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Five political parties to participate in Benue’s Saturday LG polls By Peter Duru – Makurdi Five political parties are expected to participate in Saturday’s local government election in Benue state. The Executive Chairman of Benue State Independent Electoral Commission, BESIEC, Mr Terso Loko who made this known in Makurdi said among the parties were the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Labour Party, LP, African Action Congress, AAC, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Mr Loko who explained that the commission had put in place necessary logistics to ensure a free, fair, credible, and hitch-free exercise said the election would be conducted under the World Health Organization’s protocol on COVID-19.  He stated that the commission had put measures in place to ensure the safety of the electorates by insisting that they put on face masks, ensure social distancing, and also sanities their hands during the process. ALSO READ: COVID-19: Ogun a...

Kenya’s star athlete Rudisha ruled out for months after surgery Two-time Olympic 800-meter champion David Rudisha underwent surgery on his left ankle on Thursday after fracturing it while walking on uneven ground at his home in Kilgoris in rural Narok County, Kenya, last week. “The surgery was carried out by Kenyan team doctor and orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Victor Bargoria,” reported Rudisha’s manager, Michel Boeting of one4one Sports in the Netherlands. ALSO READ: ICC allows ex-Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo to leave Belgium He continued: “During a walk on the compound the 31-year-old stepped on uneven ground, and initially believed it was not a serious injury.  He continued with exercises that wouldn’t cause further harm to his ankle but after a lack of improvement over the weekend, he underwent an examination and was diagnosed with an ankle fracture at St. Luke’s hospital in Eldoret.” During a walk on the compound the 31-year-old stepped on uneven ground, and initially...

Former politician jailed for role in 1994 Rwandan genocide A Rwandan court on Thursday handed a life sentence to a former politician found guilty of orchestrating the killing of tens of thousands of people during the 1994 genocide, a court spokesman said. Ladislas Ntaganzwa, head of the commune of Nyakizu in southern Rwanda, was indicted in 1996 by the Arusha, Tanzania-based International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda on charges of direct and public incitement to commit genocide, murder and rape. The tribunal closed five years ago and was replaced by a successor body, International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, with offices in Arusha and the Hague, Netherlands.  ALSO READ: China plans to extend curbs on international flights until June 30 – US embassy About 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutus were killed during the genocide. The tribunal’s indictment accused Ntaganzwa of plotting to exterminate Rwanda’s Tutsi population and personally ordering the massacre of mo...

APC inaugrates 16-member committee for reconciliation in Oyo By Ola Ajayi, Ibadan THE Reconciliation Committee of the Oyo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has held its inaugural meeting at the State Secretariat of the party in Ibadan. The State Chairman of the party, Chief Akin Oke, who inaugurated a 16-member Committee, issued letter of nomination for reconciliation committee to each member. The party which governed the state between 2011 and 2019 lost to the Peoples Democratic Party as a result of crisis that tore it apart. ALSO READ: Oyo APC to Makinde: Provide emergency relief packages for victims of Dugbe market inferno  The ex-governor of the state, Otunba Alao-Akala, heads the 16-man Committee. Other members of the reconciliation committee are Prince Gbade Lana (secretary), Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin, Alhaji Kamar Ajisafe, Pa Akin Ojebode, Alhaji Laide Abass, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, Segun Odebunmi, Niran Alarape, Mojeed Olaoya, Isiaka Areokuta,...

Giggs opens up on Liverpool influence in Welsh national team Manchester United great Ryan Giggs is attempting to mimic some elements of “fantastic” Liverpool with his Wales side. Nobody has made more appearances for the Old Trafford giants than the 46-year-old, having represented the club 963 times between 1990 and deciding to hang up his boots to focus on coaching in 2014. Giggs models a lot of his management on Sir Alex Ferguson, particularly when it comes to standards and discipline, and learned a lot working as assistant manager to Louis van Gaal.  ALSO READ: Kenya’s star athlete Rudisha ruled out for months after surgery The United great highlighted the work being done by Manchester United’s rivals, telling Laureus: “In our league, at the moment we have fantastic managers, obviously Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola. “I was fortunate to spend two years under Louis Van Gaal at Manchester United, so I learned a lot from Louis who was very similar with Sir Alex regarding sta...

Arsenal face possible setback in pursuit of unsettled Barca star Arsenal aren’t willing to meet Barcelona’s demands for Philippe Coutinho despite their interest in the player, according to reports. The playmaker – currently on loan at Bayern Munich – is set to leave Barcelona in the summer, and a number of English clubs are thought to be interested. Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs have all been linked with a move for the Brazil international. ALSO READ: Giggs opens up on Liverpool influence in Welsh national team Most recently, a report claimed that Mikel Arteta ‘dreams’ of bringing Coutinho to Arsenal with the Spaniard keen to ‘make him his master at playing’. This came from Le10Sport, who added that such a ‘very expensive’ deal would prove to be ‘a complex case’ for Arsenal. And now ESPN claims that Barcelona are keen to recoup ‘more than half the £142m’ that they paid Liverpool for Coutinho’s services in 2018.  ALSO READ: Salah Prayer Saga: Sanction...

North Korea executes couple by firing squad for trying to defect A married couple was executed by firing squad in North Korea after being caught trying to flee with their 14-year-old nephew, according to a report. The husband and wife, from Ryanggang province near China, were trying to escape earlier this month despite the country’s strict coronavirus quarantine, sources told Radio Free Asia. It is believed the couple, thought to be in their 50s, were trying to bring their teen nephew back to his parents in South Korea, according to the report. ALSO READ: Giggs opens up on Liverpool influence in Welsh national team “The boy’s father, who escaped to South Korea, had asked his sister to bring his son to him,” a resident of Ryanggang, who requested to stay anonymous, told the outlet.  But the source said border security has been tightened due to the country’s quarantine measures, making the attempted escape an “extremely dangerous and risky act.” The couple was tortured int...

Missing firearms: Police recovers 5 AK-47s, rescue two kidnap victims By Egufe Yafughorhi & Perez Brisibe – Port Harcourt Men of Rivers State Police Command and Special Protective Unit, SPU, Base 5, Benin-City, Edo State, have recovered missing firearms and rescued two persons kidnapped in May 23 pirates attack along Bakana, Degema waterways, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers. Marvin Thompson, his uncle, Festus Atline, in an ordeal first reported by Vanguard, were travelling in company of four police escorts when the armed pirates ambushed them in a gun battle, kidnapping both civilians and carting away one police AK47 from a Sergeant who couldn’t swim just as each of one Inspector and two other Sergeants who dived into the river for safety lost their rifles.  Police Public Relations Office, Rivers Command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni was silent on the recovery of the firearms in his disclosure Thursday, but rescue sources, including four, hired professional divers, told Vangua...

Messi tips Chelsea‘s Mount as ‘one of the best’ Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has tipped Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount to become “one of the best” footballers in the world. Mount, who was playing on loan at Derby County last season under current boss Frank Lampard, has been brilliant in his debut Premier League season at Chelsea. The 21-year-old has contributed six goals and four assists in the Premier League this season, earning him his first six caps for England. ALSO READ: Kenya’s star athlete Rudisha ruled out for months after surgery Messi, who has won heaps of trophies and individual honours in his career at Barcelona, has tipped Mount to become one of the best players in world football. Speaking about Mount, Messi said (via the Daily Mirror):  “Having watched him play he has the potential to be one of the best.” Former Everton midfielder Tim Cahill was also recently full of praise for Mount after his breakthrough season. ALSO READ: ICC allows ex-Ivorian p...

SHOCKER! How man, girlfriend stole 64 chickens in Kaduna A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kafanchan, Kaduna State has jailed a 35-year-old man, Abdullahi Sani, and his 20-year-old girlfriend, Sarah Paul, for stealing 64 chickens. The police charged Sani and Paul with criminal conspiracy, house breaking, theft and mischief, contrary to sections 58, 332, 270 and 312 of the Kaduna State Penal Code. ADVERTISING ADVERTISING In his ruling, Magistrate Michael Bawa, sentenced Sani to 38 months in a correctional facility and Paul bagged 13 months for her role in the crime. Bawa also ordered the first convict to pay N600, 000 while the second convict will pay N200, 000 as compensation to the complainant as applied by the prosecution. Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp. Esther Bishen, told the court that one Hilary Garba reported the matter on May 21.  READ ALSO: Court orders fresh PDP congresses in Nasarawa Bishen said the complainant alleged that the convicts broke into his...

Breaking: Protesters set Minneapolis police station on fire over death of George Floyd By Nwafor Sunday Following the alleged killing of George Floyd, an African-America man, by a police officer, protesters, Friday stormed Minneapolis police station and set the building on fire. As at the time of filling this report, more people are still trooping in the scene to protest against the killing of Floyd. George Floyd was the African-American man who was pinned down with a knee by a police officer till he died. How Floyd died: On Monday evening, police in Minneapolis were called about someone trying to pass a counterfeit bill at Cup Foods, a neighborhood grocery store. Two officers responded to the alleged forgery in progress, saw a man matching the suspect’s description and ordered him out of his car.  He complied but then, according to police, “physically resisted.” What we know next comes from a bystander video on Facebook Live which circulated widely, showing a white officer w...

Tyson, Holyfield circus show suicidal – Oboh For weeks now, Iron Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield have been in the news over proposed come-back bids. Both men who are likely to engage each other in a match up soon were world champions in their heydays. But their comeback bids, albeit, exhibitionist in nature, has not gone down well with some boxing pundits. ADVERTISING ADVERTISING Former British light-heavyweight boxing champion, Peter Oboh has said he does not buy the idea of Mike Tyson making a comeback to the ring after so many years lay off. Oboh said the current WBC heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury was named after Mike Tyson, when the American prized fighter was at his peak, terrorizing opponents in the ring.  Although the former Commonwealth champion, Oboh had kinder words for Tyson’s proposed opponent, Evander Holyfield, he insisted both men should remain retired. READ ALSO: 23 years after, Holyfield, Tyson eager for third ‘bite at it’ “I think Holyfield sta...

Women’s Super League season ended with immediate effect The Women’s Super League and Championship seasons have been ended with immediate effect. A statement on the Football Association’s official website confirmed the decision had been taken following “overwhelming feedback” from clubs. ADVERTISING Recommendations for sporting outcomes – such as who should represent England in the Women’s Champions League next season – will be sent to the FA board. ALSO READ: FIFA suspend Haiti FA chief over sexual abuse allegations The statement read:  “Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the FA Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship Board has been in regular consultation with clubs and key stakeholders from across both leagues to identify the most suitable and appropriate way to conclude the 2019-20 season, and to give clubs and players the clarity and support they need at this time. “Following overwhelming feedback from the clubs, the decision to bring an end to the 2019-20 season...

Lockdown has brought Liverpool squad closer together – Gomez Liverpool’s players have been brought even closer together in lockdown, according to Joe Gomez. ADVERTISING The lockdown may have prevented Liverpool’s players from training as usual, but Joe Gomez thinks the experience has actually brought Jurgen Klopp’s squad even closer together. ADVERTISING Liverpool players returned to their Melwood training base for the first time in two months last week to take part in small group sessions at staggered times. ALSO READ: Women’s Super League season ended with immediate effect Prior to that, the Premier League leaders had to keep fit at home due to the lockdown measures implemented by the United Kingdom government, which were designed to curb the spread of coronavirus.  Videos on social media showed the Reds would often conduct group sessions via video links and Gomez feels it has been a bonding experience for the group. “Yeah, I think so, because we’ve had to have communica...

Bayern Munich go seven points clear with 1-0 win at Dortmund Bayern Munich took a key step towards an eighth straight Bundesliga title on Tuesday, opening a seven-point gap with six games left as they won 1-0 at nearest rivals Borussia Dortmund. READ ALSO: Women’s Super League season ended with immediate effect Joshua Kimmich’s deft chip two minutes before half-time settled an edgy tussle between the league’s top two teams in front of empty terraces.

Espanyol, Leganes offer free 2020-2021 season tickets to fans Espanyol and Leganes fans, holding current season tickets, will be handed free passes for the entire 2020-2021 campaign to compensate for missing matches due to the shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the two La Liga clubs said on Tuesday. The Spanish top-flight is set to resume in June after being provisionally suspended in March with 11 rounds of matches remaining but, as in Germany’s Bundesliga, fans cannot attend the games in order to prevent further spread of the virus.  ADVERTISING ADVERTISING It is unclear when fans will be able to return to stadiums, with medical experts saying mass gatherings should be avoided until there is a vaccine, which is unlikely to be available until 2021. READ ALSO:2023: How PDP intends to checkmate APC With the two teams struggling at the bottom of the standings, it is possible that one or both sides could be playing in the second division next season. “Leganes will auto...

Honigstein reveals ‘virtual meeting’ between Klopp and Werner Bundesliga expert Raphael Honigstein claims that Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has held a “virtual meeting” with RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner in “recent weeks”. The Athletic journalist James Pearce recently claimed that Werner “has his heart set on a move to Liverpool” while German publication Bild claimed Klopp is “willing” to pay the €60m which would be required for the transfer. ADVERTISING ADVERTISING ALSO READ: Berbatov calls for rule change if Man Utd lose Ighalo Last Wednesday French website Le10 Sport said that Werner is ‘one of the great priorities’ for Klopp, while the Liverpool boss has decided to ‘personally involve’ himself by ‘calling him a number of times’ to outline his vision.  And now Honigstein says Klopp and Werner have held lockdown talks but that Liverpool could have to wait until later in the year to announce any deal. “I think it depends on what Liverpool want to do,” Honigstein told BT...

Berbatov calls for rule change if Man Utd lose Ighalo Dimitar Berbatov thinks Man Utd and other clubs who lose a loan player should be able to bring one in before the Premier League season resumes. ADVERTISING ADVERTISING The Daily Mail claimed on Monday that Man Utd have ‘hit a brick wall’ in their attempts to extend Odion Ighalo’s loan with Shanghai Shenhua rejecting ‘United’s requests to keep Ighalo at Old Trafford for another three months’. Ighalo made his shock deadline-day switch from Shanghai Shenhua in January and the ex-Watford striker has impressed the Old Trafford faithful.  The 30-year-old has scored four goals in three starts for the club he has supported since childhood but adding to his eight appearances has been complicated by the coronavirus crisis. And Berbatov reckons Man Utd and other clubs could be left short if they aren’t allowed to bring in a loan replacement. Berbatov told Betfair (via The Metro): “United need to know what is happening with him. If the...

Redknapp claims Houllier preferred Wright to Gerrard at Liverpool Jamie Redknapp had to convince Gerard Houllier that Steven Gerrard was a “different class” with the former Liverpool boss initially preferring the look of Stephen Wright. Gerrard and Wright came through the Liverpool academy together before their career paths eventually went completely different ways with Wright leaving the Reds in 2002 to join Premier League side, Sunderland. ADVERTISING ADVERTISING ALSO READ: BREAKING: Nigeria records 276 new cases of COVID-19, total now 8,344 Houllier eventually promoted Gerrard to play for Liverpool’s first team but Redknapp claims that Houllier had higher hopes for Wright after the pair were invited to train with the seniors.  Speaking on The Lockdown Tactics podcast, Redknapp recalled the training session where Houllier thought Wright was “the one”: “I’ve got the ball, passed to Stevie, hoping he would give me it back and I could ping it out to the left-winger, or som...

2023: Will Atiku take another shot at the Presidency? By Mohammed ibn Kachalla, Quietly, there seems to be some political re-alignments and strategizing going on by some politicians angling to contest the 2023 presidential election. While it is an open secret that some politicians are beginning to tinker with the idea of setting up structures across the country, some others are in open consultations,  reaching out across the political aisle and setting up outfits. There is no doubt that 2023 will be an interesting year, especially in the All Progressives Congress, APC, where interests from some of the party chieftains from the North, Southeast, Southsouth and Southwest promises to shake the party to its foundations with many predicting breakages and dislocation.  The APC has performed dismally and abysmally and clearly not provided the ‘change’ it promised Nigerians when it took over the reigns of power in 2015. Whether in the economy, education, health, infrastructure,...

COVID-19 could push Nigeria into another recession — Attah By Omeiza Ajayi, Elder Statesman, Obong Victor Attah, is an architect was governor of Akwa Ibom State from 1999 to 2007. In this interview with Vanguard, Attah who had since resigned from politics, and now a leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, expresses concerns that Nigeria could be heading towards another recession due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. He speaks on the several lessons that the pandemic has taught the country and added that the monopoly of fuel importation currently wielded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC should be broken.  Excerpts: What is your take on the appointment of Prof. Ibrahim Gambari as the new CoS? You know, I can be very personal about that, because I knew Prof. Gambari way back when we were in Nigerian College Zaria together. I have known him for quiet a long time and he has had a phenomenal career. I think the best way to look at it is to ask how have recent appoin...

Reports of my appointment to lead COVID-19 growth C’ttee is misinformation – Okowa GOVERNOR Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Monday debunked media reports that he has been appointed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to lead the sub-committee on post-COVID-19 economic growth adding that the report is not true. The governor who also disclosed that he has been receiving an avalanche of messages following the report also asked the general public to take appropriate steps and stop the report which he described as a “misinformation.”  ADVERTISING The governor in a statement by his communications manager, Jackson Ekwugum, said the clarification became necessary following an avalanche of comments, inquiries, and goodwill messages from well-meaning Nigerians regarding the said appointment.  READ ALSO:Okowa to Judges: Shun frivolous injunctions, frequent adjournments The statement reads in parts: “It is not true that Governor Okowa was appointed to lead a sub-committee on post-COVID-19...

Russian COVID-19 cases exceed 350,000 Russia has confirmed 8,946 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, raising its total infections to 353,427, its coronavirus response centre said in a statement on Monday. The death toll grew by 92 to 3,633, while 118,798 people have recovered, including 5,499 over the last 24 hours, according to the statement. ADVERTISING Moscow, the country’s worst-hit region, confirmed 2,560 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking its total to 166,473. Russia’s consumer rights and human well-being watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor said in a statement on Monday that 287,683 people were under medical observation as of Sunday. More than 8.9 million lab tests for COVID-19 have been conducted across the country so far, it added.  Rospotrebnadzor’s Head, Anna Popova, said on Sunday on Rossiya-1 television channel, that the pandemic situation in Russia had stabilised. She said that the virus spread ratio indicating how many people an infected person can pass the disea...

Scores escape death as two storey-building collapses in Lagos By Olasunkanmi Akoni Residents of No 6 Olonode Street, Ebute Metta, Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, narrowly escaped death on Monday, when the two-storey building partially collapsed during heavy rainfall. The incident, it was gathered happened around 9.45 am amid heavy downpour. Director-General, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu who confirmed the report said all the occupants have been evacuated and directed to relocate to safe accommodation. ADVERTISING According to information, sequel to the collapse, the building had shown signs of distress due to lack of maintenance on the part of the owner.  READ ALSO: Collapse building: Court rejects LASG plea bargain with Lekki Gardens Oke-Osanyintolu narrated, “Upon arrival at the scene of incident, it was discovered that an old storey building was severely distressed with the reinforcement having corroded resulting in visible c...

Russian COVID-19 cases exceed 350,000 Russia has confirmed 8,946 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, raising its total infections to 353,427, its coronavirus response centre said in a statement on Monday. ADVERTISING The death toll grew by 92 to 3,633, while 118,798 people have recovered, including 5,499 over the last 24 hours, according to the statement. Moscow, the country’s worst-hit region, confirmed 2,560 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking its total to 166,473. READ ALSO:COVID-19: With fewer tests, Nigeria ties with Ghana, Algeria in death burden Russia’s consumer rights and human well-being watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor said in a statement on Monday that 287,683 people were under medical observation as of Sunday.  More than 8.9 million lab tests for COVID-19 have been conducted across the country so far, it added. Rospotrebnadzor’s Head, Anna Popova, said on Sunday on Rossiya-1 television channel, that the pandemic situation in Russia had stabilised. She said that ...

Leadership in turbulent times: A review essay Professor Ladipo Adamolekun Leadership in Turbulent Times (2018) by Doris Goodwin is a study of leadership crafted around the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865), Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909), Franklin Roosevelt (1933-1945) and Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969). Goodwin selects one particular incident during each president’s tenure as a case study in leadership and fleshes out four different ADVERTISING ADVERTISING leadership types: transformational leadership, crisis leadership, turnaround leadership, and visionary leadership.  This review essay is an overview of Goodwin’sdifferent leadership types with an emphasis on the book’s contribution to our understanding of political leadership. And I conclude with a brief commentary on crisis leadership and coronavirus management. Transformational Leadership According to Goodwin, Lincoln’s successful handling of the Emancipation Proclamation that ended slavery in USA was a demonstrati...