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Premier League transfer embargo could follow wage cuts

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Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville believes the Premier League may force clubs who are looking to cut player wages during the coronavirus crisis to accept transfer embargoes.Clubs in England’s top-flight have requested players take up to a 30 percent pay hit in cuts and deferrals to help soften the estimated £1 billion ($1.2 billion) blow of potentially failing to complete the season.

A number of Premier League clubs, including Tottenham, have also been fiercely criticised for using public money to shore up the wages of non-playing staff before cutting the salaries of players.

Liverpool quickly reversed their decision to use the UK government’s furlough scheme, which guarantees 80 percent of wages up to a maximum of £2,500 a month, after a backlash from supporters and the media last week.

Neville said Tottenham striker Harry Kane would be the “perfect” signing for his old club Manchester United, but dismissed speculation over the England captain’s future in the current climate.

“The Premier League spent £1.4 billion last summer on transfers and the previous three summers they also spent over £1 billion. If you’re trying to get 30 percent pay cuts from existing players, you may have to put a transfer embargo in place,” Neville told Sky Sports.

“Transfers are things the fans love, and we love players moving around, but it does seem to me to be awry when we’ve got such a behind-the-scenes war going on with respect to players taking cuts, the clubs needing support, and then in the next breath you’ve got a £200 million transfer speculation going on.”

Kane, who has been sidelined by a hamstring injury since New Year’s Day, opened the door to leaving Spurs last month.

“If I don’t feel we’re progressing as a team or going in the right direction, then I’m not someone to just stay there for the sake of it,” said Kane in an Instagram chat with former Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp.

Neville and Redknapp believe that Tottenham’s conduct during the crisis will not have sat well with Kane.

“He’s a clever lad and he’s not somebody who would get caught out if he didn’t want to say something. The little opening of the door that he left in that Instagram piece with Jamie was probably something that had something in it,” added Neville.

“In my mind, I think he would have been warning them and saying ‘just be careful because I’m watching you and it’s not something that we do’.”

Redknapp said the action taken by Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to furlough staff on the same day it was revealed he was paid £7 million last season did not surprise him.

“Kane would have been extremely disappointed with how Tottenham have acted but I have to be honest, having been around Tottenham and played for them, it didn’t surprise me how Levy acted in this,” said Redknapp.

“You learn a lot about someone in difficult times and he was one of the first to furlough staff.

“There’s no doubt at all that Kane would have been disappointed with that, but I certainly wasn’t surprised.”

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Senator Ifeanyi Ubah dies at 52

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The Senator representing Anambra South in the National Assembly, Ifeanyi Ubah, is dead.

Ubah, who was the Chief Executive Officer of Capital Oil, was said to have died in a hotel in London, the United Kingdom, on Saturday.

He would have been 53 on September 3.

Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, confirmed Ubah’s death to our correspondent on Saturday.

He said, “It’s confirmed, but I am sending an official statement soon.”

Ubah, who was re-elected into the 10th Senate under the Young Peoples Party, had last year defected to the All Progressive Congress.

In September 2022, Ubah escaped assassination when he was attacked by gunmen on his way to Nnewi in Enugwu-Ukwu in Anambra State.

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JUST IN: Edo state Assembly impeaches Deputy Governor Shaibu

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The Edo State House of Assembly, on Monday, impeached the state’s Deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu.

The impeachment followed the adoption of the report of the seven-man investigative panel set up by the Assembly to probe allegations of misconduct against Shaibu.

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JUST IN: Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun joins ancestors at 81

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The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun has joined his ancestors after a brief illness.

He joined his ancestors at the age of 81.

It was gathered that the late monarch was taken to the hospital Wednesday morning having stayed indoor throughout Tuesday on account of slight malaria fever, though, he was hail and hearty on Monday during which he personally received few guests that paid him congratulatory visits on his second year anniversary on that day.

Making this announcement was the Baba-Kekere Olubadan and his younger brother, Dr Kola Balogun in a statement by the Personal Assistant (Media) to the late monarch, Oladele Ogunsola.

According to the statement, Dr. Balogun disclosed that Oba Balogun would be buried at his Aliiwo ancestral home by 4.00pm on Friday according to Islamic rites just as he said that the State Governor Seyi Makinde, though already verbally informed, would be formally notified early in the morning.

The late Olubadan was the first most educated to have emerged as Ibadan monarch, a British trained P.hd holder, a former university lecturer, former member of management staff of Shell British Petroleum, former gubernatorial candidate of the defunct Nigeria People’s Party, NPP, former Senator and a successful business man.

His last official outing was the Olubadan Advisory Council’s meeting which he presided over last Saturday where the decision to derobed Mogaji Akinsola, Olawale Oladoja was taken.

He however, on Tuesday instructed the Ekerin Olubadan, Oba Hamidu Ajibade to midwife a small committee to deliberate on last Friday’s decision on what should be the position of Ibadan Zone in the proposed newly reconstituted Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs.

The decision of the small committee was earlier on Thursday ratified by the Olubadan Advisory Council at a meeting presided over by Otun Olubadan and the former governor of Oyo State, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja and was to be taken to the late Oba Balogun for his signature Friday morning so as to meet the deadline for submission to the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters later in the day.

The late Olubadan is survived by wives, children and grandchildren.

Announcing the passage of the monarch, Governor Makinde, in a statement, stated that Olubadan, who joined his ancestors late Thursday evening at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, described him as an epitome of royal excellence and a great achiever, who made great marks on Ibadanland in just a little over two years of his reign.

He expressed his condolences to the Olubadan-in-Council, the Oyo State Traditional Council and the people of Ibadanland and Oyo State, praying to God to grant repose to the soul of the deceased monarch.

Makinde said: “With total submission to the will of God, I announce the passing unto glory of our father, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Dr. Mohood Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland.

“A mighty Iroko has fallen; Oba Dr. Balogun has joined the ancestors.

“In Kabiyesi, Ibadanland had a cosmopolitan and well-experienced Olubadan, who made indelible marks on the sands of history and achieved greatly within a short while.

“On behalf of the Government and good People of Oyo State, I condole with the immediate family of the Oba Dr. Balogun, the Olubadan-in-Council, the Oyo State Traditional Council and the people of Ibadanland.

“It is my prayer that God grants repose to the soul of our late monarch.”

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