Americas WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder says he is willing to face Anthony Joshua in Britain in a fight for the undisputed crown.

Briton Joshua (21-0) collected his fourth world heavyweight title belt on Saturday when he defeated Joseph Parker in Cardiff and then challenged Wilder (40-0) to a fight in Britain.

Anthony, I am so glad we finally heard from you on Saturday and that you want to fight me as your next opponent and you want the fight to happen in the UK, Wilder, 32, said in a statement.

I accept that challenge and I am ready to come to the UK for my next fight. There is nothing on Team Wilders side to prevent me from fighting you next.

Thanks Anthony, I cant wait to meet you in the ring.

The WBC title is the only one remaining on Joshuas radar after he added the WBO championship to his WBA, IBF and IBO titles by defeating New Zealands previously unbeaten Parker on Saturday by unanimous decision.

Source: NAN

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero did not make the trip to Liverpools Anfield and has been ruled out of todays Champions League quarter-final first leg tie after failing to recover in time from a thigh injury.

The Argentine is Citys all-time top scorer having notched 199 goals in all competitions for the club.

He has stayed in Manchester, he didnt come, City manager Pep Guardiola told a news conference ahead of training on Tuesday.

Hes been injured for the last two weeks and he still isnt fit, added the Spanish manager, who was unable to say if Aguero will be fit for Saturdays Premier League derby clash with Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.

Agueros absence means a likely start for Brazilian Gabriel Jesus in attack.

There was some good news on the injury front for City with left back Fabian Delph, who has been out since February, fit again and in contention for a place in the starting lineup.

The Liverpool-City clash will be the fifth at this stage of the competition between two English clubs, and the third involving Liverpool.

Liverpool have played in six of the ten previous all-English encounters in the European Cup (including the only one in the pre-UEFA Champions League era), and seven of the 14 in UEFA club competition overall.

Only one has previously featured Manchester City beaten in both legs by Chelsea in the 1970/71 European Cup Winners Cup semi-finals with most involving Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.

That quartet, as the Premier Leagues big four, helped England dominate the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League between 2004 and 2011.

*Reuters

Source: NAN

England have been listed as an African nation with capital in Banjul in the official programme for the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, leaving the local organisers red-faced.

The A$10 (5.5) programme is being sold at newsagents and merchandise tents around the balmy Queensland resort.

It has Englands population listed at just over two million and their first Commonwealth Games appearance in 1970.

Banjul is the capital of west African nation, The Gambia, which was a late entry to the Gold Coast Games.

Organising committee boss Mark Peters said The Gambias participation, which was confirmed last month, had led to the printing gaffe.

He however said both England and The Gambia have taken it in good humour, while England has also declined the offer of a complete re-print.

We found out about it maybe 10 days ago, Peters told reporters at a media briefing ahead of the opening ceremony starting 7 p.m. local time (0900 GMT).

We went and spoke to England and said that, Congratulations, the Commonwealths changing and it has since Brexit. And part of you is now part of Africa.

Sometimes you make mistakes and we cop it and we spoke to England.

We are actually doing a special re-print of 500 to give to the English and to the CGF to make sure that in terms of the records thats done correctly.

We looked at putting stickers into the programmes and all that. But I guess in another minor ticketing issue, we say theyre going to be so valuable after the Games because of that mistake.

Ghana womens hockey captain Nafisatu Umaru humbly welcomed England as an African nation, prompting a laugh from reporters at the media briefing.

England has made a big impact for us and England is part of our success story, she said.

The programme error follows a printing mistake revealed in February that had the wrong day listed for the opening ceremony on some 14,000 tickets sold for the event.

The official ticket seller was also criticised in the same month after getting session times wrong on hundreds of tickets for a number of the Games sporting events.

England topped the medals table at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The quadrennial Games feature mainly nations and territories from the former British empire.(Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi has appointed Dr Hygenius Nwokwu as the new Secretary to State Government (SSG).

The appointment came less than six hours after Prof Bernard Odoh, the former SSG, resigned his appointment.

The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Umahi, Mr Emmanuel Uzo confirmed the appointment in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki on Tuesday.

He said: Yes, Dr Hygenius Nwokwu has been appointed the new SSG and his appointment is with immediate effect.

The Governor personally signed the appointment letter and the SSG has assumed duty immediately .

Nwokwu has previously held appointments as Commissioner for Education, Commissioner for Rural Development and Commissioner in the Ebonyi Civil Service Commission.

He was until his present appointment, the Permanent Member in Ebonyi Secondary Education Board (SEB).

Odo, appointed SSG in May 29, 2015 resigned his appointment in the late hours of Tuesday, April 2. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Mr. Alexander Mwolwu, Plateau PDP chieftain has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of plotting to discredit the party to promote Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Obasanjo, had in a statement made on Monday, told Nigerians not to take the apology offered by PDP some weeks ago serious and had described it as a corrupt political party.

Mwolwus told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Pankshin that Obasanjos pronouncement is very unfortunate and selfish in nature.

While describing PDPs apology to Nigerians through its National Chairman as a right step in the right direction, he said: Only great men own up to their mistakes.

If PDP had apologised willingly having owned up to its mistakes, it shouldnt be castigated for that because every human organisation has its own limitations.

Even though Obasanjos plots to discredit PDP to promote his own political party, SDP, he seems to have missed it and does not know what he is doing. He is the most ungrateful and corrupt Nigerian leader, who never knew how PDP was formed.

But all the same, his party will not be anywhere close to having the confidence of Nigerians if that is the way he wants to go drumming support for it.

Obasanjo was never a member of PDP but out of sheer pity and magnanimity, the party brought him out of prison and made him president on a platter of gold, the chieftain alleged.

Mwolwus further stated, we made him who he is today, yet he had the guts to spit and shout against us.

The PDP chieftain accused the ex-president of introducing corruption and corrupting the National Assembly with his third term failed ambition.

According to him, Obasanjo corruptly sold out government properties to his cronies and spent billions of Naira on electricity. Nigerians couldnt see its impact but only darkness.

Mwolwus described The list of alleged looters released by the federal government on Sunday, as lopsided and unreal since the names of those who jumped from PDP to APC were omitted.

By that list, President Buhari ended up disappointing his ardent admirers and supporters. If people who looted and jumped into APC and those in APC that were caught red handed are not on the list, but only PDP members, then there is question mark on it (list), Mwolwus said.

He called on Nigerians not to be bothered by the game plans of APC and Obasanjo, but should keep faith with PDP, which he said has realised its mistakes and wishes to give them a purposeful leadership in 2019.

Source: NAN

By Gami Tadanyigbe

Former councillors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have elected national executives that will pilot the affairs of members across the country.

The new executives were elected at the forums national convention held in Abuja.

The Patron of the forum, Danladi Etsu Zhin, said the new body would help in setting up structures that would bring development closer to rural dwellers.

Zhin, a former Chairman of Kuje Area Council in the FCT, served as councillor between 1991 and 1993.

He noted that councillors were closer to the grassroots and should be provided with a platform to always contribute towards effective development of their people.

He described the forum as political mobiliser that needed full attention to boost development across the 774 local governments in the country.

Zhin said the idea of the forum was initiated as a means of connecting government to the people at the local level, as well as ensuring APCs victory at the forthcoming elections.

In their separate acceptance speeches, the forums Chairman, Egop Igah, from Rivers State, and Secretary, Hajiya Aisha Yakubu, pledged their commitment to connect political office holders together.

Source: NAN

The governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have met with President Muhammadu Buhari after the February meeting they had in Katsina, but refused to disclose their discussion.

The meeting on Tuesday was held at the Council Chambers in Abuja and all the governors refused to unveil the reason for the meeting.

There are speculations that the governors discussed the issue of tenure elongation of party leaders.

At the end of the meeting, the governors left the State House without speaking with journalists on the outcome of the dialogue.

One of the governor was heard saying that they were directed not to speak with journalists over issues discussed at the meeting.

Sources said that the meeting could not reach consensus on some of the issues discussed including the challenges facing the APC national executives over tenure elongation.

The governors, who appeared divided over the issue of tenure elongation for the APC national executives, had met briefly among themselves before the arrival of President Buhari for the meeting.

Buhari had at the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on March 27, said the tenure elongation of the partys executives was illegal and unconstitutional.

The APC National Chairman, Mr John Odigie-Oyegun had earlier today inaugurated a committee to advise the party on the way forward following President Buharis recent opposition to the tenure extension.

The NEC had extended by a year, the tenure of Odigie-Oyegun-led executives and others across all levels of the party starting from June.

The president said the decision was unconstitutional and already causing acrimony within the party.

He said: In particular, I think it is important for me to speak quickly on the contentious issue of the tenure of our National and State Executive Officers.

As we all know, a motion was moved at the last National Executive Committee meeting of February 27, 2018, to the effect that when the tenure of the current executives expire in June this year, they should be allowed to continue for one year.

This motion was duly carried by a majority of members present at the last NEC meeting, even though some of our party members have since spoken up very vehemently against it. Others have even taken the matter to court.

On my own part, I have taken some time to review and seek advice on the resolution. And what I found is that it contravenes both our party Constitution and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Another meeting between the APC governors and the President would be reconvened next week at the same venue.

Governors at the meeting include Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Jubrilla Bindow (Adamawa), Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Abdufatah Ahmed (Kwara).

Also in attendance are Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Tanko Al- Makura (Nasarawa), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Abubakar Bello (Niger).

The rest include Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun).

Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari and Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe were absent at the meeting while Gov. Abdullahi Abubakar of Bauchi State was represented by his deputy.

The President had earlier in February met with the APC governors when he was in his hometown in Daura in Katsina State.

Chairman of APC Governors Forum and Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, led the governors on the visit, coming exactly one year to the presidential election.

Okorocha told journalists that the governors were in Daura to commiserate with President Buhari over the loss of two members of his extended family.

Source: NAN

Sierra Leones governing party has accused Britain, African Union and ECOWAS of planning to rig the presidential election.

All Peoples Congress (APC) said Britain and the regional blocs were spearheading an international conspiracy to effect regime change by rigging its presidential election.

The party, through a spokesman, said Tuesday the conspiracy involved the African Union, the West African regional bloc Ecowas and the Commonwealth, among others.

Deputy Information minister and a government spokesman Cornelius Deveaux, said the British High Commissioner in Freetown was championing the conspiracy alongside former Ghanaian President John Mahama.

Mr Mahama is heading the Commonwealth Elections Observation Mission in the country.

There is an international conspiracy to steal our victory. It is led by British High Commissioner, Guy Warrington, and implemented by former Ghanaian President John Mahama, Mr Deveaux, told state broadcaster SLBC.

Mr Deveaux, who is also the APC publicity secretary, said they had got evidence indicating that a brother of President Mahama was bankrolling the campaign of the opposition candidate, Brig (Rtd) Julius Maada Bio.

The allegations come as the country anxiously awaits the results of the March 31 presidential run-off election pitching Brig Bio against APCs Dr Samura Kamara.

Both parties have issued statements claiming victory, even without the National Electoral Commission (NEC) releasing any figures.

On Monday, SLPP held a press conference where it presented the outcome of its tally indicating a 2 per cent victory margin for its candidate.

An internationally mediated peace deal in Freetown on the same day paved the way for the resumption of vote tallying after it was stopped due to disagreement between the two parties. At that meeting, the head of NEC, Mr Mohamed Nfa Allie Conteh, promised to announce the final results within the next 48 hours.

There were rumours now that APC was preparing to seek a court injunction blocking NEC from announcing the results.

While the nation awaits, conspiracy theories continue to fuel tension amidst reports of violence in parts of the country, thanks to accusations and counter-accusations of ballot stuffing.

Meanwhile, the Defence ministry has angrily dismissed the opposition allegations of a plot to assassinate its presidential candidate and it called on the police to investigate the matter.

Source:

Source: NAN

Two women died on Tuesday in an auto crash involving the motorcade bearing the wife of Abia Governor, Mrs Nkechi Ikpeazu.One of the dead was Nwamaka Maduchukwu, the media aide to Mrs. Ikpeazu.

The other woman was identified as Mrs Promise Uche-Nwamkpa, wife of a former member of the Abia State House of Assembly.

Maduchukwu was a senior special assistant on media to Mrs. Ikpeazu.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the accident occurred when the motorcade was returning to Umuahia from Ntigha-Uzor in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia, where Ikpeazu had attended a burial.

Witnesses said that the Hummer carrying the deceased somersaulted thrice, when the driver attempted to overtake a vehicle at Ndiolumbe around 5 p.m.

A female occupant of the vehicle, who escaped unhurt, told NAN that the driver was on high speed when the accident occurred.

The driver was on high speed and everybody in the vehicle was asking him to slow down. Suddenly the bus started jumping up and down before it started somersaulting, she said.

She said that the vehicle somersaulted about three times and that she only found herself seated safely on a field by the road.

The middle-aged, fair-complexioned woman, who was wearing a dress designed for the burial, was full of praises to God, saying that I escaped death by His grace.

The driver of the Hummer, Mr Bright Ugwubujor, blamed the accident on brake failure.

Narrating the incident to NAN at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Ugwubujor said that the accident occurred when he attempted to overtake a vehicle ahead of him.

When I tried to overtake the vehicle, I noticed an oncoming vehicle and attempted to retreat but I encountered a bump on the road and when I tried to apply the brake it could not work.

Immediately, the vehicle began to somersault, he said.

A medical doctor at the unit, where all the victims were brought for medical attention, confirmed to NAN the death of the two women.

He said that other occupants of the bus, including the driver sustained bruises and minor injuries.

He further said Mrs Promise Uche-Nwamkpa, was brought in dead to the hospital.

The second woman, Mrs Nwamaka Maduchukwu, gave up while doctors were battling to resuscitate her with the aid of an oxygen, he said

Maduchukwu was a widow and mother of four children.

She was also the chairperson, State Information Chapel of the Abia Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

The Chairman of NUJ in the state, Mr John Emejor, who was at the hospital to sympathise with the victims, has expressed shock over the incident.

Also, the former lawmaker, Uche-Nwamkpa, who came to the hospital to identify the body of his wife, wept uncontrollably.

Her body was thereafter taken to the hospital morgue.

Meanwhile, members of Maduchukwus church and colleagues resorted to frantic prayers to revive her.

An aide to the governors wife, Mr Chika Ojiegbe, said the Office of the Wife of the Governor will issue a release soon. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Aside the cost of maintenance and modernisation of nuclear weapons, Nigeria has warned that they also remained a threat to all mankind.

Nigeria stated this in its statement to the General Debate of the 2018 Substantive Session of the UN Disarmament Commission by Faisal Ibrahim, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN.

The cost of maintenance and modernisation of these weapons are both outrageous and inexcusable, when compared to resources allocated by States for more useful and productive ventures.

These more useful and productive ventures could further the growth, development, prosperity and other peaceful and positive articulation of human endeavours, Nigeria said.

Nigeria highlighted the 1996 Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which affirmed that the threat or use of nuclear weapons constituted a crime against humanity.

The country added that the ICJs opinion also affirmed that the threat or use of nuclear weapons constituted a violation of international law, including international humanitarian law.

Nigeria reiterated its view about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences that could result from either a deliberate use and/or unintentional explosion of nuclear weapons.

It said these consequences should serve as a compelling reason for all states to address the question of the continued possession of nuclear weapons.

Nuclear weapons still remain the ultimate agents of mass destruction and their total elimination should be the final objective of all disarmament processes within the broad spectrum of goals being pursued by the United Nations.

To this end, my delegation heartily welcomes the adoption of the landmark Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons which opened for signature on 20 September 2017.

My delegation remains proud to have participated actively in the processes leading to its adoption, as well as being one of the first countries to sign the treaty.

Our commitment was guided by Nigerias principled position on the denuclearization of the world.

Nigeria stressed that the universalisation of the Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was dependent upon strict compliance with its three pillars: disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

As a State Party to the Treaty of Pelindaba, Nigeria welcomes the establishment of Nuclear Weapon Free Zones (NWFZ) in parts of the world.

The treaty serves as a shield for the continent of Africa, including preventing the stationing of nuclear explosive devices on the continent and prohibiting testing of nuclear weapons.

Nigeria noted that the NWFZ serves as a measure to ensure a world free from the fear or possibility of the use of nuclear weapons.

It, therefore, called on all Member States to support efforts to replicate it in the remaining parts of the world, including in the Middle East.

Nigeria stressed the need for peaceful uses of outer space, particularly, preventing the weaponisation of the outer space to preserve peace and security to the benefit of all mankind.

In this regard, we strongly support the negotiation of a treaty preventing an arms race in outer space and for interim transparency and confidence-building measures toward that end.

Nigeria remains committed to using its space science capabilities for developmental purposes and, to that end, we have embarked on several developmental projects.

Some of which include desertification sensitivity index, population dissymmetric analysis and carbon emission assessment, among others.

Nigeria firmly believes that space technology has the immense potential to benefit both developed and developing countries.

And in this regard the UN needs to promote equal and non-discriminatory access to outer space, irrespective of levels of social, economic or scientific development.

Nigeria wishes to highlight the efforts of UN Regional Centres for Peace and Disarmament in terms of their contributions to disarmament measures and other future challenges.

It noted the valuable input of the Centre in Africa, particularly in its efforts to ensure the provision of a robust programme on capacity-building and in extending technical assistance to many States on the continent. (NAN)

Source: NAN