Lille star Victor Osimhen has turned down the chance to join Napoli and he’s awaiting an offer from the Premier League, according to Football Italia.
The Super Eagles striker was in Italy last week to visit Napoli’s management and inspect the club’s facilities, but he is said to be declining their €50 million offer.
The Italian outlet claims the 21-year-old is waiting for offers from either Arsenal or Manchester United to step forward.
Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta on Tuesday sent a revised 2020 appropriation bill of N282 billion to the State Assembly for approval.
The letter accompanying the proposed budget made up of N152.4 billion Recurrent Expenditure and N127 billion Capital Expenditure, was read by the Speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori, during plenary in Asaba.
Okowa recalled that the assembly had on May 2 passed a revised budget of N279.7 billion, following macro-economic assumptions.
He said that given the need for the incorporation of COVID-19 Response budget, the earlier estimate had been further revised to the tune of N282 billion.
”The further revision of the budget is in compliance with the Federal Government’s plan to develop and implement a nationally integrated policy framework to address the fiscal and economic distortions caused by COVID-19 pandemic.
”On this note, the federal government advised state governments to carry out a review of their budgets.
‘ ‘The review is expected to be in line with guidelines sent to the states by the federal government, designed in collaboration with the World Bank.
‘ ‘In complying with the advice, states will be able to access stimulus support such as grants and palliatives from the federal government and other multilateral organisations, particularly the World Bank.
‘ ‘The reviewed budget is to reflect COVID-19 response programmes and project implementation expenditures.
‘ ‘In consideration of the foregoing, therefore, it has become imperative to present a revised 2020 budget that realigns and targets expenditures towards projects with potentials of reflating the economy from downtum,” he said.
The Majority Leader of the House, Tim Owhesere, moved a motion for the house to receive the revised budget for further consideration.
The motion which was unanimously adopted through a voice vote, was seconded by Mr Solomon Ighrakpata, representing Uwvie Constituency.
The speaker referred the the revised 2020 appropriation bill to the House Committee on Finance and Appropriations for scrutiny.
Meanwhile, Okowa has also sent a list of nominees for appointment as Chairman and members of the State Public Procurement Council, for screening and approval.
The nominees are Mr Okey Ofili, Chairman; Messrs Edwin Abraka and Okezi Odugala, members.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has threatened to seal some Guarantee Trust Bank branches in Abuja for non-adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols in their operations.
Chairman of the FCTA Enforcement Team on COVID-19, Mr Ikharo Attah, issued the warning to the management of the bank at Area 3 during a monitoring exercise on Tuesday in Abuja.
Attah also issued a 24 hour ultimatum to the three affected branches of the bank in Areas 3 and 11 as well as the Central Business District, to put the necessary COVID-19 safety measures in place for their customers.
The chairman said that the lives of customers were being endangered at the bank’s premises through non observance of physical distancing and failure to provide canopies and chairs for customers.
Attah, therefore, called for the setting up of hand washing facilities at the bank’s entry points.
“This particular bank is not observing Covid-19 safety protocol at all. There is only one thermometer for this large crowd,” Attah said.
He added that he had been at that particular branch more than four times and had usually met a large crowd.
He added that it had failed to organise its customers in view of social distancing regulations.
“There was no social distancing and most of them (customers) are not even wearing facial masks. The bank should provide canopy, chairs, and hand washing points.
“We are giving them 24 hours to get all these things in place or risk being sealed. It will not cost up to N100,000.
“They should take the lives of their customers very seriously. Their customers should be treated with utmost dignity. I give them 24 hours.”
A 44-year-old pastor at Ogo Oluwa Parish of the Christ Apostolic Church in Owode-Egbado, Ogun, has been arrested by the police for raping his own biological daughter.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abeokuta.
According to Oyeyemi, the pastor was arrested following a complaint by his daughter at the Owode-Egbado Divisional Headquarters that her father had been molesting her.
The statement said the suspect had been forcefully having carnal knowledge of the victim since 2015 when she was 19 years-old and shortly after the demise of her mother.
The daughter, according to the statement, further reported that she had been impregnated three times by her father.
According to her, the father took her to a nurse where the pregnancies were aborted.
The statement said the suspect had procured family planning services for the victim so as to prevent further pregnancies.
“Having realised that her father was all out to ruin her life, she ran away from the house and reported to an NGO.
“The NGO, Advocacy For Children And Vulnerable Persons Network, took it upon itself to assist her in reporting the incident at the Owode-Egbado police station.
“Upon the report, the DPO Owode-Egbado division, SP Olabisi Elebute, led her detectives to the pastor’s house where he was arrested.
“On interrogation, the suspect made confessional statement that all what his daughter said is nothing but the whole truth,” the statement said in part.
It added that the Commissioner of Police, Kenneth Ebrimson, had ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the Anti-human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit for further investigation and prosecution.
Premier League side Chelsea are in pole position to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Kai Havertz.
According to Goal, a number of rival suitors were put off by the €100 million (£90m/$112m) price tag being placed on him this summer.
The effects of the coronavirus pandemic on club finances across the European football landscape means few clubs can match the resources at Stamford Bridge this summer and, as such, it has left them leading the race for the 21-year-old.
Havertz, however, wants to play Champions League football at his next club, and Frank Lampard’s side are yet to confirm their place in the competition for next season.
They currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, two points clear of fifth-placed Manchester United and five clear of Wolves in sixth with five matches of the campaign to play.
Should a club meet his valuation, then Leverkusen will agree to sell Havertz.
Pep Guardiola has reiterated his desire to see Lionel Messi remain at Barcelona, with the Manchester City boss refusing to be drawn on speculation suggesting that he could be reunited with the Argentine in England.
Speculation regarding a move away from Camp Nou for a six-time Ballon d’Or winner has surfaced again over recent weeks.
It is not the first time that Messi has seen a switch mooted, with an all-time great holding obvious appeal to any team on the planet.
Reports have, however, suggested that Messi has shelved talks in the present as he waits to discover in which direction a rather rudderless Blaugrana side will head from this point.
“I’m not going to speak about transfers until the end of the season,” said the former Barca boss.
“My wish is that Messi is going to stay in Barcelona.”
Goal
The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the alleged illegal withdrawal of funds from the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited amounting to $1.05bn by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion moved by the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, at the plenary on Tuesday, entitled ‘Need to Investigate the Illegal Withdrawals from the NLNG Dividends Account by the Management of NNPC.’
Consequently, the House mandated its Committee on Public Accounts to “invite the management of the NNPC as well as that of the NLNG, to conduct a thorough investigation on activities that have taken place on the dividends account and report back to the House in four weeks.”
Moving the motion, Elumelu recalled that the NLNG was incorporated as a limited liability company in 1989, with the aim of producing liquefied natural gas and natural gas liquids for export purposes, while it’s production began in 1999.
He noted that the NLNG is jointly owned by the Government of Nigeria, represented by the NNPC, with a shareholding of 49 per cent, while Shell Gas B.V has 25.6 per cent; Total LNG Nigeria Ltd, 15 per cent; and ENI International, 10.4 per cent.
Elumelu said, “The House is aware that the dividends from the NLNG are supposed to be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Funds account of the Federal Government and to be shared amongst the three tiers of government.
“The House is worried that the NNPC, which represents the government of Nigeria on the board of the NLNG, had unilaterally, without the required consultations with states and the mandatory appropriation from the National Assembly, illegally tampered with the funds at the NLNG dividends account to the tune of $1.05bn, thereby violating the nation’s appropriation law.
“The House is disturbed that there was no transparency in this extra-budgetary spending, as only the Group Managing Director and the corporation’s Chief Financial Officer had the knowledge of how the $1.05bn was spent.
“The House is concerned that there are no records showing the audit and recovery of accrued funds from the NLNG by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, hence the need for a thorough investigation of the activities on the NLNG dividends account.”
…says one Agabi a stripped chief is behind his ordeal
…begs Lagos AG to intervene to save his property from land grabbers
…warns that if nothing is done now, this could lead to breakdown of law
The Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of South South International magazine and former President of the League of Maritime Editors and Publishers as well as former Publicity Secretary of Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria, Ovie Edomi has cried to the Governor of Lagos State and his Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice over the activities of land grabbers in Ibereko, Lagos.
In an official letter to Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Attorney general of Lagos, the Lagos based Journalist and publisher explained how the land he has paid in installments for between 2016 and 2018 to the Kelani family, a prominent family with vast land in Ibereko was transpassed upon by an Assistant Customs Comptroller, Mr Lucky Udukhomose, serving in Tin Can port, Apapa along with his wife, Pastor Mrs Favour Udukhomose who connived with Omonile to buy the same land from one self acclaimed Chief Ogabi who has been stripped of his chieftaincy title by the Oba of Ibereko and who claimed to be related to the Kelani family in order to expand Sapphire Gold Group of Schools, a private school built by the Assistant Customs Comptroller for his wife beside the Editor’s mini estate.
According to Edomi, the Lagos State law on land Grabbing has made Lagos State very peaceful for its’ inhabitants and wondered why a serving Customs officer, who knows the law and should be seen obeying the law be the one to connive with unscrupulous element with a view to promoting his business interest when the Customs boss knows for a fact that the Journalist who had plantains planted on the land and has been harvesting the plantains for upward of 2years owes the land.
Edomi further warned that any attempt to engage in land Grabbing, indiscriminate construction of private schools especially those that are constructed to block government approved streets and made the street a close without government approval would someday led to breakdown of law and order in Ibereko if the government does not implement its’ urban planning and environmental laws.
He therefore called on the state Governor to put up stricter measures to check those who build indiscriminately without regard to the laws of the state and speed up the prosecution of land Grabbers in order to check the menance of land grabbling as well as close all illegal schools in Ibereko, Badagry.
Edomi who says he believes in the rule of law and God’s protection for His children, however lamented that his life is being threatened by self acclaimed Chief Ogabi and his two Brothers who are acting on behalf of the Customs boss and his wife called on the Governor and the Attorney general of the state, well meaning Nigerians, the World Press Organization as well as the Presidents of NUJ, UPU worldwide, CAN, PFN and NBA to equally intervene saying the Customs boss and his wife,a Pastor, this time flew too high and too close to the sun with waxed wings.
Furthermore, Edomi noted that with over 20 million people and expected to double by 2040, Lagos State will become a mega city as envisaged by the Lagos State government if people obey town planning and environmental laws.
Meanwhile a document by the Kelani Oke family claimed that the land stretching from Kelani Street down to Oke Oko street at Ibereko belong to their father and claimed that the Customs boss had approached the Kelani family through one Chief Ogabi Brothers to buy the land but he was told that the had been sold to a Journalist.
Edomi who is equally an Editorial Board member of the Compendium on Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, further told newsmen that he earlier reported the matter to the Comptroller of Customs, TIN Can port, but regretted that nothing was done before crying to the Lagos State Governor for justice especially when he saw that the Customs boss took advantage of the lockdown owing to the COVID-19 pandemic to start construction of a storey building on the land. A development which he decried and noted that it is in further contravention of the government’s order during this period of lockdown as well as to show that the Customs boss is above the law or to prove that nothing would happen even if he breaks the law. Such person in developed societies of which Nigeria is one, needs to be further investigated by the Nigeria Customs Service where he works and the EFCC to know the source of the wealth which he displays now and reason for taking the law into his hands.
Edomi, who described the development as a demonstration of lawlessness, ungodliness, oppression, insatiable greed and attempt to use one’s privileged position to acquire other people’s property or parvet justice insisted on justice, said he has no other option than to cry to the Lagos State Governor.