A former Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Tukur Buratai (rtd), has accused politicians and the political class of being responsible for the insecurity facing the country since 2009.

Buratai stated this on Friday while speaking in the second stanza 2023 National Public Service Lecture and the 65th anniversary of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association.

He also slammed those who called for his sack over insecurity in the country while he was in office, saying such a call stemmed from personal biases rather than an objective evaluation of his performance.

Burarai added that the call for the sack of the Service Chiefs by the Ninth National Assembly was to derail the democracy through the military.

He said, “These individuals might have held negative opinions of General Buratai based on subjective factors, such as personal preferences or biases unrelated to his actual capabilities. It is crucial to approach discussions regarding national security matters with a fair and impartial mindset, focusing on relevant aspects rather than personal biases and idiosyncrasies.

“The National Assembly had twice or more passed resolutions calling for the sack of the service chiefs. The President, Muhammadu Buhari, had told the Ninth National Assembly to mind their business. If properly interpreted, the call by the Ninth National Assembly was to derail the democracy by the military.

“This should be a lesson for political actors. It was a direct confrontation blaming the Service Chiefs as if they were the ones who started the insecurity. the insecurity being faced in the country since 2009 was the creation of the political class. With a strong political will, it can be surmounted.”

Buratai advised politicians, public servants as well and civil servants to live above board by eschewing corruption which has plagued the country’s political sphere for decades.

He said misappropriation of public funds, bribery, and embezzlement have become too common, diverting resources away from essential services and leaving citizens disillusioned.

The former Army Chief also advised politicians to be accountable and transparent, stating the lack of accountability has eroded public trust and hindered development.

“Politicians often make lofty promises during election campaigns but fail to deliver once in power. The lack of accountability erodes public confidence and perpetuates the perception that politicians are more interested in the people,” he added.

The Government of the United States of America has warned its citizens in Nigeria to avoid major hotels in the country due to elevated threats.

The US Embassy in Nigeria issued the warning in an emergency information for American citizens on Friday, November 3, 2023, adding that the Nigerian security agencies are working to counter the threat.

It said US citizens should exercise vigilance at major hotels, be alert to their surroundings, keep a low profile, and review the travel advisory for Nigeria before checking into any hotels.

The advisory reads: “The U.S. Government is aware of credible information that there is an elevated threat to major hotels in Nigeria’s larger cities.

“The Nigerian security services are working diligently to counter the threat.

“The U.S. Department of State advises U.S. citizens to consider this information when arranging lodging or visiting major hotels in Nigeria.”

The notice also provided the addresses and telephone numbers of the US embassy in Abuja and consulate in Lagos should any US citizen require help.

Recall that in October, the US advised all its citizens worldwide to exercise restraint in travelling to various locations around the world.

Nigeria was listed under the third tier of caution alert (Reconsider to travel).

City FM 105.1 is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Programme: CITY TALKS WITH REUBEN ABATI

Time: 12:00pm

Guest: Comrade Funmi Agnes Sessi
(CHAIRMAN NLC LAGOS STATE)

Topic: "Attack on NLC President and the right to protest"

Date: 4th November, 2023
                         
Join Zoom Meeting

Link: https://zoom.us/j/92877141732?pwd=VEJWb29OL2VVekZUTHRpdWYxK0xxZz09

Meeting ID: 928 7714 1732
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Passengers on board of a privately-owned aircraft including a serving minister (name withheld) escaped death by whiskers on Friday evening as their aircraft reportedly skidded off track into the bush at the Ibadan Airport, Alakia area of Oyo State capital.

There was neither reported loss of lives nor property as men of the State Fire Services, Federal Fire Services, and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Fire Services in a combined service arrested the situation.

The aircraft as informed took off from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Confirming the incident, the General Manager of the State Fire Service, Yemi Adeyimika said, “Yes, it is true, Our men are on their way but I don’t have details now.

He said that his men arrived the scene of the incident on time but met other fire services from other agencies on ground.

What could have resulted in monumental loss was timely averted.

There was neither loss of lives or property as the situation has been put under control.

Inter Miami forward, Lionel Messi won this year’s Ballon d’Or award by 105 points, it has been revealed.

Messi polled 462 points in the voting, while Manchester City’s Erling Haaland had 357.

The organizers have published the final voting statistics, including how every country voted for the winner.

Kylian Mbappe, Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri finished with 270 points, 100 points and 57 points respectively.

Messi’s win is the first time a footballer outside Europe has won the prize.

The 36-year-old has also now taken the prize more than any player in history.

Following his impressive outing at the recently held 67th Ballon d’Or France Football award ceremony in Paris where he was rated as the 8th best player in the world, many Nigerians have endorsed Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, to win the prestigious CAF Africa Player of the Year Award.

Interestingly, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Wednesday, November 1, nominated the dare-devil Napoli striker among 29 other players for the coveted award with Gift Orban, another Nigerian youngster with Genk, also nominated for the Young Player of the Year award.

Since 1999, when the legendary Kanu Nwankwo won his second Africa’s Best Player Award, no Nigerian has won the CAF Best Player title. Mikel Obi and Vincent Enyeama came the closest, finishing second and third in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

The awards, which celebrate outstanding club and national players throughout last year, will be hosted in Morocco on December 11.

Sadio Mane, the forward for Senegal and Al Nassr, won the coveted title in the men’s division last year, but he will have fierce competition from the Super Eagles’ forward, who had a stellar 2022–2023 season with Napoli.

Therefore, the massive support for Osimhen from the home front is not unfounded. The 24-year-old created history by becoming the first African to win the Serie A top scorer title in the 2022/2023 season.

After scoring 26 goals in Serie A (31 goals in 39 games across all competitions), the Napoli player became the first player from Africa to win both the Scudetto and the top scorer award in the same season.

Osimhen, a former Lille striker who was named the best scorer in Serie A last season, also assisted the Partenopei achieve their first-ever quarter-final appearance in the UEFA Champions League.

He had an incredible performance with the Super Eagles in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, finishing as the series’ top scorer with 10 goals while also assisting in guaranteeing the Eagles’ berth in the continental championship game for the following year.

He became the first Nigerian football player to be shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or award in 24 years thanks to his exceptional performance in the 2022–2023 season. The last Nigerian player to be shortlisted for the honour was former Eagles captain Kanu in 1999.

While congratulating the Nigerian international for his exceptional achievements for club and country, Nigeria’s Minister of Sports, Senator John Enoh, acknowledged that winning the CAF award was next for the forward.

“The Ballon d’Or, a world-renowned accolade, recognises and celebrates the most outstanding football players across the globe. For Victor Osimhen to be ranked eighth among such elite company is a testament to his incredible dedication, skill and determination.

“Victor’s journey in football is far from over, and I believe he has the potential to achieve even greater heights in the coming years. We will continue to provide the necessary support to ensure that he and other athletes like him have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Next, we are backing him to win the CAF Men’s Best Player Award,” he said.

Ace sports journalist and Director of Sports, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Godwin Enakhena, added, “If Osimhen is Africa’s best after finishing among the top 8 in the Ballon d’Or ranking, any reason why he shouldn’t win CAF Africa’s Best Player award?”

Former Eagles midfielder, John Ogu, like many Nigerians, believes Osimhen has done enough to put him ahead of his competitors for the award, and the midfielder, via X, sent a message to the organisers of the award.

“Dear @CAF_Online, I’m sure y’all saw the whole Ballon dor setting last night. This is exactly how we want such an award to be delivered and well organised for our star boy @victorosimhen9 as the Best player in Africa. Thank you in advance,” he wrote on X.

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In a chat with Trust Sports, Super Eagles Coordinator, Patrick Pascal, said it will be injustice if Osimhen is denied the award.

“Osimhen is the only African in FIFA’s top ten best players and that should automatically give him the superior edge over others in the CAF awards.

“It will be complete injustice if he is denied that after all he has achieved. Nigerians are rooting for him and expecting him to win,” he declared.

Another former international, Mutiu Adepoju, told Trust Sports that he is very optimistic that Osimhen will win the award.

“He deserves to win the award after all. I am very optimistic that he is going to win and Nigerians will be happy to see a fellow country man win the award after several years of not winning it.

“His potential win will bring a lot of pride to Nigerians. But if he doesn’t win, which to me is unlikely, it won’t be the end of the world but as I said earlier, I am very optimistic of his victory,” he declared.

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In the same vein, the FCT Football Association Chairman, Mouktar Mohammed, is backing Osimhen to win the award.

“I think he has done enough to win the Africa Player of the Year Award. He deserves it, especially after finishing 8th on the Ballon d’Or list.

“Osimhen was in fine form in the 2022/2023 season, as his 25 league goals helped Italian football royalty Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years.

“He pipped Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao to clinch the Best Striker in Serie A gong.

“Osimhen scored five times in six games for Napoli as they reached the quarter final stages of the UEFA Champions League,” he said.

Nigeria’s U17 women head coach, Bankole Olowookere also said he is solidly behind Osimhen winning the award also.

“This young man has done well for himself and he deserves to be honoured. We all know what he did for his club and how he was celebrated. This is a player who put his all for the national team. He has done well locally and internationally and winning this award will crown his efforts,” he said.

Even as the optimism among Nigerian football stakeholders is quite high, the FCT FA Chairman, Mohammed does not want anyone to throw caution to the win as he said it is not going to be a stroll in the park for the gangling Osimhen.

He reiterated that there were other factors that could count against him such as Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the World Cup last year.

“The World Cup tournament is seen as the biggest platform and Nigeria couldn’t qualify for the showpiece in Qatar.

“Osimhen’s greatest challenge may likely come from Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi who won a title with his club and went all the way to the World Cup semi-finals with his country, which is massive.

“Then there is also Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez who won the treble with Manchester City, the English Premier League, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.

“You also have to consider the sharp regional divide and vested interest. The Anglophone and Francophone dichotomy has always been in existence, so that is another factor from the political angle.

“But having said that, I still strongly believe that what Osimhen has achieved is incredible and he deserves to win it,” he noted.

Since 1991, only five Nigerians have won the prestigious award. The late Rashidi Yekini won it in 1993, Amuneke (1994), Nwankwo Kanu (1996, 1999) and Victor Ikpeba (1997).

Manchester United will reportedly attempt to sign a centre-forward during the January transfer window to help the development of Rasmus Hojlund in the Premier League.

The 20-year-old is yet to find the back of the net since his arrival from Atalanta BC over the summer.

He has drawn a blank in each of his seven games in the competition.

Hojlund has scored three times in the Champions League, though, with the Denmark international showing plenty of encouraging signs during the early stages of his time at the club.

Anthony Martial’s struggles mean that Hojlund has become the starting centre-forward this season, and there have been suggestions that the youngster is not ready for that responsibility at this stage of his career.

Martial has only scored once this season and is out of contract next summer.

He is expected to depart in 2024 even if a 12-month extension in his deal is activated.

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United will prioritise a new forward in the winter window, with Brentford’s Ivan Toney, Porto’s Mehdi Taremi and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen seen as options.

Taremi would arguably be the most straightforward of the three to sign, as the Iran international only has a contract with Porto until the end of the campaign.

Manchester United were linked with the 31-year-old over the summer, and Real Madrid are also believed to be interested in a player who has 83 goals in 160 appearances for Porto.

Toney, meanwhile, is widely expected to leave Brentford next year, with the 27-year-old said to be ready to make the step up once he has returned from an eight-month suspension.

The Englishman scored 20 Premier League goals last season, and he will be available for selection once again in the middle of January, when his ban for breaching Football Association betting rules comes to an end.

However, a recent report claimed that Brentford will not allow Toney to leave for less than £100m in January, which would be an impossible deal for Man United at that price.

Osimhen’s future is also being called into question, with his contract talks at Napoli believed to have stalled.

The Nigeria international scored 31 times for his Italian club last season, including 26 in Serie A, playing a leading role in Napoli winning the championship.

The 24-year-old is also believed to be valued by his team in the region of £100m, though, and it would prove very difficult to convince the Serie A champions to sell during the January transfer window.

[EagleOnline]

The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has summoned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and 11 electricity distribution companies (Discos) over utilization of $321 million and N18.2 billion loans for electricity projects.

The affected agencies are to appear before the committee on November 8.

Chairman of the PAC, Bamidele Salam issued the summons when the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. Sule Abdulaziz appeared before the committee Thursday.

Salam said a petition was received on the lack of judicious use of the funds, which were paid to the DISCOs by the CBN on prompting of the TCN.

Abdulaziz had told the committee that the funds were paid directly to the DISCOs by the CBN to embark on the various projects.

He said the repayment of the loans was from the revenue of the TCN.

But chairman of the committee, Bamidele Salam who raised concern, demanded that the TCN should provide details of disbursement of the loans, procurement processes as well as the numbers of Discos involved, among others.

Salam said, “Sometime in 202, the then President Muhammadu Buhari granted that certain funds be made available for the purpose of enhancing the capacity of our transmission and distribution lines to be able to have a more robust power sector intervention and these funds were made available for certain projects to the distribution companies.

“It is the concern of the petitioner that the fund have not been judiciously used and that the project ought to have been delivered by now upon which we caused a letter to be written to the Transmission Company of Nigeria which also sent in a response stating the status report of the project as well as the procedure for the implementation of that loan disbursement and execution of the project by the distribution companies.

“Our concern is to ensure that all our institutions work well in accordance with the law and in accordance with global best practices and to ensure money is judiciously utilized.”

The TCN boss in his response said there was a gap in the electricity sector and the distribution companies were complaining that the TCN was not giving them supply.

Nse has become a comic character in her husband’s office. Once she drives in through the gates, the staff, especially the girls, start making faces, calling one another’s attention to the arrival of ‘Madam Godzilla.’
‘Mama is in the building, make some noise…’
‘Who is the current champion?
‘Or current prime suspect. 
‘Oga, needs protection.’
‘What Oga needs is sense. He needs to find his wife a serious job.
‘Or get her pregnant every year.’

Of course, the mocking is done in hushed tones but is it their fault? No. It is Nse whose insecurity has laid bare for office gossip, her husband’s office. She it was who decided her husband’s secretaries were threats to her marriage. So, she found faults with each secretary, cooked up wild allegations and read meanings into everything each of her husband’s secretart wore, said and how she swung her hips. She cursed them on the phone and caused embarrassing scenes in the office. Even when her husband bowed to her ‘craze’ and opted for a secretary in her 60s, Nse’s trust issues didn’t really abate. She simply shifted gears. Now, she has a spy somewhere in the system who I think she pays to inform her when any girl becomes  too frequent on the Directors’ floor or a new beautiful marketer or youth corp member starts rolling her backside into her husband’s office. Then she pretends to be dropping off lunch just to check the new ‘prime suspect’.
Today, everybody thinks Nse is a nuisance and insecure housewife. In her myopic mind, she somehow must have concluded that those demeaning pranks would stop Victor from having a girlfriend or even taking a second and third wife. How exactly do you stop a man from sowing his oats, wild or mild? How does a wife assume the role of a monitoring spirit to deliver her husband from the spirit of philandering?

The lengths women go to look for things that are not looking for them beats me. As they say on the street: who spying hep? Who monitoring spirit hep? If you suspect your partner is straying, there are a dozen and one things you can do to bring him back home, and trust me, raising your blood pressure and working towards a wheelchair aren’t on the list. Going to his office or shop to belittle yourself isn’t on the list either. As I have always insisted, there are a few husband snatchers on this planet. When your man is straying, watch his legs, he’s the one walking towards other women. He’s the one with roaming eyes and roving hands. He is the one who has left his naturally endowed wife at home to look for artificially installed boobs and buttocks. Check out the dictionary meaning of straying. Sure, there are women who set out to capture men but most of the time, these dudes are willing captives.
As a lawful owner and holder of the Certificate of Occupancy of your man’s assets and jewels, you reserve the right to keep your thing but do not, I repeat, do not lose your life or yourself while trying to fend off encroachers.

The other day a wife who had set ‘private investigators’ on her husband tracked him down to his side chick’s place on a Saturday morning. Apparently, ‘oga’ did not sleep in his matrimonial bed and Madam in a rage jumped on a bike to have a showdown with her philandering husband and his husband-snatching mistress. And what a showdown it was.  Sisi side chick felt affronted, after all, she was in her house, not on madam’s bed. Wifey felt the thief had to be executed publicly. Oga was embarrassed by the public display of shame. He took off so fast most of the spectators who trooped out for the early morning entertainment did not get to ‘meet’ the man of the moment. The two women dug it out, giving a good account of themselves in the hall of shame.  Blouses were torn. Bras were exposed. Hair and wigs were pulled and flung. Slippers flew in the air along with unprintable expletives. It was a sad day. Note again, the man at the center of it all fled the scene.
Fighting physically in public over a man is for me the height of shameless nonsense. No woman, wife or side chick should be caught dueling over one staff of office. There are other ways to fix that kind of territorial integrity tussles better and more effective than mud-fight. Madam, what if you get totally snookered by a side chick in public instead of you pummeling her to an inch of her life? What if you break a leg or arm or even your back? And you could die, you know. That other woman and probably three others you didn’t know existed would be at your funeral, wearing designer sunglasses, to pay their last respects. Imagine!

Pray, what do women who check their men’s phones think they will find, American visa waiting to be downloaded or newly minted naira notes waiting to be printed straight out of the phone? If your partner has password on his phone, he does not want his phone accessed without his permission. Why do you want to know which number called him or he called most frequently? How does discovering another woman calling him ‘babe’ improve your peace of mind? What if you discover he sent a million naira to his mother when he told you he couldn't  afford to pay for the children’s new school uniform? What if he and his friends are planning a getaway weekend with their side chicks on a trip he told you is an intensive business conference?
Spying on your spouse in any form will eventually damage your relationship. Checking your partner’s phone for call and text history, logging onto his email account, stalking him on Facebook and reading meanings to every post and quote will only make you sad. Setting busybodies on his trail to find out who she’s been talking to and who he has been spending lunch breaks with is a kind of relationship ailment. Face it, you need to get help before you turn the bend and end up a psychological wreck
Spying can also become some sort of addiction and a fuel for jealousy. You cannot stop as easily as you started. Once you start, you begin to rely more and more intensely on the checking up you do. You feel unsure, suspicious and full of worries if you have not checked his phone or Facebook page. Your jealousy quotient rises and your fears rule your every waking moment, becoming a crutch that you are constantly leaning on.

Whatever you think he’s hiding on his phone is none of your business, work on your man, your relationship. Love him. Feed him. Spice up your sex life. Be more dependable. Delete nagging. Do everything to make his heart, spirit, body and soul return home. Stop treating your man like a suspect, unless your marriage is a crime scene. Stop stalking him or you just might find that thing that is not looking for you. 

In a stunning revelation, Hollywood icon Sharon Stone took a bold step and spoke about her life-altering battle with a near-fatal stroke. The actress, well known for her iconic role in Basic Instinct, revealed her difficult experience in a recent interview with British Vogue, exposing the gender bias she encountered during her medical crisis.

Stone narrated in detail the fateful day in 2001 when a life-threatening haemorrhage left her with a brain bleed that lasted for nine excruciating days. In a surprising discovery, she revealed that doctors initially dismissed her symptoms and almost sent her home without treatment.

“They missed it with the first angiogram and decided that I was faking it,” Stone said to Outlet, the renowned fashion magazine; shedding light on the shocking disregard she faced. Unbeknownst to her, a false-negative angiogram led a physician to plan an exploratory brain surgery until Stone firmly pushed back.

The incident led her to a disturbing realisation about the disheartening reality women face in medical settings. “What I learned through that experience is that in a medical setting, women often just aren’t heard,” Stone said; lamenting the lack of attention given to women’s health concerns.

Fortunately, Stone’s stoic persistence and the intervention of a determined friend saw her duly attended to. Doctors ultimately agreed to conduct a second angiogram, leading to a life-altering diagnosis: a ruptured artery, a condition that can arise from physical trauma or other factors. With this vital revelation, Stone received treatment from the esteemed neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Lawton.

Despite her triumph over the initial misdiagnosis, Stone underwent a grueling recovery, facing not only physical challenges but also the daunting reality of her acting career rapidly fading away. The stroke left her disabled, causing her marriage to crumble and losing custody of her son.

“I bled so much… that the right side of my face fell, my left foot was dragging severely, and I was stuttering very badly,” Stone candidly revealed, providing a glimpse into the immense suffering she endured. She further disclosed the emergence of painful knuckle-like knots that plagued her head, creating indescribable agony.

However, Stone’s was determined to move beyond her previous challenge; her resolute spirit led her to find a new purpose beyond the silver screen. As a board member of the Barrow Neurological Foundation, she religiously supports Lawton’s Barrow Neurological Institute, turning her firsthand experience into a beacon of hope for others in need.

“I lost so much, and I could have allowed that to define me,” Stone shared, noting the tremendous adversity she has faced. Despite her losses, both personally and professionally, she chooses to stand tall, defying the odds and inspiring others to rise in the face of adversity.

Sharon Stone’s astounding journey serves as an urgent reminder of the gender biases that still prevail within the medical field. By courageously sharing her story, she hopes to ignite a much-needed conversation and drive change so that women’s voices are not dismissed but genuinely heard when it matters the most.