There was panic in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Tuesday evening as loud explosion rocked the ancient city, with buildings collapsing due to terrific vibration.
Residents, who spoke with Channels Television, said cars and houses exploded under the impact of the vibration felt at Awolowo, Bodija, Akobo, and other areas.
More to follow
The camp of Nigeria’s senior men football team, Super Eagles has decried reports in sections of the media that have continued to garnish the medical case of Spain-based forward Sadiq Umar with conspiracy theories, incorrect assumptions and unbecoming insinuations.
The camp has released a statement with regards to how the player was withdrawn from Nigeria’s squad for the 34th Africa Cup of Nations finals ongoing in Cote d’Ivoire.
We are surprised at the news trending on social media concerning Sadiq Umar and how he was withdrawn from the team camp.
The fact is that our medical team meticulously abided by the best medical procedures and were diligent in their processes and conclusions before advising Head Coach José Peseiro that the player be withdrawn from the squad.
The player, Sadiq Umar, was okay when he arrived at camp; he had to undergo the standard pre-competition medical assessment and he was good. He started to train with the team. Unfortunately, he copped an injury on the back of his left knee during our friendly match against Guinea in Abu Dhabi on 8th January, that led to a penalty against our opponents.
The medical team advised that he substituted, as a cautionary measure, but he said he was fine and could continue the game. At half time, he said he reiterated that he was good to continue playing, and he played the entire 90 minutes.
However, the following day, he woke up to see the knee swelling, and the medical team had to apply ice which is the normal thing. The same day, we had to travel to Lagos and on the 10th January, flew to Abidjan. Then, the swelling became worse.
Most of the reports we have seen are not a true representation of what actually happened. We have a very competent medical team who are well-trained in sport and exercise medicine and highly experienced and exposed to the most modern techniques and practices. They followed all due processes and protocol in tandem with the consultant knee surgeon that the player himself contacted in Spain, before the decision was made in the interest of the nation and the career of the player.
As much as the medical team has refused to join issues with anyone due to their professional patience and privacy policy, we will not allow anyone to rubbish our collective responsibility as Team Nigeria to this Africa Cup of Nations championship. We reiterate that the player was carried along throughout the process, and he started his rehabilitation with the team physiotherapist before he returned to his club in Spain./ Flowerbudnews
Nigeria’s playing body has long concluded a diagnosis of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with neighbours Equatorial Guinea and looking very much forward to what they believe will be an ‘interesting encounter’ with host nation Cote d’Ivoire at the 34th Africa Cup of Nations on Thursday.
The table-topping Elephants, two-time champions of the continental competition, will look to book an early Round of 16 ticket by defeating Nigeria at the newly-built Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Ebimpe, while three-time champions and podium appearance-leaders Nigeria, joint-second on the group A log, are determined to wrestle all the points and enhance their prospects of a slot in the knockout rounds.
Defender William Ekong, who led out the squad on Sunday, has appealed to Nigerians from all walks of life to keep supporting the team as they seek for all three points against the hosts on their own turf on Thursday evening.
“We went all out to pick the three points against Equatorial Guinea, but it didn’t happen. We live to fight another day. From our side, we are appealing to Nigerians from all over the world to keep supporting and believing in the team. Our objective is to first reach the knockout rounds and then we push strongly from there.”
Nigeria created opportunity after opportunity against the Thunder, but poor finishing ensured a 1-1 draw and share of the spoils on Sunday afternoon.
Coach José Peseiro has been provided with options in the fore with the arrivals of Kelechi Iheanacho and Terem Moffi, and the camp believes strongly that the team that scored 22 goals in qualifying (more than any other team in the series) could start firing better on Sunday.
“We expect a tough game because the Ivorians are the hosts and they are also top of our group. But we have our aspirations as well and we believe in ourselves,” defender Kenneth Omeruo said on Monday.
Half of the squad spent Monday morning in the gym before the evening training session, which was open to the media.
The stature of Thursday’s encounter has been enhanced by current realities around the two teams, but it was always going to be a game to behold since the draw was made, as matches between both countries at senior level have been furious and feisty on the terrain, and even outside it.
Both countries first clashed at the Africa Cup of Nations when Nigeria hosted in 1980. The encounter at the National Stadium, Surulere ended scoreless, and it was Nigeria’s second game (as it will be on Thursday) of the tournament. The Eagles had to defeat Egypt in their third match to qualify for the semi finals (in which they pipped Morocco 1-0) to make progress, and eventually win the trophy for the first time.
Ten years later, both countries again clashed in the group phase, with Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory) scoring the match’s only goal after just three minutes in Annaba. The Eagles eventually made it to the Final, losing 0-1 to the host nation, Algeria.
In 1994, both teams clashed in the semi-finals at the Stade El Menzah in Tunis. It ended in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw, with petite Michel Bassole scoring for the Ivorians and Yekini and Benedict Iroha netting for Nigeria. Yekini scored the winning penalty for the Eagles, and Nigeria notched her second crown by defeating Zambia 2-1 in the Final
In 2006, both teams met in the semi-finals in Alexandria, with the Ivorians running away 1-0 winners. Two years later, the Ivorians were again 1-0 winners after Salomon Kalou scored the only goal in a group phase encounter in the Ghanaian city of Sekondi.
In 2013, on their way to a third triumph, the Eagles edged the Elephants 2-1 in a quarter-final like no other at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. Emmanuel Emenike and Sunday Mba scored for Nigeria.
In-between, there have been FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures, the most memorable of which remain the two matches between both teams in the race to USA 1994.
In Abidjan on 2nd May, 1993, Yekini scored after only five minutes, but Abdoulaye Traore and Ibrahim Ouattara got the goals that gave the Elephants victory at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny. In Lagos four months later, goals by Yekini (a brace), Daniel Amokachi and Thompson Oliha handed Nigeria a 4-1 win. The Eagles went ahead to qualify for their first-ever FIFA World Cup finals.
PHOTO 1: William Ekong leaps above an Equatorial Guinea striker on Sunday while Alhassan Yuuf watches for any slip.
PHOTO 2: Defender Bright Osayi-Samuel in action.
PHOTO 3: Victor Osimhen leaps above all in the encounter with Thunder on Sunday. (Flowerbudnews)
In bid to prevent prostate cancer among the male folks, some medical practitioners have advised Nigerian men to eat a balanced diet and be engaged in regular sex.
The experts gave the advice on Friday in Lagos, according to Vanguard report.
The Coordinator of One-Stop-Breast Cancer Clinic, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr Caleb Yakubu, said that men who engage in sex regularly stand a lower chance of developing prostate cancer.
Yabuku, also a Consultant Radiologist, said it had been scientifically proven that men who ejaculate more frequently were less likely to develop prostate cancer.
He explained that the prostate gland contains prostate fluid that mixes with the sperm to form the semen.
According to him, with frequent ejaculation, there would not be any stagnancy or reduction in the flow of the fluid which might predispose and increase the risk of getting cancer.
The prostate gland plays an important role in ejaculation. The prostate is a small, walnut-shaped gland that produces the fluid in semen. And it helps push this fluid out during ejaculation.
“It is believed that if a man ejaculates/releases fluid from the prostate gland, there will not be any spaces or stagnancy in the flow that may now predispose and increase the risk of getting cancer.
“In fact, there is one study in the US which says that if a man ejaculates up to 20 times per month, his risk of having prostate cancer reduces drastically. So, there is a scientific base to this.
“However, what we normally preach is early detection. And men above 40 should always go for Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test to know their status,” Yakubu said.
London: (dpa/NAN) Flowerbudnews) José Mourinho has been sacked by Roma, the Serie A club have announced.
The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss led Roma to the Europa League final last season after winning the Europa Conference League the campaign before.
Roma, who have won only one of their last five Serie A matches to slip to ninth in the table, said on their official website.
“AS Roma can confirm that José Mourinho and his coaching staff will leave the club with immediate effect.”
Club owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin added: “We would like to thank José on behalf of all of us at AS Roma for his passion and efforts since his arrival at the club.
“We will always have great memories of his tenure at Roma, but we believe that an immediate change is in the best interests of the club.”
Mourinho replaced Paulo Fonseca as Roma’s head coach in May 2021 and guided them to a sixth-place finish and the Conference League title in his first season.
Roma finished in sixth place in Serie A again last term and reached the Europa League final in Budapest, where they lost 4-1 on penalties to Sevilla after a 1-1 draw.
Mourinho won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup and three League Cups during two spells in charge of Chelsea after winning the Champions League with Porto.
The 60-year-old also won the Champions League as manager of Inter Milan, claimed the La Liga title with Real Madrid and won the Europa League with Manchester United. (dpa/NAN)/ Flowerbudnews
Munich: (dpa/NAN)/ FlowerbudnewsThe altar of a church in Upper Bavaria has been re-consecrated after a couple had sex on it.
The altar in the Catholic church in Schechen in the district of Rosenheim had been cleared for the Catholic rite and the local priest had then blessed it again with incense and holy water during a liturgy of the word.
The blessing had already taken place before Christmas, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising told dpa.
The case made headlines in 2023: the couple, who had sex in the church and documented it, had to answer in the courts.
The woman involved had since accepted the corresponding penalty order against her.
The trial scheduled for the beginning of February will therefore not take place, the Rosenheim district court announced.
The amount of the sentence was not disclosed because summary penalty order proceedings are generally not made public.
Her partner will have to stand trial at Traunstein District Court because he is also charged with other serious offences.
The trial against him is continuing and is scheduled to resume at the end of January.
The Rosenheim-born man, who according to the court did not comment on the numerous accusations against him at the start of the trial, is accused of various offences.
They include “insulting, mischief” in a “place dedicated to the worship of a religious community.”
He is also charged with assault, deprivation of liberty, threatening behaviour and fraud.
It is very rare for an altar to have to be re-consecrated after a so-called desecration for example due to vandalism according to a survey conducted by dpa among the Catholic dioceses in Bavaria at the end of 2023.
In the diocese of Augsburg, this has happened four times in recent years, according to a spokesman. None of the other dioceses reported any known cases.
In the Augsburg diocese, this was the case in 2017 in Vöhringen and Bellenberg. There, the church rooms, including the altar and statues, were extensively graffitied – including with anti-Christian slogans.
Another case reportedly took place in Gersthofen in 2018. Consecrated wafers were stolen and scattered. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng) / Flowerbudnews
First UniCal Solemn Assembly in 2024 held at the University’s
By Christian Njoku
Calabar: The University of Calabar, on Monday, held a solemn assembly to herald a new academic session.
The event held at the institution’s International Conference Centre.
It had the theme: “Walk With Me, Oh Lord”.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Florence Obi, said that the essence of the service was to hand the institution over to God.
Obi said that although it had become a tradition for the university to seek God’s blessings at the beginning of every semester and session, there was the need for staff and students to personalise the theme of the service.
She said that the solemn assembly indicated the intention of the institution to walk with God and align with His ways.
“I thank God for sparing the lives of staff and students.
“I charge you to continue to uphold the good name of the university.
“I also commend the guest speaker for accepting the invitation to share God’s precious words in the institution,” she said.
In a sermon, the guest preacher, Rev. Fr. Francis Eworo, said that God was prepared to walk with any individual or community willing to obey Him.
Eworo, who preached from the book of Isaiah, Chapter One, said that, for men to walk with God, they must repent of their sins and turn to God.
“Many worship assemblies are breeding rebellion and have become detestable to God.
“I call on all staff and students to begin a needful walk with God.
“Listen to and enjoy His company, align with his will and consequently produce Christian fruit,” the cleric said.
The solemn assembly was attended by the institution’s principal officers, staff, students and clergymen. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng) /Flowerbudnews
By Usman Aliyu
Benin:. The Edo Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has warned intending pilgrims to the 2024 Hajj against making payment into the accounts of agents.
The board advised them to pay the N4.5 million deposit directly into the board’s account.
Sheikh Ibrahim Oyarekhua, the Chairman of the board gave the advice on Sunday in Benin while speaking with newsmen.
The board chairman said that the warning was to further raise the consciousness of the people to the antics of fraudsters.
“We don’t patronise agent. Though we have our resource persons, who, if they are able to convince anybody on Hajj, give the board’s account number to the person to pay direct by himself,” he said.
Oyarekhua said s that the board had communicated the new deadline for payment to the pilgrims, using the media as an avenue to reach them.
“We have coopted Imams across the state to include Hajj in their Friday sermons so that we can reach out to all intending pligrisms this year,”he said.
He said that the board was making preparation in terms of accommodation, feeding and transportation and other things to make the Hajj a hitch free for the pilgrims.
He said that there may be variations in Hajj fare this year, adding that he it will depend on how cheap states are able to secure accommodations in the Holy land.
“For now, It is still N4.5 million, it is after our operation in Saudi Arabia that the final fare would be announced after all the components that made up the Hajj are put together.
“Intending pilgrims should pay the N4.5 million and after the final fare is announced, if it is above the amount, they will have to pay the balance.
“If is less than that, the board will refund the amount to them,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng) /Flowerbudnews
Workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, under the Joint Unions Action Committee, have protested the deployment and appointment of a Permanent Secretary by the Head of Service of the Federation.
The protesting workers also demanded the full implementation of the FCT Civil Service Commission Law, 2018, which provides for the appointment of a permanent secretary from the FCTA.
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in October 2023 disclosed that he had received the approval of President Bola Tinubu for the establishment of the Civil Service Commission of the Federal Capital Territory.
Wike had explained that the development would allow career progression for civil servants in the FCT Administration to become permanent secretaries, noting that the workers had lost hope, as they could not attain the position of director in their careers, because there was no CSC for FCT.
The Office of the Head of Service of the Federation had announced Tinubu’s approval for the posting of 24 permanent secretaries in Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, including Dr. Magdalene Ajani, who was redeployed from the Transportation Ministry to the FCTA to replace the current permanent secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, who would retire on January 29, 2024.
Speaking on behalf of the protesting workers in Abuja on Monday, JUAC President, Mr Matilukuro Korede, challenged the deployment, which he described as an aberration of the FCT CSC Law, noting that the Federal Executive Council had in October 2023, approved the implementation of the law establishing a CSC for FCT.
Korede said that because of this development, the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, had no power to appoint a Permanent Secretary for the FCT, describing her actions as faulty, and called for the full implementation of the FCT CSC Law.
Thursday, we heard that the Head of Service has announced that she has gotten approval from President Tinubu to deploy another Permanent Secretary to FCT. We felt aggrieved because it was an aberration. As we speak now, the FCT CSC Law has been gazetted since 2018.
“But to our surprise, the Head of Service decided to include a name for appointment as permanent secretary for the FCT. As far as FCT is concerned, the permanent secretary should be appointed among the qualified directors in the FCTA and not from outside. This will provide an opportunity for the staff of FCTA to get to the peak of their career by becoming a permanent secretary.
“Our demand, therefore, is that the appointment of a permanent secretary outside the FCTA is an aberration and an anomaly that should be corrected. We are waiting for the implementation of the FCT Civil Service Commission,” he said.
According to him, since 2004, staff of the FCTA had been deprived of becoming Permanent Secretaries, adding that the law to make it possible had been signed in 2018, but implementation had become a problem.
Korede added that if the Head of Service insisted on appointing a permanent secretary from outside the FCTA, then she had to wait for the law to be amended and be given the power to do so.
“But between now and then, the law must be obeyed and what we know is that FCT CSC has come to stay,” he stated.
Korede equally announced to the protesting workers that Wike had reached out to the leadership of JUAC and called for calm, adding that the minister promised to meet with President Tinubu over the issue and provide feedback to the workers.