Author: Festus Adeloye

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca believes Mykhailo Mudryk did not knowingly take a banned supplement. The Blues said Tuesday they were notified by the Football Association of an “adverse finding” in a urine sample provided by the 23-year-old Ukrainian winger. Mudryk said in an Instagram post the results of his ‘A’ sample had come as a “complete shock” and insisted he had not intentionally taken a banned substance. “We trust Misha,” said Maresca on Wednesday. “When this kind of thing happens you need to support your player in all aspects. “Misha is a Chelsea player, it’s my duty to be in…

President Bola Tinubu says the 2025 budget forecasts that inflation will decline from current 34.6% to 15% next year. He said this during his presentation of the N47.9 trillion 2025 budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly on Tuesday. The President also said that the exchange rate will improve from approximately N1,700 per dollar to N1,500. “The Budget projects inflation will decline from the current rate of 34.6% to 15% next year while the exchange rate will improve from approximately N1,700 per dollar to N1,500 and base crude oil production assumption of say 2.06 and 2.5 million…

A shock outsider when he was first elected president eight years ago — and a pariah when he left office — Donald Trump appears to be the most popular person in America as far as the rich and powerful are concerned. Tech tycoons, US politicians, foreign leaders and even some in the media have been lining up to kiss the ring of the 78-year-old Republican ahead of his return to the White House in January. “In the first term, everyone was fighting me. In this term, everybody wants to be my friend,” Trump mused to reporters at his luxury Mar-a-Lago…

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has declared a state of emergency in the power sector, emphasising the need for consistent electricity supply to drive economic growth under his administration’s ARISE Agenda. Speaking on Tuesday at the EXCO Ministerial Briefing and End-of-Year Review held at the Government House, Uyo, Eno highlighted the strategic role of electricity in achieving the state’s development goals. He announced plans to convene a Power Summit between January and March 2025 to review the sector’s challenges and propose solutions, including the establishment of a Power Infrastructure Committee. The governor expressed frustration over the state’s N40 billion…

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has denied any involvement in the alleged sale of Nigerian-registered aircraft and confirmed that investigations into the claims are ongoing. Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NCAA, addressed the allegations during an appearance on TVC News’ “Beyond 100 Days” program on Tuesday night. He dismissed the media reports as unfounded, stressing the need for a thorough investigation into the matter. “These are weighty allegations that have been made. So the natural course of justice is to investigate these allegations. And you do not investigate any such story without speaking…

Kwara State Government on Tuesday night said that at least 97 per cent of all the state government’s 18,466 employees have been paid their November salaries and bonuses. The state Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Hauwa Nuru, said in a statement that the outstanding 4.5 per cent who have not received their November pay are those who are yet to register for the State Resident Registration Agency as was directed by the government since July 2024 or those with other pending issues. Recall that the leadership of the state Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress pleaded with the state government to…

The Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State Command, has advised motorists and the public to exercise caution following a road traffic crash on the Kara Bridge, Berger, along the Ibadan-bound section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The crash, which occurred early Wednesday, involved a trailer carrying containers that fell, narrowing the lanes and creating significant traffic gridlock. In a statement signed by the FRSC Lagos Sector Commander, Kehinde Hamzat, on Wednesday, the agency urged motorists to remain calm and avoid actions that could aggravate the situation. The FRSC noted that some impatient drivers worsened the situation by driving against traffic flow…

UK annual inflation climbed further above the Bank of England’s target rate in November, official data showed Wednesday, firming expectations that it will avoid cutting interest rates this week. The Office for National Statistics said in a statement that the Consumer Prices Index reached 2.6 per cent in the 12 months to November, up from 2.3 per cent in October. The BoE, which decides on rates Thursday, has an inflation target of 2.0 per cent. The data is a blow to the Labour government, which has found efforts to grow the economy come unstuck since winning power in July. “I…

Syria’s conflict has not ended even after the departure of  Bashar al-Assad, the UN’s envoy to the country warned Tuesday, as the Security Council called for an “inclusive” political transition. Geir Pedersen, the UN’s special envoy for Syria, also called at the Security Council for Israel to “cease all settlement activity in the occupied Syrian Golan” and said an end to sanctions would be key to assisting Syria. Speaking about Turkish-backed and Kurdish fighters, Pedersen warned “there have been significant hostilities in the last two weeks, before a ceasefire was brokered.” “A five-day ceasefire has now expired and I am seriously…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has restored Sylvester Ezeokenwa as the national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday. He said that the decision of the Commission followed the judgement of the Supreme Court which has been served on the Commission. Olumekun stated that the electoral body at its meeting earlier in the day addressed the protracted leadership tussle within APGA, which has been the subject of legal battles. Olumekun said that in compliance with the judgement, the Commission…