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Messi Should Have Own Ballon d’Or Category, Says Guardiola
Pep Guardiola says Lionel Messi should have his own category at the Ballon d’Or but admitted the World Cup winner and Manchester City hotshot Erling Haaland would both be deserving winners of the prize.
Messi, who recently left Paris Saint-Germain for Inter Miami, is favourite to win the Ballon d’Or for a record-extending eighth time later this month after leading Argentina to World Cup glory last year.
Haaland could be his main rival after scoring 52 goals in 53 games to help City win the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup last season.
Guardiola knows the qualities of both players better than most, previously coaching Messi at Barcelona and currently managing Haaland with City.
“Always I said that the Ballon d’Or should be in two sections, one for Messi, and after look for the other one, so Haaland should win, yes,” Guardiola said on Friday.
“We won the treble because he scored 50 million goals but of course Messi, if you tell me the worst season for Messi is the best for the rest of the players.
“Both deserve it, so what can I say?”
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Guardiola added: “Egotistically, I would say I want Erling because he helped us to achieve what we achieved, I would love it, but I won’t tell you it’s unfair if Leo wins.
“It’s nice that many players for Man City will be there for the first time in many years and challenging for these trophies. That makes us so proud of our organisation.”
The Ballon d’Or awards ceremony takes place in Paris on October 30.
City are hoping to get back to winning ways against Brighton on Saturday after losing their previous two league matches against Wolves and Arsenal.
City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who has struggled for game time under Guardiola, this week admitted he needs to play more at the club level as he seeks to retain his place in the England squad ahead of Euro 2024.
That has increased speculation he could leave in January and Guardiola did not rule out the possibility.
“The transfer window is over, now we are here together. When we need a game with transitions, Kalvin is perfect,” he said.
“When there is something you need to do, there are still one or two players who can do it better. That’s the simple reason.
“He will be here until winter. After, I don’t know what will happen because nobody knows once the window is open.”
Guardiola admitted it was “so important” that Rodri can return this weekend after the influential Spain midfielder was badly missed during his three-match suspension following last month’s sending-off against Nottingham Forest.
AFP
President Bola Tinubu has asked the Muslims in the country to use the Ramadan fasting season to pray for Nigeria’s growth and development.
In a statement on Friday, Tinubu said the Ramadan season “coincides with a period of renewed hope and progress for our nation”.
The president said his administration policies have started yielding “positive results,” noting that the country is witnessing “gradual stabilisation”.
Tinubu added that the foreign exchange rate has started “stabilising” and prices of food items are “now downward”.
“This year’s Ramadan holds special significance as it coincides with a period of renewed hope and progress for our nation,” the statement reads.
“Our administration’s bold and transformative policies are beginning to yield positive results, as evidenced by the gradual stabilisation of our economy.
“The Gross Domestic Product for the last quarter of 2024 showed a marked improvement over the same period in 2023.
“The once-soaring prices of essential food items are now downward, providing much-needed relief to our fasting population and all Nigerians. The exchange rate is stabilising, and fuel prices are declining, signalling a brighter future.
“As the wet season approaches, we remain steadfast in boosting agricultural productivity.
“We are determined to enhance food production and ensure self-sufficiency and food security for all Nigerians through targeted input support, mechanisation, and innovative farming initiatives.
“In this sacred month, I call on all Nigerians to join hands in prayer and action for our beloved country’s continued growth and development.
“Let us fervently seek Allah’s guidance and protection for our nation, and let our words and deeds reflect our shared commitment to peace, unity, and progress.”
Ramadan is a significant month in Islam, during which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.
The Ramadan fasting period in Nigeria lasts 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the moon, as per the Islamic lunar calendar.
Some minutes ago, Muhammad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, announced the sighting of the crescent moon for the commencement of Ramadan fasting on Saturday.
Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory, has stated that she has no knowledge of the alleged sexual harassment of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday, Kingibe dismissed claims that Akpoti-Uduaghan had been isolated by female senators, revealing that she had, in fact, received more privileges than her female colleagues.
“The three of us [female senators] have not been sexually harassed. That’s not to say if Senator Natasha can prove that she has been, we won’t support her. But she has never discussed it with us, and we don’t know about it,” Kingibe stated.
She added that Akpoti-Uduaghan had been given preferential treatment regarding seating arrangements, noting that other female senators, including herself, had been moved multiple times.
Kingibe further explained that she was hospitalized on the day of the alleged incident and only learned of the controversy afterward. She attempted to contact Akpoti-Uduaghan for clarification but received no response.
“I promptly called her and asked what was going on. She started explaining about seating arrangements but didn’t finish before saying she’d call me back. Till today, she has not called me back,” Kingibe revealed.
Her efforts to reach Akpoti-Uduaghan’s husband also proved unfruitful, as he informed her that his wife was in Singapore at the time.
While acknowledging that the Senate still has gender-related challenges, Kingibe noted that progress has been made in improving the treatment of female lawmakers.
“Yes, the Senate is not gender-friendly, but it has improved. When we raise concerns, the Senate President takes steps to address them,” she said.
She, however, cautioned that internal disputes, particularly those concerning seating arrangements, could harm public perception of the Senate, urging lawmakers to handle disagreements more constructively.
News
“No Injustice Was Done Against Ex-Minister Turaki By the Police Regarding DNA Test Result, Woman Tells Court
A woman, Hadiza Baffa, has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that tno Injustice was done against Kabiru Turaki, former minister, special duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, in obtaining a DNA Test result to determine the paternity of her child.
She said by her knowledge, all that transpired in the Police Headquarters was with every sense of humility against the parties involved.
Hadiza told Justice Inyang Ekwo in her affidavit to show cause filed by her lawyer, Sani Idris, on why the reliefs sought in Turaki’s motion ex-parte should not be granted.
Turaki, in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/244/2025, dated Feb 11, but filed on Feb 13, had sued the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Inspector-General (I-G) of Police; DCP Rita Oki Oyintare, who is Deputy Commissioner of Police for Gender and Hadiza Musa Baffa as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.
He sought an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents from presenting, using, or relying on the purported DNA paternity test result procured from the DNA Labs Limited or any other DNA laboratory on Nov. 5, 2024, or any other date thereafter.
Hadiza, in her counter-affidavit alleged that the ex-minister “maliciously filed the suit when it came to his knowledge that the DNA Test forms part of the evidence at the Magistrate Court and knowing the result shows that 99.9% the applicant is the biological father of the baby.”
“ That contrary to the denial of the Applicant having illicit sexual intercourse with me and also denying being a biological father of our daughter, the Applicant volunteered his swab in the daylight not night, and the Applicant the next day equally took the swab of our daughter by his medical doctor in the presence of his lawyers at Police Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), and some days after reached out to me that he had confirmed the DNA and asked me for settlement;
“ That his lawyers on the 9th Day of January, 2025 asked me to come to Police Force Intelligence Department (FID) to collect their proposed terms of settlement;
“That after collecting the proposed terms of settlement it was stated therein that the Applicant will take custody of the daughter in order to grow up and bond with his children which he refers to as her siblings, and also offered to give me access to our daughter, and I refused the Applicant’s proposed terms,” Hadiza said.
She said the purported restraining order Turaki mentioned in his originating summon was obtained ex-parte by fraud and misrepresentation to restrain the 1st to 3rd respondents from accepting any complaint, and same was vacated by the presiding Upper Area Court Judge.
According to her, contrary to the allegation of the applicant the order was made after I had made my complaint and my statement was already obtained by the Nigerian Police.
“The applicant knows full well that it is only the DNA Test that will exonerate me or him if at all what I am saying about the pregnancy is not that of the applicant and the paternity issue.
“That by my knowledge, all that transpired in the Police Headquarters was done with all sense of humility against the parties involved,” Hadiza said.
She said Turaki had been arraigned at the Chief Magistrate Court, Wuse at Zone 2 in Abuja.
“That it is in the interest of justice to dismiss the applicant’s application,” she prayed
Giving a 13-ground argument why his application should be granted, Turaki said he instituted an action against Hadiza (4th respondent) vide suit No CV/35/2024 on June 24, 2024.
The ex-minister alleged that on Nov. 5, 2024, he was invited by DCP Oyintare and he honoured the invitation.
He further alleged that upon honouring the invitation, Oyintare insisted that she must take a swab from him to conduct a DNA to prove the paternity of Hadiza’s daughter.
He said though he protested, he was detained at the Force Criminal Investigation Department’s cell at Area 10, Garki, Abuja for about 6 hours from 12 noon till 6pm, and at about 9pm, his “swab sample was collected by a purported scientist at the behest of the 3rd respondent,” before he was allowed to go home at about 10pm on that day..
He further said unless the court promptly intervened, the respondents would rely on the said purported DNA test paternity result, the validity or otherwise being the subject matter of the instant suit.
Justice Ekwo had, on Feb. 18, ordered the former minister to put all the respondents on notice when the motion was moved by his lawyer, Abdulaziz Ibrahim, SAN.
The judge directed the respondents to show cause in the next adjourned date why the prayers sought by the ex-minister should not be granted.
Meanwhile, Hadiza, in her affidavit to show cause, told the court that granting Turaki’s application would prejudice her and would cause her and her child an irreparable damages.
The police, in their counter affidavit, also urged the court to dismiss the ex-minister’s request.
Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until March 24 for hearing.