The founder of Word of Life Bible Church, Pastor Ayodele Oritsejafor, has shared his battle with cancer and how God healed him.

The clergyman made the disclosure while addressing his congregation.

According to the cleric, he left Nigeria for medical treatment in the USA and knew someone who also travelled to the United Kingdom with the same kind of cancer but never survived it.

He said: “While I was leaving for America, somebody I know was leaving for the United Kingdom with the same kind of cancer. It’s an aggressive cancer. The day I boarded the flight coming to Nigeria, he was in a casket coming to Nigeria.

“How do you face cancer and still stand like this?

“But I did not tell you when I was going to America full of cancer, you did not know, I did not tell you. I look normal because this is my way of life.

“Hear me, I was on my two legs. I walked onto the plane, but he wasn’t there.

“Please don’t clap because I am not better than him but God remembered my heart. I have always had a heart for God.

“I told God, ‘If you save me from this, I would double my service, I would serve you twice more’. God saved me and brought me home.”

Cristiano Ronaldo said he might end his illustrious football career at Al Nassr, noting that the Saudi Pro League side will “probably” be his last club before retirement.

Recall that Cristiano Ronaldo made the move to Al Nassr in January 2023 after leaving Manchester United.

Earlier this summer, there were speculations that the 39-year-old Portugal international could retire at his childhood club, Sporting Lisbon, but with his latest assertion, that might not happen.

In an interview with Portuguese TV channel Now, Ronaldo said, “I don’t know if I will retire soon, in two or three years, but probably I will retire here at Al Nassr.

“I’m happy at this club; I feel good in this country, too. I’m happy to play in Saudi Arabia and I want to continue.”

Having netted 898 career goals, including 130 for Portugal, Ronaldo has expressed his desire to continue his international career, stressing that his involvement with the national team remains a priority.

“When I leave the national team, I won’t tell anyone in advance and it will be a very spontaneous decision on my part, but also a very well thought-out one,” he said.

“Right now what I want is to be able to help the national team in their upcoming matches.

“We have the Nations League ahead of us and I would really like to play.”

This means that Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to be invited to Portugal’s games against Croatia on September 5 and against Scotland on September 8.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is set to receive a special award from UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin in recognition of his remarkable feats in the Champions League.

With an impressive record of 140 goals in 183 appearances, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner holds the record of being the competition’s all-time leading goalscorer, surpassing notable talents like Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski.

Note that Ronaldo’s extensive trophy cabinet includes five Champions League titles, one with Manchester United and four with Real Madrid.

President Bola Tinubu who took over from former President, Muhammadu Buhari on May 29, 2023, has taken some hard decisions in line with its policies and programmes.

In his move to restructure the country, Tinubu has removed some principal officers who served under the Buhari administration.

Here is the list of some principal officers who have been sacked by President Tinubu:

– President Tinubu on the 9th of June, 2023 suspended the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

– President Tinubu on the 14th of July, 2023 suspended the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa.

– The President on the 19th of June sacked all the service chiefs appointed by Buhari.

– The National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (rtd) was replaced with Nuhu Ribadu the same day President Tinubu sacked the service chiefs.

– President Tinubu also sacked the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Bashir Gwandu.

– The President in August disbanded the board and management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) led by Lauretta Onochie.

– President Tinubu in 2023 directed the Director-General/CEO of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Aliyu Abubakar Aziz, to commence 90-day pre-retirement leave.

– President Tinubu on the 1st of September, 2023 sacked Ondo, Cross River NDDC Nominees, Make Fresh Appointments.

– President Tinubu sacked FIRS boss, Muhammad Nami, on Thursday, September 14, and his special adviser on revenue, Zacchaeus Adedeji, was subsequently appointed as the acting chairman of the tax commission.

– President Bola Tinubu, in October, announced the sacking of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of agencies under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and among the affected agencies were the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

– President Bola Tinubu, on the 13th of December, 2023 approved the suspension, removal, and replacement of the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) under the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

– President Tinubu, on the 8th of January, 2024, approved the immediate sack of Babatunde Irukera as the EVC/CEO, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

– The President also approved the dismissal of Alexander Ayoola Okoh as the Director-General/CEO, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

– President Bola Tinubu, on the 15th of June, 2024 directed the resignation of Mr. Mamman Ahmadu from office as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

– Tinubu on the 15th of July, 2024 sacked Adekanmbi, and reinstated Prof Zabbey As HYPREP Coordinator.

– President Bola Tinubu, on the 26th of August, 2024 approved the appointment of new Directors-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of State Services (DSS).

– President Tinubu on 19th of August,
2024 dismissed Jalal Arabi from his position as Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and has appointed Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman as the new Executive Chairman of NAHCON.

Many filling stations operated by independent oil marketers have now fixed the pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, at between N900 and N1,000/litre.

Owners of these stations seem not to care about the cost of the product at retail outlets operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company. Petrol prices at NNPC stations range from N568 to N617/litre. This often leads to queues at the stations.

As Nigerians raise concerns about the high cost of the commodity by independent petrol dealers, the Federal Government has also vowed to shut down filling stations that will be caught dispensing PMS at exorbitant rates.

It declared this through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, stressing that it was not in the interest of Nigerians for marketers to profiteer in the sales of PMS.

Independent oil marketers claimed that they’ve been buying petrol from private depot owners for as high as N850/litre since last week and that this was why the pump prices were high.

However, the spokesperson of the NMDPRA, George Ene-Ita, argued that the petrol price reports that the regulator gets from its officials at the depots were different.

“Our depot people see a different price because we ask them to publish the prices at the depots every day and it is not N850/litre. Our field agents at the depots give us a different figure,” he said.

When told that some filling stations operated by independent marketers in Lagos and many other states dispense their products for as high as N900 and N1,000/litre, the NMDPRA official said such outlets would be brought to book if apprehended.

“If we get these outlets, all we do is to try and shut them down, because NNPC is the company that brings in the product and they tell us how much they sell as their ex-depot prices to off-takers. And we sit down together and work out the margins and there is no way it should be that high,” Ene-Ita declared.

The NMDPRA official further noted that there was no way the agency could reconcile the high cost of petrol sold by independent marketers.

“Do you have these stations displaying the high prices on their pumps?” Ene-Ita asked.

Our correspondent responded in the affirmative, and the regulatory agency’s official declared again, “Once we get these outlets, we are going to shut them down. NNPC tells us how much they sell and there is no way the pump prices should be that high. We don’t expect it to be higher than N650/litre.”

The NMDPRA spokesperson warned marketers involved in profiteering to desist from the act, stressing that the agency would not fold its hands and allow operators to cheat Nigerians.

Findings by our correspondents show that marketers are making more profit as the fuel crisis rocking the country has refused to end.

The PUNCH reliably gathered that owners of filling stations have seized the opportunity to add to their margins as regulators could not enforce any particular price.

Due to the low supply from NNPC, private depot owners were said to have hiked the price of petrol as high as N850/litre

The depots sell to independent marketers, who could not get the product directly from the NNPC at about N570/litre like the major marketers.

In return, the independent marketers sell a litre of petrol to motorists and other Nigerians at prices ranging from N850 to N900 or even N1,000 in some remote areas.

“That is why no marketer is complaining of low margins again. This is the time for them to make money. The only issue is that getting the product is not that easy,” a source told The PUNCH.

“The price is high because the supply is low. It is a matter of demand and supply. The price will continue to be up, at least for now. It Is an opportunity for the filling stations to add to their margins. This is an abnormal situation. Normalcy is restored, and the regulatory authority can monitor. Can the regulator monitor anybody now?

“Imagine when you pay about N30m to NNPC to order petrol and it takes about one month to get the product. Assuming you take N30m from a bank with this interest rate, is that not a problem?’ a marketer stated.

Sources at the Lagos depot informed our correspondent anonymously that the NNPC is still rationing the product despite assurances that normalcy would be restored last Wednesday.

It was gathered on Monday that marketers could only get half of whatever metric tonnes they bid for.

A depot operator said though the situation had improved a bit, the supply is still far below what is required to ease off the queues and make the product available for all Nigerians.

Another source hinted that the Federal Government is now prioritising the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to reduce the long queues in filling stations.

“The queue is easing a little bit in Abuja. Almost 70 per cent of the trucks are going to Abuja. The directive is that they should go to Abuja,” the depot operator confided in The PUNCH.

Contrary to claims that the marketers might be hoarding fuel, the manager of a filling station in Ogun State, who identified himself simply as Adeyanju, said no one hoards fuel because it will continue to dry up.

“The way PMS is, if you put 33,000 litres in a tank, if you hoard it for too long, by the time you want to haulage it, it may not be more than 31,000 or 32,000 litres. It will be evaporating. No tank operator will ever hoard fuel, not even at this time when people are making money,” the manager disclosed.

He added that no miracle could clear off the queues in this new week, asking the NNPC to ramp up supply.

On Monday in Osogbo, Osun State, petrol was sold by filling stations owned by independent marketers at prices ranging from N900 to N1000 per litre.

However, the few major marketers that dispensed petrol, sold the product for N700 per litre.

Many filling stations within the metropolis did not open to customers, as commercial intra-city bus operators increased their charges by 50 per cent due to the high cost of fuel.

Petrol was priced between N980 and N1000 at stations owned by independent dealers in Damaturu and its surrounding areas.

The same scenario played out in parts of Lagos and Ogun states, where petrol went for as high as N950 and N1,000/litre at independent marketers’ stations.

Following the reluctance of many marketers in Kano State to open their filling stations despite having the commodity in stock, black markets continued to thrive.

A litre of PMS at filling stations owned by independent marketers still sold for N980 and N1000/litre in Kano.

Following this negative development, black marketers have fully returned to the business and are having a field day. PMS at the black market sells for N1200 and N1300.

A former Nigerian boxer and first-ever Olympic medalist, Nojim Maiyegun has died at the age of 83.

A confidante, Rudolfine F Soultan, confirmed the death of the boxer in a Facebook post on Monday.

The post read, “My Jimmy died. I can’t say more about this right now because it’s just horrible. The day after tomorrow, we would have been together for 17 years.”

Maiyegun as per The Cable breathed his last on Monday morning at his base in Vienna, Austria.

Maiyegun was reportedly battling an unnamed illness for a couple of months.

At 23, he won Nigeria’s first Olympic media (Bronze) in the light-heavyweight boxing category at Tokyo 1964.

In the second round of the competition, he defeated Great Britain’s William Robinson in just one minute and 59 seconds.

He defeated Tom Bogs of Denmark in the quarter-final before losing to France’s Joseph Gonzalez in the semi-final.

Maiyegun and Poland’s Józef Grzesiak settled for the bronze.

Two years later, in 1966, he won another bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica.

Maiyegun left Nigeria in 1971 to begin a professional boxing career.

He fought 16 times and won 12 — 10 of them by knockouts.

The Naira yesterday depreciated to N1,610 per dollar in the parallel market from N1,600 per dollar last week Friday.

Similarly, the Naira yesterday depreciated to N1,596.6 per dollar in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market, NAFEM.

Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate for NAFEM rose to N1596.6 per dollar from N1,570.14 per dollar last week Friday, indicating N26.46 depreciation for the naira. The volume of dollars traded (turnover) in NAFEM fell by 17.3 percent to $102.93 million from $120.81 million traded last weekend.

Consequently, the margin between the parallel market and NAFEM rate narrowed to N13.4 per dollar from N29.86 per dollar last weekend.

The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, on Sunday, said underage candidates will no longer be allowed to sit for secondary school leaving examinations.

Mamman stated this while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.

He said the Federal Government has instructed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) which administers the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) which organises the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) to comply with the directive on 18 years age limit for any candidate to be eligible for the two examinations.

Mamman also insisted that the age limit for any candidate to write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) remained 18 years.

The minister said, “It is 18 (years). What we did at the meeting that we had with JAMB (in July) was to allow this year and for it to serve as a kind of notice for parents that this year, JAMB will admit students who are below that age but from next year, JAMB is going to insist that anybody applying to go to university in Nigeria meets the required age which is 18.

“For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a new policy; this is a policy that has been there for a long time.

“Even basically if you compute the number of years pupils, and learners are supposed to be in school, the number you will end up with is 17 and a half – from early child care to primary school to junior secondary school and then senior secondary school. You will end up with 17 and a half by the time they are ready for admission.

“So, we are not coming up with new policy contrary to what some people are saying; we are just simply reminding people of what is existing.

“In any case, NECO and WAEC, henceforth will not be allowing underage children to write their examinations. In other words, if somebody has not spent the requisite number of years in that particular level of study, WAEC and NECO will not allow them to write the examination.”

The minister went further to give a breakdown of the number of years pupils are expected to spend between child care and senior secondary school.

According to him, early care is expected to last for the first five years. Pupils are expected to begin primary one at the age of six, spend six years in primary school and move to junior secondary school at the age of 12, spend three years, before moving to senior secondary school at the age of 15, to spend three more years and leave for university at the age of 18.

A former National Vice Chairman, Northwest, of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman has lamented that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is on track to becoming worse than that of the erstwhile administration of Muhammadu Buhari.

He stated that the administration of Buhari was worse than that of former President Goodluck Jonathan, adding that each successive administration has become progressively worse than its predecessor.

Speaking via a statement on Monday, Lukman said that despite the noticeable trend, there is no structured engagements regarding 2027 among leading opposition.

He expressed worry that there was no guarantee that the administration that would take over from Tinubu would not be worse off.

He said, “It is not enough to complain thaut President Asiwaju Tinubu is bad without corresponding initiative to ensure that 2027 results in the defeat of APC at all levels. If APC is defeated in 2027, what is the guarantee that the new government to emerge post President Asiwaju Tinubu will not be worse?

“As Nigerians, we are witnesses of how governments at all levels progressively become worse. With all the confidence many of us had in former President Muhammadu Buhari, arguably his performance failed to meet public expectations, perhaps worse than former President Goodluck Jonathan. Certainly, President Asiwaju Tinubu is on track of becoming worse than former President Buhari.”

German tactician Bruno Labbadia has been appointed the new head coach of the Nigerian men’s national team, the Super Eagles, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Nigeria Football Federation announced the decision to appoint Labbadia early on Tuesday morning following months of searching for a new handler for the former African champions.

In a statement released on their official media space, the NFF confirms that the German gaffer has agreed to take charge of the Super Eagles with immediate effect.

The statement reads: ‘The Nigeria Football Federation has announced that it has reached an agreement with German tactician, Bruno Labbadia, to become the Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men National Team, Super Eagles.

‘NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, said in the early hours of Tuesday: “The NFF Executive Committee has approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee to appoint Mr. Bruno Labbadia as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles.

The appointment is with immediate effect.”‘

The Super Eagles had been without a coach since former Ajax winger Finidi George vacated the role following a brief spell in charge.