Paradise News

Tag: General News

  • Femi Soneye: As Passion Meets Engagement At NNPCL

    There has been a burst of excitement in the Nigerian media community since Thursday, last week, when the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announced the appointment of 49-year-old Mr Femi Soneye as the company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer (CCCO). By virtue of that significant appointment, Soneye becomes the company’s spokesperson; and, he is required to robustly drive its public communication plans and strategies to ensure that the company’s external publics, through the media, are kept abreast of and apprised with issues of public interest around the operations of the national oil company.

    The good thing is that Soneye will be honchoing a department that is very resourceful and capacitated to provide him with the necessary support to confront the rising complexities occasioned by episodic advancement in technology in use and deployment of public communication in pushing through and explicating to the company’s external publics, its official positions on contending industry issues. In fact, what Soneye essentially brings to the job is a load of passion that has, over the years of building media relations for brands across the public and private sectors, consistently driven his savoir faire and fidelity to efficient service delivery.

    In the connectedness or intercourse between experience and service delivery, Soneye has kept faith with those little things that matter in building a bank of social capital and obligatory goodwill that are inevitable in the province of media relations. In 2013, we had a chance meeting in Washington DC at an official assignment. There was exchange of pleasantries between us (a three-man team from Nigeria) and Soneye, who had just celebrated the one-year anniversary of the publication of his online newspaper with headquarters in the United States of America: Per Second News (PSN). We had expressed our desire for Nigerian cuisine, especially pounded yam. He offered to drive us to Maryland to a Nigerian Kitchen where our culinary desire was taken care of.

    Soneye and I got closer the following day at the event proper, exchanged numbers and, on getting to Nigeria, he got in touch and I reciprocated his gesture. At the time, I was handling the media affairs of Chief Tony Anenih (now late) who was then Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Soneye pragmatically deployed the PSN platform in publishing every material I sent to him without asking for any consideration in reciprocity. In the last ten years of our friendship, he has demonstrated a great sense of association, always reaching out to me. He has also always tapped my expertise as a media professional to achieve certain tasks in aid of his media support services for some institutional and individual brands. This peer “support and review” mechanism has been largely mutual.

    A man of big ideas, Soneye reaches out to seek ways in which I could add value to ideas he is always fleshing up around reputation management. Imbued with a touch of Midas, he sees through his ideas and projects. If there was a glitch leading to failure, it would not be on account of him not having invested his best possible in the project; it has always boiled down to some shenanigans from the other side. I believe that the NNPCL job is one of the big ideas that Soneye had been working on in recent months or years. This can be explicated: on a number of occasions, I had seen how consistently he had intervened in providing positive reportage of the activities of the NNPC, particularly through the transition to NNPCL, using his PSN platform and many times using pseudonyms to syndicate positive narratives in other media organs. Remarkably, his coverage had cut across the entire gamut of the national oil company-providing, as it were, positive media focuses to the institution and individual leaders that superintended over the corporation then and those who are still in the saddle at the company.

    In that deliberate, conscious and planned intervention effort to mollycoddle friends with the magnitude of his excellent media relations offerings, he had also built a robust goodwill for the NNPCL among his numerous media colleagues and their media organs. Soneye had quietly provided a link between a good number of online media publishers and the NNPCL who desired advert patronage. In this context, his transformation from being an external link to being a significant top member of management is both monumental and transcendental. It makes the interface much more seamless and one that ensures that media partnerships are easily consummated. Besides, with Soneye in the saddle, there is a new dawn of robust media relationship that is becoming increasingly tangible-just because of his personality. Every media organisation which craves for pieces of information henceforth should rest assured that it would get responses unlike in the immediate past epoch when neither calls nor text messages were answered.

    Again, unlike many reputation managers or image makers who would either get involved in “media fisticuffs”, practically descending into the arena, in defence of institutional positions, Soneye has always advocated the pacific path, emphasized conciliation for better media relationship, and shown a great understanding and belief in the efficacy of engagements to achieve consensus ad idem or meeting of minds on issues that are conflictual. He is always excited to win over more and more friends to the side of his “good ideas or causes” who then become the extended mouthpieces of the brands he promotes. Soneye’s brilliance and cosmopolitan nature do not predispose him to treat the other person with condescension. His simple mien and calm disposition underpin very largely his “Omoluabi” (a well-brought up son of Yoruba land and of Ijebu Igbo extraction) pedigree. Highly respectful, Soneye is also reputed for his consistent kindness, his catholic conviviality, his gift of the garb, and ease of making friends with high net worth. These, perhaps, find solid anchorage in his Christian faith through which he has received the divine grace to prosper.

    As he resumes any moment from now at his desk in the massive belly of the behemoth that the NNPCL office structure and infrastructure typify, Soneye, without a doubt, will deliver on his assignment on the back of an unprecedented social bank of goodwill and support from media professionals- his colleagues- who are well pleased in him. His media constituency is united behind him to assist in the delivery of his mandate(s). That external media tension has been taken care of. The only other tension that he may have to deal with is internal, that is within the top echelon of the management of the NNPCL and this may border on the shape, texture, contents and context of information flow to the media. He will be expected to do some processing of information and flow to the external publics through the media to provide appropriate guidance as to the theme of every communication endeavour.

    In rounding off, I posit that Soneye’s pick is in apple pie order and his passion for the job is in a warm embrace with the platform of engagement that the national oil company has offered him. A cornucopia of goodwill, support and prayers is readily available for the NNPCL’s “Seriki Magana” or if you like the “kakaki”! More power to Soneye’s elbows as he continues with what he had hitherto been doing from the outside.

    Mr Ojeifo, journalist and mediapreneur, is based in Abuja and can be reached via ojwonderngr@yahoo.com

    Disclaimer: This article is entirely the opinion of the writer and does not represent the views of The Whistler.

    Source

  • Brock Purdy, 49ers learn about life in NFL after loss to Vikings

    This is how the rest of the NFL lives.

    And the 49ers — namely head coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Brock Purdy — need to get used to living this way now, too.

    The Niners’ duo at the two most important positions in the sport has been living a charmed life since it came together a year ago this month.

    Until Purdy had his elbow explode in the NFC Championship Game, everything seemed to have broken the Niners’ way. Even Purdy’s recovery from that injury was charmed.

    The pixie dust has disappeared. This team is dealing with some actual, honest-to-goodness adversity following a second straight loss on Monday — this one to a 3-4 Vikings team in Minneapolis, capped by two Purdy interceptions in the final six minutes.

    “We flat-out got beat. Right now, you have to take it like a man,” Shanahan said of the 22-17 loss.

    Here’s what the 49ers are facing: Wide receiver Deebo Samuel isn’t playing because of a fracture in his left shoulder. Left tackle Trent Williams missed Monday’s game because of an ankle injury. Running back Christian McCaffrey was not his best self against the Vikings — he has an oblique injury. And, critically, the Niners’ once-vaunted defense is spinning. Minnesota amassed 452 yards on Monday. The Niners can’t blame injury for that inauspicious number.

    Those might seem like excuses for Monday’s loss. They’re not.

    No, injury and struggling unit play are commonplace problems in the NFL.

    And these issues make San Francisco look like every other squad in the league — flawed.

    That means the Niners will need to do what every other team in the league does: Lean on their head coach and quarterback to right the ship.

    We will find out just how good Shanahan and Purdy are in the coming weeks.

    That’s because most of the league’s good teams rely on their quarterback — handsomely paid far more than anyone else — and a select coterie of other star players dispersed throughout the roster to stay salary-cap compliant.

    Those quarterbacks need to make more with less, be that random weapons, a lacking offensive line, or a defense that can’t keep them in a game.

    Typical quarterbacks are not getting five All-Pro-caliber players (Williams, Samuel, McCaffrey, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk) around them like Purdy. No, they’re lucky to get two. A great quarterback can, perhaps, make one more.

    No excuses, though. The best make do with what they have, win MVPs and compete for Super Bowls. Others don’t, and their teams live in NFL purgatory or lose their jobs.

    Where will Purdy fall on this spectrum now that the tables have been leveled?

    The Niners haven’t been subjected to this question before because Purdy is the cheapest starting quarterback in the NFL, making less than $1 million a season. Pair his strong play (let’s not pretend he’s a scrub) with that small salary, creating a positive feedback loop. The Niners are committed to Purdy long-term, but while he’s cheap, they’ll surround him with the best roster money can buy — the kind of roster that had the team out to a 5-0 start, looking invincible.

    Clearly, the Niners aren’t invincible because football is still a cruel, violent game and injuries are more than just a part of it.

    And that’s the reason why quarterbacks are so handsomely paid in this league — head coaches, too.

    The two roles are where good teams are most stable.

    If the pairing of quarterback and head coach is genuinely elite, it doesn’t really matter who else is on the coaching staff or roster — the team wins.

    And while neither of the Niners’ losses can be truly pinned on Purdy or Shanahan, the truth is that the standard should be higher.

    Both need to elevate their games. For Purdy, that means not turning the ball over like he did in Cleveland and Minnesota.

    For Shanahan, it means busting out the deep cuts of the playbook — the Niners can be predictable and bland on offense without Samuel — and perhaps helping out with the team’s defense, too. (What a concept for a head coach!)

    Source

  • Remove Nigeria’s Name Among ‘Learning Poverty’ Countries, Minister Urges SUBEB Chairmen

    The Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu has urged the States Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEBs) chairmen to review the current state of Basic Education in their various states to work towards ensuring that Nigeria is deleted among the “Learning Poverty ” countries.

    Sununu was speaking at the 24th Quarterly Meeting of UBEC Management with the Executive Chairmen of SUBEBs on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The Minister stated that it was disheartening that despite the Federal Government’s huge investment, interventions and technical support, the basic education sub-sector in the country was still bedeviled with a lot of challenges.

    “Learners sitting on bare floors, high rate of drop-outs, increased number of out-of-school children, poor infrastructure, dilapidated classroom buildings, inadequate learning facilities, unqualified teachers, inadequate monitoring, inequitable access and low learning outcomes which has resulted to the falling standard of education in our country,” he said.

    Sununu stated that the implementation of basic education lies solely in the hands of the SUBEBs Chairmen and urged them to conduct a needs assessment of all schools in their domain with a renewed determination to justify the Federal Government’s huge investment in respective states.

    “There is the need for the provision of more school infrastructure, adequate learning materials, employment of more qualified teachers, motivation for the teachers and ensuring all your schools are constantly monitored.

    “The aforementioned would increase equitable access for all children in your state, improve literacy outcomes and strengthen your educational system,” he said.

    Sununu stated that the SUBEB Chairmen must also ensure that every child in their respective state benefits from the free, universal and compulsory basic education regardless of sex, ethnic or religious backgrounds, language or status as this will reduce the incidence of out- of-school children syndrome.

    “I charge you to eliminate every form of school charges so that learners from indigent homes can also access basic education and contribute their quota to nation building,” he said.

    Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, stated that the quarterly meeting was aimed at deliberating on issues affecting the sub-sector and the way forward.

    Bobboyi announced that the report of the 2022 National Assessment of Learning Achievements in Basic Education (NALABE)conducted across the country will be disseminated to the public as soon as possible.

    The Executive Secretary added that UBEC is collaborating with relevant partners to achieve its mandate by doubling its efforts to create public awareness on the dangers of having large numbers of out-of-school children and providing platforms, structures and interventions.

    The theme of the meeting is “Redefining National and State Priorities for Effective Basic Education Delivery.”

    Source

  • San Jose Sharks’ Jonathan Becher says NHL’s Pride tape ban will change

    SAN JOSE – The president of the San Jose Sharks believes the NHL’s ban on players displaying “cause messaging” on their equipment, including the use of Pride-themed tape on their sticks, will undergo some adjustments, possibly this season.

    An NHL memo earlier this month informing clubs what players could no longer do on theme nights, including using the rainbow-colored stick tape – often used during LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations in pregame warmups — was met with both confusion and derision, with some feeling the league was backtracking on its long-running “Hockey is for Everyone” campaign.

    “Make no mistake,” former NHL executive Brian Burke wrote on social media earlier this month, “this is a surprising and serious setback.”

    Previously, NHL players had the option of putting specialized tape, including lavender tape on Hockey Fights Cancer nights, or camouflage tape on Military Appreciation Nights, on their sticks before the league established its current guidelines.

    Perhaps, though, the conversation isn’t over, with Jonathan Becher, president of Sharks Sports & Entertainment, feeling those rules will go through some modifications.

    “Is it unfortunate that the league took that out of the player’s hands? For sure,” Becher told this news organization last week. “Do I think it’ll get back? Yes. And I think probably sooner than everyone is expecting.”

    A handful of NHL players last season opted out of wearing Pride-themed warmup jerseys when their teams hosted those specific nights. Some, including then-Sharks goalie James Reimer, did so because of their personal religious beliefs. Several Russian players also did not wear Pride-themed jerseys, feeling they or their families would face repercussions from anti-LGBTQ+ officials back home.

    Believing the news surrounding those individuals’ choices took away from team initiatives, the NHL in June announced that it would not allow players or clubs to wear themed jerseys in practices or warmups. The Sharks, on Oct. 14, hosted their seventh-annual Los Tiburones Night but did not wear the specifically designed jerseys in warmups that have been associated with the celebration.

    Among other theme nights, the Sharks are hosting their Hockey Fights Cancer night on Nov. 16, their Pride Night on Jan. 27, and a Celebration of Black History on Feb. 29.

    “I think sometimes when one crisis happens, people overreact and try to clamp down,” Becher said, “and yes, there’s definitely a middle ground and I think it’s going to come quickly, maybe even during the season.”

    One possible solution for the NHL, per Sharks forward Nico Sturm, would be to designate a night where players display whatever cause messaging they wanted – be it a jersey, stick tape, or a hat — to support something that’s close to their heart.

    “I’m just always a fan of just letting the players do what they want to do,” Sturm said. “Now we’re at the point where the NHL says no warmup jerseys but then let the players — if they want to — let them do the Pride night or let them wear a Hockey Fights Cancer hat or a military hat. I’m always a fan of people doing what they want to do, not because they are mandated to do it.”

    Sharks defenseman Kyle Burroughs disagreed with the NHL’s ban on specialized tape in pregame warmups, adding that he wouldn’t be surprised if some players still used it on certain theme nights.

    “I’m disappointed,” Burroughs said of the tape ban during pregame warmups. “It is by choice and it was at that point in our night to choose to support anybody in this dressing room or friends, family, and fans. To show our support was something that we could do.

    “Honestly, if it’s still possible, we can still get our hands on the tape. I know that the team’s been ordering it and it’s something that I would love to do if I had the opportunity.”

    The Arizona Coyotes will be the first NHL team this season to host a Pride night when they play the Los Angeles Kings on Friday. Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott caused a stir on Saturday when he wrapped the top of his stick that he used in the game with rainbow-colored tape, with the NHL telling The Athletic that the league will review the matter “in due course.”

    Source

  • JUST IN: After Wife’s Testimony, Lagos Doctor Gets Life Jail For Defiling Spouse’s Niece

    A Domestic and Sexual Violence Court sitting in Ikeja, Tuesday, sentenced Dr. Olufemi Olaleye of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Lagos, to life in prison for defilement and sexual penetration of his wife’s niece.

    The Lagos Ministry of Justice, through its Directorate of Public Prosecution, had arraigned Olaleye on the 30th of November, 2022, before Justice Ramon Oshodi on a two-count charge of defilement and sexual penetration against a minor.

    The ministry had said the doctor had contravened Sections 137 and 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

    But Olaleye pleaded not guilty.

    Subsequently, the defendant’s wife, who initially reported the case to the police, appeared to give testimony against her husband.

    The alleged survivour and four others also testified against him.

    On Tuesday, Rahman Oshodi declared the doctor guilty of the offenses and sentenced him to life imprisonment in line with the state laws.

    Source

  • Pass defense fails on third downs

    MINNEAPOLIS – Here is how the 49ers (5-2) graded in Monday night’s 22-17 loss at the Minnesota Vikings (3-4):

    PASS OFFENSE: F

    This was Brock Purdy’s first game with two interceptions, and both came in the final 5 ½ minutes to torpedo a legitimate comeback bid. Kyle Shanahan complimented Purdy’s overall game (21-of-30, 272 yards) and he indeed was humming along fine. But that closing act was a crusher. Still, Purdy blamed himself for poor anticipation and a bad ball on the first interception to Jauan Jennings (who seemed a tad slow out of his break, but Purdy and Shanahan praised Jennings’ route). On the second interception by Camryn Bynum, Purdy failed to connect with Ray-Ray McCloud. Jennings and McCloud? Why them in the clutch? Because the Vikings’ halftime adjustment wisely took away Aiyuk with double coverage and forced Purdy to focus on the other half of the field. Purdy got sacked only once, a remarkable feat considering blindside protector Trent Williams did not play, so that also was a positive reflection on replacement left tackle Jaylon Moore. Christian McCaffrey’s 35-yard third-quarter touchdown reception was bolstered in large part by blocks from Jennings and Aiyuk. George Kittle’s “National Tight Ends Day” output: five catches for 78 yards.

    RUN OFFENSE: D

    First of all, McCaffrey deserves kudos for playing through an oblique injury and scoring both touchdowns, the first of which was on a 3-yard run a minute before halftime. He repeatedly heaped blame on himself for the loss, tracing it to his lost fumble on the 49ers’ first possession (the first time they haven’t scored on an opening drive this season). All that aside, the 49ers’ penultimate possession reflected how tough it was to run, as they needed just 1 yard at midfield for a first down, and after McCaffrey and Purdy were stopped for no gain, it took a fourth-and-1 dive for Purdy to keep the drive alive, albeit for only for one more play because he threw his first interception on the next snap. McCaffrey, injury and all, had 15 of their 22 carries for 45 yards, which extended his NFL lead to 598 yards this season. The only other carry by a running back: Elijah Mitchell, for a 1-yard loss.

    PASS DEFENSE: F

    Steve Wilks’ blitz calls repeatedly backfired, and no more so than on Jordan Addison’s 60-yard, third-down touchdown catch just before halftime, against Charvarius Ward’s single coverage with no safety help because Tashaun Gipson Sr. bit forward on the play. Another play saw two defenders blitz on a third-and-10 screen that went for 30 yards to the 2-yard line. Why blitz? Because the four-man pass rush is not producing sacks. Kirk Cousins, who threw for 410 yards combined in losing his past two matchups with the 49ers, dropped 378 yards on them this time (35-of-45) without being sacked and without having Justin Jefferson (injured reserve). Ward made a nice play to intercept Cousins’ pass toward Addison on the first series, but Addison got his revenge on that momentum-seizing touchdown before halftime. Nick Bosa, who had one of the team’s six hits on Cousins, was very measured in his postgame address about the need for the defense — including himself — to step up. Third down would be a great point of emphasis, after the Vikings converted on 8-of-13.

    RUN DEFENSE: C

    The 49ers allowed a 19-yard run on the first snap, which certainly signaled more trouble after they allowed 160 yards on 34 carries to the Browns in the previous loss. The Vikings didn’t do too much further damage on the ground, because they thrived with Cousins’ air attack. Fred Warner had 13 tackles, Dre Greenlaw 10 and Talanoa Hufanga nine. Possibly the 49ers’ best tackle: Kevin Givens’ for a 1-yard loss to launch a goal-line stand in the second quarter.

    SPECIAL TEAMS: C-

    Jake Moody’s career-long 55-yard field goal in the fourth quarter was a huge confidence boost and desperately needed. In the second quarter, he had missed a 40-yard field goal attempt wide right – his first kick since missing a 41-yarder wide right in the final seconds in Cleveland.

    Source

  • Soludo Launches Anambra State Anti-Touting Squad

    The Anambra State Governor on Monday launched the state’s Anti-Touting Squad that will ensure zero touting in Anambra State.

    The governor, while inaugurating the taskforce at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, said that his administration is determined to restore law and order in Anambra especially in Onitsha and its environs.

    Soludo noted that touting has affected the growth and development of Onitsha negatively and advised the residents to contribute to the peace and progress of the state.

    The governor reassured that Anambra has provided great opportunities for the Youths and will continue to do so, and asked those involved in touting and criminality to key into government empowerment programmes to become useful to society and themselves.

    He further called on market leaders to take charge of the markets and ensure people shop without harassment and solicited for the partnership of the security operatives.

    Soludo also warned that petty traders, barrow pushers and hawkers should not be taxed at any market in Anambra State.

    Governor Soludo provided emergency numbers 09017280990, 07039896429 and 09076237441 to enable provide useful informations to assist the job of the Anti-Touting squad.

    He warned those sponsoring the touts to retrace their steps or be ready to face the consequences and promised that Onitsha will be revived.

    He congratulated the members of the squad and urged them to be committed and serve with professionalism and inline with the code of conduct.

    Anambra State Commissioner for Homeland Affairs, Mr Chikodi Anara in his remark emphasized that the agenda is to rejuvenate the values Anambra was known for.

    He warned that anyone involved in touting activities anywhere in Anambra to meaningfully engage themselves or leave the state.

    Source

  • Steve Wilks embarrassed in Minnesota

    The 49ers are on a losing streak.

    Yes, two is a streak.

    After losing to the Browns last weekend in Cleveland, the Niners dropped another road game Monday night in Minnesota.

    San Francisco was out-gained, out-muscled, lost the turnover battle, and, subsequently, outscored 22-17.

    Here are the studs and duds from another dud of a game:

    STUDS

    DT Javon Hargrave

    All you need to know about the excellence of the 49ers’ defensive tackle was seen when he shed two Vikings offensive linemen and came up with a tackle for loss on a first-quarter Vikings run play.

    Can he also be an elite pass rusher? The Niners need one of those.

    WR Brandon Aiyuk

    You can’t knock the 49ers’ top receiver for this game. He showed up in a big way.

    TE George Kittle

    He showed up, too.

    LT Jaylon Moore

    No one is going to replace Trent Williams, but Moore played well filling in for the injured All-Pro. You didn’t notice him on Monday, did you?

    HC Kyle Shanahan

    The 49ers’ offense had the right plays called. The players just failed to execute.

    RB Christian McCaffrey

    He didn’t have his typical burst on Monday, and his first-quarter fumble took points off the board, but McCaffrey was still the engine of the offense.

    Once Shanahan figured out that he needed to get McCaffrey the ball outside the tackles, the Niners really moved the ball.

    DUDS

    Source

  • Group Berates Supreme Court After Shifting Imo Guber Litigation To December 5

    Hope-Uzodinma-Imo-State-Governor

    The Supreme Court has come under attack for allegedly cowering to external influence which has forced it to shift the determination of two cases that seek to decide the fate of incumbent Governor, Hope Uzodimma for the November 11 governorship election in Imo State.

    Uzodimma was declared the winner of the 2019 governorship election by the Supreme Court in 2020, which removed incumbent Governor, Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

    The two cases were instituted when Ugwumba Uche Nwosu was disqualified from contesting the 2019 governorship poll that he held double nomination of the All Progressives Congress and Action Alliance, AA, respectively.

    Both the PDP and APP candidates approached the apex court for interpretation of the effect of the judgment sacking Nwosu who held double nomination of APC and AA and to also enforce the verdict against Uzodimma.

    After three years of waiting, the apex court caved into pressure and fixed October 31 as the date to determine the suits as the Imo governorship election draws closer.

    But it was gathered that the apex court had shifted the date on Monday to determine the case to December 5, more than three weeks after the governorship election must have been held.

    According to the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, the apex court must have been induced financially to move the date.

    In a text of a press conference signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, on Monday, the group noted that despite its alarm that the court was being pressured to shift the date to give judgment on the matter, due to “external interference and alleged financial inducements as we heard, the Supreme Court today, against all rational expectations, moved the hearing date to December 5th.”

    He stated that “Heavy pressure was brought to bear on the Supreme Court” to decide the matter since it has lingered for three years, it has decided otherwise.

    He alleged that “There were allegations that a humongous amount of money in dollar-denominated notes exchanged hands to scuttle the October 31st hearing date.

    “Today (Monday), the Supreme Court capitulated to these external pressures.

    “So we are warning that just like what Justice John Tsoho said, the confidence of Nigerians in the court system is being eroded and this uncertainty and influences coming from politicians that destabilised the hearing of sensitive and strategic litigation is capable of unleashing anarchy,” Onwubiko said.

    The National President of the Association for Public Policy Analysis, Chief Comrade Princewill Okorie, confirmed the shift in date to THE WHISTLER saying, “The information reaching us is that the hearing date has been shifted from October 31 to December 5.”

    When contacted, the Supreme Court Press Secretary, Festus Akande, said “I’m not aware. I’m just arriving in Abuja.”

    Source

  • Kyle Shanahan, Brock Purdy, Fred Warner speak post-loss

    The 49ers suffered their second straight loss Monday night, dropping a prime-time game in Minnesota to the Vikings, 22-17.

    The San Francisco defense could not get off the field on third downs, allowing eight conversions in 12 opportunities by Kirk Cousins and the Vikings. They forced just one punt, midway through the fourth quarter. The ensuing possession ended with Brock Purdy throwing an interception in Vikings territory, as did the 49ers’ final possession after a missed Minnesota field goal.

    Purdy finished 21-of-30 on the day with one touchdown (a swing pass Christian McCaffrey took 35 yards for a score) and those two ill-timed picks.

    McCaffrey rushed 15 times for 45 yards and another score. George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings each had five catches for 78, 57 and 54 yards, respectively. Deebo Samuel missed the game with a shoulder injury.

    Kyle Shanahan

    On the performance:

    We flat-out got beat. Right now you have to take it like a man.

    On the defense:

    I was real disappointed that we couldn’t get them off the field. They had one punt today, we had one punt. They had one turnover, we had three turnovers. I think when both teams only punt once, looks like it’s going to be a shootout. But we ended up turning it over two more times than them, and it was a five-point game. Almost as simple as that.

    On whether he liked the call to blitz on the touchdown to Jordan Addison late in the second quarter:

    That’s stuff we’ll discuss this week. Obviously, I did not like the result.

    On Purdy:

    I thought he played really well. The one missed throw to Jauan was the one tough play that he didn’t make.

    On Jaylon Moore:

    I didn’t say his name much today so I’m assuming he did well.

    On the offensive output:

    When it’s a game like that, we just got to score on all those and when you turn it over three times, that’s three drives without points.

    Christian McCaffrey

    On how he felt physically:

    It really doesn’t matter. If you’re out there, you have a responsibility to your teammates to play the best you can. I can’t make those mistakes like that early in the game.

    On correcting issues:

    We have a team that’s hyper-critical of each individual and you know we can just let it trick down and take a good hard look in the mirror. I know I’ll do that. I made a bad mistake today that I believe cost us the game. If I don’t fumble that ball… put it on me and go from there.

    On the team:

    We practice hard. We got all the right guys, we just have to play well.

    On bouncing back:

    You just have to let the anger fuel you in the right ways and, you know, come out and just be obsessed with executing and doing your job. We got the right guys for that mentality.

    Brock Purdy

    On his first interception:

    Just a bad ball. JJ did a good job on his route and D-line got a good push and I sort of just was trying to anticipate the throw … He ran the right route, the right timing and everything. I just got pushed and sort of lost sight of him and just anticipated it too far ahead of him.

    On his second interception:

    Just trying to strain and make a play. That was like the shot within the play to hit Ray-Ray coming across the middle. And then that middle safety Tampa player did a good job. I was trying to throw it over, I’m trying to force it. Got to learn from it. I think I could have ran and got down, whatever, but I just forced it.

    On a second loss:

    It’s tough, two in a row. In the NFL, you know every team is good. It doesn’t matter who you’re going against, what the record is or anything like that. We didn’t come into the week taking this team lightly, and it was going to be a hostile environment. It was going to be a great challenge. Their defense is really good, Kirk Cousins is really good. We came in with the right mindset, we just got to execute better.

    Nick Bosa

    On the third downs:

    I think a lot went into it. Us not making the plays when they were there. The way the game went definitely played into their hands, especially in the first half. But definitely look at the tape and not be too happy about how we performed and the moments where we could have changed it.

    On the defense having no sacks:

    We have a lot of really good players on the D-line and obviously a lot invested in it and you have to make the plays in there. … It was definitely a couple of opportunities there where I could change the game and I needed to do that with the player I’m supposed to be.

    On the defense:

    As good as we think we are, every single week it’s the NFL, and if one guy is off, they’re going to make a play. Kirk Cousins is a really good quarterback — he was making some good checks against our looks.

    On the 60-yard TD to Addison:

    We try to emphasize those two-minute drives, especially going into half and at the end of the game. We want to get off the field and not give them any points. That was a difference in the game. We called a blitz, I think all-out, and it definitely wasn’t — I don’t know how the back end feels about it, but Mooney was there. Tough luck for him on that.

    On blitzing:

    It definitely works out sometimes. I’m not used to it. We’re usually a rush-four kind of team and it’s a little different this year.

    On talking to Warner postgame:

    Just kind of debriefing. Both of us had our moments and had some good drives and some bad ones. Had some missed tackles between me and him and I think me and him try to take as much of the brunt of failure, being who we are and the leaders that we try to be.

    On the two losses:

    The NFL will humble you every step of the way. Getting off to a 5-0 start, you kind of get the confidence that we are who we need to be, but the NFL does that. It’s good players, good schemes and we’re going to face another good team this week.

    Fred Warner

    Source