Saturday 20 July 2013

Luis Enrique To Be Tito Vilanova's Successor At Barcelona?

The former Barcelona B team coach Luis Enrique has emerged as the favourite to become the Catalan club's new first-team manager after Tito Vilanova's decision to step down, with Gerardo Martino, the coach of the Argentinian side Newell's Old Boy coach, also among those that have been contacted.

Luis Enrique became manager of Celta Vigo less than six weeks ago and Barcelona would be obliged to pay ¤3m (£2.6m) to release him. They hope to announce their new manager in the next few days and do not intend to promote from within.

Barça's president, Sandro Rosell, said on Friday evening that Vilanova would not be continuing. A routine check revealed that the 44-year-old Vilanova has suffered a further recurrence of the throat cancer that was first diagnosed in 2011, when he was assistant coach to Pep Guardiola. He will undergo a new course of treatment that the president described as "incompatible" with managing the first team.

Vilanova had a tumour removed from his parotid gland in November 2011 and appeared to have beaten the cancer but suffered a first recurrence in December last year, a few months after he succeeded Guardiola as first-team manager. He missed two months of last season while receiving treatment in New York, leaving the team in the temporary hands of his assistant Jordi Roura, and returned to help lead the side to the title.

Rosell described the news as a "terrible blow" but insisted: "Life goes on." He added: "We will present the new coach in the next few days, hopefully by early next week." The speed suggested that Barcelona had a candidate in mind and that some talks had already taken place but the timing complicates matters for the club. Barcelona had a contingency plan in place and had talked to Vilanova about the possibility of him not taking charge of the team this season but, until these latest tests, the coach was adamant that he wished to continue.

The man lined up in case Vilanova did not carry on was Ernesto Valverde, who had been Barcelona's second choice before they opted for Vilanova when Guardiola left at the end of the 2011-12 season. But with Vilanova believing he was well enough to carry on, Valverde eventually joined Athletic Bilbao.

Given that situation, Vilanova's preference is understood to be Luis Enrique and he had been alerted to the club's interest in him but he returned to Spain to coach Celta Vigo, signing a deal with them in early June. Barcelona are proceeding with discretion but are understood to be optimistic that they can reach an agreement with Celta and Luis Enrique, who declined to comment yesterday from his club's pre‑season training camp in Portugal.

Barcelona have also though spoken to Martino to sound out his availability. The Argentinian had been among the candidates for the job at Real Sociedad earlier in the summer and his profile and philosophy fits the Barcelona model. Leo Messi would also welcome his appointment.

As a player, Luis Enrique joined Barcelona from Real Madrid and went on to play 300 games for the club. His first managerial appointment was as coach of Barcelona B, taking over from Guardiola in 2008 when Guardiola moved up to the first team. Luis Enrique guided Barcelona B to a return to the Spanish Second Division for the first time in more than a decade and then led them to a third-placed finish, although league rules mean that B teams cannot be promoted further. After three years, Luis Enrique left for Roma but he experienced a largely turbulent season. Among his first signings for Celta were the two former Barcelona B team players Rafinha and Nolito.
www.m.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jul/20/barcelona-luis-enrique-tito-vilanova

Genevieve Nnaji Tours Beijing, China (photos)

Stunning actress, Genevieve Nnaji is presently in China on a tour - and trust me, she is having all the fun, plus she has learnt a chinese word "Ni ha" - greetings.
While touring China she visited the silk making industry, tea factory and lots more.







There's a cheaper version of Alexander Amosu's £1.2m champagne

It now makes sense. I for talk since. Who gives away a £1.2m bottle of champagne or anything for that matter...just like that? Luxury designer Alexander Amosu has cleared the confusion. He took to his instagram page to explain that there's a Swarovski diamond edition of his Taste of Diamond champagne. The diamond encrusted bottle is worth £1.2m, while the Swarovski version is just £350. 

This is probably the version Don Jazzy and Peter Okoye got. Una come dey gawk since. Hisss.! :-) He reacted to the Daily Mail article about the price of the champagne. See it after the cut...


"Wow!!! Seems the media has taking my instagram & changed it to their own. Swarovski diamond edition as stated in my instagram is £350 not £1.2m" Amosu wrote

Funke Akindele reverts to maiden, removes Oloyede from her social media accounts

Following an official statement released a few hours ago by Funke Akindele's camp confirming the end of her one year marriage, the star actress has removed her estranged husband's name, Oloyede, from all her social media accounts.

She's also spoken for the first time about the end of her marriage. She told Stella Dimoko Korkus:

First of all let me clarify that I have not replied any SMS or spoken to anyone on this development before now and neither have I threatened to sue anyone. I do not know who sent out that SMS denying that my marriage is over. That was what necessitated me sending out a press release so as not to confuse the public, especially my fans whom I'm so passionate about.
Yes my marriage has crashed. Let the people who are laughing at me continue laughing.  My job afterall is to make people laugh. Let those who are without sins or mistake cast the first stone. Let them continue judging me. God is the overall judge. He is the one I look up to.

KANYE WEST FELONY SUSPECT FOR ATTEMPTED ROBBERY

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5:28 PM PT --
 The victim wants to press charges against Kanye ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.  What's more, our sources say he's been interviewed by cops and they've determined he did indeed suffer injuries during the attack.  Cops will refer the case to the D.A. as a felony attempted robbery and not a battery case.  The routine is to go after the suspect for the most serious charge.

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Kanye West
 has been named a felony suspect in the LAX attack Friday afternoon ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police suspect Kanye committed an attempted robbery when he assaulted a photog at the airport and tried to jack his camera.

The case has now been transferred to the Robbery Homicide Unit and cops are currently putting a file together. 

Our sources say the case will be referred to the L.A. County D.A. for possible prosecution.

The victim was taken to the hospital after the attack.  His condition is unknown.

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Read more: http://www.tmz.com#ixzz2ZaUfgaie
Visit Fishwrapper: http://www.fishwrapper.com

Liam Payne Buys Wizkid £1.2Million Champagne

His band One Direction are officially the highest-earning youngsters in the music industry, and he took home a whopping £5million earnings in the last year alone.

And Liam Payne was evidently feeling very generous indeed on Tuesday night when he reportedly treated a pal to a bottle of champagne, worth a staggering £1.2million.

Dubbed 'the world's most expensive champagne', the kind-hearted 19-year-old is believed to have made sure his Nigerian musician pal, Wizkid, had the best 24th birthday a boy could wish for by splashing out on a bottle of Taste Of Diamond at London's Funky Buddha nightclub.

Femi Fani-kayode: A Nation Of Perverts And paedophiles

Since the Nigerian Senate, in its infinate wisdom, has now endorsed the “Paedophile Charter” which seeks to make it lawful and constitutional for a girl of 9 years old to get married and to Be Intimate it is my view that we have now become a nation of perverts and paedophiles. Every Nigerian should bow his or her head in shame as from today because what the Senate did yesterday, and seeks to do in the future, by beginning the process to amend our constitution in order for it to cater for the filthy appetite and godless fantasies of child molestors and intimate predators is sordid, ungodly and unforgiveable.

Surely we ought to be seeking to protect our children and not seeking to bed them. Yet it appears that not everyone shares our outrage and collective sense of shame. One Uche Ezechukwu made the following contribution which went viral on the social media networks and which I think speaks volumes. He wrote-
“Those who are railing against ‘paedophile’ senators, like Yerima Bakura, must be told that a muslim can’t go wrong while imitating the examples of the Apostle of Allah himself and the founder of his religion, in the same way a christian cannot be criticized for following the examples of Jesus Christ. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) married Aisha at the age of six and consummated the marriage when she was nine. So, why are we judging muslims by our own standards?”

I appauled by these words. The truth is that I have never heard such a self-serving and specious arguement in defence of the philosophies and beliefs of the Ayatollah of Bakura, Senator Ahmed Sani, the practising paedophile who married and bedded a 12 year old Egyptian girl, as this one. Ahmed Sani himself could not have argued it better. Yet I think that it is an utter shame. And this is more so because the individual that is putting the arguement is supposedly a christian. The Old Testament of the Holy Bible prescribes ”stoning” for adultry but that does not mean that christian countries should stone adulterers.

Neither does it mean that we should preserve the institution of slavery or crucify petty thieves simply because the Holy Bible endorsed both practices in the Old Testament. We must accept the fact that the interpretation of biblical and koranic provisions are evolutionary and are ever changing. Jesus Himself said ”laws are made for man and not man for laws”. The suggestion that paedophilia has any place in any modern and decent society simply because it was once practised in the distant past is not only a despicable arguement but it also does not make any sense. After all cannibalism, the killing of twins at birth and child and human sacrifice were once widely practised and were held as being perfectly acceptable throughout the world as well but that does not mean that we should practice any of these terrible vices today.

The young man, Uche Ezechukwu, who appears to be defending child molestation in the name of islam, should either let someone lay with and ”marry” his own 6 year old daughter or he should seal his lips forever and stop trying to defend the indefensible. His assertions, and I daresay those of Senator Ahmed Sani and anyone that shares their primitive views, are not only utterly immoral and reprehensible but they are also intellectually dishonest. I say this because the truth is that there is NO muslim country in the world that has adopted the “paedophile charter” where 6 or 9 year olds can marry and be bedded except for Saudi Arabia and Iran. 

Dangote Pledges N1billion To States Worst-hit By Boko Haram

Borno, which is the worst-hit, will get N500 million from Dangote’s donation while Adamawa and Yobe will share the balance
Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of Dangote Groups, has promised to assist the three states – Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe – worst hit by the Boko Haram insurgents with N1 billion.

The minister of state for agriculture, Alhaji Bukar Tijani, who made the disclosure when he visited Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno, noted that the donation was the business mogul’s contribution to help in cushioning the effects of the sect’s attack in the states.

Boko Haram is waging a way against western education and seeks to create an Islamist state in the country. In recent years, it grew bolder in its attacks forcing President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in the three worst-hit Northern states on May 14.

Troops in the states claimed the security situation in these states has improved. Critics, however, believe an attack on a boarding school in Mamudo, a village in Yobethat left 29 students and a teacher dead after being shot and set ablaze, showed otherwise. Three weeks after the incident, the military lifted an embargo on telecommunication services it imposed in Borno and Yobe as part of its strategies in the crackdown on the Islamists.

To cushion the effects of both the Boko Haram attacks and the operations of troops detailed to the states, the Jonathan-led administration donated N450 million to Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe.

Tijani was in Maiduguri, where he met Governor Shettima, to kick of the distributionof funds and the distribution of 650 truck-loads of relief materials worth over N1billion approved by President Jonathan Goodluck to the three states.

According to the minister, the N450 million will be shared N200 million, N150 million, and N100 million to
Borno, Adamawa and Yobe respectively.

Speaking on the N1 billion donation by Dangote, he said Borno, which is the worst-hit, will get N500 million from Dangote’s donation while Adamawa and Yobe will sharethe balance.

Responding, Governor Shettima assured the minister that the money would be used for the good of the people of the state.

FG Signs Solar-Power Deal With India


Nigeria and India reached agreement Friday to site a solar power facility in Bida.

It will be the first of a series of power plants planned to be sited
in Niger State to provide additional megawatts of power for the
national grid.

With the agreement signed at the power ministry headquarters in Abuja,
the Indian firm, Bharat Heavy Electricals will begin preliminary
studies ahead of siting independent solar-powered plants in selected
locations in Niger.

Power permanent secretary, Godknows Igali, who signed for the Nigerian
government, said the country's power sector would remain open to
investment in hopes of unbundling the sector's potential.

Sutanu Behuria, secretary of the government of India, who led the
Indian side, expressed his country’s interest in the provision of
funds in various forms for the development of Nigeria’s power sector.

He said Bharat had garnered experience from its operations in 12
African countries.

Policeman Returns N150,000 Recovered From Robbers



A Nigerian Police officer recovered huge sums from robbers on Friday in Abuja after a spontaneous chase on his power bike in a rare display of exemplary policing.

The robbers, riding on a lower engine motor-bike snatched a money bag containing N150,000 from the victim as he walked out of a bank in heart of the Area 3 part of town.

The victim’s call for help drew the attention of the police officer, Abu Tanko, a Police motorcycle rider attached to the Force Headquarters Abuja.

Mr Tanko swiftly chased the robbers as they fled off with the cash. After few kilometers, at a point around the neighbouring Area 8, he caught with the robbers. The the robbers flung the money bag and ran away as he slowed down to pick up the bag.

Heroic Mr. Tanko returned to the scene about 15 minutes later with the whole sum of money intact and handed it in the bewildered owner before a cheering crowd.

Nigerian police officers are notorious for corruption and instability around money, forcing most Nigerians to rely on self-help or alternative security.

“It is an indication that there are still a few ones out there,” the force said in a Facebook post it made about the heroic officer. “All hope is not yet lost!”

The police advised distressed citizens to always call its officers because they institutionally required to respond to all distress calls.

Cobra Protects Puppies That Fell Into A Well

The incident occurred in the Indian state of Punjab. Two puppies fell into a well. Their mother ran near the well and started barking, and attracted the attention of the owner, who looked inside and to his surprise there was a king cobra at the bottom, which didn't pose any threat to the puppies. Moreover, the reptile, looked after the puppies, by not allowing them to cross to the other side, where they could possibly drown, when the well is filled with water.

In general, they spent around 48 hours together at the bottom and in these 48 hours the cobra sat quietly next to them. When help finally arrived from the forest department, the cobra slithered to the other end of the well. The puppies were not injured at all and the reptile was immediately taken into the woods and was released into the wild.

firemen were eventually called to the rescue.they rescued the snake too by releasing it into the wild.

Even the most deadly and dangerous creatures on earth know what Co-existence and mutual assistance is. The human race is in this respect far behind, and this is our biggest drawback
-Emanuel Pandey

Senators Who Voted To Legalise Underage Marriage.

List of senators whose votes helped legalise underage marriage and how it happened (Voting Sheet)


by Stanley Azuakola

We now know how senators voted on the constitution amendment bill which caused an uproar in the senate on Tuesday.

READ: Senate Fails To Get Enough Votes To Deal Blow On Underage Marriage, Backs Pension For Its Leadership

The section up for amendment had to do with persons qualified to renounce Nigerian citizenship. The constitution in Section 29 says anyone of age can do so. Section 29(4) (b) says that ” any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.” It means that even a child if married can be seen to be of full age and as such can renounce citizenship. The committee proposed that that provision be deleted.

When it was put to vote, 2/3 of members present voted for it which meant it was deleted. But, not so fast.

Enter Senator Ahmed Yerima of Zamfara, the controversial former governor of Zamfara who tried to stoke religious sentiments. He said it was against Islamic law. Yerima got married to a teenager a few years ago, and going by the provision, the girl who is still not 18 cannot be said to be of age.

Sen. Yerima needs to watch this video: Watch: Genius: Meet The Most Politically Aware And Lucid 12 Year Old In The World

He kicked and began to mobilise his fellow Muslims in the Senate and it was threatening to cause confusion. Despite the senate president, David Mark insisting that it could no longer be revisited as it had been voted upon, Yerima continued his objection.

Due to the sensitive nature, Mark had to call for another vote. At this point the Senators who were in favour of this clause could no longer muster 2/3 of the votes that will retain Section 29, Clause 4 (b). Senators still voted 60 votes to 35 votes for the clause to be deleted, but it did not satisfy the 2/3 requirement and so, according to the senate version, “any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.”

Thanks to Sen. Babafemi Ojudu (Ekiti Central, ACN), we have the full list of the senators who voted NO)

The senators who voted NO, that is those who did not want the clause deleted, include the following:

1. Sen. Abdulmumin M. Hassan (Jigawa South West, PDP)

2. Sen. Abdullahi Danladi (Jigawa North West, PDP)

3. Sen. Adamu Abdullahi (Nasarawa West, PDP)

4. Sen. Ahmed Barata (Adamawa South, PDP)

5. Sen. Akinyelure Ayo (Ondo Central, Labour Party)

6. Sen. Alkali Saidu A. (Gombe North, PDP)

7. Sen. Bagudu Abubakar A. (Kebbi Central, PDP)

8. Sen. Dahiru Umaru (Sokoto South, PDP)

9. Sen. Galaudu Isa (Kebbi North, PDP)

10. Sen. Garba Gamawa (Bauchi North, PDP)

11. Sen. Danjuma Goje Mohammed (Gombe Central, PDP)

12. Sen. Gobir Ibrahim (Sokoto East, PDP)

13. Sen. Gumba Adamu Ibrahim (Bauchi South, PDP)

14. Sen. Hadi Sirika (Katsina North, CPC)

15. Sen. Ibrahim Bukar Abba (Yobe East, ANPP)

16. Sen. Jajere Alkali (Yobe South, ANPP)

17. Sen. Jibrilla Mohammed (Adamawa North, PDP)

18. Sen. Kabiru Gaya (Kano South, ANPP)

19. Sen. Lafiagi Mohammed (Kwara North, PDP)

20. Sen. Lawan Ahmad (Yobe North, ANPP)

21. Sen. Maccido Mohammed (Sokoto North, PDP)

22. Sen. Musa Ibrahim (Niger North, CPC)

23. Sen. Ndume Mohammed Ali (Borno South, PDP)

24. Sen. Sadiq A. Yaradua (Katsina Central, CPC)

25. Sen. Saleh Mohammed (Kaduna Central, CPC)

26. Sen. Tukur Bello (Adamawa Central, PDP)

27. Sen. Ugbesia Odion (Edo Central, PDP)

28. Sen. Umar Abubakar (Taraba Central, PDP)

29. Sen. Usman Abdulaziz (Jigawa North East, PDP)

30. Sen. Ya’au Sahabi (Zamfara North, PDP)

31. Sen. Zannah Ahmed (Borno Central, PDP)

32. Sen. Ahmad Rufai Sani (Zamfara West, ANPP)

33. Sen. Ahmad Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central, PDP)

34. Sen. Bello Hayatu Gwano (Kano North, PDP)

35. Sen. Ibrahim Abu (Katsina South, CPC)

Some senators did not register to vote, while some abstained.

After the second voting, Yerima tried to get up to thank the Senate Present and his colleagues in an attempt to claim victory, he was shouted down and booed.

Two Female NYSC Corps Members Set Ablaze In Rivers State

Two corps members serving in Community Secondary school Iddo in Asari-Toru LGA of Rivers State were yesterday night severely burnt beyond recognition by unknown persons who attacked them in their room.
Report given to us this morning by another serving corp member in the area said the two corps members who are both females were locked in after the attackers had poured fuel in their room and then set the room on fire.
One of the corper is named Okey Winifred a batch C corps member while the other whose name could not be ascertained as at time of this report is a new batch B corps member that just left camp and reported at the PPA few days ago.
Both of them are currently in critical condition at the Intensive care unit (ICU) of Uniport Teaching Hospital.
We have the pics of the corps members but we think its too gory to share on this blog. However This is a pics of their room after the Incidence
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Four elderly men freed after 10 years of kidnap

CHICAGO  (AFP) – Four elderly men were reportedly held captive in a trash-filled Texas garage for as long as a decade, local media reported Friday.
“One of them seemed to think he was picked up off the street and brought here,” Houston Police Sergeant JW McCoy told KTRK news.
“In exchange for beer and cigarettes and a place to stay, he had to turn over his Social Security check.”
The men were found locked inside a “prison room” with no beds or chairs and a door that was nailed shut.
They were freed after police got a call about several people being held against their will.
Authorities gave the ages of the men as 79, 54, 74 and about 65.
Three of the men were unable to walk and were taken to hospital. The fourth, who was in better shape, sat calmly on the stoop as news crews gathered nearby.
He told KTRX that he had been staying there for about six months and had no desire to leave despite the poor conditions.
One of the other men told police he’d been there for 10 years.
A man who lived in the house was taken into police custody. Three women also lived there, the station reported.
Neighbor Robert Paris told the Houston Chronicle that he hadn’t noticed any elderly men coming and going in the three months he’d lived across the street.
“It’s pretty weird,” he told the paper. “It’s really bad news.”

Why PDP has never produced a governor in Lagos – Doherty

Adedeji Doherty is a chairmanship aspirant for the Lagos State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and organising Secretary for the South-West.
A professional engineer who doubles as   Chairman of Dain Group, he recently spoke with Olasunkanmi Akoni on a number of burning national issues such as the PDP’s internal problems, its chances in Lagos ahead of 2015 and more. Excerpts:
How would  you assess the current political terrain in the country?
I think the political terrain in the country right now is something that everybody can see. Good enough, the democracy in the country is developing. It is reaching a point where the electorate have a good idea of what good governance is supposed to mean and what it is supposed to give them. I believe that if one looks at the political terrain, a lot of things have to change as democracy is evolving.
Adedeji Doherty
Adedeji Doherty
First, the politicians’ mindset needs to change. Whichever party one belongs to, we all know what the dividends of democracy are all about. The dividends of democracy in London, Africa, Europe and any other continent are the same.
Affordable houses and quality healthcare, good roads, quality education, youth employment, transport and others are the things that  people living in a democratised country should benefit from. I believe that what Nigerians should now learn is to vote based on what they get, what they can achieve from their various candidates rather than what comes into their pocket.
You see Governor Ameachi, Governor of Jigawa and others that are performing excellently. In contrast, we also see some that are not performing as expected. They are a disappointment to the party and the citizens of the state. The same thing in Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, APGA and others. However, when a party is in opposition, one has the propensity to make the electorate feel happy and that, I believe, is what is happening in ACN. It is something that I can conclusively say they have at least done well.
As PDP chieftain in Lagos, are you comfortable with the running of your party and how prepared is PDP for the 2015 election in Lagos?
I do not believe that we are prepared at this particular time. I think we are just preparing. And I believe that once the leaders of the party come together, they will be able to get ready as a unified force to achieve a good outing in the 2015 elections.
Are you satisfied with governance and party administration?
Well as far as party administration is concerned, one thing we always understand is that the party is the one that wins the election and not the individual, because the party is the platform the individual uses to achieve his goals towards governing his people.
The party has a constitution and manifesto. So once one wins on the party platform, one is expected to be a representative of the party to the people by executing what is in the manifesto of the party. If construction of roads was listed in the party manifesto, it is the duty of  the candidate who has won an election with the party platform to construct roads. If good healthcare was also listed, it is his responsibility to provide such a facility to the citizens. It is the party that creates the manifesto. So when one is talking about the party as an institution in the PDP, and I am supposed to raise it in terms of the party being supreme at this time, it is about 40 percent. That, I believe, is what is being addressed now in the party.
Whether in PDP, ACN, APGA and others, the party should have a way of funding themselves to make them independent from individuals. With this, the issue of democracy can crystallise to favour the electorate whom we represent.
How do you expect parties that are not in control of any state to raise funds?
They have to be able to raise their funds somehow. Those that have created the party need to invest in businesses. If you do not do that, there is no need to float a party that cannot fund itself.
Then we are not through with godfatherism in politics?
Exactly. If you have a party and that party doesn’t know how to generate money and members have to subdue themselves to pay party dues, then the founding fathers should come together, create businesses like hotels, invest in transportation and others that can bring in funds daily to run the party. The party members have to get themselves involved in empowerment that will create jobs. That is what a viable party should be like. That is what we expect in the PDP. If we are to invest in different businesses, we should create those businesses and let our members be either the GM or the MD, and the business will yield money to fund the party so that the national chairman of the party will also be the chairman of the entire group and will not be subject to anyone, including the president.
The Lagos PDP has all the
 wherewithal to run the party but it seems the funds are not well utilised?
In Lagos State, we the PDP do not even have anything. All the ministers that were appointed from Lagos State are not from the state. At the same time they call themselves technocrats, we do not really have any funding. The Lagos State PDP has never had a governor because we do not have anyone funding the party. It is left in the hands of those leaders that have the passion for the party at heart and can donate to the party for the PDP to make any meaningful impact in the state. They play quality roles, they get affordable healthcare. Development of the rural areas is happening everyday but the people of Lagos have been subjected to multi-taxation. These aren’t what the people of Lagos bargained for. Lagos should be an industrial-friendly state, but right now, it is not. And the land mass of the state is not changing; it is constant. What are the agricultural prospects of the state? There are none. We need to be able to convey this and merge it with the ideals of governance to create a vibrant society in Lagos State.
My own mission is the delivery of good governance. It is good that the Lagos State government has built a flyover in the state. But how does that affect the life of the people in the state? The bridge from Bourdillon to Lekki is a good edifice. If you look at some newspaper publications in the country, they showed a bridge in Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA made out of wood. The majority of the people in Lagos State live in the Ayobo axis of the state. It is the rich people that will use the Cable bridge in the Lekki axis of the state. The state government has succeeded in using that bridge to increase the property value in Lekki. But what happens to the poor people in Lagos? What happens to the remaining 13 million people of the state?  Why are we getting it wrong? We need to take ourselves back and look at whether it is the choice of candidate or whatever else is making the state look the way it is now. But this is not the PDP I bargained for.
Before 2007, the PDP was controlling almost all the southwest states except Lagos. But suddenly, things changed. What actually went wrong?
Well, I cannot say. But many things went wrong. For instance, Oyo State was lost due to the disagreement between Ladoja, Akala, Adedibu and Obasanjo. Unfortunately, we lost Adedibu and that excluded the PDP immediately. In Ogun State, Obasanjo again and the then incumbent Governor, Gbenga Daniel. This created an avenue for an ACN candidate to win the governorship election, and that is Governor Ibikunle Amosun. In Ekiti State, it is almost the same thing. We had a lukewarm attitude. What happened in Ekiti was that Obasanjo succeeded in removing Fayose from Office for whatever reason and that boomeranged to a weak PDP in Ekiti State.
This led to the assumption of office of Governor Segun Oni which the court later nullified. In Ondo State, everyone knew that Olusegun Mimiko was a PDP member and he later ended up in the Labour Party. This was due to the quarrel between Obasanjo, Olusegun Agagu and Mimiko. I see, basically, that our leaders in the Yoruba land, especially in the PDP, have failed the party and our own generation in their mismanagement of things. Even in the Presidency, the management of what has been zoned to the South-West members of the party has grossly been mismanaged. And that is why we have recorded a negative position in the hierarchy of running the nation. Right from the Speaker of the House of Representatives downwards, if one looks at the position of the first five citizens of the country today, the Yoruba extraction is not represented. There is no one speaking on our behalf and the reason for this was that our leaders failed to look at handing over to their next generation. When I was in CMS Grammar School, Bariga, Obasanjo was my President. When I became a father, Obasanjo still came back to be my President. My son has gone to school and graduated, Obasanjo was still his president. At this time in the PDP in the South-West, Obasanjo still calls the shots; whereas Gowon, Danjuma, Akinrinade, Banjo and other military men including Bode George were all Heads of State, Chief of General Staff and Governors respectively, and they all ruled this country in their 30s. What has created this? I do not know why our leaders cannot hand over to the next generation.
Someone asked me  if  President Goodluck Jonathan is about 52 years old. But will anyone from the Yoruba extraction be allowed to rule this country at that age? Will any of our fathers allow a man of that age to be the president of this country? In politics, one has to develop his thinking and look at what is on ground and how it benefits your people. What is on ground now does not benefit the South-West people of this country.
How will you rate governance in the Southwest now?
Governance in the Southwest today is developing. I believe that there should be a symposium of Southwest leaders, and this symposium should cut across all parties’ affiliation in the country, where a common agenda must be adopted as the agenda of the Southwest people. The first thing on the agenda should be total integration of the various Southwestern states. A common body that must look into the development of political parties in the Southwest and what they are delivering to the people vis-a-vis what the mandate of that people is. Our agenda as a people is the integration of the entire people of the Southwestern states in terms of road network in all the states, integrating in terms of rail network so that people can live in any state and work in any Southwestern state; in agriculture through buying and selling within ourselves. There has to be a mandate on housing policy, infrastructural development for the people, health requirement for the people. There has to be leadership and vision for the Southwest region in the country between the years 2013 and 2050.
Who do you think will champion this call?
I haven’t thought about it but it has to be something that has to be created by our people.

What’s your take on the suspension of Amaechi and others?
Wammako has been recalled. The only person left on the suspension list is Amaechi, and this was based on obvious reasons. In the PDP, suspension can be described as ‘go home and come back.’ It isn’t as weighty as it was reported in the media. If one is suspended from the party, the person will be the one who will call for the next PDP party. It isn’t a very strong thing at this time in the party. In contrast, that doesn’t mean that if one commits  anti-party activities and one is caught, he or she will not be sanctioned. I believe that suspending Amaechi or Wammako is in the hands of NWC and they are looking at it very seriously. I am sure that there might have been miscommunication or misrepresentation in a lot of things that have created the suspension in the first place.
On the NGF election, ACN has been pointing accusing fingers at the PDP  as the cause  of the problems
Well, the creation of the NGF is to execute what I am explaining to you, which is integration, looking at different problems like security and others and proffering solutions to them. This should be the job of the NGF. Where I have a problem with the NGF was that it began to overstep its boundary when it got involved in the upcoming 2015 presidential election, an issue still in its incubation stage whereby the sitting president is being questioned whether he will be vying for the next election or not. And out of these governors, they are whipping up the electorate and bringing up new agenda as far as their own candidacy is concerned. I don’t think that it was right for the NGF to start whipping up political discourse concerning the presidency and I wouldn’t have suggested the election at that time. I don’t know if the president has veto power on the forum, but the NGF should have been disbanded. Let each political party have its own Governors’ Forum. And the reason was that all the governors didn’t contest for their post on the same platform. Definitely, their ideology is not the same. So what happened was bound to occur.
When you merge people with different views, definitely the minority will strive to woo some of the members of the majority into its own circle. And then cross-carpeting starts. That is the psychological attitude of human beings and that in itself has created a problem within the group.
For me, I will advise that the NGF should be disbanded. All the governors should go back to their states and deliver the dividends of democracy to their electorate. When each party organises their governors’ forum, we will have peace in the country and we will be able to rate the governors based on what they delivered to the people.
Will you consider any offer considering the crisis in the PDP?
I am open to the advancement and progress of our people. It doesn’t matter who calls. Once I am called upon, I will answer because it is for the benefit of the people. Definitely, there are issues that need to be addressed urgently in the Southwest; I can foresee it coming. We have to throw away party affiliations and differences and come together as a single body for the progress of the Southwest region.
How would you assess  Fashola’s  administration ?
The Lagos government has worked considerably over the years. During the time of Tinubu, we saw him in his first tenure battling with the leaders in his party. We saw in his second term, a situation whereby we had to condemn him. And I am one of those who criticised him for not doing much. Later, he handed over to the executioner, Governor Babatunde Fashola, who was then his Chief of Staff in his second term. Fashola used three years from his first term to execute projects that were already put in place by his predecessor. For instance, the expansion of the various roads-Allen Avenue, Alausa, Lekki, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Adeola Odeku, the Bar Beach and others, all these roads were funded from the taxes paid by the residents of the state. And the tax payers are paying for the road today. This will continue until the next 25 years in terms of toll. If one looks at these projects that were started by Tinubu and executed by Fashola, apart from these, which other project has been created? I mean, which new road has been built in the last 12 years in the state?

The 48 Laws of Power...... 1 to 5 Law

by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers

Law 1
Never Outshine the Master
Always make those above you feel comfortably superior.  In your desire to please or impress them, do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite – inspire fear and insecurity.  Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.
Law 2
Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies
Be wary of friends-they will betray you more quickly, for they are easily aroused to envy.  They also become spoiled and tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he will be more loyal than a friend, because he has more to prove.  In fact, you have more to fear from friends than from enemies.  If you have no enemies, find a way to make them.
 Law 3
Conceal your Intentions
Keep people off-balance and in the dark by never revealing the purpose behind your actions.  If they have no clue what you are up to, they cannot prepare a defense.  Guide them far enough down the wrong path, envelope them in enough smoke, and by the time they realize your intentions, it will be too late.
 Law 4
Always Say Less than Necessary
When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control.  Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike.  Powerful people impress and intimidate by saying less.  The more you say, the more likely you are to say something foolish.
 Law 5
So Much Depends on Reputation – Guard it with your Life
Reputation is the cornerstone of power.  Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once you slip, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides.  Make your reputation unassailable.  Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen.  Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations.  Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them.

to be cont............ 

ASUU strike ‘ll not affect preparations for NUGA – Don

Lagos – Prof. Ademola Onifade of the Lagos State University (LASU) says the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of University’s (ASUU) will not adversely affect athletes’ preparation for the Nigeria Universities Game (NUGA).
The Games will be hosted by the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife from Oct. 2 – Oct. 13.
Onifade, a Professor of Sports and Chairman, LASU Sports Council, said in Lagos that in spite of the persisting strike, the athletes could still be preparing for the Games.
Onifade explained that the strike was only directed at stopping the lecturers from teaching and holding meetings and not crippling other activities in the institutions.
“ASUU strike does not in any way affect student sports. I mean ASUU strike is for ASUU, that is, we the staff are not expected to teach.
“We are not expected to attend meetings, so the strike is basically for academic staff, not for students, so it doesn’t affect students in anyway.
“And again, you must appreciate the fact that in all Nigerian universities, there is a sport office and academic staff are not the ones running the sport offices.
“There are professional sports people who are in the sports offices and they take care of the student sports, so the strike doesn’t affect it in any way.
“Even if an academic staff is engaged as a part time coach, it doesn’t, because ASUU is not against that per say, since we are not teaching.
“We are not attending academic meetings. No, it does not affect it (NUGA preparations) in anyway.”
The chairman said that the strike could be a blessing in disguise as affected athletes could use the period to prepare for the Games. (NAN)

Tito Vilanova Steps-down As Barcelona Coach

Barcelona have confirmed that Tito Vilanova has stepped down as manager to undergo further treatment for cancer.

The Spaniard took over from Pep Guardiola last summer, but the club revealed in December that he was unwell with parotid gland cancer for a second time .

He returned to management in late March after Jordi Roura took control.

Barca president Sandro Rosell and director of the football Andoni Zubizarreta addressed the media and the playing squad on Friday evening to confirm the news.

"After evaluating routine tests on Tito Vilanova, he is to undergo a process of treatment incompatible with being Barca coach," Rosell said.

He added: "This is a big blow for Barcelona, but Barca have received many blows and have always overcome them."

Rosell confirmed a new manager would be announced early next week.

Friday 19 July 2013

Rain wreaks havoc in Osogbo

OSOGBO — Property worth millions of naira have been destroyed by flood following a downpour in Osogbo, Osun State capital on Wednesday night.
Mostly affected were residents of Ota-Efun area of the town that lost valuables to the rain which lasted for only one hour.
One of the victims whose business was badly affected is the proprietor of B and B Pharmacy and supermarket, Mr. Taofiq Lawal, who claimed to have lost about N10million worth of drugs and electronics to the flood.
He alleged that the ongoing Osogbo/Kwara State boundary dual carriage road project was responsible for the flooding in the area.
According to him before the construction company opened up the road for dualisation, there was a good drainage system that allowed free flow of water in the area whenever it rained.
“In as much as we are all in support of the road project going on in our area, the effect is devastating as the drainage had been removed without providing an alternative,” he said.
Mr. Lawal appealed to the state government to come to the aid of the victims by providing funds and materials to help mitigate the effects of the disaster.
He added that the construction firm should also provide alternative drainage where water would move freely before the road is finally completed.

Police foil robbery atempt, nab 2 suspects

WARRI — POLICE in Delta State, yesterday, foiled an attempt by a three-man armed robbery to hold up passengers in Aragba on Abraka Road, Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state.
Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, who confirmed the incident to Vanguard, said the bandits started operation, in the morning, in Isiokolo, while the police, acting on a tip-off, laid siege for them.
“Two of the armed robbers were arrested, while the third member fled and police are in search of him, while one AK 47 and one locally made double barrel gun were recovered from them,” he said.
He said: “The armed robbers, operating in a Toyota Highlander, registration number, AS 234 ASB,  attempted to attack a yet to identified commercial vehicle, but there was alert from control/locals.”
He said police and anti-cult and vigilance groups in the area gave the bandits a hot pursuit “before they could rob the passengers and recovered the vehicle. Two of the robbers were arrested with injuries, the Divisional Police Officers in Ozoro and Oleh gave good backing, though, a police vehicle was hit during the crossfire.”

Edo police parade pastor who defiled two 11-yr-old girls

…including 32 suspected criminals
BENIN CITY — THE Edo State Police Command, Thursday, paraded 32 suspected criminals involved in  robbery, kidnapping, cultism, including one Eze Fidelis, a pastor with a Pentecostal church in Abudu, Orhiomnwon Local Government Council, who defiled two underage girls.
Among the suspects were also three rapists and four persons including a woman involved in robbing unsuspecting passengers using commercial vehicles (popularly known as one chance).
The Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr Funso Adebanjo, who paraded them, yesterday, also displayed cache of arms recovered from the suspects.
CP Adebanjo who said the command had apprehended over 90 suspected robbers and kidnappers in the past one month, lamented rising cases of defilement of minors in the state. He warned residents to be wary of the latest trends whereby people use taxis to rob unsuspecting passengers.
According to him, “today we have 32 suspects that we are parading and they were involved in different crimes, ranging from robbery, kidnapping to cultism and people who are involved in defilement of the girl child. This defilement thing in the state now is disturbing. We will not allow them to go scot-free. And that is why we continue to appeal to members of the public to always give us useful information because we cannot do it alone.
“But let me also alert members of the public. There is an emerging crime since the ban on Okada was effected. It is called one chance. What they do is that they always have a woman among them so that will make people not to suspect them. There is always somebody that claims to be a pastor with them, they will deceive you to say you have a particular problem and they will rob you of everything.
“One of their victims, a lady, had to go to a bank to withdraw N150,000.
“”\We are going to work with Road Safety and the Board of Internal Revenue so that all vehicles on the road must be registered. People should shine their eyes very well, they are using some vehicles pretending to be taxi drivers.”
Pastor Fidelis Eze who confessed that he actually defiled one Joy and Anthonia both of them 11 years old, said he was possessed by evil spirit to commit the act.
He said: “I am really ashamed of myself particularly as a pastor. I have been a pastor at Deeper Life for over six years but I was tempted to defile these girls. They are always visiting me, so this particularly day I defiled both of them.”

Sex scandal: Court orders ex-director to pay N.5m damages

…dissolves 19-yr-old marriage, grants husband custody of the children..
ASABA— A Delta State High Court, Kwale, has dissolved a 19-year old marriage of a Lagos businessman, Mr Fiddis Ogwugwa, on the ground that his wife, Charity, engaged in amorous affairs with the former Executive Director of Law Union and Rock Insurance Company,  Mr Olusegun Ilori.
The court in its judgment also ordered Ilori and Charity, to jointly pay N500,000 damages for the trauma and trespass, they caused Mr Ogwugwa and  particularly for the irresponsible acts of  Ilori in ruining  the  matrimonial home of Mr Ogwugwa.
Olusegun Ilori was at the time of filing the divorce petition Executive Director of Law Union, while Charity was Project Manager.
The devorce petition was initially filed before a Lagos State High Court, before it was re-filed before a Delta State High Court, Kwale, when the petition was struck out by Justice Dawodu Williams of Lagos High Court.
According to Mr Ogwugwa, he was lawfully married to his wife, Charity, on November 25, 1994 according to the marriage act. The marriage produced two children, a boy and a girl.
He stated that what led to the collapse of the marriage started sometime in the year 2003, when his wife, excusing herself to receiving  phone calls at odd hours of the day therefore, the petitioner became suspicious.
He added that between December 2003 and February 2004, he petitioner found an amorous text from Segun Ilori to his wife, he then called both of them and cautioned them about the misconduct to which both denied any sexual relationship.
On April 18, 2010 he sent an email that could be shared between two lovers to his wife, she acknowledged the mail on April 19, 2010, shortly after,  she forwarded same mail to Segun Ilori and in error forwarded a copy to him.
This opened floodgate of suspicion that led to the discovery of several amorous email messages between the two lovers.
Upon being confronted by the petitioner, his wife confessed to having an adulterous and unprotected oral sex with her boss in the office on several other occasions.
Consequently, Mr Ogwugwa sought the dissolution of the marriage on the ground that the marriage had broken down and the custody of the two children produced by the marriage and N20 million as special and general damages for the trauma, tresspass and irresponsibility of Segun Ilori, the party cited in the divorce petition as the person responsible for the collapse of the marriage.
In her judgment, the presiding judge, Justice Jahegho Williams,  said: “I have carefully considered this petition. They are not contradicted or controverted and as such, assumed to be correct. This court, therefore, has no option in the absence of any other fact mitigating against the petition, has been proved as required by law. I, therefore, dissolve the said marriage of  November 25, 1994. Further, I give custody of the children to the petitioner.
“I also award the sum of N500,000 against Charity and Olasegun Ilori, jointly as special and general damages for the trauma and tresspass of them particularly for the irresponsible acts of Segun Ilori in ruining the matrimonial home of the petitioner.”

Fantasy Football Scores: It’s impossible to score 78 goals in 45’mins — Mathematician

*It’s possible —Statistician
Three university lecturers on Thursday expressed mixed feelings over the ongoing scandalous results from a recent Nigeria Nationwide League (NNWL) Division 4 competition.
The three lecturers are: Akinfenwa Oluseye and Onyeka Ubaka of the Mathematics Department, University of Lagos and Ismail Raji(also a Mathematician) of the University of Ibadan’s Department of Educational Management.
According to them, while it is mathematically impossible, it is statistically possible to score as many as 78 goals within 45 minutes in a match, Akinfenwa Oluseye, a specialist in Mathematics, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos: “it is mathematically impossible to score as many as 78 goals in 45 minutes during a football match.
“Mathematically speaking, it is impossible to score 78 goals under 45 minutes because 45 minutes multiplied by 60 seconds equals 2,700 seconds, and the 2,700 should be divided by the 78 goals scored.
“That means that in the second half, a goal was scored every 34 seconds for them arrive at that score line.
“Considering the speed of the players, the field of play and the short jubilation by players, one can round it up to 39 seconds per goal and if you do the mathematics again, you will find that it’s not possible.
“That means you will have 39 seconds to score every other goal, which isn’t remotely possible, because you can’t be that fast. Oluseye also notes: “assuming it’s the fastest man on earth picking the balls and returning it to the centre, it still doesn’t sum up”.
He added that even if the opponents were mere statues, the goals would not total 146 goals in all.
“It is a match between two opponents and even if one wasn’t present at the pitch, one cannot even score up to that number of goals because the ball has to be passed between the players”.
Ubaka, a specialist in statistics, on other hand, said: “from a statistical point of view, it is possible to score 79 goals and above in a match.
“Football is a game of chance, the probability of scoring as many as 100 goals is not impossible; chances are that the players are not good or they are not standard players.
“Maybe, within the first half, the coach studied their opponents’ weaknesses and capitalised on the slightest mistake to shoot at target.
“If the goalkeeper is not good, it is possible to score 10 goals under a minute. Statistics and probability prove that it is possible to score as many goals and even more than 100 goals within that duration,” Ubaka said.
Raji, of the University of Ibadan’s Department of Educational Management, said:   “It is possible but there may be some conspiracy. There is a tendency for that, but a team can score as many as 80 goals.
“They can score a goal every 30 seconds. A ball can travel from one end of a pitch under a minute and if the winning team is not wasting time, it can score as many goals as possible”.
Plateau Feeders and the Police Machines FC, in an apparent bid to win the two slots for promotion from Division 4 to Division 3 of the NNWL may have connived to achieve the scandalous goals, in order to put their qualification beyond question.
Plateau United Feeders had defeated Akurba FC of Nassarawa, 79-0, while Police Machines defeated Bubayero of Gombe, 67-0. All four clubs have been banned indefinitely by the Nigeria Football Association

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