Manchester United moved level on points with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League as Bruno Fernandes’s penalty saw off Aston Villa 2-1 in an entertaining clash at Old Trafford.
Anthony Martial’s header five minutes before the break was just reward for a bright start by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men, but they were pegged back by Bertrand Traore’s equaliser just before the hour mark.
Just three minutes later, though, United’s talisman Fernandes won the game from the spot after Paul Pogba had been upended inside the area.
Another season just contending for a top-four finish looked in store for United after winning just two of their opening six league games.
But as all the other contenders have stumbled in recent weeks, the Red Devils have now taken 26 from a possible 30 points to mount an unexpected title challenge.
Solskjaer’s side needed a 93rd minute winner to beat Wolves on Tuesday, but were far faster out the blocks this time round.
Martial forced Emiliano Martinez into an excellent save high to his left inside 10 minutes before Fred, Pogba and Fernandes fired efforts just off target.
The breakthrough came five minutes before the break and owed much to Pogba’s ingenuity with the Frenchman finally starting to find form despite the speculation over his future.
Pogba and Marcus Rashford combined to send Aaron Wan-Bissaka free down the right and his cross was headed home by Martial at the near post.
Villa were on a five-game unbeaten run themselves to earn a place in the top six and showed why with their start to the second-half as United were forced back.
Jack Grealish was again at the heart of all the visitors’ best work going forward and it was from his cross that Ollie Watkins’s header produced a fine reflex save from David De Gea.
From Grealish’s next dangerous delivery, Villa deservedly equalised as this time Traore took a touch and slotted low past De Gea.
However, Dean Smith’s men quickly undid their good work as a soft challenge from Douglas Luiz on Pogba was deemed enough for a penalty by referee Michael Oliver.
Fernandes’s near-perfect penalty record continued as he slotted the spot-kick just out of the reach of Martinez for his 15th goal of the season.
Pogba should have rounded off a promising performance by sealing the points when he side-footed just wide when unmarked inside the area before more Martinez heroics denied Fernandes a double as he turned the Portuguese’s fierce effort onto the crossbar.
And United needed a big save from their own goalkeeper in stoppage time to hang on as De Gea sprang to his right to turn Matty Cash’s long-range effort behind.
Everton Lack ‘Quality’
Earlier, Everton missed the chance to close to within a point of the top two as they were beaten 1-0 at home by West Ham.
The Toffees failed to exert themselves on a West Ham side playing their third game in six days and were punished when Tomas Soucek slotted home the winner four minutes from time.
“It was not a good game,” said Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti.
“We didn’t have opportunities and we didn’t concede opportunities, they had a lucky deflection and we lost the game. We could play with more intensity and more quality up front.”
David Moyes’s men had the toughest festive fixture schedule in the Premier League in terms of rest and he said there has been a change in mindset with the Hammers this season to battle through adversity.
“The players have played three games in six games, they are amazing,” said Moyes, who won for the first time as a visiting manager at Goodison Park, where he made his name in 11 years in charge of Everton.
“I don’t think there was any difference in the fitness levels so great credit to the players, there has been a big change in the mentality here at West Ham.”
Victory took West Ham to within three points of third, although they remain in 10th in a tight Premier League table.
The Board of Directors of the First City Monument Bank has said it is currently reviewing allegations of unethical conduct against its Managing Director, Adam Nuru.
Nuru has been at the centre of a marriage scandal involving Moyo Thomas, a former employee of the bank, and his late husband, Tunde Thomas.
A petition initiated by friends of the deceased, on Thursday had alleged that Tunde died of depression after discovering that his supposed two children with Moyo belong to the FCMB MD.
It also called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to sack Nuru, while demanding a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
“This is a case of gross misconduct based on ethical grounds and an unjustifiable economic oppression by the elite (Adam Nuru) against the underprivileged in the society,” the petition, which has already garnered over 700 signatures, reads.
“The MD has been doing everything possible to sweep this case under the carpet. We implore the Central Bank of Nigeria, as the apex regulator, and the board of FCMB to investigate this for the integrity of the bank and Nigerian banking industry.”
But in a statement sent to SaharaReporters on Friday, FCMB Group Head, Corporate Affairs, Diran Olojo, said the bank was aware of the allegations making the rounds against its MD.
He, however, said the bank’s board of directors had already commenced a review into the matter, adding that its findings would be disclosed in due course.
“We are aware of several stories circulating across several media platforms about our bank’s Managing Director, Adam Nuru, a former employee Ms Moyo Thomas and her deceased ex husband, Mr Tunde Thomas,” the statement read.
“While this is a personal matter, the tragedy of the death of Mr Tunde Thomas and the allegations of unethical conduct, require the bank’s board to conduct a review of what transpired, any violations of our code of ethics and the adequacy of these code of conduct ethics. This will be done immediately.
“We enjoin all our stakeholders to bear with us as we conduct this review and to please respect the various families involved.
“Our Board of Directors are reviewing all aspects of this report and once they are done with their review, we will revert to you.”
Pastor Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God has released his prophecies for 2021 hours after the RCCG crossover service.
See it below:
Prophecies for 2021
International Scene
1. Some of the things that happened in 2020 will spill over into 2021.
2. The world as a whole can only come out of the wounds when they admit the following;
3. That it is the Most High that rules in the affairs of men not science. Daniel 4:25.
4. That it is God that gives wisdom to the wise. Daniel 2:20-21
5. That God can reduce the so called wisdom of man to foolishness. 1 Corinthians 1:19-20. 4)
6. That for every vaccine discovered, there is already a variant in the making. This will continue until the high and mighty admit that safety is of the Lord. Proverbs 21:31.
7. God says He will begin to deal with nations on an individual basis so that in any nation if God’s people will humble themselves and pray, He will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Nigeria
1. God wants us in Nigeria to know that only God can lift a siege. 2 Kings 7:1-end
2. The humble who put their trust in God will see the end of the siege. James 4:6
3. The erstwhile ignored will become vessels unto honour in God’s hands. 1 Corinthians 1:27
4. God says there will be sounds from heaven.
RCCG
Your pastors will let you know in your various parishes.
Individuals
1. Your very survival and restoration will be in your own hands. Psalm 91
NEW YEAR SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
1ST JANUARY 2021
My fellow countrymen and women,
First, I would like to thank and praise the Almighty who saw us through the year 2020 and has given us the opportunity to witness the start of another new year. We especially thank God because the year 2020 was one of the most trying years since our existence as a Nation.
2. This can also be said about all other nations around the world, due to the challenges posed on our collective humanity by the novel COVID-19 pandemic.
3. While acknowledging that 2020 was a very tough year, we saw this year put to test our national resilience and ability to survive these tough times and also gave renewed hope that we will again brave any storms that lay ahead in 2021 and beyond.
4. As we celebrate the opportunity before us in this New Year 2021, we must also acknowledge the passing away of our brothers and sisters who didn’t make it into this New Year. May their souls rest in perfect peace.
5. We must remember that we also celebrated the historic occasion of our sixty years as an independent and sovereign country on October 1st, 2020. In the spirit of hope and gratitude, I would like to remind us again that as a country on the difficult journey to nationhood and greatness, we have confounded the many pundits at home and around the world who never gave the newly-born country that emerged unto the world stage on 1st October 1960 a chance of surviving much longer than a few years.
6. Yet, here we are, 61 years by the next anniversary in October, and not only are we here, we are standing tall in the comity of nations as one country united under the will of God and also actively growing that indivisible Nigerian spirit that has enabled us, year after year, decade after decade, to weather all stormy waters and emerge stronger and better where others have fallen and disintegrated. This nation, this Nigeria will survive and thrive.
7. In this journey to nationhood, we have experienced the highs and lows. 2020 indeed came with a lot of challenges ranging from security and economic issues across the regions to understandable protests that were mainly led by our youths and served notice to the demand for police reforms and accountability. This government heard, this government listened and this government is committed to fulfilling the five demands of our youths, fully understanding that we all wish well for Nigeria.
8. In the midst of all these challenges, I had initially pledged that as your elected President and Commander-in-Chief, I would ensure that these ongoing challenges will be faced head-on with renewed determination and with all the appropriateness and urgency required. Your voices have been heard and we would continue to listen to you, and all the key stakeholders who are committed to the unity of Nigeria to ensure that every region of this nation is safe for us all, while guaranteeing that the future is also secure for the coming generation.
9. I wish to also use this occasion of New Year to reaffirm my commitment to the people of Nigeria, especially the youth who need our collective encouragement and support. In securing this nation we need to secure the future of our youth.
10. Our young people are our most valuable natural resource, at home and abroad. Their ingenuity, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit is evident to all. Many of our young people are excelling in various spheres of life including sports, entertainment, information and communication technology, commerce and are globally recognized as achievers.
11. As a Government we are committed to actively engaging with the creative energies of our young people. In this regard, we will partner with the legislature to develop an enabling environment to turn their passions into ideas that can be supported, groomed, and scaled across regions. This will create vast opportunities in fintech, agriculture, business process startups, and the entertainment industry.
12. The year 2021 will indeed be a year where we will work to reinforce the hopes of fellow Nigerians in the vision of a united and progressive Nigeria. This administration would continue focusing on delivering key strategic priorities under our “SEA” – (Security, Economy, and Anti-Corruption) Agenda. Some of the key priority areas we would direct our attention and strengths to include:
ON THE SECURITY:
13. Re-energizing and reorganizing the security apparatus and personnel of the armed forces and the police with a view to enhancing their capacity to engage, push back and dismantle the operations of both internal and external extremist and criminal groups waging war against our communities in some parts of the country.
14. In line with the current security challenges, we are facing as a Nation, I would like to reiterate the promise I made recently when over 300 of our boys abducted from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara were successfully rescued by our security operatives.
15. The professionalism shown by our Security Forces and the collaboration from all stakeholders across both State and Federal Governments that led to the successful rescue of the boys is proof that Nigeria has the internal capacity to decisively deal with terror attacks on our citizens.
16. However, we recognize that we rapidly have to move to a more proactive and preemptive posture to ensure that these sorts of traumatic incidents do not become a norm. Our administration is fully aware of the responsibility we have to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians, and we will not relent in learning and adapting to changing threats to our national security and civic wellbeing.
ON THE ECONOMY:
17. Our focus is on revamping the economy through the national economic diversification agenda that supports the primary goal of national food self-sufficiency. This has helped reduce the growing food-related inflationary figures and have in considerable measure positively impacted our food security status during the long months of the pandemic lock down.
18. We are also currently rebuilding our national infrastructure base and, in the process, introducing transformation through the rehabilitation, modernization, and expansion of the railway system, national roads, and bridges both in rural and urban centres, alongside the airports and seaports.
19. The reforms we have put in place in the power sector would guarantee increased efficiency in our drive to significantly expand the generation and distribution of electricity for use in homes and factories.
20. As an administration we are currently undertaking a series of special interventions designed to boost job creation and support the entrepreneurial drive of our youths.
21. With the recent opening of our borders, we expect that the pent-up demand of legitimate cross-border and international trade will boost the fortunes of the many small businesses and agricultural enterprises that depend on Nigeria’s trade and commerce.
22. The message to our West African neighbours is that Nigeria is once again fully open for those willing to conduct business in a fair and equitable way.
ANTI-CORRUPTION:
23. On the anti-corruption drive of our administration, we have recorded substantial gains so far and this year, we are committed to continuing along the path of eradicating corruption, through collaboration with all the arms of Government to effectively prosecute this fight.
24. While we would be working with the Legislature to enact laws that would strengthen this fight, we would also be looking at reviewing some of our laws which would ensure that this fight is more effective. On the part of the executive, we would ensure the diligent and timely prosecution of corruption cases, while appealing to the judiciary to ensure that corruption cases are dispensed with expeditiously.
25. The persistence of various forms of violence has meant that in the most affected parts of the country, the fabric of inter-communal harmony woven through years of investment of effort at building trust, mutual respect, and harmony has been threatened.
26. Insecurity as a challenge has direct repercussions on our national economic stability, growth, and development, setting us back at critical points through the destruction of public and private investments.
27. In parts of the country where chronic poverty, social exclusion, and disillusionment among sections of the youth were already a problem, the cycles of violence that have been unleashed by mindless groups like Boko Haram and others have thwarted the efforts of government to undertake the social policy and associated investments that could make a huge difference in the quality of life of our citizens.
28. I am aware that for some of our compatriots, the progress we have registered since the inception of this administration is not nearly as fast or as sufficient as they would wish. I do not begrudge them their views in so far as they signify a wish, in which we all share, for only the very best for our country.
29. Nevertheless, I call upon all Nigerians to carefully recall the circumstances of our coming to office, the facts on the ground, and the resources at our disposal since 2015 with the accomplishments of this administration.
30. As a people, we have shown admirable resilience in the face of every adversity, an unmatched capacity to recover speedily from every setback, an unparalleled generosity of spirit when we resolve our differences, and constant readiness to invest faith and hope in the destiny we share as a united country built on the diversity of its peoples.
31. It is these attributes that underpin the Nigerian spirit of “can do, will do” that gives me hope that we shall yet get to our destination and fulfill our calling together, especially with the solid resolutions we are setting in this new year.
32. Keeping our country on a forward march is a duty that we all have and share. In this regard, keeping our country safe from a resurgent cycle of COVID-19 as this administration finalizes its plans to procure and efficiently and effectively distribute the COVID-19 vaccines, I urge you all fellow citizens to observe strict COVID-19 prevention protocols.
33. As your elected President, my pledge to you is the same as it has always been; I will play my part fully and without fear or favour. I invite all of us to do the same. It is what we owe to the founding generation of our beloved country and also to the coming generation. It is what we desire for national prosperity for all demands.
34. Long Live the Nigerian spirit of oneness, togetherness, and unity. Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I wish you a Happy and prosperous New Year.
Omoyele Sowore, convener of the #RevolutionNow Movement, has been arrested for leading a “crossover protest” in Abuja.
Sowore and other activists had held a procession to mark the New Year.
According to witnesses, they were almost done with the procession when security operatives rounded them up, and many were brutalised in the process.
A source reportedly said they were taken to Abattoir police station in Abuja, where they are being detained.
Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 election, was allegedly injured by the policemen who arrested him.
“Sowore was particularly singled out for torture by the security operatives, who gave him a bloodied nose before whisking him away,” a source reportedly said.
Earlier, Sowore had in a tweet called for the protest across the country.
Mariam Yusuf, police spokesperson for the federal capital territory (FCT), was not available to comment on the arrest.
In August 2019, Sowore was arrested by the Department of State Service (DSS) for planning a nationwide protest.
He spent 141 days in detention before he was eventually granted bail, with a condition restricting him from travelling out of Abuja.
A lady identified as Bea Lewis has claimed she had dated Aliko Dangote, a Nigerian businessman.
She took to her Instagram page on Thursday to recount how the billionaire “broke my heart in 1000 pieces” long after their romantic escapade.
In the post which appeared to be a reflection of the year 2020, Lewis shared pictures of herself, which included a photo that showed her caressing Dangote on his left chin.
The lady — with the Instagram handle (@Iambealewis) — said that dating Africa’s richest man earned her a consistent fitness regime and had her become vegan.
Lewis added that being with Dangote also got her a profitable stock portfolio, changed her perspective on work ethics, and upped her overall financial portfolio.
“I dated the richest black man in the world. He broke my heart in 1000 pieces. I learned more from him than any person I’ve ever met. Communicating with a billionaire daily makes you see the world differently,” she wrote.
“I became more organized and finally am able to step away from the daily kitchen operations. I learned love without strings. Give your best without expectations. Nothing is forever.
“I realized a half a million-dollar restaurant project was a bad investment. I purchased two properties. I started a consistent fitness regime. Became vegan. Obtained a profitable stock portfolio.
“He changed my perspective on work ethic and patience. Once my mindset changed the universe gravitated me to people that uplifted me and increased my net worth mentally and financially. To 2021 and powerful encounters.”
Lewis also went ahead to share what appeared to be a stock certificate alongside videos of herself in the gym.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has said he did not order the closure of churches in the state.
Odumosu had in an earlier statement, on Thursday, instructed policemen to enforce all protocols by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, including the restriction of movement between 12am and 4am.
In another statement issued by the force, the CP, however, said he did not order the closure of churches, but nightclubs, bars, lounges, and event centres, countering a publication (not by SaharaReporters) that he had ordered closure of churches.
The statement partly read, “The command’s statement was explicit on the enforcement of COVID-19 protocols as clearly stated by the Presidential Task Force and the Lagos State Government respectively.
“For clarification, the preventive COVID-19 protocols include the use of face masks at public places, maintaining social distancing, closure of night clubs, bars, lounges, event centres; no social party, street carnivals and due enforcement of the Federal Government imposed 12 midnight to 4am curfew.
“No closure of churches was included in the already established and released COVID-19 protocols, contrary to mischievous publications.”
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has urged that residents of the state and Nigerians to be thankful to God for surviving 2020.
He stated that though many Nigerians would describe the year as a tough one, God saw them through the various challenges that characterised the year.
The governor maintained that despite various events that set the state back economically, the state government was still able to record a huge reduction in infrastructure deficit.
Makinde said this in a 2021 New Year Address made available by his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, titled, ‘Let’s be thankful to God we survived 2020 – Makinde’, on Thursday.
He noted that though 2020 was characterised by drop in oil prices, which led to a huge drop in revenue from federal allocations and the attendant economic meltdown, the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests, among other challenges, residents of the state could still count their blessings.
He said, “Many would describe 2020 as a tough year. At the beginning of the year, the drop in oil prices led to a huge drop in revenue from federal allocations and attendant economic meltdown. In March 2020, many states in Nigeria had cases of COVID-19.
“This necessitated an interstate lockdown by the Federal Government. Although we did not effect a total lockdown in Oyo State, we were not spared the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A few months later, we faced mass protests by the youths and others who were angry about police brutality. Events after the protests also set us back economically.
“However, our 2020 is not defined by these events. Let me recount some of the blessings that 2020 brought us as a people.
“We continued working with our administration’s blueprint, the Roadmap to Accelerated Development in Oyo State, 2019-2023. And I am happy to report that we have continued to reduce our infrastructural deficit, slowly but surely.
“As at September 2020, we had recorded an Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of 25.6 billion Naira. And using the half-year figures, that represented a 26.4 per cent increase in IGR year on year.”
The World Health Organisation on Thursday granted emergency validation to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, paving the way for countries worldwide to quickly approve its import and distribution.
The decision “makes the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine the first to receive emergency validation from WHO since the (novel coronavirus) outbreak began a year ago,” WHO said in a statement.
The WHO’s Emergency Use Listing opens the door for countries to expedite their own regulatory approval processes to import and administer the vaccine. It also enables UNICEF and the Pan-American Health Organisation to procure the vaccine for distribution to countries in need, the global health body said.
The statement quoted WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, Dr Mariângela Simão, as saying, “This is a very positive step towards ensuring global access to COVID-19 vaccines. But I want to emphasize the need for an even greater global effort to achieve enough vaccine supply to meet the needs of priority populations everywhere.
“WHO and our partners are working night and day to evaluate other vaccines that have reached safety and efficacy standards. We encourage even more developers to come forward for review and assessment. It’s vitally important that we secure the critical supply needed to serve all countries around the world and stem the pandemic.”
Regulatory experts convened by WHO from around the world and WHO’s own teams reviewed the data on the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine’s safety, efficacy and quality as part of a risk-versus-benefit analysis.
“The review found that the vaccine met the must-have criteria for safety and efficacy set out by WHO, and that the benefits of using the vaccine to address COVID-19 offset potential risks,” WHO added.
A Republican senator said Wednesday that he will object to Congress’s certification next week of the results of the November 3 US presidential election, a move that may slightly delay — but not derail — the final confirmation of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory.
Several Republican members of the House of Representatives have also said they plan to object to the January 6 certification of the Electoral College vote but Josh Hawley of Missouri was the first senator to confirm so publicly.
Vice President Mike Pence is to lead the joint session of Congress which certifies the Electoral College results that determine the winner of the White House race.
Biden won 306 of the Electoral College votes that represent the returns of the popular vote in each of the US states while incumbent Donald Trump won 232.
Congressional certification of the Electoral College results has historically been a formality but Trump has refused to acknowledge his defeat and spent the past two months making claims of election fraud while not producing any credible evidence.
Dozens of lawsuits brought by the Trump campaign and his Republican allies alleging election irregularities have been dismissed by courts around the country.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has reportedly sought to dissuade fellow Republican senators from objecting to certification of the results but Hawley said he plans to do so anyway and he may be joined by other Republican senators.
At least one member of the House and one member of the Senate needs to lodge an objection to certification to send it to the floor for debate and a vote.
A vote would be doomed to failure, however, in the Democratic-controlled House and would also be unlikely to pass in the Republican-majority Senate, where a number of Republican senators have already acknowledged Biden’s victory.
‘Election Integrity’
Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the House, said Wednesday that Hawley’s move would come to nothing.
“I have no doubt that on next Wednesday, a week from today, that Joe Biden will be confirmed by the acceptance of the vote of the Electoral College as the 46th president of the United States,” Pelosi said.
Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the Biden transition team who has been tapped to be next White House press secretary, also said the move would not prevent Biden from taking office on January 20.
“Let me first say the American people spoke resoundingly in this election and 81 million people have voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” Psaki told reporters.
“Regardless of what anyone is up to on January 6, President-elect Biden will be sworn in on the 20th,” she added.
Hawley said he was objecting to certification because of concerns about “election integrity” and noted that Democrats had done so in the past.
“Following both the 2004 and 2016 elections, Democrats in Congress objected during the certification of electoral votes in order to raise concerns about election integrity,” he said in a statement. “And they were entitled to do so.
“But now those of us concerned about the integrity of this election are entitled to do the same,” Hawley said. “At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections.”
Trump has called on his supporters to converge on Washington on January 6 to pressure lawmakers not to certify Biden’s win.
The rally could draw thousands of Trump backers who believe his unfounded claims that massive voting fraud caused his defeat and prevented him from serving a second term.
