IMO BREAKING NEWS BLOG

Chelsea will begin their title defence at home to Burnley when the 2017-18 Premier League season kicks off on the weekend of 12-13 August. Newly promoted Newcastle host Tottenham, while Brighton welcome Manchester City and Huddersfield visit Crystal Palace.

Spurs' first game at Wembley will be against Antonio Conte's champions on the second weekend of the season. The precise date of games will be set once TV schedules have been decided. The league is set to finish on Sunday 13 May 2018, a week earlier than last season, with the World Cup finals in Russia starting on 14 June.

The English Football League fixtures will be released on 21 June and Scotland's fixtures two days later.

The Niger Government on Wednesday declared ‘state of emergency’ on federal roads following the collapsed of two bridges, linking the Western and Northern Nigeria. Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, the state Commissioner for Information, made the declaration shortly after inspecting the bridges in Tatabu and Bokani villages both in Mokwa Local Government Area. “There is no guarantee of life on these roads, therefore, on behalf of the acting Gov. Alhaji Ahmed Ketso, Niger state as a government hereby declared a state of emergency on federal roads in the state,” Vatsa said.

The two bridges collapsed on June 4 and June 11 respectively after downpour; a railway that links Western and Northern parts of the country also collapsed as a result of flood in the same area. “Road users should, henceforth, be very careful and take precautionary measures while travelling on the roads. The federal roads in the state are no longer safe,” the Commissioner declared. “I advise drivers of trucks and articulated vehicles to be conscious, especially when approaching a bridge,” he said.

Vatsa, however, appealed to the Federal Government to intervene in rehabilitating the roads, saying the Northern and Western parts of the country are currently cut-off as a result of the collapsed bridges and railway tracks.

Nigeria's Unity is again been put to the test as calls have been coming from many ethnic quarters for the nation to break up. But if one hundred and five members of the Nigerian senate co sponsor a motion on the need for national unity and peaceful coexistence, then something is obviously been done.

The Biafran agitation for self rule, the Arewa ultimatum for the Igbos to leave the north and the seeming reactions from the different ethnic groups is not welcoming as pockets of angry groups are beginning to actually carry out some of the threats causing fear and panic in the country.

But the unity of Nigeria must remain intact and the entire senate is calling on all Nigerians to hold their horses and sheath their swords.

The Federal Government has approved the sum of one hundred and eighty six million dollars for the completion of Afam Power Plant in Rivers State. The two hundred and thirty mega watts power plant according to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola is in continuation of the incremental power plan of the Federal Government. As usual, Ministers and other top government officials turned out early for the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting at council chambers of the seat of power.

After hours of behind the curtain deliberations, Minister of Power, Works and Housing said council approved one hundred and eighty-six million dollars for the completion of Afam Power Plant. He also said that the sum of seven point nine million naira was approved as reimbursement for Kwara state as money spent on the construction of Federal Government road.

Council approved a memo that will end tax shift for the Ministry of Finance. According to the Minister of Finance the memo is to ratify some G20 tax country treaties which Nigeria is part of.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi said council also approved the completion of barrow port at the cost of five hundred million naira.

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has hailed the victory of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal as another victory of Nigerians over tyranny. The Governor said he was happy that he predicted that the CCT will absolve Saraki in his predictions made in December 2016 and “it has come to pass.”

Fayose, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, on Wednesday, said the judgment was another lesson for the President Muhammadu Buhari led All Progressives Congress Federal Government that criminal cases are not won on the pages of newspapers. He drew the attention of Nigerians to number eight of his 22 predictions for the year 2017. He said, “I said it categorically that the Code of Conduct Tribunal will absolve Senate President Bukola Saraki and today, the prediction came to pass.”

The Governor congratulated Saraki, urging him to see the victory as a challenge to him and the entire members of the National Assembly to always stand up to defend the rule of law and fundamental rights of Nigerians.

David Haye has been fined £25,000 by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) over his behaviour in the build-up to his bout with Tony Bellew. The former heavyweight world champion graphically described injuries he hoped to inflict on Bellew in the run-up to March's stoppage defeat. Haye, 36, admitted his comments brought boxing into disrepute. The board believes that Bellew's behaviour improved after both fighters were warned days before the bout.

The BBBofC condemned both boxers' behaviour which included a heated news conference in Liverpool and a media event in London. According to records on the BBBofC website, Haye made a donation and apologised for his behaviour to the Southern Area Council at a meeting three days before the bout. WBC cruiserweight champion Bellew, 34, was given a four-month suspended suspension by the board in December as a result of his ringside behaviour when he called Haye out following victory over BJ Flores in October. Further misdemeanours could have seen his licence withdrawn before the meeting with Haye.

Haye said after the fight that he expected to be fined for his pre-fight comments. He intends on returning to the ring after recovering from Achilles surgery.