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Anthony Joshua Set For War Against Pulev, Optimistic Of Retaining Title |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

Nigeria born British pugilist, Anthony Joshua says his World Heavyweight fight against Pulev would be a war.

After 12 months since Joshua outpointed Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia to reclaim the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts, he has been off the ring, largely because of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

A crowd of 1,000 will be in attendance following approval by local authorities and after London was placed in tier two of the new system when lockdown restrictions were relaxed by the government last week.

Joshua entered a bio-secure bubble yesterday and told Sky Sports: “My body is just a vessel that carries my brain, so I have trained my brain more than I have trained my body.

“I am ready for war. I am ready for a fight and looking forward to it.”

While the build-up to Saturday’s showpiece event will be different compared with usual  both fighters in the same bubble and able to mix, Joshua stated he would focus on making everything as normal as possible. Even when the ring bell sounds at the SSE Arena there will be a big contrast to the surroundings compared to  Saudi Arabia.

Joshua beat Ruiz Jr in a rematch last December at a 15,000-seater purpose-built arena and despite that number being small compared to some of the crowds he has fought in front of, the attendance will be even fewer on Saturday.

He insisted: “It is nice, it is nice for the fans as well because it will be intimate.

“It will be a special occasion to witness a world heavyweight champion fight amongst 1,000 people.

“Normally there would be tens of thousands of people in an arena, but there are a lucky 1,000 people in there, so hopefully they get to enjoy it.”

Pulev has told Joshua not to worry about any potential bout with Tyson Fury in 2021 ahead of their fight. While the Bulgarian is Joshua’s next opponent, talk continues to centre around the agreement, in principle, the Olympic gold medallist has in place to fight fellow Briton Fury next year.

But Pulev told Matchroom Boxing: “I feel good, healthy and happy. I feel strong and with a lot of energy and much power. I think after this fight I am going to fight with Tyson Fury. It will be good.”

The 39-year-old conceded a ‘Battle of Britain’ between the Gypsy King and Joshua would be a good fight, but believes he is much-changed from the last time he lost out with world titles on the line.

State of the Nation: Buhari Not In Charge Says Soyinka |The Source

By
Bayo Bernard
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By Fola James

Nobel Laurette, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has disclosed that the nation is on auto-wheel as nobody seems to be in charge of the government.

He described the year 2020 as the most challenging year for many Nigerians, blaming the problems, on what he described as leadership vacuum in the country.

He also blamed both the political and religious leaders in the country for not doing enough to assuage the problems.

Soyinka, a professor of Literature, spoke at launching of his new book: “Chronicles of the happiest people on earth” said, “With the turbulence that characterises year 2020, and as activities wind down, the mood has been repugnant and very negative.

He added that, “With the turbulence that characterises year 2020, and as activities wind down, the mood has been repugnant and very negative.

“I don’t want to sound pessimistic but this is one of the most pessimistic years I have known in this nation and it wasn’t just because of COVID-19, no.

“Natural disasters had happened elsewhere but how have you managed to take such in their strides?

“Was calamity as a result of human negligence or as a result of malignant activities when people find themselves under the control of other beings which I am afraid what most Nigerians find themselves in, it is like you don’t know from where the blow would descend.

“That is not the way a nation should be and that is not the way the citizens should exist.

“Situation has reached a point where you are not very sure of where you are going and where you will end it. As I had said before, you don’t believe, in many instances, that anybody is in charge.

“That, really, it is a parlous condition for any nation. So, I am afraid it has not been a very good year for me generally.”

Ghana Election: How President Nana Akufo Addo Won Re-Election, Defeats John Mahama Again |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Nana Akufo-Addo

By Akinwale Kasali

At close to 80 years of age, no one ever thought Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo Addo would be reelected Ghanaian President.

Former President, John Mahama, who threw in the hat for the Presidential Election had thought his clout and antecedents at the saddle would see him return to the  Presidential Villa.But he lost again to the incumbent.

Akufo-Addo won re-election with 51.59 per cent of the vote on Wednesday. But  deadly violence erupted followed the victory, pushing the West African country into a state of crisis.

The results follow a contentious poll that both candidates had said they were leading based on their camps’ tallies.

Five people were said to have been killed in election violence since Monday, police said, marring what electoral observers said was a well-organised vote.

The Ghanaian Police Service said it recorded more than 60 incidents at Monday’s vote, in which President Nana Akufo-Addo ran for re-election against his main rival, former president John Mahama, and 10 other candidates.

“Twenty-one of the incidents are true cases of electoral violence, six of which involve gunshots resulting in the death of five,” it said.

Independent observers this week congratulated Ghana for conducting largely peaceful polls, in line with its reputation as one of West Africa’s most stable democracies.

But tension arose as Mahama’s camp said  tallies showed  its candidate in the lead.

“There were issues on election day about the procedure of voting, then immediately after the voting there were complaints about the way the result were being sorted out,” Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, reporting from  Accra, said.

“What we are hearing right now is that in the city of Tamale there has been protests going on by the opposition party claiming there were some irregularities and attempts to subvert  the will of people.

“We understand there has been an incident at the headquarters of the electoral commission, and we have seen in the last few minutes or so that the military police and other paramilitary organisation are ensuring that there is no breakdown of law and order.

Ekiti APC Exco Meets, Thumps Up NEC Over Dissolution |The Source

By
Ayodele Oni
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APC Party
APC Party

By Ayodele Oni

Members of the dissolved executive of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Ekiti state from wards to state levels have passed vote of confidence on the national caretaker committee of the party led by Governor Bala Muni of Yobe state.

The party Chieftains met at the party secretariat in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday and expressed satisfaction with the efforts of Governor Bala led national caretaker committee to reposition the party.

This was contained in a statement issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the party’s director of publicity, Elder Sam Oluwalana.

Members of the dissolved exco that have now transformed to caretaker members accros all levels, endorsed all the decisions taken by the APC NEC yesterday.

These include the dissolution of Ward, State, Zonal and National Excos and the transition of these officials to caretaker members.

They also endorsed the extension of the tenure till June next year, of the National Exco led by Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Bala Muni and that of the wards, states and Zonal Executives.

The meeting, which has in attendance, the state executive members led by its Chairman, Barrister Paul Omotosho and all the wards Chairmen, also expressed its support for the party’s NEC and urged the Caretaker Exco to forge ahead in its efforts to reorganize and reposition the party for future.

The new caretaker members expressed the hope that with the new developments, APC will now wax stronger and better placed to face future challenges.

It expressed the hope that the national caretaker will at the end of the day produce a formidable executives at all levels that will enjoy the confidence of members.

Buhari Blames Gaddafi’s Killing For Insecurity; Slams CNN, BBC |The Source

By
Uche Mbah
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By Uche Mbah

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, blamed the insecurity in the the West African Region, which spread, badly, to Nigeria on the crisis in Libya, which resulted in the horrendous murder of its President, Muammar Gaddafi. Its result, he said, was the movement of arms across the borders.

Buhari also says he is “thinking very hard” about the menace that has become kidnapping, promising to support the Military to route out the kidnappers and bandits from their hideouts.

He spoke at a meeting with Governors  from the 36 states of the Federation  Tuesday.

“We are thinking very hard on the issue of kidnapping. We will make it possible for the military to get to the bandits and kidnappers and eliminate them,” adding that the closure of land borders was geared towards the fight against banditry and the smuggling of drugs and guns. According to him, the Military will get the support they need.

Critics have slammed  Buhari’s Government for closing Southern Borders, and leaving the North open. Bandits come from the Northern borders, they reasoned.

He, surprisingly, gave his administration thumbs up for  containing insecurity, the suprise being that the impression is that insecurity has since worsened in Nigeria, and has reached an unprecedented level

But the President said: “Now that the message has sunk in with our neighbors, we are looking into reopening the borders as soon as possible,” the President said.

Continuing, hr said, “I am not going to the public to speak about the vehicles and equipment we have ordered. What I can say is that the military received armored cars and other equipment. More of such equipment, including military aircraft, will come in.”

“The sub-region is no longer safe, more so with the collapse of the former Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi’s regime and the cross border movement of weapons and criminals.

“Governors must work with traditional rulers. Try and work with traditional rulers to boost intelligence gathering.”

Buhari then told the Governors  that his administration had performed creditably well in the North East and South-South, but that the The South-South situation was still worrisome.

“Every day I get situation reports about illegal refineries and the blowing up of pipelines. You must stop local rogues from sabotaging oil installations.”

“We do not stop anyone from demonstrating, but you don’t set up roadblocks and smashing windscreens. Which government will allow that?”

President Buhari  took a swipe at CNN and BBC, for not talking of the number of policemen killed, police stations razed, and the prisons that were thrown open for inmates to escape during the #endsars protests. He said no responsible government can allow anything like #endsars to happen. “Democracy does not mean confusion or lack of accountability,” he said.

“I was disgusted by the coverage, which did not give attention to the policemen that were killed, the stations that were burnt, and prisons that were opened. (They said we are all at fault. We don’t have the sympathy of anyone. We are on our own).”

On the eight-month-long strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the President blamed lecturers for not taking into consideration the larger challenges facing the country.

“Government conceded something. The problem is that they refused to look at the problem of the whole country. The Minister of Labour is working hard at it. It is amazing how ASUU will stay out of classrooms for so long. There’s a need for our elites to understand the challenges facing the country.”

Insecurity: Arewa Consultative Forum Says Security Situation In North Depressing |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali

The Area Consultative Forum, ACF, has described as appalling, the security situation in the country, especially in the North.

The Group said that the neglect of human capital development and other activities capable of facilitating growth in the North,  has contributed to the woes and pathetic situation of things in the region, and  plunged the region into an unprecedented backwardness in development.

ACF Chairman, and former Minister for Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, decried  this level of insecurity in the region when the Group visited Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State.

Ogbeh led the delegation to Maiduguri, Borno State Capital, to meet with the Governor and condole with him over the killing of over 43 farmers by Boko Haram insurgents in Zabarmari community of the state.

The former minister said politics is the only thriving industry in the region, adding that youths in the region have resorted to violence in other to earn a living.

“We are depressed, very depressed. And anyone of us, of our age, who was not depressed, he was not well-born. Because we have nothing to leave behind for our children, and violence will not sustain us,” a statement on Monday quoted Ogbeh as saying.

“The tragedy of the north today is that the only industry left is politics, and politics alone has never grown any society”

Ogbeh bemoaned the deterioration of the agricultural industry in the region, saying that the region needs to re-grow and find ways out of the current quagmire.

He also unveiled the forum’s plan to revive the region’s economy, saying it will commence a programme geared towards “developing small-scale agro-industries across the north.”

“We have to re-grow Borno state, we have to re-grow the north, we have to re-grow Nigeria. We have no industries, agriculture has declined and our own children have now turned to violence as a means of livelihood.

“Your Excellency, in ACF we have decided that we will not talk too much politics, we decided to focus on something else, we are going to start a program of developing small-scale agro-industries across the north.”

On his part, Governor Zulum thanked the forum for commiserating with him and the State  over the killings.

The Governor  asked the Federal  Government  to find lasting solutions to the insurgency in the north-east.

Adams Says Why It Is Impossible To Forgive Obasanjo; Advocates Four Levels Of Police |The Source

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali

The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland Gani Adams has revealed why he cannot forgive former President, Olusegun  Obasanjo.

The Yoruba Generalissimo stressed  that if he made any attempt to forgive or reconcile with  Obasanjo, his (Adams) guardian angel would never forgive him.

Adams said Obasanjo has continuously cast aspersion on his character, maligning him and ridiculing him all the time.

Recently, the Media had carried the story that  the former President and the Aare Onakakanfo  had reconciled their 15-year-old feud at Pa Ayo Adebanjo’s residence in Lagos. But Obasanjo dismissed the reconciliation story saying he had no quarrel with Adams to warrant reconciliation.

According to Obasanjo, “It is true that I pai­d a personal visit to­ Chief Ayo Adebanjo a­t his residence in Le­kki Phase 1 on Decemb­er 2, 2020 and I met Gani Adams there.

“I have no quarrel wit­h Gani Adams, but for­ his past way of life­ which was not in acc­ord with my standards­ and principles.

“I h­ave, in the past, both­ in government and ou­t of government, refu­sed to grant Gani’s r­equest to visit me”, Obasanjo stated.

However, reacting to Obasanjo’s remarks, Aare Adams said it was necessary for him to respond to the former president,  categorically stating  that he could not forgive Obasanjo.

Adams also expressed his worry over the state of insecurity in the country saying the only way to address the state of insecurity is for the nation to be restructured.

“When we restructure our security, we can have four levels of police. We can have the federal, regional, state and local government police.”

Guns Shots Boom As Ondo Governorship Election Tribunal Begins Sitting |The Source

By
The Source
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High Court, Akure

By Ayodele Oni

The atmosphere at the High Court premises in Akure, Ondo State was charged, and tension high, as the Election Petition Tribunal commenced sitting over the petition filed by Mr Eyitayo Jegede, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in October Governorship election.

This was due to a clash between supporters of the PDP and ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), during which a driver to one of  of Jegede’s Counsels was stabbed by suspected thugs of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW) allegedly working for the APC.

The State  PDP Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei, in a statement said Governor Rotimi Akeredolu  ”mobilized large number of thugs to the venue of Ondo Gubernatorial Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

“At the hearing this morning, Tuesday, APC thugs under the leadership of one “Chemical” bombarded the venue, harassing, molesting, beating up, shooting sporadically into the air and attacking anyone perceived to be supporter of the PDP and its Candidate, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, SAN.

“Mr. Sunday Oladunmoye is still receiving treatment from machete cut wounds he sustained from this group of thugs. They were parading the vicinity of the Court in a tinted Toyota Corolla car. Others were members of the Taxi Unit of National Union of Road Transport Workers ((NURTW) with instructions from their master Jacob Adebo (Idajo) to cause pandemonium during the sitting.

“As early as 8.30a.m this morning, the Petitioners, Eyitayo Jegede and the PDP represented by its State Chairman, Alhaji Fatai Adams, led other PDP leaders to the Court. But shortly thereafter, the APC thugs caused so much panic and confusion within the arena. It took the combined efforts of the Army and Policemen to restore order.

“The PDP wishes to call on security agencies to live up to this fresh threat to law and order in the State. Resorting to violence will not deter the PDP and its candidate from pursuing this Petition to its conclusive end.

Neither can this act of barbarism scare the Judges from the course of Justice.”

However, the APC claimed that the allegation by the opposition PDP was unreasonable as neither the Governor  nor the party has any cause to engage thugs.

A statement by Alex Jalejaye, APC Publicity Secretary, states that “contrary to the unreasonable desperation of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to smear the image of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, and its candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, the ruling party has no reason to mobilise thugs to the venue of the governorship tribunal, sitting in Akure.

“The APC in Ondo State parades unequalled disposition to peaceful conducts and approaches to issues, and therefore would not promote nor condone thuggery for whatever gains. “Like other stakeholders in the election petition tribunal, APC stalwarts, in their most decent and dignified manners arrived early today at the court, to listen to the proceedings.

“We learnt, with dismay avoidable rowdiness among people that were struggling to enter the court premises. To the best of our knowledge, the desperation gave room for clash.

“We are of the strong opinion that political parties and other stakeholders should caution their sympathisers against unruly display throughout the legal process, rather than holding APC responsible for such indecent and aggressive attitude.

“We wish to affirm our confidence in the tribunal to dispense justice, and would therefore have no reason to encourage violent disposition, under whatever guise.

“At the end of the legal exercise, the tribunal’s decision would be informed by convictions, based on facts, and not on account of thuggery and violent displays.”

Ondo UNIMED VC Applauds NUC For Regulatory Roles |The Source

By
Ayodele Oni
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Prof Adesegun Fatusi

By Ayodele Oni

The Vice-Chancellor, University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED),  Ondo, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi, has said the University is committed to bridging key gaps in the national health professions.

Speaking at the resource verification exercise of the National Universities Commission (NUC), the VC applauded the NUC as a reliable partner.

The exercise was to ascertain the level of preparedness of the management to commence newly introduced programmes in the institution.

Prof. Fatusi, in a welcome address, described the NUC and other regulatory bodies as partners in the development of quality medical education, hence the need to maintain transparency during the exercise.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer, Temitope Oluwatayo, explained that the VC pointed out that the University was poised to become a one-stop-shop for comprehensive medical education.

“Thus, the introduction of new programmes such as Audiology, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Prosthetics and Orthotics leading to the establishment of the Faculty of Medical Rehabilitation, the first in Nigeria.”

The NUC representative, Mr. Patrick Ukah said the resource verification teams are out to give needed support to the new departments and ensure quality right from the onset.

The exercise covers five programmes, namely Environmental Health, Nutrition and Dietetics, Prosthetics and Orthotics, Community Health and Science Laboratory Technology.

Ekiti CJ Frees 34 Inmates Of Correctional Centre |The Source

By
Ayodele Oni
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Justice Ayodeji Daramola

By Ayodele Oni

The Chief Judge of Ekiti state, Justice Ayodeji Daramola has granted pardon to 34 inmates in Ado Ekiti Correctional  Centre  as part of moves to decongest the over-populated correctional centre.

The freed 34 inmates were part of the 386, whose cases were reviewed during the CJ’s visit to the correctional centre in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday.

27 inmates, including a female, were set free unconditionally, while seven were granted bail on liberal terms.

Justice Daramola, in his admonition to the freed inmates, charged them “to learn from past mistakes and go into the world with determination to redirect  psyches and do what is right by refraining from crime and criminality”.

He eulogised the Correctional Officers for keeping the inmates healthy, as well as maintaining hygienic environment to prevent untimely death and high morbid rate among inmates.

The CJ berated prosecuting system in Nigeria which he described as falling short of international best practices, saying this has contributed immensely to prison congestion in the country.

“I admonish you to be of good behaviour as the long hand of the law is awaiting any erring citizen”.

Justice Daramola , however, gave financial help to one of the pardoned inmates, who could not return home for lack of money.

The Comptroller of the centre, Mr Alimi Abdul Rasheed, applauded the Chief Judge for the gesture, describing his visit as worthwhile and remarkable.

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