Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen suffered their first Bundesliga defeat since May 2023 as a 3-2 loss at home to RB Leipzig on Saturday snapped their 35-match unbeaten run in the top flight.

In a volatile match which saw visiting coach Marco Rose sent to the stands in the first half, Leverkusen jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Jeremie Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo.

But Kevin Kampl scored for Leipzig against the run of play just before half-time and Lois Openda levelled things up early in the second period.

Openda scored again with 10 minutes remaining to secure victory for Leipzig against last season’s unbeaten league and cup winners.

“We had the chance to finish the game, but the goals we conceded were far too easy,” said Leverkusen captain Jonathan Tah.

“We defend as a team, but we fell asleep a few times and of course we’re going to be punished.”

The loss for Leverkusen ended a run of 43 domestic matches without defeat, a run spanning 463 days.

Xabi Alonso’s side, who have scored 17 goals in the 88th minute or later this year, pushed to keep their record alive, but could not find an equaliser this time.

“We knew it was going to be very hard to play here, Leverkusen play lethal football. We wanted to be courageous and get on the front foot,” said Kampl.

“We know we’ve also got quality up front. We were ice-cold today.”

Rose was sent to the stands after he was yellow-carded twice in quick succession in the first half for touchline outbursts after a foul on his player.

The Leipzig coach appeared to still be seething after Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface caught the head of Amadou Haidara while attempting a bicycle kick. He was upset Boniface escaped with a booking as Haidara needed to be replaced.

 Dortmund held at Bremen

Earlier on Saturday, a toothless and ill-disciplined Borussia Dortmund were held to a 0-0 draw at Werder Bremen.

Dortmund dominated possession but failed to break through and played the final 17 minutes a man down after centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck was sent off.

They came into the game with Maximilian Beier as their one recognised striker, having sent Sebastien Haller out on loan to La Liga side Leganes late on Friday.

Summer signing Serhou Guirassy, brought in to replace Niclas Fuellkrug after the Germany striker left for West Ham, is still weeks away from a return from a knee injury.

Schlotterbeck picked up a second yellow for a challenge on Justin Njinmah, reducing his side to 10 men.

“Everything isn’t exactly great yet,” said Dortmund midfielder Pascal Gross. “The coach prepared us well but we need to do better at implementing it”.

Last season’s surprise runners-up Stuttgart again gave away points from a winning position, drawing 3-3 with Mainz after conceding an equaliser in stoppage time.

Strikes from Enzo Millot and Jamie Leweling inside the opening 15 minutes put Stuttgart in control.

The hosts however let Mainz back into the match when Millot gave away a clumsy penalty late in the first half which was converted by Nadiem Amiri.

Jonathan Burkardt, who won the penalty, headed Mainz level after 62 minutes.

Stuttgart — who led in their Bundesliga opener and in the Super Cup against Leverkusen before losing both — led again when Fabian Rieder scored a stunning free-kick with two minutes remaining.

Mainz’s Maxim Leitsch scored in the fourth minute of added time to snatch a point for the visitors.

“We actually played a pretty good game, but we undid it by making simple mistakes,” Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller told Sky.

Eintracht Frankfurt won their opening home game 3-1 against Hoffenheim.

Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike again impressed in the win, scoring the opener and laying on a perfect pass for Hugo Larsson’s second.

Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric, who scored a hat-trick in last week’s season opener, pulled one back for the visitors early in the second half but Egypt winger Omar Marmoush added another to seal the match.

Borussia Moenchengladbach won 2-0 at Bochum, while top-flight newcomers Holstein Kiel are still looking for their first Bundesliga point, going down 2-0 at home to Wolfsburg.

Brazil winger Raphinha scored a hat-trick as Barcelona thrashed Real Valladolid 7-0 on Saturday to make it four wins from four in La Liga under new coach Hansi Flick.

While bitter rivals Real Madrid have stumbled early following the much-trumpeted arrival of Kylian Mbappe, Barcelona are off to a flying start despite their continued financial difficulties.

Raphinha opened the scoring at the Olympic Stadium on 20 minutes as he chested down a pass from Pau Cubarsi and flicked elegantly into the far corner with the outside of his left boot.

Robert Lewandowski soon doubled the lead when he latched onto a ball through from Lamine Yamal and squeezed a shot past Valladolid goalkeeper Karl Hein, on loan from Arsenal.

Jules Kounde made it three before half-time when a corner dropped to the France defender inside the area and he stabbed into the top corner while off-balance.

Raphinha had a simple tap-in from close range just past the hour, with Lewandowski and Yamal involved before the ball broke kindly for the Brazilian.

He completed his treble on 72 minutes following a brilliant burst forward from Yamal, who then slid through a delightful pass for Raphinha to stroke home.

Dani Olmo, who got the winner midweek at Rayo Vallecano, on his debut, struck with his final touch as he danced past a series of defenders and rolled in Barcelona’s sixth.

Raphinha rounded off a glittering performance with the assist for Ferran Torres as Barcelona hit a seventh, fizzing in a cross from the left for the substitute to steer home in clinical fashion.

The presidency has given more details about Nigeria’s debt condition under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

The presidency explained that contrary to some reports that Nigeria’s debt stock increased, the nation’s debt stock decreased by 15% in dollar terms in Q1 2024.

It added that the government is able and committed to repaying its debt.

The explanation was given on Saturday, 31st August, by the Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, in response to a report by StatiSense, which quoted the debt profile of Nigeria under the nation’s presidents starting from the time of Shehu Shagari to the current administration of President Tinubu.

The presidential media aide explained that the increase in public debt under the current administration is largely due to economic factors, not increased borrowing.

He argued that the Tinubu government is reducing the nation’s debt profile.

Olusegun said President Tinubu’s administration is committed to transparency and responsible economic management.

The bullet points in the post by Olusegun via his X account, titled, ‘Debunking the Myth: Nigeria’s External Debt Under President Bola Tinubu’ are highlighted below.

– Nigeria’s total debt stock decreased by 15% in dollar terms in Q1 2024, contrary to claims of rising debt.

– The increase in public debt is largely due to economic factors, not borrowing:
– Depreciation of the naira exchange rate (from N899.39/$ to N1,330.26/$)
– Interest rate changes
– Securitization of Ways and Means

– The current administration inherited a legacy of N22.7 trillion in outstanding Ways and Means, now being audited and securitized.
– The current Ways and Means deficit stands at N3.4 trillion, offset by operating surpluses from revenue-generating agencies.

– Nigeria’s (FG only) external debt stands at $42 billion.

– Multilateral creditors are owed $20.82bn, while China is owed $5bn.

– The federal government’s economic reforms have impacted foreign exchange and interest rates, contributing to the public debt spike.

– The government’s capacity to pay its debts is intact, with a revamped financial system.

The presidency noted that the addition of Nigeria’s external debt figure provides further context to the discussion, highlighting the country’s overall debt situation while emphasizing the factors contributing to the public debt increase.

Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai took to his official X handle over the weekend to share his personal thoughts on what he termed ‘envy’ among Nigeria’s political class.

His lamentation follows allegations of corruption and misappropriation of government funds during his eight years as governor of Kaduna State.

The Kaduna State House of Assembly had claimed that his eight-year administration allegedly siphoned ₦432bn, leaving the state with huge debt liabilities.

Earlier in June, the ad hoc committee set up by the state Assembly to investigate all finances, loans and contracts awarded under the El-Rufai administration submitted its report to the House.

The chairman of the ad hoc committee, Henry Zacharia, said most of the loans obtained under El-Rufai’s administration were not used for the purpose for which they were obtained, while in some cases, due process was not followed in securing the loans.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Yusuf Liman, also said that a total ₦423bn was allegedly siphoned by El-Rufai’s administration leaving the state with huge liabilities.

The committee, therefore, recommended the investigation and prosecution of El-Rufai, and some members of his cabinet by security and anti-corruption agencies for alleged abuse of office, diversion of public funds and money laundering.

The committee also recommended the immediate suspension of the Commissioner of Finance, Shizer Badda, who also served in the same capacity under El-Rufai’s administration.

‘Scandalous Claims’

Responding, El-Rufai’s spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, affirmed the integrity of the El-Rufai government and dismissed as “scandalous”, the claims by the committee.

He said, “Malam Nasir El-Rufai is immensely proud of his record of governance and the legacy he left in Kaduna State. This record of consistently high performance in public and private office cannot be altered by any malicious effort to use the auspices of a state legislature for defamation and undeserved smears.

“Many of the officials who served in the El-Rufai government appeared before the ad-hoc committee because of their confidence in the quality of their service and the rectitude which they served Kaduna State. They were under no illusion that they were participating in a fair process. It was obvious that the ad hoc committee was merely going through the motions of an inquiry just to give some gloss to predetermined conclusions.

“It is sad to see such a shameful departure from any notion of decency and fairness by a state legislature. We dismiss with contempt the claims being peddled in connection with the report.

“Malam El-Rufai wishes to assure discerning Nigerians that he has served Kaduna State with integrity and to the best of his capacity, assisted by a hardworking and patriotic team. He complied with all extant laws in all his activities while he was the governor. This jaundiced probe should be disregarded as the politically motivated hatchet job it is.”

He has since filed a fundamental rights suit at the Federal High Court in Kaduna against the state House of Assembly.

‘Envy Leads To Hatred’, Says El-Rufai On A Weekend Reflection

However, in a long post on his on X handle on Saturday, El-Rufai who described envy as an ‘incurable disease’ said he doubted if it could be cured among the political class.

He said, “WEEKEND REFLECTION: “NONE of us has to fail for ALL of us to succeed. And in unity there is strength.” – @VP Kamala Harris, US Vice President (2021-2024) and Democratic Presidential Candidate at the Democratic National Convention,

“The quote above led me to reflect on the meaning and implications for our situation in Nigeria. Feelings of envy require that EVERYONE fails for ONE to succeed.

“Envy is quite prevalent amongst the key actors in our political system. Competence, capacity, and commitment are some personal leadership qualities that attract the envy of those lacking or deficient in these indices.

“Instead of striving to attain, the envious seeks to hate and destroy those that are better. Envy leads to hatred.

“Hatred leads to destructive thoughts and actions, including unspeakable crimes like perjury, malicious prosecution, persecution, unlawful imprisonment, torture and even murder for the target(s) of the envy.

“Can the incurable disease of envy amongst Nigerians, particularly within the members of the political class be cured? Personally, I doubt it.

“The emerging problem of Nigeria is the outcome of the continuously deteriorating competence, capacity and commitment of the political leadership.

“Societies succeed or fail depending on these personal and institutional qualities.

“No matter what, the incurable virus of ENVY has to be confronted and degraded, if not cured, if Nigeria is to achieve its manifest destiny of greatness and leadership of the Black Race. I pray this can be realized. Amen.”

The Ogun State Government said it has revoked the provisional licences granted to 20 private orphanage owners operating in the state, due to non-compliance with regulations and laws prioritising the well-being and safety of vulnerable children in their care. 

The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye, disclosed on Friday during a meeting with members of private orphanage homes at the ministry’s conference room, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, in the state capital.

The commissioner expressed displeasure over some private orphanage owners’ activities, stating that the state would not tolerate shady practices involving illegal adoption, child trafficking or maltreatment of children in their custody.

She emphasised that orphanages should operate with empathy by empowering and caring for vulnerable children and not doing anything to compromise their safety.

She said the present administration was committed to safeguarding children’s welfare and preventing exploitation, urging them to adhere to laid down guidelines.

The commissioner explained  that the essence of operating an orphanage is to give back to society through humanitarian services and as such, anyone found wanting in the discharge of their duties would be prosecuted,

She added that the ministry had taken steps to improve its data collation, to ensure that the number of children brought to the orphanages was recorded and properly documented.

“The state government’s actions aim to protect vulnerable children and maintain the integrity of orphanage services,” she said.

“About 20 orphanages with provisional licences were affected but not all of them were involved in various sharp practices like not following due guidelines on child adoption among other contraventions”

“But we have withdrawn the provisional licences of these 20 orphanages. We want to take our time to dig deeper and ensure that they are all doing the right things”

“We have told the affected orphanages to reapply after a month and we have given additional guidelines to those with permanent licences to ensure that the standard is not compromised”.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Adejumoke Adewole, said the ministry would not relent in embarking on unscheduled visitation to all orphanage homes in the state, to monitor and evaluate the activities of the owners, and ensure proper compliance with directives.

A representative of the private orphanage owners, Adeyemo Anthony, commended the state for ensuring that orphanage homes were monitored, pledging their support to work together with the government to ensure the welfare and well-being of the children in their care.

The deal between the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the new Super Eagles Coach Bruno Labbadia have been aborted.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NFF had earlier announced on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with German tactician, Labbadia to become the Head Coach of the Super Eagles.

However, a statement by Ademola Olajire, NFF’s Director of Communications, on Friday quoted the NFF President, Musa Gusau as saying that the deal between the NFF and Labbadia had been botched.

Gusau explained that stringent regulations of German tax authorities had conspired to abort the agreement between the NFF and Coach Labbadia.

“We have been on the tax issue for the past three days.

“I told him clearly that there was no way the NFF will agree to offset the concomitant tax percentage on his salary that will be demanded by German tax authorities.

“It is not possible for us to shoulder the responsibility of shelling out another money, between 32 per cent to 40 per cent of his salary, after paying the agreed monthly wage.

“The NFF and Labbadia reached an agreement in principle before we made the announcement that he would become the Head Coach of the Super Eagles.

“The tax details were never part of our discussions, and he had personally agreed to all terms before the tax issue came up.

“We were doing our best to be flexible in the discussions but he was adamant that the NFF had to pay the full tax amount as well. We simply cannot do that,” Gusau said.

He added that with the latest development, Technical Director of Nigeria Football Federation, Coach Augustine Eguavoen will now take charge of the Super Eagles.

Eguavoen will lead the team for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic in Uyo, Sept. 7 and Kigali, Rwanda Kigali, on Sept. 10.

NAN reports that this would be Eguavoen’s fourth stint in charge of the three-time African champions, after earlier experience in 2005 to 2007, 2010 and 2022.(NAN)

Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has found himself sidelined as the Serie A club has handed his iconic number 9 jersey to their new signing, Romelu Lukaku.

This development follows a summer of intense transfer speculation and a reported fallout with the club’s hierarchy, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Nigerian striker, who played a pivotal role in securing Napoli’s first Scudetto in four decades, was at the centre of a tug-of-war between several top clubs.

However, despite last-minute bids from Saudi giants Al-Hilal and English side Chelsea, Osimhen remains with the Partenopei, a situation that has left many fans and pundits puzzled.

New Napoli manager Antonio Conte, who has a history with Lukaku from their successful stint at Inter Milan, appears to have no place for Osimhen in his plans.

Conte’s preference for the Belgian striker is seen as a key reason behind the decision to strip Osimhen of his number 9 shirt.

Napoli had reportedly reached an agreement with Saudi club Al Ahli for a fee of around £67 million, but negotiations hit a snag when the Italian club demanded a higher fee.

This prompted Al Ahli to shift their focus to Brentford’s Ivan Toney, ultimately securing the English forward for a £40 million move.

Toney, who had already undergone a medical in London on Deadline Day, became the more straightforward option for the Saudi side.

The failed transfer saga has left Osimhen in a precarious position, with reports suggesting he could be sidelined until January when the transfer window reopens.

This situation is in contrast to his recent successes, including being named African Footballer of the Year and finishing 8th in the Ballon d’Or rankings.

After a successful 2023 season, tensions between the striker and Napoli had already been simmering, especially after the club’s official TikTok account released a controversial video that many interpreted as disrespectful.

Despite the public fallout, the former Wolfsburg striker extended his contract with Napoli until 2026.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has promoted 684 senior police officers.

Ikechukwu Ani Head, Press and Public Relations, in a statement, said the decision to approve the promotion of senior officers took place during the first preliminary meeting with the new chairman of PSC in Abuja.

According to him, the meeting presided over by the Chairman of the Commission, DIG Hashimu Argungu (rtd), had in attendance, DIG Taiwo Lakanu, (rtd), Honourable Commissioner and Chief Onyemuche Nnamani, Secretary to the Commission.

It said eight Commissioners of Police were elevated to the rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police, while 15 Deputy Commissioners of Police were promoted to the next rank of full Commissioners of Police.

“52 Chief Superintendents of Police were also promoted to Assistant Commissioners of Police, 525 Superintendents of Police promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendents of Police and 84 Deputy Superintendents promoted to Superintendents of Police. ASP Patrick Ebhodahe was also promoted to the next rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police,” it said.

It said the eight Commissioners of Police and 15 Deputy Commissioners were subjected to some form of assessment/examination,a condition now precedent for their promotion to the new ranks.

The PSC Chairman said the Commission must also ensure that promotions in the Police will be merit based and predictable, just as he assured that the Commission will not for any reason delay the promotion of deserving officers but insisted that it must be earned.

The eight Commissioners of Police promoted to the next rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police are CP Benneth Igwe; Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Command; Suleiman Mohammed Abdul, acting Assistant Inspector General of Police, PAB, Force Headquarters Abuja; CP Augustina Nwuka Ogbodo, CP Ebonyi State Command; CP Stephen Olanrewaju, CP Admin, Works, Force Headquarters Abuja; CP Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, CP Abia State Command; CP Fayoade Adegoke Mustapha, CP Lagos State Command; CP Adegboyega Funsho Adegboye, CP Admin, FID, Abuja and CP Mohammed Bala Labbo, CP Communication DICT Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The 15 Deputy Commissioners of Police elevated to substantive Commissioners of Police are; DCP Innocent Ifeanyi Emenari, DCP State CID Taraba State Command; DCP Betty Enekpen Otimenyin, DCP DFA, Zone 5 Benin; DCP James Iroegbunam Nwokolo, DC DFA, Edo State Command; DCP Felix Nka Oben, DC Federal Operations, Force Headquarters, Annex Lagos; DCP Olusegun Eyitayo Omosayin DC Armament, Directorate of Operations, Force Headquarters Abuja; DCP Ugobueze Ogbodo, Deputy Commandant, Police Detective College Enugu; DCP Ohagwu Felix Ndukwe, DC Department of Operations, Zone 11 Osogbo and DCP Taylor Lennox Olarewaju, DC, CCR, Lagos State.

Others are: DCP Sa’adatu Ismaila, DC Anti Human Trafficking Annex Lagos; DCP Olabode Adeleye Akinbamilowo, Deputy Force Secretary (DFS11), DCP Regina Cosmas Udoette, DC Department of Finance and Admin, Akwa Ibom State Command; DCP Francis Omatimeyin Gbiwen, DC, State CID Edo State Command; DCP Afolabi Wilfred Olatokunbo, DC Department of Finance and Admin, Delta State Command; DCP Ohiozoba Oyakhire Ehiede Acting CP Legal, FCID Force Headquarters Abuja and DCP Anthonia Adaku Uche-Anya, DC, Department of Finance and Admin FID.

The Commission has conveyed its approval to the Inspector General of Police for Implementation and further necessary action.

A Nigerian woman based in Canada, Amaka Sunnberger, is under probe for threatening to poison Nigerians of Yoruba and Benin extractions.

A representative of the Toronto Police Service, Sergeant Bassey Osagie, said investigation had begun into the matter.

“This incident has been reported to the Toronto Police Service and is currently under investigation,” Osagie said.

The House of Representatives and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission had petitioned the Canadian authorities, demanding an investigation and prosecution of the woman.

Nigerians woke up on Wednesday to a viral video of the woman, who was on a TikTok live with some other persons, threatening to ensure mass killings of the Yoruba and Benin people living in Canada.

Sunnberger, who boasted that she lived in Ontario, Canada, said she would begin to poison the food and water of Nigerians immediately after she got to her place of work.

Hours after the threat went viral, the Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, revealed her identity with her photo.

She further sent a petition to the Mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown, to call attention to the threat.

Reacting to the video, the House of Reps, in a letter to the Canadian government, requested that Sunnberger be prosecuted.

The letter, addressed to the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Jamie Christoff, said Sunnberger’s inflammatory statements constituted a direct threat to Nigerians.

The letter read in part, “In the light of the seriousness of these violations, we respectfully request the following actions: Investigation: an immediate and thorough investigation should be conducted into Ms. Sunberger’s actions by Canadian law enforcement and appropriate authorities.”

Reacting to the lawmakers’ demand, Sunnberger, in another video, dismissed the request for her arrest, affirming that she held a Canadian passport.

She said, “Somebody just sends me a message, say them arrest me, say them wan deport me, with passport? I be Canada pikin.

“See am now, I dey house, why I go dey lie?”

While speaking in Pidgin, Sunnberger had said she hated the Yoruba and Benin people.

She said, “It is time to start poisoning the Yorubas and the Benin. Put poison in all your foods at work. Put poison in all your water so that you all will begin dying one after the other.

“You all will not die one day. You will start falling sick for a long time. I will put Otapiapia (rat poison) inside your waters and foods. You people will never recover from the poison.

“This kind of hatred I have for you people will last forever. In all your foods, I will put Otapiapia,” as others at the meeting reminded her of other poisons including Eat and Die, Sniper.

She added, “I will put them in all your foods. If I go to work tomorrow, I will put it (poison) in Yoruba people’s food. Go and tell the government that I’m in Canada, I’m in Ontario. Hurry up, go fast.

“I will put Otapiapia, I will put Ogbomosho inside your foods. You will start hearing that Yorubas have died, Benins have died. I’m the one saying it.

“I want Igbos to have a heart of wickedness. You people are too quiet. You are too cool. Enough is enough. If you have a means of killing them, kill them out of the way, because they are too foolish. They are of no use to society. Lots of prostitutes and everything.”

Amid prolonged delays in the appointment of ambassadors to oversee Nigeria’s diplomatic missions, the Federal Government disbursed an approximate sum of N14bn to no fewer than 16 foreign missions in July 2024, findings by Saturday PUNCH have revealed.

Nigeria has 109 missions: 76 embassies, 22 high commissions, and 11 consulates globally.

Recall that on September 2, 2023, President Bola Tinubu recalled all career and non-career ambassadors operating the country’s diplomatic missions, embassies, and consulates globally.

The envoys, which include 41 non-career ambassadors and 42 career ambassadors, were directed to return to the country on or before October 31 by Tinubu, having been appointed by the President’s predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, in July 2020.

Since last year, the lack of appointed ambassadors has continued to elicit public concerns over the country’s diplomatic representation and the effectiveness of its foreign missions.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, attributed the delay in the envoys’ appointments to financial and economic challenges being faced by the current administration.

Tuggar, who disclosed this during a ministerial sectoral briefing in Abuja in May, said the ministry had not been receiving the necessary funding to operate effectively.

“The whole idea was to stop subsidising consumption and focus on subsidising production. However, the government has faced various other challenges. When the microeconomic reforms began showing benefits, platforms like Binance and the rise of crypto currencies began undermining those gains,” Tuggar stated.

He noted that it was pointless to appoint ambassadors without the financial resources to support their travel and the effective running of missions abroad.

However, checks by our correspondent using GovSpend, a civic tech platform that tracks and analyses the Federal Government’s spending, showed that the government disbursed the sum of N13.7bn for the personnel costs of 16 foreign missions.

The overseas missions are those located in The Hague (Netherlands), Tokyo (Japan), Vienna (Austria), Washington (United States), Berlin (Germany), Brasilia (Brazil), Brussels (Belgium), Paris (France), Beijing (China), Geneva (Switzerland), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), London (United Kingdom), Madrid (Spain), Moscow (Russia), New York (USA), and Ottawa (Canada).

The funds were wired through the FGN Treasury (TSA Settlement Centre) on Friday, July 19, and Monday, July 29, 2024.

On the last day, The Hague received N504,071,400, Tokyo N761,253,100, Vienna N505,361,900, Washington N1,115,260,900, Berlin N813,678,400, Brasilia N564,693,300, Brussels N593,438,800, UNESCO Paris N545,086,850, Beijing N657,566,000, Geneva N830,278,500, and Jeddah N527,993,000.

Others include London N1,233,706,800, Madrid N803,821,400, Moscow N516,013,500, New York (CG) N915,844,500, New York (PM) N1,523,174,400, Ottawa N631,663,800, and Paris N611,712,300, while New York (PM) also received N576,147,689 on the first day.

Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, a former Nigerian ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Ode, said even though paucity of funds had hindered the appointment of the envoys, the heads of missions at the consulate level had been deployed.

He noted that in the Foreign Service accounting system, there were different subheads, one of which were for personnel, adding that the free fall of the Nigerian currency often increased the naira value of the funds the government disbursed to the overseas missions.