Nigeria international, Kelechi Iheanacho, has signed a new two-year contract extension with City.
The 19-year-old, who scored 14 times in all competitions last season, will now stay with the Club until at least 2021.
Iheanacho said: “I can’t express how I’m feeling! I’m very happy to sign my new deal for this Club, I’m excited.
“I just need to keep working hard and
express my feelings on the pitch, and work really well and do great
things for the team. I’m happy and I appreciate everything the Club has
done for me so far at this point so I really need to help and work for
them as well.”
Manager Pep Guardiola added: “Kelechi is
a natural goal-scorer. I knew about him before, but I’ve been really
impressed with him since I arrived.
“I like his personality, his attitude,
his ability – we hope to help him reach the highest level and to realise
his full potential.”
The inability of the health
authorities to move polio vaccines to Boko Haram strongholds in the
North-east, and the compromised immune system of malnourished children
in the region, have been fingered as key reasons for the re-emergence of
the wild polio virus, setting the country several years back in the
eradication of the dreaded disease.
Martins Ifijeh writes
When in January this year, an
ambitious new partnership was launched in the Northern part of the
country, led by the co-Chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill
Gates, President of Dangote Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, six
Northern governors (from Kaduna, Sokoto, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe and Kano),
it was in a bid to sustain the delisting of Nigeria from polio endemic
nations for at least the next one and a half years, such that by August
2017, Nigeria would have earned for itself a polio-free status.
In the partnership, which resulted in a
Memorandum of Understanding in Kaduna State, all the players were
enthusiastic that no new case of the virus will be reported in the
North, a region most endemic to the disease in the country. It was a
time to lay bare concerns, discussions on areas to strengthen, amount of
funds to be needed, as well as how to create further awareness on
immunisation, which then led to a unanimous decision that the government
at all levels, health workers, traditional and religious rulers, as
well as politicians and other well respected citizens must scale up
interventions in their respective localities in order to finally defeat
the highly infectious disease.
True, many stakeholders led campaigns
for a final push against polio. In some instances, the Sultan of Sokoto,
Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, Alhaji Dangote, respectable Islamic
and traditional leaders and a lot of other well-meaning Northern
Nigerians spearheaded immunisation campaigns in respective areas where
apathy was noticed due to religious, traditional or cultural beliefs.
Some used the media in demystifying the
beliefs about polio vaccines. The reason being that, for those community
leaders, parents and guardians who believed there was no need to
subject their children and wards to immunisation because they do not
trust the substances being given to their children, when they see these
leaders spearheading campaigns for it, they would most likely listen and
open their doors for the immunisation exercises against diseases like
the polio virus.
While the various strategies embarked on
for a final push against the disease was on course, there were worries.
How will areas regarded as Boko Haram strongholds be accessed? Who
would agree to spearhead advocacy to these regions, which at that time
were still much under the control of the terrorist group.
Specifically, a virologist, Dr. Adeniran
Azeez, posed the question while analysing how the last lap of general
immunisation programme against polio could be the solution needed to
sustain Nigeria’s status as a non-polio endemic nation until the country
is finally certified polio-free, leaving behind Afghanistan and
Pakistan as the only two countries of the world still battling with the
highly infectious disease.
Fast forward six months later, just a
day shy-away from marking exactly two years without any case of polio in
the country, the most feared happened. Two cases of wild polio virus
were reported, and this time, the concerns of every stakeholder, health
officials and Nigerians who are familiar with the geography of the
North-eastern region of the country were not only awakened, but came
with a dawned reality.
The cases were from Borno State, and
specifically from regions once occupied by the dreaded terrorist group,
which at that time would most likely pose a security risk to any health
worker who dared to carry out immunisation programmes in those areas.
THISDAY gathered that the first child
suddenly went down with paralysis in the Gwoza camp of the internally
displaced persons, which prompted medical experts to isolate other
children in the camp who may have had contacts with him for the purpose
of immunising them. Also, the second child from Jere Local Government
Area was reported to have been previously immunised with three doses of
the oral polio vaccine but his presentation of polio now showed that the
vaccines used during the immunisation exercise may have been impotent.
Vaccines are said to be impotent if they
are not kept under a cold chain at very low temperature. Vaccines die
or become impotent if kept under heat condition.
Gwoza and Jere LGAs are territories once
under the control of the Boko Haram insurgents, and even while they
have been said to be ‘liberated’, sporadic attacks still occur there
with killings recorded in large scale.
The terror group has publicly denounced the vaccination campaigns as a Western plot,
killed immunisers and made it difficult for government health officials
to access some parts of the North-east, especially during the heat of
the insurgent’s reign.
Recall that on June 1, 2016, Senate
Leader Mohammed Ndume, who hails from Gwoza LGA called on the IDPs from
the local government to return to their homes while claiming that the
area had been liberated by the Nigerian Army, but in a swift response,
the Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Muhammadu Idrissa Timta, advised all IDPs,
including his family not to return to the local government, adding that
Boko Haram still has a strong footing in the area. Same advise had also
been given to people from Jere LGA by traditional leaders from the local
government. Years ago, the former caretaker chairman of the Jere LGA,
Alhaji Mustafa Baale, and hundreds of indigenes were killed by Boko
Haram
It is in the light of this that a
Programme Manager with Project Africa, a non-governmental organisation,
Dr. Ben Nkwoma, while analysing what must have gone wrong in the efforts
at sustaining the non endemic polio status of the country, stressed
that the new outbreak of wild polio virus was a direct consequence of
the ability of Boko Haram to control some parts of the state.
In 2014, Boko Haram announced that it
had taken over government in 20 out of the 27 Local Government Areas in
Borno State, including Gwoza and Jere LGAs.
“While everyone was waiting patiently
for next year until the country is certified polio-free by the World
Health Organisation (WHO), I was one of those who believed it wasn’t
time yet to celebrate, because for obvious reasons, we all know the
immunisation that was done about three, four, five or six years ago,
would most likely not have covered everywhere, especially in areas where
Boko Haram was controlling. So it was just a matter of time before
cases would be reported in those areas. There is no two ways about it,
immunisation didn’t reach those areas. Obviously, no health worker went
to these flash points during the heat of those periods when the
terrorist group was seizing territories,” Nkwoma added.
Collaborating his claim, some members of
Journalist Against Polio (JAP) who reside in Borno confided that truly
no much immunisation took place in Gwoza and other towns overran by the
terrorist group.
JAP has been a key campaign group that
actively raised awareness on the benefits of vaccination and the need
for families and communities to immunise their children. But like the
health workers, their media campaign later stopped in Borno due to
insecurity.
Also, the Governor of Borno State,
Kashim Shettima, fingered the activities of Boko Haram as the causal
factor for the recent outbreak of the disease, describing the
development as an embarrassment to the state and the nation. “The Boko
Haram activities made some communities in the state inaccessible for
polio vaccination between December 2013 and the end of 2015; as well as
the earliest part of 2016.”
Shettima said further, “back in
November, 2013, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation even awarded Borno
State for being the most committed to fighting polio in the North-east
despite our insurgency. It is however unfortunate that last week, fresh
cases of polio were identified in Borno. While this is officially
painful and personally embarrassing to me, as an award winner in polio
eradication, the basis of the recent outbreak of polio is largely due to
the unimaginable condition we found ourselves.
“I have seen one commentator saying
Borno was dragging the country backwards on polio eradication. From
December 2013 to the end of 2015, we had hundreds of communities in 20
local government areas seized by Boko Haram; many roads were practically
under their command; citizens including young children wandered for
months around the deserts and forests, scampering for safety in the wake
of attacks by Boko Haram on their communities; thousands of citizens
were trapped in communities around the Sambisa forest, around the shores
of the Lake Chad and around territories being administered by Boko
Haram; thousands, including pregnant women and children, were held
captive by Boko Haram while hundreds of children were even born in
captivity,” the governor noted.
While expressing optimism that the
problem was only a temporary setback that would be surmounted, he said
the new cases were because some citizens, especially children, who were
held captive had now been freed.
He said it was impossible for the
Government to have sustained its wide reach in polio immunisation under
such an atmosphere where some territories were being controlled by the
terrorist organisation, adding, he said the new diagnosis was made
because most communities were now free, hence easier to identify persons
with medical challenges.
“We all know that a problem identified
is a problem half solved. Our communities are mostly free and this makes
room for a critical round of aggressive polio eradication campaign in
Borno. Unlike before, we don’t envisage the killing of health workers
administering polio and other preventive vaccines in most of our
communities which they couldn’t access since 2014. The tide has now
changed. In the past, our people were those running but today, it is
Boko Haram that is on the run,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s
Emergency Fund (UNICEF), while x-raying what must have gone wrong, said
malnutrition, in addition to the displacement caused by the terrorist
group was already a handful of discomfort for the children leaving in
the North-east, urging the government to find an immediate solution to
all three issues; terrorism, malnutrition and polio re-emergence.
Role of malnutrition in the re-emergence of polio
While the causal factor for the re-emergence of the disease largely
tilts towards the lack of accessibility by health workers to provide
vaccination in Boko Haram strongholds, Nkwoma, believed the role of
malnutrition must not be wished away, adding that, a malnourished child
who has been vaccinated may not get the full potential in the vaccines.
“Studies have shown that polio
vaccination is about four per cent lower in malnourished children than
the healthy ones. And we all know that due to the unrest in the
North-east, several children are malnourished. What this therefore means
is that a malnourished and vaccinated child may still end up being
infected with polio because of the lowered immunity,” he noted.
Way forward
As part of efforts to tackle the new challenge head on, the federal
government, through the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewale, has
announced an emergency mass polio vaccination campaign in the
North-east, which will be done under military presence.
Though termed a late response by
experts, it is believed that if all the children in the affected areas
and neighboring states are accurately vaccinated during the renewed
exercise, there were likelihood that the federal government would have
ended up securing a guarantee in areas once inaccessible by health
workers.
“The priority is to boost immunity and
ensure that no more children are affected by this terrible disease.
Also, we are currently investigating the situation to find out where the
virus has spread,” Adewale said.
Meanwhile, Nkwoma said while the
government, UNICEF and WHO are on top of the game to find a quick
response to the outbreak, the malnutrition issues in affected areas must
not be taken for granted. “As vaccines are being carried to these
places, food as well should accompany it. There should be plans as well
to flood those areas with food because if you visit these areas
yourself, you will discover that virtually every child there is
suffering from malnourishment. How can the immunity of the children
respond positively to vaccines,” he added.
While it’s a known fact now that some
vaccines used in some areas in Borno State were impotent because they
were not preserved in the right temperature, it is imperative that all
measures are put in place to provide potent vaccines this time.
The Benue State Governor, Mr. Samuel Ortom, on Thursday said his
administration was committed to applying the “stick approach” to end
insecurity in the state.
He said the approach was coming on the heels of the “carrot approach” earlier applied at the inception of his government.
Ortom spoke with State House correspondents shortly after meeting Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
There have been reports of security challenges, especially violent clashes between herdsmen and farmers lately from the state.
The governor said he was at the State House to brief the Presidency of efforts being made to tackle the situation.
He said the briefing was also important so that the Federal
Government would be aware of the efforts being made with a view to
ensuring co-operation between the two arms of government.
The governor recalled that at the inception of his administration, he
introduced an amnesty programme which was designed as a carrot and
stick approach to ending insecurity.
He said while the first approach succeeded to some level with some
people surrendering their arms, many others have since returned to their
old ways because they are not sincere.
This, he said, now necessitated the use of force.
The governor said, “The carrot approach succeeded to some extent with
may people surrendering arms. But some went back to their old ways
because they are not sincere.
“We have now adopted the stick approach. All security agencies in the state must restore safety to the state.
“The state must be secured from robbers, kidnappers and assassins. We need to get rid of criminals from our society.
“We also intend to encourage investors and they will not come if the state is not secured.”
The Police in Ebonyi state this morning prevented an attempted jailbreak
as Abakaliki prison inmates staged a riot inside the prison.
EGT quoted security sources as saying that at least two people, who
are believed to be prison officials were killed by inmates in the
fracas.
Another source said that police has blocked off all roads leading to
the correctional facility even as it fired shots at the inmates in a
battle to recover a firearm allegedly seized from one of the prison
officials.
The prison is located beside the police headquarters leading to prompt intervention from the police.
Already the Commander of Military cantonment and the commissioner of
Police have visited the area and are directing the operations to restore
sanity to the prison.
The Police spokesman George Okafor when contacted said the command was still working hard to resolve the crisis.
He, however, refused to confirm if anybody is dead or not.
The Yobe state government has liquidated N500 million loan obtained
by civil servants from Guaranty Trust Bank, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam,
said this at a pre-retirement workshop for retiring civil servants.
He said the government supported the civil servants and the Nigerian
Labour Congress because they could not settle the loans obtained from
Guaranty Trust Bank.
“A bail out of over N500 million was made available by the state
government to liquidate the loan to make life more meaningful to o those
who are retirees among the civil servants,” he said.
Gaidam also announced the approval of N50 million monthly for payment of gratuity to retired civil servants in the state.
The governor said the basis of the workshop was to prepare retirees towards a fulfilling and rewarding life after retirement.
He said government acknowledged and appreciates the enormous
contributions made by civil servants to the development of the state.
The governor lamented that “retirees often find it difficult if not
impossible to adjust to the realities of life after retirement and in
most cases find themselves in serious dilemma.”
The Nasarawa State Government has
released over N60 million for the payment of backlog of pensions and
gratuities to pensioners in the state.
Mr Muazu Adamu-Gosho, the Permanent
Secretary, Ministry for Budget and Planning, on Thursday said that the
money was for payment to retired workers in the state and local
governments.
Adamu-Gosho said that data to ascertain
the accurate number of pensioners in the state had been taken to
facilitate monthly payment of pensions, while gratuities would be paid
in arrears in view of paucity of funds.
According to him, over 120 pensioners, who retired before 2011, have been captured for payment of their gratuities.
Alhaji Adokwe Ladan, the Chairman of the
pensioners in the state, commended the state government for the release
of money for the payment of their gratuities.
Ladan, however, appealed to the state
government to sustain the tempo as most pensioners had suffered untold
hardship due to non-payment of their gratuities.
At least 5,000 farmers in Enugu State would benefit from a N1 billion
Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) loan to the state for rice farmers.
This is aimed at encouraging interested rice farmers in the state to go
into full scale commercial rice farming.
Godwin Emefiele, the CBN Governor, who disclosed this in Enugu during the 2nd launching
of the Enugu CBN’s Anchor Borrowers’ program, said the program was in
conjunction with the Okunerere Farms Limited (the anchor), and the Enugu
State Government.
Emefiele noted that CBN strongly believes that under the present
economic situation, developing agricultural sector, and acting as a
financial catalyst to the economy by targeting specific sectors that can
create jobs on a mass scale, reduce poverty broadly, boost inclusive
economic growth and conserve scarce foreign reserves in the country,
would be a way out of the economic problem.
Represented by Charles Enwere, the apex bank boss pointed that the
anchor borrowers program was designed to create economic linkages
between farmers and processors; not only to ensure increased
agricultural output of rice, but also close the gap between production
and consumption by ramping up capacity utilization in our integrated
mills.” he said.
“In Enugu State, we are targeting 5,000 farmers. We are looking at
two anchors, the first was Tarra Agro Industries and the second one was
Okunerere Farm Limited. Tarra has a target of 3,000 farmers, while
Okunerere has 2,000 farmers. So our combined capacity for farmers is
5,000. That is what we are looking out for in Enugu State, the CBN boss
said.
He added that “what we actually did was to cost the production of
rice in Enugu State per hectare, and we came up with the total sum of
N193,000 per hectare. So that is the amount we are going to give to each
farmer.
He
however said they were not going to give to the farmers cash. The
component of it is given to them as inputs, such as seedlings,
fertilizers, pesticides and other important inputs to help boost
agricultural outputs and productivity. Then the labour components would
be paid in their account.
Flagging off the program, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State,
who was represented by his deputy, Cecilia Ezeilo said, his government
would do anything within its reach to support farmers in the state for
real diversification of the state economy.
Governor Ugwuanyi commended the initiative, and stated that when
fully operational in two years, it is expected to drastically reduce
food importation, diversify the country’s economy and create jobs for
women and youths.
However, the regional manager, Bank of Agriculture (BoA) reminded the
farmers that the money given to them was not a grant, but loans; and
the Bank must collect back every kobo involved.
A Kado Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on
Thursday sentenced a 25-year-old man, Sunday Ogboji, to five months in
prison for stealing a cock worth N4, 000.
The Judge, Alhaji Mohammed Ado, however,
gave Ogboji, who is a technician, an option of N6, 000 fine for the two-count
charges of criminal trespass and theft and warned him to desist from
crimes.
Ado also ordered the convict, who resides at Kado Village, Abuja, to pay N4, 000 as restitution to the nominal complainant.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Augustine Urom,
told the court that Inspector Simon Aliyu of same address with the convict
reported the matter at the Life Camp Police Station, Abuja, on Aug. 14.
Urom said the complainant reported that on Aug. 8, he saw the convict stealing one of his birds valued at N4, 000.
The prosecutor said that when Ogboji was arrested and interrogated by the police, he admitted stealing the cock and eating it.
Urom said that the offences committed contravened Sections 348 and 288 of the Penal Code.
The convict pleaded guilty to the offences and prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.
Ogboji said that he did not know what possessed him to steal the cock although he had not eaten meat for a long time.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State
has won the first appeal delivered by the Court of Appeal in Abuja with
respect to the judgments of the Federal High Court in Abuja June 27
removing him from office.
Ikpeazu’s appeal was with respect to the
ruling delivered by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in
Abuja on July 8 in which the judge insisted that he had jurisdiction to
hear a motion for stay of execution of his earlier judgments delivered
on June 27 even after the appeals against the judgments had been
entered.
The Justice Helen Ogunwumiju-led
five-man bench unanimously agreed in their judgment that Justice Abang
erroneously assumed jurisdiction to hear the motion and adjourned it
till a later date.
Justice Philomina Ekpe, who read the
lead judgment, held that what Justice Abang ought to have done in line
with time-honoured doctrine of “stari decisis” was to have transferred
the motion to the Court of Appeal for determination.
She also held that the Justice Abang
wrongly interpreted the provisions of Order 4(10) and (11) of the Court
of Appeal rules when he held that the said provisions were only
applicable to an interlocutory ruling of the lower court and when a
final judgment in a suit had been delivered.
She also held that Justice Abang lacked
jurisdictions to interpret the provisions of the Court of Appeal being
the rules of a superior court.
In her contribution, Justice Ogunwumiju,
held that the trial judge “deliberately stood the law on its head” by
justifying his jurisdiction to hear the motion when appeal has been
entered.
Minister of Communication, Bayo Shittu, yesterday disclosed that the
Federal government is proposing to introduce a bill called the
Communication Service Tax CST bill which seeks to levy 9% on
telecommunication subscribers for users of various communication
services such as voice call, SMS, MMS, Data usage from telecommunication
service providers, internet service providers and Pay TV Stations.
Speaking at a function organized by the Lagos
Chambers of Commerce and Industry, LCCI yesterday, Shittu said the
introduction of the new taxes without harmonising existing ones would
put pressure on the country’s tax system thereby making it unattractive
to investors.
According to him, the outcome of deliberations on the bill would form the basis of his advice to the President.
"This may also be counter-productive in the long run for our targets on
broadband penetration. Our ICT Roadmap gives fresh impetus for
implementing existing policies and reviewing any that is inimical to the
growth of the sector. My focus on any tax regime will be to align any
process that will stimulate the economy and also ensure that the tax
system is efficient by widening the tax net. It is also to create an
effective framework for tax compliance to protect the poor and
vulnerable in the society who nonetheless have to use telecoms services
for social inclusion and financial services.”
According to Shittu, the bill is being considered as a way to help
increase the revenue generation of the Federal government.
“I have been reliably informed that the projected earnings from this
effort is over N20 billion every month, which is an attraction to the
government for funding our budget deficits. I must be quick to say that
this government has a human face twined around its decisions"he said
The minister added that the government would provide an enabling
environment for the ICT and telecommunication sector to thrive through
the enactment of relevant legislation.
From titles and goals, to hat-tricks and appearances, find out all the stats from PL history
The following club and player records are taken from Premier League matches only, dating back to the first season in 1992/93.
Club Records
Titles
Most PL title wins13 - Manchester United
(1992/93, 1993/94, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2002/03,
2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2010/11 & 2012/13) Most consecutive PL title wins3 - Manchester United (1998/99 - 2000/01 & 2006/07 - 2008/09) Biggest PL title-winning margin 18 points - Manchester United (1999/00) Smallest PL title-winning margin 0 points, +8 goal difference - Manchester City (2011/12)
Wins
Most PL wins in a season 29 - Chelsea (2004/05 & 2005/06) Fewest PL wins in a season 1 - Derby County (2007/08) Most PL home wins in a season 18 - Chelsea (2005/06) 18 - Manchester United (2010/11) 18 - Manchester City (2011/12) Most PL away wins in a season15 - Chelsea (2004/05) Fewest PL home wins in a season 1 - Sunderland (2005/06) 1 - Derby County (2007/08) Fewest PL away wins in a season* 0 - Leeds United (1992/93 - 21 matches) 0 - Coventry City (1999/00 - 19 matches) 0 - Wolverhampton Wanderers (2003/04 - 19 matches) 0 - Norwich City (2004/05 - 19 matches) 0 - Derby County (2007/08 - 19 matches) 0 - Hull City (2009/10 - 19 matches) Most consecutive PL wins 14 - Arsenal (10 February 2002 - 24 August 2002) Most consecutive PL matches without a win 32 - Derby County (2007/08) NB: Record could continue as Derby were relegated at the end of the 2007/08 season and have yet to return Most consecutive PL home wins 20 - Manchester City (5 March 2011 - 21 March 2012) Most consecutive PL away wins 12 - Arsenal (3 March 2013 - 26 October 2013)
Defeats
Arsenal defeated Leicester on the final day to go the entire 2003/04 Premier League season unbeaten
Most PL defeats in a season* 29 - Ipswich Town (1994/95 - 42 matches) 29 - Sunderland (2005/06 - 38 matches) 29 - Derby County (2007/08 - 38 matches) Fewest PL defeats in a season 0 - Arsenal (2003/04) Most PL home defeats in a season 14 - Sunderland (2002/03 & 2005/06) Most PL away defeats in a season 17 - Burnley (2009/10) Fewest PL home defeats in a season 0 - Manchester United (1995/96, 1999/00 & 2010/11) 0 - Arsenal (1998/99, 2003/04 & 2007/08) 0 - Chelsea (2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07 & 2007/08) 0 - Liverpool (2008/09) 0 - Manchester City (2011/12) 0 - Chelsea (2014/15) Fewest PL away defeats in a season 0 - Arsenal (2001/02 & 2003/04) Most consecutive PL defeats 15 - Sunderland (2002/03) Longest PL unbeaten run 49 - Arsenal (7 May 2003 - 24 October 2004) Longest PL unbeaten home run86 - Chelsea (21 February 2004 - 26 October 2008)
Longest PL unbeaten away run 27 - Arsenal (5 April 2003 - 25 September 2004)
Draws
Most PL draws in a season* 18 - Manchester City (1993/94 - 42 matches) 18 - Sheffield United (1993/94 - 42 matches) 18 - Southampton (1994/95 - 42 matches) 17 - Newcastle United (2003/04 - 38 matches) 17 - Aston Villa (2006/07 & 2011/12 - 38 matches) 17 - Sunderland (2014/15 - 38 matches) Fewest PL draws in a season3 - Chelsea (1997/98) Most PL home draws in a season10 - Sheffield Wednesday (1996/97) 10 - Leicester City (1997/98 & 2003/04) Most PL away draws in a season 10 - Newcastle United (2003/04) Fewest PL home draws in a season 0 - Manchester City (2008/09) 0- Manchester United (2012/13) Fewest PL away draws in a season 1 - Bolton Wanderers (1995/96) 1- Queens Park Rangers (1995/96) 1 - Barnsley (1997/98) 1 - Chelsea (1997/98) 1 - Bradford City (1999/00) 1 - Everton (2000/01) 1 - Ipswich Town (2000/01) 1 - Portsmouth (2005/06 & 2007/08) 1 - Burnley (2009/10) 1 - Liverpool (2011/12) 1 - Newcastle United (2013/14) 1 - Queens Park Rangers (2014/15) Most consecutive PL draws 7 - Norwich City (1993/94 - 42 matches) 7 - Southampton (1994/95 - 42 matches) 7 - Manchester City (2009/10 - 38 matches)
Didier Drogba scored 29 of Chelsea's record 103 goals in 2009/10
Goals
Most PL goals scored in a season 103 - Chelsea (2009/10) Fewest PL goals scored in a season 20 - Derby County (2007/08) Most PL goals scored at home in a season 68 - Chelsea (2009/10) Most PL goals scored away in a season48 - Liverpool (2013/14) Fewest PL goals scored at home in a season 10 - Manchester City (2006/07) Fewest PL goals scored away in a season 8 - Middlesbrough (1995/96) 8 - Southampton (1998/99) 8 - Sheffield United (2006/07) 8 - Derby County (2007/08) Most PL goals conceded in a season* 100 - Swindon Town (1993/94 - 42 matches) 89 - Derby County (2007/08 - 38 matches) Fewest PL goals conceded in a season 15 - Chelsea (2004/05) Most PL goals conceded at home in a season*45 - Swindon Town (1993/94 - 42 matches) 43 - Derby County (2007/08 - 38 matches) 43 - Wolverhampton Wanderers (2011/12 - 38 matches) Most PL goals conceded away in a season*59 - Ipswich Town (1994/95 - 42 matches) 55 - Wigan Athletic (2009/10 - 38 matches) Fewest PL goals conceded at home in a season4 - Manchester United (1994/95) Fewest PL goals conceded away in a season9 - Chelsea (2004/05) Best PL goal difference in a season+71 - Chelsea (2009/10) Worst PL goal difference in a season-69 - Derby County (2007/08) Most PL clean sheets in a season 25 - Chelsea (2004/05) Fewest PL clean sheets in a season3 - Birmingham City (2007/08) 3 - Derby County (2007/08) 3 - Blackburn Rovers (2011/12) 3 - Norwich City (2011/12)
Points
Chelsea claimed a record 95 points on the way to winning the Premier League title in 2004/05
Most PL points in a season95 - Chelsea (2004/05) Fewest PL points in a season 11 - Derby County (2007/08) Most PL points in a season without winning the title 89 - Manchester United (2011/12) Fewest PL points in a season to win the title 75 - Manchester United (1996/97) Most PL points in a season for a club to be relegated 49 - Crystal Palace (1992/93 - 42 matches) 42 - West Ham United (2002/03 - 38 matches) Fewest PL points in a season for a club avoiding relegation 34 - West Bromwich Albion (2004/05)
Promotion/Relegation
Ever present PL clubsArsenal (1992/93 to date) Chelsea (1992/93 to date) Everton (1992/93 to date) Liverpool (1992/93 to date) Manchester United (1992/93 to date) Tottenham Hotspur (1992/93 to date) Promoted clubs never relegated from PL**Stoke City (2008/09 to date) Swansea City (2011/12 to date) AFC Bournemouth (2015/16 to date) All three promoted clubs avoiding relegation in a PL seasonFulham, Blackburn Rovers & Bolton Wanderers (2001/02) Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City & Swansea City (2011/12) All three promoted clubs being relegated in a PL seasonBolton Wanderers, Barnsley & Crystal Palace (1997/98) Clubs avoiding relegation from PL after being bottom at ChristmasWest Bromwich Albion (2004/05) Sunderland (2013/14) Leicester City (2014/15) Clubs promoted to PL most times 4 - Crystal Palace (1993/94, 1996/97, 2003/04 & 2012/13) 4 - Leicester City (1993/94, 1995/96, 2002/03 & 2013/14) 4 - Sunderland (1995/96, 1998/99, 2004/05 & 2006/07) 4 - West Bromwich Albion (2001/02, 2003/04, 2007/08 & 2009/10) Club relegated from PL most times4 - Crystal Palace (1992/93, 1994/95, 1997/98 & 2004/05) 4 - Norwich City (1994/95, 2004/05, 2013/14 & 2015/16)
Attendance
Highest PL single match attendance 76,098 - Old Trafford, Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers (31 March 2007) Highest PL season average attendance 75,821 - Old Trafford, Manchester United (2006/07) Lowest PL single match attendance 3,039 - Selhurst Park, Wimbledon v Everton (26 January 1993) Lowest PL season average attendance 8,353 - Selhurst Park, Wimbledon (1992/93)
Portsmouth's 7-4 victory over Portsmouth in 2007 is the Premier League's highest-scoring match
Matches
Biggest PL home win 9-0 – Manchester United v Ipswich Town (4 March 1995) Biggest PL away win 1-8 – Nottingham Forest v Manchester United (6 February 1999) Highest PL scoring match 7-4 - Portsmouth v Reading (29 September 2007) Highest PL scoring draw 5-5 - West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United (19 May 2013)
Players
Awards
Most PL winners' medals13 - Ryan Giggs
(Manchester United; 1992/93, 1993/94, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1998/99,
1999/00, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2010/11 &
2012/13) Most Player of the Season awards 2 - Thierry Henry (Arsenal; 2003/04 & 2005/06) 2 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United; 2006/07 & 2007/08) 2 - Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United; 2008/09 & 2010/11) Most Player of the Month awards 6 - Steven Gerrard (Liverpool; March 2001, March 2003, December 2004, April 2006, March 2009, March 2014)
Appearances
Most PL appearances 632 - Ryan Giggs (Manchester United; 1992/93 - 2013/14) Most PL seasons 22 - Ryan Giggs (Manchester United; 1992/93 - 2013/14) Most consecutive PL appearances310 - Brad Friedel (Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa & Tottenham Hotspur; 14 August 2004 - 7 October 2012) Most PL clubs played for 8 - Marcus Bent (Crystal
Palace, Blackburn Rovers, Ipswich Town, Leicester City, Everton,
Charlton Athletic, Wigan Athletic & Wolverhampton Wanderers; 1997/98
- 2010/11) Oldest PL player 43 years, 162 days - John Burridge (Manchester City v Queens Park Rangers; 14 May 1995) Youngest PL player 16 years, 65 days - Matthew Briggs (Middlesbrough v Fulham; 13 May 2007)
Goals
Alan Shearer is the Premier League record goalscorer with 260 goals
Top PL goal scorer 260 - Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers & Newcastle United; 1992/93 - 2005/06) Most PL goals at one club 178 - Wayne Rooney (Manchester United; 2004/05 - to date) Oldest PL goal scorer 40 years, 268 days - Teddy Sheringham (West Ham United v Portsmouth; 26 December 2006) Youngest PL goal scorer 16 years, 271 days - James Vaughan (Everton v Crystal Palace; 10 April 2005) Most consecutive PL matches scoring a goal 11 - Jamie Vardy (Leicester City; 29 August 2015 - 28 November 2015) Most PL seasons scoring a goal 21 - Ryan Giggs (Manchester United; 1992/93 - 2012/13) Most PL goals in a season* 34 - Andrew Cole (Newcastle United; 1993/94 - 42 matches) 34 - Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers; 1994/95 - 42 matches) 31 - Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers; 1995/96 - 38 matches) 31 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United; 2007/08 - 38 matches) 31 - Luis Suarez (Liverpool; 2013/14 - 38 matches) Most PL goals in a debut season30 - Kevin Phillips (Sunderland; 1999/00) Most PL goals in a calendar year 36 - Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers; 1995) First PL hat-trick Eric Cantona (Leeds United v Tottenham Hotspur; 25 August 1992) Fastest PL hat-trick 2 minutes, 56 seconds - Sadio Mane (Southampton v Aston Villa; 16 May 2015) Most PL hat-tricks 11 - Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers & Newcastle United; 1992/93 - 2005/06) Most PL goals in a single match 5 - Andrew Cole (Manchester United v Ipswich Town; 4 March 1995) 5 - Alan Shearer (Newcastle United v Sheffield Wednesday; 19 September 1999) 5 - Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur v Wigan Athletic; 22 November 2009) 5 - Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United v Blackburn Rovers; 27 November 2010) 5 - Sergio Aguero (Manchester City v Newcastle United; 03 October 2015) Most PL goals in one half 5 - Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur v Wigan Athletic; 22 November 2009)
Ledley King's goal against Bradford in 2000 is still the fastest in the Premier League
Fastest PL goal 10 seconds - Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur v Bradford City; 9 December 2000) Most PL goals scored from inside the box 227 - Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers & Newcastle United; 1992/93 - 2005/06) Most PL goals scored from outside the box 41 - Frank Lampard (West Ham United, Chelsea & Manchester City; 1997/98 - 2014/15) Most PL goals scored from headers 47 - Peter Crouch (Aston Villa, Southampton, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur & Stoke City; 2001/02 - 2014/15) Most PL penalties scored 56 - Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers & Newcastle United; 1992/93 - 2005/06) Most PL penalties missed 11 - Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers & Newcastle United; 1994/95 - 2003/04) Most PL own goals 10 - Richard Dunne (Manchester City, Aston Villa & Queens Park Rangers; 2004/05 - 2014/15)
Milestone goals
1st PL goal Brian Deane (Sheffield United v Manchester United; 15 August 1992) 5,000th PL goal Chris Sutton (Blackburn Rovers v Leicester City; 7 December 1996) 10,000th PL goal Les Ferdinand (Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham; 15 December 2001) 15,000th PL goal Moritz Volz (Fulham v Chelsea; 30 December 2006) 20,000th PL goal Marc Albrighton (Aston Villa v Arsenal; 21 December 2011)
Assists
Most PL assists 162 - Ryan Giggs (Manchester United; 1992/93 - 2013/14) Most PL assists in a season 20 - Thierry Henry (Arsenal; 2002/03)
Most PL assists in a match 4 - Dennis Bergkamp (Arsenal v Leicester City; 20 February 1999) 4 - Jose Antonio Reyes (Arsenal v Middlesbrough; 14 January 2006) 4 - Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers; 4 October 2009) 4 - Emmanuel Adebayor (Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United; 11 February 2012) 4 - Santi Cazorla (Arsenal v Wigan Athletic; 14 May 2013)
Goalkeepers
Petr Cech broke the Premier League clean sheet record at the end of 2015
Most PL clean sheets178 - Petr Cech (Chelsea & Arsenal; 2004/05 - to date) Most PL clean sheets at one club 162 - Petr Cech (Chelsea; 2004/05 - 2014/15) Most PL clean sheets in a season 21 - Petr Cech (Chelsea; 2004/05) 21 - Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United; 2008/09) Most consecutive PL matches without conceding 14 - Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United; 15 November 2008 - 18 February 2009) Most PL penalties saved 13 - David James (Liverpool, Manchester City & Portsmouth; 1992/93 - 2009/10)
Substitutes
Most subbed on PL player 142 - Shola Ameobi (Newcastle United & Crystal Palace; 2000/01 - 2014/15) Most subbed off PL player 134 - Ryan Giggs (Manchester United; 1992/93 - 2013/14) Most PL goals as a substitute 23 - Jermain Defoe (West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur & Sunderland; 2001/02 - to date)
Disciplinary
Most PL yellow cards 109 - Gareth Barry (Aston Villa, Manchester City & Everton; 1998/99 - to date) Most PL red cards 8 - Duncan Ferguson (Everton; 1994/95 - 2005/06) 8 - Patrick Vieira (Arsenal; 1997/98 - 2003/04) 8 - Richard Dunne (Everton & Manchester City; 1998/99 - 2008/09)
Most PL yellow cards in a season 14 - Mark Hughes (Southampton; 1998/99) 14 - Robbie Savage (Leicester City; 2001/02) 14 - Cheick Tiote (Newcastle United; 2010/11) 14 - Lee Cattermole (Sunderland; 2014/15) Most PL red cards in a season 3 - Vinnie Jones (Wimbledon; 1995/96) 3 - Slaven Bilic (Everton; 1997/98) 3 - David Batty (Newcastle United; 1997/98) 3 - Craig Short (Blackburn Rovers; 2001/02) 3 - Franck Queudrue (Middlesbrough; 2002/03) 3 - Wes Brown (Sunderland; 2013/14) 3 - Victor Wanyama (Southampton; 2015/16)
Managers
Sir Alex Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles at Manchester United
Most PL winners' medals13 - Sir Alex
Ferguson (Manchester United; 1992/93, 1993/94, 1995/96, 1996/97,
1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2010/11
& 2012/13) Most Manager of the Season awards 11 - Sir Alex
Ferguson (Manchester United; 1993/94, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1998/99,
1999/00, 2002/03, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2010/11 & 2012/13)
Most Manager of the Month awards 27 - Sir Alex Ferguson
(Manchester United; August 1993, October 1994, February 1996, March
1996, February 1997, October 1997, January 1999, April 1999, August
1999, March 2000, April 2000, February 2001, April 2003, December 2003,
February 2005, March 2006, August 2006, October 2006, February 2007,
January 2008, March 2008, January 2009, April 2009, September 2009,
January 2011, August 2011, October 2012) Most PL seasons 21 - Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United; 1992/93 – 2012/13) Most PL matches 810 - Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United; 1992/93 – 2012/13) Most PL wins 410 - Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United; 1992/93 – 2012/13) Most PL points 1,752 - Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United; 1992/93 – 2012/13) Most PL clubs managed 5 - Harry Redknapp (West Ham United, Portsmouth, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur & Queens Park Rangers; 1994/95 - 2014/15) 5 - Sam Allardyce (Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United, Sunderland; 2001/02 - 2015/16) 5 - Mark Hughes (Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers & Stoke City; 2004/05 - 2014/15)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hit back
Thursday at suggestions he is afraid to spend in the transfer market
amid concerns the Gunners are losing ground to other leading Premier
League clubs.
The north London club, who were last
crowned Premier League champions back in 2004, are estimated to have
cash reserves in the region of £200 million ($263 million, 232 million
euros).
But their only signing this summer has
been that of Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka for a reported £30
million from Borussia Moenchengladbach.
That is in stark contrast to the
transfer activity elsewhere, including Manchester United’s world-record
£89 million move to bring the French midfielder Paul Pogba back to Old
Trafford from Juventus amid several signings.
With centre-backs Gabriel and Per
Mertesacker injured, veteran French manager Wenger decided against
recalling defender Laurent Koscielny, as well as Olivier Giroud and
Mesut Ozil, for Sunday’s Premier League opener against Liverpool after
they were all involved at Euro 2016.
– Buying not the only way –
As a result, the fledgling partnership
of Calum Chambers and Rob Holding started in a 4-3 defeat — a result
that raised fresh questions about the strength of Arsenal’s defence and
the scope of their ambition amid accusations they’ve ‘settled’ for
finishing in the top four and a place in the Champions League
But Wenger, speaking ahead of Arsenal’s
trip to champions Leicester City on Saturday, said: “You (the media) are
absolutely convinced that I do not want to spend the money, but I
reassure you we are ready to spend the money.
“Buying calms the fans, of course, but
we have to make sure…it is important to spend money but we have to spend
it the right way,” the 66-year-old, in charge of Arsenal since 1996,
added.
“What I fight against is to think that the only way in football to deal, is to buy.
“It is right when you need the players
and you identify the players and we are not scared to spend money, but
to buy in itself is not a quality but to buy the good players is a
quality, and I think this club has been built on that.
“We had great success in the last 20 years in improving our structures and the main thing is based on a transfer policy.”
Wenger did try to sign striker Jamie
Vardy from Leicester, only for the England forward to decide to sign a
new contract with the Midlands club.
“You have to respect the decisions of
people and that’s part of it and I think on every transfer market you
have one or two who have decisions to make and you have to respect
them,” he said.
“I don’t think he has something special against us, I don’t see why he would.”
Arsenal beat Leicester home and away last season but still finished 10 points behind the shock champions.
Leicester started the defence of their
Premier League crown with a surprise 2-1 loss away to Hull City last
weekend and Wenger said: “The challenge for them is to do well again and
to show that their last year was not a one-off.
“They need to be capable of challenging
and will need to be to show if they can be considered as one of the top
teams in England.”
Chelsea’s Diego Costa admits he didn’t know about the new Premier League rules
Diego Costa was unaware of new Premier League rules before Chelsea v West Ham.
Diego Costa booked…
One of the least surprising moments in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over West Ham
was the fact that Diego Costa was booked for complaining to referee
Anthony Taylor after just 19 minutes.
Costa would eventually score an 89th minute winner for Chelsea and
was lucky to stay on the pitch with a pretty disgraceful challenge on
West Ham keeper Adrian in the second half that did not see Taylor flash
another yellow card.
“I’m finding this out now…”
But one of the more surprising aspects of the booking is that Costa did
not know about the new Premier League rules, announced at the end of
July.
These concern “dissent towards match officials”, which mean yellow cards will be issued to players who:
– Show visibly disrespectful behaviour to any match official
– Respond aggressively to decisions
– Confront an official face to face
– Run towards an official to contest a decision
Why did Chelsea not tell Costa about the new rules?
You would have imagined that Chelsea would have told Costa about these
new rules and that they would have been drummed into him ahead of the
big kick-off.
Perhaps Chelsea failed to do so as they expected the Brazilian-born Spanish striker to leave the club this summer?
The Federal Government says four of the five oil wells discovered in Lagos belong to the state.
It added that the fifth oil well could not have belonged to the state since its location fell outside the approved distance.
The Chairman, Indices and Disbursement
Committee, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Alhaji
Aliyu Mohammed, on Wednesday explained that the disproved oil well fell
beyond 200 metres isobaths and could not have legitimately belonged to
Lagos State.
Mohammed spoke at the Lagos Governor’s
office, Lagos House, Ikeja, during the visit of a delegation of the
committee, adding that the delegation was in the state for the purpose
of verifying crude oil and gas production from the recently discovered
Aje oil wells.
He said the verification by the
committee and its recommendation would facilitate the disbursement of 13
per cent derivation fund to the state in line with the Nigerian
Constitution.
According to Mohammed, as part of
procedure and in pursuant to its constitutional mandate, the commission
set up an inter-agency technical committee which comprised the
commission, the Department of Petroleum Resources, Office of the
Surveyor General of the Federation and the National Boundary Commission
to determine the location of the Aje oil wells.
He said, “The technical committee
recommended that for the purpose of derivation as spelt out under
Section 162 (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as the
provision of the Allocation of Revenue Act, 2004, Aje oil wells 1, 2, 4
and 5 fall within the 200m isobaths and therefore should be attributed
to Lagos State.
“As a result, the commission and members
of the inter-agency committee had to embark on this working visit to
conclude the process. Please, note that Aje oil well 3 falls beyond the
200m isobaths and therefore cannot be legitimately attributed to Lagos
State.”
He added that the commencement of oil
production from Aje oil field by Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company
Limited was the first time oil was being produced outside the Niger
Delta.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode described the
visit as historic. He pointed out that the visit marked the beginning of
the official step that would take Lagos to the final destination as an
oil-producing state.
Ambode said, “The discovery of oil in
Lagos State is significant for Nigeria. It is the first time that oil
would be produced outside the Niger Delta.
“It means that a new path to
diversification is what we are now witnessing. We will also encourage
other states to start activating their mineral deposits to expand the
Internally Generated Revenue.”
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says he wants to test Muslims coming into America to make sure they don't want Sharia law to supersede the US constitution. Meanwhile some states have passed, or are trying to pass, laws to curb the possibility of Sharia law making its way onto the books in the US.
With
the rise in recent years of both radical Islamic terrorism and
anti-Muslim bigotry, Sharia -- or Islamic religious law -- has become a
hot topic of debate.
Some
of its harsher versions can demand women clad in all black, adulterers
being stoned and thieves getting their hands cut off. But Sharia governs
many other areas of Muslim life, such as prayer. And many Muslims,
turning to Sharia for moral guidance, have more moderate and varied
interpretations.
Here's what you need to know about Sharia:
What does its name mean?
The
word Sharia means "the path," or "a road that leads one to water." It
refers to a set of principles that govern the moral and religious lives
of Muslims.
"Sharia represents how
practicing Muslims can best lead their daily lives in accordance with
God's divine guidance," according to Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
What's in Sharia?
Sharia
is based on Islam's holy book, the Quran, and the life of prophet
Mohammed. The majority of it concerns the faith of the individual and
how to practice Islam, along with guidance on when to pray and how to
fast during Ramadan.
Shariah law,
according to Muslims, includes "the principle of treating other people
justly, of making sure that the financial system treats people fairly
... and most importantly the basic principles of Islamic fate," says Harvard Law professor Noah Feldman.
It encompasses things like marriage, divorce, inheritance and punishments for criminal offenses.
Is it one law, or many?
While
the Quran and the life of the prophet make up Sharia, its
interpretation is called 'fikh' and is done through Muslim scholarship.
Most practicing Muslims take their cues about their faith from Sharia,
but it is not practiced uniformly.
Its implementation varies greatly across the Muslim world. A Pew religious landscape survey found that 57% of American Muslims say there is more than one way to interpret Islam's teachings.
Terror
groups such as ISIS are trying to implement a brutal version of Sharia
law, but millions of Muslims are guided by a much more moderate
interpretation.
Where is it practiced?
Sharia has been applied in varying degrees and with great diversity in practice
-- both by individual Muslims and predominantly Muslim countries. While
both Saudi Arabia and Iran claim to be ruled by Sharia, they differ
greatly in how they implement its laws.
When
asked about how they want their nations' laws crafted, many Muslims are
comfortable with Sharia governing family law but don't want to see severe corporate punishment implemented.
What do American Muslims want?
Most Muslims enjoy the religious freedom they need to practice their faith, which is guaranteed by the US constitution.
"It
doesn't consume my life that I want to make it the governing law of the
country I live in. I am very content to live in the US under the
constitution," says retired Lt. Col. Shareda Hosein in an interview with CNN. "And for me the constitution affords me my freedom of religion, which is the most important thing for me and other Muslims."
Godwin Emefiele, the CBN Governor, who disclosed this in Enugu during the 2nd launching
of the Enugu CBN’s Anchor Borrowers’ program, said the program was in
conjunction with the Okunerere Farms Limited (the anchor), and the Enugu
State Government.
