APC wins Imo rerun election

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr Ben Uwajumogu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of Imo North Senatorial District rerun election held on July 28.

Uwajumogu scored 56,076 votes to defeat Mr Athan Achonu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 43, 815 votes.

Prof. Arinze Agbogu, the INEC Returning Officer for Imo North Senatorial District, who announced the result in the early hours of Friday, said the outcome was a summation of scores of July 23 and that of July 28 exercise.

Uwajumogu, had scored 48,921 on July 23, while Achonu, of the PDP, scored 40, 142 votes which made INEC to declare the rerun inconclusive.

Agbogu said that available data before him showed that Uwajumogu had majority of lawful votes cast, and therefore returned elected for the Imo North Senatorial District.

Similarly, INEC declared Mr Nkenna Nzeruo of the APC winner of Oru East State Constituency, while Mr Collins Chiji also of APC was declared winner for Isiala Mbano State Constituency.

The two state constituencies’ elections were equally declared inconclusive due to reported cases of violence that marred the exercise in some communities in the two areas on July 23.

Uwajumogu told journalists in Owerri that he was highly elated over the victory, adding “my gratitude goes more to Gov. Rochas Okorocha whose structure helped me to win this senatorial election’’.

James Bond’s home to be sold for $423m

The owner of Britain’s Pinewood Studios, home of the world’s most famous fictional special agent, James Bond, is set to be sold to a real estate fund for 323 million pound ($423 million).
Synonymous for many Britons with the heyday of British cinema, Pinewood’s first four studios were built in the 1930s at its site west of London.
And the company has since grown with facilities in the US, Canada, Malaysia and the Dominican Republic.
The 007 stage at Pinewood, one of the largest in Europe, was first built for the 1976 Bond movie: “The Spy Who Loved Me.”
It has been used by numerous films since, including: “The Da Vinci Code” and “Lara Croft Tomb Raider.”
Pinewood Group, which said in February it was seeking a takeover to boost shareholder value and help it grow, said on Thursday it would recommend shareholders accept the offer from PW Real Estate Fund.
Pinewood shareholders will receive 560 pence in cash for each share plus a final dividend of 3.2 per share.
Its shares were down 5 per cent at 552p by 0928 GMT.
As a result of a failed takeover attempt in 2011, Pinewood’s biggest shareholder, Peel Group, owns 39 per cent and Warren James Holdings has 26 per cent, Reuters data showed.
Pinewood said both had accepted the offer.
As well as its 20 stages at Pinewood, the group also boasts underwater filming facilities, television and film post-production and editing and recording services for the computer games industry.
To many older Britons, Pinewood achieved fame in the 1950s and 1960s for being home to the long-running “Carry On” comedy films and Norman Wisdom comedies.
Investment bank Rothschild advised Pinewood on the deal.

The #SaveMayowa Saga

Mayowa

The Lagos branch of the Nigerian Police Force have lent their voice to the #SaveMayowa saga that has been raging since yesterday.
It was alleged by Nollywood actress Toyin Aimakhu and some online news outlets that the campaign was a scam and that while Mayowa is indeed sick with Ovarian cancer, she has been told nothing can be done and advised to go home.

It was alleged that the family had knowledge of this but collected money anyway. The family have denied this claim stating that there are indeed plans to fly Mayowa out for treatment.
The Lagos University Teaching Hospital have spoken out stating that they are unaware of any scam but will investigate.
Now the police have stated that they will definitely look into it with the Public relations officer of the Force Dolapo Badmus releasing a statement.
It said, “The Lagos State commissioner of police Cp Fatai Owoseni has directed full scale investigation into the report that the *Save Mayowa Campaign* is a fraud.
“Founder of Lifestake foundation Ms Aramide Kasumu and two members of the ailing Mayowa  Shukura Ahmed’s family, Mr Iwaloye Seun and Mrs Zaneen Ahmed were earlier today invited to the command’s headquarters on a fact finding mission, subsequently the command have placed a red alert on the access bank account opened in the name of Mayowa as it has been frozen while effort is ongoing to contact the managers of “Gofundme” online account so as to ensure funds raised through that platform is not fraudulently diverted. Investigation will be extended to LUTH hospital Idi-Araba where the patient is currently  undergoing treatment.
The command wishes to inform all the good spirited people who had donated generously to this course that it will ensure it does not return as a hoax and every outcome of the investigation shall be made open.
Our heart is with Mayowa at this critical period of her life and pray she finds healing.”

Don Jazzy Congratulates Tiwa Savage

Don Jazzy has taken to social media to sincerely congratulate Mavin singer, Tiwa Savage, on her deal with Jay-Z’s label Roc Nation.

Don Jazzy posted a photo of himself and Tiwa Savage in the office she signed her deal and captioned the post, “Lol see as i nearly sit down for ground. I no want make that illuminati ram head for the wall catch me. Congrats to the First Lady of Mavin on the Rocnation management deal once again@tiwasavage. More success coming our way in GOD’s name. Amen. ”

Nigeria loses average of N127bn to cybercrime annually

The cost to the national economy by activities of cyber criminals has been estimated at N127 billion annually, according to Information Security Society of Africa-Nigeria (ISSAN).
The technology security group, which evaluated cyberspace security trend in the first half of 2016 at its July meeting in Lagos, said that the past six months have seen “strong positioning and metastasis of the ransomware and DDoS attacks globally”.
The society noted that cyber criminals successfully carried out high-profile cyber attacks worldwide in the first half of 2016.
David Isiakwve, President of ISSAN, says Nigeria is not excluded in these blocks of attacks happening on the Internet, adding that Nigerian fraud incidents trended up in the past six months.
According to him, 88 percent of the total cybercrimes in Nigeria comes from card and mobile banking frauds, with fraudulent transfers accounting for eight percent while internal fraud stands at four percent. He said Nigeria actually loses up to N127 billion in a year from cybercrimes.
Isiakvwe lists a number of notable cyber attacks that happened around the world during the first half of this year including massive password attack, which affected Central Bank of Bangladesh; massive phishing attacks and also cites attacks on the payroll department of Snapchat; and hack of social media outfits following attacks on CEOs of Facebook and Google.
Other cyber attacks identified as growing rapidly, according to ISSAN, are identity theft, ATM/card fraud, in-branch POS deposits, BVN related frauds/change of identity, and fraudulent transfer withdrawals.
The list also include business email compromise (BEC), social engineering attacks, DDoS attack kits sold for as little as $5 and malicious Pokemon Go app (Mobile Game), installing a backdoor on Android devices utilising RAT called DroidJack or Sandro RAT that gives the attacker full control of the victim’s device.
On how to combat this evolving threats, Isiakvwe recommends the following: know where your critical data are, take preventive measures to ward off attacks, detect every attack that successfully passes through, respond effectively to contain the attack, recover all, and restore your operations on time.
Incidentally, the rise in cybercrimes may be traced to the growing Internet subscription in the country. Latest data released by NCC shows that Internet subscription increased by five percent to 92 million in May 2016. This is a density of 50 percent as against the African average of 16 percent.
In a related development, Abdul-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications, has said that the global cybercrime threats to national security has widened government horizon in its attempt to protect the nation’s cyberspace.
Delivering a keynote address at the NGSecure Infosecurity Conference in Lagos recently, the minister said in view of the critical nature of the economy and government activities, it is obvious that protection from different types of cyber and terrorist attacks is required.
Shittu said cyberspace is being exploited to aid radicalisation and violent extremism and that government has realised that those tasked with the responsibility to protect our cyberspace – information security and cybersecurity – can no longer function within the framework of the past.
To address emerging cyber threats, he said, “The government has setup computer emergency response teams through the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and NITDA.
“Additionally, to further improve the nation’s preparedness to secure cyberspace, the Cybercrime Advisory Council has also been inaugurated. The council is expected to facilitate the implementation of the Cybercrime Act, 2015, and as well as the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy”.
The minister said government’s proactive measure is necessary because Nigeria’s growing dependence on digital infrastructure poses grave threats to national security. Quoting ISSAN, he said the country loses about N127 billion which is 0.08 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP), yearly to cybercrime.
He identified software piracy, identity theft, electronic fraud, online spam, intellectual property theft and malware attacks as capable of having devastating and far reaching consequences on the economy.

Eary this morning, Indonesia Executed three Nigerians

 

Indonesia executed four convicted drug traffickers, three of them Nigerians, in the early hours of Friday, leaving the fate of 10 others uncertain.
The Africans and an Indonesian man were shot by firing squad during a thunderstorm shortly after midnight on Nusakambangan Island in Central Java, as the government ignored international calls for clemency and pushed ahead with what it considers a war on drugs.
The attorney general said on Wednesday that 14 prisoners, including citizens of India, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe, would be executed this weekend.
An official said on Friday the planned executions would go ahead “in stages” but declined to give a timeframe.
Security was stepped up at the Indonesian embassy in Nigerian capital Abuja on Thursday as protesters gathered to urge Indonesia to halt the executions. Indian and Pakistani officials said they were making last-minute efforts to save their citizens.
“We considered several factors and decided that for now four death row inmates would be executed,” Noor Rachmad, an official at the attorney general’s office, told reporters shortly after Friday’s executions.
Just over a year ago, Indonesia executed 14 prisoners, mostly foreign drugs offenders, causing diplomatic outrage.
Rights activists and governments have again called on Indonesia to abolish the death penalty.
But that has gone unheeded by the government of President Joko Widodo, who has said drugs pose as serious a threat as terrorism in what is one of Southeast Asia’s biggest markets for narcotics.
The death penalty is widely accepted by the Indonesian public, but police on Thursday had to break up a protest outside the prison by members of a migrant workers group who called for mercy for an Indonesian woman who was scheduled to be executed.
The United Nations and European Union had urged the executions be halted.
“Such death sentences are unlawful and tantamount to an arbitrary execution as they are undertaken in contravention of Indonesia’s international human rights obligations,” the U.N. said in a statement on Thursday.
Amnesty International called the executions “a deplorable act that violates international and Indonesian law” and pleaded that the other death sentences not be carried out.
“The injustice already done cannot be reversed, but there is still hope that it won’t be compounded,” the rights group’s regional director, Rafendi Djamin, said.
Around 152 people remain on death row in the country, including convicted drug traffickers from the Philippines, France and Britain. Authorities plan to execute 16 prisoners this year and more than double that number in 2017.

Argentine FA set to convince Messi to make U-turn on international retirement

The acting head of Argentina’s FA, Armando Perez, will travel to Spain to try and convince star striker Lionel Messi to reconsider his international retirement, according to reports in Argentina on Thursday.
“I spoke with Leo’s father, we have agreed to meet next week,” said Perez, in quotes published by Argentine sports daily Ole.
“The most important thing is to see if Messi will take part in (qualifying) matches” for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, added Perez, the head of a FIFA-appointed normalisation committee currently in charge of the AFA.
Messi, the five-time world player of the year, announced his shock retirement after Argentina lost the Copa America Centenario final to defending champions Chile on penalties last month.
Perez is also due to meet Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli, the man who led Chile past Argentina to their maiden Copa America title a year ago, with the aim of recruiting him as the new national team coach.
Sampaoli, 56, joined Europa League champions Sevilla last month after replacing Unai Emery and the club have ruled out the Argentine’s departure or any job-sharing arrangement.
“I spoke with Sampaoli (on Wednesday), we will see. There is work to do. We need to meet,” Perez told several radio stations, adding he was “not going to leave defeated”.
Should Perez be knocked back in his attempts to tie down Sampaoli, the AFA could turn their attentions to former Paraguay boss Ramon Diaz or ex-Boca Juniors coach Carlos Bianchi, although Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone remains the most popular choice.

7-year-old girl dies after elephant throws stone in Morocco zoo

 

  (Abdelhak Senna/AFP/Getty Images)

 

A 7-year-old girl died Tuesday from injuries she suffered when an elephant threw a stone out of its enclosure and struck her on the head at Rabat Zoo in Morocco.
Cellphone video taken moments after the incident shows the rock that allegedly hit the girl and a group of bystanders huddled near her, tending to her injuries while waiting for an ambulance. (The video, uploaded to YouTube, is graphic and should be viewed with caution.)
After being taken to the hospital, the unidentified girl died a few hours later, the zoo said.
An official statement released by Rabat Zoo denied responsibility for the young girl's death, according to Morocco World News, and said that the elephant enclosure met all international standards.
The zoo offered its condolences to the family of the deceased girl and said that "this kind of incident is rare, unpredictable and strange." The statement, written in French, added that similar types of incidents have happened recently in the United States, such as in Disney World Orlando and the Cincinnati Zoo, a reference to the 2-year-old boy who died after an alligator attack in June and when a 3-year-old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure in May.

But some social media users have criticized the way the zoo handled the case, according to Morocco World News, arguing that it took far too long for the ambulance to arrive and that there should have been an ambulance station already at the zoo.
"It can happen when elephants are frustrated or bored," Phyllis Lee, scientific director of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants told the BBC. "In my opinion, it's unlikely the elephant was directly targeting the girl — but exhibiting frustration. You can't predict what animals in captivity will do."

Source: WP

Yahoo is no longer an independent company

IT WAS one of Silicon Valley’s most riveting success stories. Now it stands as a warning to others. Yahoo began in 1994 as a lark in Stanford’s dormitories, when two students, David Filo and Jerry Yang, assembled their favourite links on a page called “Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web”. The site, which they renamed Yahoo, quickly became the “portal” through which millions first encountered the internet. At its peak in 2000, Yahoo had a market value of $128 billion. In the dotcom version of Monopoly, Yahoo got the prime slot.
This week its history as an independent firm came to an end. On July 25th Verizon, a telecoms giant, announced that it would pay around $4.8 billion to acquire Yahoo’s core business (see article). The sale will come as a blessed relief to shareholders. Yahoo churned through four chief executives in the three years before the hiring of Marissa Mayer in 2012. Her efforts to turn the company round may have failed, but the seeds of this week’s sale were sown long before she arrived. Three problems explain the firm’s demise.

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The first was a chronic lack of focus. Right from the start Yahoo was ambivalent about whether it should be a media or a technology company. As a result, whenever the internet zigged, Yahoo zagged. It could not decide whether search was a “commodity” business to be outsourced or an area worthy of heavy investment; its prevarication allowed Google to rise. It took too long to respond to the emergence of social media and the coming of the mobile internet. Ms Mayer, and the company’s toothless board, did nothing to resolve Yahoo’s split corporate personality.
Instead of focusing, Yahoo sprawled. By 2001 it had 400 different products and services. Its cumbersome structure proved no match for specialised rivals such as Google in search and eBay in e-commerce. Yahoo was notoriously dysfunctional: at one point it had four different classified-advertising businesses, each using different technology. This contains a warning for others. Silicon Valley is known for its world-changing ambitions, but managers can be distracted by doing too many things at once. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, which continues to push into new areas, should take note.
A second problem at Yahoo concerned dealmaking. Some of its purchases paid off: by the end, its stake in another web giant—Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce firm—was worth far more than its own internet properties. Others flopped: Ms Mayer, for example, bought Tumblr, a social-networking platform, for $1.1 billion in 2013, even though it was about to run out of money. But a company’s success depends as much on the deals it does not do as on the ones it does. Yahoo’s history is littered with transactions that should not have been passed up. It did not buy Google for $1m when it had the chance. It agreed to buy Facebook for $1 billion, but the deal fell through when Yahoo tried to negotiate down the price. It eschewed the chance to buy YouTube (subsequently bought by Google), and its purchase of eBay fell through because of clashing egos.

The long shadow of Steve Jobs

Most galling of all, Mr Yang, the chief executive at the time, had the chance to sell Yahoo to Microsoft for around $45 billion in early 2008. His pride and his desire to head his company led him to reject the offer. This is the third lesson from Yahoo’s demise: founders can often be too attached to their progeny to make the right strategic decisions. Silicon Valley still believes in the idea of founders as visionary turnaround artists. Last year Jack Dorsey was brought back to run Twitter, a social-media firm (while continuing to run Square, a payments company that he also founded). Shareholders of both firms should consider Yahoo’s example carefully. For every Steve Jobs, who successfully resurrected Apple, there is a Mr Yang.

Source: The Economics

Mikel reportedly denies donating $30,000 to Dream Team

Captain of Team Nigeria to the Rio Olympics, John Mikel Obi has denied media reports making the rounds in Nigeria that he gave $30,000 dollars to his teammates in the U23 football team.

Speaking from the team’s camp at the Hyatt Place in Atlanta, USA, Mikel said, “I was first told of this unfortunate story by a friend who called me from Nigeria. I thought he was joking until he sent me the link.

“I don’t know the source of this story which to me is all out to divide us as a team. I would have thought that stories that should be coming out in the media are stories that will unite the team instead of dividing us. Our target in Rio is to excel, but if they continue like this, then I wonder how we can be united.”

Wondering why the writer thinks that the players are hungry that needed his money, Mikel asked: “Tell me the players who are in this team that are so hungry that will be looking up to me for survival? Is it (William) Ekong, (Oghenekaro) Etebo, (Shehu) Abdulahi, (Daniel) Akpeyi, (Kingsley) Madu, (Okechukwu) Azubuike or (Stanley) Amuzie, who are my team mates in the Super Eagles, that I will be donating to, or other players who are plying their trade abroad and are doing well for themselves? To me, this is just mere distraction that won’t help this team going into a major tournament like the Olympics.”

The Chelsea FC ace then appealed to the sporting press and Nigerians generally to rally round the team and wish the players and officials well as they get ready for the men’s football tournament of the Rio Olympics.

Buhari hails Mbaka on 21st ordination anniversary

Photo thenewsnigeria.com.ng

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka, Director of Adoration Ministry, on the 21st anniversary of his ordination to priesthood in the Catholic Church, slated for Friday.
In a statement on Thursday by Femi Adesina, the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, said Buhari felicitated with the Mbaka’s family, congregation and well-wishers “as they celebrate this special occasion with him in his continued devotion to the well being of others as a father, wise counselor, teacher and guardian.’’
He commended Mbaka’s steadfast devotion to his vocation and ministry amply demonstrated in his love and service for his people, nation and God.
He prayed that God Almighty, who had given the cleric the strength to devote his entire life to service in the Vineyard , would continually bless and prosper his ministry.

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg Calls Trump A 'Dangerous Demagogue'

 

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks at the DNC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

In a speech at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night, former New York City mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg called on Americans to vote for Hillary Clinton as the sane alternative to Republican nominee Donald Trump, who he described as a “dangerous demagogue.”
During the speech, Bloomberg sharply criticized his fellow New York billionaire for his business record. “Trump says he wants to run the nation like he’s run his business. God help us,” Bloomberg said, citing Trump’s lawsuits and bankruptcies. “I’m a New Yorker, and New Yorkers know a con when we see one!”
Bloomberg noted the attractiveness of electing a “businessman president” and contrasted Trump’s business record with his own. Bloomberg, whose net worth of $47.7 billion is more than ten times that of Trump, noted that he built his business without a “million-dollar check” from his father. “Truth be told, the richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy,” Bloomberg said.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg had considered a run for president as an independent, but decided against it in early March. In a post on BloombergView titled “The Risk I Will Not Take,” he explained that he couldn’t risk  running because it might lead to Trump or Senator Ted Cruz winning the election. At that time, Bloomberg said he was not ready to endorse anyone for president.
Four months since writing that article, Bloomberg endorsed Clinton for president on the stage of the DNC convention in Philadelphia, calling on his fellow independents to vote for Clinton, not out of party loyalty, but out of concern for America. His speech was much more a biting takedown of Trump than an unqualified endorsement of Clinton. Bloomberg said he sometimes disagreed with Clinton but painted her as the obvious choice in the face of Trump as her opponent.

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“The bottom line is: Trump is a risky, reckless and radical choice. And we can’t afford to make that choice,” Bloomberg said. “No matter what you may think about her politics or her record, Hillary Clinton understands that this is not reality television; this is reality.”

Mark Zuckerberg Gains $3.4 Billion In An Hour

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg gains $3.4billion in an hour after positive second-quarter Earnings

 

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (Photo credit: Kay Nietfeld/AFP/Getty Images)

Facebook  CEO Mark Zuckerberg added $3.4 billion to his fortune in just over an hour on Wednesday in after-hours trading, as the market cheered the social media company’s impressive second-quarter results.
The gains pushed Zuckerberg’s net worth to a new high of $56.7 billion, according to FORBES estimates. He is currently the world’s fifth-richest person, right behind Jeff Bezos, who has an estimated fortune of $64 billion.
Facebook’s stock price soared 6.5% in after-hours trading to $131.40, as of 5:15 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday. The rise followed the company’s announcement that revenues and earnings had eclipsed analysts’ estimates, primarily thanks to gains in mobile ad revenue. Revenues in the second quarter rose about 59% to $6.44 billion, topping the $6.02 billion that analysts predicted. Profits increased to $2.1 billion, or 71 cents a share, exceeding analysts’ estimates of 57 cents a share.
In April, Zuckerberg’s fortune rocketed up by $4.2 billion in after-hours trading after Facebook’s strong first-quarter earnings. Like other billionaires who hold the vast majority of their wealth in one company’s stock, his fortune can rise or fall by billions of dollars in minutes or hours, following quarterly reports or other major company news.
At age 32, Zuckerberg is the youngest of the world’s ten richest people. He first appeared on the Forbes 400 in September 2008 with a net worth of $1.5 billion, when Facebook was still a private company. Since its IPO in May 2012, Facebook stock has risen nearly 223%, catapulting him into the ranks of the five richest people on Earth. Besides Bezos, only Bill Gates, Amancio Ortega, Warren Buffett and Bezos are wealthier.

Source: Forbes

Heartland fined N4.5m, to play behind closed-door

Heartland FC of Owerri has been issued a Summary Jurisdiction notice with fines totalling N4.750 million, an order to play three home fixtures behind closed-door and suspended points deduction for the crowd incidence that trailed their Match Day 28 fixture against FC IfeanyiUbah at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri.
One, Iyke Jacob, identified as the club’s Supporters Club Chairman, was also banned from all Nigeria Professional Football League matches for the rest of the 2015/16 season by the League Management Company.
The LMC also recommended to the Imo State Football Association and the Nigeria Football Federation to reconsider the role of the ISFA Security Committee Chairman, Teddy Isiadinso, who also serves as a Match Commissioner for the NFF.
The recommendation was based on the Match Commissioner’s report which cited Isiadinso as pledging to accept responsibility for any breach of the peace before, during and after the match.
The Owerri-based club was slammed six count violations of the NPFL Framework and Rules by the LMC after reviewing reports and video evidence provided by the Match Commissioner and Delegates to the match.
Heartland was fined of N750,000.00 for failing to ensure restriction of access to restricted areas by unauthorized persons in the course of the match, in breach of Rule B13.52.
The second count read: “You are in breach of Rule B13.52 of the Framework and Rules of the Nigeria Professional Football League, in that on Saturday, 23rd July 2016, after your Match Day 28 fixture: Heartland FC vs. FC Ifeanyiubah, you failed to ensure adequate security and crowd control particularly in the manner in which match officials and members of the visiting team were exposed to aggression and crowd violence perpetrated by your supporters.”
For this breach, the club was fined another N750,000.
On the third count of the supporters encroachment on to the field of play and throwing objects towards the field of play immediately after the match in breach of Rule B13.18, Heartland was fined of N1,000,000.00
On the fourth count, the LMC charged Heartland for breach of Rule B6.23 of the Framework and Rules of the NPFL, stating: “That on Saturday, 23rd July 2016, in the course of your Match Day 28 fixture: Heartland FC vs. FC IfeanyiUbah, your supporters hindered the complete video-coverage of the match, particularly the post-match scenes.”
The penalty for this offence read: “A fine of N1,000,000.00 and a two-point deduction for hindering the complete video-coverage of the match, in breach of Rule B6.23, provided that the execution of the two-point deduction shall be suspended subject to a probationary period of the remainder of the season.”
Heartland’s fifth charge read: “You are in breach of Rule C1, punishable by virtue of Rule B15.16, of the Framework and Rules of the Nigeria Professional Football League, in that on Saturday, 23rd July 2016, immediately after your Match Day 28 fixture: Heartland FC vs. FC Ifeanyiubah, some of your supporters assaulted match officials by hitting them and throwing objects (including plastic chairs, tables, stones and cans) at them.”
Having been found culpable, the sanction by the LMC included a fine of N1.25 million being compensation to the four match officials and the Match Commissioner at N250,000 for each of them.
Heartland Supporters were also found to have attacked the visiting team players, officials and supporters leading to damage to the visiting team bus whose windows were shattered in breach of Rule C1.
Consequently, the club has been ordered to play their next three home matches behind closed-door beginning with the August 7 fixture against Nasarawa United for breach of Rule B13.21.
A pre-condition for opening the stadium to spectators and supporters again is that “Heartland must take steps which shall include proper demarcation of restricted areas and workshops for stewards and supporters on code of conduct”.
The LMC further ruled: “In view of the gravity of the incident and the complicity of the Club and its officials, pursuant to Rule C18.6, Heartland FC shall also forfeit the one (1) point it previously earned in the match, provided that the execution of the one-point deduction shall be suspended subject to a probationary period of the remainder of the season.
Lastly, the club was notified that “pursuant to Rule B13.23, Heartland shall pay for the costs of damages to FCIfeanyiubah bus and for injuries sustained by its players and officials”.
Heartland must respond in writing accepting the sanctions or elect to be heard by a Commission not later than July 29.
But should it fail to comply with this requirement within the time limit, which constitutes a breach of the League Rules, it will be liable to be dealt with under the provisions of Section C.
Furthermore, the LMC reminded the club: “In accordance with Rule E1, where an appeal or election to be dealt with by a Commission fails or is found to have been frivolous, you may be liable to such additional sanction as may be deemed fit in the circumstances.”

Court remands teenager in prison for alleged rape of 35-yr-old woman

An Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday remanded in prison custody a 19-year-old man, John Julius, for alleged rape of a 35-year-old woman.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Bayo Ajiboye, had told the court that the accused allegedly committed the offence on July 12 at Efon Alaaye-Ekiti.
Ajiboye said that the accused unlawfully raped a 35-year-old woman on her way from the farm and inflicted injuries that led to her being hospitalised.
He said the offence contravened Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Cap C 16,Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
He told the court that he had forwarded a duplicate of the case file to the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), for legal advice.
No plea was taken.
Magistrate Modupe Afeniforo remanded the accused in prison custody, and adjourned the case till Aug.19 for further mention.

Real Madrid still interested in Pogba – Zidane

Zinedine Zidane

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is not giving up on signing Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba this summer, saying “anything can happen” before the transfer deadline.

Manchester United appear best placed to sign Pogba, 23, although sources close to Juventus have told ESPN FC that the Italian champions will not accept less than €120m for the France international and also want the Premier League club to pay the €25m fee for agent Mino Raiola, with the Old Trafford hierarchy reluctant to meet those demands.

Ex-France star Zidane has spoken regularly, if guardedly, through the summer on his admiration for his compatriot, and Pogba himself has also chosen his words carefully when asked if he would prefer to return to former club United or join the European champions.

Speaking at a news conference in Ohio ahead of Madrid’s first preseason outing this summer against Paris Saint-Germain, Zidane was asked if there was now any chance of Pogba moving to the Bernabeu before the transfer deadline on August  31.

“I don’t know. At the moment we are here working,” he replied. “Until  (August  31) anything can happen. He is not yet a Madrid player. We cannot talk about what will happen.”

Madrid appear unlikely to pay anything like the €120m asking price unless they could first raise funds by selling squad players such as James Rodriguez or Alvaro Morata for significant sums.

Pressed as to whether this meant he had asked club president Florentino Perez to sign Pogba, he said: “Now is not the moment to talk about this.

“Everyone is interested in Pogba. He is a great player and when you are at Madrid, you always want the best. Now we must respect some things – he is a Juve player. Today I can say nothing.”

Zidane added that it was difficult but not impossible for a club in Madrid’s position, having won two of the last three Champions Leagues, to sign players to keep improving.

“It is difficult to improve Madrid’s squad. We won [the Champions League] with this squad,” he said. “There are good players elsewhere too. You can always improve things and it will always be like that here. There are always players who can improve the team.”

Naira hits all time-low at 334.50/dollar

Naira

The naira fell against the dollar at the interbank foreign exchange market to an all-time low of 334.50 on Wednesday, a day after the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee hiked interest rates to lure foreign investors back into local assets.

The naira had closed at 310 against the interbank market on Tuesday.

About $10m was traded at the new record low, Reuters reported.

Foreign exchange traders said investors were pushing the currency lower to test the limit of how far it could fall, given a spread of almost 12 per cent between the official and black market naira rates.

“If we have more people trying to buy the naira then it should strengthen. I think we will keep seeing the trickles … I don’t think we will see large inflows until the fundamentals of the economy improves,” one trader told Reuters.

Economic analysts said the fall in the value of the naira against the dollar at the interbank market had nothing to do with the increase in the Monetary Policy Rate.

A currency analyst at Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Ezun, said the exchange rate was reacting to the interplay of demand and supply at the interbank market.

He said, “This is what the interbank forex market really wants, that is, a situation where only the forces of demand and supply will determine price. So far, the CBN has not intervened this week. The rate at the interbank market today has nothing to do with the increase in the MPR.

Ezun said a depreciating naira might attract some foreign portfolio investors into the economy but would cause higher inflation in coming months.

 “There is no shortcut. Rising inflation will affect consumer demand and the value of the naira,” he added,

An expert and Partner, Transaction Advisory Services, Ernst and Young Nigeria, Mr. Bisi Sanda, said the CBN’s Monetary Policy Committee should have reduced the interest rate in order to stimulate economic growth, instead of increasing the MPR.

He said, “The inflation we are experiencing is not caused by a shift in demand curve, but a shift in the supply curve. Instead of hiking the interest rate, we should have reduced it in order to stimulate growth through increased spending.

The voting pattern at the MPC shows that not all the members are actually in support of the increase in the interest rate.”

According to the Chief Executive Officer, Cowry Assets Management Limited, Mr. Johnson Chuwkwu, the CBN needs to act fast and restore confidence back to the market.

This, he said, could be done by ensuring that the exchange rate stability is achieved as soon as possible.

Chukwu said, “As it is, there is no amount of depreciation or devaluation that happens that will give foreign portfolio investors confidence. They want to see stability. They want to be able to predict the naira.

Once there is stability, confidence will return. The CBN may do this by accessing a lifeline from the International Monetary Policy Committee.”

Source: Punch

Paul Okoye confirms PSquare is back together

Tackle economic problems, Gowon tells Buhari

Gen. Yakubu Gowon

A former Military Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently address the  economic and other problems ravaging Nigeria.

Gowon said this in a chat with journalists on the sideline of the Free Health Caravan for hepatitis test and vaccination organised under the auspices of SHEAM Health Care Foundation at the  Ooni Palace in Ile Ife, Osun State on Wednesday

He said the Federal Government should do everything possible to find lasting solutions to  the numerous problems confronting Nigeria in order to boost the citizens’confidence.

He said,  “Let the current authority find a way out of the current economic crisis. The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has been telling us what they have been doing to get the economy strong again. She said all will be well by September. Let’s wait till then.

“I have left government for a long time, so I may not really know what the problem is. The current administration should do whatever they can to solve the economic challenge. They should find a way to restore confidence in citizens and the nation at large by fixing the economy.”

Gowon expressed shock at the allegations of budget padding, saying nobody made any attempt to pad budget during his time.

He also urged those involved to stop that in the interest of the nation.

“If that is true, if anybody is doing that, the person should be checked and stopped to ensure that such does not occur in the future.

“We didn’t do it during my time. We had the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in charge of our finance during my time and he taught us how to survive without borrowing. Such (budget paddling) should stop, there is no point doing that,” he added.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who was conferred with the Royal Ambassador for Hepatitis Advocacy in Nigeria, said Nigerians, especially the wealthy ones, should rise up to sponsor programmes which would lead to the drastic reduction of the disease.

He said, “Why should we be busy amassing wealth, beautiful houses, and acquiring exotic cars when there are millions out there who do not know they are having viral hepatitis in their system?”

The monarch promised to let the world know that  he had been saddled with the responsibility to sensitise everybody on how to tackle the health issue.

SOURCE: PUNCH.  

Man fades up with life, commits suicide

Ijebu Igbo area

Tragedy struck on Tuesday in the Ijebu Igbo area of Ogun State after a motorcycle rider, identified as Monday Onoja, hanged himself.

Monday, 45, who had been incapacitated after an accident, was said to be dependent on his wife.

It was learnt that the father of five expressed dissatisfaction with his life the previous day and threatened to kill himself.

Efforts by his wife, Esther, and a relative to make the Benue State indigene change his mind reportedly proved abortive.

The victim was reported to have woken up early and hanged himself in his room.

The corpse of the motorcycle rider was discovered around 8am at the victim’s residence on Ogunnaya Street, Ojowo, Ijebu-Igbo.

Esther told PUNCH Metro on the telephone that she was bathing one of their children when her attention was called to the dangling corpse of her husband.

She said, “We have been married for the past 15 years and we had five children together. While he was a commercial okada rider, I am into trading. He was on his motorcycle on May 3, 2016, when he was involved in an accident.

“He broke his leg. Since that time, he had been staying at home and we had been managing the little I could provide for the family.

“Although he had yet to fully recover to start working again, he had started using crutches.

“Last night (Monday), he said he didn’t want to eat rice, that he wanted something else. Later, he threatened that he would kill himself. I begged him not to, but he shunned me. I called one of his brothers, who also came to talk to him. But he said he would sell his motorcycle and return to the village.

“This morning (Tuesday), I was bathing our child when one of the other children came to call me that their father was dangling from the ceiling. I ran there and met him dead.”

A resident, Mr. Kehinde Ogunbanjo, told our correspondent that the deceased killed himself because he could no longer provide for his family.

 “The accident really affected him. He was depressed due to financial difficulty and because he could not provide for his family,” he said.

A source said policemen from the Ijebu Igbo division had visited the scene.

He explained that the police did not go with the corpse because it was the tradition of the town that whenever anyone died in that circumstance, certain rites must be performed before burial.

“The Osugbo cult will take the corpse away. The police only took the statement of the wife,” he said.

 The Police Public Relations officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident, adding that the police did not suspect any foul play.

 Adejobi, a Superintendent of Police, however, said the victim’s wife in her statement claimed she met her husband’s corpse after returning from their children’s school, where she had gone to pay school fees.

He said, “The man’s wife, Esther, reported at the station that she went to the children’s school to settle their school fees and on her return, she discovered that her husband, Monday, had committed suicide by hanging himself with a rope.

“Detectives visited the scene and took pictures. All necessary arrangements have been put in place to move the body to the mortuary. No foul play suspected, while investigations are ongoing.”

Source: PUNCH.