In a dramatic twist to the 2024 summer transfer saga, Victor Osimhen’s highly anticipated move to Chelsea has collapsed. The deal fell through with just two hours left before the transfer window closed, as the Nigerian forward and the Premier League side failed to reach an agreement. Osimhen’s prospects of moving to Saudi Arabia have also evaporated. Al Ahli, a potential suitor for the Nigerian striker, chose to sign Brentford’s Ivan Toney on deadline day instead. The collapse of the Chelsea deal is compounded by a significant breakdown in Osimhen’s relationship with Napoli. Romano reported that if no new bid…
Author: UZDO Media
Dr Olutoyin Akande-Ajala is a seasoned geriatrician trained in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. She founded JBS Gerontology Centre, Nigeria’s first private geriatric hospital and specialist centre for the elderly. She speaks to VICTORIA EDEME about her life and career journey You are from a family of professors, how has that shaped your career? I am the second child and only daughter of my parents, Emeritus Professor Oluwole Akande and Professor Modupe Akande. My father is from Ososo in Edo State. My childhood was great. For most of my life, I used to think that I had a tough childhood…
The Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly has issued a strong call to state governors to immediately comply with the constitutional provisions for the direct disbursement of funds to state legislatures. In a communiqué obtained by our correspondent, the Speakers warned that failure to ensure financial autonomy could lead to a breakdown of governance and emphasised the critical link between legislative independence and effective governance. The communiqué read in part, “We hereby call on all state governors to immediately and fully comply with the provisions of Section 121(3) of the Constitution by allowing for the direct disbursement of…
A Nigerian woman based in Canada, Amaka Sunnberger, is under probe for threatening to poison Nigerians of Yoruba and Benin extractions. A representative of the Toronto Police Service, Sergeant Bassey Osagie, said investigation had begun into the matter. “This incident has been reported to the Toronto Police Service and is currently under investigation,” Osagie said. The House of Representatives and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission had petitioned the Canadian authorities, demanding an investigation and prosecution of the woman. Nigerians woke up on Wednesday to a viral video of the woman, who was on a TikTok live with some other persons,…
Amid prolonged delays in the appointment of ambassadors to oversee Nigeria’s diplomatic missions, the Federal Government disbursed an approximate sum of N14bn to no fewer than 16 foreign missions in July 2024, findings by Saturday PUNCH have revealed. Nigeria has 109 missions: 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates globally. Recall that on September 2, 2023, President Bola Tinubu recalled all career and non-career ambassadors operating the country’s diplomatic missions, embassies, and consulates globally. The envoys, which include 41 non-career ambassadors and 42 career ambassadors, were directed to return to the country on or before October 31 by Tinubu,…
The crisis within the Labour Party has taken a new turn, following the renewed rift between its leadership and the Nigeria Labour Congress, despite the reconciliatory efforts of the former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi. This development comes just three months before the governorship election in Ondo, where two candidates are claiming to be the LP flag bearer ahead of the November 16 poll. While the LP National Working Committee has presented Dr Ayo Olorunfemi as its governorship candidate, the NLC, which has vowed not to recognise the Julius Abure leadership, is insisting on promoting the candidacy of the…
A South African man, who identified himself as Grand Dilan, has taken to social media to plead with Nigerians to stop the Bolt ride prank. The content creator, in a viral video seen by Saturday PUNCH on Tuesday, went on his knees, saying things had got out of hand. He claimed that many businesses had been adversely affected since the rivalry between the two countries led to the prank. The prank was started by some South Africans, who ordered Bolt ride in Lagos, Nigeria, from their country, only to cancel the order on the arrival of the drivers at pick-up.…
The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress said on Friday that the state government cannot fault the party’s state chairman’s claim that Edo people have been pushed below the poverty line. To buttress his claim, Jarret Tenebe, who has suffered verbal attacks since making the statement, said the poor rural dwellers could not afford Android phones or data and watch pay-per-view TV. Tenebe had initially stated this during a Thursday interview session with Arise TV. There, he also disclosed that the APC governorship candidate, Mike Okpebholo, will not honour the channel’s request for an interview. While Olumide Akpata,…
Students of the University of Ibadan in Oyo State, on Friday, staged a peaceful protest over tuition hikes by the management of the institution. The students, who, during the protest, carried different placards with inscriptions such as, “We Say No Tuition Hikes,” “The Management Is Insensitive To Our Plights,” “Our Parents Cannot Afford The New Hikes,” blocked roads leading to the campus. The PUNCH observed that the blocking of the main entrance of the institution forced many people to trek long distances to navigate their destinations. The students decried the tuition hikes by the management, noting the prevailing economic situation…
The Peoples Democratic Party has appointed Chief Dare Adeleke and Olatunji Ayofe as chairman and secretary of the Ekiti State chapter caretaker committee, respectively. PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, in a statement released on Friday, stated that a 20-member committee will oversee the party’s activities in Ekiti State for up to 90 days (three months) or until a new Executive Committee is elected. The statement read: “Following the expiration of the tenure of the State Executive Committee in Ekiti State, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on behalf of the National Executive Committee, hereby…