Supreme Corner

  Pep Guardiola has refused to back down on his recent comments about low attendances at the Etihad but insists he is ‘incredibly grateful’ for the support Manchester City fans continue to show both home and away. There were more than 16,000 empty seats at the stadium on Wednesday evening as City got their Champions League off to a winning start with a thrilling 6-3 victory over Group A rivals RB Leipzig. However, Guardiola’s calls for ‘more people to come’ out in force for City’s upcoming clash with Southampton largely overshadowed the match, with many perceiving it as an unnecessary swipe at the fanbase in tough financial times. A ‘frustrated’ Kevin Parker, the general secretary of the Manchester City Supporters’ Club, said Guardiola was wrong to question numbers at the Etihad and urged the Spaniard to instead ‘stick to coaching’. ‘It’s not factual, our attendances are generally excellent,’ Palmer said. ‘He doesn’t understand the difficulties that some people might have g

  Former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode has said he joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) because of his love for Nigeria.   Fani-Kayode spoke after his introduction to President Muhammadu Buhari by Chairman of the APC’s Caretaker Committee Governor Mai Mala Buni and Zamfara Governor Bello Matawale at the Presidential Villa, Abuja as the newest member of the party.   The former Minister, who recalled he was a founding member of the ruling party in 2013, also said he decided to return to the party to join in efforts to save the nation.   Fani-Kayode speaking to newsmen said: “The point is that I felt that this was the appropriate time to do the right thing, to put Nigeria first and to appreciate the efforts that have been made, particularly in the last couple of years in terms of security, fighting insurgency, fighting terrorism, and most importantly, is the appreciation of the fact that we must remain one as a nation, build bridges, work together to move the c

  Nigeria is making preparations to assist the Democratic Republic of Congo to establish a national fire service. Dr Ibrahim Liman, Controller General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS) made this know on Wednesday in Jalingo when he paid a visit to the Nigeria Correctional Service, Taraba Command.   “The DR Congo requested for assistance and the FFS positively responded.   “The request became necessary due to the capacity of the organisation as the most qualified and second best fire responders in Africa,” he said.   The CG said that the qualification was determined by the capacity of its fire fighting equipment and the strength of its personnel.   He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for changing the narrative of the fire sector in Nigeria.   Liman further attributed the achievement to the commitment of the president who ensured that all the budgetary allocations had been released in 100 per cent form to the organisation.   He assured Nigerians that the s

  Churches in Zimbabwe are questioning the government's sincerity in allowing them to hold services for the vaccinated when only about 10% of the country's population has been vaccinated against COVID-19. The government said this week that Christians who had received two shots could gather, a move some see as a way to drive up inoculation, given that more than 70% of the country's population is Christian.   Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa told reporters that the government had noticed a decline of new COVID-19 cases, therefore.   "Cabinet wishes to inform the public that churches can now allow sit-in congregants under the following conditions: only congregants who have received two doses of the [COVID-19] vaccine are allowed to attend," Mutsvangwa said. "And all Ministry of Health and Child Care and WHO protocols have to be adhered to. And those found in breach will be arrested including the leaders of the church."   The government

  President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of an oxygen plant in Yobe, to meet the demands for medical oxygen in the country. This is contained in a statement issued by Gov. Mai Mala-Buni’s Director- General Press and Media Affairs, Alhaji Mamman Mohammed in Damaturu on Thursday. Mala-Buni said the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Enahire, made the pledge at a stakeholders’ meeting for  the 2021 mid-year review of routine immunization and Primary Healthcare Programme in Abuja. The governor said the minister described Yobe’s primary health care development as a model for the rest of the country. He said the state on its part had completed and equipped 105 out of the proposed 178 functional Primary Health Care Centers for effective service delivery to the people.

    President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded the names of the immediate past Service Chiefs to the Senate as non-career Ambassadors-Designate. Femi Adesina, Special adviser to the President on Media and Publicity made this announcement in a statement on Thursday. The statement reads, “In a letter to Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, President of the Senate, the President said: “In accordance with section 171 (1), (2) (c) & sub-section (4) of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I have the honour to forward for confirmation by the Senate, the under-listed five (5) names of nominees as Non-Career Ambassadors-Designate. “The nominees are: Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin (Rtd ), Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (Rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (Rtd). “The President urged the Senate to give expeditious consideration to the nominations.”

By Nneka Nwogwugwu, Abuja The federal government on Wednesday has received a total number of 420 returnees from Saudi Arabia. The federal government also noted that the 420 returnees fall under the last batch to be evacuated after an agreement with the Saudi government. The returnees were received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja by the Saudi Arabia Ambassador, Amb Akinremi Bolaji, officials of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Nigerian Immigration Service. Amb Bolaji, while speaking to the returnees urged them to cooperate with the government, adding that the government has provided their basic needs including their accommodation. Speaking to newsmen , Amb Bolaji stated that evacuation is part of government’s diplomacy and governance plan to always bring nationals that are in need. ‘’For Saudi Arabia, this operation is the last one. It is not just the last number that came from Saudi that we have received. We have also recei

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono, has said that the participants of the ongoing Naija   farmers reality show will be offered an initial capital to start Agribusiness. Nanono also tasked Nigerian youths to lead the revolution in the agricultural sector, adding that with a population of about 200 million Nigerians, of which 60% are  Youths, need to be empowered in the drive towards achieving food sufficiency and also to boost the nation’s economy.  The Minister made this known during a working visit to the participants of the Naija Farmer Reality TV Show, at the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Abuja on Friday, January. Nanono noted that the participants are being trained in the various Agricultural value chains and would be offered an initial capital to start Agribusiness. He said ‘’ they will be role models to other young Nigerians as they will find it interesting to invest their time and energy in

  By Nneka Nwogwugwu The Covid-19 pandemic ravaging the world has not only affected human lives but has led to full-blown extinctions in the animal world. Environmental experts have long been warning that we are entering a sixth ‘extinction event’ – and the realities of those fears have become ever clearer in 2020, with countless types of animals now considered extinct. A latest report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCNhas revealed that more than a quarter of the species it has on its Red List are now ‘threatened with extinction’ – some 35,765 out of 128,918 species. It comes as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) warned that animal populations have declined by an average of almost 70% in less than 50 years, as eco-systems break down and animals struggle to cope in a rapidly changing world. Climate change, human actions, a loss of habitat and other factors have combined to leave many animals facing a bleak future – and some facing none at all. Here, we

  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has released the list of successful applicants in its ongoing recruitment exercise. NDLEA spokesman, Deputy Commander of Narcotics (DCN) Jonah Achema, announced this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, January 08 in Abuja. Achema urged successful candidates to visit the agency’s website www.ndlea.gov.org for the list adding that those shortlisted had also been contacted via E-mail and SMS. According to him, the candidates had applied for different vacancies, some of which were invited for job competency test. “The affected candidates, numbering 5, 000, are to appear at the Agency’s Academy, Citadel Counter-Narcotics Nigeria, (CCNN),   Katton-Rikkos, Jos, Plateau State for the screening and documentation exercise between January 10 and 23, 2021 at 0900 hours daily.   “The candidates are divided into four different groups for the screening, in adherence to the COVID-19 pandemic protocol.

The People's Republic of China has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nigeria for the purpose of setting up an inter-governmental committee charged to coordinate cooperation between the two countries. The Chinese government also donated 6 billion Naira to Nigeria on Tuesday, January 5, during a meeting with Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Aviation, Sirika Hadi, Minister of Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, and the Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora. Others present at the meeting include, the Executive Director, Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Olusegun Awolowo and Director of Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), Yewande Sadiku. The Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister, Wang Yi, who was on a two day visit to Nigeria said that the committee will foster cooperation between the two countries in areas such as health, road construction, industrialization and greater c