THE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE TO RESUME JUNE 17.

BY BELLO MICHAEL

Following the outbreak of the global pandemic,  the novel coronavirus also known as Convid-19,  football competition across the globe was put on hold.

The English football league was halted in Mid - march after it was confirmed that  Arsenal's head coach, Mikel Arteta had contacted the deadly virus.  Chelsea and England striker, Callum hodson Odoi was also attested with the virus.

While some football leagues such has the Eredivisie and Ligue 1 cancelled,   there have been series of efforts directed to bringing the English football league back with 'project Restart' inaugurated.

Following Thursday's meeting regarding 'Project Restart', a date has now been agreed for England's top flight to get back underway.

The English top flight football league will resume on June 17 with Manchester city hosting Arsenal one of the first matches to be played and all 92 remaining matches will be broadcast live.

Astonvilla's home clash with Sheffield United is another that will mark the return of the English premier league, with both of those matches the two games in hand that were left unplayed prior to the novel coronavirus pandemic halting football.

A full fixture list will then be played on the weekend of June 19 to 21, with the agreement coming after Premier League clubs met on Thursday to continue discussions over 'Project Restart'.

They also confirmed all the remaining games of the season will be shown in the UK on the channels currently with rights to broadcast the league - Sky Sports, BT Sport, BBC and Amazon Prime.

The full list of kick-off times were also revealed, with weekend games to be played at 10 different time slots from Friday to Monday, as well as Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings - giving fans the prospect of football every night of the week until the end of the season.

Kick-off slots are at 8pm on Friday; 12.30pm, 3pm, 5.30pm and 8pm on Saturdays; noon, 2pm, 4.30pm and 7pm on Sundays; 8pm on Mondays, and 6pm and 8pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Liverpool remain destined to sealing the Premier League title with just two matches away, while Astonvilla have the chance to move out of the bottom three, should they beat Sheffield United in their game in hand.

The top four battle is also intriguing with Leicester City and Chelsea is also currently occupying third and fourth respectively, ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United who are in fifth.

While the majority are seemingly in favour of the Premier League returning, there are those that remain uncomfortable with the situation, with the likes of Danny Rose, Sergio Aguero, Antonio Rudiger and Troy Deeney having voiced their concerns over the restart.

#5,000 cash transfer approved by Lagos state to residents

By Bello Michael

Following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus also known as  Convid-19, economic activities has taking a major hit across the globe which has led to financial hardship for most citizens across board.

As part of easing the financial hardship suffered by its residents, the Lagos state government has approved the establishment of the State Cash Transfer Unit (SCTU) for the National Cash Transfer programme.

The State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke who disclosed this Thursday, May 28,  in Lagos while rendering the account of activities of her ministry within the last one year to commemorate the first year anniversary of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration said in a matter of weeks, the payment of the beneficiaries cleared in the first phase of the programme in the State’s Social Register (SU) would commences.

She said they will pay the conditional cash transfer of N5, 000. The amount is per household monthly in the first phase.

On the possibility of helping the poor and vulnerable in the state,  she said there are 8,147 cleared beneficiaries from the SU of poor and vulnerable households  from six local government areas and 40 wards.

The cleared beneficiaries are from Amuwo Odofin, Apapa, Badagry, Epe, Ibeju Lekki and Lagos Island.

She added that the mapping activity to capture all the poor and vulnerable households in other local government areas is ongoing and these households will be covered as soon as their data is made Ava by the State Operation Coordinating Unit.

To ensure enrollment of beneficiaries, she said the ministry in collaboration with the National Cash Transfer Office, Abuja had organised training for cash transfer facilitators from various local government areas in the state on data and biometric capturing.

On the prospect of providing more employment opportunities for its residents,  Mrs. Arobieke said the government is establishing industrial hub to boost jobs in skill development and entrepreneurship, adding it is intended help the youths to get more employment opportunities.

She explained that the industrial hubs will target clusters in leather, wood and fish preservation with the intention to promote production of finished good.

Apart this, she said the government is planning a robust artisans virtual database.

IT IS NOT TRUE - Minister of State for 
Education dismisses reports of schools resuming on June 8.

By Bello Michael


It has being over two months since the education sector in the country was put on hold across the federation due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus which is also known as COVID-19.

Students across board have been denied of writing their terminal and semester examinations as well as having their academic calendar cum scheme of work truncated.

There have being reports making the rounds on social media that schools nationwide will resume academic activities on Monday, June 8 but the Minister of State for Education,  Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba has dismissed such report.

Nwajiuba who spoke at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on May 27, said a statement that was alleged to have emanated from the task force directing the opening of schools, is not true.

He said the Federal government is being careful not to allow children return to schools and expose themselves to the virus. He added that the Ministry will follow the guidelines and advice from the Ministry of Health and the   Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) before schools can be reopened.

IMPOSSIBILITY VS POSSIBILITY

It always seems impossible until it's done.    In life, doing the impossible makes things possible, you can't possibly sit down in one place believing that something is Impossible without trying to make it possible.


 Striving hard and thinking out of the box makes the most Impossible feat possible. Staying at one place,  refusing to move forward because of the fear of failure makes progress difficult and someone who believes nothing is Impossible meets you where you are and leave you there.


Fearing the unknown and remaining unmoved like a stagnant water makes the wall of Impossibilities look stronger and until you break the wall with a your strength and effort, you will remain there.


No matter how difficult something or a situation might look,  you have to fight it and make the impossible possible.







AUTHOR
Ishaq Mariam hails from Ibadan,  Nigeria and she is a student of 100 level,  from the department of Mass communication,  Federal University Oye Ekiti.