serve as the National Coordinator of the Presidential ‘Unlocking Healthcare Value-Chain’ Initiative,…