Napoli have reportedly accepted a £67.3 million (€80m) offer from Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli to sign Victor Osimhen.

According to SkySports, the Nigerian striker will earn wages in the region of £646,000 per week tax free on a four-year contract worth around £33.6 million (€40m) a season.

The English sports news outlet added that Osimhen will head to Saudi Arabia for medicals on Friday.

However, Fabrizio Romano, an Italian journalist, said while Napoli has accepted the bid, Osimhen is yet to decide on the move.

He added that Osimhen is still negotiating with Chelsea FC, and the striker will only consider the Al Ahli option should the talk with the London club break down.

Chelsea have been heavily linked with Osimhen Chelsea since the transfer window opened. The club aimed to acquire the 25-year-old on loan with an obligation to buy.

The Blues’ negotiation with Osimhen has stalled over a wage agreement as the striker’s initial demand did not fit into the club’s new wage structure.

Over the last months, Osimhen’s relationship with the leadership had broken down irredeemably, leading to the striker tendering a transfer request.

Antonio Conte, Napoli’s new manager, constantly communicated that his plan for the team does not include Osimhen and poached Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea.

Laments frustration of its N3,500/ bag policy

The Chairman of BUA Cement, AbdulSamad Rabiu, yesterday, said cement dealers frustrated his company’s plan to sell cement at N3,500 per bag last year.

Speaking at the 8th Annual General Meeting of the company in Abuja, Rabiu also said that while his company sold over a million tons of cement to dealers at N3, 500, per bag, with the intention that they would pass the benefits to end-users, the dealers sold a bag of cement to consumers at between N7000 and N8,000.

He said the company had to abandon the policy as its intervention was not to subsidise dealers.

According to him, BUA Cement could not stop the dealers whom he said made huge profits from the high margin because the company had no control over prices in the open market.

He added that the Naira devaluation last year and the fuel subsidy removal also played roles in making the policy unsustainable.

Rabiu stated: “So, a lot of the dealers took advantage of that policy. Rather than pass the low prices to the customers, they were selling at even double the price we sold to them.

“Some were selling at N7, 000 and 8 000 per bag. They made a lot of money with the very high margin. I think we had sold more than a million tons at N3,500 before we realised what the dealers were doing.

“And then, because of the issues that Nigeria faced at the time about devaluation of the Naira last year and the removal of fuel subsidy, we could not continue that policy. 

“We wanted that price to stay at that level but dealers refused. So, we could not sustain that simply because we did not want to be in a situation where we are subsidizing dealers.

“I’m referring to the point when the foreign exchange rate moved from about N600 to maybe N1,800 to the US Dollar. So, it became even more challenging and more difficult for us to actually sustain that price policy.”

He said, however, that the company had continued to work towards making sure that prices did not escalate at levels of the percentage increase of the Naira devaluation.

His words, “If you see the exchange rate then, and the exchange rate today, you will see that cement is actually cheaper today than what it was last year, the reason being that if the dollar was up the costs go up by same margin and the price of cement should actually be, maybe, N10,000 Naira per bag.

The price of cement, if you take the N4,000 that it was in the beginning of last year, at 4,000 and today’s N6,000, it’s only 50% increase. 

“So, we directly pushed to ensure that the price of cement is not getting higher than what it is today.

“But then again, you have areas where everything is dollar-dominated. Energy is the biggest cost. And our energy today is denominated in dollars. We buy gas to power our plants mainly. And gas is priced in dollars.”

The chairman revealed that one of BUA’s plants’ monthly invoice is about N15 billion or maybe N16 billion monthly. It used to be N3 or N4 billion. That is just one example.”

According to the financial report presented by the Board of the company, the company recorded a strong revenue growth of 27.4% rising to N460 billion against 2022 figure of N361 billion, resulting from its increasing market share.

However, with the devaluation of the Naira in June 2023, and its continued depreciation, as well as growing inflation, the Company experienced increasing price pressures which affected production costs, and consequently increasing the total cost by 39.5% to N276 billion as against 2022 figure of N197.9 billion. 

Within this period under review, a net foreign exchange loss of N70 billion was recorded, with N52.5 billion attributed to finance costs.

Despite these challenges, the Company reported a net profit after tax of N69.5 billion and declared a N2 dividend per share.

Details of yesterday’s Police interrogation of the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, over alleged criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime by the Intelligence Response Team, IRT, arm of the Police, have emerged. 

Recall that the Police had on August 19, invited the NLC President to appear at its headquarters for questioning on August 20, over the allegation.

Vanguard exclusively gathered yesterday that the Police “interview” with the NLC President was attended by human rights activists, Femi Falana, SAN, Maxwell Opara, Deji Adeyanju and the leader of IRT, DCP Sanusi Mohammed.

According to sources, operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, and National Intelligence Agency, NIA, were also at the session.

Source said the interrogation which did not last up to 30 minutes, was essentially on the operator of the Iva Valley Bookshop on the second floor of Labour House.

One of the sources told Vanguard that in response, Ajaero  said the suspect was only a tenant of NLC and that their relationship was that of landlord-tenat.

Ajaero was also said to have told his interrogators that the suspect doses not consult for the NLC, neither was there any telephone co0nversation or written communication between them.

“At some point, Comrade Ajaro was almost infuriated because they (interrogators) were just calling Joseph Ajaero without  reference to his official position as NLC President. 

‘’In a normal situation, the Police ought to have just called the NLC president for the invitation and not write him.  They failed to do so  because of their sinister motives. In all, it was like a friendly chat that did not last up to 30 minutes,’’ the source said.

Invitation, a distraction, baseless

Meanwhile, addressing journalists at Labour House on his return from Force Headquarters, Ajaero said the whole thing was a distraction because the allegation was baseless, declaring that the labour movement could not be intimidated..

He said:  “Comrades, I want to thank every one of you in various state commands who have been praying since the last four days and can now break their fast.

“Comrades, the labour movement is worth dying for because of its patriotism and commitment. Labour movement is one of the biggest pan-Nigerian organizations. Our patriotism from the days of colonial government till even the period of the military was unshakable.

“We are more patriotic than any other institution you can think of in this country and we are going to continue to be that.

“We have gone there (Force Headquartres) and we are back.  I just want to confirm to you that as a citizen, I have gone there and we are back here. You can’t do this job (trade unionism) we are doing without this type of hazard, it is expected.

“This is the highlight of the job. Even at the unit level, some of us experience this. As far back as 1997, 1998 I was telling Falana, we were equally together in the cell enjoying ourselves during the time of Abacha.

“Comrades what is important is the circumstances that took us to that place. But whatever the case is, we are out to continue the struggle. We have got minimum wage but it has not been implemented. So we have to press for its implementation as soon as possible.’’

We can’t be intimidated, he says

He also declared that the union would not be intimidated by external pressures, following his appearance at the Intelligence Response Team, IRT, headquarters in Abuja.

“We can’t be intimidated.  The allegations against us are baseless and we have nothing to hide,’’ he stated emphatically.

Ajaero explained further that his appearance before the Police was in the interest of transparency and to clear the air on the unfounded accusations levelled against him and the NLC.

He noted that the union would continue to fight for the welfare of workers and stand firm in the face of challenges.

“Our resolve is stronger than ever.  We will continue to champion the cause of workers across the nation, no matter the obstacles,’’ he said.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Afam Osigwe, has taken his oath of office and has been inaugurated as the 32nd President of the Nigerian Bar Association.

Osigwe will lead the association alongside other newly sworn-in national officers of the bar for the next two years.

He takes over from the immediate past president of the association, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yakubu Maikyau.

In his inaugural speech delivered at the swearing-in ceremony in Lagos on Thursday, Osigwe commended his opponents, Tobenna Erojikwe and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chukwukwa Ikwazom, for their decorum during the electioneering process and extended a hand of fellowship to them to join him in moving the association forwards

He promised to run an all-inclusive bar that keeps the association not only united but moves the NBA forward.

Osigwe also gave the assurance that under his watch, the NBA will hold the federal and state governments accountable and make sure that their policies deliver good governance to the people.

As of the time of writing this report, Osigwe is still delivering his inaugural speech.

The inauguration of the new President and National Officers of the NBA will bring to a close the week-long annual general conference of the association which began on August 23rd

Seven Polish nationals arrested for allegedly waving Russian flags during the #EndBadGovernance protest in Kano have been released.

They were arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) on August 5, 2024.

Some tailors accused of sewing Russian flags for #EndBadGovernance protesters were also arrested.

The seven Polish nationals were accused of playing a “suspicious role” in protests against government policies and economic hardship, the DSS said upon their arrest.

However, Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Andrzej Szejna, said the nationals are six students and their lecturer who came to Nigeria from the University of Warsaw for an African studies exchange programme at Bayero University in Kano.

In an X post on Wednesday, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski, announced that the arrested nationals had been released.

The post read, “Polish students have been released and are in Kano. The Minister @sikorskiradek spoke today with the representative of parents, Mr. Jacek Półrolniczak, and thanked the students’ families for the good cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thank you to everyone involved in the release of citizens!”

Olumide Akpata, Labour Party (LP) candidate in the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State, says he can’t be remote-controlled by any political benefactor or godfather if he wins the forthcoming poll.

The former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said he is only answerable to the people of the state.

“I have no strings attached. I am not answerable to any godfather. I am not answerable to any political benefactor.

“That is one reason they (Edo people) can trust the Labour Party government because we are answerable to the people,” he said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday.

The forthcoming governorship election in the state has top contenders including Akpata, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Akpata said unlike the other candidates attached to former and serving governors, he is not answerable to any political godfather.

The LP candidate also said his campaign is not funded by Governor Godwin Obaseki whose anointed candidate is PDP’s Ighodalo.

“Initially, I was said to be the agent of Governor Obaseki, we were able to debunk that. Today, I was said to be sponsored by the APC. I think it is conspiracy theorising that is most stupid.

“I am funding myself and I have friends who believe in me and that we can do much better in Edo,” he said.

Akpata said the performance of Obaseki in the last eight years has been underwhelming.

“There is a gulf between myself and Governor Obaseki; it’s night and day. I cannot and will not be associated with his government. His performance has been underwhelming.

“I have been attacked, my billboards have been pulled down. Everybody knows that I am not his choice; I am not his Plan Z,” he said.

“I am saying that Governor Obaseki has been a failure; an unmitigated disaster. In failure, there will always be flashes of positives here and there but we are talking about on the whole, in the sum,” he added.

Akpata said the people of Edo need a breath of fresh air. “The reason they (voters) should look at us is that we need a breath of fresh air, you need something different,” he said.

“For 25 years, PDP and APC have been running Edo State. In the last eight years, one man has belonged to both parties.

“It is an abject failure and so we must try something else and the Labour Party presents a different approach to the subject: a people-centric, people-focused, people-impacting approach.

“Every government must ask itself: whatever resources I have available, how will it impact the greatest number of the people? That is the approach of the Labour Party,” the LP candidate explained.

Akpata said if elected, he would start with electricity agriculture, education and healthcare. He said he would call for private-public partnerships to set up power plants around the state.

The former NBA president expressed optimism that he would defeat Ighodalo and Okpebholo at the poll despite that they are backed by Obaseki and former governor Adams Oshiomhole respectively.

A Federal High Court Sitting in Abuja has struck out a suit instituted against the #Endbadgovernance protesters, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Department Of State Services (DSS), and the Chiefs of Army and Defence Staff.

The suit filed by 17 Nigerians against the last nationwide protests was dismissed by the court for want of diligent prosecution.

Justice Peter Lifu terminated the suit on Thursday following the absence of the 17 plaintiffs and 26 defendants in court and without legal representation from the two parties.

Although the suit was fixed for hearing, the judge expressed shock that none of the 17 plaintiffs showed up nor were they represented by any legal practitioner.

The plaintiffs drawn from the six geo-political zones of the country had approached the court seeking an order of the court to terminate the protests because their fundamental rights to freedom of movement, human dignity, right to own property, economic, social and cultural development and right to national peace and security were being breached.

They asked the court to compel the DSS boss, IGP, army chiefs as well and the AGF to enforce their fundamental rights for them by bringing the protesters to order.

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin on Thursday honoured Cristiano Ronaldo with a special award in recognition of his remarkable legacy in the world’s most prestigious competition.

Cristiano Ronaldo the all-time leading goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League.

Ronaldo’s achievements in Europe’s premier club competition – over the course of more than 18 years – were recognised during the inaugural 2024/25 UEFA Champions League 36-team league phase draw ceremony on Thursday 29 August at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

The former Sporting Clube de Portugal, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus forward has scored 140 Champions League goals in 183 appearances.

He is 11 goals clear of Lionel Messi and 46 ahead of third-placed Robert Lewandowski at the top of the scoring charts.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the brightest stars in the UEFA Champions League constellation. His extraordinary goalscoring achievements in the competition seem destined to stand the test of time, posing a remarkable challenge for future generations to surpass.

“His sustained excellence at the highest level is a testament to his relentless pursuit of both team and individual honours. Over more than two decades, he has continuously evolved and refined his game while preserving a youthful passion for scoring and celebrating goals.

“His professionalism, work ethic, dedication and ability to shine on the grandest stage are qualities that football players everywhere should aspire to emulate,” UEFA President Ceferin said.

Ronaldo has finished seven separate Champions League seasons as leading scorer – more than any other player – spanning from his eight goals in Manchester United’s triumphant 2007/08 campaign to his 15-goal haul when Real Madrid claimed their third straight title in 2017/18. He also holds the record for most goals in a single Champions League season having found the net 17 times in 2013/14, including in the extra-time win against Atlético de Madrid in the final.

The Portugal forward has won the competition once with Manchester United and four times with Real Madrid – making him the first five-time winner in the competition’s history since 1992 – and is the only player to have scored in three separate Champions League finals (2008, 2014, 2017).

He also holds the record for longest Champions League scoring streak having struck in 11 successive matches from June 2017 to April 2018. Ronaldo has also scored an astounding eight Champions League hat-tricks.

The multiple Ballon d’Or and UEFA Men’s Player of the Year recipient is also the all-time leading scorer in all UEFA club competition (145 goals, 197 appearances) as well as the most prolific ever player in men’s international football (130 goals, 212 appearances).

CRISTIANO RONALDO’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CAREER IN NUMBERS

Appearances: 183

Goals: 140

Wins: 5 (2008, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)

Top scorer: 7 times (2007/08, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15*, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18)

Most goals in a single season: 17 (2013/14)

Longest scoring streak: 11 games

*Joint-top scorer with Lionel Messi and Neymar

The federal government yesterday warned members of the Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) that it may be compelled to implement a ‘No Work, No Pay’ order on them should refuse to call of the ongoing warning strike.

In a statement signed by the Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the ministry said that it found the decision of the doctors to proceed on strike action, in the midst of ongoing discussions, deeply regrettable.

It said that over the past months, the ministry, in collaboration with relevant security agencies, including the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) had been working tirelessly to ensure the immediate and safe rescue of Dr Ganiyat Popoola.

It further said High-level discussions and coordinated efforts are currently underway, adding that government remained confident that these measures will lead to a positive outcome.

The statement said: “The ministry finds the decision to proceed with this strike action, in the midst of these ongoing discussions, deeply regrettable. As we believe that continued dialogue is the best approach to resolving any outstanding issues.

“In view of this, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare wishes to bring to the notice of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), that in line with extant labour laws, the federal government will evoke the ‘No Work, No Pay’ for the number of days the strike was observed.”.

The ministry said the measure was not intended to undermine the legitimate concerns of medical professionals but to ensure that essential healthcare services were not unduly disrupted to the detriment of the public.

“We encourage all resident doctors to return to the negotiation table so that we can collaboratively find lasting solutions to the challenges facing our healthcare sector.

“As always, the ministry remains open to constructive dialogue and is committed to working together with all stakeholders to achieve a fair and sustainable resolution,’’ the statement added.

Doctors under the auspices of NARD had recently embarked on a one-week warning strike to protest the continued stay of one of their members, in the hands of kidnappers since December 27 last year.

Meanwhile, the leadership of NARD met with the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha late Thursday evening, with the minister pleading with them to call off their warning strike.

Addressing a peace meeting with the leadership of the doctors in Abuja, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Onyejeocha said that government is leaving no stone untouched in the effort to secure freedom for the kidnapped medical personnel.

She also assured that President Bola Tinubu has ordered that security be beefed up around hospital facilities in order to protect health workers and their patients.

The Minister said: ” I have to say here that the government has heard you clearly and Mr. President is feeling disturbed that these things are happening and it is not something he wished to continue.

“That’s why he has been engaging with security agencies every day, discussing issues of protection of lives and properties of the citizens. And so he told me to reach out to you to plead that he and the security agencies are working hard to make sure that this condition do not persist and that he is committed the protection of lives and properties that he promised Nigerians.

“In that stead, I plead with you that work is ongoing, that please rescind the decision to continue the warning strike because that as we speak people who are not kidnapped are dying. I know that you are passionate saving lives of your brothers and sisters who are in the hospitals”.

Earlier the NARD Resident. Dr. Dele Abdulahi Olaitan had recalled that on 27 of December, 2023, news broke that a lady doctor along with her husband and nephew were kidnapped from their house located within the hospital facility – the National Eye Centre in Kaduna.

He regretted that despite all their cries to the security agents to rescue the victim nothing came out of it.

He lamented that the mother of five kids and a breast feeding mother had been in captivity since December 27, 2023 till date.

According to him, though efforts got her husband released, all other efforts so far has yielded no fruit.

He said that the association had undertaken several engagements including protests and media advocacy but that it was when the association was not getting right responses that they decided to go on warning strike.

A staggering 55,910 Nigerians have been killed, and 21,000 others abducted by terror groups between 2019 and 2023, according to a report by The Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa, ORFA.

The report, released on Thursday, blamed extremist groups, including Boko Haram, ISWAP, and armed herders, for these atrocities.

ORFA’s data revealed that Christians were disproportionately affected, experiencing 2.7 times more killings and 5.1 times more abductions than Muslims. Land-based community attacks accounted for 81% of civilian killings.

The study also found that armed herders killed at least 42% of civilians, while Boko Haram and ISWAP combined killed 10%. Kidnappings escalated, with 7,705 people abducted in 2022, and Christians were 1.4 times more likely to be abducted.

‘Islamist extremists enjoy relative freedom’

Frans Vierhout, ORFA’s data scientist, noted that the numbers are alarming.

According to him, the consistent increase in abductions and killings over the years indicates a worsening security situation.

He said, “Millions of people are left undefended. For years, we’ve heard of calls for help being ignored as terrorists attack vulnerable communities.

“Mass killings, abductions, and torture of whole families go largely unchallenged as the military pursue targets hundreds of miles away. Islamist extremists enjoy relative freedom to carry out atrocities against civilians in large regions of Nigeria.

“Across the country, over 11,000 incidents of extreme violence took place during the data period, with more than 55,910 killings and 21,000 abductions.

The little-known armed herders killed at least 42% of all civilians, while Boko Haram and ISWAP combined killed 10%.

“In the North Central zone alone, 3,007 incidents of extreme violence occurred. Of these, 2,010 involved killings, 700 were abductions, and 297 were a combination of killings and abductions.”

In the same vein, Rev. Dr. Gideon Para-Mallam, an ORFA partner and analyst, emphasized the need for government action.

FG’s priority
He insisted that the government must prioritize civilian protection and address the root causes of the displacement crisis. He stressed that the current security operations focusing on the North-East and North-West leave North-Central and Southern Kaduna vulnerable.

Para-Mallam said, “Nigeria’s government must prioritize civilian protection and address the root causes of the displacement crisis.

“Armed herders are targeting Christian populations, while Muslims also suffer severely at their hands. Kidnappers work to Islamist goals. Where young women are kidnapped, tortured, and sexually violated, hope for a normal married life and family may vanish.”

ORFA urged the international community to examine the data and understand Nigeria’s challenges.