February 2025 | Page 7 of 8

Sport heavyweights ready to volunteer at 2025 ECOWAS Marathon

Prince Odutola1 month ago1 month ago04 mins

As preparations intensify for the 2025 ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon, key figures in the sports and fitness industry have expressed their eagerness to volunteer and contribute to the event’s success. The marathon, set for March 1, 2025, is part of activities to celebrate ECOWAS’ 50th anniversary. With thousands of runners expected to participate in the 21-kilometre half marathon and the 5-kilometre race, volunteers will be crucial in ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience for all. Gabriel Okon, the Race Director emphasized the significance of volunteers in an event that dedicated individuals to handle various logistical and operational aspects. “Marathon is not just about the runners; it’s about the team behind the scenes. Volunteers are the backbone of any successful race, from registration and logistics to hydration stations and medical support. Their role is invaluable in making the event smooth and enjoyable for everyone,” he said. Application for volunteers opened Monday, February 3, 2025, and interested applicants can pick up a form at the Athletics Federation of Nigeria office, Moshood Abiola Stadium, Package A, Abuja. Members of the sports family including athletes, coaches, fitness trainers, and others have pledged to support the event in different capacities, from technical assistance to race coordination and mentorship for young runners. Expressing his delight at the overwhelming response, Okon remarked, “The enthusiasm we are seeing from volunteers is inspiring. From retired directors in the ministry, elite athletes, to community fitness trainers, so many people are eager to be part of this celebration of unity and athleticism. This is more than just a race—it’s a movement that brings people together for a greater cause.” Beyond the competition itself, the ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon represents an opportunity to promote health, youth empowerment, and regional unity through sports. With over $71,000 in prize money up for grabs, the event is expected to attract elite runners while also encouraging participation from amateur fitness enthusiasts. Okon stressed that the marathon is not only about athleticism but also about making a lasting impact. “We want this marathon to leave a lasting legacy beyond race day. It’s about inspiring people to embrace fitness, fostering friendships across borders, and promoting a culture of healthy living,” he said. Interested participants can register at www.ecowasabujamarathon.org or visit the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) offices, FCT Sports councils, and local athletics associations across Nigeria.

Public assault: Orile Ifo monarch remanded in Prison

Prince Odutola1 month ago1 month ago04 mins

The suspended Olorile of Orile-Ifo , Ogun State Oba Abdulsemiu Ogunjobi spent the night of Tuesday February 4 2025 at the Ifo Correctional Centre as he was unable to meet his bail conditions following his arraignment by the Nigerian Police at the Ifo Magistrate Court for his public assault on 73-year old Elder Abraham Areola. After he was suspended by the Ogun State Government for acts unbecoming of a traditional ruler following widespread criticism of his assault on Areola which was recorded and uploaded on the social media , the Nigerian Police also dragged him before Magistrate F. A. Iroko to answer to three-count charge of assault, conspiracy, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was subsequently admitted to bail with two sureties in the sum of N5m each, who must reside within the court’s jurisdiction. But at the close of business on Tuesday he was unable to perfect the bail conditions necessitating his remand at the Ifo Correctional Centre.Ironically, while brutalising Areola the monarch boasted in the the viral video that led to his suspension that he would ensure that his victim was sent to jail through his connection with the police. The monarch will have his day in Court on March 6, the date the Magistrate fixed for the continuation of the case against him. The Charge Against Him:“That Abdul-Semiu ‘m’ and others at large, on 21st January 2025, at about 1100 hrs at Sojuolu Street, Ifo Magisterial District, did conspire to commit a misdemeanour, to wit: assault and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 517 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006. “That you, Abdul-Semiu ‘m’, and others now at large, on the same date, time, and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did unlawfully assault one Areola Abraham by slapping him on the face and ear, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 351 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006. “That you, Abdul-Semiu ‘m’, and others at large, on the same date, time, and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace by forcing one Areola Abraham ‘m’ to kneel down and assaulting him in public, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 249 (d) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006.”

Iheanacho drops hint on Sevilla future

Prince Odutola1 month ago1 month ago02 mins

On-loan Sevilla star Kelechi Iheanacho has this week dropped something of a hint regarding his future plans with the club. Frontman Iheanacho is for his part fresh off sealing a move away from Nervión. Just six months on from his free agent arrival at Sevilla, the Nigerian international was farmed out on loan, linking up with English Championship side Middlesbrough. Iheanacho’s exit came after what had been a hugely challenging first half-season in La Liga, which saw the former Leicester City man struggle for both game-time and goals. Speaking during his presentation as a Middlesbrough player, as cited by Mundo Deportivo, though, Iheanacho hinted that he has unfinished business in Sevilla’s colours. Asked for his thoughts on the move, the 28-year-old explained: “It’s good to get out, to feel in a different environment. Sevilla is a great club. I loved my experience there. It’s a great team and I’ll be delighted to return there.”

Public Assault: Ogun State Govt. suspends Olorile of Orile-Ifo for six months

Prince Odutola1 month ago1 month ago02 mins

In a bid to ensuring dignity of persons and for the protection of sanctity of our revered traditional institution, the Ogun State Government led by Prince Dapo Abiodun, has placed Oba Abdulsemiu Adewale Ogunjobi, the Olorile of Orile-Ifo on six months suspension for his uncivil conduct not befitting the status of an Oba. The decision was reached after the Kabiyesi and his victim were invited by the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Local Govt and Chieftaincy Affairs for interrogation. This became imperative as a result of the reckless utterances and public misconduct of the Kabiyesi as it was evident in the social media and being bandied in the larger public space. After the investigation conducted on the matter, the Kabiyesi has been suspended and stripped of the paraphernalia of the stool of Olorile-Ifo pending the determination of his culpability or otherwise on the allegation. The foregoing decision was reached by the Ministry in conjunction with the Egba Traditional Council in accordance with Section 52(1) of the Obas and Chiefs’ Law of Ogun State 2021. Meanwhile, the Monarch has been charged to court today 4th February, 2025, on three-count charge of conspiracy, assault and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.He was granted bail while the case was adjourned to 06/03/2025. The police will continue to uphold the rule of law and the core values of the noble profession.

LNSA, Mushin Command arrest fraudster

Prince Odutola1 month ago1 month ago02 mins

The Mushin Command of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Agency (LNSA) has arrested a suspected fraudster operating around Fatai Atere Way, and its environs. The female suspect named Toyin Ariyo, aged 48 years, was apprehended as she allegedly attempted to swindle 18-year-old Ayomide around the Cappa area of Agege Motor Road at about 9 am on the 3rd of February 2025. The suspect, who confessed to having been in the fraudulent trade for over 20 years, met her Waterloo when a Corp officer noticed and accosted the victim, Ayomide, who displayed signs of distress and fear. Following the completion of the preliminary investigation, the case was immediately transferred to the Police for further investigation and prosecution. The General Manager of LNSA, Prince Ifalade Oyekan commended the gallant officers who responded to the situation and warned criminals to relocate from Lagos State as the Law enforcement agencies in the State have been encouraged by the commitment of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu to the security and safety of residents and visitors in the State.

Probe missing N26bn in Ministry of Petroleum Resources, PTDF, SERAP tells Tinubu

Prince Odutola1 month ago1 month ago012 mins

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu “to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and appropriate anti-corruption agencies to promptly probe allegations that over N26 billion of public funds are missing, diverted or stolen from the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources in 2021.” These damning revelations are documented in the 2021 audited report published on Wednesday 13 November 2024 by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation. SERAP said, “Anyone suspected to be responsible should face prosecution as appropriate, if there is sufficient admissible evidence, and any missing public funds should be fully recovered and remitted to the treasury.” SERAP urged him to “use any recovered stolen funds to fund the deficit in the 2025 budget and to ease Nigeria’s crippling debt crisis.” In the letter dated 1 February 2025 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these grave allegations. Tackling corruption in the oil sector would go a long way in addressing the budget deficit and debt problems.” According to SERAP, “The allegations suggest a grave violation of the public trust, the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), the country’s anticorruption legislation and international anticorruption obligations.” The letter, read in part: “Poor Nigerians have continued to pay the price for the widespread and grand corruption in the oil sector.” “Despite the country’s enormous oil wealth, ordinary Nigerians have derived very little benefit from oil money primarily because of widespread grand corruption, and the entrenched culture of impunity of perpetrators.” “According to the 2021 annual audited report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) in 2021 reportedly paid over N25 billion [N25,607,890,403.11] for ‘contracts without any supporting documents.’” “The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The PTDF also reportedly failed to account for over N326 million [N326,065,638.00] deposited in two banks. The Auditor-General fears the money may be missing and wants it recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The PTDF reportedly failed to account for over N107 million [N107,691,733.93] being money for ‘the supply, installation, and commissioning of Library automation system and RFID at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI).’” “The contract for the library ‘was awarded without the prior approval from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” READ ALSO CTC of Judgment ordering Buhari’s minister to account for N729bn payment to poor Nigerians“The PTDF reportedly paid over N46 million [N46,974,216.43] to ‘three companies for services without evidence of execution.’ ‘One of the contractors was engaged on 13th April 2021 but was paid for services rendered in March 2021. All the three contractors were paid for periods they had not rendered the services to the PTDF.’” “The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The PTDF also reportedly failed to remit over N60 million [N60,355,670.03] of ‘stamp duty from the capital expenditure contracts awarded in 2019 and 2020.’ The PTDF ‘provided no reason why the money was not remitted.’” “The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The PTDF also reportedly failed to account for over N64 million [N64,088,158.44] ‘being payment for store items not supplied.” The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The PTDF also reportedly paid over N41 million [N41,367,493.50] ‘for services not yet performed or goods not yet supplied.’ The payments were made ‘without relevant supporting documents such as invoices, receipts.’” “The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources reportedly spent over N137 million [N137,751,789.85] ‘from the Capital Vote for expenditures which were recurrent in nature without any approval by the National Assembly and the Minister of Finance.’” “The Auditor-General fears the money may be missing. He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury. He also wants sanctions applied ‘for gross misconduct specified in paragraph 3129 of the Financial Regulations 2009.’” “The Ministry reportedly failed to account for over N232 million [N232,509,238.21] ‘being payments to seven companies for consultancy services for stakeholders’ engagement in the Niger Delta in January 2021.’” “According to the Auditor-General, ‘the type of engagements and the reasons for contracting the seven companies were not stated. The venue of the engagement remains unknown. This spending of public funds appeared fictitious.’” “The Auditor-General fears “the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The Ministry also reportedly failed to remit over N25 million [N25,516,938.00] of ‘taxes collected from payments of N137,929,394.58] made to contractors.’ The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” READ ALSO Xenophobia: African commission to ‘take appropriate action’ on SERAP’s request to sue South Africa for $10bn“The Ministry also reportedly failed to account for over N43 million [N43,533,036.65] ‘being irregular payments for the replacement of broken ceiling.’ The Auditor-General fears “the money may have been diverted.’ He wants the money recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “The Ministry failed to account for over N74 million [N74,721,625.03] ‘being payments made as cash advances granted to officers between March and December 2021 without retirement.’ The Auditor-General fears ‘the money may have been diverted’, and wants it recovered and remitted to the treasury.” “We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public…

Beyoncé wins album of the year Grammy

Prince Odutola1 month ago1 month ago07 mins

Beyoncé has finally won the album of the year Grammy Award for her chart-topping country album Cowboy Carter after previously missing out on it four times. The US superstar had previously failed to secure the prize with 2008’s I Am… Sasha Fierce, 2013’s Beyonce, 2016’s Lemonade and 2022’s Renaissance and alluded to the previous misses in her speech, saying it had been “many, many years”. The recognition, alongside earlier wins on Sunday of best country album and the country duo/group performance award for her song featuring Miley Cyrus, titled II Most Wanted, has extended her lead as the most decorated artist in Grammys history to 35 awards. Collecting the album of the year award at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the 43-year-old said: “I just feel very full and very honoured. “It’s been many, many years and I want to thank the Grammys, every songwriter, every collaborator, every producer, all of the hard work. “I want to dedicate this to Ms (Linda) Martell, and I hope we just keep pushing forward, opening doors. God bless y’all. Thank you so much.” US singer Martell, a groundbreaking country performer who became the first black woman to play at the Grand Ole Opry, features on Cowboy Carter tracks Spaghettii and The Linda Martell Show. Beyonce, who was joined on stage by her daughter Blue Ivy, also praised the firefighters for “keeping us safe” during the Los Angeles wildfires. Earlier in the night, fellow album of the year nominee Taylor Swift presented a stunned Beyonce with the best country album award. The singer admitted she was “not expecting” to win the award and praised the “incredible country artists” who accepted her album, adding: “I think sometimes genre is a cold word to keep us in our place as artists and I just want to encourage people to do what they’re passionate about and to stay persistent.” Ahead of the ceremony, the singer announced she would be taking Cowboy Carter on tour with an Instagram post featuring a light-up billboard. US rapper Kendrick Lamar scooped up two of the other top awards – record of the year and song of the year – for his “diss” track Not Like Us, which is reportedly directed at Canadian rapper Drake. The song also picked up a slew of early prizes including best music video, best rap performance and best rap song, with Lamar dedicating the record of the year award to his hometown Los Angeles after the city was devastated by wildfires. This year’s award ceremony is raising funds for wildfire relief following wind-driven blazes that swept through parts of the Californian city last month, destroying neighbourhoods and killing at least 28 people. Meanwhile, Lady Gaga offered her support to the transgender community as she collected her award after the new Trump administration issued executive orders rolling back transgender rights. Accepting the best pop duo/group performance prize for her collaboration with Bruno Mars on Die With A Smile, Gaga said: “It is a privilege to be a songwriter and a producer, a musician, such an honour to sing for all of you. “And I just want to say tonight that trans people are not invisible. Trans people deserve love. The queer community deserves to be lifted up. Music is love. Thank you.” Chappell Roan called for the music industry to provide a “liveable wage and healthcare for artists” as she collected her first Grammy award, the best new artist prize. The 26-year-old US star revealed she had told herself she would demand that labels and the industry would protect artists more if she ever won a Grammy. She recalled feeling “betrayed” and “dehumanised” when she struggled to find work and afford health care during the pandemic after getting dropped by her first label as a young artist when she had given “everything” to them. The 2025 award show was hosted by South African comedian Trevor Noah for the fifth year in a row.

Rashford completes Aston Villa loan move

Prince Odutola1 month ago1 month ago03 mins

Marcus Rashford has joined Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United for the remainder of the season. The 27-year-old forward had also been linked with moves to AC Milan and Barcelona this month after falling out of favour at his boyhood club. Rashford, who joined United at the age of seven, has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances since breaking into the first team in 2016 but has not played since December 12. A statement read: “Aston Villa is delighted to announce the loan signing of Marcus Rashford from Manchester United. “The England international, capped 60 times by the Three Lions, joins Villa on a deal until the end of the season.” The PA news agency understands Villa will cover at least 75 per cent of Rashford’s £300,000-plus weekly salary. That figure could reach up to 90 per cent depending on performance-based bonuses and the option to make the move permanent is reported to be £40million. Villa have also secured an option to buy the player in the summer. Rashford’s future has dominated the headlines throughout the transfer window having admitted he was “ready for a new challenge” after being dropped for the derby against Manchester City on December 15. It now seems his appearance against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League three days earlier could turn out to be his last for United. Rashford failed to impress new United manager Ruben Amorim, who said this week the forward “has to change” to have a future at Old Trafford. Rashford said in a statement on Instagram: “I would like to thank Manchester United and Aston Villa for making this loan deal happen. “I was lucky to have a few clubs approach me but Aston Villa was an easy decision – I really admire the way that Aston Villa have been playing this season, and the manager’s ambitions. I just want to play football and am excited to get started. “I wish everyone at Manchester United all the best for the rest of the season.”