Author: Press Room

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has said his team will face Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday in honour of club doctor Carles Minarro, who passed away on Saturday. The Catalan giants hold a 1-0 lead in their last-16 tie from the first leg in Lisbon ahead of the clash at the Olympic Stadium. Barcelona’s La Liga match against Osasuna on Saturday was postponed just 20 minutes before kick-off following the 53-year-old doctor’s death earlier that afternoon. “It’s a huge loss. Carles was a really great person but also a great doctor, and the combination of Ricard (Pruna, another club…

Agency The National Agency for the Control of AIDS has described information in sections of the media regarding the withdrawal of subsidy for antiretroviral drugs as false. Director-General, NACA, Dr Temitope Ilori, gave this affirmation in a statement on Sunday. Ilori said that the report that ARV drugs will now cost N250,000 per dose with patients required to pay N500,000 monthly, was completely false and misleading. “We want to categorically state that HIV treatment in Nigeria remains free of charge at government-approved health facilities. “We give thanks to donor agencies, including the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the…

Former England and Blackburn Rovers striker, Christopher Roy Sutton, has praised Nigeria-eligible teenager, Chido Obi-Martin for his impressive display in recent weeks, Soccernet.ng reports. The 17-year-old striker, eligible to represent Nigeria, England or Denmark, has caught the eyes of many in recent weeks, and Sutton is the latest, with the former England International likening Obi-Martin to a young Wayne Rooney. Although he’s yet to find the back of the net in the English Premier League, Chido Obi-Martin has been slowly integrated into the Manchester United first team by Ruben Amorim. A dejected Chido Obi-Martin during the Manchester United FC v…

About 22 months after he became the Abia State Governor on May 29, 2023, Dr. Alex Otti still runs his office from his private residence/country home at Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa South Council, which is about 20 kilometers from Umuahia, the state capital. Many, including some opposition political parties, have faulted him on this, citing that his predecessors had operated from the Umuahia Governor’s Office and Residence. But when asked during his regular monthly chat with journalists when he will relocate to Umuahia, the governor responded, saying that upon assumption of duty, he found the state of the Umuahia…

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted sunshine and haziness from Monday to Wednesday across the country. NiMet’s weather outlook, released on Sunday in Abuja, forecasts sunny and hazy skies over the northern region throughout the period. According to NiMet, in the North Central region, sunny skies with patches of clouds are expected during the morning hours. “Later in the day, there are slim chances of isolated thunderstorms (with or without rain) over parts of Kogi, the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Niger, and Kwara States during the afternoon/evening hours.” In the southern region, NiMet anticipated cloudy skies with spells…

NOW The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approved April 12 for the party’s earlier postponed South-South zonal congress. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, stated this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja. Ologunagba said that NWC also approved the shifting of the South-West and North-Central zonal congresses… 1 day ago Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has invited the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule for a crucial meeting, signaling a potential resolution to the ongoing political crisis in the state. The invitation, conveyed in a letter signed by the…

Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz has been ruled out for several weeks after suffering a ligament injury in his right ankle during Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to Werder Bremen. The 21-year-old, who was introduced at the start of the second half, was forced off in the 59th minute following a foul. An MRI scan conducted after the game confirmed the extent of the injury. “That was the diagnosis from an MRI scan following the game. The 21-year-old midfielder will be out of action for several weeks,” the club stated on Monday via its site. Leverkusen sporting managing director Simon Rolfes…

Nigeria’s bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is hanging by a thread as the Super Eagles prepare for must-win encounters against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in the upcoming qualifiers, Soccernet.ng reports. The Super Eagles will take on Group C leaders Rwanda at the Stade Amahoro in Kigali on March 21 before hosting Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo four days later. Why are these must-win games for Nigeria? After missing out on the 2022 World Cup, Nigeria’s hopes of making the 2026 tournament are in serious jeopardy. Nigeria Super Eagles. Photo by IMAGO The Super…

The Federal Government has adopted the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) in Ijagun, Ogun State as a Federal University. President Tinubu approved the adoption on Friday and thanked the Ogun State Government for inviting the Federal Government to take over the school, one of the state’s best educational assets. This was contained in a statement released by the Presidency on Sunday. “It is an opportunity for the Federal Government to honour Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who began the revolutionary free education programme in Western Nigeria and Dr Tai Solarin, who spent most of his life educating our children and impacting…

The Federal Government has extended the deadline for applications into the Federal Civil Service to March 17, 2025. The Federal Civil Service Commission initially announced the recruitment exercise on January 27, 2025, offering over 70 positions across various ministries, departments, and agencies. However, many citizens lamented difficulties accessing the recruitment portal, prompting widespread calls for an extension. FCSC spokesperson, Hassan Taiwo acknowledged that some applicants encountered technical issues but maintained that others could register successfully. In an advertisement published in two national dailies and shared by Taiwo on Monday, the commission announced that the new deadline supersedes the previous one,…