Chelsea boss, Thomas Tuchel has spoken out about his future at Stamford Bridge, amid speculations he could move to Manchester United following the turbulence at Stamford Bridge.
The German said he will at least see out the current season with the Blues at the bare minimum.
Following the sanction on Russian Oligarch, Roman Abramovich, Tuchel has become United’s number one target as they continue the search for a permanent boss.
Chelsea is currently in a precarious situation where they cannot buy or sell players, offer contracts to existing staff, or sell match tickets.
Tuchel said he will ‘absolutely’ remain at Chelsea until at least the end of the campaign.
“There’s no doubt I’ll stay until the end of the season. Absolutely,” Tuchel told reporters after Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Sunday.
“We just have to wait and we still have to go day-by-day because everything can change.
“But it’s pure speculation and I have no further information than you already have.”
Fresh facts have emerged on how suspended super cop and former Commander of the Intelligence Response Team, DCP Abba Kyari; as well as his deputy, ACP Sunday Ubua, allegedly received a combined N4.2bn from their separate bank accounts.
Abba Kyari
The details are part of a report sent to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, by the NDLEA.
According to the drug enforcement agency, not less than N1.4bn passed through Kyari’s account while he was commander of the IRT.
However, Kyari’s deputy, Ubua, may have received far more than him as not less than N2.8bn was traced to his eight bank accounts.
According to investigations, Ubua allegedly received a lump sum of N2.664bn on August 15, 2019. The NDLEA is now working on the assumption that the sums traced to Kyari and his deputy may be connected to the sale of some illicit substances including Tramadol worth N3bn.
A source said, “You will recall that the NDLEA is investigating an allegation that Kyari and his team seized a large consignment of tramadol in a warehouse at Amuwo Odofin in Lagos. The consignment was worth about N3bn.
“The IRT under Kyari’s command seized these drugs and they are believed to have sold the consignment to a cartel afterwards. It was around the time of this seizure that Kyari’s deputy received a deposit of N2.664bn in his personal bank account. Out of this money, he purchased FBN Insurance shares worth about N100m.”
NDLEA seeks AGF’s approval to confiscate Kyari’s assets, bank accounts
Meanwhile, the NDLEA has written a letter to the AGF seeking his approval for the confiscation of properties and assets belonging to the once-revered super cop.
It was gathered that the NDLEA’s request was dispatched to the justice minister last week following the March 7 arraignment of Kyari and his men for dealing in cocaine.
Kyari is facing eight counts of conspiracy, obstruction, and dealing in cocaine, and other related offences at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The other defendants in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022, are four members of the IRT, Ubua, Bawa James, Simon Agirigba and John Nuhu.
Two other suspects arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, were also listed as defendants.
Kyari, has been indicted in the United States for alleged involvement in a $1.1m scam carried out by a notorious Internet scammer, Ramon Abass, a.ka. Hushpuppi was suspended by the police last July.
A source said the drug agency’s request is receiving the AGF’s attention, noting that Malami was in the process of approving the seizure of the embattled DCP’s assets and property to ensure he did not benefit from the proceeds of crime.
Our correspondent gathered that the ex-IRT commander’s assets that will be confiscated include cash and money in bank accounts, vehicles, real estate, notably hotels, residential and commercial buildings; personal effects such as wristwatches, jewellery and other valuable possessions.
The PUNCH learnt that the AGF’s approval was required by the NDLEA to seize a suspect’s property pending conviction by the court.
A senior officer stated, “Under the NDLEA Act, the NDLEA cannot forfeit his assets unless based on the consent of the Attorney-General. The NDLEA wrote last week and the AGF is considering the request.”
The NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, confirmed the development, saying, “It’s a normal procedure to seek approval for a no debit order on suspects’ bank accounts when suspicious transactions are noticed in such accounts.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice has denied changing its legal opinion in respect of the money laundering case against Kyari, stating that the prima facie case against him still subsists.
The Director of Public Prosecution, Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Abubakar, said the AGF has not issued another opinion on the case, noting that the legal advice issued to the police in January still stands.
Abubakar told our correspondent on the phone on Sunday that the police were expected to probe the allegation but failed to carry out the necessary forensic analysis of the phones of the suspects which could have provided the money trail linking the senior police officer to Hushpuppi’s syndicate members.
He said, “You rightly quoted our first opinion where we said they (police) should establish the linkages- trace the money trail. We didn’t say the case file doesn’t contain sufficient evidence. It was their (police) response we were referring to. The prima facie evidence we said exists still exists.
“The response they sent to us after we sent in our opinion did not sufficiently address the issues we raised. That was the point we raised; maybe, we should have done it differently. We didn’t abrogate our opinion. Our legal opinion still subsists; you don’t seek for legal opinion twice.
“There is nowhere we said we changed our position. If you look very well, our position is the same as that of the Police Service Commission. When you have a case and you need further investigation and that further investigation is not conducted, you cannot go to court with half evidence.”
Speaking on the gaps in the police investigation, the DPP added, “Normally, they should have done the forensic analysis of the phone records of all the suspects and that would have given them an idea of how they dealt with the money, which sent the money, when they collected the money, what they did with it. They didn’t do all of these.”
In a separate statement by his Spokesman, Umar Gwandu, the AGF stated that he had not changed his opinion on Kyari’s indictment. Rather, he only called for a further probe, a demand which may have been misunderstood.
The statement read in part, “It was a case of work in progress in respect of which the office of the AGF requested for further probe in relation to some aspects of investigation.
“It was clear that the conclusion on the alleged contradiction on the issue was a clear misconception. The office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice’s stance is that no conclusion has been reached in the direction of absence of evidence relating to the first report.”
Elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, has called on Nigerians to adopt the attitude of appreciating public office holders whenever desirable.
Yakasai
Alhaji Yakasai, who addressed some newsmen at his Life Camp, Abuja, residence particularly mentioned the GMD of the NNPC Mele Kyari, in relation to the petrol queues that affected some parts of the country recently.
He said: “The speed at which the NNPC management moved to arrest the spread of contaminated petrol which triggered the shortage, is worthy of commendation”.
He added: “We should not criticise all the time, especially in times of national emergency like what the country has gone through “
Alhaji Tanko Yakasai said the purpose of his message is to encourage public officers who show courage when it is needed, as well as to draw the attention of Nigerians to imbibe the culture of supporting their best leaders whenever possible and criticise only when it is necessary.
“That is how great nations are built,” he said.“The elder Statesman, who is from Kano state also stated that he is quite impressed with the changes the National Oil Company is going through.
Specifically, he said “The NNPC which had been operating at a loss since it was established more than forty years ago started making a profit under Mr Kyari.
“I am also happy with the progress of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline that is sure to improve the economic performance of the whole country. As a country we must learn to appreciate our public officers whenever desirable,” he concluded
For many Nigerians, the 2023 polls present an important opportunity for a change in trajectory. The attention is however, mostly on the All Progressives Congress (APC) where its leaders are divided over who becomes the flag bearer of the party.
While the former Lagos State governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has long declared his ambition and has been to different parts of the country to inform traditional leaders about his plans, Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, and Senator Rochas Okorocha have also declared their interest in the presidency on the platform of the APC.
There has also been speculations about the potential candidacies of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele and the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi
A week after the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) created a directorate for politics and governance, to help mobilise support for members of the church who are into politics, Yemi Osinbajo, is said to have informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his plan to run in 2023.
Multiple sources told ABN TV that Osinbajo, who already has the backing of his political friends, briefed President Buhari mid-last week and in response to this, the president simply gave a nod, wishing his vice president best of luck ahead of the APC primary election.
“The president said he was aware of the vice president’s moves and said he has never doubted his capabilities. He wished him well but did not outrightly speak about supporting him or not. The president was open and jokingly said it is now a race between you and Asiwaju, ” an aide to Osinbajo who pleaded anonymity said.
On Sunday, another top source in the Aso Villa informed our correspondent that all is set for Osinbajo’s formal declaration for the presidency, and might be done before the end of the week.
Asked if Tinubu has got the hint that Osinbajo who served as justice commissioner during his tenure as Lagos governor, would be running against him, our source said; “many people including Asiwaju thought it was speculation before now but the information of Osinbajo’s brief to Buhari has gotten to Tinubu’s camp and they are aware of his planned meeting with APC leaders in Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Kaduna, Osun, Adamawa, Bauchi, among other states.”
The latest development is, however, said to be causing disputes among APC leaders in different states.
A top official in Lagos APC said the state chapter was supporting Tinubu because the former governor was the only aspirant from the South West who had declared his intent but they might be forced to weigh their options since there is another ‘heavyweight’ showing interest from the region.
A chairman in one of the Southwest states, however, said Osinbajo’s declaration would mean betrayal. “I am among APC chairmen working to ensure the victory of Tinubu and will never be part of those endorsing Osinbajo. It is a betrayal of trust.”
An aide to Osun APC Chairman, Gboyega Famodun, said his principal has been invited for a meeting with Osinbajo but he turned it down.
While Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President did not respond to enquiries on this subject, a member of Osinbajo’s media team told ABN TV“As long as President Muhammadu Buhari is alive, he will support my principal and is most likely to get the ticket.”
Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has extended its warning strike for another two months.
The decision to extend the strike was taken at the union’s National Executive Council, NEC meeting held in Abuja last night.
Although the union has not made any public statement regarding the outcome of the meeting, a source told Vanguard that members resolved at the meeting held in an undisclosed location that the industrial action be extended for two more months.
The outcome of the meeting, the source said, was being drafted to be released in a statement to the media soon.
Award-winning American journalist, Brent Renaud was killed by Russian forces in Irpin, Ukraine, according to Kyiv region police in social media posts yesterday. Kyiv police said another American journalist was wounded by Russian troops.
Brent Renaud
In a tweet, Kyiv region police named the 50-year-old American journalist, who was killed as Brent Renaud. Police posted a photo of his body and his American passport as evidence, as well as a photo of an outdated New York Times press badge with Brent Renaud’s name.
An adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, Anton Gerashchenko, said in a statement that Renaud “paid with his life for attempting to expose the insidiousness, cruelty and ruthlessness of the aggressor,” according to a New York Times report.
CNN has been unable to verify which media outlet the American journalists were working for in Ukraine.
The New York Times said in a statement yesterday, “We are deeply saddened to hear of Brent Renaud’s death. Brent was a talented filmmaker who had contributed to The New York Times over the years. Though he had contributed to The Times in the past (most recently in 2015), he was not on assignment for any desk at The Times in Ukraine. Early reports that he worked for Times circulated because he was wearing a Times press badge that had been issued for an assignment many years ago.”
The northern Ukrainian city of Irpin, just outside Kyiv, has been the site of substantial Russian shelling in recent days and has seen extensive destruction, according to the Kyiv regional government on Friday.
Brent Renaud was a Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker, producer, and journalist, who lived and worked in New York City and Little Rock, Arkansas, according to his biography on the Renaud Brothers website.
With his brother Craig, Renaud spent years “telling humanistic verite stories from the World’s hot spots,” including projects in Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, Egypt, and Libya, according to his website bio. Brent Renaud was a 2019 Harvard Nieman Fellow.
A post on the Renaud Brothers Facebook page, dated March 8, urged readers to follow their coverage of the war Ukraine.
The director of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard said on Sunday that the foundation is “heartsick” over the death of American journalist Brent Renaud in Ukraine.
“Our Nieman Fellow Brent Renaud was gifted and kind, and his work was infused with humanity. He was killed today outside Kiev, and the world and journalism are lesser for it. We are heartsick,” said foundation curator Ann Marie Lipinski in a tweet.
The Committee to Protect Journalists also yesterday condemned the killing of Renaud and called for the killers to be brought to justice.
The New York-based organization said in a statement, “U.S. reporter Brent Renaud was shot and killed, and another journalist was injured yesterday in the city of Irpin, outside of Kyiv, according to a Ukrainian police official and news reports. In denouncing the shooting, the Committee to Protect Journalists called for the killers to be brought to justice.”
“We are shocked and saddened to learn of the death of U.S. journalist Brent Renaud in Ukraine. This kind of attack is totally unacceptable, and is a violation of international law,” added the CPJ’s program director Carlos Martinez de la Serna in the statement. “Russian forces in Ukraine must stop all violence against journalists and other civilians at once, and whoever killed Renaud should be held to account.”
The authorities of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, have expelled 10 students for examination malpractices. Also, the institution has restated its decision to seize results of school fees defaulters after the expiration of the given grace.
Rector, Dr. Salisu Ogbo Usman
The academic board of the institution dropped this hint shortly after their meeting on Friday at the campus in Lokoja.
The academic board, therefore, reminded all school fee defaulters to use the grace of the current 2021/2022 academic session to settle all their outstanding fees and obtain their results or risks forfeiting their results.
Also, the institution academic board considered and approved the expulsion of 10 students for examination misconduct.
The affected students were from different departments in the school of management studies.
The institution said the expelled students had contravened relevant sections of the Revised Polytechnic Students’ Handbook and were found guilty. The Chairman of the institution’s Academic Board, Dr. Salisu Ogbo Usman, said the polytechnic would continue to get rid of bad elements who always tried to bring the name of the institution to disrepute
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the weekend said in the last seven years of working closely with President Muhammadu Buhari, there has not been any religious dispute between them.
The Vice President has also canvassed for the use of faith by religious leaders to unite the nation as well as improve the lives of the citizenry.
Speaking while playing host to the Senegal-based Grand Khalifa of Tijjaniya Movement, Worldwide, His Eminence, Sheikh Muhammadu Mahi Ibrahim Niass at the State House, Abuja, Prof. Osinbajo described President Buhari as a model of a leader who accommodates people of different religious backgrounds, citing his relationship with the President spanning over seven years as a perfect example.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande quoted Osinbajo as saying, “President Buhari is a serious Muslim and I am a pastor, both of us have worked together for about seven years, we have not had any issues.
“The President has shown great leadership, he has shown that he wants a country where people of different faiths live in harmony and with love for one another.”
He also stressed that beyond the spiritual upliftment of individuals and communities, religious leaders must use faith to promote peace, ensure prosperity for the people as well as the development of society
Osinbajo who emphasized the importance of religion in human development said “we must use our faiths to promote peace and prosperity for our people. We need to work together to ensure that our people benefit from religion.
“We tend to underestimate the importance of religion despite the fact that it plays a key role in the development of the society, not just in the spiritual aspect but physical.
“There are many nations of the world that have benefitted from the impact of religion both spiritually and physically. So, we must use religion in our countries (in Africa) to help our people to live better lives because in other parts of the world, leaders of faith have used religion to better the lives of the people,” he added.
Speaking further about the need for leaders of faith to close ranks for the purpose using religion to address emerging challenges in the society, the Vice President noted that “no matter what the situation may be, we in Africa must be able to sit together and talk. We must never allow situations where we cannot sit together.
“With what is going on across the world, people of faith must continue to emphasize that both major religions (Islam and Christianity) promote peace and we must allow our people to practice whatever religion they want to practice.”
Osinbajo praised the leader of the group while commending the Tijjaniya Movement for its progressive ideals and compassion for the needs of the people.
Earlier in his remarks, Sheikh Niass who spoke in French with interpretation by a spokesman thanked the Vice President for the opportunity to meet with him and his delegation while describing the VP as a great personality, the type needed both Nigeria and Africa.
His words: “the Vice President is a great personality with an exceptional character, standing on two feet: one as a political leader concerned about the progress of his people and the second, as a man of God.
“Africa needs a person of your nature with a very strong background in religion and politics. I pray that the Almighty Allah will upgrade you and enable you to achieve your desires and aspirations because, as I said, not only Nigeria but Africa will benefit from your leadership qualities.”
He added that Nigeria “is the heart of Africa and whatever Nigeria becomes, Africa becomes.”
The Tijjaniya leader also expressed the group’s sincere gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for his support, while praying for his safety and that Nigeria will overcome all its challenges. The VP promised to convey Sheik’s warm greetings and appreciation to the President.
He also prayed for peace in Nigeria, Africa and the world, and pledged his continued prayers for the Vice President and the country.
The Grand Khalifa of Tijjaniya worldwide and other members of the Movement across Africa had converged on Gusau, the Zamfara State capital to celebrate the 36th International Maulid Anniversary in honour of the Movement’s late leader Sheikh Ibrahim Niass.
President Muhammadu Buhari has rejoiced with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on the occasion of its 70th anniversary, which also coincides with the 70th annual council meeting being hosted in Abuja, Nigeria from March 14 to 18.
President Buhari
As a proud founding member of the foremost examining board for the people of West Africa, President Buhari affirmed that Nigeria values the shared commitment with other Members of the Council and would continue to engage with other partners to achieve the Council’s mandate of maintaining quality educational standards that prepare the next generation to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
The President in a statement by his Special Adviset on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina noted with delight that for the last 70 years, the West African examination body has brought the English-speaking West Africans together to encourage academic and moral excellence through a qualitative and reliable educational assessment.
As delegates to the 70th council meeting deliberate, reflect and celebrate the gains of the decades, the Nigerian leader urged them to remember the core values of excellence, integrity, professionalism, accountability and transparency, at the heart of WAEC, and stand firmly by them.
The President said he believes that just as member-nations have survived a difficult year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and in some countries, previous years of internal conflict, this cherished education institution would continue to thrive as a world-class examination body
