SANTISNEH BLOG

Cristiano Ronaldo a footballing legend – Sergio Ramos Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is a “legend” and one of the greatest players of all-time, according to team-mate Sergio Ramos. Ronaldo claimed a record-equalling fifth Ballon d’Or earlier this month, joining Barcelona star Lionel Messi on that total. Ramos sung the praises of the Portugal international, saying he was different to any forward the world had ever seen. “Our number seven is a striker like we have never seen before,” the Spain defender told Telefoot. “He is already a legend and will be recognised as one of the best players in the history of football. “Cristiano Ronaldo has a very important role in the team and everyone respects it.” Ronaldo has scored 16 goals in 21 games in all competitions this season.

“See As We Be Like Brothers And Sisters”- Basketmouth Pictured With Thierry Henry Nigerian comedian, Basketmouth was pictured with football legend, Thierry Henry, who arrived yesterday for the Guinness Nigeria’s made of Black programme. The comedian took to his instagram page to share the cute picture and wrote; See as we be like brothers and sisters. Thierry Henry was also conferred with a chieftaincy title at the programme.

Minister Lai Mohammed flags off final dry run of Calabar Carnival The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has flagged off the third and final dry run of the Calabar Carnival with a pledge to help turn the event into a major global attraction. Performing the flag-off in the company of the Cross River State Deputy Governor, Ivara Esu, in Calabar on Sunday, the Minister said the street processions preparatory to the 2017 Calabar Carnival later in the month have commenced. “I make bold to say that what is happening here today will reverberate throughout the world as we shall leverage the power of information and technology to bring this event to the notice of the entire world. “There is no substitute for preparation and that is why this dry run is very important,” he said. Mr. Mohammed said the Calabar Carnival has grown into a major unifying factor in Nigeria because it serves as a rallying point for people all over the country. He said t...

“I will never forget what you did for me” — Davido tells Tekno on his birthday Yesterday was Tekno’s birthday and many of his friends and colleagues in the entertainment industry have taken out time to wish the singer a happy birthday. One of the notable wishes that went out to Tekno was from his colleague Davido who shared a very warm and touching message in wishing Tekno a happy birthday. Davido like many others posted a picture of Tekno on his page and accompanied it with the caption: “Happy Birthday Tekno, I will never forget what you did for me! GOD bless you! Love” Perhaps he was referring to to massive hit song “IF”. The song which was produced by Tekno, and also rumoured to be written by Tekno was a great success and one of the highlights of Davido’s career in 2017! Not only has the song won Davido many awards, the song also placed him on the top of many charts both nationally and internationally. Indeed, Tekno cannot be forg...

Barcelona replies Ronaldo for saying club should give Real Madrid guard of honour LaLiga giants, Barcelona will not give Real Madrid a guard of honour ahead of this Saturday’s Clasico despite their rivals being crowned champions of the world, According to manager, Ernesto Valverde. Recall that Real Madrid superstar,Cristiano Ronaldo had mocked Barcelonaafter winning the FIFA Club World Cup, stating that the Catalan club needs to give his team a guard of honour before the El Clasico clash at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Valverde has completely ruled out any possibility of Barcelona’s players lining up to applaud their rival, Madrid. Speaking to Spanish media over comment made by Ronaldo, he said, “it was unlikely his players would be giving a guard of honour this weekend. “I haven’t even paid it a thought,” he said.

#OLIC4 : How Olamide shutdown Lagos with Teslim Balogun stadium concert, in grand style “Don’t go for that show, there will touts and Agberos.” “Touts will pick your pockets, and break a bottle on top your head.” “Before you go, make sure you pray for God’s grace and guidance. Carry a full bottle of the blood of Jesus.” These were words of friends and family as I told them that I was attending Olamide’s historic concert at the Teslim Balogun stadium in Surulere, Lagos. Nobody ever said anything positive about the show. The focus of many people has been on millions of wrong possibilities to come from Olamide’s show. For the fourth time in 4 years, Nigerian rapper Olamide, the King of the streets, had decided to try something new with his annual concert. Tagged ‘Olamide Live In Lagos: The Concert’, the rapper was taking a break from the norm. Where previous years had seen the rapper bring his art and crowd to the hallowed halls and security of Ek...

Federal govt disburses N5,000 monthly stipends to Katsina poor The federal government has released about N256 million for disbursement as N5,000 monthly stipends to lift less privileged persons cross abject poverty line in Katsina State, Tukur Shehu Rumah, official of the National Social Safety Nets Programme, has said. Rumah, who confirmed this while monitoring the disbursement of the funds released for the payment across the state at the weekend, assured that commitment of the present administration to the programme designed to ease the hardship of the less privileged in the society. It was further learnt that four local government areas in each of the three senatorial zones in the state and three wards in each of the local government councils would benefit from the federal government’s initiative. The state coordinator of the programme, Aliyu Isah Girka, said the local government areas include Bindawa, Ingawa, Mani, Baure, Musawa, Batagarawa, Rimi a...

Billionaire wife Sade Okoya's beautiful look to Ovation Red Carol Sade, wife of Billionaire businessman Razaq Okoya, stepped out in this stylish white outfit to the Ovation Red Carol in Lagos Sunday evening. See the full photo below and rate her look!

Watford ‘best’ outside of top six in Premier League – David Wagner Watford are one of the best teams outside of the Premier League’s “big six”, according to Huddersfield boss David Wagner. Marco Silva’s side, who host to Huddersfield on Saturday, have lost three of their last four games and find themselves ninth in the Premier League, eight points adrift of sixth-placed Burnley. Wagner heaped praise on Watford, ranking them alongside Leicester as the next best teams outside the traditional top six and insists his players are not thinking about Saturday’s opponents recent poor form. “I have massive respect for Watford and what they’ve done so far, for me, apart from the big six Watford and Leicester are the two best teams,” Wagner said. “Even though Burnley have had an unbelievable season so far, for me what I’ve seen is Watford and Leicester are the two best teams outside the top six names, that’s why I have a lot of respect. “It is an opportunity,...

Nigerians in US pledge renewed commitment to Nigerian project The Nigerian community in the U.S. on Sunday in Maryland pledged renewed commitment to reinforcing Nigeria’s virtues and redeem her image globally. Nigerians converged in grand style at an event, organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Americas (NIDOA), USA, which also featured the inauguration of the new members of the Board of Directors for the organisation. Mrs Patience Key, the new Chairperson, NIDOA USA, in her address, said Nigerians in the U.S. were synonymous with the virtues of hard work, resilience and ingenuity. While regrettably admitting some of the daunting challenges Nigeria currently faced, she said Nigerians in the Diaspora would rise to the responsibility of contributing its quota as a major stakeholder in the rebuilding Nigeria project. Key said: “This administration of NIDOA USA Board of Directors commits to restore mutual trust amongst Nigerians at home and in...

Nigerians in US pledge renewed commitment to Nigerian project The Nigerian community in the U.S. on Sunday in Maryland pledged renewed commitment to reinforcing Nigeria’s virtues and redeem her image globally. Nigerians converged in grand style at an event, organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Americas (NIDOA), USA, which also featured the inauguration of the new members of the Board of Directors for the organisation. Mrs Patience Key, the new Chairperson, NIDOA USA, in her address, said Nigerians in the U.S. were synonymous with the virtues of hard work, resilience and ingenuity. While regrettably admitting some of the daunting challenges Nigeria currently faced, she said Nigerians in the Diaspora would rise to the responsibility of contributing its quota as a major stakeholder in the rebuilding Nigeria project. Key said: “This administration of NIDOA USA Board of Directors commits to restore mutual trust amongst Nigerians at home and ...

61 people die in violence in Ethiopia’s Oromiya region Officials said 61 people have been killed in clashes between different ethnic groups in Ethiopia’s Oromiya region. The latest bout of violence to highlight increasing instability in a province racked by bloody protests in 2015 and 2016. Regional spokesman Addisu Kitessa said from Thursday, 29 ethnic Oromos were killed by ethnic Somali attackers in the region’s Hawi Gudina and Daro Lebu districts. The violence triggered revenge attacks by ethnic Oromos in another district, resulting in the killing of 32 Somalis who were being sheltered in the area following a previous round of violence. “The region is working to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the spokesman said in a statement. The cause of the latest violence was not known, but it followed protests in Oromiya’s Celenko town where the region’s officials said 16 ethnic Oromos were shot dead on Tuesday by soldiers trying to disperse the crowd. “We...

Boxer Amir Khan and wife Faryal Makhdoom make first public appearance since their marital crisis (Photos) Amir Khan and his pregnant wife Faryal Makhdoom have made their first public appearance since their heated marital crisis in August. The Boxer and his beauty expert wife were pictured all smiles as they hit the red carpet for BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017,  which held at the city's Echo Arena on Sunday night. Their outing comes days after the British boxer was evicted from British survival reality television game show, I'm A Celebrity. See more photos below..

Parents attack Igbinedion's daughter, Omosede, for coming to pick her son from school with a Rolls Royce Omosede Igbinedion is a member of the House of Representatives and one of the daughters of billionaire businessman, Gabriel Igbinedion.  She went to pick her son from school with a Rolls Royce yesterday and according to her, other mothers who came to pick their children, caused a scene. Read what she wrote on her IG page below... 'Yesterday, I saw a woman run frantic, all because I brought a Rolls Royce to school to pick up Alex. She was so mad! Then she further attracted some other shallow people. One of the ladies said she would bring 4 Rolls Royce's tomorrow. Another one said she would park in the same spot I did, as the car took up the space of 2 cars. It just made me laugh. You need to see the scene the woman caused. I really thought it was sad. Is anyone stopping them ? I just don't get it. I taught my son yesterday that hard work i...

Russia 2018: How FIFA almost kicked out Nigeria’s Super Eagles from World Cup On Tuesday, the Super Eagles of Nigeria escaped being kicked out of the 2018 World Cup, after FIFA awarded three goals and three points to Algeria. What was Nigeria’s offence? Fielding Shehu Abdullahi. The fullback was ineligible to feature in the qualifying game. However, for some reason, nobody was able to point that out to Gernot Rohr. The president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Melvin Pinnick, had tried to explain why that happened. “Shehu Abdullahi got his first yellow card in our very first preliminary match against Swaziland away. When the draws for the Group Stages were made, the Technical staff made a grave error; assumption. They assumed the cards gotten prior would not count. “To be fair to them, through out the qualifying series, official match documents didn’t even show that Shehu Abdullahi was on a yellow card. For instance, when we play...

Alao-Akala, Folarin, Adigun, Arapaja, others officially join APC in Oyo The All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated its preparedness to bury activities of opposition parties in the current political dispensation. This was as it concluded arrangements to welcome former governor of the state, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala; former Senate leader, Senator Teslim Folarin and former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Ayodele Adigun, to its fold on Saturday. Others expected to join the party were Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, Honourable Segun Odebunmi, Mr Rauf Olaniyan, Honourable Ayoola Makanjuola, Alhaji Rasaq Gbadegesin, alongside their supporters, at a ceremony tagged “mother of all defections in the politics of Oyo State.” This was made known through a statement issued in Ibadan on Wednesday by the state publicity secretary of the party, Olawale Sadare and made available to newsmen. Sadare said some of the “political bigwigs” who had joined its f...

Nelly's rape case dropped after accuser refuses to testify about the alleged assault  The rape case against rapper Nelly has been dropped by prosecutors in Washington State. Recall that in October, the rapper was arrested by Auburn police after a young woman accused him of assaulting her on his tour bus. Nelly, however, denied the claims on Twitter. According to a TMZ report on Wednesday, the case was dropped after Nelly's accuser refused to cooperate with the investigation claiming she wouldn't stand a chance taking on a celebrity in court. The report also added that the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office revealed that the alleged victim's refusal to cooperate made it impossible for them to go forward with charging Nelly without any crime. Her attorney also disclosed that the pressure of accusing a huge star like Nelly was just too much for her client.

Ronaldo breaks record as Bale fires Madrid to Club World Cup final Cristiano Ronaldo became the all-time top scorer in FIFA Club World Cup competition as Real Madrid came from behind to defeat Al Jazira 2-1 in a semifinal clash on Wednesday. The Portuguese star, who equalised for Real after Al Jazira had taken a first-half lead through Brazilian forward Romarinho, now has 6 goals to his name in the competition. Ronaldo’s goal did not only save Real from a major shock but took him past Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, as well as Rosario’s Cesar Delgado who are all on five. Both teams having been levelled early in the second half, substitute Gareth Bale scored the winning goal with his first touch to send Real to the FIFA Club World Cup final. The annual tournament features Fifa’s six reigning confederation champions plus the league winners of the host country; in this edition, Al Jazira of United Arab Emirates. With the win, Zi...

“Why I didn’t move Nigeria’s capital to Jos as Head of state” – Gen. Yakubu Gowon Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), revealed on Tuesday that when a decision was being made to move the nation’s capital from Lagos, he could’ve relocated it to Jos, Plateau State but he did not, despite having powers to do so. Gowon, who said he was the initiator of the idea that gave birth to the present Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as the nation’s capital, said he did not relocate the capital to Jos, because he was afraid of been accused of  ‘parochialism’  and showing favoritism, given the fact that the town was close to his place of origin. The former head of state made the revelation in Abuja at the 26th anniversary exhibition and commemoration of the movement of the seat of government from Lagos to Abuja, organised by the Federal Capital Territory Archives and History Bureau. According to Gowon, the first place he foun...

N13bn Ikoyi whistleblower finally gets paid his commission; instead of going mad, he flies out of Nigeria The whistleblower that helped the Federal government recover over N13 billion stashed in an apartment in Ikoyi in April this year has finally been paid his commission. Contrary to the Federal governments fear that he might go mad after receiving the money, the man has decided to leave the country. According to his lawyer, Yakubu Galadinma, the whistleblower was paid N421m and left the shores of Nigeria yesterday morning Wednesday, December 13th. Recall that the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), had said that the Federal government is hesitating to pay the whistle-blower because he might go mad after receiving his N860 million entitlement. Well, he has gotten half of it and it appears he is not mad. Hopefully he enjoys his money in peace.

“I won’t bow to society pressure to marry” – Actress Rita Dominic Nollywood actress, Rita Dominic has vowed not to bow to society pressure to get married despite time running against her at 42. The Theater Arts graduate from the University of Port Harcourt, who is one of Africa’s most accomplished actresses, has often had to deal with qun with a man. But in an interview with a Nigerian magazine recently, the screen diva explained that while it’s not her doing that she is still single at her age, she would only commit to marriage on her own terms and conditions. She said: “I will live with the man, so it is very important that I do it because I want to, not because society wants it for me” While expressing optimism that she would marry soon, the actress said she would wait for God’s right time. “I believe that God is in control of my life and will present the right man to me at the right time.” On the question of whether she is c...

Donald Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s capital President Donald Trump on Wednesday recognized the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital — a historic decision that overturns decades of US policy and risks triggering a fresh spasm of violence in the Middle East. Trump calls for calm and tolerance after Jerusalem decision “I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” Trump said from the White House. “It’s the right thing to do.” The declaration calls into question seven decades of deliberate diplomatic ambiguity about the final status of a holy city vociferously claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians. Trump also kicked off the process of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, making good on a campaign promise dear to evangelical Christian and right-wing Jewish voters — as well as donors. He said his decision marked the start of a “new approach” to solving the thorny conflict be...

REVEALED: Who English clubs can face in the #UCL knockout stages ENGLISH clubs have made history – with all FIVE teams qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages. It is the first time ever that five sides from a single country have made it through to the last 16 of the tournament. Liverpool joined the party in style with a 7-0 demolition of Spartak Moscow that confirmed they qualified as Group E winners. The victory meant four Premier League sides topped their Euro groups for the first time since the 2006-07 season. And Philippe Coutinho’s hat-trick helped take Reds’ group goal tally to 23 — beating United’s record of 20 for a Prem side set in their Treble-winning season of 1998-99. Manchester City lost to Shakhtar Donetsk, while Tottenham beat Apollon Limassol, but both Prem sides could relax ahead of their games – already confirmed as group-toppers in F and H respectively. Manchester United were already through, but...

Appeal Court affirms Senator Raji-Rasaki’s election The Court of Appeal sitting in Ado-Ekiti has upheld the election of the Senator representing Ekiti Central, Mrs. Fatimat Raji-Rasaki. The appellate court dismissed an appeal filed by a fellow contestant in the Peoples Democratic Party’s primary, Lateef Ajijola, for lacking in merit. The three-man panel led by Justice Ahmad Belgore held that the case was statute-barred because it was filed out of time. The court held that it could not assume jurisdiction on the matter because the time frame for filing the originating summons had lapsed when it was instituted. Ajijola had approached the court claiming that he won the majority of the valid votes cast at the primary, hence he should have been fielded as the candidate at the main election. Counsel to the plaintiff, Mr. Niran Owoseni, said the decision of the court was final, being the last court that could adjudicate over such matter. When approached f...

Gaddafi’s Son Saif al-Islam ‘Seeking Comeback To Libya Politics’ Saif   al-Islam, son   of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, is seeking a return to politics in the divided North African country, a report has said. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was released in June after being detained for six years by a militia in the town of Zintanfollowing the 2011 uprising that led to the killing of his father. Saif al-Islam came to prominence in Libyan politics some 15 years ago when he began talking publicly about the need for economic reforms. He highlighted some of the human rights violations being perpetrated by his father’s regime, and was soon tipped as the heir in waiting. Now he stands accused by the International Criminal Court of orchestrating a campaign of mass murder against Libyan pro-democracy protesters as the Gaddafis fought desperately to hold on to power. In recent weeks he has reportedly claimed to have ...

Mother allegedly offers her twins for N.35m A 30-year-old woman, Salima Lawal, of Marabar Kankara town in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State has been arrested by the state Police Command for allegedly attempting to sell her twins for N350,000. The state Police Commissioner, Been Gwana, confirmed the incident to journalists at a press briefing in Katsina on Wednesday. He said Lawal had already negotiated and agreed to sell the twins for the said amount to “a good Samaritan” at Ruwan Godiya village in Faskari Local Government Area of the state on December 2, 2017 when Police arrested her. Details of the sex of the twins and their age were, however, not given. The Police Commissioner said the case was still under investigation, adding that Lawal would be arraigned in court soon.

Pep Guardiola vs Jose Mourinho: this time it’s for real After the phoney war of their first season in Manchester, the rivalry between Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola will resume for real in Sunday’s seismic derby showdown at Old Trafford. The two managers renewed acquaintances at the beginning of last season after Mourinho took the reins at Manchester United and Guardiola set up shop across town at Manchester City. Guardiola claimed first blood, leading City to a 2-1 win at Old Trafford in September 2016, but both teams fell by the wayside thereafter, finishing the campaign well adrift of Premier League champions Chelsea. Fifteen games into the new season, City are eight points clear of United at the head of the table and Sunday’s game is being billed as Mourinho’s big chance to stick a spoke in Guardiola’s wheels. “We have a big week, with Swansea and Tottenham following the United game,” says City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. “If we lost two out of t...

Bitcoin Climbs Above $13,000 To Reach New All-Time High Bitcoin climbed above $13,000 Wednesday afternoon after topping $12,000 Tuesday night. The digital currency began the year below $1,000 and its gains have accelerated as investor interest grows. Chicago-based Cboe Global Markets is planning to launch bitcoin futures on Sunday, while the world’s largest futures exchange, CME, is set to launch its futures product the following week. The addition of bitcoin futures by two respected exchanges marks another step towards establishing the digital currency as a legitimate asset class. However, JPMorgan Chase Jamie Dimon has called bitcoin a “fraud.” Digital currency investor and former Fortress hedge fund manager Michael Novogratz also said last week that cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are “going to be the biggest bubble of our lifetimes.” Novogratz also predicted last week that bitcoin could reach $40,000 by the end of next year.

What next for Atletico Madrid after Champions League exit Twice finalists in the last four seasons, Atletico Madrid’s Champions League campaign came to an abrupt end this time round as they failed to reach the last 16 for the first time in five seasons. Diego Simeone admitted his side were “condemned” by their inability to beat Azerbaijani Champions League debutants Qarabag over two games as despite taking four points from a possible six off group winners Roma, they finished third also behind Chelsea in Group C. Having just moved into a new 310 million euro ($367 million) stadium at the Wanda Metropolitano, which will host next season’s Champions League final, and broken the club’s transfer record to bring Diego Costa back to the Spanish capital in January, an early Champions League exit is also an untimely financial blow. Here, AFP Sports looks at the repercussions for Atletico. – Financial fallout – In six years in charge, Simeone has transformed At...

Atiku Abubakar Barred from Voting at PDP Convention The Peoples Democratic Party has said that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will not vote at its December 9 national convention, which holds at Eagles Square, Abuja. According to a statement from the party, this is because of the provision of the Constitution that deals with new entrants into the party. However, the party said he would be allowed to speak at the convention. While revealing more details, the party spokesperson, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, who spoke with journalists at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, said the party’s constitution should be used as a guide on the issue. Adeyeye said,  “All you need to do is pick up the constitution of the party and see whether Atiku is qualified to vote or not.” When pressed further, he said,  “First of all, I can tell you that we are happy with Atiku coming back to the PDP. It is very exciting for all of us. It is a good omen to e...

NYSC bans night parties, indecent dressing National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Suleiman Kazaure, has warned corps members against engaging in night parties in their areas of posting. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the NYSC Director General gave the warning on Wednesday when he visited the Ekiti State Orientation Camp in Ise/Orun/Emure-Ekiti. Mr. Kazaure also warned Corps members against involvement in sharp practices like Advanced Fee Fraud also known as “419” and Internet scam otherwise known as “Yahoo-yahoo”. He also warned female corps members against indecent dressing. Mr. Kazaure, a brigadier general, advised corps members to key into the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) policy of the agency. He said the SAED programme was put in place to empower corps members to be job creators rather than job seekers. He enjoined corps members to respect the culture ...

Federal govt has no intention to increase fuel pump price – Lai Mohammed The Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday dispelled the rumour that the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) would be increased. He gave this explanation while addressing state house correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which was presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. He said that the Minister of Petroleum (State), Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, would have been at the briefing but had to go for an urgent meeting in order to resolve the petroleum scarcity in the country. “Government has no intention at all to increase the pump price of PMS; the minister has assured the council that there is enough products for the next one month even to end of January,’’ the minister stated. According to him, there is usually more demand for petrol product during the yuletide which explains the scarcity of the product during the period. Moha...