Cristiano Ronaldo too old to play for Bayern Munich – Club President, Herbert Hainer

Bayern Munich president, Herbert Hainer, says Juventus superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo is too old to play for the Bundesliga champions.

Hainer said this ahead of Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga fixture against RB Leipzig on Sunday.

“Indeed there are a lot of names moving round in the media and linking players to the club.

“Well, this is something completely understandable.

“Nevertheless, Cristiano Ronaldo would be too old to play for Bayern Munich,” Hainer said as quoted by Goal.

Ronaldo, who is widely considered as one of the best players in the world, turned 35 years earlier this week.

The Portugal captain has won league titles in England, Spain, and Italy.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star have scored 22 goals in 27 matches for Juventus so far this season.

- DAILY POST

Ighalo removed from Man Utd squad over coronavirus fears

Odion Ighalo is not part of Manchester United’s squad, travelling to Spain for a training camp.

The Nigerian striker has been left out over fears that he could be denied entry back into the UK because of the coronavirus outbreak

Ighalo only arrived last week from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua on a six-month loan deal.

There are currently three cases of coronavirus in the UK.

United fly to Spain on Saturday for a warm-weather camp, but Ighalo will remain in Manchester, where he will undergo on a personal training and fitness programme.

A club statement said: “The club can also confirm that, due to the current situation in China, it has been decided that new signing Odion Ighalo will not travel to Spain as it is not guaranteed that he’d clear UK immigration on return should border restrictions tighten on travellers who’ve been in China within the past 14 days.”

- DAILY POST

Bomb explodes near Ekiti governor’s office

The residents of the Okesha area of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, were embroiled in fear on Saturday as a bomb went off next door to the governor’s office.

The explosion brought down a building around the area and also affected a section of the state ministry of chieftaincy affairs.

The explosion also damaged parts of the ministry of finance and other buildings on the premises.

The Commissioner of Police, Amba Asuquo, who was at the scene of the blast said preliminary investigation revealed that the bomb might have gone off from the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) office within the premises.

Muyiwa Olomilua, commissioner of information for the state, also confirmed the incident.

”An explosion was reported earlier this morning at the Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) office in Ado Ekiti,” he said.

”An initial on-the-spot assessment confirms that there are no casualties and the area is secured with no further threats. Members of the public are advised to go about their normal duties.”

- PM NEWS

Gokada to rebrand as delivery company — after Lagos okada ban

Gokada, a bike-hailing company with operations based in Lagos, is redirecting its focus to logistics.

This is coming after the Lagos state government under the leadership of Babajide Sanwo-Olu banned the use of motorcycles and tricycles in 16 local governments and local council development areas.

Tweeting in response to a report about the company laying off most of its workforce, Fahim Saleh, Gokada CEO, said: “We still have money in the bank and are pivoting towards deliveries while this transport ban gets sorted”.

According to Saleh, the company was due to make a profit in January when the ban was announced.

Gbenga Omotoso, the Lagos state commissioner for information and strategy, said the ban was decided after a review of casualties.

“After a robust assessment of the debate on what has been widely referred to as the motorcycle (okada) and tricycle (Keke Marwa) menace, the Lagos state government and the state security council have decided that the security and safety of lives of Lagosians are paramount,” he said.

“The figures are scary. From 2016 to 2019, there were over 10,000 accidents recorded at the General Hospitals alone. This number excludes unreported cases and those recorded by other hospitals. The total number of deaths from reported cases is over 600 as at date.”

In May 2019, Gokada announced that it secured $5.3 million investment through a fundraising process.

At the time, it said it would deploy the investment to expanding its driver fleet, increasing daily rides by 10 fold and acquiring local talent.

Since its launch in 2018, Gokada said it has acquired approximately 1,000 motorcycles and completed one million rides.

- THECABLE

MAN: Transporting goods from Lagos to Kano more expensive than China to Lagos

Mansur Ahmed, president of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), says it is more expensive to transport goods from Lagos to Kano than from China to Lagos.

Ahmed was speaking on Thursday at the 2020 edition of the MAN reporter of the year award.

The MAN president said competitiveness cannot be achieved in the absence of infrastructure like roads and electricity.

“As the association remains at the forefront for setting the pace for engagement with other African manufacturers, the Nigerian government must also lead by example in ensuring that policies are industry-friendly, as this is the only guarantee for a competitive intra-African trade,” NAN quoted him to have said.

“Modern industry competitiveness depends to a great extent on provision of adequate and efficient infrastructure.

“There is also the aspect of provision of soft infrastructure – like visa, tariffs, and foreign exchange – that will help ease up the process of carrying out business transactions between countries.

“For instance, due to poor infrastructure, it will cost a business owner in Nigeria more to transport goods from Lagos to Kano than it will cost a Chinese business owner to transport the same goods from China to Lagos.

“We must address all these issues since the AfCFTA is not just about trade in goods, but also trade in services.”

He advised the government to enact industry-friendly policies as a way of assisting them to grow.

Speaking on the imminent increase in electricity tariff, the MAN president said it could have a negative impact on the gross domestic product and gross national product seeing as electricity constitutes up to 40% of the cost of production.

According to him, uneven pricing across electricity distribution companies (DisCos), if not corrected, will lead to uneven development in certain parts of the country.

“A reduction in electricity tariff for industrial purpose is more ideal, but even if it cannot be reduced, it should be not be increased,” he said.

“Any increase on the tariff will reinforce the already high- cost manufacturing environment and further depress productivity in the sector.

“Our appeal is that government, being a major stakeholder in the electricity industry, should concentrate on developing processes and polices to attract significant investment.

“This will encourage large scale generation and significant improvement in transmission and distribution.

“It is also important for government to ensure adequate and appropriate consultations with stakeholders in the private sector on such decisions with far-reaching implications.”

Ahmed also said he has been confirmed as the chairman of the Pan African Manufacturers Association (PAMA), the umbrella body of manufacturers in Africa.

- THECABLE

NEXT-LEVEL PROMOTION !! Nigeria Minister to local airlines: Take advantage of our bad roads… develop routes

Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, has asked local airlines in the country to take advantage of the country’s population and bad roads, and develop routes.

Sirika said this while reacting to complaints of the local airlines that foreign airlines are taking up more routes which they “should be flying”.

In an interview with Channels TV on Monday, the minister said while he has been receiving requests for more foreign airlines to use the Lagos airport, the capacity of the airport has forced him to spread their routes to other parts of the country.

He said Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos was built for 200,000 capacity but currently takes as much as eight million passengers.

“As a policy maker, I ought to look after that guy whom I want his business to develop as much as I want the business of the local airlines to develop. So I have to strike a balance between the two,” he said.

“I allow them (foreign airlines) to go to Kano, Port Harcourt and Abuja; big deal. Still, the population of Nigeria with 200 million people and 926,766sq. km of land mass, with dilapidated infrastructure, especially roads, support aviation businesses and air transportation in Nigeria.

“So, the local airlines must not be lazy. They should get up and develop the routes.”

The minister cited an example with the Nigeria Airways which he said was having its planes “filled on Lagos to Maiduguri route”.

“Nigeria Airways was going to Makurdi, Yola, Sokoto. But these people (local airlines) want to do the triangle of Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, the easy way to make money,” he said.

“Today, we have airlines that have created routes. Example, Overland. Somebody has suffered the initial shocks to open those routes and kept the faith, develop the confidence and trust of passengers.

“I think they don’t see it, they only see it from their own business. I should support them, but I should also support the downtrodden whose business was also for the Nigerian people.”

He said Nigeria plans to create two aviation hubs in Lagos and Abuja as part of plans to improve the aviation industry.

“Our geography supports the creation of hubs and part of our policy is to create two hubs, perhaps one hub in Abuja, which will tender for international, and the natural hub in Lagos that tender for regional flights and so on,” he said.

“So, it is our intention to create these hubs, and that is why we are trying to expand these airports to be able to accommodate these things that are coming.”

- THECABLE

Nigeria, US sign agreement to repatriate $308m Abacha Loot

Nigeria has signed an agreement with the governments of the Island of Jersey and the United States for the repatriation of over $308 million looted by Sani Abacha, former head of state.

The sum was recovered and frozen in 2013 but the repatriation process was stalled, following a lawsuit filed by the Abachas. 

The agreement was signed on Monday by Mark Temple, the solicitor-general and attorney-general designate of Jersey on behalf of Jersey, Brian Benczkowski, a deputy assistant attorney on behalf of the United States, and Abubakar Malami, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), on Nigeria’s behalf. 

TheCable in January reported that the parties were set to sign the agreement.

“This Agreement represents the culmination of two decades of intensive work by law officers in Jersey, the United States and Nigeria. The return of the assets to Nigeria had been delayed by a number of hard-fought challenges by third parties which were defeated in the courts in Jersey and the United States,” Temple said. 

He said the agreement establishes a framework based on fruitful cooperation, trust and respect so that the forfeited funds can be repatriated to benefit the people of Nigeria from whom they had been taken.

Temple said the agreement is a significant achievement that demonstrates his country’s commitment to tackling international financial crime and money laundering.

The Island of Jersey, a British Crown Dependency, is self-governed and has its own financial, legal systems and courts of law.

Ian Gorst, Jersey’s minister for external relations, said Jersey’s authorities had done everything within their power to investigate the loot since the country became aware of the money laundered by Abacha.

“As a leading international finance centre with an effective and robust regulatory regime, Jersey has a responsibility to firmly address any instances of alleged money laundering and corruption,” he said.

In November 2013, the United States filed a civil forfeiture action alleging that approximately $625 million located in Jersey, France, and the United Kingdom was traceable to money laundering activity in the country involving Abacha and his associates.

Commenting on the agreement, Benczkowski, who represented the US, said it is a major achievement, and that “it also stands as a clear statement of our commitment to safeguard the United States from those who seek to launder the proceeds of corruption through the abuse of our financial system”.

On his part, Malami said the agreement is a major victory for Nigeria and other African countries.

“Without the commitment of the three parties to the Agreement (Nigeria, Jersey and the United States) and that of the legal experts and attorneys representing Nigeria, it would have been impossible to achieve the success recorded today,” he said.

“As you are aware, the government of Nigeria has committed that the assets will support and assist in expediting the construction of the three major infrastructure projects across Nigeria – namely Lagos – Ibadan expressway, Abuja – Kano express way and the second Niger bridge.”

The AGF asked civil society organisations and Nigerians to be involved in the monitoring of the implementation of the key infrastructure projects that would enhance road transportation in Nigeria.

There was controversy over the $321 million earlier repatriated from Switzerland.

Malami had engaged Oladipo Okpeseyi and Temitope Adebayo, Nigerian lawyers, for the recovery of the sum. But Enrico Monfrini, a Swiss lawyer who had been on the recovery job since 2000, told TheCable in a series of interviews that hiring the new lawyers was needless because he had already completed the task.

Despite an outcry, the Nigerian lawyers were paid $15 million by the federal government.

 -THECABLE