Conte blames Chelsea's injury woes on hectic schedule

Chelsea's Italian head coach Antonio Conte give a press conference at Chelsea's Cobham training facility in Stoke D'Abernon, southwest of London, on October 17, 2017, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group C football match against Roma ./ AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK

Antonio Conte says the injury pR0blems that Thre.aten to derail Chelsea’s season have been caused by his side’s increased workload.

Conte’s team have lost their last two Premier League matches against Manchester City and Crystal Palace as the injury bug bites ahead of Roma’s visit to Stamford Bridge in the Champions League on Wednesday.

France midfielder N’Golo Kante is sidelined for several weeks with a hamstring pR0blem, while England midfielder Danny Drinkwater is a long-term absentee due to a calf injury.

Spain striker Alvaro Morata missed the shock 2-1 defeat at Palace with a hamstring strain, while Nigeria wing-back Victor Moses limped off during Saturday’s game after suffering a hamstring pR0blem.

Chelsea’s lengthy injury list is a stark contrast to last season, when Conte was able to field the same starting line-up most weeks.

The Blues were able to focus on the Premier League with little disruption last term after failing to qualify for Europe.

But with the additional demands of the Champions League this season, Conte’s squad is already being stretched to breaking point.

Some reports have claimed the intense Conte is working his players too hard in training, but the Italian is convinced it is the fixture schedule that is playing havoc with his players’ fitness.

“The pR0blem is we are playing always the same players,” Conte told reporters on Tuesday.

“And also we have players in our team who are not used to playing three games in a week. Kante, it’s the first time. For Moses, the first time.

“For Morata, it’s the first time to play regularly for his team. For Alonso it’s the same.

“When you have a lot of games, you need to rotate players. If this is not possible, I have to take risks.

“For example, against Manchester City: Morata was injured after 20 minutes. But if I hadn’t put Morata in the starting XI, you’d have told me I’m crazy. Sometimes the players need to rest.”

– Inquest –
Having expressed his frustration at Chelsea’s failure to land his top transfer targets during the close-season, Conte fears the English champions will struggle to cope with the demands of defending the title and competing in Europe.

Reportedly furious with Chelsea’s limp display at Palace on Saturday, Conte is said to have held a lengthy inquest with his team this week, accusing them of taking it easy and imploring them to raise their work-rate.

Against that troubled backdrop, Chelsea could do with a morale-boosting victory against Roma.

Chelsea top Champions League Group C after thrashing Qarabag and securing an impressive win at Atletico Madrid.

Beating the Italians would keep Chelsea on course to progress to the knockout stages as group winners.

Conte will take heart from the return to fitness of former Real Madrid striker Morata, who had scored seven times in eight appearances before being injured last month.

Michy Batshuayi gave another lacklustre display against Palace and is likely to make way for Morata.

“I could take a risk on Saturday to force Morata to play against Crystal Palace, but I’m not so stupid,” Conte said.

“Tomorrow I’m not taking a risk if I decide for Morata to play.”

Conte is well acquainted with the threat posed by Roma and admitted he tried to sign their Belgium midfielder Radja Nainggolan in the past.

“Yes, we tried to buy him. But it’s not right to speak about him,” he added.

“For me, one of the best midfielders. But he’s an opponent.”

Buhari signs University of Petroleum Resources Bill

Muhammadu Buhari signing into law the bill establishing the University of Petroleum Resources

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday signed University of Petroleum Resources Bill with a pledge to continue to support the socio-economic development of the Niger Delta region.

The President made the pledge while signing the bill to establish University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta into law at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said Federal Government was committed to supporting Niger Delta region to achieve socio-economic development.

Buhari, therefore, appealed to communities in the region to strive for peace through dialogue in resolving all conflicts not only among them but also with business entities and authorities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that with the signing of the bill into law, the path has now been cleared for the establishment of the specialised university in the Niger Delta.

The institution will be charged with training and research in petroleum technologies.

OBOY Check out Jacob Zuma’s statue in South Africa VS the one in Imo state (Photos)

Hehe………..There has been outrage over the erection of a giant Jabob Zuma statue in Imo state by governor Rochas Okorocha. Even South Africans have insulted Nigerians for the act carried out by one man.


A Nigerian Twitter user have now shared this side by side photo of Jacob Zuma’s statue in South Africa, precisely his home town versus the one n Nigeria, Imo State.

SARS officer who sent thugs to beat man for sleeping with his wife, arrested

Hehe……….SARS Officer identified as Mr Nagbama Osakpamwan Eboigbe a.k.a Smally who reportedly sent “thugs” to beat one Ese Idehen and eventually threw him into the boot of a car for allegedly sleeping with his estranged wife in Benin city, Edo state, has been arrested.


This was disclosed by the victim’s lawyer, Jefferson Uwoghiren, who disclosed that the SARS Operative was arrested following a petition filed by him at the Benin police headquarters for Brrazen Abu.se of power, cr!minal abduction, assault and battery.
He further disclosed that other officers, who assisted the suspect to At-tack and imprison his client are in big trouble, as it was gathered that the father of the victim just died today, after developing High Blood Pressure upon seeing the viral video of his son being brutalized. The retired soldier was said to have been rushed to Uniben Teaching Hospital where he died.

Dasuki asks court to stop trial in alleged arms possession charge

Former national security adviser (NSA), retired Col. Sambo Dasuki PHOTO: NAN

Former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki, (rtd), on Tuesday, asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to suspend further hearing in the money laundering and illegal arms possession charge the Federal Government filed against him.

Dasuki urged the court to adjourn the case to await the outcome of an appeal he filed to challenge a ruling of the court that permitted FG to shield identities of 14 witnesses billed to testify against him.

The court had in a ruling on June 15, granted leave for all the prosecution witnesses to give their evidence behind a screen.

In that ruling, Justice Ahmed Mohammed anchored the decision on section 232 of the Administration of cr!minal Justice Act(ACJA), 2015, which he said permits the use of a screen in the prosecution of cases involving economic crime.

Dasuki is standing trial on a seven-count cr!minal charge bordering on illegal and unlawful possession of firearms, as well as for money laundering offences brought against him by the federal government.

At the resumed sitting on the case, Dasuki’s counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN), told the court that his client has taken the matter before the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.

Raji prayed the court to adjourn further hearing on the matter to enable the appellate court to decide the appeal marked CA/A/523C/2017.

He predicated the request on section 305(1A), 492(3) of the ACJA and section 36 of the 1999 constitution, as amended.

“This application is not for a stay of proceedings of this court.

“In the cause of proceeding here, major constitutional issues bordering on witness protection and fair trial arose,’’ Raji said.

However, the prosecution, Oladipo Okpeseyi (SAN), opposed the application on the premise that section 306 of the same ACJA forbade granting of a stay of proceeding in a cr!minal trial.

He urged the court to dismiss Dasuki’s application and proceed with hearing the oral evidence of three witnesses he said were present in court.

Okpeseyi told the court that whereas two of the available witnesses came from the South-South, the third one came from the North East.

He further stated that the application is calculated to undermine gains by status law and case law in cr!minal administration on Nigeria.

Okpeseyi said “A decision has been taken in the court and what we have before the court of appeal is an appeal against the decision of the court, not a referral.

He added that the application is a Sm0kescreen to delay the trial and it is aimed to pluck and defeat the will of justice.

After listening to all the parties, Justice Mohammed reserved ruling on Dasuki’s application till November 15.

Monkey Pox: Just like in AnamBrra, confusion in Rivers State as Parents rush to schools to pick their children over news of Soldiers coming to inject them (Photos)

Hehehe…………There’s been a viral social media report about the pandemonium in schools in Rivers State. It was gathered that just like in AnamBrra State, Parents in Abonnema, Akuku-Toru LGA, in Rivers State, rushed out today to pick their children from school, because it was alleged that soldiers are on their way to inject their wards with the monkey pox virus.
A member of Gov. Nyesom Wike’s cabinet, Oraye St, Franklin wrote:

The military should please forget its charity/ humanitarian work in Southern Nigeria. From reports, they are clearly not welcome.
If they wish to win the confidence and support of the publics, they must begin by changing the character of their narrative.
Who wants to frolick with Pythons or Crocodiles, and within the same period that humanity is being dehumanized by them?
Haba! Some things are common sense na?

Buhari decries states' inability to pay salaries

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday expressed concern on the growing complaints and agitations by workers in states over unpaid salaries and allowances, in spite of interventions by the Federal Government.

The President made his feelings known when he received a group of governors led by the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Abdul’Aziz Yari, at the State House, Abuja.

The Federal government had on May 4 released details of the second tranche of Paris Club refund to States totalling N243.795 billion.

A breakdown of the payment, showed that Abia got N5.72 billion; Adamawa, N6.11 billion; Akwa Ibom, N10 billion; AnamBrra, N6.12 billion; Bauchi, N6.88 billion; Bayelsa, N10 billion; Benue, N6.85 billion; and Borno N7.34 billion.

Cross River got N6.08 billion, Delta, N10 billion; Ebonyi, N4.51 billion; Edo, N6.09 billion; Ekiti, N4.77 billion; Enugu, N5.36 billion; Gombe, N4.47 billion; Imo, N7 billion; Jigawa, N7.11 billion; and Kaduna, N7.72 billion.

Kano got N10 billion, Katsina, N8.2 billion; Kebbi, N5.98 billion; Kogi, N6.03 billion; Kwara, N5.12 billion; Lagos, N8.37 billion; Nasarawa, N4.55 billion; Niger, N7.2 billion; and OG.un, N5.7 billion.

The others were Ondo, N7 billion; Osun, N6.3 billion; Oyo, N7.9 billion; Plateau, N5.64 billion; Rivers, N10 billion; Sokoto, N6.44 billion; Taraba, N5.61 billion; Yobe, N5.41 billion; Zamfara, N5.44 billion; and the Federal Capital Territory, N684 million.

The refund is in respect of over-deductions on Paris Club, London Club Loans and Multilateral debts between 1995 and 2002.

However, President Buhari said the plight of workers in the states needed urgent attention as many could barely survive.

“How can anyone go to bed and sleep soundly when workers have not been paid their salaries for months.

“I actually wonder how the workers feed their families, pay their rents and even pay school fees for their children,’’ he said.

The President told the governors that two out of the three-pronged focus of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to secure the country and fight corruption had received some commendable reviews by the people.

He further noted that the challenge in payment of salaries in states had taken a toll on the people.

President Buhari said the Federal Government and state executives would need to work closely together to ameliorate the situation of workers across the country.

He added, “God has been merciful in hearing the prayers of his servants so the rainy season has been good, you can ask the Kebbi State Governor on this, and our enormous food importation bill has gone down.’’

The President said he had instructed all government agencies to comply with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in order to ensure more transparency and prudence in accounting for the revenues of the government and the sharing of entitlements with states.

In his remark, the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum said the various interventions by the Federal Government, which included the bailouts, were judiciously utilized by the states.

He stressed that the governors inherited backlog of unpaid salaries and huge debts portfolios on assumption of office.

“We are concerned with the situation in our states, and we are trying our best to manage the resources,’’ he said.

Yari noted that the bailout funds, and part of the fallout from the London-Paris Club that had been received by the states, were properly expended to alleviate the plight of workers, but more had to be done.

The NGF chairman also commended the efforts of the President in improving the economy.

He assured that the states would continue working with the Federal Government to improve the livelihood of workers and all Nigerians.

Governors of Ondo, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kwara, Akwa Ibom and the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State among those who visited the President.