Nigerian striker and Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen would not renew his contract with the Italian club and would be seeking an exit as soon as possible, a friend of the player has claimed.

Amidst the fallout between Osimhen and Napoli this season, his friend and journalist, Oma Akatugba has claimed the player would be looking at continuing his footballing career with another club.

Naija News recalls last season, Osimhen powered Napoli to their first Scudetto title in over three decades scoring a staggering 26 goals and finishing as the league’s top scorer.

However, the player has struggled for goals this season and in his club’s game against Bologna on Sunday, he missed a penalty with the game eventually ending in a 0-0 draw.

Following the penalty miss, the Italian club posted a controversial video (but later deleted) “mocking” him on their official TikTok account which sparked outrage from the player’s supporters.

Most recently, he deleted all pictures relating to Napoli from his Instagram account and upon arrival at the team’s hotel on Wednesday, 27th September for his team’s mid-week Serie A game against Udinese at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Osimhen was captured snubbing his teammates Diego Demme and Piotr Zieliński who extended his hands to shake the Nigerian star.

Speaking on the developments, Akatugba said that the 24-year-old is now keen on leaving due to feeling disrespected but the journalist was quick to add however that it is his personal opinion and not as a representative of the player.

“It’s incredible that your club’s official account makes fun of you for a missed penalty,” Akatugba told Sport Mediaset.

“Now what are the consequences? That Napoli will lose Victor Osimhen.

“He will not renew his contract and will want to leave as soon as possible.

“I say this as a journalist, I don’t speak for him; I only say what is inevitable. Osimhen will leave as soon as possible. No team makes fun of its best player.

“I don’t believe that we are talking about racism and I don’t believe that Napoli are, but it is a shame, unacceptable, a great lack of respect, ridiculous, and it is a gross mistake.

“We are talking about the best striker in Italy, candidate for the Ballon d’Or and the best player in Serie A.”

...as NIDCOM congratulates appointees

United State of America President Joe Biden has appointed two Nigerian-Americans as advisers.

The appointees – Osagie Imasogie and Chiney Ogwumike – are part of the 12 members of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States.

Congratulating the duo on the appointment, the Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said their recognition and appointment into the 12-member advisory council is a motivation for other Nigerians and Africans in general.

“The nomination of the two great Nigerians into the advisory council is a welcome development,” she said on Wednesday in a statement by the commission’s spokesman, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.

Chinenye Ogwumike is a two-time WNBA All-Star for the Los Angeles Sparks and a full-time, multi-platform ESPN commentator and NBA analyst.

She is one of the only full-time professional athletes to also currently hold a full-time regular national sports media broadcast position.

Ogwumike was the 2014 WNBA Rookie of the Year and is a two-time WNBA All-Star (2014, 2018). She is proudly Nigerian-American and graduated from Stanford University with an International Relations degree under the mentorship of Dr. Condoleezza Rice.

In August 2020, she became the first Black woman to host a national daily sports-talk radio show.

The 2021 Forbes 30 under 30 honoree also holds the title of Executive Producer, producing an ESPN Films documentary “144” on the 2020 WNBA season.

Osagie Imasogie, on the other hand, is the Chairman of the Investment Bank and SEC/FINRA registered Broker-Dealer, Quoin Capital and Quoin Advisors.

In addition, Imasogie is a co-founder of PIPV Capital, a private equity firm that is focused on the life sciences vertical and has invested over $1 billion into that industry.

Prior to co-founding PIPV Capital, he established GlaxoSmithKline Ventures and was its founding Vice President.

Imasogie has held senior commercial and R&D positions within pharmaceutical companies such as GSK, SmithKline Beecham, and DuPont Merck. He has also been a Price Waterhouse Corporate Finance Partner as well as a practising attorney with leading U.S. law firm, Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis.

Imasogie is a serial entrepreneur and investor who serves on the board of a number of financial institutions such as FS-KKR Capital Corp and Haverford Trust, institutions that cumulatively manage over $28 billion. He is an adviser to Brown Advisory, a firm that manages in excess of $140 billion.

Imasogie is the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and a member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center.

In addition, Imasogie is a Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, a member of the Executive Committee of the University, and is also the Chairman of the Board of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where he is an Adjunct Professor of Intellectual Property.

Imasogie holds LLM degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, and is a member of the New York State Bar in addition to being admitted to practice in other jurisdictions.

National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi  Ganduje, has said his former boss and presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, would remain a serial loser in presidential contests because he is always driven by personal ambition.

Ganduje spoke in Abuja, Tuesday night, when he received the Bauchi State NNPP governorship candidate in the 2023 general election, Senator Haliru Jika, who formally returned to APC during an event at the national secretariat of the party.

In a symbolic act to mark the political shift, Ganduje, while receiving Jika and his group into APC, removed the characteristic red cap of the Kwankwasiyya group and replaced it with President Bola Tinubu’s signature cap bearing the unbroken chain insignia.

Alleging that Kwankwaso’s personal ambition had seen him change political parties a number of times, Ganduje stressed that the founder of Kwankwasiyya would prefer to be “a king in hell than be a servant in paradise” because he prioritised his personal ambition over national interest.

The APC national chairman said when he learnt Jika was coming to see him at his residence to discuss the way forward, he knew he was about to meet a formidable politician and a household name in Bauchi State.

According to Ganduje, Jika is returning to a party that is very progressive and focused, “when we look at where he is coming from. He is coming from a party that used to be a decent party and highly respected but was later hijacked and polluted by the Kwankwasiyya group”.

Ganduje said they were happy that the original NNPP was taking back its proper position and leaving the Kwankwasiyya group deserted and thrown out completely.

He stated, “The Kwankwasiyya group headed by the former Kano State governor was forced to go into a sabbatical leave for eight years before it found its way back to Government House in Kano.

“The Kwankwasiyya head, who wears a red cap, is the person, who prefers to be a king in hell than be a servant in paradise. He specialises in deceiving people. He was first in PDP and came back to APC, when it was formed. That was when the nPDP merged with the legacy parties to form the APC.

“Instead of staying in APC, because of his ambition, he decided to leave APC, after failing to pick the presidential ticket, to go back to the PDP. He could not stay there, again, when he failed to pick up the ticket.

“He still went on his own to contest the presidential poll and was defeated twice.

“He is a professional contestant for presidential elections and would remain a professional failure. He loves himself so much. I am happy you have dumped the red cap. It is a very sensible action that you have taken.”

Ganduje assured the returnees of inclusiveness in the running of APC in Bauchi State as part of an ongoing effort to reposition the party ahead of the 2027 polls. He said the party regretted its performance in the state at the last general election.

Addressing newsmen after meeting with Ganduje, the former NNPP candidate said the interest of his teeming supporters in Bauchi State was behind his decision to return to APC.

Jika stated, “My dumping NNPP for APC has nothing to do with the presidential candidate of NNPP. I have no issue with Kwankwaso. The interest of Bauchi State informed my returning to APC.”

Jika, a ninth National Assembly senator, disclosed that Vice President Kashim Shettima and the first lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, also influenced his decision to return to the APC fold.

He pledged to remain loyal to APC and ensure its victory in 2027, both in the state and at the federal level.

On Tuesday, federal civil servants protested the removal of over 17,000 workers from the federal government’s monthly payroll via the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

It was reported that the federal government delisted over 17,000 government employees from the IPPIS platform for failing to comply with five-year verification exercises.

However, in an address to journalists in Abuja, civil servants affiliated with the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) claimed some flaws in the IPPIS verification process.

Comrade Tommy Etim Okon, President of ASCSN, told reporters that the portal contained the names of Personal Assistants (PAs), Special Advisers (SAs), and, in some cases, Ministers who had served in previous governments.

While urging workers to remain calm because steps were being taken to address the situation, Okon also chastised his colleagues, questioning why most genuine civil servants pretended to be unaware of the verification exercise while it was ongoing.

However, he noted that the Federation’s Office of the Head of Service has given affected employees who were incorrectly omitted from the IPPIS portal one week to forward their documents for update, provided they had genuine cases.

He said;

We called your attention to what we heard or information at our disposal just few days ago, we received an information that over 17,000 workers in the core civil service did not carry out the online verification which was done by the office of the Head of Service of the Federation.

Quickly we swung into action to interface with the government through the HoSF and by that singular act, there was need for us to talk to our members and that informed the reasons, because we have seen a lot of apprehensions from our members, receiving several phone calls, then we also looked at the timing because of the social economic challenges.

We went deep into the document where we also realised that even in some government agencies, we realised that names of PAs, SAs and some Ministers were included in the IPPIS portal, whereas those people were political office holders in their own rights in various regimes.

The Yoruba socio-cultural group Afenifere has doubled down on its support for Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election.

The group disclosed that it is backing the decision to appeal the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) judgment that affirmed President Bola Tinubu’s election.

Recall that the court dismissed Obi’s petition and that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Atiku Abubakar, challenging the declaration of Tinubu as winner of the presidential election.

Days after Obi filed an appeal at the Supreme Court, Afenifere expressed support for the former Anambra State governor’s move.

Reacting to the development, the group said it will not deviate from the principles of fairness, equity and justice that informed its decision to support Obi.

In a communique after a meeting held at its leader Chief Ayo Adebanjo’s Ogun residence on Tuesday, the group said it “remains convinced and undeterred on the just principles with which we agreed to support Mr. Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party.

“In line with our disagreement with the judgment of the Court of Appeal on the 2023 elections, we support a further appeal to the Supreme Court in the interest of the nation.”

It also faulted the court’s “pronouncements that the INEC is at liberty to return to the manual collation of election results and all the primitive electoral brigandage associated.

“Neither is it true with our political structure that Nigeria is now a 37-state federation as the Court of Appeal erroneously pronounced.”

Afenifere further maintained that “no person or group of persons shall hold the reins of power except in the proven interest of a fair, equitable, inclusive and thus united Nigeria in their peaceful, prosperous and harmonious diversity.”

National election tribunal sitting in Enugu has affirmed the victory of Senator Kelvin Chukwu of the Labour party.

The tribunal struck out the petition filed by the former Governor of Enugu state, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, challenging Chukwu’s victory.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared Chukwu, who replaced his late brother murdered during the campaign ahead of the February 25, 2023, as the winner of the Enugu East Senatorial district election. He scored over 69,000 votes to defeat Chimaroke Nnamani who secured about 49,000 votes.

Dissatisfied with the result, Nnamani approached the tribunal and urged the tribunal to declare him the rightful winner of the election or cancel the election.

He alleged alleged that the election was marred by over-voting, irregularities, election malpractices and non-compliance with the electoral guidelines and

Ruling on the matter Wednesday, the tribunal comprising a three-man honourable Justices unanimously upheld Chukwu’s victory.

They dismissed Nnamni petition for being vague, lacking in merit, incompetent, generic and academic exercise

The panel led by Justice Nusirat I. Umar unani also awarded a cost of N500,000 against the petitioners in favour of the three respondents, Kelvin Chukwu, Labour Party and INEC.

In a heartwarming display of compassion and generosity, Warri, Delta State-based Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin has offered N10 million scholarship to Liam Aloba, the five-month-old son of late Nigerian musician, Promise Oladimeji Aloba, a.k.a MohBad.

The social media became abuzz with the donation of N10 million to the late Mohbad’s family when a delegation apparently from Fufeyin visited the Lagos home of Mohbad.

The death of the Nigerian singer has raised dust for weeks now given the circumstances leading to his death.

Meanwhile, social media platforms erupted with praises and commendations for the revered spiritual leader, with numerous prominent figures and netizens expressing their appreciation for his benevolent gesture.

X (formerly Twitter) users, including prominent figures took to their accounts to laud Prophet Fufeyin’s act of philanthropy. Many described it as a shining example of true leadership, empathy, and love for fellow citizens.

@nnekajim tweeted, “I’m beyond impressed with Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin’s donation to Mohbad’s son. This is what true leadership and empathy look like.”

@imolenizationtv, a mother herself, shared, “As a mother, I can only imagine how grateful Mohbad’s family must be feeling right now. Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin’s contribution will go a long way towards securing the future of Mohbad’s son. 10 million naira is no small money in Nigeria now oo.”

Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin’s act of kindness not only highlights the power of compassion but also serves as a reminder of the positive impact individuals can have on society when they extend a helping hand.

@BullaNaijaTv aptly summarised the sentiments of many with their tweet: “The world needs more people like Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin. His contribution to Mohbad’s family will undoubtedly change their lives for the better.”

In a world often filled with challenges and uncertainties, acts of kindness like this one continue to inspire hope and demonstrate the potential for positive change. Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin’s actions have not only touched the lives of the recipients but also ignited a collective appreciation for the power of compassion in making the world a better place.

In Lagos, a police constable named Abdullahi Kabiru was injured by a soldier known as Corporal Martins.

The soldier is assigned to the Nigerian Army College of Nursing (NACON), while the policeman is a student at the military school.

According to SaharaReporters, Kabiru angered the soldier by breaking a glass at the school’s entrance.

Even though Kabiru repaired the broken glass, the soldier still attacked him and caused him injuries. A source mentioned that soldiers at the school often intimidate and harass people.

The source said, “It happened that the nursing student or student nurse mistakenly broke a small glass at the entrance of the school, and he immediately repaired it. Despite this, Martins and his colleagues still beat and injured the student. He was hit on the head and other parts of his body.

“Military men should stop treating people like animals; we are in a democratic dispensation. The policeman was seriously injured as he was hit with a stick by Corporal Martins. We need this army brutality, especially at the Nigerian Army College of Nursing to stop. I pray that parents don’t start seeing the corpses of their children studying here soon.”

BANKRUPT Sri Lanka’s economic recovery was “not yet assured”, the International Monetary Fund warned Wednesday, after the first review of its $2.9 billion bailout aimed at repairing the island nation’s ruined finances.

The Washington-based lender of last resort said Sri Lanka had been unable to meet its revenue targets and ensure growth although it had tamed runaway inflation.

“Despite early signs of stabilisation, full economic recovery is not yet assured,” the IMF said.

Last year’s economic crash sparked dire food, fuel and medicine shortages, as well as months of civil unrest that eventually toppled then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

His successor Ranil Wickremesinghe has raised taxes and removed energy subsidies, but the IMF said state revenue was still below expectations.

An IMF delegation wrapped up their two-week mission to Sri Lanka without an announcement on releasing the second tranche of $330 million.

Colombo had expected that funding to be signed over at the end of the latest talks.

But the IMF said it was still reviewing “financing assurances” from external creditors on restructuring Sri Lanka’s bilateral and private debt.

Colombo is in discussion with its private creditors to restructure Sri Lanka’s international sovereign bonds, after defaulting on its $46 billion foreign debt in April 2022.

Talks are underway with bilateral lenders and part of the domestic debt has already been restructured.

China, which accounts for 52 percent of the island’s bilateral debt, has not made its position on restructuring public, but has agreed to support Colombo.

AFP

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has allegedly asked his deputy Philip Shaibu to publicly drop his ambition to run for the 2024 state governorship poll or be excluded from all government activities, including the state Executive Council meetings.

The governor, who is from Edo South Senatorial district, and Shaibu (from Edo North) are reportedly at loggerheads over the latter’s ambition.

Obaseki allegedly supports Asue Ighodalo, a lawyer from Edo Central and chairman of the Board of Trustees of Alaghodaro, an annual investment drive by the state government.

Shaibu has, however, insisted that he would partake in the governorship election.

According to The Nation, Obaseki held the state’s weekly executive council meeting/ retreat in Lagos without Shaibu.

Obaseki allegedly sent the deputy governor to Abuja, apparently to get him away from the meeting/retreat.

The two-day retreat for newly-appointed Edo commissioners and other top officials of the government was tagged: “Exco Retreat with Mr. Governor.”

An Obaseki ally, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the retreat was a yearly ritual for strategic events to brainstorm on the programmes of the government and set an agenda for the coming year.

It was gathered that during the retreat, Obaseki told members of his cabinet that should Shaibu dare to participate in the Peoples Democratic Party governorship primaries, his security vote and participation in government activities would be halted.

A source said: “Obaseki surreptitiously sent Shaibu to represent him in two Abuja events, while he (Edo governor) went to a Lagos resort, along with his commissioners and heads of Edo Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), to hold the state’s weekly exco meeting, without any prior notice to Shaibu on either the change of exco meeting’s day or venue.

“Obaseki’s decision to send his deputy on a wild-goose chase to Abuja is connected to his (Edo governor’s) decision to ensure that his deputy could not justifiably argue that he was deliberately schemed out of the Lagos exco meeting when he was also on state assignments.

“Shaibu was deliberately not informed of any decision to hold the exco meeting on Monday instead of the usual Wednesday or that it would be taken to Lagos.

“Notice of the meeting was kept top secret and deliberately shielded from the deputy to ensure that even if he managed to return to Benin City from his Abuja assignments before the end of the meeting, he would not be able to attend.

“Edo governor does not want his deputy to be with him at the Lagos exco meeting and retreat until he is able to meet all conditions set for reconciliation, one of which is that he must publicly renounce his governorship ambition, for Obaseki to consolidate on his choice of Asue Ighodalo as his successor.”

[NaijaNews]