Edo suspends consultancy services

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the immediate suspension of all consultancy services and related providers in the State’s public service. In a communication notice issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilor, “all financial transactions and related services with affected consultants and service providers are to be put on hold immediately, pending a review by the Review Committee, established by the Governor, submits its report. “All Accounting Officers, Heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies are expected to take note and comply strictly with this directive.”

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Galatasaray coach calm amid Man Utd talk for Osimhen

Galatasaray coach Buruk Okan expects Victor Osimhen to see out the season. Osimhen is on-loan at Gala from Napoli, which have been approached by Manchester United in recent days for the Nigeria striker. But Okan said: “Osimhen intends to stay here until the end of the season. “He also wants to stay and has been telling me the same thing since the beginning. There is a clause, but it doesn’t matter, he said he will stay. “The important thing is the player, it is the player who decides and Osimhen says he will stay here. He said the same thing when he came.”

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Nottingham Forest gives updates on Ola Aina

Nottingham Forest hope to have Ola Aina available for their trip Arsenal after returning from international duty with Nigeria ahead of schedule last week. Aina has been in superb form this season, almost ever-present in Nuno Espirito Santo’s starting XI with Forest riding high in fifth place. The right-back completed the full 90 minutes in the 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest prior to the international break and played 83 minutes for Nigeria in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Benin last Thursday. The former Chelsea youngster was replaced late on, subsequently receiving treatment for an issue suffered in the match. That 1-1 draw against Benin ensured Nigeria qualified for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations with a game to spare. With Forest in direct communication with the Nigerian FA, an agreement was met to allow Aina to miss Monday’s game against Rwanda, returning to the UK late last week for treatment back at Forest. ‘Before our match against Benin, I spoke with an official from Nottingham Forest, and subsequently received a message from Nuno, the manager, asking if we could release Ola Aina since they are facing Arsenal next weekend. ‘I agreed, stating that if we managed to get a positive result in Côte d’Ivoire, we’d maintain our good rapport. We have alternative players available, so in light of this, it was important to sustain the relationship,’ Nigeria’s interim coach Austin Eguavoen said in an interview. An official statement from the Nigeria Football Federation added: ‘English Premier League side Nottingham Forest fervently requested that wing-back Olaoluwa Aina be permitted to return to the UK for their pivotal match, having already secured qualification for AFCON.’ Aina will be assessed this week with reports in Nigeria claiming the reason for his substitution last week may have been fatigue. Forest head to north London to take on Arsenal at 3pm on Saturday afternoon.

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Ugo Ugochukwu lifts FIA FR World Cup

American driver Ugo Ugochukwu romped home as champion in the FIA FR World Cup on Sunday, despite four safety cars. The 17-year-old R-ace GP driver has dominated the 27-vehicle field from beginning to end. Early on the Guia Circuit that was no longer damp, Ugochukwu was challenged by Germany’s Oliver Goethe and Mexico’s Noel Leon. British Freddie Slater tried to overtake Leon, to no avail though. The race was later marked with a pile-up of vehicles near the notorious Lisboa corner, prompting a red flag. But the incident did not pose any distruction to the early momentum built by the front runners. After pit stop repairs, Ugochukwu sustained his dominance, leaving his rivals in the slipstream. With 11 laps remaining, China’s Liu Ruiqi suffered a glitch, bringing another safety car onto the circuit. Ugochukwu supercharged ahead to leave Goethe at least one second behind, with Leon closely trailing behind. The gap between the first two then widened to two seconds. In spite of so, Goethe succeeded in pulling off the fastest lap time of the race. Shortly afterwards, a third safety car emerged to respond to another vehicle malfunction. The outcome of the race was almost certain in the last two laps although Freddie Slater from the UK attempted to challenge Leon’s third spot. However, his bid was short-lived as the SJM Theodore PREMA Racing driver rammed into a barrier.

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Rivers Hoopers through to 2024 Nigeria Premier Basketball League Final

Defending champions Rivers Hoopers have secured a spot in the Final of the Nigeria Premier Basketball League (NPBL) Final Eight after edging Gboko City Chiefs 79-73 in a hard-fought semi final showdown on Sunday. Kelvin Amayo led the charge with 22 points, while Okiki Michael and Buchi Vincent Nwaiwu chipped in with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Nwaiwu made it a double-double with 12 rebounds while adding 2 assists and one three pointer midway through the third quarter. Rivers Hoopers continue to dominate the league, boasting the best offensive and defensive record. Their stifling defense was on full display, as they recorded an impressive 11 steals and 5 blocks. The game was marred by controversy as Gboko City Chiefs repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with refereeing decisions, prompting a 30-minute delay. The contest eventually resumed 6 minutes into the third quarter.  Timothy Kwaor who finished with a game high 24 points for City Chiefs shot 6/11 from deep. Kwaor made three straight threes at the start of the fourth quarter. He however ran into foul trouble and was made to leave the game with four minutes remaining to play. The KingsMen did more than enough to seal the victory over Gboko City Chiefs. This victory marks the KingsMen’s fourth victory in four meetings over Gboko City Chiefs, underscoring their dominance in the league. The first outing was at the Final Four in Port Harcourt last November and twice in the Chief of Defence Staff Basketball Championship in Abuja last month. Unbeaten this season (11-0), Rivers Hoopers aim to secure back-to-back Basketball Africa League (BAL) appearances when they face Hoops & Read in Monday’s final.

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Davido to donate N300m to Orphanage homes

A Nigerian singer David Adeleke popularly known as Davido has pledged to donate the sum of N300million to Orphanage homes across the country. Davido made the pledge on his official X handle on Monday. The Songwriter stated that the donation to the Orphanage homes is to celebrate his 32nd birthday on November 21. He wrote; “Once again, my birthday this year we are donating to orphanages and charity that helps young people stay away from drug and addiction. “This year is N300m. “Details to folow soon.” Davido founded the Davido Adeleke Foundation in 2022 with the help of other charitable organisations, in a bid to help vulnerable children. In July 2023, he proudly announced the foundation donated over 200 million to orphanages in the country and 13,818 children benefited from it. In the press release posted at the time, he said: “I founded the DAF in 2022 with a strong desire and passion to continually assist and create a proper framework for the ongoing charitable works to benefit the good people of Nigeria. Through this Foundation we have raised millions of Naira and dispersed much-needed funds to hundreds of orphanages significantly improving the lives of countless children.” The charitable tradition began back in 2021 after the singer’s birthday, when he made over ₦200 million in donations after sharing his bank account details on his Twitter (now X) page. After amassing the large sum of money, the singer announced that he planned to donate it all to orphanages across Nigeria, “I am delighted to announce that all the funds received totaling ₦200,000,000 will be donated to orphanages across Nigeria as well as the Paroche Foundation,” he said.Keeping to his word, he disbursed the funds after adding ₦50 million.

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SWAN inaugurates Planning and Finance Committee for Diamond Jubilee Celebration

As preparations intensify for the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Diamond Jubilee Celebration next year, the association has inaugurated its Planning and Finance Committee to spearhead financial planning and mobilisation efforts for the historic event. The committee, chaired by Ogun State SWAN chairman Mr. Michael-Azeez Ogunsiji and FCT SWAN scribe as the Secretary, comprises individuals of proven integrity and capacity who have been carefully selected to deliver on this significant assignment. The members are Mr. Leonard Oru (FCT), Mr. Eche Amos (Nasarawa), Princess Ekwi Ajide (FCT), Mr. Suleiman Adebayo – Pooja (Lagos), Mr. Tobi Adepoju (Lagos), Mr. Ndubueze Chidoka (FCT), Mr. Cyril Dum Wite (Rivers), Mr. Cosmos Chukwuemeka (Imo), Mr. Joel Duku, Alhaji Idris Malikawa (Kano), Mr. Sam Adesoji (Plateau), Mr. Kuti Dare (Kwara), Mr. Thomas Abirhire (Delta), and Mr. Femi Amusan (Oyo). Speaking during the inauguration held virtually on Saturday, November 16, 2024, SWAN President Isaiah Benjamin commended the members for their acceptable and readiness to serve the noble association. He said, “We have assembled people of trusted integrity and proven capacity to deliver. It took us time to carefully select the members of this committee because we recognize their abilities. Thank you for accepting to serve in this important role. “I wish you all successful deliberations and commendable execution of this task. This is the first of its kind, and we trust your commitments to make it a well-remembered milestone in SWAN’s history,” the added. SWAN Secretary General, Ambassador Ikenna Okonkwo, corroborated the president, added, “This committee represents the backbone of our Diamond Jubilee Celebration. We are confident they will exceed expectations and set a new benchmark for excellence in SWAN events.” The Chairman of the Planning and Finance Committee, Mr. Ogunsiji, expressed gratitude for the opportunity, stating, “This is a great responsibility, and I appreciate the trust placed in us. We are committed to delivering an event that will reflect the legacy and growth of SWAN.” The Planning and Fundraising Committee is expected to play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the Diamond Jubilee Celebration, marking 60 years of SWAN’s impactful contributions to sports journalism in Nigeria.

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I almost gave up but Nigeria stood by me -Chidimma Adetshina

Miss Universe first runner-up Chidimma Adetshina has revealed that she almost gave up during her difficult times. Adetshina who is law student and model born and raised in South Africa represented her father’s country Nigeria in this year’s beauty pageant. She withdrew from the ten finalists of Miss South Africa in August after facing xenophobic attacks on social media. And four months later, she became the first runner-up to Miss Denmark who was crowned Miss Universe 2024. “To Nigeria: Thank you is not enough for all the support you’ve shown. You picked me up when I was at my lowest. “I’ve never opened up much but I was ready to give up on my life but you became my strenght to fight. “I’m so grateful for each and everyone for walking this journey with me. “To Africa: Thank you for showing your love and support. As much as I represent Nigeria, Africa fought for me. My voice, my story touched many and brought us together, This journey has taught me the power of unity, I want us to live in a society where we can all accept and celebeate one another. “This is not the end but the beginning of my journey. “Love Miss Universe 1st runner,” wrote after emerging runner-up at Miss Universe pageant. Meanwhile, the Chairman and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has hailed the emergence of Chidimma Adetshina, on her emergence as the first runner-up at the 2024 Miss Universe. Adetshina, Nigeria’s representative at the 73rd Miss Universe Competition held in Mexico, trailed behind Denmark’s Victoria Kjaer Theilvig who was crowned the winner of the contest. In a statement on Sunday by her media aide, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the NiDCOM boss described Miss Adetshina’s feat as a “reward for her doggedness and resilience.” Dabiri-Erewa expressed excitement that despite all odds, Chidimma remained focused and attained her goals. She recalled “Adetshina’s controversial official withdrawal from the Miss South Africa 2024 contest, of which she had advanced to the final stage , some few months back, noting that Nigeria warmly welcomed her, after being literally forced out of South Africa,” the statement read. “Describing her as brilliant, focussed and determined, she urged others to emulate the spirit of Nigerianess in Chidimma by being proud of the country and not run it down under whatever guise.” The beauty queen was warmly received at the NIDCOM Lagos office, and thereafter hosted to a grand reception at Idris Olorunnibe’s “The Temple,” Victoria Island, with music legend, D’banj in attendance.

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