Saturday 14 February 2015

Nigeria 2015 Polls: INEC will announce election results within 48 hours – Official

Hajia Amina Zakari, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner, has reiterated the commission’s determination to announce the presidential and governorship elections within 48 hours after voting.

She spoke on Saturday in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi, during a public sensitisation and practical demonstration of accreditation and election processes.

Zakari said that the demonstration was to enable the commission to make amendments in areas of difficulty.

IGP, Suleiman Abba(L) and AIG, Joseph Mbu(R)

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Suleiman Abba, has cautioned personnel of the force against the use of firearms during the forthcoming general elections “except in extreme circumstances”.

In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, on Saturday, said Mr. Abba gave the warning when he addressed senior officers in his office.

The prototype lenses, presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s yesterday in San Jose, California, contain tiny aluminium telescopes that would interact with a pair of specially designed glasses to allow you to toggle between normal and ‘zoomed in’ viewing.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers hailed the impact of Daniel Sturridge's return after the striker scored in the Reds' 2-1 win at Crystal Palace in the FA Cup fifth round.

Sturridge's volley four minutes into the second half cancelled out Fraizer Campbell's opener before Adam Lallana completed the turnaround at Selhurst Park on Saturday night to book Liverpool's place in the quarter-finals.

The 25-year-old has spent five months on the sidelines with calf and thigh injuries but Rodgers believes the England forward is beginning to find form at just the right time.

"He's working his way back, it's just about extending his game time," Rodgers said. "I've got to do that because you risk re-injuring him and that's something we can't afford. You can see his qualities - his speed, his touch and he doesn't need too many chances to score."

If ongoing efforts by the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, pull through, Nigerians are expected to witness President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) of the All Progressives Congress, APC, holding a joint broadcast where they would condemn election violence.

Chairman of the commission, Chidi Odinkalu, who revealed this, said the idea is for Jonathan and Buhari to jointly speak to Nigerians and tell them that the election is between brothers and not a war, and that the country belongs to every Nigerian.

Brown Ideye on the double as James Morrison and Saido Berahino send Baggies into FA Cup quarters, defeating West Ham 4-0.

The scout who recruited Brown Ideye, and then left West Bromwich Albion ‘by mutual consent’ last month when the club’s record signing proved something of a flop, was feeling more than a little vindicated on Saturday. ‘Ahem,’ tweeted Stuart White, and understandably so when the Nigerian has now scored four goals in three games.

Six-time Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt plans to end his record-breaking career in style with a victory in the 100 metres at the 2017 World Championships in London.

The 28-year-old Jamaican had previously suggested that he would retire from athletics after the 2016 Games in Rio, but now says he will continue until 2017.

"That was the initial plan [to sign off after Rio]," he told the Daily Mail. "But my sponsor has asked me to go on for another year; to 2017 and London.

The Benin palace has dispelled a rumour that the Benin monarch, Oba Erediauwa, has passed on.

Reports suggesting that the monarch had joined his ancestors were rife on the social media on Friday. Such talks were further accentuated by the refusal of the monarch to receive the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and President Goodluck Jonathan when they visited his palace on January 29 and February 4 respectively.

Aston Villa have appointed Tim Sherwood as their new manager on a deal until the summer of 2018. The former Tottenham Hotspur head coach will be in the stands for Villa's match against Leicester on Sunday and will hold a press conference on Monday.

Sherwood will be tasked with immediately lifting a squad who have failed to win in ten Premier League games, with relegation to the Championship a realistic fear.

The 46-year-old was the only candidate Villa chief executive Tom Fox spoke to, and negotiations have reached a happy conclusion.

Arsene Wenger claims every Premier League match is like a cup contest for Arsenal in their bid to secure a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League.

"Our basic is always to finish in the top four and then win a trophy on top of that," said Wenger, whose FA Cup success last term ended a nine-year trophy drought.

Kanye West's moment in the spotlight was stolen when baby North threw a wailing tantrum in Kim's lap before the runway show began.

The rapper-turned-designer perhaps intended to get it back when he shared his opinion as to what upset the 20-month-old tot and caused her to cry and flail her arms around.

After Beck won album of the year at the awards ceremony on Sunday, Kanye West claimed that he should have given his gong to Beyoncé and that doesn’t sit well with rapper, 50 Cent.

According to the ‘Window Shopper’ hitmaker, ‘Beck wrote and produced his own hits on Morning Phase while Beyonce needed plenty of help on her self-titled album. ‘[Beck] produced [his], wrote the record – there’s 11 producers on Beyoncé’s album,’ 50 Cent said and added: ‘Kanye being a producer and writer should see that.’

Following his return to Nigeria from the United States of America in the last quarter of 2014 and signing of a record deal as well as releasing a few singles, Nigerian singer, Olatunde Owoloye Olumoroti popularly known as Jahbless has splashed a fortune on two brand new whips.

The singer, who signed a multi-million naira deal with Jagged Edge Records led by Dr. Kunle Oladehin on his return to the country, has just acquired a 2014 Mercedes Benz G- Wagon valued at over $102,000 (over N20m) and a brand new 2010 Mercedes Benz ‘R Class’ valued at over $49,300 (over N9m).

Two days ago, Nigerian singer and self styled ‘Port Harcourt’s first son’ Duncan Mighty announced his intention to give away one of his cars to a lucky person as directed by Jesus.

The popular singer wrote: ‘JESUS I thank you for your blessings today my garage is full with machines. God I want to bless someone with one of them and I want you to put that person’s name in my heart before tomorrow evening in JESUS name amen.’

Two days later, it looks like the good Lord has put the name of the lucky person in his heart finally as Duncan Mighty has given out one of the cars in his garage, a Ford Focus to his loyal and humble domestic hand whose name he gave as Achinike Chukwu.

Call him a comic actor, and you may be right. Popular actor, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu, is one of the comic characters in the Nollywood industry. With a number of movies to his credit, the name, Mr. Ibu, stuck with him after going by the name in a movie he starred in.

Some Nollywood fans see the 53-year-old as too comical to give himself a good treat, but few days ago, he bought himself the 2014 edition of BMW X6, which costs about N15m in the auto market.

Arsene Wenger has said that the Premier League’s new TV deal, will see more top players moving to England.

The record-breaking deal, which was sold to Sky and BT Sport, is worth £5.136bn over three years. Players’ wages are expected to rise and Wenger admits that will lure the world’s best footballers.

“It’s an impressive number and it shows the popularity of the English game,” he said.

The United Nations has said that thousands of Nigerians who escaped attacks by Boko Haram are stuck on some of the countless little islands that dot Lake Chad and are in dire need of food, water, shelter and medical care.

The UN also said it is “planning for the arrival (in Chad) of as many as 30,000 Nigerian refugees over the coming months” amid uncertain hope that the crisis would not worsen.

“Unless these refugees can be located and moved to an established refugee camp at Baga-Sola, 70 kilometres from the Nigerian border, they are going to remain extremely vulnerable where they are,” head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Chad, Alice Armanni Sequi, was quoted in a report by UN’s news agency, Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN).

CREDITS: PUNCH

The Vice-Chancellor, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Prof. Charles Ayo, has hinted that the school may likely reduce its tuition fees in a bid to accommodate more students who will want to benefit from the quality education it offers.

Addressing a news conference on Friday over the school’s recent Webometrics ranking as the first in Nigeria and West Africa and the 15th in Africa, he said even though there is no actual date for the likely review yet, the initiative would make admission into the school more affordable and competitive.

The newly posted Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, Joseph Mbu, on Thursday declared that the elections in his zone will be “fire for fire” if politicians play any pranks.

The controversial police boss made the declaration at a meeting with police of the Ogun State Command at its Eleweran Headquarters, Abeokuta.

Mr. Mbu instructed his men to be battle-ready for the election and warned politicians to have a second thought over any planned criminal act.

He said if any of his men were shot, no less than twenty civilians would pay for it.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that at the time General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) joined the military, nobody in the Nigerian Army could have been admitted without a qualification equivalent to a school certificate.

Obasanjo was fielding questions during an event to promote his book ‘My Watch’ in London during the week, when he revealed that Buhari joined the military four years after him.

He said, “When I joined the Army in the 1950s, I needed to have a Cambridge certificate or West African School Certificate or GCE with a minimum of six subjects to be able to join the military at the time. I don’t know of anybody who was an officer at that time that did not have similar certificates.”

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL OUR LOYAL READERS ACROSS THE GLOBE.

WE LOVE Y'ALL!!!

Friday 13 February 2015

Chelsea striker Diego Costa defends Premier League referees

Chelsea striker Diego Costa has defended Premier League referees but insists he will not change his aggressive style of play.

The Brazilian-born Spain striker was suspended for three matches for treading on Liverpool’s Emre Can in the Capital One Cup semi-final.

Blues manager Jose Mourinho was incensed to lose his player to retrospective video evidence and insists his club are victims of a “campaign” by officials and the media. But Costa has leapt to the defence of match officials insisting they do a good job in difficult circumstances.

"I think the referees should think about how many times I am hit or kicked before I get angry about it,” he told The Guardian.

You think he'd be grinning from ear-to-ear throwing his star-studded New York Fashion Week show, which was attended by Hollywood heavyweights Beyonce, Jay Z, Rihanna and Anna Wintour.

Kanye West looked positively down in the dumps when he was snapped leaving his New York apartment. The rapper and fashion designer, dressed in a black hoody and black jeans, failed to raise even a hint of a smile yesterday.

A photograph of women breastfeeding their children was pulled from Facebook after the social networking site received a barrage of complaints from men.

Jade Beall, who has been photographing women for 15 years, says the website took down one of her group portraits showing seven mums breastfeeding their kids, because one nipple was visible.

She said: "This photo received a lot of traction quickly. I received many private messages (all from men) telling me I should remove the photo, though I'd posted the image with nipples and genital areas blurred (because I have had images removed before by Facebook where a woman's nipple was shown)."

Boko Haram fighters have carried out their first known lethal attack in Chad, the U.N. refugee agency said Friday, as the threat from the Nigeria-based Islamist militants spills over into neighboring nations.

The fighters killed four civilians and a soldier in the predawn attack on the fishing village of Ngouboua on the shores of Lake Chad, according to residents and Chadian security sources.

The attack came hours after 21 people were killed in two separate attacks on Akida ‎and Mbuta villages near the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, according to residents and a local community leader.

Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner has defended the club's transfer dealings during Paul Lambert's time as manager.

In a statement released through the League Managers' Association on Thursday Lambert revealed Lerner had told him the Villa job would be "the toughest challenge of my working life".

Samir Nasri says he has not been impressed by Chelsea this season and believes that Manchester City are the better side.

Chelsea may be seven points clear at the top with 13 games remaining but Nasri is convinced they could still be vulnerable.

The Frenchman said: "I'm a big fan of Mourinho, but I am not impressed with his team, not at all. We have played them twice, one time with 10 men, and we were better than them. Then we played them at the Bridge, we were better than them. When I have seen some of their games, I don't think they are that fantastic - they are just strong and have a good striker up front."

CREDITS: PUNCH

The Ogun State Police Command is presently searching for a bar manager, Mr. Bidemi Shittu, who allegedly poured petrol on his 13-year-old attendant, Ezekiel Emmanuel, and set him ablaze.

It was gathered that the manager took the action because the teenager reportedly stole N1,500 from him.

FIFA President, Sepp Blatter(L) and CAF President, Issa Hayatou(R)

The president of the Confederation of African Football Issa Hayatou is working round the clock to change a long-standing age-limit rule to allow him run again in the next polls.

The present rule does not permit anyone older than 70 to contest for the post, but Hayatou, whose current term expires in 2017 when he would be 70, wants another term.

Hayatou’s allies are taking inspiration from a similar change at the FIFA level, where there are now no age-restrictions in contesting the presidency.

Paul Lambert has issued a statement through the League Managers Association (LMA) revealing Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner reduced his players' budget despite setting him a target of staying in the Premier League.

Lambert was sacked by Aston Villa on Wednesday, a day after the 2-0 loss to Hull saw the club slip into the Premier League relegation zone for the first time this season.

"I am extremely proud to have managed Aston Villa, a founder member of the Football League, and this sentiment will always remain with me," Lambert's statement read.

A Lagos High Court on Thursday commenced hearing in the objection filed by the Founder, Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet T.B. Joshua, against the coroner’s inquest into the circumstances surrounding the collapse of the church’s six-storey guest house.

About 116 persons, mostly South Africans, died in the September 12, 2014 tragedy.

The Lagos State Government had inaugurated the coroner’s inquest to determine the cause of the victims’ death but Joshua had asked the court to conduct a judicial review of the coroner’s inquest since it began on October 13, last year.

The prophet, through his lawyer, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, specifically asked the court to determine whether the witness summons served on him to personally appear before the coroner was not a breach of his right to fair hearing.

A former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has said that some soldiers are ready to testify in support of the leaked audio file on how chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party connived with the military to rig the June 21, 2014 governorship election in Ekiti.

The audio file released by Sahara Reporters, an online medium, detailed how the then PDP candidate, now Governor Ayodele Fayose; former Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro; Senator Iyiola Omisore; Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Jelili Adesiyan and the military allegedly rigged the poll.

Fayemi, who spoke on a live programme, “APC Change Hour”, on an Akure, Ondo State-based Adaba 88.9 FM, monitored in Ado Ekiti on Thursday said the postponement of the 2015 general elections was not about security but about a secret plot to rig the polls.

Jose Mourinho has responded to a six-year-old Aston Villa fan's written request to manage his struggling side.

Young Villa fan Jude Branson took pen to paper to make the plea last week, before Paul Lambert was sacked following Tuesday's 2-0 defeat by Hull City, and the Chelsea manager has now replied by sending him an autograph.

Sadly for the youngster (and Aston Villa fans in general), the Special One's signature was written on a photograph of himself and not a contract to become the next manager at Villa Park.

PHOTO CREDIT: PUNCH

The All Progresives Congress (APC) has said the party’s leadership and members will not be intimidated by the latest antics of the Jonathan administration to harass and intimidate the opposition, especially in the run-up to next month’s general elections.

In a statement in Lagos, Thursday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the recent military siege on APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’ residence and the Imo State Government House and the police harassment of APC’s Presidential Campaign Spokesman, Garba Shehu fit perfectly into this emerging pattern.

“As the elections approach, we know the harassment and intimidation will be stepped up. We know our leaders, including the National Chairman Chief John Oyegun, National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Gov. Rotimi Amaechi, former Gov. Timipre Sylva, Senator Bukola Saraki and National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed, are under surveillance and their phones being hacked.”

Eden Hazard signs new Chelsea deal worth £200,000-per-week

Chelsea winger Eden Hazard has signed a new £200,000-per-week contract at Chelsea to keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2020. The deal is worth a huge £57million over the course of five-and-a-half years.

The 24-year-old has started every league game for this season and is the club’s second highest scorer, with 13 goals in all competitions.

"I am very happy to sign a new contract with Chelsea," Hazard said. "Since I came here in 2012 I have always felt good and the club has been very supportive to me."

"The manager has helped me improve a lot, the fans have been fantastic and I have an amazing understanding with my team-mates. I always try to give pleasure to the supporters with my style of play and it is nice to know they appreciate my work."

Manchester United defender Chris Smalling has labelled their victory over Burnley on Wednesday as their worst display of the season, adding that manager Louis van Gaal was ‘shocked’ by their first-half showing.

United were second best for the majority of the first half but led 2-1 at the break, with Robin van Persie extending the lead in the second period to keep van Gaal’s side third in the Premier League table.

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has defended Cristiano Ronaldo after he came in for criticism over the weekend.

The Portugal captain angered some Madrid fans by celebrating his 30th birthday on Saturday night, just hours after putting in a below-par display in the 4-0 derby defeat to Atletico Madrid.

But Ancelotti says there are few players who can match the level of the Ballon d'Or winner and hailed his influence in the dressing room.

Former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has gone to court to seek redress over a case of defamation of character by online newspapers, Sahara Reporters and Premium Times.

Also joined in the defamation suit are Punch Newspapers Ltd., Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore and General Editor at Premium Times, Festus Owete.

It would be recalled that the defendants had published an audio recording of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, allegedly in a conversation with other individuals ( Governor Ayo Fayose, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Police Affairs Minister Jelili Adesiyan, Brigade Commander Brig.-Gen. Aliyu Momoh, among others) to rig the Ekiti State gubernatorial election, an allegation Senator Obanikoro had since debunked.

Ghana manager Avram Grant has played down talk linking him with a return to the Premier League, saying he is happy with his current job.

The former Chelsea, Portsmouth and West Ham boss is fresh from leading Ghana to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations and has been linked with the vacant Aston Villa post following the sacking of Paul Lambert on Wednesday night.

“I feel lucky because, through football, I have been to so many places,” Grant told Sky Sports News HQ.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that contrary to reports, he has not yet endorsed any presidential candidate for the March 28 presidential elections.

It would be recalled that Obasanjo had said during an interview with the Financial Times at a book launch on Monday that he would support the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muhammadu Buhari. (Read here)

APC leaders commended Obaanjo for the said endorsement while leaders of his (Obasanjo’s) party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, such as a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro; Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose and the National Chairman of the party, Adamu Mu’Azu, condemned him (Obasanjo).

Bruce Jenner has put his alleged sex change on the backburner after he was involved in a fatal crash last weekend, according to reports.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star was reportedly set to sit down for a tell-all interview with Diane Sawyer as well as documenting his “journey” for a docu-series.

Now a source has claimed that Bruce has put everything on hold while he comes to term with the horrific accident.

Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic is at the centre of a violent conduct storm following Wednesday night's dramatic win over Everton.

In the aftermath of Gareth Barry's dismissal, the Serbian had James McCarthy in a headlock and appeared to attempt a headbutt in the midfielder's direction.

Post-match images seemingly showed Ivanovic biting the Everton midfielder, who picked up a booking while the Chelsea man escaped without a card.

Moments later, Willian struck a last-gasp winner to hand Chelsea all three points, with Ivanovic involved in the build-up, leaving Toffees boss Roberto Martinez furious that he was still on the pitch.

Like many teenagers, Hannah Kritzeck loves singing, ballet and dancing to hip-hop. But there's one thing that sets her apart from her peers, which is the fact that she's just 39 inches tall.

And now, Hannah, who's height is equivalent to 3.2ft, has told how she wants all the same things as her friends - including the man of her dreams.

The 19-year-old was born with primordial dwarfism, a rare condition that only affects about 100 people in the world, which causes short stature and health problems, including the threat of brain aneurysms and a shortened life-span.

Louis van Gaal fears he may be losing the support of some Manchester United fans despite seeing his side beat Burnley 3-1 on Wednesday evening.

"I heard the first whistles - that is a concern because we are playing for the fans,” he said. “The fans are the most important part of the club."

"They keep the club living and that is very important but they also applauded after the match and always in matches there is 90 minutes, not 45."

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), has welcomed the endorsement of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying it will convince more Nigerians to vote for him and his party.

Buhari said this on Wednesday night during an interview with CNN’s Chief International Correspondent, Christine Amanpour.

Obasanjo had on Tuesday in Nairobi, Kenya during an interview with the Financial Times of London at the launch of his controversial autobiography entitled, ‘My Watch,’ expressed support for Buhari. (Read it here)

Luis Suarez had the Barcelona fans chanting his name after he set up Lionel Messi to score the opening goal in a 3-1 victory Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg win against Villarreal on Wednesday.

Barca's 10th consecutive win in all competitions, their longest winning streak since the end of 2010, put them in a strong position to advance to the final after March's second leg at El Madrigal.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday cleared the air on alleged plans to prolong his tenure, saying if the result of the March 28 presidential election does not favour him, he will hand over to whoever that wins.

Jonathan, in a live media chat apparently organised to douse the tension generated by the postponement of the general elections, spoke among others, the alleged plot to sack the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, insurgency and corruption.

Jonathan told a panel of interviewers that he was not desperate to remain in power. He said such “insinuations and wrong information” were meant to discredit him by his political opponents.

Saturday 14 February 2015

Brown Ideye on the double as James Morrison and Saido Berahino send Baggies into FA Cup quarters, defeating West Ham 4-0.

Friday 13 February 2015

Thursday 12 February 2015