WELCOME TO AOP'S BLOG

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane says Gareth Bale had permission to travel to London earlier this week for “personal reasons”. Bale was spotted in the English capital on Monday, leading to several reports that he was holding transfer talks with his agent about a potential move to China. However, Zidane says the Welshman - who is currently injured - was allowed to go to England to deal with a personal issue. "He spoke directly with the club because he had personal reasons and he's entitled to do it," Zidane said. "I can't say what's going on. Every player has the right to keep personal, that's all. So two things - it was personal and he got permission from the club. "There's not a story to tell. He went to London because he's not available, but he never said that he wants to leave the club. He's here and if he can train he does it, and if he can play he does it." Bale hasn't featured for Real since sustaining an inj

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed Paul Pogba is unlikely to be fit for selection again until December. The 26-year-old has been sidelined with an ankle injury since September 30 and has made just six appearances for the club this season after being heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid over the summer. Having spent the recent international break in Dubai to aid his recovery, Pogba still faces up to another month on the sidelines according to his coach. "I don't think we will see him before December. He'll be out for a while," Solskjaer said following United's 3-1 win over Norwich on Sunday. "He needs time to fully, fully recover so I don't think he will be back [until] maybe Sheffield United after the international break. It will probably be December until we can see him. "Well, I am not the doctor but there is an injury there that needs healing. It's his ankle, yes. "There’s no use talking about

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have received a petition "into the appearance of Bullion Vans in the compound of a private citizen , Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the eve of 2019 Presidenti elections" by Com. Deji Adeyanju. In the petition written by Com. Adeyanju, he stated how it contradicts to the law and also demanded answers to his proferred questions.

Nigeria @59: Advocate Chidera Iguh to Nigeria After the night, comes the morning! After the weeping, comes the laughter! After the sadness, comes the joy! After the failures, comes the success! After the shame, the Glory will show! Have you given up on Nigeria? I have news for you . The light will still shine Watch out for the next millennial of this Nation! But why are our own future women failing? Failing at every bucket of ice cream Never wanting to dare their nice dreams. Why is the zeal of the Nigerian girl waxing cold? The Nigerian girl is a jewel that the nation needs to start wearing to bring out her full beauty The Nigerian girl is an untapped potential, she is the dream of a better Nigeria. She is our future Iweala, she is our next Ezekweseli; She is the Akunyili to emerge! Ohh! The Nigerian girl is an epitome of beauty plus brain. She is a symbol of progress and excellence. In her, you find treasuries that are yet to be polished! That Nigerian girl, needs our love. She needs

The early hours of today, the popular Nigerian Singer David Adeleke aka Davido welcome a baby. The baby was given birth by his most loved Chioma which he actually sang for on one of his album. The Chioma crooner is also grateful to God for the safe delivery of his son.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has confirmed the postponement of the Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid due to concerns over political instability in Catalunya. Tensions in the region have been inflamed by a controversial court decision jailing several leading members of the Catalan independence movement for their role in organising a referendum on the subject in 2017. As of Thursday, the streets of Barcelona and surrounding areas had been hit by four consecutive days of violent clashes between protesters and security forces. And a massive rally is planned for the city of Barcelona on October 26 - the same day that the Blaugrana were scheduled to host their arch-rivals at Camp Nou. Several options were considered by the RFEF amid fears conditions would be unsuitable for the showpiece game, including the possibility of changing the venue to Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu home. Both sides, however, dismissed that notion in notes sent to Spanish football&

Former Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has attempted to pour cold water on reports he could be in line to become Manchester United's next manager.With the Red Devils making their worst-ever start to a Premier League season, pressure is beginning to mount on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Allegri's name quickly thrown into the frame as a possible replacement. The Italian, who is currently without a job after leaving Juve, claims his English skills are not yet up to scratch for a job at Old Trafford. "I don't speak English enough yet, but I'm learning," Allegri joked while speaking at the Football Coaches Association symposium via Przeglad Sportowy. While eager to improve his English, Allegri went on to highlight that he is a coach that listens more than he speaks as he underlined how he was able to succeed at Juventus.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that Paul Pogba and David de Gea will miss Manchester United's match against Liverpool on Sunday through injury. De Gea limped off during Spain's Euro 2020 qualifier against Sweden on Tuesday with an abductor problem. Pogba, meanwhile, has missed five of United's past matches due to an ankle injury. The France international missed out on international duty in the recently completed window, heading to Dubai to work on his recovery. However, the clash against Jurgen Klopp's unblemished Liverpool side will come too soon for both players as United look to recover from a difficult start to the season. "David needs a scan," Solskjaer told Sky Sports of his Spanish goalkeeper. "I think he'll be out. It certainly looked like it anyway judging on last night so it's just one of those things. In De Gea's place, Sergio Romero will make his first Premier League appearance of the season having previously playe

Political protests and the chaos that has ensued across Catalonia had threatened to force the switch of venue for the first Clasico of the season, yet both Barcelona and Real Madrid have rejected the proposal out of hand. LaLiga made the request to the RFEF on Wednesday morning after images appeared on news stations on Tuesday evening of fires breaking out across the region, yet neither club believes the move is necessary. Barcelona believes the match must be played at the Camp Nou, whilst Real Madrid are of the opinion that if there are such security risks then the match should be postponed entirely rather than merely moved. LaLiga's request came somewhat out of the blue, with all parties involved in the match surprised by the news, even though Los Blancos are concerned about the political situation surrounding an already high-risk fixture. Real Madrid believe that the fixture calendar established in June should be adhered to in order to avoid altering the fairness of t

President Muhammadu Buhari has reduced the number and duration of foreign trips for ministers and other categories of government officials in a move described as ‘cost-saving measure’ to achieve fiscal prudence. In a statement by the Director of Information at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, the President also removed travel allowances known as estacode; while also cutting down on the number of persons permitted to travel with ministers and other government employees for official trips. Buhari however, approved the use of business class for ministers and economy class for lower categories of government officials. Approval for such trips must be sought through the office of the SGF or Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. The statement reads, “In a bid to curb leakages and ensure efficiency in the management of resources of government, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved for immediate implementation, additional cost s

President Muhammadu Buhari has signed five bills passed by the 8th National Assembly into law. Mr. Umar Yakubu, Buhari's Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives) made the announcement at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja. NAN reports that Yakubu said the Acts was to ensure good governance in the country. The bills include the Obafemi Awolowo University Transitional Amendment Act, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi Amendment Act, the University of Maiduguri Amendment Act, the National Fertiliser Quality Control Act and the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology Establishment Act. He said that the University Acts specified minimum qualifications for the Chairmen of the Governing Councils, which is university degree or its equivalent. Yakubu said that the Acts stipulated that the persons must be physically fit and be able to chair activities of the councils.

Barcelona attacker Lionel Messi has been presented with the European Golden Shoe after ending the 2018-19 season as the leading marksman on the continent. He won the race by scoring 36 times in 34 outings for the Camp Nou side last season as they regained their Primera Division trophy, with the 32-year-old once again their star performer. It was the sixth occasion he has won the award and marked nine years after he first lifted the prize by scoring 34 goals during the 2009-10 campaign. Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain was the only player to push the South American close in the race, with the young French superstar having netted on 33 occasions for the Ligue 1 champions. Completing the top three was Fabio Quagliarella of Sampdoria, who found the net 26 times to finish as Serie A's leading scorer. Three players have dominated the Golden Shoe over the course of the last decade, with the usual suspects of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo joined by two-time winner Luis S

Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira has revealed that he would one day love to return to the Emirates Stadium to coach his former team. The ex-France midfielder was a lynchpin of the Gunners team that lifted the Premier League title in 2003-04 as the 'Invincibles', having negotiated the duration of the campaign undefeated. He has since graduated to management, earning his spurs at Manchester City before taking the head coach role at New York City before moving to Nice in Ligue 1 in the summer of 2018. Vieira impressed last term on the Cote d’Azur as he put together a competitive side that narrowly missed out on Europe, despite limited resources and, with more money to spend this summer, appears to have constructed a unit capable of making a similar push. But while he says he can attain his aspirations at the Allianz Riviera, he would one day love to return to England to put his mind on the greatest stage. “Yes, like any player, when we do this job we want to reach the ve

The federal government has said it will spend about N450 billion next year on fuel subsidy. This is despite the commitment by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to rehabilitate the country's four refineries to stop importation of petroleum products. A former NNPC chief and ex-petroleum minister, Ibe Kachikwu, had also pledged that Nigeria would end petrol importation by 2019. Mr Kachikwu was one of the ministers not reappointed by President Muhammadu Buhari when he named his new cabinet after his reelection. The Minister for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, announced the subsidy amount in Abuja at the public presentation of the 2020 budget details. She said a provision of N450 billion has been made for 'under-recovery' of cost in respect of the importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, on Monday, said Nigeria was producing enough food to feed itself and send to neighbouring countries. He described the cry by some Nigerians of hunger in the land as laughable, insisting that there was no hunger in Nigeria. The minister, who spoke at a press briefing to mark the 2019 World Food Day in Abuja, said, "I think we are producing enough to feed ourselves. I think there is no hunger in Nigeria; there could be inconveniences. When people talk about hunger in this government, I just laugh." According to Nanono, food is very cheap in Nigeria compared to other countries.

The Amnesty International has launched a report chronicling attacks on the press in Nigeria since 2015. The report, launched in Abuja on Monday, said at least 19 journalists and media practitioners have been attacked in Nigeria between January and September 2019, the highest since 2015. Six journalists, including bloggers, were arrested in 2018, while four were arrested in 2017, according to the report. The report says 16 journalists were arrested in 2016. Five were arrested in 2015. Eight media houses, including Premium Times, have been raided or harassed since 2015, while three journalists have gone into hiding, the report said.

First Lady Aisha Buhari returned to Nigeria from the UK at about 5am on Sunday, October 13, 2019, looking as tanned, happy and colorful as ever. She arrived shortly after rumour mongers took to the social media space with tales that President Muhammadu Buhari had concluded plans to marry a second wife at the Aso Rock Mosque. According to the tales, Buhari was all set to marry his Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq on Friday, October 11, 2019. Stories of an imminent presidential wedding turned out to be false. However, in the hours leading to the rumoured wedding, a video emerged of a lady screaming herself hoarse in a furnished apartment. This lady’s face was cut off in the footage, so it was doubly difficult making out who she was, even though the posters made it clear the screaming, angry lady was Aisha Buhari. From the footage, the furious lady was saying to no one in particular in an admixture of English a

Luxury Rental Benelux, a car rental company based in Germany claims a Lamborghini car belonging to a friend has been stolen. The car rental company posted on Instagram via its handle, luxuryrentalbenelux, that the car was rented in June in Zurich, Switzerland. According to Luxury Rental Benelux, the exotic car which has been located in has a Nigerian number plate customised with the name, "Chosen 1". , luxuryrentalbenelux wrote on Instagram "This are pictures of the car seen in Accra, Ghana and the person has no embarrassment and put on the car "choosen1? "Chosen one to steal car from my friend's company ?? 10000 euro reward who can help show the car. Please, Dm with Information. How you steal car with Ghana passport and send to Ghana ?? Stupid criminal!!!

The prestigious Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 will be awarded to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali of Ethiopia, the Nobel Committee announced on Friday. Mr. Ali has been selected for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular, for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea, a statement from the Committee said. The prize is also meant to recognise all the stakeholders working for peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia and in the East and Northeast African regions. "When Prime Minister Abiy reached out his hand, President Afwerki grasped it, and helped to formalise the peace process between the two countries," the statement said. Ethiopia is a country of many different languages and peoples. Lately, old ethnic rivalries have flared up. According to international observers, up to three million Ethiopians may be internally displaced. That is in addition to the million or so refugees and asylum seekers from n

Aisha Buhari is allegedly back, but the Aso Rock cabals locked her up in her room. She fumes angrily and speaks Hausa mostly with less of English. "Despite over 200 soldiers and 200 police, security personnel guarding the villa" she said angrily through a video.

Rumors has been in the air especially on social media that the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari is state to take in another wife who is Haji Sadiya Umar Faruq, a female minister and he is ready to dump Aisha Buhari. The rumors which has been in circulation said the the wedding is to take place today at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. But there has not been a formal evidence or press release as to this from his media aid , Femi Adesina, as for now it remained unconfirmed.

The Oyo state Government led by Seyi Makinde is ready to revisit the development of farm estates development in Akufor Eruwa in Oke-Ogun, Oyo state. The bill which has been approved by the state House of Assembly. He therefore tagged this as another victory for his administration which the people of Oyo state are now enjoying. "Today, we recorded another victory for our people as the Oyo State House of Assembly approved immediate access to N7.6B meant for the development of farm estates in Akufo and Eruwa farm settlements in Oyo State." Seyi Makinde said this through his official Twitter handle yesterday.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday has said that he is suffering from cold. He, however, attributed his ailment to his hard work as the President of the country. Buhari disclosed this while presenting the 2020 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja. Immediately after observing protocols and before presenting the details of the bill, the President apologised for his voice. He said, “Before I proceed to read the details of the budget, let me apologise for my voice. “As you can hear in my voice, I have cold because I am working hard.” The comment attracted loud laughter and applause from all those inside the chamber, including the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, federal lawmakers, state governors, members of the Federal Executive Council and leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress, among others. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, ho

Liverpool defender Joel Matip pipped Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal), Callum Wilson (Bournemouth), Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City) and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez to the award following an online vote. Matip featured in all 3 of the Reds’ top-flight fixtures during September (Newcastle, Chelsea & Sheffield) and was instrumental in the Reds maintaining their 100% start. Matip hasn’t featured since the start of October, sidelined with an injury sustained in the 1-0 victory over Sheffield United on September 28. He should be back to face rivals, Manchester United when the Premier League returns after the international break.

Tottenham goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris is expected to sit out the rest of 2019 with a dislocated elbow. The only silver lining in the situation is that the Frenchman doesn't require surgery. Lloris was injured during Spurs' 3-0 defeat at Brighton during Matchday 9. He fell awkwardly as he failed to hold a third-minute cross from Pascal Gross and Neal Maupay nodded in the opening goal. "Although surgery will not be required, our club captain has suffered ligament damage," Spurs said in a statement."He is not expected to return to training before the end of 2019. Hugo is currently in a brace and will now undergo a period of rest and rehabilitation."

Bastian Schweinsteiger has announced his retirement from professional football, with the former Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Chicago Fire star hanging up his boots at the age of 35. The World Cup winner has spent the last three years turning out in MLS after taking in a brief spell with the Red Devils at Old Trafford prior to his move to Chicago. He was considered to be quite a coup when United secured his signature, but a spell in England did not play out as planned. In a post on social media, Schweinsteiger said: “Dear fans, the time has now come, and I will be finishing my active career at the end of this season. I would like to thank both you, my teams FC Bayern, Manchester United, Chicago Fire and the German national team. You made this unbelievable time possible for me! “Saying goodbye as an active player makes me feel a little nostalgic, but I am also looking forward to the exciting challenges that await me soon. I will remain faithful to football. Many, ma

The BBC Africa Eye has released a year-long investigation documenting the sexual harassment behaviour of some lecturers at the University of Lagos and the University of Ghana. In the 13-minute video released by the media house on Monday, Dr Boniface Igbenuhue, a lecturer of the Faculty of Arts in Unilag, the current sub-dean and the head pastor of Four Square Church, was heard in one of the discreetly recorded videos telling an undercover reporter who had disguised as a 17-year-old admission seeker to switch off the light so he could kiss her. “Switch off that light, I'll kiss you for a minute,” he said. Boniface quizzed the undercover journalist about her age and sexual life, things that are totally out of the purview of an academic mentor. “Everything that we discussed here, be assured that your mother will not hear and anything that happens between me and you, nobody will hear about it,” Boniface told the young undercover journalist. According to the documentar

Pep Guardiola admitted his Manchester City players were “nervous” as they were beaten by Wolves at the Etihad Stadium thanks to two goals from a former Barcelona player, Adama Traoré. “It was a bad day, sometimes it happens,” Guardiola said. “We started quite well and after we conceded two situations in our buildup where it’s impossible to defend, we got a little bit nervous. We controlled them better in the second half but at the end with us attacking and people up front, we lost balls in positions [where] it is so difficult and they were clinical. Before that we hit the post but the way we played was not good. It was not a good day.” Pressed as to why City were nervous, Guardiola added: “It sometimes happens. We spoke about this: ‘Come on guys, a lot of games [still] to play, we did it [last season] and we’re going to do it again.’ We lost to a good team that were really well-organised, good physicality, strong in the air and so fast on the counterattack. We knew it.” He add

Mercy has won the 4th edition of the Big Brother Naija (BBN). The show which is a yearly TV reality show involved 26 house mates, the live eviction show always come up every Sunday in other to keep other mates inside the house. The show runs for 99 days. Mercy becomes the first female to win the live show. She win with the most vote of 41.77%

Nigerian singer and songwriter,  C obhams Asuquo  has released his highly anticipated single titled, “ More Than Pretty “. The new record serves as his first official single of the year following his previously heard tune tagged, “ Starlight “.

By Yunus Yusuf The President, Nigerian Gas Association (NGA), Mrs Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, says gas production remains the key to unlocking Nigeria’s economic potentials. Joe-Ezigbo made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos while appraising the performance of the oil and gas industry as Nigeria marks her 59th Independence Anniversary. The president said using gas to unlock potentials would make the country overcome many economic challenges. Joe-Ezigbo, said the oil and gas industry had helped to raise living standards and support sustainable economic growth and diversification. “The gas industry in Nigeria has come into its own. There was a time when gas was not recognised for its own merit as a critical resource for industrial development. “It was rather seen as a nuisance bye-product of crude oil. “Today, under the ambit of a dedicated National Gas Policy as was passed in June 2017, Gas is recognised fully as an indepen

President Muhammadu Buhari departs Abuja on Wednesday on a three-day visit to the Republic of South Africa. The visit first announced several months ago followed an invitation by President Cyril Ramaphosa, to discuss the welfare of Nigerians and find common grounds for building harmonious relations with their hosts. The visit comes against the background of recent xenophobic attacks, the evacuation of hundreds of Nigerians and the exchange of visits by special envoys of the two leaders. While in South Africa, the Nigerian leader will hold a town hall meeting with Nigerians living in the country, with a view to sharing in their experiences and reassuring them of Nigeria’s government commitment to working for the protection of their lives and property and promoting peaceful co-existence. President Buhari and his host will preside over the South Africa/Nigeria Bi-National Commission, during which a progress report will be presented. At the end of the meeting, both leader

The Police Command in Enugu State has arrested 15 suspected criminals for their alleged involvement in various crimes in the state and across the country. The Command also within three weeks recovered four locally-made guns, four live cartridges, 13 handsets, three vehicles, one tricycle and an English Sword from suspects. Presenting the suspects in Enugu on Tuesday to newsmen, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Ahmad Abdurrahman, said arrest of the suspects followed intelligence information and collaboration with other security agencies. Abdurrahman noted that the command made the arrest within three weeks in various locations within and outside the state. He said that within the period under review, the command through painstaking intelligence was able to bust a 7-man armed robbery gang network in the country. “This group, whose members were arrested in Lagos, Port Harcourt, FCT, Aba and Enugu, has been terrorising and snatching vehicles all along within the state

As Nigeria celebrates 59th Independence anniversary, an indigenous company says  it is intensifying efforts to begin assembling of solar cars by 2020. Mr Moses Onaja, Chief Executive Officer, Sun Energy Community Development Initiative (SECODI), made the disclosure on Tuesday during an exhibition of solar products  in Ibadan. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exhibition was aimed at inspiring Nigerians to have access to renewable and clean energy which is environmental friendly. “We want to promote the use of renewable energy products in Nigeria to promote a clean and healthy environment. “What we want to do now is to start assembling  solar cars in Nigeria. Let it not just be in China. “By the special grace of God, we want to see how we can work with the government to ensure that;  we are hoping that in 2020 we should have the assembly point here,” he said. Onaja said that the company  discovered that some  people died from diseases caused by fossil

For the second time, the U.S. Town of Hempstead  honoured Nigeria by hoisting the nation’s flag in commemoration of its 59th Independence anniversary. The flag-raising ceremony, held at the premises of the Hempstead Town Hall, was organised by the city council in collaboration with the Nigerian community. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that it followed the first one held on Oct. 1, 2018 at the same venue. In attendance were members of the Nigerian community and officials of the Nigerian consulate in New York led by the Consul General (CG), Mr Benaoyagha Okoyen. Joining them in the celebration were senior local officials, including the Mayor of the Incorporated Village of Hempstead, Mr Don Ryan, and the Senior Councilwoman, Dorothy Goosby, who anchored the ceremony. Friends of Nigeria from other African countries and in the U.S. were also present to identify with the celebrants. The day began with Goosby reading a brief profile of Nigeria, followed by tradit