The names of the top three nominees for the 2022/23 UEFA Men's Player of the Year award have been revealed.

Manchester City stars, Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and and former PSG and now Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi are the three nominees for the 2022/23 Men’s Player of the Year Award.

“UEFA has announced the names of the top three nominees for the 2022/23 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award,” the statement reads.

According to UEFA, its technical study group made the shortlist based on the performance of players in the 2022/23 season.

Performances for both club and country were considered.

The group trimmed the nominees to three via the votes of a jury consisting of coaches of clubs that participated in the group stage of European club competitions last season.

National team coaches and selected journalists’ groups completed the jury.

The winner will be announced at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco, on Thursday, August 31.

The Federal Government has announced a N5 billion palliative to each state of the federation, including the federal capital territory (FCT), to cushion the impact of the removal of the petrol subsidy.

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State announced the total palliative of N185 billion during an interactive session with State House correspondents in Abuja on Thursday after the statutory meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Thursday.

Membership of NEC includes the governors of the 36 states of the federation, Ministers of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Finance, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) among others.

Among governors who attended the meeting were Abdulrahman Abdulrazak (Kwara), Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Inuwa Yahya (Gombe) Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Dr. Alex Otti (Abia), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos) and Ademola Adeleke (Osun).

Others were Senator Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Senator Uba Sani(Kaduna), Sheriff Obrevwori (Delta), Prof. Charles Soludo (Anambra), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Umaru Namadi (Jigawa),

kano
Also at the meeting are Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Prince Bassey Otu (Cross River), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo State acting governor), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Ahmad Aliu (Sokoto), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Process Babagana Zulum (Borno).

Deputy governors of Katsina, Rivers, Yobe, Adamawa, Kano, Kebbi are also participating in the meeting.

More details to follow….

The management of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) has suspended Cyril Ndifon, the dean of the faculty of law, accused of sexual harassment.

Ndifon’s suspension was announced in a letter signed by Gabriel Egbe, the varsity’s registrar, on Thursday.

On Monday, some female students, led by Benedict Otu, the president of the Law Students Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN), staged a protest, demanding the sack of Ndifon.

The protesting students — clad in their white shirts and black skirts — were chanting “Ndifon, go! go”!

They carried placards with disturbing inscriptions. Some of the inscriptions read: “Professor Ndifon let the girls with big breasts breathe stop suffocating us”, “Enough of law school list manipulation”, and “Professor Ndifon must go for our sanity”.

On Wednesday, the authorities of the institution began a probe into the allegations against Ndifon.

Ndifon’s suspension is pending an investigation into the allegations and also effective from August 17, 2023.

“Please refer to our letter Ref UC/REG/DISC.45A dated August 14, 2023, on your alleged violation of the provisions of the extant laws and policies of the University and your response to the said letter which was dated 16th August, 2023,” the letter reads in part.

In the letter, the institution said Ndifon’s suspension was due to his handling of a query issued to him by the varsity’s management.

Ndifon was directed to transfer all the varsity’s property in his possession, along with his official responsibilities, before vacating his office.

The professor was also instructed to stay away from the school premises, except when responding to an invitation from the panel overseeing the investigation.

I will like to extend my warmest congratulation to your excellency, PRESIDENT ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU, on emerging victorious in a most keenly contested presidential election. While the outcome of the election is being challenged at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, you must, in the interim, face the serious issues of governance bedeviling our nation.

It is in the light of the foregoing that I commend your excellency on the appointment of ministers, particularly, former governor EZENWO NYESOM WIKE as the minister of the federal capital territory, FCT, LATEEF FAGBEMI, SAN as the Attorney General of the Federation and minister of justice, WALE EDUN as the Minister of Finance, as well as MUHAMMED ALI PATE as the coordinating Minister of Health, amongst other ministers.

Their track record in private and public sphere is well known to all, and I have no doubt that they will bring their wealth of experience to bear in turning our country’s fortunes around, for the better.

While I understand the great responsibility and careful deliberation that goes into selection of ministers and the subsequent allocation of portfolios, I, however, regrettably note that unlike the names mentioned above, some ministries, like Defence and youth, have not been given adequate consideration in the appointment of ministers. The youth hold immense potential and are instrumental in driving the social, economic and political progress of Nigeria. Consequently, their active participation in governance is crucial for the meaningful representation of their interests. Such ministry should be headed by a person who is not only a youth at mind but also a youth in body. We should not return to the era where persons who are over 60 years old are appointed as minister of Youth.

Additionally, your excellency, I also want to draw your attention to the defense portfolio and urge you to reconsider the appointment of the substantive minister and minister for state in that regard. The defense ministry plays a crucial role in ensuring the sovereignty and the well-being of our nation and its citizens, and should ordinarily be manned by someone who is well versed in our internal and external security.

Furthermore, there are a number of minister designates whose CV do not match the ministries or portfolios that have been allocated to them. It is imperative, your excellency, that you take a second look at the portfolios recently announced, with a view to ensuring that only square pegs man square holes.  

As a concerned citizen deeply invested in the progress and well being of our nation, I trust your wisdom and discernment in making decisions that will yield positive outcomes for our nation as a whole. Thank you, your excellency, for the consideration of my request.

Comrade Deji Adeyanju

ECOWAS defence chiefs will today meet in Ghana to discuss the deployment of a standby force in Niger to restore constitutional rule.

Heads of state of the sub-regional bloc last Thursday ordered the activation and deployment of a standby force to Niger if dialogue with the putschists fails. According to a statement by the ECOWAS Commission, the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff (CCDC) has commenced the activation of the ECOWAS Standby Force for the restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.

The defence chiefs will meet in Accra, Ghana for two days (Thursday and Friday) to finalise plans for the deployment of the Standby Force.

Presidential guards led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani on 26 July arrested Niger’s president Mohamed Bazoum and dissolved the constitution.

Responding to the coup, ECOWAS convened an emergency meeting where it imposed economic sanctions on Niger including a seven days ultimatum to the putschists to reinstate the ousted president.

The putschists defied ECOWAS and formed a new government on the eve of the second emergency meeting convened by the bloc.

Last Saturday, a Nigerian intervention team of Islamic scholars met with the junta leaders to discuss resolutions after which the junta leader agreed to dialogue with ECOWAS. Before then, two attempts made by ECOWAS to meet with the junta leader had failed.

[Premium Times]

The All Progressives Congress has warned the New Nigeria People’s Party government in Kano State to desist from embarrassing the Chairman of the National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, Justice Flora Azinge, in the wake of the alleged N10m bribery offered to her legal team.

This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Spokesman for Gawuna-Gari Campaign Council, Malam Muhammad Garba.

This was even as the Kano State Government called on security agencies to dig deep into the allegation and bring the ‘strong forces who are well-known for their corrupt attitude’ to book.

The PUNCH reports how Justice Azinge raised the alarm that some senior lawyers were attempting to bribe judges in her team.

Azinge expressed concern that this was the second time a judge was complaining about how some lawyers prosecuting election matters before her, tried to corrupt the system by offering bribes to her colleagues.

She stated in the open court on Tuesday that, “money is flying”, adding that “it’s being rumoured that a staff collected N10 million.”

Shortly after the revelation, the Kano State government released a report that some “strong forces who are well-known for their corrupt attitude are working tirelessly to scuttle the hard-earned mandate of the people of Kano State”.

The statement signed by State Commissioner for Information, Baba Halilu Dantiye, further said the NNPP government viewed the incident as a litmus test for the present administration to ensure that the case was thoroughly investigated and the culprits prosecuted.

“The anti-corruption agencies are equally expected to swing into action, especially when this type of allegation was made in open court by a respected Judge,” he said.

Reacting, Garba, who was the immediate past commissioner for Information and a Chief of Staff to the APC National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, stated that the statement was a subtle attempt to denigrate the APC and the court.

He further alleged that the deliberate attempt to malign the tribunal chairman could have been spurred out of fear that the Kano government may not secure a favourable judgment.

He said, “Kano State Government is pre-empting the possible unrevealing of the actual bribe giver by the tribunal and therefore wanted to malign the judge. The made-up story, which is contained in a statement issued by the state commissioner for Information, Baba Halilu Dantiye, further indicated that the government is trying to vilify the tribunal before the judgment so that it draws sympathy from unsuspecting public in the event it is defeated.

“With an apparent sign of victory on its side, the APC has not and will never offer any bribe to anyone involved in the case considering that it has presented facts and figures to prosecute the matter before the tribunal.”

Continuing, Garba observed that while the APC had presented all its witnesses during the proceedings of the tribunal, the NNPP government has failed to present any to defend its case.

According to him, the action of the Kano state government was nothing but gimmick and an attempt to disparage the APC.

While reaffirming its commitment to patiently continue seeking legal redress in the case, the ruling party expressed confidence that it will eventually reclaim its ‘stolen’ mandate in Kano.

Germany wants the European Union to impose sanctions on the leaders of last month’s military coup in Niger that toppled the country’s elected president, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

“After suspending development and security cooperation, we now want to launch sanctions in the EU against the putschists,” the ministry posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had spoken on the phone in recent days about Niger with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and African Union Commission head Moussa Faki.

“Germany supports the regional efforts to resolve the crisis in Niger. Our goal is to restore the constitutional order,” the foreign ministry said.

Berlin’s comments came as West African military chiefs met in Ghana to coordinate a possible armed intervention aimed at reversing the coup.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has already applied a raft of trade and financial sanctions since the July 26 military takeover.

President Bola Tinubu says his administration is prepared to use education and technology to improve the lives of Nigerians.

Tinubu spoke on Wednesday during a meeting with a delegation from Google West Africa led by Olumide Balogun, the director.

Speaking with the team, the president said his administration takes education seriously, adding that it is a “foremost tool” to fight poverty.

Tinubu asked the tech giant to partner with the federal government on the use of data in the public sector to enhance service delivery.

The president added that he is bringing more young people into his administration to drive his transformative efforts, while calling on Google to become a frontline partner in development.

“We are here to shape our tomorrow, today, and I’m going to do it. Our youths represent over 65% of the yearning development age in Nigeria,” Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, quoted Tinubu as saying.

“We take education very seriously, and that is the foremost tool we have against poverty. The digital economy and telecommunications represent the future, and we are determined to promote it.

“Your partnership with us to make it a serious development in our economic programme is what is desirable. Our youths have the skills, they are brilliant, and they are good people.

“We have been evaluating different proposals on database development, and you have critical information that can equally help the poor leverage on the use of data.”

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it has begun the activation of its standby force in Niger Republic to restore constitutional order.

ECOWAS said this after a meeting of the bloc’s defence chiefs in Accra, Ghana’s capital city, on Wednesday.

Although the defence chiefs had backed the calls for dialogue as a mediation tactic in Niger, the group said all elements that would go into any military intervention had been worked out and were being refined.

This included the timing, resources needed and how, where and when to deploy such force.

Last Thursday, ECOWAS directed the deployment of standby military troops in Niger after the country’s junta defied the bloc’s deadline to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

The resolve was made at the end of the second extraordinary summit held to resolve the crisis.

Speaking at the meeting, President Bola Tinubu, ECOWAS chairperson, said the bloc’s leaders were mandated to exhaust all avenues of engagement to ensure a swift return to constitutional governance in Niger.

Tinubu said it was necessary for action because the political crisis in Niger not only poses a threat to the stability of the nation but also has far-reaching implications for the entire West African region.

The ECOWAS chairperson assured that the bloc would remain steadfast in its commitment to supporting Niger in the journey towards peaceful democratic stability in the country.

Few days after the bloc’s actions, Niger’s military junta said they were ready to explore diplomatic dialogue after a meeting with Nigeria’s intervention team comprising Islamic scholars.

However, in a fresh twist, the Niger military administration said it would prosecute the “deposed president and his local and foreign accomplices before the competent national and international authorities for high treason and undermining internal and external security”.

ECOWAS kicked against the development, saying Bazoum’s prosecution would contradict the earlier accepted willingness of the junta to restore constitutional order through peaceful means.

President Bola Tinubu may have taken the bull by the horns by dismantling the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and relocating the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), now under the stewardship of George Akume.

In a departure from the previously announced ministerial portfolios, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs formed in 2008 was conspicuously missing from the portfolios announced by the Presidency on Wednesday.

The NDDC has been plagued by extensive allegations of corruption. In 2020, responding to mounting concerns, the National Assembly established a committee to investigate the NDDC.

President Tinubu’s decision to remove the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and transfer the NDDC to the OSGF may be aimed at tackling the corruption allegations in the organization.

The OSGF will now undertake the role of supervising the NDDC’s financial operations and ensuring the efficient and effective execution of its projects.

President Tinubu’s cabinet reshuffle has also led to the division of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources into two distinct ministries.

Both ministries will be represented by ministers of state from the South South region.

While Ekperipe Ekpo was named as Minister of State, Gas Resources,Heineken Lokpobiri was appointed Minister of State, Petroleum Resources.

Despite the division of the ministry and the appointment of ministers of state, the role of overseeing the nation’s crucial petroleum sector remains unassigned.

THE WHISTLER understands that President Tinubu reserved the portfolio of the Minister of Petroleum Resources for himself, as seen during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Among the other notable appointments are Yusuf Tuggar as the foreign minister, Dele Alake overseeing Solid Minerals, Mohammed Idris as the Information Minister, Festus Keyamo in charge of aviation and aerospace development, and Nyesom Wike heading the FCT Ministry.

The full list of ministers and their portfolios is as follows:
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy: Bosun Tijani
Minister of State, Environment and Ecological Management: Ishak Salako
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy: Wale Edun
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy: Bunmi Tunji
Minister of Power: Adebayo Adelabu
Minister of State, Health and Social Welfare: Tunisia Alausa
Minister of Solid Minerals Development: Dele Alake
Minister of Tourism: Lola Ade-John
Minister of Transportation: Adegboyega Oyetola
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment: Doris Aniete
Minister of Innovation Science and Technology: Uche Nnaji
Minister of State, Labour and Employment: Nkiruka Onyejeocha
Minister of Women Affairs: Uju Kennedy
Minister of Works: David Umahi
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development: Festus Keyamo
Minister of Youth: Abubakar Momoh
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation: Betta Edu
Minister of State, Gas Resources: Ekperikpe Ekpo
Minister of State, Petroleum Resources: Heineken Lokpobiri
Minister of Sports Development: John Enoh
Minister of Federal Capital Territory: Nyesom Wike
Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy: Hannatu Musawa
Minister of Defence: Mohammed Badaru
Minister of State Defence: Bello Matawalle
Minister of State Education: Yusuf T. Sunumu
Minister of Housing and Urban Development: Ahmed M. Dangiwa
Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development: Abdullah T. Gwarzo
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning: Atiku Bagudu
Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory: Mairiga Mahmud
Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation: Bello M. Goronyo
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security: Abubakar Kyar
Minister of Education: Tahir Maman
Minister of Interior: Sa’Idu A. Alkali
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Yusuf M. Tuggar
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare: Ali Pate
Minister of Police Affairs: Ibrahim Geidam
Minister of State, Steel Development: U. Maigari Ahmadu
Minister of Steel Development: Shuaibu A. Audu
Minister of Information and National Orientation: Muhammed Idris
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice: Lateef Fagbemi
Minister of Labour and Employment: Simon B. Lalong
Minister of State, Police Affairs: Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim
Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Govermental Affairs: Zephaniah Jisalo
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation: Joseph Utsev
Minister of State, Agriculture and Food Security: Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi
Minister of Environment and Ecological Management (Kaduna): to be announced.