West Ham want to sign Union Berlin defender Danilho Doekhi, but face competition from Serie A champions Napoli according to VI.

The Hammers lost Craig Dawson to Wolves in January and didn’t replace him, leaving them with Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd and Angelo Ogbonna as their only senior central defensive options.

That has led them in the direction of 25-year-old Doekhi, but Napoli and Jose Mourinho’s Roma are also interested in the Dutchman.

“Whether Doekhi will enter the billion dollar ball with Union Berlin remains to be seen, because he has put himself in the spotlight,” they wrote (3 July). 

“From Italy there is interest from champion Napoli, who will lose Min-jae Kim to Bayern Munich and is looking for a possible replacement. AS Roma and the English West Ham are also interested.”

Depth

This is going to be a busy summer transfer window for West Ham at the London Stadium, with incoming and outgoings expected.

Declan Rice is obviously leaving and that £105m will go towards the transfer budget for the summer with plenty of interest in attackers and other players.

Defensively the team needs additions to improve the depth, and while Thilo Kehrer is also capable of playing at centre-back it’s quite clear he is better as a full-back.

There has been some talk the German could look to leave too however, while Ben Johnson’s future is unclear as it stands also.

Doekhi would come in for a relatively low fee and provide solid competition for a starting place, but with no Champions League football it could prove hard to convince him to come to London ahead of Naples or even staying in Berlin for another season.

[westhamzone]

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control(NAFDAC) has refuted the claim that semolina contains plastic materials adding that scientific analysis of the food product showed that the woman’s claim in a video is not true.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye in a statement on Monday said the attention of the Agency has been drawn to a social media video showing a woman washing Golden Penny Semovita in a sieve using cold water.

“The woman claimed that the residue she got after sieving was plastic. A similar video was shown in 2020 and that led to a Press Release similar to this.”

“Upon receiving the alerts from various quarters in the community in 2020, the Director General immediately gave a directive to conduct emergency post-marketing analysis using different brands of Semolina.”

“The Agency investigated this claim by conducting appropriate analytical testing in her internationally accredited laboratories. The results showed that there was no plastic or any similar harmful contaminants in Golden Penny Semovita.”

“It contained the expected components plus the required Vitamin A. NAFDAC, therefore, wishes to inform the general public that the claim in the social media video assertions is misleading.”

“The alleged Golden Penny Semovita is a brand of semolina, a very popular flour made from wheat and consumed in several parts of the world. Semolina contains mainly water, carbohydrates and about 13% of gluten-forming proteins.”

“Gluten is made up of two classes of proteins – glutenin and gliadin, which upon addition of water combine to form gluten, a protein that gives nutritive value and imparts other characteristic properties to the product.”

“Glutenin normally gives a bread dough the ability to rise during baking while gliadin gives it the viscous and elastic (viscoelastic) properties, or it simply makes it extensible and elastic.”

“This latter property is the rubbery/plastic-like appearance that was exhibited in the said video. Semolina has no plastic content in it; it only exhibits viscous and elastic properties. The rubbery-like material that was observed in the video after many washings with water is the gluten that formed after the gluten-forming proteins get mixed with water.”

“Golden Penny Semovita is manufactured by Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc., a registered company which has been granted marketing authorization by NAFDAC to manufacture the product and offer it for sale in Nigeria.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has revealed that banks’ total assets from April 2022 to April 2023 rose by N16.65 representing a 25.88 per cent adding that Industry credit also increased by N4.54 trillion during the period under review.

The Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, CBN, Aisha Ahmad, and a member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the CBN, Adeola Adenikinju disclosed this in their personal statements at the CBN MPC meeting held in May.

They added that Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) ratio declined to 4.4 per cent in April 2023 from 4.5 per cent in March 2022, which is further below the regulatory benchmark of 5 per cent.

According to Adenikinju, “Total Assets of the banking industry grew by N16.65 trillion or 25.88 per cent between April 2022 and April 2023. Industry credit increased by N4.54 trillion or 17.40 per cent between end April 2022 and end-April 2023. Gross credit has been on an upward trajectory since 2019. Total industry deposits increased by N8.84 trillion or 21.4 per cent between the end of April 2022 and April 2023.”

He added that the stress tests conducted on the industry show that it can weather the major risks and vulnerabilities in the system.

He noted that the financial soundness indicators remain positive and that the banking system remains strong, sound, and resilient.

“The capital adequacy ratio (CAR) stood at 12.8 per cent in April 2023, still within the prudential requirement of between 10 per cent – 15 per cent. Non-performing loans (NPLs) ratio declined from 4.5 per cent in March 2023 to 4.4 per cent in April 2023.

“Liquidity ratio (LR) rose to 45.3 per cent in April 2023, from 43.8 per cent in March 2023. This is above the minimum 30 per cent recommended by the prudential requirement, ”he said.

However, he warned that cost to operating income declined marginally from 70.6 per cent to 70.5 per cent between March and April 2023 urging it be addressed as in other climes, “the ratio is 23.5 per cent in Turkey, 50.6 per cent in Brazil, 41.0 per cent in Malaysia, 62.0 per cent in South Africa, 43.2 per cent in Angola, 35.2 per cent in Egypt, Kenya is 45.2 per cent and Ghana, 46.1 per cent.”

On her part, Ahmad stated: “Industry credit increased by N4.54 trillion between end-April 2022 and 2023 with significant portions of the credit granted to output elastic sectors (manufacturing, general commerce, agriculture, information, and communication), and has been in an upward trajectory since 2019, yet the monthly trend in credit growth declined from 1.31per cent in March 2023 to 0.05 per cent in April 2023. Lending rates also remain high in response to the contractionary monetary policy stance. These developments point to the importance of balanced actions in the pursuit of the price stability mandate.

“Industry soundness indicators also remain strong as of April 2023, with capital adequacy ratio at 12.8 per cent, non-performing loans ratio at 4.4 per cent from 5.3 per cent in April 2022 and liquidity ratio at 45.3 per cent above the 30.0 per cent minimum even as credit to the real sector continued to grow.”

She also added that stress test results showed that industry solvency and liquidity positions could withstand mild to moderate shocks in the short to medium term.

“Nonetheless, the sector must continue to build adequate capital buffers – ongoing implementation of the Basel III capital standards (which prescribes additional capital buffers) are relevant in this regard,” she added.

On his part, the Deputy Governor, Economic Policy Directorate, Dr. Kingsley Obiora stated: “The continuous decline in NPL was attributable to write-offs, restructuring of facilities, Global Standing Instruction (GSI) and sound credit risk management. Consequently, total gross credit increased by N4.54 trillion, representing an increase of 19.71 per cent between the end of April 2022 and the end of April 2023, from N26.10 trillion to N30.64 trillion, due to the increase in the industry funding base, the CBN’s directive on Loan-to-Deposit Ratio (LDR), and business strategy and competition. The credit growth was largely recorded in key sectors of the economy, including oil and gas, manufacturing, general commerce, and government.”

The management of Innoson Automobile Company has finally broken silence on the N3 million scholarship awarded to Miss Mmesoma Ejikeme, saying the scholarship will stand if the latter found to be innocent of the allegation by JAMB of result manipulation.

Mr Cornel Osigwe, Head of Corporate Communications at Innoson Group, stated this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Onitsha.

NAN reports that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), had accused Ejikeme of using a software to manipulate her score to 362 as against 249.

According to Osigwe, it is strange to hear from JAMB that Ejikeme manipulated her result.

“It is strange to us because we did our independent verification and found out that Mmesoma Ejikeme actually scored 362, when we printed her result.

“When it was claimed that she was the highest, we waited for JAMB to come and clarify it, but they did not and the media was publishing that she was the highest.

“We also waited to see if there was going to be a counter claim, but since there was no counter claim, we awarded her the scholarship as the highest scorer.

“On Sunday, it was reported that JAMB claimed that she manipulated her result. We are doing our independent investigation as we speak to know if she actually manipulated her result or the fault was from JAMB.

“If we find out that the girl actually manipulated her result for obvious reasons, we will withdraw the scholarship.

“But if we find out that the mistake was actually from JAMB; that they were the ones that awarded her the score, or probably did a review and found out that her actual score was 249, then our scholarship will still stand.”

•Buhari submits nominee for Katsina

•Tinubu wades into choice of candidate from Kano

A list of ministerial nominees to be appointed by President Bola Tinubu is ready, Sun-Tribune can report authoritatively.

The list, according to top sources in power corridors, is the first batch and will be sent to the Senate this week. The list of other nominees will follow after.

The president is required to appoint a minister each from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to assist him to run the government.

Immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, appointed 44 ministers with some states getting two ministers.

Sunday Tribune gathered that the first batch is made up of technocrats in line with the desire of President Tinubu to get the economy running as quickly as possible.

Investigation by Sunday Tribune revealed that some serving senators from the North and the South are on the list.

“The president wants a Federal Executive Council that is performance-driven and has consequently head-hunted some highly competent technocrats to assist him in achieving his Renewed Hope Agenda upon which Nigerians voted for him.

“The president is aware of the need to depart from the old order in the appointment of ministers. He has demonstrated it in Lagos State that he is a talent spotter. Rest assured he is assembling a crack team to confront the problems in the country, said one of the sources contacted by Sunday Tribune.

It was gathered that a former Chief Executive Officer of a commercial bank from the South-West who joined partisan politics in 2020 is one of the technocrats on the list.

The person, a Fellow of Chartered Accountant (FCA) is being touted as the technocrat to be saddled with manning the Ministry of Finance where his core competence will fit in.

Sources confided in Sunday Tribune that the president has waded into the choice of nominee from Kano State as a result of the face-off between the immediate past governor of the state, Abdullahi Ganduje and his predecessor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Tinubu, it was learnt, gave Buhari the honour of presenting a nominee from Katsina State. The former president is said to have sent a name to his successor.

As part of the demonstration of his determination to begin the rebuilding of the economy immediately, it was gathered that the Senate will receive the first batch this week.

Apart from the immediate past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, who may have been penciled in as the nominee from the state, some of his colleagues in the G-5 camp may make the list.

It was gathered that those who lost their senatorial bids and could not install successors in their states might be considered for appointments.

“The president is taking time to select those he believes will add value and move the country forward, particularly on the economic front.

“The first batch of the list is ready,” Sunday Tribune was told by a source which added that “the list will be finalised at a meeting with the president today [Monday].”

Brighton are getting their recruitment so right that even a player they would deem a flop would be worthy of Manchester United's consideration this summer.

Erik ten Hag's side are set to make Mason Mount their first signing of the transfer window, but work is already under way to follow up his signature with that of a goalkeeper and a striker.

It is no secret that signing a striker is the priority for United this summer, though the uncertain takeover situation has made doing so a lot easier said than done.

United have already all but given up any hope of signing Harry Kane, it looks like Victor Osimhen is set to remain at Napoli and even cheaper options like Rasmus Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani could end up being over budget.

In the very worst case scenario, United might even have to delay plans to sign an elite forward for another year, and look to sign a cheaper, wildcard option to suffice in the short-term.

They might have left it too late to make such a realisation though, with one of the ideal cheaper candidates looking set to move before they can even give it consideration.

United fans might recoil at the suggestion of signing a literal second-tier striker this summer, but a move for Viktor Gyökeres could prove to be the exception.

The 25-year-old was the standout striker in English football outside of the Premier League last season and would have been gracing the top-flight for sure, had Coventry won the play-off final penalty shootout against Luton.

Some supporters might dismiss these exploits as misleading given they occured in the second-tier, but then it would be hypocrticial to expect big things from Amad after his loan spell at Sunderland.

He had scored 11 goals in 12 appearances in his first five months with the Brighton academy, helping them win promotion to the top flight of U23 football, but would suffer from the club's short-term needs at senior levle as they loooked to establish themselves in the Premier League.

Gyökeres spent three years at Brighton but never made a league appearance, and he only managed one goal in the eight senior appearances he eventually made for the club.

He went on loan to St. Pauli and Swansea, though it was a short-term switch to Coventry that would set him on the path to becoming one of the best strikers in the Championship.

The Swede netted three league goals during the loan spell but they were convinced to take a gamble on his signature for less than £1million, beleiving he had the raw attributes to perform at a higher level.

It proved to be a masterstroke. Gyökeres gradually settled into life at Coventry and relished the opportunity to be their main man in attack. He grabbed 18 league goals in his first full season and followed it up with 22 goals and 12 assists as his side finished fifth in the Championship last season.

Not only are the numbers impressive, but so too is his style of play. Gyökeres possesses the same frightening balance of pace and power that makes player like Erling Haaland so lethal, as well as the intelligence to make sure he is in the right place at the right time.

Of course, this is not to say he is on the same level as the likes of Haaland, Harry Kane or even Rasmus Hojlund, but he certainly has some of the key attributes required to be a success in the Premier League.

It would not be too harsh to say that the reason Coventry's quick counter-attacking was so successful last season was because of the brilliance of their striker who was able to make things out of nothing.

The striker also cites the insight of Coventy manager Mark Robins' own playing career at Old Trafford as a key element in his development as a player.

“He speaks to me about how I can be more effective and gives me little bits of advice on my movement," he told club media. "It’s helpful to have a coach who has played for the likes of Manchester United, because he knows the demands of the very top level and you can learn a lot from that.”

Since he joined Coventry no player has been involved in more Championship goals than he has (54), and his tally of 38 goals has only been surpassed by Aleksandar Mitrović (43, all in one season for Fulham) and Joël Piroe at Swansea (41).

That is even more impressive considering the side he has been playing for, and although he is still a raw talent, his output is still impressive given the circumstance he has often played in for Coventry.

What is perhaps the most encouraging though is his physical presence in the box and the way he brings the best out of his teammates as well, something that could be crucial in unlocking the true potential of United's wide players.

The issue for United is that they might have already missed their chance to get him. Gyökeres is understood to be closing in on a £18.5m move to Sporting Lisbon, meaning there is not long left for any side to try and hijack a deal.

The Portuguese giants are in a position where they can afford to take more of a risk on a striker than United this summer, but it would certainly not be a surprise if he quickly found form there either.

If that is the case then maybe United will be more open to taking such gambles in the future and the longer their striker search goes on, the more compelling a case it will become.

[manchestereveningnews]

American heavyweight boxer, Deontay Wilder has confirmed that the clash between him and Anthony Joshua will happen in December.

The much anticipated clash between both heavyweight boxers have generated a lot of reactions from their fans on social media.

Talks are also ongoing for Wilder to take an interim fight against Andy Ruiz, though these appear to have reached a stalemate.

‘The Bronze Bomber’ assured 78SportsTV that the blockbuster bout with Joshua in the Middle East is definitely happening.

“We coming baby, soon! The next fight, we’ve been working very hard, you’ve seen me training. It’s always been Ruiz, but if he doesn’t want to accept it then we will move on, or maybe hold out until the Joshua fight, because that’s definitely going down.

“Y’all need to get your money ready for that,” he said.

Skill Challenge Promotions are determined to stage Wilder vs Joshua, even if they can’t agree a deal for an undisputed showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on the same show, which now looks to be off the table for December, as per Fury’s promoter Frank Warren.

Wilder could be forgiven for perhaps wanting a fight before taking on Joshua, given he has not boxed since his one round demolition of Robert Helenius in October of last year.

Joshua is well accustomed to fighting in Saudi Arabia, which played host to both his successful rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr back 2019 and his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last summer.

Wilder has never boxed in Saudi himself, though he was seen in attendance at the Tommy Fury vs Jake Paul fight in February, where it is speculated that early talks for a fight with Joshua could have occurred.

However, Joshua has been billed to fight Dillian Whyte on August 12 in Saudi Arabia.

[TheNewsGuru]

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has charged the Senior Women National Team, the Super Falcons to pull efforts, talents and skills together and dominate at the 9th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals starting in Australia and New Zealand in 18 days’ time.

The First Lady threw this challenge to the nine-time African champions at a Send-Forth dinner held for them at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja on Saturday, less than 24 hours before the team was due to depart Nigeria’s shores for a 15-day training camp in Down Under before the global spectacle.

“You are the shining star and pride of Africa. I charge you to go all out and do your very best to dominate other teams, and become the pride of the entire world,” she said in a speech read on her behalf by Dr. Betta Edu, APC National Women Leader.

“I am proud to note that our Super Falcons have remained in that mix of the very best globally in the world of football. They have featured in every single edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals since the competition started in 1991, and our country is also one of only seven countries worldwide to have done so.

“While our Falcons made it to the quarter-finals at the 1999 finals in the United States of America, and reached the second round at the last championship in France, our expectations as a nation and as a people is for a much better performance at what is certainly the biggest and best championship yet, in Australia and New Zealand starting from 20 July.”
The Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar advised the girls to work as a team in order to achieve greater results, while President of NFF, Ibrahim Musa Gusau noted that the Super Falcons have won their last three matches and possess the winning mentality to be a strong force for any opposition in Australia and New Zealand.

“Our belief in the Super Falcons and what they are capable of achieving informed the NFF’s decision to spare no cost in adequately preparing the team for the finals, with tournaments and matches in Japan, Mexico and Turkey, and a 15-camping already planned in Australia before the tournament begins.”

The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu expressed confidence that the Falcons will go all the way to the Championship Final, and pledged to attend the quarter-final and semi-final matches if the girls get to the latter stages.
NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi urged the Falcons to observe the integrity of the sport and prioritize good character on and off the field of play at the finals.

Team captain Onome Ebi, on behalf of the players, said: “We are not just going to be part of the competition, but going to break records and surpass our previous outing which was Round of 16.”

The occasion was also attended by a representative of the Accountant General of the Federation, NFF partners and sponsors, members of the diplomatic corps, business moguls, NFF management and staff, members of the Supporters Club and other football stakeholders.

On Friday, the Australian High Commission in Nigeria treated the Super Falcons to a celebration dinner hosted by the Ag. High Commissioner, Leanne Johnston in Abuja, and which was also attended by the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Ismaila Abubakar, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, NFF Management team and football stakeholders and enthusiasts.

[ThisNigeria]

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has said that 13 intending pilgrims from Nigeria lost their lives while performing the just concluded Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Head of the Medical Team of NAHCON, Dr. Usman Galadima, disclosed this to journalists Monday during the post Arafat briefing in Makkah with the Hajj stakeholders.

He said: “Seven of the victims died before Arafat, six died post Arafat (four in Arafat, two in Mina).

 “Three of the dead victims were from the private tour operators, while two each were from Kaduna and Osun States.

“Plateau, Borno, Yobe, FCT, Benue and Lagos States recorded one death each.

“The post Arafat figure for this year is higher than the combined figures of 2022 (two) and 2018 (two). 

“The figure is the same as that of 2019, while it is higher than the post Arafat figures of 2016 and 2017 when three deaths were recorded each.”

According to him, a total of 25,722 pilgrims were treated by the medical team throughout the post-Arafat period out of which the men were 10,454 and women were 15,268.

“There were 93 emergency cases out of which there were seven heat strokes, 22 severe malaria, seven DM emergencies and five psychiatric cases.

“There were also three reported cases of chicken pox, which the doctor said were all taken out of Mina to the hospital in Makkah to avoid contagion,” he stated.

Galadima also reported that two cases of deliveries by pregnant women, one on the roadside and another one in one of the NAHCON medical facilities.

He advised that elderly pilgrims should stop going to Jamarat, while all pilgrims should use the train service to access the place. 

He added that medical screening at state levels should be scaled up to stop medically unfit pilgrims from coming for Hajj.

[ThisDay]