Mourinho never spoke to me at Chelsea – Moses

Victor Moses is enjoying life under Antonio Conte at Chelsea, having had a strained relationship with former manager Jose Mourinho.

The former Wigan Athletic winger moved to Stamford Bridge in 2012, but has failed to hold down a first-team place, going out on loan on three occasions.

However, he has earned Conte’s trust in the Italian’s first few months in London and is playing regular football, albeit as a wing-back.

“I’m delighted to be back,” Moses told ESPN FC. “I thought I did well in my first season here, but due to circumstances – a manager [Rafa Benitez] going, a manager [Mourinho] coming in – I wasn’t really given a chance.

“[Mourinho] never spoke to me. I thought in my head, ‘He’s got his own players already.’

“I think we chatted a couple of times on the phone – he asked if I was alright at Liverpool [where Moses was on loan], but that was it.

“The manager who is here now [Conte] is giving everyone a chance – even the young lads. I’m pleased that he’s here and I’ve just got to go out there and enjoy my football.

“As long as you work hard, the manager will see it and he’ll give you an opportunity.”

Moses and Chelsea will face Mourinho in the Premier League for the first time on Sunday, when they welcome his Manchester United side to Stamford Bridge.

Photo: Man reportedly collapsed after his salary was slashed from N18,000 to N5,000 in Kebbi State

According to a Facebook user, Na-Allah Mohammed Zagga, who posted the photo today, October 21, the man pictured from Warra, Kebbi, reportedly collapsed in reaction to the slashing of his salary from N18, 000 to five thousand Naira by the Ngaski Local Government Council of Kebbi State. He wrote:

Look at what our so-called democracy has done to him! The man in this picture was trying to pull himself together after he collapsed in reaction to the slashing of his salary from N18,000 to five thousand naira by the Ngaski Local Government Council of Kebbi State. The poor Nigerians are the guinea pigs of economic sacrifices brought on by the recession. Why are the so-called elected leaders not making substantial and significant sacrifices to reflect our economic realities?

Why must the burden of sacrifices be disproportionately borne by poor Nigerians? Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nassarawa State is locked in labour crisis after proposing severe salary cut from the current N18, 000. The NLC dismissed it as ridiculous, wondering how you can slash eighteen thousand minimum wage when a bag of rice sells for more than twenty thousand naira! This is a country where our so-called representatives are carting away millions monthly as salaries and allowances while millions of poor Nigerians are buffeted daily by hunger, poverty and starvation. The former President of Lagos Business School Professor Pat Utomi described Nigerian democracy as "the government of politicians, by politicians and for politicians." I can't agree more.

Medical: Nigerian surgeon removes baby from mother's womb, operates on her tumor & returns her back

LynLee Hope who suffered from a tumor know a 'sacrococcygeal teratoma'  underwent a crucial operation at 23 weeks and then returned to her mother's womb. She healed and continued to grow until she was born again at 36 weeks. This amazing feat was performed by a surgeon who is  Nigerian but  based in the U.S , Dr Oluyinka Olutoye, and his surgeon partner , Dr. Darrell Cass of Texas Children's Hospital
When Margaret Boemer went for a routine ultrasound 16 weeks into her pregnancy with her third child, she found out that things were far from routine.

"They saw something on the scan, and the doctor came in and told us that there was something seriously wrong with our baby and that she had a sacrococcygeal teratoma," the Plano, Texas, mom said in an interview shared by Texas Children's Hospital. "And it was very shocking and scary, because we didn't know what that long word meant or what diagnosis that would bring,"

Sacrococcygeal teratoma is a tumor that develops before birth and grows from a baby's coccyx, the tailbone.  Found more often in girls than boys, this tumor occurs in one out of every 35,000 births.

"This is the most common tumor we see in a newborn," said Dr. Darrell Cass, co-director of Texas Children's Fetal Center and associate professor of surgery, pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College Medicine. "Even though it's the most common we see, it's still pretty rare."

Booemer had been pregnant with twins, but lost one of the babies before her second trimester so it was a shock at 16 weeks to learn of her daughter's rare birth defect.

"Some of these tumors can be very well-tolerated, so the fetus has it and can get born with it and we can take it out after the baby's born," said Cass. "But about half of the time, they cause problems for the fetus and it's usually causing problems because of a blood flow problem." 

Cass explained that the tumor is trying to grow by sucking blood flow from the baby, yet the baby is also trying to grow, too "so it becomes a competition. And in some instances, the tumor wins and the heart just can't keep up and the heart goes into failure and the baby dies," he said.

With a large tumor stealing the blood supply, Boemer's fetus was becoming more ill each day, doctors explained to the expectant mother. Something had to be done.
Although other doctors had advised her to terminate the pregnancy, Cass and his team told her about another possibility: fetal surgery. This option, though, would not be an easy road. Even worse, her baby's chances of survival would be grim.

"LynLee didn't have much of a chance," Boemer said. "At 23 weeks, the tumor was shutting her heart down and causing her to go into cardiac failure, so it was a choice of allowing the tumor to take over her body or giving her a chance at life. It was an easy decision for us: We wanted to give her life.

She was 23 weeks and 5 days pregnant, when Cass and his partner surgeon, Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, performed the emergency fetal surgery. By this time, the tumor was nearly larger than the fetus. They operated for about five hours.

"The part on the fetus we do very, very quickly," said Cass. "It's only 20 minutes or so on the actual fetus." Most of the time is spent opening the uterus, which he described as "a big muscle lined with membranes. We don't want the mom's health to be jeopardized," said Cass, who explained they work carefully, both making the incision and sewing it up in order "to make that uterus be as sealed and as water tight as possible."

Still, Cass said, the tumor in this case was so large a huge incision was needed to get to it, "so it ended up that the baby was hanging out in the air... Essentially, the fetus is outside, like completely out, all the amniotic fluid falls out, it's actually fairly dramatic," said Cass.

During the surgery, LynLee's heart slowed down to an incredibly low rate.

"It basically stopped," said Cass. He credits the heart specialist, a key member of the team, for giving the right medication and transfusing the right amount of fluid, allowing the surgeons to continue their work. The surgical team removed the bulk of the tumor. When they finished their operation, the surgeons placed LynLee back inside the womb and sewed her mother's uterus shut. It's kind of a miracle you're able to open the uterus like that and seal it all back and the whole thing works," said Cass.

Boemer was on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. Despite her pain, she marshaled her strength and made it another 12 weeks to nearly 36 weeks -- full term -- when Lynlee Hope was born for the second time via C-section on June 6. She weighed 5 pounds and 5 ounces.

After she was born, LynLee faced one more ordeal: removing the bits of tumor that surgeons could not reach, which had begun to grow again.

"At eight days old, she had more surgery, and they were able to remove the rest of the tumor," explained Boemer. LynLee recovered in the NICU and weeks later, arrived in her family home. Baby Boemer is still an infant but is doing beautiful," said Cass, remarking that she is perfectly healthy. His one previous surgery of this kind was also a success. "I think she's about 7 now, and she sings karaoke to Taylor swift -- she's completely normal," said Cass. 

Source: CNN

Man beaten to death for urinating near church

A man in Southern Germany was beaten to death by four men after he publicly urinated near a church, police said on Thursday.

Police are searching for the four men who hurled insults and attacked the 51-year-old man recently after he was seen urinating close to a church in Freiburg, a city in Germany’s traditionally Catholic south.

According to police, the man told his son about the attack before succumbing to his injuries later that day.

However an autopsy confirmed that he died as a result of the attack.

Report says public urination on Church buildings has become an issue of public concern in Germany, corroding the buildings’ sandstone foundations and leading authorities to institute hefty fines.

USAID: 94,000 pregnant women HIV positive in Zamfara

No fewer than 94,141 pregnant women are said to be HIV/AIDS positive in Zamfara.

A United States Agency for International Aids (USAID) funded programme said this through Management Services for Health Organisation the USAID Prevention and Organisational Systems-AIDS Care and Treatment (PRO-ACT).

The team leader of the organisation, Mr Aminu Sarki, spoke at the end of a seven-year treatment and support rolling plan for those living with HIV in the state in Gusau on Thursday.

Sarki said more than 500 women living with HIV received anti-retroviral drugs in the state during the period.

He said 4,436 persons living with HIV in the state were cared for by his organisation.

He explained that the project was aimed at strengthening the capacity of the country’s public, private and community sectors for sustainable HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis prevention, control, care and treatment within the health system.

He said his organisation had succeeded in providing services at four comprehensive care and treatment sites as well as trained health personnel in 19 Management Sciences for Health (MSH) supported facilities in injection, safety and waste management.

He said as the project was winding up in the state by November, there was need for the state government to takeover and continue in order to eliminate HIV in the state.

While applauding the services rendered by the organisation in the state, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Abdullahi Shinkafi, assured that the state government would soon study and takeover in order to sustain the programme.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project was conducted in the five states of Niger, Kwara, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.

Highlight of the event was the presentation of certificates of appreciation to the programme participants.

Lingard: Confidence high for Chelsea clash

Manchester United winger Jesse Lingard says confidence is soaring as the Reds head into Sunday's clash at Chelsea on the back of a resounding 4-1 win over Turkish side Fenerbahce.

The 23-year-old netted United's fourth goal from distance in what proved to be a dominant home performance in the Europa League. Paul Pogba's brace, the first of which was a penalty, and Anthony Martial's spot-kick had earlier given the Reds a comfortable half-time lead in the Group A game.
"I think our confidence is very high now and we’ll now prepare for the next couple of days for the big game on Sunday," Lingard told MUTV.
"The home games are key because if we get the majority of points at home, we can take more confidence into the away games. We go to Fenerbahce in a couple of weeks so we will be preparing also for that."
Lingard was one of seven players brought into the starting line-up as Jose Mourinho understandably made alterations to the team which played out a physically-demanding 0-0 draw at Liverpool just three nights earlier. Jesse felt further changes, on the pitch during the game, helped to unsettle Fenerbahce.
"The front four players had the licence to go on and play and there was a lot of chopping and changing of positions which I think kept their defenders on their toes," said Lingard, who set up Pogba's glorious strike from open play before netting his own beauty after the break.
"Goals and assists are especially key for me this season and I was able to get one of each tonight so I need to kick on now."

Lingard netted six times for United last season, including February's Goal of the Month in the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge - the venue for Sunday's Premier League game. Naturally he's hoping the Reds can go one better this weekend and claim the win.
"I enjoyed it last time when I was there and it was nice to be on the scoresheet," said Lingard. "We drew though so hopefully we can get the win this time.
"We know it’s going to be a tough game against Chelsea but we are mentally prepared for that. We have the confidence now to go on and win every game."

Mourinho relaxed about Chelsea return

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has claimed he is undeterred by the prospect of returning to former club Chelsea in the Premier League this Sunday afternoon.

The 53-year-old is the most successful boss in Blues history following his two spells in charge at Stamford Bridge after winning three championship crowns, three League Cups and the FA Cup.

Mourinho’s second stint with Chelsea ended with his departure midway through the 2015/16 season following a disappointing start to the title defence, which led to him later being recruited by United in June and he will return for the first time as Reds boss this coming weekend.

Speaking at a press conference that was held after the Europa League win over Fenerbahce on Thursday night, Mourinho was asked to assess Chelsea’s form under new manager Antonio Conte and provide an assessment of what it will be like for him to return to his old employers.

“I don’t have to analyse their start to the season but, when you look at the table and you see where they are, in the middle positions, it cannot be bad,” the boss said. “I knew that working in England, staying in the Premier League, I would, sooner or later, have to play against Chelsea and I would have to go to Stamford Bridge. The computer has decided that I have to go now, so we go.”

Following his first departure from Chelsea in 2007, Mourinho returned to west London with new club Inter Milan and told the media he is “always lucky at the Bridge”. When asked how important that might be this time around, the United boss explained why his comment is no longer valid. 

“When I played there with Inter, before that, I had never lost a match at Stamford Bridge because I had that [unbeaten] home record,” he said. “Now, I lost already a few matches at the Bridge. Last season, I lost two or three matches so I cannot use the same words. Now, I lost there.”

1, 022 people have fake letters of appointment in Gombe – EFCC

No fewer than 1,022 people are in possession of fake letters of employment across the 11 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Gombe State.
Aminu Aliyu, Head of Operations, Gombe Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), made this known to newsmen in Gombe on Thursday.
Aliyu explained that the agency unraveled the scam during verification of appointments.
“The state government solicited our participation which we gladly obliged. Our officers discovered that 1, 022 people were issued fake letters of appointment across all the local government areas of Gombe state’’, he said.
The EFCC official said that each candidate involved paid between N120, 000 and N150, 000, depending on the ministry of choice. “This amounts to N13.162 million,” he said.
According to him, 16 people arrested in connection to the crime will soon be arraigned.
“Those arrested and interrogated will soon be prosecuted, while four business centres involved in production of fake documents had been sealed’’, he said.
Aliyu also said that EFCC recovered N968, 000 from a wonder bank operating without license in Gombe.
Meanwhile, the North-West zone EFCC has recovered at least N54, 535,651,183.74 and another $622,200.00 (N190.1m) within the last 10 months.

Drought, hunger add to South Sudan’s woes

A serious food crisis in the north of South Sudan is reaching critical levels, as a biting drought across much of east Africa serves up even more woes for the troubled country.
In Northern Bahr Al Gazal it is not the incessant cycles of violence wreaking havoc elsewhere in the country that concerns locals most, but the lack of rain and a deep economic crisis.
At a clinic run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the town of Aweil, Lucia Adeng holds her three-year-old son Wek Wol Wek, his breathing shallow and rapid and his skin paper thin around his emaciated arms.
“It’s not always a total lack of food, but there is definitely a shortage. Sometimes we have food at home, and sometimes we don’t,” she says.
Several children like him lie silent in their mothers’ arms, their eyes downcast, as they are poked and prodded by doctors. The clinic is currently recording about 60 cases of malnutrition a week, according to MSF.
Out in the fields, farmer Tong Deng looks miserably at his damaged sorghum crops and tiny yield from the lack of rains. For others, when the rains came, it was too much, with sudden massive downpours in August causing flooding which also ruined their crops.
– 40 percent going hungry –
“Our harvest has been low because during the planting period the hunger situation was very severe for us and we were not able to cultivate much land. We were hungry,” Deng.
“At the same time, what we cultivated suffered a dry spell which didn?t allow a good germination, and later the few crops were affected by the sorghum midge.”
At the local market, several stalls are closed and offerings are meagre.
The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that as many as 4.8 million people ? about 40 percent of the country?s population — were going hungry and that the situation would only get worse.
The Famine Early Warning System Network (Fews Net) last month said some households were already at the “catastrophic” famine level 5, meaning “starvation, death, and destitution are evident.”
Others were going several days without a meal, placing them in “emergency” level.
With roads from Sudan blocked to trade goods, and those to Uganda fraught with danger due to clashes between government and rebel forces, the inflation in prices of certain cereals is as much as 1,000 percent in some states, according to the National Statistics Bureau.
A depreciation of the South Sudanese pound has also hit hard.
The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) says that more than 70,000 people from the region have migrated to Sudan to escape the harsh conditions.
In other parts of the country, it is fighting between opposition forces loyal to former vice president Riek Machar and his rival President Salva Kiir that has displaced hundreds of thousands, severely impacting the cycle of planting and harvesting.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in July 2011. According to the reports of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), food insecurity has increased 500 percent since 2012.
The country descended into war over the political rivalry between Machar and Kiir in 2013, and a fragile peace deal signed in 2015 is in tatters, with fighting erupting again in July and a surge of violence in recent weeks.
The Pacific warming El Nino caused one of the worst droughts in decades in 2015 across eastern and southern Africa and the 2016 rainy season has been slow to start, meaning the crisis could drag on for several months.

Japan fashion told to forget Paris, focus on Tokyo

Tokyo may be the style capital of Asia, but with South Korea and China snapping at its heels and Japan’s most iconic brands rooted in Europe, the city is being urged to haul its fashion week into the big leagues.

Tokyo Fashion Week kicked off its spring/summer 2017 season showcase on Monday with six days of events intended to promote 50 brands, a mixture of the established and the new.

Yet Japanese labels that are household names in the West — led by Kenzo, Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake and Comme des Garcons — eschew home shores for the bright lights, prestige and visibility of Paris.

Tokyo Fashion Week attracts only 50,000 visitors — just a quarter of the total number that attend New York’s two annual fashion weeks, and also lagging behind London, Paris and Milan.

Held after the fashion merry ground exhausts the “big four”, few make the extra trip to Tokyo, and not many in Japan believe they are missing out.

According to a poll from local website Fashionsnap.com, only 20 percent of the Japanese fashion industry, including designers, stylists and editors, consider Tokyo’s events to be of interest.

The calendar, the no-show by the biggest brands, reluctance to open their doors to the wider public and sluggishness to embrace see-now, buy-now were all listed as shortcomings by the 221 people surveyed.

– ‘Focus on your own’ –

The award-winning, Milan-based Turkish designer Umit Benan, wants to change all that.

“Everyone needs to get together to make the Japanese fashion week much better,” the menswear designer told reporters after making his Tokyo debut, having announced he would ditch Paris fashion week

He called Japan’s menswear the “most sophisticated you’ll see in the streets” and said Tokyo was packed with the world’s most creative buyers and designers, along with some of the most sophisticated consumers around.

“I think you really need to focus on your own fashion week, trying to create new waves in Japan fashion,” he said, joking that he loves Japan so much, he visited 40 times in the last five years.

He called Japanese fabric second only to Italy’s. But unlike in Italy, where high fashion is governed by precision, he said the Japanese were willing to take risks, such as mix nylon with cashmere.

“The Italians don’t have the balls to mix nylon into a 200 euro fabric,” he said. “In Japan they’re very flexible and very creative, spontaneous… when you touch it you’re like my God what is this?”

While Tokyo has long been a springboard for up-and-coming designers, neighbouring Seoul, with its vibrant street style, and Shanghai, as the commercial capital of China, are attracting increased interest.

“To me, Tokyo is the Asian fashion centre with long fashion-forward history,” said Hong Kong designer Vickie Au who brought her “Urban Chill” collection to Tokyo after showing in New York.

The street look, minimal style and clean lines of her House of V label, this season inspired by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry is well suited to Japanese taste.

– ‘Beauty of the craft’ –

While she has boutiques in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, and online, she is looking to break into the Japanese and US markets.

Au cited Yamamoto, the famed Japanese designer based in Paris, as an inspiration, praising him as a master of “modern and avant-garde tailoring”.

Christelle Kocher, creative director of up-and-coming French label Koche, also said she had learnt from Yamamoto and that it had been special to be the only French brand participating in Tokyo this season.

“Japanese culture is really refined and I think may be more than other places, they understand the beauty of the craft and the beauty of the time to make beautiful things,” she said.

US retailing giant Amazon is sponsoring Tokyo Fashion Week for the first time, and among the fashion set in Japan there are hopes that it can help rebrand the event into something brighter and larger.

The company is already the largest clothing retailer in the United States and fashion vice president for Amazon Japan, James Peters, signalled that he is determined to replicate that success in Japan.

While Tokyo still follows a six-month delay between catwalk and store, he said Amazon would be happy to help Japanese designers facilitate see-now, buy-now collections increasingly at the fore in New York.

“I think if that’s what the designers want to do, we’re ready to do it,” he told AFP at the week’s launch party.

Kaduna to establish emergency medical services

The Kaduna State Government says it will establish the state’s emergency medical services to improve access to healthcare in the state in 2017.

According the 2017 budget sent to the Kaduna State House of Assembly, the project will gulp N62.9 million.

Of the amount, N2 billion would also be spent on construction of a 300-bed specialist hospital.

A further breakdown of the budget obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from the state’s Ministry of Budget and planning indicated that the health sector had an allocation of N10.3 billion for capital projects as against N6.6 billion in 2016.

The document said that about N1.4 m would be spent on upgrading and equipping of General hospitals across the state, while N23.8 million would be set aside for landscaping of major hospitals.

It also indicated that N69.2 million would be set aside for malaria control programme and N20 million for Tuberculosis and leprosy control, while Onchocerciasis was allocated N10.5 million.

The budget proposal also indicated that the state’s Primary Healthcare Agency would get N4.2 billion for capital projects out of which N2.9 billion would be spent on renovation and upgrade of 255 health faculties to primary health care centres.

About N186.9 million was allocated to Shehu Idris College of Health Science and Technology, Makarfi, N179.6 million to Kaduna State College of Nursing and Midwifery, Kafanchan and N118 million to Kaduna State College of Midwifery, Kaduna.

The Drug Medical Supplies Management Agency was also projected to receive N1 billion out of which N100 million would be spent on procurement of family planning and reproductive health commodities and consumables.

It also said that “N130 million will also be spent on procurement of therapeutic food and drugs for management of acute malnutrition.

The budget also indicated that N409 million had been allocated to the Kaduna State Aids Control Agency (KADSACA), out of which N90 million would be spent on counselling and testing of 500, 000 persons.

“The ARV programme will gulp N233.4 million, HIV care and support activities, N30 million to condom programme, N50 million and N4 million to scale up adolescent and youths population intervention in 21 LGAs,” it said.

The Government budgeted to spend N215.9 billion in the 2017 fiscal year, out of which N130.3 billion had been earmarked for capital and N85.5 billion for recurrent expenditures.

I’ll do more for African-Americans than Clinton – Trump

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Thursday promised to do more for the African-Americans than his rival Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton could do in her lifetime.

Trump, at the third and final presidential debate with Clinton broadcast live early Thursday, claimed that Clinton and President Barack Obama had not made much impact on them.

“Our inner cities are a disaster. You get shot walking to the store. They have no education. They have no jobs. I will do more for African-Americans and Latinos than she can ever do in 10 lifetimes.”TrumpTrumpTrump

“All she has done is talk to the African-Americans and to the Latinos. After they get your votes and then they come to say we’ll see you in four years.

Trump, however, stressed that his administration would not take care of illegal immigrants or their debts.

He cautioned against voting for Clinton, saying a vote for her is a vote for the continuation of Obama’s administration.

He claimed that America “have been depleted militarily" adding, “our policemen and women are disrespected; we need law and order but we need justice too”.

“We’re going to make America strong again. We’ll make America great again, and it has to start now.

“We cannot take four more years of Barack Obama and that is what you get when you get her,” he said.

In her remarks at the debate, Clinton pledged to reach out to all Americans irrespective of their affiliations.

“I would like to say to everyone watching that I’m reaching out to all Americans, Democrats, Republicans and independents because we need everyone to help make our country what it should be.

“I know that we have the awesome responsibility of protecting our country and incredible opportunity of working to try to make life better for all of you,” she said.

According to her, she has made the cause of children and families the centre of mission of her life’s work adding, “that’s what my mission will be in the presidency”.

“I will stand up for families against powerful interests, against corporations, I will do everything I can to make sure you have good jobs with rising income,” she said.

The Democratic candidate also pledged to ensure that America children had better education.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Trump had during the debate, pledged to cut taxes and focus on growing the economy.

Clinton, however, disagreed with Trump, saying that “we need to put more money in social security trust fund”.

“We will make sure we have sufficient resources and that will mean raising the cap… I want to raise health benefits for women.

“If Trump repeals the America healthcare, healthcare will get worse…,” she said.

NAN reports that 52 per cent of American voters remain unchanged in their position that suggest that Clinton was ahead of Trump by nine per cent before the final debate, according to Reuters’s poll.

Nigeria moves four spots up to 60th in FIFA Rankings

Nigeria are now 60th in the world ratings after climbing four spots up, according to the latest FIFA rankings released today.
Nigeria are also 11th in Africa, just a place outside the top 10.
The rise followed two straight wins over Tanzania and Zambia under new coach Gernot Rohr.
The Super Eagles pipped Tanzania 1-0 in a final AFCON 2017 qualifier in Uyo, before they upstaged hosts Zambia 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier earlier this month.
Nigeria’s World Cup rivals Algeria, who they welcome to Uyo next month, stay put in 35th position in the world, but slip to third in Africa behind Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal.
Cameroon remain 59th in the world, while Zambia drop two spots to 94th.

Gianluigi Buffon wants to coach Italy

Juventus goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon could become a future coach of Italy after revealing he would be tempted by a national team coaching role once he retires.

At 38 years old, 2006 World Cup winner is still going strong for both club and country at the tail end of what has been a hugely successful career.

But the emergence of AC Milan’s talented teenage shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who made his Italy debut in a friendly defeat to France last month, has increased speculation surrounding Buffon and when he will retire.

The Italian ‘Superman’ — as Buffon is often portrayed — comes face to face with 17-year-old Donnarumma when Milan host the league champions at the San Siro on Saturday.

But Buffon, who recently became a father for the third time, said the cut and thrust of life as a club coach does not appeal.

“A coaching role and all that it entails on a daily basis wouldn’t appeal to me,” Buffon said in an interview with Corriere della Sera.

“But I wouldn’t exclude a national team coaching role: I would still be involved in the game but have some freedom to dedicate myself to other things.”

Having won almost all of club and international football’s goalkeeping awards and played a crucial role in Italy’s 2006 World Cup triumph, the only trophy missing from Buffon’s cabinet is the Champions League title.

Less than a year after defeat to Barcelona in the 2015 final, Juve boosted their squad with the arrivals of Dani Alves, Miralem Pjanic and Gonzalo Higuain over the summer to emerge among the early season favourites.

Juventus sit top of Group H, level on points with Sevilla, and are expected to sail through to the knockout phase

But Buffon, who saved a penalty as 10-man Juve secured a precious 1-0 Champions League win at Lyon in midweek, said the Turin giants need to improve if they are to challenge more fancied sides like Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

“If you ask me, we have to improve. If we’re to have ambitions in Europe, what we’re doing on the pitch right now isn’t enough,” he added.

“I believe in meritocracy, so if I deserve to win (the Champions League) I will. Otherwise, I won’t.”

AFP

How I made $15m – Patience Jonathan

 

Wife of former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience Jonathan, has explained in details how she accumulated in 15 years  $15million in several bank accounts linked to her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The explanation was given in court papers  filed by a group that has sued  Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP)  on her behalf.

SERAP had filed a suit in court to compel the attorney-general of the Federation to take a legal action against Mrs. Jonathan.

Union of Niger Delta Youth Organisation for Equity, Justice and Good Governance suing for themselves and on behalf of Mrs Dame Patience Jonathan filed a suit number FHC/L/CS/1349/2016 before a Federal High Court in Lagos,  alleging  “campaign of calumny  by SERAP against her.

The funds in question were legitimate gifts from her friends and well-wishers over the last 15 years which she had been saving in order to utilise to upgrade family businesses and concerns which had been somewhat dormant by reason of the long period of her husband service as a public officer in Nigeria.”
“The gifts were given in small contributions by several persons some of whom she cannot even now recall over this period of 15 years sometimes in as small a gift as N250,000. In order to preserve the value of these funds which she did not require for any purpose at the time she changed them into foreign exchange and kept them as cash for a long period in her home safe in Port Harcourt and Abuja.”

“It was when the family home in Otuoke was burnt down by hoodlums under the instigation of political adversaries in 2010 that she began to think about banking these gifts which had now grown to large sums in United States Dollars. In 2010 she therefore summoned one of her husband’s domestic aides, Waripamo-Owei Emmanuel Dudafa to assist her in opening bank accounts into which the funds could be deposited.”

“Unknown to her the said Dudafa in a bid to be discreet about the owner of the funds decided to bank the funds in the names of companies owned by him. When she discovered this she was constrained to continue with the names of the companies when she was advised that it did not make any difference as to the ownership of the funds since the director of the company would appoint her as sole signatory to the accounts in question.”
“When in 2016 Dudafa was arrested and detained she had no fear for the funds as she realised that the funds could not be attributable to him once it was discovered that she was the sole signatory to the said accounts. It was therefore a rude shock to her when she discovered that a no transaction order had been placed on the accounts by the EFCC in the belief that the funds belonged to Dudafa.”

“She instructed her solicitors to further write to the EFCC to inform them that the funds belong to her and that they formed a part of her legitimate earnings over the last 15 years. It was this letter that was leaked by the EFCC to the media that became sensationalised and led to the plaintiff’s vilification and attack by ignorant persons who had no information about the matter.”
“SERAP is playing to the public gallery in order to gain the notoriety it has achieved over the past years. SERAP has done this mostly by intervening in high profile issues without regard to the rights of persons it claims to protect. SERAP jumped into the fray of ignorant accusations being made against Mrs Dame Patience Jonathan in the public media and has begun a campaign of calumny against her using online, print and electronic media to publish to the public unfounded and malicious allegations that she stole the funds in question and ought to be prosecuted.”

The suit accuses SERAP  of  using online, print and electronic media to publish to the public unfounded and malicious allegations that she stole $15m (US) and ought to be prosecuted.

SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni said the organisation received Patience Jonathan’s  court papers dated 6th October 2016 from a bailiff on Tuesday.

Mumuni said,

“SERAP categorically rejects these misleading and entirely unfounded accusations against us by Mrs Patience Jonathan and her group, and we will vigorously oppose the suit in court. SERAP will never, in the discharge of its mandates, succumb to any intimidation, harassment and attacks in any way, shape or form. We are now consulting with our lawyers and will be preparing shortly our defence in court.”
“At no time did SERAP suggest or even hint that Mrs Jonathan was guilty of the allegations against her. On the contrary, what SERAP has said is that the fact that the $15m found in the four accounts belong to Mrs Jonathan raises serious suspicion or at the very least a prima-facie case of unexplained wealth/illicit enrichment, and imposes an obligation on Mrs Jonathan to explain and justify the source(s) of the $15m.”

The Nigerian Tribune

School principal on trial for misappropriating N600,000

The police on Thursday arraigned, Samuel Patrick, a school principal, in a Wuse Zone 2 Chief Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, for defrauding the school of N600,000.

Patrick, the principal of Lukas International School, Jikwoyi , Abuja, is facing a two-count of misappropriation and cheating.

The Prosecutor, John Simon, told the court that Yunusa Joseph of Nyanya, Abuja, reported the matter at Criminal Intelligence Department, Abuja on Oct. 10.

Simon said that the defendant dishonestly misappropriated N600,000 part of school fees for some students in the school between 2015 and 2016.

He said that the defendant directed some parents to pay the school fees to his personal account instead of the normal procedures of paying into the school account.

Simon added that the defendant diverted the money for his personal use.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened sections 308 and 322 of the Penal Code.

Patrick pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Senior Magistrate, Teribo Jim, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N100,000 with a reasonable surety in like sum.

Jim also ordered that the surety must have fixed address within the jurisdiction of the court, and adjourned the matter till Nov. 9 for hearing.

NAN

Five year-old girl draws out how she was raped by priest

A mother and father in Brazil have discovered heart-breaking sketches drawn by their 5-year-old girl showing how she was allegedly sexually abused by a priest.

DailymailUK reports that the parents had taken her to a child psychologist after she became withdrawn and refused to attend any more of her English classes taken by 54-year-old Father Joao da Silva. It was the psychologist that suspected sexual abuse and urged her parents to search their child’s room for any signs.

The girl’s parents found the sketches after their daughter suddenly refused to attend any more of da Silva’s English classes.

To their utmost shock, they found six heartbreaking drawings by their daughter detailing the sexual abuse, hidden in one of her books. One drawing shows a man apparently looming over a child who has a look of abject terror on her face. Another harrowing image apparently shows a girl lying on a bed with a man forcing himself between her legs. Underneath him the picture appears to show the girl screaming in either fear or agony.

Father Joao da Silva is said to have admitted the attack after the child’s furious father confronted him in the city of Montes Claros, in Minas Gerais in Brazil. When the father confronted the priest in a phone call, he told police, the cleric confessed to him.

 

 

A mother and father in Brazil discovered heart-breaking sketches drawn by their five-year-old girl showing how she was allegedly sexually abused by a priest.

Karine Maia, from the Delegation for Stopping Crimes Against Women pressure group, told local media: ‘We found six drawings among the child’s belongings.’

Police say the priest is in custody being interviewed over child abuse allegations.

Osinbajo, Odigie-Oyegun, others arrive Edo for Oba ’ s coronation

 

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has arrived Benin, the Edo State capital, for the grand coronation ceremony of the new Oba of Benin Kingdom.

The crown prince of Benin Kingdom, His Royal Highness, Eheneden Erediauwa, would formally receive his staff of office from Governor Adams Oshiomhole as the 39th Oba.

Prof. Osinbajo arrived at the Benin airport at about 10:46am, under tight security.

He was accompanied by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and other members of the presidential entourage.

The Vice President was received by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; governor Oshiomhole, the governor-elect, Godwin Obaseki; the Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire; and the senator representing Edo North, Francis Alimikhena.

Other dignitaries who have arrived for the ceremony are  the Governor of Gombe, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo; his Imo State counterpart, represented by the Deputy Governor, Eze Madumere; the Edo State Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, and the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote.

Although the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, were not sighted at the airport, it was learnt that they had arrived earlier with their entourage.

It was also gathered that the crown prince had yet to leave the Usama palace for Urho-Okpota as of the time of filing the report.

47 airlines have folded up in Nigeria —Operators

Airline operators on Wednesday blamed the dwindling fortunes of some airlines in the country on the harsh operating environment.

They told the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation that 47 airlines had folded up in the last 30 years owing to the unfavourable operating environment.

The Secretary General, Airline Operators of Nigeria, Capt. Mohammed Joji, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, attributed the development to “policy formulation, policy deviation and policy contradictions on the part of the executive arm of government.”

The committee, which is chaired by Mrs. Nkiruka Onyejeocha, held a public hearing at the National Assembly on the need to rescue the airlines from imminent collapse.

“Forty-seven airlines have gone under due to policy somersault and high operating costs,” Joji said.

He stated that the Federal Government tried to address the situation in 2006 through the Presidential Task Force set up by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

However, he noted that there had been no remarkable change in the way government agencies in the aviation sector churned out policies because the report of the task force was not implemented.

Joji said, “These include high operation costs, leading to unstable operating environment such as the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency charging dollars for domestic operators flying within the Nigerian airspace.

“It was for that reason the Presidential Task Force set up by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo submitted its report in March 2006. The published white paper approved among other things the following: government accepted the recommendation to grant zero tariff and Value Added Tax on aircraft, aircraft spare parts and ground equipment.

“Government also approved the removal of the five per cent VAT on ticket sales and cargo charges. The task force also noted that VAT is never charged on transportation in any part of the world because transportation is a basic service, which drives the economy. The task force’s recommendation can be collaborated by the VAT Decree No. 102 of 1993.”

The operators also complained that foreign airlines were enjoying certain incentives that were denied local carriers.

One of such is the approval of multiple destinations to foreign airlines, which they said had adversely affected their own operations.

Joji explained, “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority policy of levying operators flying on scheduled flights out of Nigeria is a punitive measure devoid of any economic sense to the airlines.

“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria charges the most expensive land rate in the world at N60,000 per square metre. That is more expensive than choice land in Victoria Island, Lagos, and Asokoro in Abuja.”

The Managing Director, Medview Airline, Mr. Olanrewaju Lukman, told the committee that Joji’s presentation adequately captured the feelings of the operators.

He said while the government’s plan to concede four major airports to private operators might sound appealing, it could be distorted if the process was not made transparent.

“If anything meaningful must be achieved in the proposed plan to rescue the aviation sector, then transparency must be the watchword,” he argued.

Guardiola won’t sacrifice style despite Barca blunders

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola was defiant he will not change his ways despite a harrowing night for goalkeeper Claudio Bravo on his return to Barcelona as a Lionel Messi hat-trick inspired a 4-0 Barca win on Wednesday.

Bravo was sent-off with City trailing just 1-0 for saving Luis Suarez’s effort when outside his area after gifting the ball to the Uruguayan striker, putting Guardiola’s decision to jettison England number one Joe Hart under more scrutiny.

“Until the last day I am a coach I will try to play from the goalkeeper,” said Guardiola.

“Of course you cannot play all the time, but it was a mistake and it sometimes happens.”

Bravo enjoyed two almost faultless years at Barca before joining City in August, but has endured a shaky start under Guardiola’s firm instructions to build City’s attack from the back.

“He (Bravo) has a lot of experience, he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world for the last 10 years, but he will learn and is the first one in the dressing room to apologise.”

Bravo’s gaffe was just one of many City defensive howlers on the night as Messi took advantage of Fernandinho’s slip to give Barca an early lead.

Messi curled home a second before Ilkay Gundogan’s misplaced pass played in Suarez, who squared for Messi to complete his hat-trick.

The scoreline could have been even more embarrassing for City had substitute goalkeeper Willy Caballero not saved a penalty from Neymar before the Brazilian made amends with a brilliant fourth.

“It is always difficult to play in Barcelona with 11 players and with 10 the game was over,” added Guardiola.

“We created enough chances, we arrive at the byline many times, but with their strikers when they arrive they punish you.”

Guardiola won his first 10 games in charge, but City have now failed to win any of their last four matches and the Catalan lamented the series of error-strewn performances affecting his side.

A 3-3 draw at Celtic was followed by a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur before City missed two penalties in a 1-1 draw with Everton on Saturday.

“Starting in Glasgow, own goals in White Hart Lane (against Tottenham), missing penalties, we give a lot for the opponents,” he added.

Guardiola, who won 14 trophies in four years in charge of Barca, has now lost on both occasions he has returned to the Camp Nou after losing 3-0 in 2015 when with Bayern Munich.

However, Guardiola’s former teammate and Barca boss Luis Enrique agreed Bravo’s dismissal changed the game.

“The sending-off was decisive and conditioned the game a lot,” said Enrique.

“Teams that try to play from the back know those errors can happen and you have to accept it. In the long-run it is more beneficial.”

Messi has now scored two hat-tricks in as many games in this season’s Champions League as the Argentine showed no signs of rust on his first start for a month after a groin injury.

“We have seen the calm that Messi has to finish inside the area as if he was in the school yard,” added Enrique.

“If there is anything you can expect of Messi it is that. It doesn’t matter how many days he has been out or the games he has missed.”

AFP