Category: The Nation – Nigeria

The Delta Assembly has imposed a six-month suspension on Rector of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, Professor Emmanuel Achuenu.

This suspension was attributed to serious allegations of financial recklessness, misappropriation of funds, and gross administrative misconduct.

Also, the institution’s Bursar has been suspended for six months due to his alleged involvement in the financial irregularities identified during the Assembly’s investigation.

This decision was reached after the Assembly reviewed a report from a parliamentary investigative committee specifically tasked with probing the financial and administrative practices of the polytechnic.

Delta Speaker Dennis Guwor highlighted the findings of the investigation, which indicated ‘multiple instances of unauthorised expenditures and administrative lapses’ occurring during Professor Achuenu’s tenure.

Lawmakers characterised his actions as a ‘flagrant abuse of office’ and a significant violation of regulations that govern public tertiary institutions.

The suspensions, they said, were to restore accountability and integrity within the institution’s administration while the investigations continue.

According to the committee’s findings, the Rector allegedly disregarded the directives of the Governing Council and violated established financial procedures in managing the institution’s resources.

In its resolution, the Assembly upheld the six-month suspension earlier imposed by the Governing Council, noting that the move was necessary to reinforce accountability and discipline within the institution.

The Assembly also directed the Delta State Ministry of Higher Education to supervise the polytechnic’s affairs during the suspension period to ensure transparency, stability, and adherence to due process.

Lawmakers reaffirmed the Assembly’s zero tolerance for financial mismanagement in public institutions, emphasising that the decision was aimed at restoring integrity and public confidence in the state’s education system.

The Marina Road in Badagry is an uncommon street. Beyond being a waterfront neighbourhood hemmed with leisure spots, it also houses some rich heritage sites in a community famous for its centuries old Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and slave port. Within the same axis, are different museums (Mobee Family Slave Museum, The Seriki Abass Slave Baracoon, and the Point of No Return Monument) that hold many relics of the trajectory of the dark era of slavery, and lately the Door of Return. It is now a convergence point for Diaspora Africans who return home in droves to reconnect to their ancestral roots every year.

Last weekend was another of such emotional homecoming. No fewer than 57 delegates from US, UK, Brasil, Haiti and Cuba including the families of Mere Jah from the United Kingdom were hosted to a huge reunion at the grand finale of the two-day 5th Badagry Diaspora Door of Return Festival by the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM). Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka who was special guest at the festival, presented the delegates with Certificate of Return amid fanfare.

This year’s festival was in reverent memory of Mere Jah, a die hard Pan-Africanist who passed on April 2024 at Ouida in Benin Republic after spending 28 years as a returnee on African soil having voluntarily repatriated to Africa from Guadeloupe in 1977.

Among the delegates at the festival were American singer and songwriter of the famous Shalamar musical group, Jeffrey Glenn Daniels, Dr. David Anderson, Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria Miriam Morales Palmero, and Brazilian Consul General Mr. Celso de Arruda Franca, among others.

The Door of Return ceremony accentuates the objective of diaspora return and integration and seeks to provide concrete vehicle for the actualisation of this goal. It is no-gainsaying that the diaspora is in constant search for a place to reconstruct its identity, history, culture and beliefs.

One major highpoint of the celebration was the slave reminiscence trekking undertaken by delegates through the Slave Route to the Point of No Return monument at Gberefu ancient sea-port, before returning through the symbolic Door of Return, accompanied by colourful boat regatta. Other events were the Badagry Royal carnival procession, Ogun Badagry (Aje goddess of wealth) festival celebrations, cultural display featuring Sato Drums and Vothun ritual Performances, and Zangbeto masqueraders’ procession.

In his remark, Prof. Soyinka said every journey had two parts, departure and return, noting that the voyage of the African people remained incomplete until they reconnected with their ancestral roots. He described the festival as a symbolic launch-pad for the long-awaited return, praying for the safe homecoming of all Africans in Diaspora.

Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, assured that President Bola Tinubu would receive more than 2,000 people coming on a historical voyage to Badagry, Lagos State by next year’s edition of the festival. According to her, the voyage will be organised by Prof. Wole Soyinka.

‘Next year, under the chairmanship of Prof Soyinka, we are planning historical voyage events where we will experience a real journey from Brazil and Cuba to Nigeria. Today’s event is just a test run. President Tinubu started Black Heritage Festival in Lagos when he was the Governor of Lagos State, so he will be here to receive those coming in on Soyinka’s historical voyage.’ She commended Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for building the permanent Door of Return in Badagry.

Representative of Governor Sanwo-Olu, the Special Adviser on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Idris Aregbe, described the festival as a ‘living testament to Lagos’s commitment to cultural renaissance and diaspora unity’ while commending the people of Badagry for sustaining its legacy as the cradle of return and pledging the state’s continued support to amplify its global recognition.

Chairman, House Committee on Tourism, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Bonu Solomon, lauded the festival’s symbolic value, saying it was ‘a heritage bridge between Africa and her children abroad.’ He assured of continued legislative backing for initiatives that promote tourism, culture and the preservation of Lagos’s historical identity.

Chairman, Badagry Local Government, Babatunde Hunpe, highlighted the sacred role of Badagry as the soil of return reaffirming his administration’s readiness to keep supporting the festival and other cultural programmes that deepened the town’s tourism and economic growth. Ambassador of Cuba to Nigeria Miriam Palmero expressed delight at the enduring spiritual and cultural bond between Africa and the Caribbean. Dr. David Anderson, the leader of the returnees from United States, described the door of return as a door of joy and happiness. For Jeffrey Daniels, the festival was simply a joy of return.

According to the founder, African Renaissance Foundation, inventor of the Badagry Diaspora Door of Return Festival, Dr. Babatunde Olaide-Mesewaku, this year’s edition of the festival is dedicated to the Ngoumou Edima Jah Evejah popularly called Mere Jah.

He recalled that the concept of dedicating the diaspora festival to people of African heritage was first accomplished in 2014 when the festival was dedicated to Marcus Garvey in 2014, ‘Touissant L’ouverture in 2015, Alouada Aquinno 2016, Descoredes Maximiliano Do Santos in 2017; cultural icon of the Brazilian Community who returned to Africa in 1970 to trace his ancestral root Ketu kingdom in today’s Benin Republic after 500 years of linage slavery in Brazil.

‘The objective is to locate and honour people of African heritage cither living or late who had control significantly to socio-political or economic emancipation of Africa. This is the class to white memory of Mere Jah belongs in the heart of Badagry people and Africa as a whole. Her contributions to the development of the Diaspora Door of Return Festival was quite imppactful since she started to participate in the festival.

‘She was very instrumental to the annual home pilgrimage’ to Badagry of a number of diaspora family across the world who had participate in the festival to reconstruct their history, culture and identity since 2014. Beyond the festival, her impact on the lives of numerous individuals and children through the establishment of ECOLOJAH at Ahozon in Ouidah, a pan-African alternative school t shaped the lives of many through the teachings of the knowledge of Africa and her relationship with world.

‘Mere Jah deserves every single honour the Badagry people and especially African Re: Foundation leadership could accord her memory. The festival and its cultural programmes including the Door Of Return ceremony offer the diaspora a concrete opportunity where it will reconstruct its past, imaginary future, identities, roles, rituals and beliefs and of course to reconnect, redefine, re-establish and reinforce its relationship with the primordial homeland. ‘To actualise this, the festival aggregates both the tangible and intangible cultural resources as expressed in the history of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and genealogy, artifacts, monuments, places of memory, religion and natural environmental ambiance of the homeland as instigator for homeland return.

The Door of Return ceremony (as against the Point of No Return trajectory of the dark era of slavery) accentuates diaspora return and homecoming objective of the Festival. The Door of Return ceremony is a symbolic event in which our brothers and sisters in the diaspora shall be welcome back to Nigeria through Badagry in a symbolic return celebration from across the Badagry Lagoon in a cruise boat decorated in green-white green colour. The importance of this speaks to the fact that as their progenitors were taken away as slaves, Africa, in this context Badagry/ Nigeria, is welcoming them back home as kings and queens.’

In The Beginning

Olaide-Mesewaku stated that the Badagry Diaspora Door of Return festival was originally conceptualised and designed by African Renaissance Foundation in 2014 as a national event, because festivals that incorporate diaspora content across the coast of West Africa are being organised with direct involvement of the Presidency or Federal Government hence our collaboration with Hon. Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission in 2017.

Quoting Harold Preston, an American and consultant to the Bob Marley’s family, Olaide-Mesewaku said: ‘Badagry is quite significant. That was one of the places a lot of our Black brothers and sisters were shipped as slaves abroad, some to Jamaica. So any black man coming home to Africa will find in Badagry a beautiful home. Its historical significance is part of the reason we chose Badagry to bring Bob’s family there.’

He said Badagry is a memorial community reputed for its active participation in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade since the 15th Century to the early 20th centuries. ‘Badagry was an emporium of the slave trade activities having served as the major slave market for the sales of enslaved Africans and one of the major ports along the Coast of West Africa known then as Slave Coast. Millions of Africans were said to have been sold into slavery through the Badagry ports. In fact, Badagry came third after Dahomey and Congo in the volume of enslaved Africans that were forcibly dispersed to other regions of the world. Badagry people don’t gloat in this experience but history is history, it must be presented as a matter of fact for generations,’ he added.

Continuing, he said: ‘To preserve this heinous experience of African in the hands of the western world, just as the Holocaust is preserved in Museums across major cities in the world for generations coming, individuals and governments had made efforts to preserve this experience in relics, monuments, drama and in books. Hence today in Badagry we have the Mobee Family Slave Museum, The Seriki Abass Slave Baracoon, the Badagry Heritage Museum and the Point of No Return Monument all these built by Government.

‘The Badagry diaspora Door of Return Festival was therefore inspired by the historical antecedents of Badagry. The Badagry Diaspora Door of Return Festival is the initiative of African Renaissance Oundation and NGO registered with Nigeria Corporate Affairs Commission since 1999. It was conceived, designed and being organised annually by African Renaissance Foundation. One of the major objectives of African Renaissance Foundation (AREFO) is the annual organisation of the Diaspora Festival, the only festival in Nigeria with diasporic content focusing on salient issues of Return and Homecoming, Engagement and Re-integration with implicit objective of socio-economic and cultural synergy, This vent, which started far back in 2013 had its first collaborative experience with Motherland Beckons led by Chief Akinboboye of the La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort at Ibeju Lekki but later on blossomed in 2017 with the involvement of and collaborative efforts of such institutions as Nigeria In Diaspora Commission, headed by Hon. Abika Dabiri Erewa and the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan and lately Lagos State University.’

Sir: Since last Friday evening, the community road part of Ago Okota road has been undergoing small repairs, and this has caused a very terrible grid within the axis. I spent ninety minutes within a space of 200 metres. Some trucks that were not guided took the road and managed a detour creating a terrific grid lock into the early hours of Saturday morning. The next day, Ago Police officers took charge but there was little could they do.

On Sunday when families came out large numbers to attend Sunday services, the traffic was more than impossible; some people had their services there. I was a victim. When I managed to escape, I drove straight to Cele Bus Stop where the LASTMA officials normally gather. I saw an officer wearing an eagle and star on his shoulder. I casually greeted him and narrated my ugly experiences for the two days. He answered – ‘Sir, I will go there and smoothen the traffic’. I thereafter continued on my journey.

Forty-five minutes after the report, I saw the guy soaked in his own sweat, with mud all over him. He was pushing broken down vehicles that were victims of the long stay in the traffic overheating and others. Within an hour the traffic was orderly and vehicles moved without hitches. Out of excitement, I told my friends in the car about the guy’s selfless service. We offered him some money which he turned down politely, saying that he only did his job after which he walked away. I was so touched and moved with love for his person. We discussed all day at my destination – that there are some good uniform men still on the streets and around us.

In the course of my encounter with him at Cele Bus Stop, I casually took the picture of him and noted the name on his uniform as Muibi Ademola. Later, I learnt he is The Bravo of Okota Zone 27. This type of officer deserves LASTMA management if only to encourage and inspire others like him to be selfless and diligent.

Incarceration should not be an impediment to proper healthcare for inmates with mental health issues. However, many people who are incarcerated in the country lack access to mental health professionals because they are in short supply.

‘We have 8,246 inmates with mental health conditions in our custodial centres,’ according to the Assistant Controller General of Corrections in charge of medical services, Dr Glory Essien. She gave this figure during the third public hearing of the Independent Investigative Panel on Alleged Corruption, Abuse of Power, Torture, and Other Inhumane Treatment by the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), held in Abuja, on August 12.

From her explanation, the mental health of these inmates had been impacted by their incarceration. She said: ‘From the moment someone is brought in-those who have seen a custodial centre know what I mean-the police escort them to the gate, it’s opened, they’re admitted, and then that gate locks behind them.

‘That instant loss of freedom can trigger something. Some begin to show signs of disturbed behaviour almost immediately, as if something in their mind has shifted.’

When this happens, the shortage of mental health workers complicates the problem. ‘If you’re in a facility housing 500 to 1,000 inmates, and you’re the only attending doctor, nurse, or psychologist, it’s simply not possible to monitor everyone individually,’ she observed.

The prison system, therefore, trains some inmates to assist the staff in identifying those showing signs of poor mental health, she added. According to her, they are ‘trained to alert the staff when they notice concerning behaviour. They might say, ‘This inmate seems dazed, hasn’t eaten, hasn’t spoken to anyone.’ Such observations help the staff to ‘intervene early,’ she said. But she noted that these efforts are inadequate in dealing with the scale of the problem.

Two other speakers at the event gave further insights into the issue. The Assistant Controller General of Corrections in charge of pharmaceutical services, Mohammed Bashir, said there were 81,122 inmates in 256 correctional facilities nationwide, adding that specialised consultants ‘usually go to about 12 designated custodial centres that have a large number of these cases.’ This is concerning. Correctional centres with a small number of such cases also deserve attention.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr Magdalene Ajani, noted the maldistribution of mental health professionals, saying, ‘Let them not only be centred in Abuja and Lagos; we need them to go out to the fields. Because if we even put two in the states, it will help them.’

The authorities need to address this aspect of conditions in the country’s correctional centres.

The commendable success of the police in tracking and arresting the participants in the despicable armed robbery and home invasion which led to the occupant falling from the balcony rather than face a terrible ordeal and certain death caused by young aggressive very evil men. It is reported that some were arrested en route another robbery. Thank goodness or we could now be reporting on another murder. Congratulations to the police everywhere!

Only the police will be able to tell us, after interrogation, how long they have been robbing and killing without being detected, investigated seriously or detected or even arrested during their years of criminal existence in and around Abuja and Zamfara. Hopefully, this interrogation will lead to further arrests and solving of other older unsolved cases. Could this be because past victims did not have the massive social media and mainstream media reach and political backlash leverage surrounding the wickedly motivated attack and murder of or sadly deceased ARISE TV journalist?

We know that the nation is facing under-policing made worse because the police is severely overstretched with a sizable percentage of active service personnel allocated to ‘VIP GUARD DUTY’, some guarding handbags while elsewhere for example seven were killed in a Kaduna attack in the last few days. It would be a resounding achievement by the police and army if the attackers of these more recently murdered Fellow Nigerians, the latest ‘Kaduna Seven’, as yet unnamed and without social media clout, are also arrested ‘with immediate effect’ by a similar police and military operation.

Too many crimes are let go unless the victims’ relations escalate the matter and often have to fund parts of the investigation process themselves. Exactly how much is allocated to each police station for crime reporting and investigation. In most cases even paper and pen are required from the victim’s family for writing statements and ‘transport money’ moving around is standard. This brings down the value of our many well trained highly capable hard-working police in the eyes of the citizenry. We must make adequate provisions for all police to do their best work in all their cases and not just for certain cases.

Nigeria is supposed to be recruiting 30,000 new policemen and women. There are many stories swirling around the coming of state police and ‘local knowledge’ benefits and the ‘political abuse/private state governor or LGA chairman’s army’ dangers. We await the political conclusion and subsequent positive results on both issues -recruitment and state police.

But then we are still in Nigeria, a country in which judges are still forced to personally record cross-examination and opinions in handwriting in court when most of the rest of the world has stenographers, computers, in court live video recordings and even INSTANT SPEECH-TO-TEXT FACILITIES – available on your phone now! These are to quickly accumulate and confirm accuracy of case-related legal information transmission. Is there a conspiracy against modernising the court system in Nigeria?

Is there a group that wants to keep justice slow and unsteady with cases taking years, some up to 20-30 years? We are in a country with 200,000-250,000 lawyers and many more at the cutting edge of international law practice while living abroad and with approximately 700 SANs. In spite of this massive legal brain power, the citizens suffer under the agonisingly slow court system clearly demonstrating ‘JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED’. There are annual hugely expensive NBA meetings all dedicated to assessing and improving the self-acclaimed ‘Learned Profession’, though many other professions dispute the justice and legality of this ‘self-crowning with cerebral excess’.

The citizens expect, no demand, a unity between the traditional red, silk and black robes and assorted wigs, seen in court, to spearhead modern police station legal procedures and a smoother, more efficient, less daily expensive court recording procedure backed by the NBA. Many lawyers are in the National Assembly, NASS, and the corridors of political power and can collectively improve the judiciary budget.

The judiciary budget is for an independent branch of government and should advance the cause of justice delivery nationwide, not just in Abuja.

The training of personnel or recruitment of IT staff and computerisation of evidence taking for all police stations and courts across Nigeria should be top of the agenda of the Tinubu government, state governments and LGAs, Body of Benchers, judges committees, SAN and NBA. The citizens are tired of waiting for ever for justice.

In contrast politicians always get what they want. The politicians get the police as guards, needed by the rest of us. The politicians get quick decisions on election matters at special short-lived ‘Election Tribunals’ while citizens’ cases take years ‘or till death’. Politicians have ridiculous multi-million naira monthly incomes while the citizens get a pittance as minimum wage. IT IS TIME THE CITIZENS GOT BETTER RECEPTION IN POLICE STATIONS, SHORTER TIME IN COURT AND ANOTHER FREE AND FAIR ELECTION LIKE 1993.

For too long Nigeria has tolerated, fought, lost gallant personnel and JTF members and witnessed resurgence of Boko Haram, bandits, terrorists and some violent herders with poorly sustained repercussions and many rehabilitation strategies copycatting but outdoing the Nigeria Delta militants settlements programmes.

We must curb these dangers before the election for 2027-2031 when the police will again be spread too thinly to counter the evil political elements strategizing now to fight Nigeria and INEC, with ballot rigging and violence.

Nigerian citizens@65 deserve better!

In a renewed effort to tackle the menace of indiscriminate refuse dumping, the Chairman of Iba Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Jubril Yisa, has convened a stakeholders’ meeting to address the growing environmental challenge within the council area.

The meeting, held at the council secretariat, brought together community leaders, traditional rulers, and environmental stakeholders to deliberate on practical solutions to the persistent dumping of refuse on roadsides, open spaces, and other unauthorised locations across Iba LCDA.

Yisa expressed deep concern over the rampant disregard for environmental regulations, describing the act as unacceptable and detrimental to public health.

He urged stakeholders to sensitise residents on the importance of proper waste disposal, warning that the council will no longer tolerate environmental infractions.

‘Government will not condone indiscriminate dumping of refuse in unauthorised places. We all have a role to play in maintaining a clean and healthy environment, and violators will henceforth face appropriate sanctions,’ the chairman stated.

Head of Environmental and Health Services of the LCDA, Motorola Adeoye, emphasised that improper waste disposal remains one of the leading causes of blocked drainages, flooding, and the spread of communicable diseases in the area.

She noted that the gathering was designed not only to raise awareness but also to engage stakeholders in finding sustainable strategies to ensure cleaner and healthier communities within Iba.

The interactive session provided a platform for participants to share insights, propose workable solutions, and strengthen community collaboration in enforcing environmental sanitation laws.

Present at the meeting were the Vice Chairman, Ayodele Samuel Thomas; Leader of the Sixth Legislative Chamber, Mustapha Hassan; other legislative members; the Council Manager, Olufemi Babalola; Baales, and several other dignitaries.

The council reiterated its commitment to promoting environmental cleanliness and urged residents to embrace responsible waste management practices for the overall well-being of the community.

Afrobeats superstar Davido has been appointed Chairman of the Osun Sports Trust Fund.

This move aims to raise funds and transform the state’s sports sector.

Davido, who is Governor Ademola Adeleke’s nephew, accepted the role without hesitation, and the government believes his global influence will attract investment and visibility to Osun’s sports ecosystem.

The appointment is part of the government’s efforts to reposition sports in Osun and build a sustainable funding model through private and public partnerships.

The Osogbo Township Stadium is also being renovated to meet Olympic standards, with plans to host national and international events.

The Osun State Sports Commission is being established to oversee sports development, administration, and policy implementation.

Davido’s role is also expected to attract support from sports philanthropists and ensure sustainable sports financing and development.

The lawmaker of Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal constituency, Dr Patrick Umoh, has demanded an immediate halt to what he branded a ‘shameful charade’ of online defamation targeting Senate President Godswill Akpabio by Mrs. Patience Ibanga Akpabio.

Umoh’s statement, dated October 20, accused the Essien Udim-based woman-identified as a member of the wider Akpabio family-of waging an ‘unprovoked and dishonourable campaign of character assassination’ through inflammatory social media posts that he said lacked any factual basis.

‘Enough is enough,’ Umoh declared, warning that the tirades not only damage the Senate President but also tarnish the Akpabio family name and the reputation of Essien Udim, one of the three local government areas he represents in the House of Representatives.

The lawmaker, who served as Akpabio’s Senior Legislative Aide and later as Special Assistant during the latter’s stint as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, invoked shared cultural values of respect for elders and sanctity of truth.

He urged Mrs. Akpabio to ‘reflect soberly on the consequences’ of her actions.

Umoh praised Akpabio’s eight-year governorship (2007-2015) as a transformative era that turned Akwa Ibom into a ‘model of progress and modernity,’ citing landmark projects in roads, schools, and healthcare.

He added that Akpabio’s leadership of the 10th Senate continues to exhibit ‘rare capacity and statesmanship’ at a critical juncture for Nigeria.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday urged the Senate to screen and confirm Dr Bernard Mohammed Doro, for appointment as Minister.

Tinubu’s request was contained in his letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary.

After reading the letter, Akpabio referred the request to the Senate Committee of the Whole for screening and confirmation as soon as practicable.

La Liga says plans to hold a regular-season match between Villarreal and Barcelona in Miami in December have been cancelled.

In August, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) approved plans to move Villarreal’s fixture against Barcelona to Hard Rock Stadium on 20 December – a decision that sparked discontent in Spain.

The plans to hold a top-flight game outside Spain for the first time faced a huge backlash, with players refusing to move for the first 15 seconds of matches in La Liga at the weekend.

Promoters of the match, Relevent, state the reason for the cancellation is because of ‘insufficient time’ to organise the event, with La Liga also citing the ‘uncertainty in Spain’.

The match will now be held at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica home as originally scheduled.

The decision to cancel the match in Miami was announced during Villarreal’s 2-0 Champions League defeat at home by Manchester City.

Afterwards, Villarreal boss Marcelino said it showed ‘absolute disrespect’ to communicate this decision while his side were playing.

He added: ‘It is absolutely disrespectful to the club, professionals and board of directors and fans. From here onwards, the club will send an official communication but this is just what I think.’

La Liga said it ‘deeply regrets’ the postponement and described it as a blow to the ‘international profile of the entire football ecosystem’.

La Liga also believed staging an official match outside Spain would have been a ‘decisive step in the global expansion’ of its competition, and that ‘passing up such opportunities makes it difficult to generate new revenue’.

It would have been the first time a European top-flight league match had taken place in the United States, although the Spanish Super Cup has been held in Saudi Arabia in four of the past five seasons.

After the Miami game was originally confirmed, the Italian football federation (FIGC) decided to sanction a Serie A match between AC Milan and Como to be played in Perth, Australia, in February.

Barcelona said it ‘respects and accepts’ the decision to cancel the match and ‘regrets the missed opportunity to expand the competition’s image’ in a market that has a ‘great capactiy for growth and generation of resources for everyone’.

The club added it ‘regrets deeply’ that its fans in the USA ‘are denied the opportunity to see an official game in their country’.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick had previously said his ‘players are not happy’ and he was ‘not happy’ but ‘La Liga decided that we will play this game’.