Category:

Headlines

Yakubu Dogara Raises Alarm Over Threat on His Life

by Folarin Kehinde August 22, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

Former Speaker Yakubu Dogara has raised the alarm that his life is in danger over a gun-running plot to murder him.

This was contained in a petition letter he wrote to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), copied to the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Directorate General, Directorate of State Security (DSS), and Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State Command.

Dogara, in the petition letter dated August 18, 2022, implored the IGP to immediately carry out a thorough investigation of the gun-running allegation involving some police personnel in a plot to kill him.

“I wish to draw your attention to the above matter which is currently before the DCP Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigeria Police, Bauchi State Command,” the former number four citizen explained in the letter to the IGP.

“I am sure you are seized of the matter by now since it involves looting of your armoury in Bauchi by the very officers who are entrusted with the safe custody of your arms and a constituent of mine, Barau Joel Amos who sought to buy or has been buying assault rifles from the officers.

“I have been authoritatively informed that the said Barau Joel Amos has confessed that the reason he sought to buy the rifles is to kill me and three of my constituents, vis: Bar Istifanus Bala Gambar, Rev Markus Musa (CAN Chairman, T/Balewa) and Emmanuel (Chairman NL, T/Balewa).

“I find it worrisome that there has been no official advice from the police relating to this credible threat to our lives to enable us to beef up security around us or just to be careful about our movements.

“More so, there is a spike in cases of kidnappings and killings by unknown gunmen, especially in Lere District of T/Balewa.

“A case in point was the attack at Boto town where some relations of a former Governor of the State were killed while some were abducted.

In view of the deteriorating security situation in T/Balewa LGA where the suspect comes from, I wish to appeal to you to use your good offices to ensure that a thorough and all-encompassing investigation is carried out so that all those in the loop are apprehended and brought to book in order to restore lasting peace in the Lere District of T/Balewa LGA.”

Dogara in the petition letter warned that the matter that involved a threat to his life and constituents must not be handled with levity.

He specifically called for proper investigation by security agencies into the confession relating to those who gave him or contributed the money for him to be using to procure weapons.

“His Bank Statements and phone call logs will definitely collaborate his confessions,” his petition letter reads in part.

“Granted his meagre salary as a storekeeper in a Secondary School, it will have taken him a lifetime of savings to be able to raise the N1.2m cash which he wanted to use to buy the two rifles.

“It must be noted that he does not earn any additional dime from any known legitimate business he is known to operate. So the said Barau Joel Amos could not have been acting alone, it is clear that he is being fully funded by his ilks; some evil and criminally minded people.”

Dogara also posited that upon hearing that Barau Joel Amos has been arrested and detained “that his closest associates all fled T/Balewa town?”

“It will be important to apprehend them no matter where they may be hiding within the country so that they may tell the authorities what they know that scared them to the point of abandoning their families at home while they live as fugitives elsewhere,” he suggested.

He called on the police to also investigate the confession that there are witnesses in T/Balewa town to the criminal activities of the said Barau Joel Amos and his close associates most of whom have now fled the town to avoid arrest.

“As it is said, the guilty runneth even when no one is pursuing him,” Dogara wrote.

“I am sure so many patriotic residents of T/Balewa town will be more than willing to provide the needed assistance to investigators.

“I urge you to ensure that this matter is thoroughly investigated at the highest level and to ensure the prosecution of these types of people who kill others, live off and profiteer from crimes.

I also urge you to help expose this criminal enterprise in order to protect us who have been named as those to be killed and the public. Let me hasten to add that it is in the public interest for you to do so.”

Source: sunnewsonline

August 22, 2022 0 comments

Nigerian Falconet Exit U20 World Cup After 2-0 Defeat Against Netherlands

by Folarin Kehinde August 22, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

The Nigerian Falconet has bowed out of the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup after a loss to the Netherlands on Sunday.

The European side beat the Nigerian side 2-0 in the quarter-finals of the tournament to progress to the semi-finals.

The Falconets gave a good account of themselves, but they could not break the resilient defence of the Netherlands. They could not re-enact earlier round performances, which saw them winning all three group phase matches, in this their quarter-final match in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

The Dutch team shocked the Nigerians after a swift counter-attack in the 11th minute as Zera Hulswit sent a lobbing shot beyond Omini Oyono in goal to send the Europeans ahead.

In the 30th minute, Nigeria nearly got the leveller that their endeavour deserved when Deborah Abiodun seized the ball as the Dutch defence fell into confusion.

But her dipping shot from 25 metres rocked the crossbar and was then tipped away from the head of Chiamaka Okwuchukwu.

In the 33rd minute, Nigeria went two goals down. A miscommunication between Oluwatosin Demehin and Omowumi Oshobukola was pounced on by Ziva Henry, who bundled the ball past Oyono.

This defeat means elimination for the Nigerian team that had won all three group phase matches, scoring five goals and conceding only one.

The Netherlands will now meet Spain on Thursday in the first semi-final fixture, after the European side beat Mexico 1-0 in the first quarter-final match on Saturday.

August 22, 2022 0 comments

Headlines Opinion

Rigging local elections in Nigeria: Where next?

by Leading Reporters August 21, 2022

written by Leading Reporters

By Tonnie Iredia

One failed aspect of democracy in Nigeria is the conduct of elections into the country’s 774 local government councils. In most cases, the contests are handled by electoral commissions that are usually made up of cronies of the ruling party who are brought on board to ensure that their party` ‘sweeps’ the polls. Consequently, our local areas have remained undeveloped because persons that can evolve and implement viable socio-economic projects, are usually displaced through election chicanery.

Painfully, there are no visible prospects in the horizon to suggest that the trend might change soon. This completely reverses the goal of establishing a third tier of government which by virtue of its closeness to the grassroots should best meet the immediate needs of the locals. Based on this, whenever an election is fixed to hold in any local government area in the country, the expectation is that it would be rigged in favour of the ruling party. Many have thus been taken aback by the decision of the outgoing Osun State Government to, in the guise of holding an election, instal its puppets as others do across the nation. Already, the chairman of the state electoral commission, Otunba Olusegun Oladuntan has announced October 15, 2022 for the contest across the state.

Surprisingly, his team seems to be going ahead with arrangements for the exercise not withstanding a case in court against it. As expected, the two leading political parties, the All Progressives Congress APC and the Peoples Democratic Party PDP are for and against the proposed elections respectively. While the latter alleges that the outgoing ruling APC is bent on holding the election at the eve of its departure so as to install those who can cover-up its alleged corrupt activities, the APC says for as long as governor Gboyega Oyetola’s tenure has not ended, his government has a legal right to hold local elections.

But why did Oyetola not organize any local election until the last few weeks of his tenure? Why can’t he focus on proper handing-over notes to his successor instead of starting a fresh event at the 24th hour? Is the outgoing government unaware of the legal position that when a matter is pending in court, a notice of such matter acts as a stay of any action that may prejudice the matter in court? An objective answer to these questions would support the point that the government is anxious to empower its lackeys as alleged. Again, why is the PDP so bothered about an election that an electoral commission described as independent is proposing to conduct? While the PDP is skeptical about the performance of a tainted electoral body, would she herself not have done what the APC is about to do? If the truth must be told, the PDP only wants the election pushed forward to when her own Ademola Adeleke assumes office so that the PDP can magically ‘sweep’ the polls at that point.

To understand the underlining theory that all ruling political parties are experts in rigging local elections, a review of the situation in Benue state would illuminate the subject. In 2017, when Governor Samuel Ortom was in the APC, his party swept the local elections held in the state. Although John Tsuwa who was chairman of the Benue state electoral commission could not convince people that the results he announced were not cooked-up, he did declare that the APC won ALL the 23 chairmanship seats as well as ALL the councillorship positions contested. However, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties CNPP insisted that no local election took place anywhere in Benue on Saturday, June 03, 2017 for which landslide victories were announced. Some three years later, that is, May 2020 another local election took place.

This time around, the Peoples Democratic Party, to which Governor Ortom had defected won all the 23 chairmanship and 276 councillorship positions. In seeking to underscore the unwholesome behavior of the political class at elections, it is important to note that the situation in Benue represents what happens in many other locations nationwide. In Ebonyi and Taraba states, the ruling PDP similarly swept the polls. The All Progressives Congress, APC also scored 100 percent in the elections held in states controlled by her. In Kogi state for example, the party reportedly won all the 21 chairmanship and 239 councillorship positions in the local government elections held in December 2020.

In Jigawa state, the same APC was declared winner of all the 27 chairmanship positions in the State in the election held in 2021. But the PDP was allowed to take hold of just one ward – Kiyako, in Birninkudu local government area which happens to be the Ward of the PDP former governor of the state, Alhaji Sule Lamido. Even at that, voters in the area reportedly held the electoral officials hostage to stop them from changing the outcome of the results. All the other 286 councillorship positions were cleared by the ruling APC. The use of fake elections is not the only strategy political parties employ to emasculate the local government system. Quite often, elections are not held at all; instead, the ruling party merely appoints caretaker committees to manage the system in breach of the constitutional provision for local government councils to be democratically elected.

In Cross River state, it was an endless waiting game. Although the state electoral commission headed by Mike Ushien collected non-refundable deposits of N200,000 and N100,000 from chairmanship and councillorship candidates respectively for the election fixed for June 2017, no contest took place and monies were not refunded to the candidates. So, can anyone blame those who have no faith in local elections? Indeed, the fear of the PDP about the hurried attempt to organize an election in Osun state on the eve of the departure of Gboyega Oyetola who only realized the need for a local government election after he lost his reelection bid is not irrational. If the election holds on October 15, 2022 as proposed, the next rigging will most likely happen in Osun state.

Another state which needs to be watched is Edo, where the state electoral commission is set to hold local government elections on January 14, 2023. With the tenure of governor Godwin Obaseki still beyond one full year to go, we cannot accuse him of the same hidden agenda that appears to be playing out in Osun. Besides, Obaseki’s consummate appetite for the use of technology can thwart any rigging plans in his state. But considering that many politicians around the governor are products of the “cut-for- me- cut-for-me” political culture in the state ingenious politicians in the ruling party may still use their ingenuity to adversely interfere with the proposed January 15, 2023 contest.

Here, one can recall that some years back when the officially endorsed candidate could not win the Esan North East chairmanship election, the contest had to be put off twice. When it eventually held and all relevant stakeholders were awaiting the collation of votes at Eguare Primary School Uromi – the designated centre, results against the run of play were announced from the seat of power in Benin, over 100 kilometres away. The point that must be made is that it is time to end fake local elections in Nigeria.

Accordingly, all well-meaning citizens should prevail on governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun state to concentrate on his election petition and discard the hurriedly arranged local elections fixed for October 15, 2022. At the same time, we call on governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state to make it difficult for any of his overzealous aides to push the state electoral commission into any ignoble role during the proposed January 14, 2023 local elections in the state. It is also important to remind all politicians that by virtue of the new Electoral Act 2022 the procedure regulating elections conducted by INEC to Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory now apply with equal force and sanctions as the procedure regulating elections conducted to Local Government Areas by any state electoral commission. August 21, 2022

Prof Tonnie Iredia

August 21, 2022 0 comments

Headlines

FG Signs Million Dollar Pipeline Surveillance Deal With Wanted Tompolo

by Folarin Kehinde August 20, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo the Former leader of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), has renewed a multi-billion-naira pipeline surveillance contract with the Federal Government.

It was gathered that the government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited signed the deal with Tompolo to end illegal bunkering, illegal refining and other forms of oil theft in the Niger Delta.

The figure and details of the contract could not be immediately confirmed officially as of press time, but a source close to Tompolo, who spoke in confidence, said the deal was worth over four billion naira monthly.

The source said the former MEND commander, known for his creek credibility, will monitor and oversee other surveillance contracts, contractors and their activities in the entire Niger Delta.

He said it was a similar role Tompolo played during the former administration of President Goodluck Jonathan when Diezani Alison-Madueke was the Minister of Petroleum.

“The government merely reviewed and restored his old contract.

“Before the cancellation of his contract, the arrangements he put in place tackled illegal bunkering and increased production quota to over two million barrels per day.

“But the new government cancelled the contract, declared him wanted and he was later exonerated of all wrongdoings.

They have realised the need to bring him back because currently, the country is losing over 500,000 barrels per day to illegal bunkering”, he said.

The source said the new deal was brokered by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva and some NNPC top officials including the Group Executive Director, Upstream, Adokiye Tombomelye.

He said NNPC as a new profit-making venture was determined to curb all illegal activities affecting its operations and making it run at a loss every month.

August 20, 2022 0 comments

Exclusives Headlines

Journalist To Stand on Trial for Reporting of Massacre of Christians in Nigeria

by Folarin Kehinde August 20, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

A journalist who wrote an article accusing the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christians threatened by armed militants was arrested and will be tried on charges of “cyberstalking.”

Luka Binniyat, a Catholic human rights reporter, is facing prison after writing an article in which the Nigerian government was criticized for its inaction in the face of an ongoing threat to Christian communities.

In the article, Binniyat reported on charges that Kaduna State’s Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, had mischaracterized the massacre of unarmed Christians as a “clash” between villagers and herdsmen.

Binniyat is set to stand trial before a Nigerian magistrate on Sept. 6. on charges of cyber stalking, aiding, and abetting the offenses of cybercrime, charges which he denies.

Arrested for reporting on massacre

Binniyat told CNA that his arrest was based on a complaint filed by Aruwan, over an article titled, “In Nigeria, Police Decry Massacres as ‘Wicked’ but Make No Arrest,” that was published Oct. 29, 2021, in the Epoch Times.

In the article, Binniyat reported on the mass killings of Christians in two Southern Kaduna villages. In the community of Madamai, 38 Christians were massacred Sept. 28, 2021, by armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen. A month later, in the Christian village of Jankassa, about three miles south of Madamai, armed herdsmen killed four villagers, according to Binniyat’s report.

The Nigerian official, Aruwan, issued a press statement the following day saying that the violence was the result of “clashes” between local villagers and herdsmen. The statement stirred resentment among Christians both in Southern Kaduna and in other Christian areas in the Middle Belt of Nigeria.

Binniyat quoted a Nigerian senator who disagreed with Aruwan’s assessment that the massacre was a “clash” between villagers and herdsmen.

“The government of Kaduna state is using Samuel Aruwan, a Christian, to cause confusion to cover up the genocide going on in Christian Southern Kaduna by describing the massacre as a ‘clash,’” Senator Danjuma Laah, who represents Southern Kaduna Senatorial Zone in the Nigerian Senate, told Binniyat.

Suppression of the press

The arrest and upcoming trial of Binniyat, are an attempt to silence journalists who speak out about attacks on Christians in Nigeria, says Robert Destro, a law professor at Catholic University and a former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor during the Trump administration.

“No politician likes criticism, but most understand that a reporter’s job is to find the facts and report them honestly,” Destro wrote in an email to Catholic News Agency.

The stakes go up exponentially when a government is determined to hide the truth about official corruption by crafting an official political narrative or story that refuses even to acknowledge that certain problems exist. Poking holes in such official narratives can get you arrested — or worse,” he said.

Challenging the official “narrative”

Reporters such as Binniyat are challenging the government’s dominant narrative, Destro said.

“In Nigeria, the official ‘narrative’ is that the massacres of Christians in their homes and churches are the result of ‘clashes’ between peaceful cattle-herders who have been displaced from their traditional grazing lands by climate change, and farmers who object to their farms, villages, and towns being overrun by cattle,” Destro said.

“The reality is that Christians and other religious groups are attacked, without provocation or warning, by armed militants who kidnap, rape, plunder and kill. By calling these attacks clashes caused by climate change, the government simultaneously blames the victims, absolves the attackers, and has an internationally recognized excuse for doing nothing,” Destro added.

The Nigerian government, he said, rather than simply not protecting Christians, seems to be aiding and abetting the Muslim militant groups attacking them.

“Even a little digging into the facts on the ground shows that the government doesn’t simply turn a blind eye to the violence, it actively favors the attackers, many of whom are from favored religious (Muslim) and ethnic groups (Fulani),” Destro told CNA.

“When viewed from an ethnic and religious perspective, those murderous rampages through the countryside begin to look a lot like more like an organized land-grab which is designed to push local ethnic and religious groups off their land so that the invaders can control both the land itself and the resources it contains,” Destro added.

“Nigeria’s official narrative – which is parroted by gullible foreign governments like the United States, the UK, and the EU, is that there is nothing to see here but peaceful herders and farmers who are clashing because of climate change,” Destro wrote.

Binniyat and other members of the press need to be able to ask “who is supporting, financing, and protecting these criminals?” he said.

Journalist fears for his life

Speaking to the press in August after his trial was stayed until Sept. 6, Binniyat said he feared for his life.

“I am clearly a marked man, by the implication of my trial and I want the Kaduna state government to be held responsible should any harm come to me,” Binniyat said.

Human rights lawyer and Hudson Institute scholar Nina Shea says Binniyat’s arrest reveals the dire state of affairs in Nigeria.

“Kaduna’s Governor [Nasir El Rufai] has abjectly failed in his primary responsibility to protect every citizen in his state, and consequently we are now seeing a complete breakdown in the rule of law there,” Shea told CNA.

“Instead, he presides over a situation where journalists, like Luca, reporting on lethal violence, are themselves threatened and dragged into court under a cyberstalking law wielded as a weapon by a state official who claims to feel threatened by the news report. Meanwhile, President Buhari stands idly by as large regions of what should be Africa’s most important country are taken over by terrorists, jihadists, and criminals,” she said.

August 20, 2022 0 comments

Headlines Sports

No Issues Between Mbappe and Neymar – PSG

by Folarin Kehinde August 19, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier on Friday said there was no bad blood between star forwards Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Neymar insisted on taking the team’s second penalty against Montpellier last Saturday after Mbappe had missed the first.

Mbappe did not celebrate after Neymar converted the spot kick.

Galtier called the apparent differences between the two an “epiphenomenon”, suggesting the spat was not a symptom of any deeper problem.

“We saw each other quickly the next day to iron out all that, to say what we had to say to each other,” said Galtier told a press conference ahead of Sunday’s Ligue 1 visit to Lille.

“We had a very pleasant week at work. Everyone worked well. I enjoyed all the sessions this week and this epiphenomenon disappeared very quickly, that is to say, the day after our meeting.”

Galtier said after the game that instructions “had been respected” regarding penalty takers.

“There was a precise order in this game, Kylian as number one and ‘Ney’ as number two,” he added.

Other potential penalty takers include Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos, said Galtier, adding that it was “important for our strikers to score goals, to keep the confidence”.

Against Montpellier, in his first competitive game since opting to stay in Paris rather than join Real Madrid, the 23-year-old Mbappe scored in a 5-2 win but cut a frustrated, unhappy and even isolated figure.

Last season, Mbappe was PSG’s outstanding performer, scoring 39 goals in all competitions, while Neymar struggled.

Yet the 30-year-old Brazilian has seemed rejuvenated this season, scoring five goals in three games.

August 19, 2022 0 comments

Headlines

JUST IN: NBC Revokes Licence of AIT, Silverbird Tv, Others

by Folarin Kehinde August 19, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has revoked the broadcast licences of major media channels including Silverbird TV, AIT, Raypower FM, Rhythm FM and other stations.

NBC Director General Balarabe Shehu said the licences of the stations over failure to renew their broadcast licences.

He noted that the stations owe a total of N2.6bn; adding that some of the stations affected have not renewed their licences since 2015.

“This is the first batch, there are those who have not renewed their licence since 2015, 2016 and 2017. We are asking them to come and pay their licence fees,” he said.

He warned that all stations that have not renewed their licences should do so in 30 days to avoid sanction.

Shehu directed its state offices to liaise with security agencies to ensure the shutdown of the operation of these stations within the next 24 hours.

Details later.

August 19, 2022 0 comments

Business Headlines

FG Crackdown On Unethical Loan Companies

by Folarin Kehinde August 19, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal Competition and Consumer Agency has ordered Google Play Store to pull down four money lending companies for “escalating unethical, obnoxious and unscrupulously exploitative practices in the industry.”

A statement signed by Babatunde Irukera, the commission’s Chief Executive Officer said the affected companies are Maxi Credit, ChaCha, Here4U and SoftPay.

According to the statement, Irukera gave the order during an enforcement operation, in Ikeja area of Lagos .

He had in March led a similar operation to tackle “possible violation” of consumer rights where at least seven loan companies including Soko Loan were raided.

The commission’s boss said that some lending companies including Soko Loan who have been subject of investigation “have devised methods to leverage on technology and other financial services alternatives to circumvent account freezing and app suspension Orders.

“With the operations today, the Commission expects appreciable additional reduction in these unacceptable practices.”

“The Commission has entered further orders to Google Play Store to draw down the following apps which were discovered to be created and operating as a circumvention of existing investigative interventions; Maxi Credit, Here4U, ChaCha and SoftPay,” the statement reads.

“For apps not on the Play Store, the Commission continues to trace what platforms they are hosted on in order to disable them; the Commission invites any information from the public in this regard.”

The Commission also ordered all operating payment systems including Flutterwave, Opay, Paystack and Monify to immediately desist from providing payment or transaction services to money lenders under investigation or sought the commission’s approvals.

“The Commission has also ordered telecommunication/ technology companies (including Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)) to cease and desist providing server/hosting or other key services such as connectivity to disclosed or known lenders who are targets/subjects of investigation or otherwise operating without regulatory approval,” the statement reads.

Mr Irukera said that a regulatory framework to promote fair, “transparent and mutually beneficial alternative lending opportunities apart from traditional lending to consumers” is now available.

“It requires permission to proceed in digital lending; it provides a limited moratorium period for existing businesses to comply in order to continue in digital lending,” he explained.

“The Guidelines also mandate different service providers in the relevant ecosystem (such as banks, access/download platforms or stores, technology providers and payment systems) to require regulatory approval before providing services.”

August 19, 2022 0 comments

Headlines

Customs Intercept Smuggled Petrol Worth N29 Million

by Folarin Kehinde August 19, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

Operatives of the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service have intercepted three truckloads of petrol along the creeks of Badagry.

At the time of the recovery, the products were about to be smuggled through the waterways.

The authorities in charge of Seme Command put the value of the seized product at N29 million.

No arrest was made, but efforts are on to apprehend the fleeing smugglers, it said.

The Controller in charge of Seme-Krake Command, Bello Jibo, who confirmed the recovery, said it was a result of continuous surveillance and offensive patrol by the officers and men of the command along the creeks and beaches.

Jibo said the recoveries were done in the late hours of Monday, August 15, 2022, after the command received intelligence that there were large quantities of petroleum products (PMS) stockpiled near a beach along Badagry waterways to be smuggled.

“Our men stormed the location and the product was successfully evacuated to the command premises in Seme Border. The findings revealed that 3,998 jerrycans of PMS with 30 litres each, equivalent to 119,940 litres of PMS, or about four tanker loads of 33,200 litres each, were discovered.

“The seized petroleum product has a Duty Paid Value DPV of N28,924,397 only,” he added.

August 19, 2022 0 comments

Headlines Sports

British Billionaire Interested In Buying Manchester United

by Folarin Kehinde August 18, 2022

written by Folarin Kehinde

British billionaire, Jim Ratcliffe, would be interested in buying Manchester United if the club would be for sale.

A spokesperson for Ratcliffe earlier told The Times of his desire to buy into the Premier League giants.

“If the club is for sale, Jim is definitely a potential buyer,” Ratcliffe’s spokesperson said.

United are enduring a disastrous start to the season, losing their first two games to sink to the foot of the Premier League table. They have not won the Premier League title since 2013.

The Glazers have been the target of intense criticisms for their failure to invest in the team, which have not won a trophy in five years.

United’s net debt had grown 11% to about £496 million pounds ($598.03 million) by the end of March.

The owners have also been criticised for not improving the Old Trafford stadium, the biggest club ground in the country with a capacity of around 75,000 fans.

Ratcliffe, who owns petrochemicals giant Ineos, made a late unsuccessful bid of £4.25 billion to buy Chelsea earlier this year before it was ultimately sold to an investment group led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. However, he is from the Manchester area and a long-standing fan of the club.

“This is not about the money that has been spent or not spent. Jim is looking at what can be done now and, knowing how important the club is to the city, it feels like the time is right for a reset,” the spokesperson added.

United finished sixth last season in their worst Premier League campaign with respect to points earned, failing to qualify for the lucrative UEFA Champions League.

The club hired manager Erik ten Hag from Ajax in a bid to turn around their fortunes but the Dutchman has not yet succeeded in imposing his playing style, with United losing their opening two games after conceding six goals.

United will play their arch-rivals Liverpool, who scored nine times without reply in their two league meetings last season at Old Trafford, on Monday.

August 18, 2022 0 comments

Newer Posts

Older Posts