Saraki eats humble pie, reaches out to Tinubu

The battle of wills rocking the leadership of the All Progressives Congress may soon be over.

Multiple sources told SUNDAY PUNCHthat contrary to his public posturing of defiance, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had started reaching out to some of the aggrieved leaders of the party.

Saraki is one of the gladiators in the clash of egos and wills that followed the Senate leadership election on June 9 and subsequent appointment of principal officers.

The Senate President had earlier visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo to help him beg President Muhammadu Buhari.

He also reportedly met with the Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, on the same matter.

During the week, some emissaries sent by Saraki met with President Buhari and sought forgiveness for the Senate President for acting contrary to the dictates of the party.

The emissaries included Senate Leader Ali Ndume, Senator Kabiru Gaya, Senator Adamu Aliero, Senator Danjuma Goje, and Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

A report in a national daily on Saturday also said the emissaries apologised to the President for the individual roles they played in the crisis.

However, sources in the party told SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday that the emissaries also had a brief to meet with the party’s national leader and former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu.

Many within the party see the crisis as a battle of wills with Buhari, Tinubu and some party leaders on one side of the ring and the Senate President and his backers on the other side. One of the prominent APC leaders that is believed to have backed Saraki is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

But sources told our correspondent that Saraki, of recent, had made strenuous efforts to meet and appeal to Tinubu to sheathe his sword.

Our correspondents report that Saraki’s olive branch to Tinubu may mark a turning point in the crisis as the Senate President, before now, had insisted that he would not ‘beg’ the APC leader.

But the sources added that Saraki might have changed his position when all his efforts to get President Buhari to forgive him for his defiance to the party and move on.

It has been widely reported that Buhari has refused all entreaties to host the Senate President at the Presidential Villa since the controversial election in the senate. The President had also said the leadership of the senate should tow the party line.

Two APC officials who spoke to our correspondent yesterday shed light on Saraki’s last two attempts to reach out to the APC national leader. They said that one attempt occurred three weeks ago while the other took place on Thursday in Abuja.

“Three weeks ago he tried to get across to Tinubu through one of his aides. Of course, the aide couldn’t have arranged the meeting. Tinubu’s disposition to the matter is well known,” the source said.

The APC national leader, sources said, had told some of Saraki’s emissaries in the past that the senate leadership should toe the party line.

Another source said the last attempt took place during the week when the APC senators, who met with the President at the behest of Saraki, also tried to get across to Tinubu. A source close to Tinubu said while the former Lagos governor was aware of the move, his position on the matter had not changed.

The source stated that Saraki needed a long-term strategy to pacify the aggrieved party leaders, adding that the Senate President’s is perceived as haughty by some of these leaders.

“It is a surprise that he is reaching out to Tinubu. Saraki has no respect for Tinubu. He is contemptuous of him. During meetings he refers to him contemptuously as “Bola”. In fact there was a time that Tinubu wanted to explain a point to him and he shut him up,” the source said.

The source may have alluded to the cultural norm in Tinubu and Saraki’s Yoruba ethnic group where an elder is not addressed by his first name. Tinubu is 63 while Saraki is 52.

But the source close to the APC leader insisted that the national leader had no ‘ego problem’ with Saraki.

“Tinubu’s take is that the senate should toe the party line. It is not a personal problem at all. If it were a personal problem, the President won’t be reacting the same way.”

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Lai Mohammed told one of our correspondents on Saturday that the APC believes in party supremacy.

He said, “I can’t comment on the story you are asking me about. However, the APC has made its position on party supremacy known.”

The spokesman for the Senate President, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, could not be reached on Saturday night. Calls and a text message sent to his line were not responded to.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Friday, stated that there was no alternative to democracy, as he almost lost his life to a dictator under a military rule.

He said this on Friday at his Presidential Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, when officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students and some students union leaders from various institutions paid him a visit.

Obasanjo and some other retired military officers and civilians were jailed in 1995 by the military government of the late Gen. Sani Abacha, after he was found guilty by a military tribunal of allegedly plotting to overthrow Abacha’s administration.

They were released after the dictator’s death in 1998.

Narrating his near-death experience under Abacha’s regime, the former President said he would support the current democratic dispensation led by President Muhammadu Buhari to succeed.

He said, “I will work for the success of this current dispensation. There is no excuse, because there is no alternative to democracy.

“The alternative to democracy is worse than democracy. I experienced that. Abacha put me in prison and I was about to be killed. If it was under democracy (democratic rule), that would not happen.”

Obasanjo further said no matter what critics of President Buhari might be saying, Nigerians had started to witness a Nigeria of their dreams in the last two and half months.

He noted that the country had tottered toward the precipice so many times, but God had not allowed it to tumble.

Obasanjo said, “When one takes a look at everything, the most crucial and vital conclusion is that God loves Nigeria. The nation has gone towards the precipice many times and Nigeria did not tumble, this shows God is a Nigerian.

“Many had thought after the 2015 general elections Nigeria will be no more. Some had sent their families abroad. Some know the National Democratic Coalition route; I don’t know the NADECO route.

“I don’t have anywhere to go. But to the surprise of many of them, God did it in a miraculous way. The election took place, though some did not want it to take place. But let us thank God it took place. We must also thank those who conducted the elections.

“We thank God for peace even after the election. No single individual is a paragon of perfection. There is no Messiah except Jesus Christ. But there are people who still stick out their necks for the good of Nigerians.

“Thank God we have such as a leader now. What we have witnessed in the last two and a half months is that our dreams are coming true. We must give unalloyed support to the government. Criticisms that are objective and positive are welcome where necessary.”

Responding to a question on whether President Buhari took a right decision by giving the military a November deadline to end Boko Haram insurgency, the former president said it was a right decision.

He said setting a target was part of military war strategy to measure the success or failure of a particular operation.

Obasanjo said, “President Muhammadu Buhari took a right decision by telling the military to quash the Boko Haram insurgents by November.

“It is not good to just leave everything open-ended. It is a strategy in the military to set a target for any operation. This will enable those concerned to work hard. Having a target is necessary. Even if that target was not met, the people concerned would have something to work with.”

Obasanjo cited the Nigerian Civil War as an example, saying the military had set a six-month target to crush the Biafran renegades, but the war extended to 30 months.

Dangote gains N15.6bn in 24 hours, now worth N3tn

While some of the world’s richest people lost a sum of $182bn (N35.85tn) over the past week, Nigerian billionaire, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and 10 others made money amid deepening global market rout.

Dangote, who is President of Dangote Group, posted a $79.2m (N15.6bn) gain from Thursday to Friday, according toBloomberg’s Billionaires Index. He was one of six billionaires who saw their fortunes increase in 24 hours to Friday.

The world’s 400 richest people lost $182bn last week from their collective fortunes as weak manufacturing data from China and a rout in commodities sent global markets plunging.

Dangote is Africa’s richest man, with a net worth of $15.4bn, according to the Index.

The other three Africans on the Index are South Africans: Nicky Oppenheimer formerly of the De Beers diamond company (net worth $6.7bn) suffered a $27.9m loss between Thursday and Friday; luxury goods magnate Johann Rupert (net worth $7bn) saw his money shrink by $87m, and retailing baron Christo Wiese (net worth $7bn), lost $220m over the same period.

The weekly drop for the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a group that includes Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, was the biggest since tracking of the expanded list began in September 2014.

The combined net worth of the index members fell by $76bn on Friday alone, when the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index of United States’ stocks ended its worst week since 2011.

“For them, that’s a fractional percentage, even though $182bn is a big number.

“A week like this feels really bad, but when you take a step back, in a big picture view it’s not a disaster by any means,” said John Collins, director of investment advisory at Aspiriant, which oversees more than $8bn for high net-worth clients.

Friday’s losses put the world’s richest 400 into the red for the year to date. They’re now down $74bn in 2015, with a collective net worth of $3.98tn.

The week’s largest setback in dollar terms was experienced by Warren Buffett, who saw his fortune drop by $3.6bn, as Berkshire Hathaway Inc. slipped more than five per cent. The investor is the world’s third wealthiest person, with a fortune of $63.4bn, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The slump in oil, which had its longest weekly losing streak since 1986, amid signs of an extended supply glut, contributed to $15.2bn in losses for the world’s wealthiest energy billionaires.

Continental Resources Inc. Chairman, Harold Hamm, saw $895m, or nine per cent of his net worth, vanish last week.

The Chief Executive Officer, Glencore Plc, a mining company, Ivan Glasenberg,   lost $237m during the week, as commodity prices slid to their lowest levels in 13 years.

Glencore reached a record low in London on Friday, down more than 8 per cent from a week earlier, after the trading house reported its profit sank 56 per cent in the first half of the year. Glasenberg’s fortune has decreased more than 40 per cent in 2015, to $3.1bn.

China’s 26 wealthiest people, pummelled by Hong Kong’s bear market and a weaker yen, lost $18.8bn during the week. Wang Jianlin of Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties Company was hit hardest, losing $3.5bn.

Eleven billionaires added to their fortunes, in spite of the market turmoil. The week’s biggest dollar gainer was Sun Pharmaceuticals’ Dilip Shanghvi. The world’s 39th-richest person became $467m wealthier, elevating his net worth to $18.9bn.

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index takes measure of the world’s wealthiest people based on market and economic changes and Bloomberg News reporting. Each net-worth figure is updated every business day at 5:30 p.m. in New York and listed in US dollars.

Mugabe Fires Aide For Staring At Wife's Butt?

The president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, has allegedly fired his chief of defence forces. If the tweets by Alex Tackie and a few others are anything to go by, President Mugabe allegedly fired his chief of defence forces, seen seated next to his wife in the photo below for being too close to his wife and staring at her butt when she bent down.

Just recently, the controversial president revealed he did not marry his wife, Grace, because of love, and revealed the real reasons. Robert Mugabe, who is often in the centre of controversy publicly proposed marriage to the US President Barrack Obama to make mockery of the legalization of gay marriage in the USA.

More cash for states as 11 get CBN’s loans relief

11 more states to get clearance for Fed Govt bonds

Cash-strapped  states will soon clear their huge backlog of workers’ salaries.

The Federal Government has approved the restructuring of the loans holding down their financial capacity.

Of the 22 states which applied for the rescheduling of their loans, 11 have been cleared.

Federal Government Bonds have been issued to 14 banks for the loans being owed by the 11 states.

The news was broken yesterday as  part of the briefing on the outcome of the 60th National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja.

Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, one of the four governors who spoke to reporters after the meeting, said the remaining states would be cleared after the verification of their documents. He did not name the 11 states.

Ahmed said: “Discussions were looked at in terms of restructuring of states’ indebtedness to commercial banks. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Debt Management Office (DMO) told the Council that based on the approval of Mr. President of the plans to restructure the bank loans of states into Federal Government bonds to address fiscal imbalance, 22 states have submitted reports and applied for restructuring as at August 19, 2015.

“The DMO has requested states to reconcile figures with banks where disparities have been noticed and have been jointly authenticated with the banks as at June 30, 2015. As at August 14 2015, of the 22 states that applied for the federal government bond, 11 states have so far scaled through with respect to submission of necessary documentation to support disbursement.

“Others have been urged to quickly put their documentation in place to see that they fit into the time schedule. The DMO is reviewing the additional submissions by other states so that it comes as phase two of their programme.”

The governor added that the Permanent Secretary in the  Ministry of Finance reported to the Council that the Excess Crude Proceeds stands at US$2.207 billion as at this month.

Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano said CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele briefed the Council on the state of the economy and the exchange rate of the Naira.

According to him, the CBN governor attributed the situation to some of the following: “Declining oil price, which put a drag on the foreign reserves; Exchange rate movements and pressure on the domestic currency; Inflation and tight monetary policy.

He said the CBN governor told the Council that the apex bank had come up with some policies to address the situation. They include:

• specific intervention in the foreign exchange market to stabilise rates;
• cessation of foreign currency cash deposits in banks;
• closure of CBN official foreign window; and
• reclassification of eligible goods and services to the window.

Obiano noted that the naira had appreciated as a result of the CBN’s stoppage of dollar cash deposit.

Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun said Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole presented a provisional report of the five governors ad-hoc committee set up by NEC to review the operations and management of the ECA/Federation Account.

He said: “He told the Council that the Committee invited all the relevant revenue generating agencies that contribute to the Federation Account in the course of its assignment.

“The Ad-hoc Committee recommended to the Council that in order to have a comprehensive report on the operations of the ECA/Federation Account, two International Audit Firms have been appointed to carry out Forensic Audit of the ECA/Federation Account between January 2010 and June 30, 2015.

“Regarding the above, Council will in the near future receive a more comprehensive report.” He added that there is no law that bars NEC through the committee from appointing the audit firms.

Amosun explained that NNPC Group Managing Director Ibe Kachikwu briefed the Council on the ongoing reforms in the petroleum industry.

“He told the Council that the reforms will cover aspects of performance management, transparency and accountability, proper focus in investment attraction, zero tolerance for corruption, cost auditing improved stakeholders management and relationship and image rebranding among others.”

The GMD, he said, also urged the governors to assist in protecting oil and gas infrastructure in their states.

Jigawa State Governor Mohammed Badero spoke on the meeting’s decision in respect of the power sector.

He said the Council was briefed that there was overall increase in power supply by 29 per cent as at the first six-weeks of the new Administration, compared to the last weeks of the previous administration.

The Federal Government is targeting generation and distribution of 5,000 megawatts of electricity by December.

According to him, power generation reached 4.662MW by July 29.

He said that the Council has urged state governments to pay electricity bills by their vendors’ MDA, stressing that the Council was informed that at the moment, there is a 45 per cent default rate.

The governors, Badero said, were also urged to assist with security to reduce vandalization of power distribution assets.

He said they were also urged to encourage embedded generation for state-owned facilities.

According to him, the TCN management contract has been extended for one year.

Badero said that the Council was also informed that the top priorities in the next two months included repair of stranded hydro capacity, reduced load rejection by Discos, stopping hemorrhage of gas from power plants to industrial off-takers and fixing major transmission and transformation constraints.

FG wastes funds on kerosene subsidy

Petroleum products’ marketers across the country have continued to ignore the directive of the Federal Government on kerosene price as they sell the product between N110 and N160 against the regulated price of N50 per litre.

The Federal Government is paying N58.65 as subsidy for every litre of kerosene being sold in Nigeria, according to investigation by our correspondents.

Figures obtained from the Petroleum Pricing Regulatory Agency on Thursday showed that the Expected Open Market Price or actual landing cost of kerosene plus margins stood at N108.65 per litre.

This, however, was against the product’s regulated price of N50 per litre as stipulated by the government. This price is hardly adhered to by many filling stations.

Police arrest Aregbesola’s ex-aide for 29-year-old lover’s death

The police in Osun State have arrested a former Senior Special Assistant to Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, Mr. Bode Olugbore, after a 29-year-old woman, Kemi Arobieke, was allegedly found dead in his apartment.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Kemi, who the family claimed was Olugbore’s lover, was found dead in the ex-SSA’s apartment on Saturday, August 8.

Our correspondents gathered that Kemi, an event planner, came from Lagos to visit Olugbore in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on Thursday, August 6, and promised to return on Saturday.

It was learnt that Kemi’s family, however, got a call on Sunday that the lady had been electrocuted in the ex-SSA’s apartment, and her corpse had been deposited in a mortuary.

It was gathered that the matter was reported at the Dada Police Division, and policemen from the station removed the corpse from the apartment.

It was learnt that the ex-SSA was arrested thereafter.

The deceased’s elder brother, Ayoola, who confirmed the death of his sister to our correspondents on the telephone on Tuesday said Kemi had known Olugbore for about four years, but the family initially did not know about their relationship.

He said he, Kemi and Olugbore were members of the same church in Lagos, adding that her sister told the family that the suspect had separated from his wife, who had three children for him.

He said, “My sister travelled to Osogbo and she was supposed to return to Lagos on Saturday, but we got a call from the police that she was involved in an accident and it was very serious.

“When we got to Osogbo, the police prevented us from seeing her, but told us that she had been electrocuted by an electric fan, but it is unbelievable.”

Ayoola, said the explanation sounded illogical as there were no traces of burn either on her body or on the fan.

He said, “However, we are waiting for the outcome of the autopsy which was done on Saturday. We have known Bode (Olugbore) for a while. He works with the Osun State Government. Kemi was also gainfully employed, having finished from the university.

“We were made to understand that she was electrocuted in the apartment by a standing fan. That is very hard for me to understand. The police showed us the fan, and it seemed to be working fine. It was not burnt. The socket was not burnt. So, it is suspicious that she was electrocuted. The current in a fan is not enough to kill except one has direct contact with a live wire. The marks on her body suggested something contrary.

“Right now, everyone is waiting for answers from the autopsy. We know that the man has been arrested by the police.”

Our correspondents gathered that Olugbore’s lawyer’s said the ex-SSA was not in his apartment at the time of the incident, adding that Kemi’s death was a domestic accident.

When our correspondent called the ex-SSA’s phone number, the calls did not connect.

The Arobieke’s family lawyer, identified only as Olayiwola, told our correspondents that the result of the autopsy was with the police, adding that both families would be invited by the police.

The Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Folashade Odoro, confirmed the arrest. She added that investigation was ongoing on the matter.

She said, “I don’t know about who is involved, but the suspect has been arrested by the police. Investigation is also ongoing on the matter. When things like this happen, the first suspect is the owner of the apartment. So, he was arrested immediately.”

The governor’s media aide, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, when contacted declined to comment on the matter.

He said, “It is a police matter. You can get accurate information about whatever happened from the police.”

Boko Haram kills 60 in Yobe village

Over 60 persons have been killed by Boko Haram fighters in Kukuwa – Gari in Gulani Local Government Area of Yobe State.

Speaking to our correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday, the spokesman for the Yobe State Police Command, Mr. Toyin Gbadegesin, confirmed the attack. But he did not give the casualty figure.

He said, “I can confirm that there was an attack at Kukuwa village and the police and other security operatives were able to repel the Boko Haram attackers. We are not aware of the high death toll.”

But a member of the local vigilance group, Abubakar Aliyu, told our correspondent that over 60 people lost their lives in the attack.

He said most of the victims were shot dead by the sect fighters, while some drowned in a river while they were fleeing from their attackers.

He said, “Most of the villagers were drowned in the river which was flooded by the downpour while others were shot dead by the terrorists. The terrorists invaded Kukuwa-Gari village and its environs on motorcycles and trucks and started shooting at every possible target.

“Some of us in the local vigilance group and some security officials could not withstand the Boko Haram terrorists’ firepower as they were over 50 and were heavily armed.”

Aliyu said they were forced to go into hiding and when they finally came out they counted 60 corpses, adding that most the victims were found at the river bank.

Another resident of the area, Kashim Mohammed, who narrowly escaped being killed in the attack, said the death toll had risen beyond 60, insisting that many more corpses were seen at the river bank after the initial count on Friday.

He said, “I was able to hide in the bush for two days, when I came out, many dead bodies which is far more than 60 were seen close to the river bank. Most of us could not communicate with people in Damaturu, the state capital, because telecommunication masks have been blown off by the insurgents.”

Yobe State had suffered a series of attacks from insurgents in the past and President Muhammadu Buhari had given a new charge to the military to end insurgency in three months.

Buhari: no pressure will derail war against corruption

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that no amount of pressure will make him give up on the war against corruption.

He spoke through an address delivered by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, to a group of Nigerians under the aegies of “Nigerians March Against Corruption,” who were at the gate of the Presidential Villa.

Members of the group came on a solidiarity visit to pledge their support for the Buhari administration’s  anti-corruption campaign.

The President promised a relentless prosecution of the war with due regard for the rule of law.

According to him, all persons charged with stealing the nation’s resources will have their day in court and that, upon conviction, their ill-gotten wealth will be seized and returned to government coffers.

He said: “I believe it is time for Nigeria to change course. That is why I sought  election as President and got elected. As President, I am determined that Nigeria must move away from a course of endemic corruption that was leading us to perdition.

“There can be no question of our willfully allowing anyone to get away with corruption. No matter the pressure and entreaties, the anti-corruption war will continue and all accused persons will have their day in court.”

Describing the group’s support as encouraging, the President reaffirmed his commitment to curbing insecurity in the country and boosting employment opportunities for Nigerians, especially the youth.

He called for the continued support and solidarity of Nigerians as his administration works to correct the wrongs of the past.

The Nigerians March Against Corruption group led by Aisha Yesufu had condemned recent statements by some individuals against the President’s anti-corruption posture.

They assured the President that the vast majority of ordinary Nigerians fully supported his ongoing efforts to curb corruption and urged him not to be deterred by the antics of those who do not share in his laudable vision of a fairer, more equitable, corruption-free and progressive nation.

Among the inscriptions on the placards displayed by the protesters include: ”I voted Buhari to fight corruption” and “NASS, epitome of corruption”.

Time for Rooney to step up as Manchester United's main man

The Red Devils skipper has struggled in the opening two games of the season and with a crucial campaign ahead, and records in sight, he needs to get back on track.
This should be the happiest of times for Wayne Rooney. This is the year England's record goalscorer should establish himself as the most prolific player in Manchester United's history. The probable conqueror of Sir Bobby Charlton has seen off 21st-century challenges, in the shape of Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao, for the striking spot.

He is the great survivor. The times when Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to exile him are fading into the past. He ought to reign unchallenged at Old Trafford, installed as captain and centre-forward by Louis van Gaal. The only alternatives are obvious understudies, whether the youngsters Adnan Januzaj and James Wilson or the perennial substitute Javier Hernandez.

And yet, two games into the season, Rooney finds himself in a familiar position. There are suggestions his career is at a crossroads. Again. He is now in his 12th season at Old Trafford but has contrived to remain on the same path despite taking many an unexpected turn.

The teenage tearaway will turn 30 in October. After 663 games for club and country, he may have too many miles on the clock. Now Rooney has to stave off suggestions his best days are behind him: some way behind him, some might say. He scored 34 goals for United in 2009-10, his finest campaign, and a further 34 in 2011-12. Hampered by being fielded in midfield and with his appearances limited by United's absence from Europe, he mustered a mere 14 last season.

This year, he argued, will be his first full campaign as an out-and-out striker since then. Yet two games in, Rooney has only had two shots. Both were off target. Kyle Walker has registered more efforts on target for United than Rooney this season. Tottenham and Aston Villa tended to be favourite opponents of his in the past. Rooney was mediocre against both.

He lacked the pace to stretch either defence. Van Gaal noted that he conceded possession unnecessarily at Villa Park. Truth be told, Rooney always has. Even when he was reinvented as a Paul Scholes-style central midfielder, he was never a byword for metronomic passing.



Van Gaal has been touchy, too. He spent Monday's press conference complaining that he was being criticised for not selecting Rooney as a striker last season and is now being asked about fielding him in attack. Yet that missed the point. The question was why Rooney was so ineffective, not where he played.

One answer lies in a disjointed supply line. Of the four men who have started in the three creative roles – Januzaj, Memphis Depay, Ashley Young and Juan Mata – only the Spaniard has begun the season in particularly inventive style. Yet a glimpse of Sergio Aguero on Sunday showed that Rooney lacks the sharpness, the elusiveness and the ruthlessness of the very finest strikers. He has not carved out chances for himself.

One argument is that he should be a No.10, not a No.9. He likes to be involved. He tends to drop deeper. Yet, given the composition of United's squad, that is unlikely. In any case, Rooney has spent much of his United career to a backdrop of his advocates arguing he is being played out of position. A dozen seasons in, the debate really should have been resolved by now.


Van Gaal has stated that the captaincy gives Rooney "privileges" when it comes to selection. It was why he was crowbarred into the team in a variety of roles last season. Now his versatility is less of an issue. It is more a question of his ability: to lead the line, to threaten, to score.

It is dangerous to dismiss him. He has an increasing habit that, when he is not at his best, he appears out of sorts. Such spells can precede a goalscoring run, often without warning. It may be the case, too, that he is easing his way into the campaign. Ferguson always argued he needed plenty of first-team football to be fighting fit. The Club Brugge game will be just his third meaningful match of the season. Rooney was United's last player to score in a Champions League final. Now the task is to find the net in a Champions League qualifier.

Such matches were never required in the golden days. The captaincy came Rooney's way when United were at the lowest of ebbs. They were the side that had slumped to seventh. Van Gaal feels they are in process of returning to the top. Yet if they are to do so, it would help to have the finest forward in the league. Five years ago, after his stellar 2009-10 season, Rooney could claim that title. Not any more. Having overcome Falcao and Van Persie, his next, and biggest, battle is with Aguero and Diego Costa.

Ronaldo back in Real Madrid squad as Benzema misses out

The Portugal international is raring to go again after a brief injury layoff, but the former Lyon striker is still being plagued by physical problems.

Cristiano Ronaldo is back in Real Madrid's squad for Tuesday's Santiago Bernabeu Trophy clash with Galatasaray, but the injured Karim Benzema remains absent.

The pair missed Real's Audi Cup matches in Munich earlier this month as Ronaldo was suffering a back problem while Benzema injured his thigh.

The Portugal international already returned to training last week and is now raring to go again as Madrid prepare for their La Liga opener against Sporting Gijon on Sunday.

However, Benzema's thigh problem appears more troublesome as he will not feature against Galatasaray and is in danger for the match versus Gijon, too.

The France international's ongoing fitness issue will be a cause for concern for head coach Rafa Benitez as he lacks any genuine alternatives for the No.9 position following Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez's return to Manchester United after his loan spell.

Promising youngster Borja Mayoral, 18, is set to take advantage of Benzema's absence as he has been given the nod for Tuesday's encounter.

Meanwhile, Raphael Varane is unavailable due to muscular problems, while a leg injury is keeping Pepe out of the match versus the Istanbul giants.

Gossip: Chelsea eye three new signings

Chelsea will sign three players including John Stones and Antoine Griezmann, while Man United watched Aymeric Laporte, say Tuesday's headlines.

STONES THE FIRST OF THREE FOR CHELSEA

Roman Abramovich is ready to give Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho approval to make three more signings after the club's slow start to their Premier League title defence.

The Daily Mirror says Abramovich's decision is likely to mean an improved bid for Everton defender John Stones, possibly as much as £34m - which would be a British record fee for a defender - with Mourinho also looking for a central midfielder and another attacking option.

The Sun claims Atletico Madrid's French winger Antoine Griezmann is likely to be targeted in a deal of arpund £25million, but there's no word on which midfielder they claim Mourinho wants, although we wouldn't be hugely surprised if Zenit's Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel is once again linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

Either way, it seems Mourinho and Abramovich are not resting on their laurels and want a swift reaction to the poor start to their Premier League title defence.

UNITED MAKE LAPORTE CHECK

Manchester United supremo Ed Woodward checked on Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte on Monday night, claims the Daily Mail.

Woodward, in Catalonia to push through a deal for Pedro and also used the trip to scout Bilbao centre-half Laporte.

He took in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup between Barca and Bilbao at the Nou Camp - a 1-1 draw ensured the Basque side were shock 5-1 winners on aggregate.

A centre-back is not a priority for Louis van Gaal but Laporte, 21, has been on United's radar for a while since establishing himself as a Bilbao regular in 2013.

He put speculation over his future to bed in June by signing a new contract to remain with the La Liga club until 2019.

The fresh terms include a £36.5m release clause but United have retained their long-term interest.

VERRATTI OPEN TO LIVERPOOL MOVE

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti has admitted he is open to a move Liverpool or Barcelona, despite insisting he is 'happy' in the French capital.

The 12-capped Italy international has made it clear he intends to stay in Paris, but admits he would 'consider his options' on a move to Spain or England if PSG decided to cash in.

Verratti is wanted by Liverpool now and Barcelona in January 2016, when their transfer embargo is lifted, after several scintillating displays for Laurent Blanc's Ligue 1 champions.

AND THE REST

- Adnan Januzaj has vowed to build on his match-winning display at Aston Villa and prove he has a long-term future with Manchester United (Daily Mirror)

- Sunderland are set to offer Aston Villa defender Kieran Richardson the chance of a return to the Stadium of Light - the 30-year-old could be available for around £2m (Daily Mirror)

- Juventus are mulling over a move for Tottenham forward Erik Lamela as they are struggling to finalise a deal with Schalke for Julian Draxler (Daily Mirror)

- Marseille want Remy Cabella from Newcastle as part of the £12m deal to sell winger Florent Thauvin (various)

- Manchester City are poised to sign Valencia centre-back Nicolas Otamendi for a cut-price fee - because the Spanish club still owe them £23.8m from their purchase of Alvaro Negredo (Daily Mirror)

- Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward has flown to Barcelona to complete a deal to bring Spain forward Pedro to Old Trafford (various)

- Kevin De Bruyne has rejected a move to Manchester City (various)

- Norwich City will let Gary Hooper out on loan but they want his £32,000-a-week salary paid in full (The Sun)

- Southampton are set to sign Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly (The Sun)

- Everton have made a £14m bid for Dynamo Kiev winger Andriy Yarmolenko (various)

- Tottenham have rejected a £13m bid from Juventus for Christian Eriksen (The Sun)

- Watford have been offered France midfielder Yoann Gourcuff, who is available after leaving Lyon in the summer (The Sun)

- Newcastle have been told to forget about a cut-price swoop for Marseille winger Florian Thauvin (Daily Star)

- Philippe Senderos is set to leave Aston Villa, with Turkish sides Rizespor and Antalyaspor reported to have an interest (Daily Star)

- QPR director of football Les Ferdinand says the club have received "two firm bids" for £15m-rated striker Charlie Austin (Daily Star)

- Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been told he can leave PSG for a cut-price fee, which could spark interest from Manchester United and Arsenal, as well as former club AC Milan (Daily Mail)

- Manchester City are no longer interested in Tottenham target Saido Berahino, whose future at West Brom remains in doubt (Daily Mail)

- Palermo are refusing to give up on signing Arsenal forward Joel Campbell, who is rated at £6m by the Gunners (Daily Mail)

- West Ham have made a loan enquiry for Napoli striker Eduardo Vargas, who was on loan at QPR last season (Daily Mail)

- Bournemouth are continuing to push for a deal for Crystal Palace striker Glenn Murray (Daily Mail)

- John Terry feared being completely left out of Chelsea's side against Manchester City, with Kurt Zouma partnering Gary Cahill in training as they looked to nullify the pace of Sergio Aguero (Daily Mail)

- AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi wants to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Daily Express)

- Jermain Defoe has leapt to the defence of under-fire Sunderland new-boy Younes Kaboul (Daily Express)

- Manchester City's £28.5m move for Valencia defender Nicolas Otamendi will not include Eliaquim Mangala as part of the deal (Daily Telegraph)

- West Brom want Tottenham's £5m-rated centre-back Fazio (Daily Telegraph)

- Juventus are interested in Spurs forward Erik Lamela and Chelsea winger Juan Cuadrado (The Times)

- Norwich City are on the verge of a deal to sign Mattia Destro on loan from Roma (The Times)

- Manchester City are braced for interest in Samir Nasri from Inter Milan, if they fail to sign Ivan Perisic from Wolfsburg (The Times)

- Brighton manager Chris Hughton insists Newcastle target Lewis Dunk will be in the club's squad for their game at Huddersfield on Tuesday (The Independent)

- West Ham striker Elliot Lee will go on loan until Christmas to gain first-team experience (The Independent)

[UPDATED] Baba Sala’s health worsens, rushed to UCH

There are fears in family circle on Tuesday concerning the health of popular Yoruba actor, Moses Olaiya, popularly known as Baba Sala.

Sources in the family said the aged actor was rushed to the University College Hospital, Ibadan on Monday night after his health deteriorated in his Ilesa, Osun State, residence.

One of his sons confirmed to one of our correspondents that his father was rushed to UCH on Monday.

He, however, denied that his father had died as being speculated in some quarters.

Details later…