Agent backs Luiz to extend Arsenal contract

David Luiz agent Kia Joorabchian is confident the Brazilian wants to extend his stay at Arsenal despite being out of contract and there is a “very high chance” it will happen.

With Sky Sports News recently learning Luiz moved to the Emirates on a one-year deal – rather than the reported two-year contract – Joorabchian has revealed Arsenal had the option to extend the deal for a second season, which they did not take and the clause has since expired.

Joorabchian insisted Luiz did not want to leave Arsenal, adding the club and player would discuss his future as soon as possible.

“He’s very happy at Arsenal,” Joorabchian said. “He has an extremely good relationship with both the coach and the sporting director. He has good relationships all throughout the club, right up to the owner. He respects everybody.

 “Arsenal had an option, which expired. We also had a pandemic [coronavirus]. So the option expired in the middle of the pandemic. We are all very aware of that situation and we are all trying, very slowly, to get back to this ‘new normal’.

“These contract situations, these renewals, if he stays or if he goes… will all sort themselves out when we get back to some kind of ‘new normal’.

“David will sit down with Arsenal before the season begins, have his conversations and they will both decide if he will stay or not. That will come before the season starts. The chances are very high [of Luiz being at Arsenal next season]. There is no desire to leave.”

The protesters displayed placards with inscriptions: “stooges have hijacked the provost’s duties, enough of corruption in FECAI, the provost and his cohorts must go.

Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) FECAI branch Mr Bamidele Adekunle, said that the leadership of the Provost, Dr Wilfred Nwangwu have been hijacked by three ‘cohorts.

“They take management decisions, run the institution’s affairs embezzling funds notably the N13million released by the Federal Government (FG) for sustainable agricultural programme to cushion the effects of COVID-19 lockdown.

He said that the situation had gone out of the provost’s hands as the unons have petitioned the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria over the activities of the staff who are on the junior cadre.

The Senior Staff Association Chairman in the institution, Mr Chukwudi Ezebuiro, said that such actions rubbishes the legacies of the past heads of the institution especially those of Nwangwu’s predecessor, Prof. Justina Mgbada.

“Relevant rules and regulations were strictly obeyed during Mgbada’s tenure in Nwangwu’s reign, inefficiency, corruption among others are the order of the day.

He noted that the unions have petitioned the police, Department of State Security (DSS) in addition to petitioning the relevant regulatory agencies while efforts are being made to also petitioned anti-graft agencies.

The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutes in the school, Mr Ahamefula Nkemdirim said that institution’s gates will remain shut even if schools are re-opened after the COVID 19 until a substantive provost or capable acting provost is appointed.

“These individuals re-posted the Director of FECAI ventures, our main source of internally generated revenue for refusing to connive with them to embezzle more funds of the institutions,” he said.

The institution’s Provost, Dr Wilfred Nwangwu initially said in a telephone interview that he will not comment because the Executive Secretary of ARCN directed him not to speak to the press.

The provost who later changed his mind, then said the allegation of the staff overbearing attitude was ‘partially true’ as they always ignored his directives.

“They always did what they like as I directed the institution’s registrar to re-post them but he instead re-posted those who are actually working

He said that the solution to the problem will be the re-posting of the three staff for peace to reign .

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