The Super Eagles of Nigeria head coach, Finidi George, has stressed that there is “no special formula for winning” after leading the team to suffer an unexpected 2-1 defeat at the hands of Benin Republic.

Finidi George, who spent over 20 months as the assistant coach of the Super Eagles, was expected to have it easy as the head coach since he is conversant with the team.

However, the former Enyimba of Aba manager has proven to be finding it difficult to come up with a winning strategy for the highly talented and star-studded Super Eagles squad.

Recall that when he served as the interim coach of the Super Eagles in March, he beat Ghana in an international friendly and then lost 2-0 to Mali in another friendly match.

Despite the defeat to Mali, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) deemed him fit for the permanent coaching role.

Under his watch as the team’s head coach, the Nigerian team came from behind to draw 1-1 with South Africa at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday, June 7.

As if that was not bad enough for Nigeria’s hope of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Finidi George and his boys allowed Benin Republic to come from behind to defeat them 2-1 in Abidjan.

After the defeat, coach Finidi George said: “There is no special formula for winning, we have to see how we can get the best out of the players.

“Everybody must be committed and with that commitment, I believe we will win games and if we can win games, the battle will still be there. We can’t throw in the towel because we have only three points, we have to find a way to get these players back in a way they can perform.”

Note that the Super Eagles of Nigeria are currently sitting in the 5th spot out of 6 teams in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They are four points away from first placed Benin Republic.

The ongoing dispute over the new minimum wage and electricity tariff hike in Nigeria is reaching a critical juncture as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) approach the end of their five-day strike relaxation period.

The organized private sector, represented by the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), has issued a stern warning to its workforce about the potential enforcement of the ‘No Work No Pay’ rule if the strike action resumes.

The Director General of NECA, Adewale Smatt-Oyerinde, highlighted this position while speaking at the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland.

He emphasized that employers are legally backed by the Trade Dispute Act, Section 43, which allows for the withholding of pay for days not worked during strikes.

“The employers in the Trade Dispute Act Section 43 have the right not to pay for work not done. It is part of our law,” Smatt-Oyerinde stated.

This announcement comes amidst heightened tensions as the labour unions have provided the Federal Government with a five-day ultimatum to meet their demands, which include an acceptable new wage for workers and a retraction of the new electricity tariffs.

However, the government’s offer of a ₦62,000 minimum wage has not satisfied union leaders, prompting threats of renewed strike action.

Smatt-Oyerinde questioned the practicality of paying employees during a strike, especially when no production activities are taking place.

“Where would the employer get the money to pay when work is not done? It is a rule of justice. Where do I get the money to pay from?” he queried.

Moreover, the NECA director general pointed out that both international and local industrial laws regulate the right to strike. He mentioned that the issue of strike rights is currently being contested at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) level and has been referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for further interpretation.

“The context of ultimatum, context of strikes, these rules were guided by law, were guided by framework, in the ILO, it is the convention. In Nigeria, it is the Trade Dispute Act. We will wait for ICJ to come back.”

He said all parties must work within the legal framework, adding that a subsisting order exists at the National Industrial Court (NIC).

“We saw the letter by the attorney general of the federation, and our view is this, if you don’t align with it, you will go back to the court where he gets the order to contest it, but the moment I don’t context it, then I have gone way beyond the legal framework,” he said.

He said all parties must work within the legal framework to have an equilibrium society devoid of anarchy.

According to him, the International Labour Convention 87 gives the right to organise, “but workers felt it includes the right to strike and that is what we are demanding interpretation from the ICJ.

“Our position is that we cannot be party to rubbish those institutions created to regulate the industrial process, we have the NIC and the Industrial Arbitration Panel (AIP), we must follow those institutions before escalating issues.”

The NECA boss said the employers aligned with the Federal Government on N62,000 because that is what is feasible for the members of the OPS.

“After going back and forth, the employers painfully came to N62,000. I say painfully, judging by the current state of employers in the country, business closing shops, business relocating. Two objectives inform our decision, can we afford to pay, jobs and create jobs and three, it is a deeper economic reason for us.

“Even in the ILO, the importance is to make sure that the developing economy is not left behind. This is done through transiting those in the informal to formal sector.”

Oyerinde said anything above N62,000 would be detrimental to the Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) that form the bulk of the informal economy.

He said though both the governors’ forum and organised labour have different proposals, the NECA director general said the president would have the final say.

“The work of the committee is to make recommendations to the Federal Government and not force anything down the throat of the Federal Government. What we are to negotiate is minimum wage. The economy must be able to drive it.

“It is now left for the President to make his recommendation to the National Assembly. It is not compulsory that all the tripartite members should submit the same amount,” noting that in 2019, only labour and employer agreed on N30,000, while the governors’ forum said N22,000, but N30,000 was eventually approved by the National Assembly.

Canadian singer, Celine Dion, has disclosed that she has been battling with Stiff Person Syndrome for 17 years before revealing it to the public.

Naija News reports that the ‘Think Twice’ crooner made the revelation in an interview with Hoda Kotb on the Today Show this week.

The singer revealed that she was secretly battling the illness while managing her late husband, Rene Angelil’s cancer battle and raising their children.

According to the 56-year-old singer, who first opened up about her ailment in 2022, she had been experiencing symptoms way back in 2008 but was holding on to her dreams.

Celine Dion explained that she eventually spoke about her illness because keeping it from “the people who got her to where she was” was a huge “burden”.

She said, “We did not know what was going on [with me]. I did not take the time… I should have stopped, took the time to figure it out.

“And like it wasn’t enough, my husband as well is fighting for his own life.

“I had to raise my kids, I had to hide, I had to try to be a hero – while feeling my body leaving me, ‘[I was] holding on to my own dreams.”

Meanwhile, Celine Dion recently stated that her Stiff Person Syndrome feels like she is ‘being strangled,’ adding she often suffers from cramps and even has broken some ribs.

The Nigerian Customs Service, Sokoto/Zamfara Command has intercepted vandalised train tracks in kajiji along kebbi road.

The train tracks which were vandalised from Kaduna were being transported in a 20- feet loaded container vehicle

While addressing newsmen over the interception, Comptroller of Customs, Sokoto/Zamfara Command, Kamal Muhammed, said three suspects were arrested by the command’s monitoring team at Kajiji along Kebbi Road.

He said the suspects could not tender evidence of allocation from the Federal Ministry of Transport, instead made an overture to bribe the officers with N1.5m while making an advance cash offer of N300, 000.

He said the officers rejected the brive “out of patriotism and integrity.”

He stated that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence is the agency mandated to secure critical national assets, conforming with the collaboration policy thrust of the CGC, the Area Command will hand over the suspects, the truck, and its content and the N300,000cash to the Commander of NSCDC Sokoto Command for further investigation and prosecutions.

The Commandant, NSCDC Sokoto appreciated the synergy between the two security agencies and assured of his agency’s readiness to make the suspects face the law

In another development the
Nigerian Customs Service, Sokoto/Zamfara Area Command said, its officers of the whirlwind tactical team intercepted 11,270 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol).

According to the Controller Kamal Muhammad, the gesture is in compliance with the orders of the Comptroller General of Customs to seal up routes used by smugglers to smuggle contraband,

“The maritime and cross border smuggling of PMS has a negative impact on the overall supply chain of the product in addition to the possibility of funding of criminal activities with the proceeds”.

The seized PMS has been auctioned to residents of Sokoto at a paltry price of N180 per litre.

The military plane carrying Malawi’s Vice President, Dr. Saulos Chilima, has been found.

Sources close to the government have revealed that the plane has been located, and sadly, all passengers on board have perished.
A Zimbabwean journalist with X handle @daddyhope, disclosed that Former President Bakili Muluzi, whose ex-wife, former First Lady Shanil Dzimbiri, was on the flight, has confirmed the tragic news.

The incident has sent shockwaves across the nation, with President Lazarus Chakwera set to address Malawians at 12 noon today.

Recall that the plane, which was carrying 10 people, including the Vice President, went missing on Monday while flying over the northern region of Malawi.

Search efforts have been ongoing since then, with the military and government officials working tirelessly to locate the aircraft.

Seyi Makinde is the Governor of Oyo State (PDP), the only Governor to have broken the jinx of a second term in office in Oyo State. Elected in 2019, he has just completed the first year of his second term in that office. Previous Governors in that state before him since Bola Ige in the Second Republic, Omololu Olunloyo, Lam Adesina, Rasheed Ladoja, Adebayo Alao-Akala, Abiola Ajimobi did only one term in office. I spent last Saturday as his guest in Oyo state along with other colleagues. The day started quite early with a rendezvous in the Governor’s main Conference room where introductions were made as is customary and the guests were given a profile of the visit for the day: a tour in the morning, a short break during which the Governor would attend to an Olubadan function, and the second phase of the visit would be a visit to other parts of the state, Oyo, Iseyin and a place called Fashola Farms. This was not meant to be a “National Tour” – the kind of tours once organized by the Nigerian government where journalists were required to praise-sing the government.  

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has declared that organized labour would not go on strike on Tuesday regarding the current new minimum wage dispute with the government.

Giving the reason for the decision, Ajaero said labour would not go on strike yet because the figures are currently on the table of President Bola Tinubu and a feedback is being expected.

Naija News reports the NLC president made the decision known while speaking on Monday at the International Labour Conference taking place in Geneva, Switzerland.

Citing examples of previous administrations, Ajaero said it is still possible for the President to increase the proposed figure before him.

However, he called out Governors who have declared they can’t pay the proposed N62,000 new minimum wage, which is currently what the federal government is offering, and labelled them as lazy.

In his words, “We cannot declare strike now because the figures are with the President.”

“During the tenure of the immediate past President, the figure that was proposed to him was N27,000 by the tripartite committee but he increased it to N30,000. We are hopeful that this President will do the right thing. The President had noted that the difference between N62,000 and N250,000 is a wide gulf,”

“How can any governor say he cannot pay? They cannot also be calling for the decentralization of the minimum wage.

“Are there wages decentralized? Governors whose states are not contributing a dime to the national purse and who generate pitiable Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) are collecting the same amount as governors whose states are generating billions of dollars into the FAAC.

“They should decentralize their salaries and emoluments first.”

“So, where is the governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki getting his money from? He is paying N70,000 minimum wage. This is the type of governor that should be emulated and not the lazy ones.”

The Southwest governors have said that the negotiations on minimum wage between the Federal Government and organised labour should reflect fiscal federalism.

Naija News reports that the chairman of the forum, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, made this known on Monday after a meeting of the Southwest governors in the state.

Sanwo-Olu, in the post via his X handle, said the governors would support whatever outcome of the negotiation on the minimum wage.

He added that various issues affecting the Southwest states were also discussed at the meeting.

He wrote, “After the conclusion of our South West Governors’ Forum meeting today at Lagos House Alausa, Ikeja, I was elected as the new chairman of the forum.

“Today, we honour the memory of our late chairman, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi O. Akeredolu, SAN, CON. May his soul rest in peace.

“During our discussions on various issues affecting our states, we reached the following resolutions: We are grateful to the House of Representatives and South West Caucus for their efforts on the South West Development Commission Bill and urge the Senate to expedite its passage.

“We commend Mr. President, H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project and other initiatives, and we call for further road rehabilitation by the Federal Government.

“On the matter of security, we are pleased with the peace in the South West and advocate for the establishment of state police. Collaboration between security agencies and the Amotekun Corps is very important.

“We stand united in supporting ongoing discussions on the minimum wage with an expectation of fair outcomes that reflect fiscal federalism. We endorse the Federal Government’s efforts on mineral resources and urge increased collaboration with states in granting leases to investors.

“We have agreed to bolster the efficiency of the DAWN Commission, with a focus on economic integration. These decisions and more are aimed at advancing the development and prosperity of our South West states.”

Famous Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has opened up on the qualities she seeks in a potential partner for a relationship.

During an interview on Korty EO’s YouTube show, the Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter shared her insights into what she values most in a man.

According to the Grammy-winning singer, her top priorities in a relationship include humor, emotional intelligence, and spiritual maturity.

She revealed that these traits are non-negotiable for her when considering a romantic partner.

“You have to be emotionally intelligent, very funny, and spiritually adept. Just on that journey of your own,” Tems said.

Tems went on to express her  skepticism about the intentions of many men she encounters. She mentioned that she often perceives their motives as transparent and singular, which makes it challenging for her to trust the authenticity of their words.

In her words; 

“The thing is I know their intentions, most of the times they have one intention, as most guys do [Laughs]. They are very obvious, so how can I even trust this conversation we are having it’s not even real, everything you say is fake.

I have thing I am looking for, You have to be emotionally intelligent, very funny, and you have to be spiritually adept, inclined and mature. Just on that journey of your own. To boys that like me ‘show me’.”

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Popular social media influencer Saida Boj has taken to social media to lambast a Ghanaian prophet who forecasted a dark future for her.

Saida Boj, known for her bold and controversial persona, wasted no time in denouncing the prophet’s warnings, dismissing him as a fraud and accusing him of ulterior motives.

The saga began when the Ghanaian prophet took to the airwaves during a radio interview to share his foreboding insights about Saida Boj’s fate. 

Claiming to have insider knowledge, he alleged that dark forces from her paternal lineage were plotting against her, advising her to remain vigilant to avoid falling victim to their schemes.

However, Boj swiftly hit back at the prophet’s claims, branding him a “charlatan” and questioning his credibility, particularly in his country Ghana.

She went on to accuse him of seeking to expand his dubious practices into Nigeria, warning him to steer clear of her path. 

Saida Boj declared herself a “certified Igala lady” and proclaimed herself to be God’s favorite, citing grace as her shield against any threats.

She taunted the prophet, likening him to a “Ghana Masquerade” who squanders church funds on cosmetic enhancements, and cautioned his followers against blindly following him.

Saida Boj challenged the prophet to kneel before her and beg for fame if he so desired.

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