For a player, who according to The Guardian earns £150,000 per week in the Premier League, it is extremely strange to see him carrying around an iPhone with a broken screen guard.
According to a post on NAIJALOADED.COM, That is the story of Liverpool star Sadio Mane who was spotted carrying an iPhone with a broken screen guard before Liverpool walloped Leicester City 4-0 on Boxing day.
Mane’s annual salary of around £7.8million puts him behind Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Roberto Firmino in Liverpool’s list of highest earners.
Salah leads the way in the Reds squad of highest earners with £200,000 per week salary, followed by Firmino and centre-back Virgil van Dijk on £180,000.
But it is Senegalese’s Mane who seems to be getting everyone’s attention this season due to his humility.
‘Naija Football Fan Zone’ Fans seemed extremely shocked to see Mane walk into the King Power Stadium with a broken screen after the photo made its way to Twitter.
Former Brazil and Chelsea forward, Hulk attempts to justify his decision and claim it’s fully acceptable in a minute, but just to re-iterate, since splitting up with his wife of 12 years he’s decided to start a relationship with her niece instead.
It’s actually hard to figure out on what level it could be acceptable. Presumably, it’s perfectly legal, but it doesn’t make it any less weird.
According to a report from The Mirror, and reported by PUNCH online, Brazilian forward Hulk who currently plays for Shanghai SIPG in China, has started dating the niece of his former wife. The report does contain a quote from his representatives to say Hulk and his wife split up a few months ago so it’s fine.
It seems that the player decided to go public in an effort to show “he had nothing to hide” but it looks like everyone was about to find out so he’s tried to maintain some control of the story.
There’s so suggestion over how old the niece is, but Hulk has three children with his ex-wife so it takes on a whole new level of weird.
He was best known for his spells at Porto and Zenit, alongside having the name Hulk, but he will need to do something extra special in the last few years of his career to ensure that this isn’t what we all remember him for.
Chelsea staged a stunning late comeback to snatch victory and wreck Mikel Arteta's return to Emirates Stadium as Arsenal manager.
BBC Reports That, Arteta, taking charge of his first home game since succeeding sacked Unai Emery, looked on course for three important points after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's early header put the Gunners in front.
Chelsea, with manager Frank Lampard making a first-half tactical switch when he introduced Jorginho for the struggling Emerson, were gifted an equaliser seven minutes from time when goalkeeper Bernd Leno hopelessly misjudged Mason Mount's free-kick to leave the substitute with a simple finish.
Arsenal were doubly frustrated because Jorginho was fortunate to escape a second yellow card for a cynical foul on Lucas Torreira - but Arteta's home bow was to get even more painful.
Chelsea struck again with three minutes of normal time left, Tammy Abraham turning Arsenal substitute Shkodran Mustafi far too easily in the area to beat Leno and complete the smash-and-grab raid.
Arsenal, who lost defender Calum Chambers to injury in the first half, will start 2020 11 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and without a Premier League home win since 6 October.
It is the first time they have lost four consecutive home matches in all competitions since December 1959.
Arteta understandably looked downcast as he and his players took sympathetic applause from their fans after they were left stunned by Chelsea's late surge.
Arsenal, for the first half-hour, dominated a desperately poor Chelsea and there was much to encourage everyone inside a vibrant Emirates Stadium as the new era kicked into life.
The Gunners, however, ran out of steam towards the end of the first half as Chelsea, helped by Lampard removing Emerson and sending on Jorginho, started to dominate and continued to do so after the break.
Arsenal were resilient but were hanging on and ultimately it was a calamitous individual error and familiar defensive fragility that was to prove their undoing.
Leno's rush of blood left Jorginho with the easiest of finishes, although Arsenal certainly had a case to complain about his continued presence on the pitch after escaping that second yellow card.
And then Mustafi, on for the injured Chambers, was badly at fault when he allowed Abraham far too much time to control, turn and score the winner.
Arteta will have seen some good signs but ultimately old faults let Arsenal down. There is going to be no quick fix.
Lampard finds a way as Chelsea win
Chelsea boss Lampard clearly felt he got his team selection wrong by ditching his three-man central defence and introducing Jorginho after 34 minutes - and deserves great credit for seeing it was not working and putting it right.
It did improve Chelsea but in reality they could not get any worse in a feisty London derby which saw nine players booked.
They took complete control of possession and territory after the break, with Lampard's subsequent substitutions also having an impact.
Teenager Tariq Lamptey was a lively presence down Chelsea's right flank on his Premier League debut after replacing Fikayo Tomori while Callum Hudson-Odoi did well when he came on for Matteo Kovacic.
Lampard looked like he was going to be frustrated by Chelsea's lack of end product once more but they were given that late lifeline by Leno's dreadful error as well as the generosity of referee Craig Pawson in allowing Jorginho to stay on.
Abraham completed the comeback for a dramatic win.
There is a rollercoaster nature to this Chelsea side, as proved by their results, a home defeat by Southampton sandwiched in between wins at Tottenham and Arsenal, but they got the job done to cement their place in the Premier League's top four.
Man of the match - Jorginho (Chelsea)
Jorginho (right) might have been fortunate not to be sent off but there is no doubt Chelsea were a better team with the Italy international on the pitch
'It was very cruel' - reaction
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta: "It was very cruel the way we lost it, in the first half we saw a lot of positives and saw what we are trying to implement. But the way we conceded was disappointing.
"It was clear why it was disappointing, I don't need to say any more.
"Our reaction was right, we were doing the right things, it is hard to dominate all periods of the game against this team. We started to defend too deep and our energy levels are in a different place to Chelsea's.
"We need to sustain those periods for longer periods in the game and against top sides. Individual errors cost you games but I can't fault the effort, commitment and for putting in place what we practised."
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard: "We were so awful for 30 minutes; slow, lethargic, nervous. The opposite of against Tottenham. We gave Arsenal everything they wanted. We made the change early, felt it had to be done. Second half we dominated.
Were there words at half-time? "Possibly. From my point of view you can accept a miss-pass but you can't accept lethargy in a London derby. The players were told that and they delivered. The second half was nothing to do with tactics it was all to do with spirit and desire
Legendary Nigerian Musician was celebrating twenty years a 'king's and Global Star Wizkid surprised fans at the Concert on Saturday as he showed up for “2Baba Live” concert, less than 48 hours after he performed all-night at his sold-out Ecent.
According Online Media PM News, 2Baba Live concert was held at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The list of superstars who were expected includes Tiwa Savage, Davido, Falz, 9ice, Adekunle Gold, Skibii, BigTril, Mayorkun, Rema and Dremo, Kenny Blaq, Jeff Akoh, Sexy Steel, Wale Turner, GreyC, Attitude, Lyta and Classic.
But Wizkid was surprisingly introduced to the stage by 2Baba and was welcomed with great enthusiasm.
The Star Boy, however, dropped a heartwarming message before leaving the stage, he said “Tonight is not about Star Boy, I want you guys to know that this man right here was why I needed to make music, so that is a king. You guys should always show respect and love to the only King, TuFace Idibia 2Baba.”
Nine out of the 36 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja now have more phone lines in active use than the total population in each of the states. This is according to the 2019 Third Quarter Telecoms Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Lagos leads the pack with a population of 12,100,616 using 23,565,388 active mobile lines followed by Ogun with a population of 5,024,191 and 10,635,901 active phone lines. There is the FCT with a population of 3,130,694 and 8,114,446 phone line subscriptions and then Oyo with 7,540,300 people and 9,188,863 mobile lines in use.
Others are Edo with 4,109,499 population and 5,951,116 active mobile lines; Delta has 5,460,311 people with 5,930,227 mobile line subscription; and then Niger with 5,343,326 people and 5,633,276 active phone lines. The rest include Kwara with a population of 3,086,249 operating 3,989,916 mobile lines and Nasarawa that has 2,439,113 people with 3,720,406 active phone lines.
The telecoms data which is one of the last report to be released by the NBS in 2019 show that the total number of active voice subscription in the country rose by 2.96 percent from the Second Quarter of 2019 to hit 179,176,930 in the Third Quarter of 2019. The country however recorded 10.58 percent rise Year-on-Year from 162,032,481 active voice subscriptions in the Third Quarter of 2018.
In the state-by-state breadown, Lagos besides leading eight other states which their populations outnumber the phone lines that are in use also has the single highest number of subscribers in terms of active voice per State in Third Quarter of 2019. It is closely followed by Ogun with 10,635,901 subscribers and Kano 10,519,187 subscribers while Bayelsa with 1,305,327 and Ebonyi with 1,630,080 have the least number of subscribers in the country.
For data services, though Nigeria in the Third Quarter of 2019 recorded just a marginal 0.40 percent growth from the Second Quarter of the year, the total of 123,163,027 active subscribers represent 18.98 percent Year-on-Year from the 103,514,997 subscribers in the Third Quarter of 2018. The ranking of the states is however not any different from the statistics in the active voice service subscription.
The NBS report did not indicate any reason for the figures released but it is not far-fetched that with unreliable services, some subscribers carry multiple lines to be able to have access to their contacts at all times. This is most likely the reason why there would be more active lines especially in commercially viable states in addition to the official lines used in organisations and call or customer service centres.
Analysts however say the prevalence of telecoms services also shows the country’s growing digital economy. They explain that targeting the mobile population through their phones and online is as effective as reaching out to target audience and the publics in a given state and the country at large.
As if the Christmas day tragedy was not enough traumer for Abuja residents two days later Armed Robbers stormed a bank to worsen the state of mind of the people this festive season
Unfortunately , the robbery attempt failed as one suspect gun down by combine police and army rescue teams
One dead and four others arrested at a gun duel particularly between the police and the armed robbers during the attack on First Bank branch in Mpape, a satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement by the FCT Police command and signed by the Acting police public Relations officer Mariam Yusuf said it responded to distress call from Mpape at about 12 00hours on Saturday to foil an attempted robbery attack at a First Bank branch in Mpape.
The statement said the Police Operatives were immediately deployed to the scene and engaged in crossfire with the robbers thereby foiling the attack on the bank with the back up of the Military.
The statement added that the Commissioner of Police has ordered a discreet investigation of the incident, while reaffirming its commitment to nip crime in the bud and ensure safety of lives and property in the FCT.
The FCT Police Command used the opportunity to call on residents to remain calm as normalcy has been restored to the Mpape area.
With recent efforts to improve access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene, tackling widespread water and sanitation poverty in Nigeria requires an urgent and substantial increase in financing according to new report from WaterAid published in November 2019.
The Nigeria financing report, highlights the significant funding gap that currently exists in providing water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in the country and calls for action from the Government, donors and the private sector. In 2018, Nigeria’s Federal Government declared a state of emergency for WASH and launched a National Action Plan to revitalise the sector, following strong calls by WaterAid Nigeria and other stakeholders.
Although Nigeria has made some progress in reaching people with safely-managed drinking water services, over 150 million have been left behind. Similarly, those with access to safely-managed sanitation grew from 25% to only 27% of the population between 2000 and 2017. With open defecation still practised by over 40 million in 2019, Nigeria has a big task ahead in ensuring sustainable clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene services are accessible and available to all.
The report, based on research and analysis by DESCRIPTOR Development Initiatives, provides a new assessment of the level of financing that is required to achieve universal access to water and sanitation in Nigeria by 2030. As it stands, the financing gap is around $20 billion (about 7.2 trillion naira) of investment annually. There will need to be a significant upscaling of resourcing over the next decade if the National WASH Action Plan is going to create real results for the people of Nigeria.
Adebayo Alao, Head of WASH Service Delivery, WaterAid Nigeria, says: “Nigeria faces huge challenges over the next decade – from a growing population and power outages, to rapid urbanisation and climate change. Closing the major funding gap that exists in the provision of clean water, decent toilets and hygiene services is essential to future-proofing Nigeria and building a more equal, resilient and prosperous nation. This new report highlights ways that Governments, donors and civil society groups must act to bring about a ten-fold increase in investment and bring these basic services to everyone by 2030.”
The Nigeria financing report also highlights the need to ensure that all new investments can withstand the impacts of climate change. Without climate-resilient WASH services, climate change will place more pressure on already stretched resources and cause the funding gap to increase every year.
WaterAid states that to ensure effective resourcing of WASH services in Nigeria, there is need for increasing the level of civil society involvement, a focus on providing long-lasting, sustainable services, and calls for Nigeria to receive support for climate-resilient finance
Rail transportation is a popular means of commuting for countries with massive population. As part of its drive to make rail transport popular again, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced its plan to introduce e-ticketing into rail transportation across Nigeria.
According to a publication on Dotunroy.com, this comes after months of pressure from well-meaning Nigerians who bemoaned the stress of booking tickets offline at train stations.
While it isn’t clear when the corporation intends to commence implementation of the scheme, NRC managing director, Fidet Okhiria provided an insight into how it would work.
MD of NRC, Fidet Okhiria
“It (tickets) can be sold through phones,” the MD said. “And also in designated outlets hence there will be franchising and it will still be sold at the stations.”
Thus, it might be safe to conclude that there will be three main points of purchase: you can buy it yourself via your mobile device, or via an agent at designated outlets, and at train stations.
Rail transport is becoming popular again in Nigeria
The nature of purchase via mobile phone is, however, unclear. Does the NRC intend to launch an app as part of this scheme? Would it equip its website (www.nrc.gov.ng) to accommodate e-ticketing, booking, tracking and other specialised features? Or is it going the USSD route?
The Indian model
NRC’s e-ticketing model appears to mirror the Indian model for trains which relies on the IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) app for bookings, reservations, payments and other activities.
IRCTC Rail Connect app
Both systems adopt the use of mobile devices to make ticketing convenient. Both systems also encourage the use of agents and franchises to bring ticket purchase outlets closer to their teeming population as well as cater to folks who aren’t digitally savvy.
The slight difference between the Nigerian and Indian systems is this: while India’s IRCTC does not seem to encourage ticket buying at the station as they are going fully digital, its Nigerian counterpart makes provisions for it. Also, while there’s an app with the IRCTC, there’s none that we know of with the NRC.
The Bangladeshi system
Another country which has adopted the use of phone apps for e-ticketing is Bangladesh. Famous for its large population and extreme poverty, rail transportation is the most popular form of movement in the country. The country however figured out ways to make train bookings easier for its population.
USSD is a popular form of e-ticketing in Bangladesh
First is the website booking which requires users to register with necessary details at the Bangladesh Railway website. A profile is then generated with which users can carry out any activity including purchase of tickets. The second system is the mobile system which involves the use of USSD codes.
The final and least popular system is the mobile app which a lot of Bangladeshis couldn’t quite access. The system still retains the tedious process of offline booking at the station which, because of mass poverty and illiteracy, remains popular.
The Nigerian system
The NRC is obviously taking a step in the right direction. I would however advice that it also considers apps and website registration soon enough. App or website bookings would involve a form of registration and data capturing.
School children enjoy an excursion in a train
This is very important as it would make the website a source of valuable information about train operations, popularity, the social class of people who use it etc. Security-wise too, it would be pretty easy to trace users.
The burial photo of the family of five killed in auto crash on Christmas Day has emerged on social media.
The photos were shared by Nigerians closed to the family and sympathisers who expressed deep sorrow over the death of The man, Samson Alowe his wife, Opeyemi Alowe and their three Children, Angel, Fortune and Prosper Alow
The accident occurred on Kubwa-Abuja Expressway on Christmas Day, December, 25, 2019
Betty Abah, the Cee-Hope Coordinator wrote on her Facebook page as follows;
"The death of this entire family (couple and their three children) in Abuja on Christmas day via auto crash is so tragically sad. Too sad. #RIPTheAdetunjis, "
News has it that the family had visited their parents outside the Abuja city centre to share the love at Christmas before the unfortunate incident
Many Other persons have been commenting on the death which has turned the various social media platforms into a mourning space.
The Federal Road Saftey Commission, FRSC is yet to release any statement concerning the accident which wiped out an entire family on christmas day.
Nepotism May not exactly be the word, but the leading Labour centre in Nigeria is concerned about the yardstick for recruitment n the country
It was the presentation of Nigeria's future of work Dialogue document , but the Nigeria Labour Congress used the occassion to raise an alarm of Cultural, religion and regional influences in public service employment
The NLC president Ayuba Wabba in a message to the Launch of the future of work document by the Nigerian Government Decried the lack of consideration for merit in employment in various ministries, Departments and agencies.
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba who was represented by the president of the Amalgamated union of public coorperation civil service and recreational Services Employees, AUPTRE, Benjamin Anthony said employment must be by merit, to avoid mediocrity in public service
Presenting the document for the Future of work, Minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, represented by the permanent secretary, William Alo challenged workers to take advantage of every opportunity provided by government to develop themselves, especially in this era of advanced technology
For The international Labour Organisation, ILO, the launch of the future of work document provides better opportunity for Nigerian workers to be more Competetive globally
As campaigns heighten to develop the capacity of the Nigerian worker to be globally inclined, Labour continues to insist that the work environment must be made conducive as well.
For data services, though Nigeria in the Third Quarter of 2019 recorded just a marginal 0.40 percent growth from the Second Quarter of the year, the total of 123,163,027 active subscribers represent 18.98 percent Year-on-Year from the 103,514,997 subscribers in the Third Quarter of 2018. The ranking of the states is however not any different from the statistics in the active voice service subscription.
Rail transportation is a popular means of commuting for countries with massive population. As part of its drive to make rail transport popular again, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced its plan to introduce e-ticketing into rail transportation across Nigeria.
