Leadership

SATURDAY No. 441

N300

FG To Try Nyako On Treasonable Felony – Tinubu

Nigeria Achieves 35% Drop In New HIV Infections

NEWS, PAGE 5

PAGE 9

Moles Sabotaging Fight Against Insurgents - Military Source PAGE 4

19.07.14

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

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Chibok Diary DAY 96

Escapee Chibok Girls Undergoing > Page 2 Post-trauma Counselling

Boko Haram Kills Scores, Razes Town 5

Sympathisers light candles and place flowers in front of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Kiev, to commemorate passengers of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 which crashed in eastern Ukraine.

PHOTO BY AFP

ramadan timing day 22

abuja - magrib: 7.00/alfijir:5.01

> Moreon Page 5

6 Killed in osun bank robbery

> Moreon Page 8

chibok diary 96

DAY

Saturday, July 19, 2014

CHIBOK FACTS ➔ President Goodluck Jonathan plans to meet parents of the abducted Chibok girls as well as elders of the Chibok community in Abuja

➔ That’s according to Doyin Okupe, the president’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, who said the meetings will take place next week after the leader sent them an official invitation.

Some of the #BringBackOurGirls campaigners singing a solidarity song during one of their meetings in Abuja. PHOTO

BY OYEDELE OMOKAGBO

➔ Director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center J. Peter Pham said "The failure of the government to even get a clear count further reinforces a perception of systemic governmental failure."

The Atlantic Council is an influential nonpartisan think tank in the field of international affairs.

➔ The European Union passed a resolution on July 17, 2014, "calling for immediate and unconditional release" of the abducted schoolgirls."

Chibok Girls: BBOG Plans Big For Day 100

BY CHIKA MEFOR

and

EJIKE EJIKE,

Abuja

The BringBackOurGirls group has revealed that it is planning major activities to mark the 100 days of the abduction of over 200 girls from Government Secondary School, Chibok, if the girls are not rescued before Wednesday.

The group, who refused to disclose the details of the planned activities for fear of being high-jacked, further revealed that it is not wishing for the girls to remain with the Boko Haram sect up until day 100, adding that it is ready to make the world aware that the

COMPILED BY AGBO AUGUSTINE

preaches peace, urging them to release the girls as they have committed no crime.

While narrating the outcome of her meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan, The 17 year activist noted that as the president of this country, Goodluck Jonathan must take responsibility for the rescue of the Chibok girls and ensure that they are returned safely and fast as their continued stay in the hands of the terrorists is no longer acceptable.

While calling on Nigerians to stop the discrimination in the name of religion or tribe and unite to become stronger in

the face of their common enemy-terrorists, she noted that president Jonathan pledged to meet with the parents of the missing girls and also ensure the safe return of the Chibok girls.

Malala called on the international community to unite in the fight for the protection of the girl-child as according to her, no child should be target of conflict.

Meanwhile, President Jonathan’s meeting with the parents of the abducted girls and some of the escaped girls is set to hold on Tuesday after the first one was rescheduled.

Escapee Chibok Girls Undergoing Post-trauma Counselling

BY KAREEM HARUNA, Maiduguri

➔ Distance Between Chibok, Borno State And Oron, Akwa Ibom State Road distance of 1158 Km travelled in 1 day(s) Day 1(1158Km) Day's Itinerary: Chibok – Oron Day's Travel Time: 939 Minutes - 15 hour(s) 39 minutes(s) Flight distance 945 Km Day 1 (945)Km Start: Chibok End: Oron * The above is an approximate. Road Conditions, Diversions, Weather Conditions, Traffic, etc. affect distance.

girls are still missing.

It also revealed that foreign counterparts like former prime minister of Britain, Tony Blair has pledged to support the group in its campaign if the girls are not returned before day 100.

Recall that recently, Pakistani Education Activist, Malala Yousafzai urged Boko Haram to lay down their weapons and release the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls.

Malala, who was speaking during her Malala Day speech, told the sect to stop using the name of Islam to perpetrate evil as Islam is a religion that

57 escapee Chibok schoolgirls will soon be completing a rigorous post-trauma counselling that will enable them adjust back to normal life, Borno government officials have said.

LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered from reliable sources at Government Secondary

School, Chibok that the girls have been camped at an undisclosed venue in one of the states for about two weeks now.

It is expected that after the counselling, they would be enrolled in new schools outside Borno State where they would repeat their final year classes and then retake the final exams that they couldn’t com-

plete due to their abduction on 14th April this year.

Principal of the school, Mrs Asabe Kwambura, who spoke to LEADERSHIP Weekend recently, confirmed that the girls were undergoing the counselling exercise in batches to avoid unnecessary attention from the public.

She however said the venue for the exercise was not meant

to be disclosed in order to safeguard the lives of the girls.

Borno State government had last month approved the sum of 150 million to the state ministry of health to organise post trauma care as well as other related medical needs for the 57 abducted girls as well as those in captivity, by the time they eventually got rescued.

European Parliament Calls For Unconditional Release Of Chibok Girls

BY AGBO-PAUL AUGUSTINE, Abuja with Agency Report

The European Parliament (EP) has added its voice to the ongoing campaign for the safe return of the over 200 abducted schoolgirls in Nigeria.

The Parliament in a resolution called for the immediate and unconditional release

of the abducted students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

The Parliamentarians said they were “extremely concerned about Boko Haram’s active targeting of women and children as part of its bloody guerrilla campaign.”

They also condemned the prohibition on access to edu-

cation for children, calling it a “flagrant violation of fundamental human rights”. adding that, the reports of forced conversions to Islam and the imposition of Sharia law was another source of “grave concern”.

The European Parliament called on the Nigerian government “to recognise and re-

spect freedom of the press and media and to allow journalists and reporters access to the front lines”.

The Parliament also urged the EU “to work with the UN and other international partners to cut off funding for, and restrict the movements of Boko Haram and, in particular, their leadership”.

3

our stand Saturday, July 19, 2014

Right Policy Against Monopolies

T

he privatisation policy of the federal government is, ostensibly, intended to do away with monopolies and their inefficiencies and replace them with a system that will give the consuming public a value for their hard-earned money.

Privatisation, for instance, worked in the power and telecommunications sectors.

Even though the unbundling of the power sector is yet to achieve the desired result, it is obvious that the nation is on its way to replicating what has been achieved in the telecommunications sector.

But there are fears by discerning consumers that the nation might be moving from monopolies controlled by government to ones controlled by some individuals in the private sector. It is, perhaps, to address these fears that the government decided to roll out a policy to break any unintended unfair monopolies and business practices, engender competition and protect the hapless consumers. Already, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) is putting together a draft bill in this regard that will be passed into law by the National Assembly.

Should the government achieve this, it would agree with global

best practices and, hopefully, minimise the emergence of private monopolies. Above all, according to the minister of industry, trade and investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, who presented a draft of this policy in Abuja recently, it has the intendment of encouraging enterprise, innovation, efficiency and widening of choice. Furthermore, he said, it will, if meticulously implemented, address the cartellike entities and anti-competition tendencies, protect the investing public and consumers as well as enable consumers to buy the goods and services they want at the best possible prices. The bill, the minister said, delineates the institutions, laws, regulations, orders, rulings and other

Ag. Editor Catherine Agbo Deputy Editors Kazeem Akintunde Editorial Board Safiya M. Adamu, Chairman Christian Ochiama, Deputy Chairman Standards Aniebo Nwamu, Director ’Lara Olugbemi, Assistant Director

implementation and enforcement tools that will allow competition and consumer protection matters to be dealt with.

Of course, we share the sentiments of the federal government in deciding to put in place this policy framework and we are persuaded to encourage and support it. However, we also point out that putting in place such hope-inducing policies are one thing and making sure they achieve the goal they set out to achieve is another. The consuming public has been at the receiving end of bad practices in business; they are ripped off constantly. It is happening in the real estate sector with all the policies in place. The presence of a regulator like the NCC has not stopped the private GSM networks from taking undue advantage of their consumers.

This is possible because of the inadequacies in the nation’s legal system as well as the absence of public enlightenment on the existence of such policies and how the average consumer can assuage wrongs done to him.

As we applaud the latest move by the federal government, therefore, we also urge the Consumer Protection Council and the National Orientation Agency to commence an aggressive enlightenment programme on it.

Founder Sam Nda-Isaiah Chairman Hajiya Ireti Kingibe Group Managing Director Azubuike Ishiekwene Group Executive Directors Michael Okpere Dr Kazeem Durodoye Company Secretary/ Legal Adviser Abdulhaleem Amin Divisional Directors Abdulmumin Balogun Ademola Oladosu Iyobosa Uwugiaren Salisu Alhassan Bichi General Managers Aminu Abubakar Sule Zipporah D. Tanko Joy Adekanye

Leadership

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Managing Director Abraham Nda-Isaiah Executive Director Nnamdi Samuel New York Office Mohammed Bello Shehu London Office Dr Bello Salihu Johannesburg Office Abiodun Oguntuase Business Manager Bilkisu Mohammed Rimi

LEADERSHIP is a national paper symbolically embedded in the nation’s capital.

We shall stand up for good governance. We shall defend the interest of Nigerian people even against their rulers, and we shall raise our pen at all times in defence of what is right. These are the values by which we intend to be assessed.

We shall never, ever for any reason forget the noble reason of our coming into being: For God and country!

4 news across the states 2015: Why Jonathan Will Win- Amb Bagudu, Abba Gana, Others The rumbles and defections that followed the convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will give President Goodluck Jonathan the edge to win the election by 2015, former minister of Foreign Affairs, Bagudu Hirse, has posited.

Also, former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Engr Muhammed Abba-Gana declared that President Goodluck Jonathan is a good candidate for the PDP, even though there is work to be done by the party.

Amb. Bagudu, and Gana stated these when they, under the aegis of Mandate Group, paid a courtesy call on the political adviser to the president, Prof Rufai Ahmed Alkali, in his office in Abuja.

Other members of the group that came for the visit are former minister of Information, John Odey; Obadia Ando, Emmanuel Ogidi, Chief Chinedu Maduagwu, Mrs Onyekaba Rosemary, Dr Uche Okafor Cijeyu Ojong and Dr Iby Ofem.

Amb. Bagudu noted that the disenchantment that trailed the opposition party’s convention signalled a victory fait accompli for Jonathan.

By Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Moles Sabotaging Fight Against Insurgents – Military Source

By Bayo Oladeji, Abuja

Reacting to comments made by the chairman of the newly inaugurated Committee on Victim Support Fund, General Theophilus Danjuma (Rtd.) to the effect that the war against Boko Haram insurgents is taking too long, a serving general within the Nigerian army, said moles who have ceased being loyal to the Constitution of Nigeria are largely responsible for the seemingly failure of the counter-insurgency

in the North East.

General Danjuma, while making comments after the inauguration last Wednesday, had expressed worry over the protracted war against terrorism and had asked the government to as a matter of urgency act fast and ensure that Boko Haram is brought to its knees.

He had said that: “The insurgents appear to be having a upper hand at this very moment. They pick and choose where to strike; they are even holding positions and dis-

placing us. We must win this war Mr President. We must do so immediately.”

But in a swift reaction to the challenge, a serving general said some of the problems standing between the military and victory over the terrorists, include desertion, delay in the trial of arrested suspected terrorists, hostility of some communities in the north east, political elites sympathetic to the insurgents, lack of motorable roads, insufficient mobility on the part of the troops, un-

due criticism of the troops, peculiarity of the counter-insurgency operations, amongst others.

According to him, “I read what General Danjuma said and I can really understand his position, but perhaps if he had known what we are going through, especially the challenges we are facing over the counter-insurgency operation, he would have given us kudos for how we are able to contain the insurgents,” the general, who does not want his name in print said.

short news LR: Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (nscdc) Enugu State, Mr Nathaniel Ubong; representative of Enugu State government, Mr Chime Richard and representative of Commandant, Nigerian Army 82 Garrison, Capt. Umar Garba, at the Nscdc 2014 security summit in Enugu, yesterday.

PHOTO BY NAN

NEPC Partners Tony Elumelu Foundation To Increase Non-oil Exports As part of its mandate to create a more competitive Nigerian economy, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Tony Elumelu Foundation have entered into a one-year partnership, in efforts to help improve Nigeria’s share of the global, non-oil export market.

Under the new agreement, the foundation has provided NEPC with a technical advisor, Maureen Ideozu, through its Elumelu Fellowship Programme. In addition, two associates from the Elumelu Professionals Programme-Lawi Laktabai and Jean-Yves Mutanda are also working with key NEPC officers to increase Nigeria’s export of agricultural products.

Speaking on the partnership, chief executive of NEPC Mr Olusegun Awolowo, said, “NEPC is benefiting from the public good initiative of the Tony Elumelu Foundation. The consistent input from the embedded Elumelu Fellow and Visiting Masters interns are of tremendous value to the strategic repositioning of the council. I am very pleased with this partnership as we jointly work towards the socioeconomic development of our country and diversification of our economy.”

By Bukola Idowu, Lagos

short news Senator Mourns Gov. Wada’s Father

Vice chairman, senate committee on navy, and senator representing Kogi east in the senate, Atai Aidoko Ali, has expressed his shock and distress over the death of Pa Wada Ajiga, the father of Kogi State governor, Idris Wada.

The older Wada died aged 100 years at his country home, Ayingba in Dekina local government.

In a statement by his media aide, Mr Musa Wada, Aidoko said by this development “Nigeria has lost one of its pillars of kindness and generosity.” He recalled the deceased’s “many kindness to the less privileged and words of encouragement to many families in times of calamities.”

Aidoko stated: “While we understand the inevitability of death for all humans, we appreciate how Pa Wada Ajiga will be missed by all who knew him and particularly the executive governor and his family.

$8.39m Fraud: Appeal Court Dismisses Ajudua’s Application

By OLUGBENGA SOYELE, Lagos

The Lagos division of the Court of Appeal yesterday threw out an application filed by alleged fraud kingpin, Fred Ajudua, challenging the competence of the charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC had arraigned Ajudua before Justice Atinuke Ipaye of the Lagos High Court over allegations of defrauding a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ishaya Bamaiyi of about $8.39million between November 2004 and June 2005.

But the accused persons had challenged the 14-count charge, stating that the evidence did not disclose

any case against him and that the court lacks the jurisdiction to conduct the trial.

The lower court, after listening to argument from parties in the matter, had dismissed the objection.

Dissatisfied, Ajudua proceed to the appellate court to challenge the decision of Justice Ipaye, he contended that the lower court erred in law when it held that he could be tried under the repealed Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 1995.

Ajudua’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo, submitted in the Appellant’s Brief of Argument and Appellant’s Reply Brief of Argument dated May 13 and June 11 respectively, that at the time Bamaiyi petitioned the EFCC over the alleged offence in 2006, the

law upon which the 14-count charge was framed was no longer in existence.

Maintaining that the proof of evidence did not support the charge, Ojo said: “The information as constituted at the lower court is procedurally and substantively incompetent.”

However, in a unanimous ruling on Friday the Court of Appeal affirmed the decision of the trial court that the charge was competent.

Ajudua is alleged to have fraudulently collected a total sum of $8.39million in instalments, by falsely claiming that the payments represented the professional fees charged by Chief Afe Babatola, SAN, to handle Bamaiyi’s case in court and to facilitate his release from prison.

We’ve Not Abandoned Immigration Recruitment Victims –FG

By George Agba, Abuja

Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, has reiterated federal government’s commitment to fulfilling its promise to the victims of the failed immigration recruitment exercise, which claimed the lives of some job seekers early this year.

In a statement by his special assistant on media, George Udoh, the minister who noted that the relief project for victims of the exercise has not been abandoned, hinted that the presidential committee has almost completed its

assignment.

He added that the Immigration and Prisons will not hesitate to implement the president’s directives on the palliatives for the families of the victims at the end of the presidential committee’s assignment.

Clarifying that the apparent delay in not implementing the directives up to this moment was due to the need to exercise due diligence and to ensure that due process is not abused and genuine claimants are not omitted in the recruitment exercise, Moro

further disclosed that since the presidential pronouncement, the ministry, the presidential committee, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and even the ministry of Justice had been inundated with many claims, some of which are false.

“Consequently, the minister passionately ask Nigerians, particularly families of those who were affected in the failed Immigration recruitment exercise for further patience and understanding so as not to be stampeded into making avoidable mistakes,” Udoh stated.

IBB, Abdulsalami, Borno Gov Meet in Minna Grappling with security and likely political challenges in his state, Borno State governor, Kassim Shettima, held a closed-door meeting yesterday at the hilltop mansion of Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.

LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that the governor arrived at the residence shortly after the Friday prayers yesterday with his retinue.

The governor, it was learnt, spent about an hour at the house of the former Nigerian leader before leaving the house at about 3.30 pm.

It was learnt that the governor entered into a closed meeting with the former military president immediately he arrived at the residence after the Jumat prayers.

It was also gathered that former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar and the closest neighbour of IBB at the hill top, later Joined the duo at the latter’s house.

The details or the reason for the visit of the governor was not known, but speculations are that the governor visited the former Nigerian leaders due to the current security challenges in his state.

By Abu Nmodu, Minna

NEWS 5

Saturday, July 19, 2014

LIVING TO BE 100

One health tip daily Make Fitness Fun

Plenty of people engage in stop-and-start exercising they begin an activity and then lose ineterst. But the key to benefiting from exercise is consistency. It’s essential to find an activity you enjoy. This sounds like common sense, but I find many people wasting their money paying for a gym membership when they obviously dislike going there. Shop around until you find physical activities you like, whether dancing, rollerblading, jumping on a trampoline, golfing, or riding your bike.

When you like what you do day after day, you’ll have fun exercising.

Scores Killed, Town Razed In Damboa Attack

By Abdulkareem Haruna, Maiduguri

Residents of Damboa, a town in Borno State, were yesterday evening picking the corpses of their dead ones after an early dusk attack by about 300 Boko Haram gunmen.

The terrorists had invaded the town, located about 85km south of Maiduguri, shooting and killing defenceless villagers even as they torched nearly half of homes in the town.

A top security official who did not want to be named confirmed the attack but said “no details on extent of damage yet”.

Vigilante official Abbas Gava told journalists that “the casualty could be very high because my contacts in Damboa said they have picked over 40 corpses and they are still picking more; and many houses, nearly half of what remains of the often attacked town, have been burnt”.

“They attacked the house of Damboa chief imam and that of the local government chairman and destroyed everything there,” said Gava.

He said the gunmen descended upon the villagers when they were about to perform the early dawn prayers.

Boko Haram gunmen attacked a military base in Damboa killing dozens of soldiers and four policemen a fortnight ago.

The gunmen had laid a siege along the road leading from Maiduguri to Damboa and had forced soldiers going to the attacked base for evacuation of its destroyed munitions to turn back by launching some ambush shooting on them twice. Two more soldiers were reported dead in one of the ambush attacks. But the soldiers were able to return fire from an armoured tanker at a sniper with a rocket launcher who was firing from atop a tree,

while others were shooting from the surrounding bushes, a witness said.

Boko Haram had also cut off access to Damboa from the southern part of the road coming from Biu town, 100km from Damboa, by blowing up a major bridge on the highway, at a hamlet called Sabongari last Monday.

Damboa, an agrarian village where Borno State sources most of its grocery and fruit supply, has suffered several attacks in the past two years. It was the reason the 7 Division of the Nigeria Army established an operational base called 33 Tank Battalion in Damboa. But since after the attack before yesterday’s, neither the soldiers nor the police could return to Damboa. The embattled villagers were left at the mercy of the sticks-and dane gun-carrying youth vigilante called CivilianJTF.

FG To Try Nyako On Treasonable Felony – Tinubu

By GEORGE OKOJIE, Lagos, MOHAMMED ISMAIL, Yola, and Chibuzo Ukaibe, Abuja

Former Lagos State governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu yesterday said the federal government is planning to try former governor of Adamawa State Murtala Nyako, after forcefully removing him, on a treasonable felony that might see Nyako being imprisoned for life.

The Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he said, were behind the impeachment of Nyako.

In a statement made available to journalists in Lagos, the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said President Goodluck Jonathan’s ambition of gluing himself to power could destroy the nation’s democracy.

Tinubu said the government harassed the governor through the media, noting: “This kangaroo impeachment is government’s way of punishing Nyako. The plan is to use the content of the letter he wrote to the northern governors as a basis to try him for treasonable felony and eventually sentence him to life imprisonment.

“Nyako’s frank, if roughedged, letter concerning the security situation apparently infuriated the monarch of Aso Villa who has become so arrogant as to believe no opposition against him is justified; thus he has the liberty to impose his brand of injustice to crush those who oppose him. Before our eyes and under Jonathan’s watch, Nigeria is gradually descending to fascism. We must all act now before it consumes us all,” he said.

He pointed out that Nyako’s impeachment is an aberration of Nigeria’s constitution and a setback to the nation’s democracy: “Under the constitution, a governor can only be impeached for ‘gross misconduct’. For the PDP, Nyako’s crime was not the false allegations contained in the articles of impeachment.

“Perhaps, Governor Nyako’s greatest sin is his temerity to speak truth to power albeit in a courageous way. On two different occasions, he gave an unvarnished insight into the Boko Haram menace and the insecurity engulfing northern Nigeria.

“At the Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, this year, when he visited with other northern governors, he placed the blame for the Boko Haran insurgency on the Jonathan presidency.

“He then followed this up with a detailed letter to the forum of the Northern governors in which he accused the Jonathan-led government of genocide against the north.

This rattled and unsettled the government.

“In impeaching Governor Nyako, the PDP used the constitution to abuse the constitution and the democracy it is supposed to enshrine. Governor Nyako’s impeachment must be seen completely as a political move to punish him and deter others from leaving the PDP.” He argued that, if there were really cases of misconduct, the House of Assembly wouldn’t have waited till he left the PDP. “Upon leaving the PDP, his actions suddenly became

the meat for impeachment.

There is only one thing new which was not then present.

The governor’s political party affiliation changed. In the PDP’s mind, his party change transmitted him from the list of those to be praised to the list of those to be persecuted.

“He and the PDP contrived the removal of Governor Nyako from office. This is a temporary and costly victory for it reveals more and more the undemocratic heart of the man who rules over the nation.

“He now justifies his illegal and immoral acts by claiming that any show of dissent or opposition to him is the product of partisanship and thus not to be seriously considered.

“This is what all dictators tell themselves and he has become one. As such, he believes he can turn his back on the will and welfare of the people in order to attain his personal ambitions.

Yet, while he may ignore the people, even he cannot make them disappear nor can he keep them for seeing him for what he is.

“If he truly believes the false acclaim of his coterie and party dregs are genuine, let him stop these contrived attacks against opposition politicians. If he believes so much in himself, let the people decide things at the polls.”

He added that impeaching duly elected opposition politicians will not increase the president’s and the ruling party’s popularity.

Attempts to get reactions from Dr. Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity were not possible as both a text

Nyako message and email sent to him went unanswered. Calls and texts sent to both Olisa Metu, National Publicity secretary of the PDP and Dr Doyin Okupe, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs were also not responded to.

Nyako’s commissioners to pitch tent with PDP soon

Some commissioners who served under former Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State for seven years are now courting the acting governor, Ahmad Umaru Fintiri, by planning to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The move of the commissioners followed a courtesy call they paid on the new acting governor less than 48 hours after Nyako was impeached, ostensibly to congratulate him but with a desire to shift their loyalty to him.

The leader of the delegation of the former commissioners

who was also the chairman of the Commissioner’s Forum, Alhaji Aminu Iyawa, has been the most ardent supporter and loyalist of Governor Nyako’s regime in the last seven years.

Investigations by LEADERSHIP showed that some of the commissioners even lent support to the lawmakers, especially those who were affected by the cabinet reshuffle done by Nyako a few weeks before the impeachment proceedings commenced.

The speculation that the excommissioners are heading to the PDP was corroborated by a ranking PDP member in the state who pleaded anonymity: “Yes, we have been stating that most of the commissioners are not with Nyako but the governor refused to listen because the so-called commissioners were able to maintain their deceit on the governor, but the visit they paid to the acting governor has vindicated us.”

He added, “Very soon, we will receive them in a grand ceremony.”

However, during their visit to the acting governor, the former commissioners said that their former boss was destined to be impeached by God. The leader of the former commissioners, while delivering his speech, said they did everything humanly possible to reconcile the embattled governor with the lawmakers but their effort could not yield the desired result.

I have returned mandate to PDP - acting governor Meanwhile, acting governor of Adamawa State Alhaji Ahmadu ➔ CONTINUES ON PAGE 6

6 NEWS

Saturday, July 19, 2014

FG To Try Nyako On Treasonable Felony – Tinubu ➔ FROM PAGE 5

Umaru Fintiri has visited the national leadership of the PDP and declared that he has returned the mandate from recently removed governor of the state Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd).

He also pledged his loyalty to the national leadership of the PDP. Fintiri, who spoke with journalists after a closeddoor meeting with the

deputy national chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, at Legacy House, Abuja, further declared that his assumption of office as acting governor signals the restoration of PDP to the people of Adamawa State.

He said, “As a loyal and obedient party member, I came on a courtesy call to my party and the National Working Committee, NWC, as my first assignment after the battle to remove

Governor Nyako who had stolen the mandate of the PDP under which he was elected for eight years.”

He continued, “I came here to bring back the mandate and I have handed over to them the mandate.

I promise that I will work together with the party, its leadership, the people of Adamawa to ensure that our party is restored to the people.”

The PDP national leadership

however promised to give the acting governor all the support he needs, noting that the removal of Nyako would cleanse the rot the people of the state had experienced.

The national publicity secretary of PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, expressed confidence that Fintiri would restore dignity to the party and tackle “the rot and the damage caused the party by former governor Nyako”.

Gunmen Kill 5 In Kaduna Fresh Attacks

BY MIDAT JOSEPH, Kaduna

Unknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have again killed five persons in the troubled Sanga local government area of Kaduna State.

The gunmen carried out the attacks in the early hours of yesterday at Fadan Karshi village in Sanga, injuring scores of villagers who had gone to their farms.

Gunmen had last month

invaded some villages in the local government killing at least 200, with over 27,000 people displaced.

Sanga local government chairman, Mr Emmanuel Adamu who confirmed the attack, said the gunmen carried out the attack in the border villages of Fadan Karshi community and killed five people. According to him, “the gunmen took us is unawares.”

A resident of the area, Philemon, told our correspondent the gunmen

invaded the community at about 5 am shooting from one house to another. He said the shooting resulted in the killing of five people, while several others are currently displaced.

According to him, “Many people ran out of that community during the previous attacks. Just few days ago, some of them returned only for this attack to take place again.

The gunmen came with sophisticated weapons, shooting and chanting.

The other person that was injured is now receiving treatment at the hospital.”

Chairman of the local government who described the latest attack as unfortunate, said, “We are still confused about what is happening in our local government. Not up to a month that about 200 people were killed, with over 27,000 people displaced; five people have now been killed today (yesterday) morning with a lot of people displaced again.”

Ekiti: Labour Unions, JNC Clash Over Rights

By ALO ABIOLA, ADO-EKITI

Organised labour unions in Ekiti State have kicked against the Joint Public Service Negotiating Committee (JNC)’s 7-day ultimatum issued to Governor Kayode Fayemi to pay up three months gratuities owed the retirees and other deductions or face an indefinite strike.

Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) were reacting to a statement issued by JNC in Ado-Ekiti and signed by its chairman, Com Oladipupo Johnson and secretary, Com Oladele Blessing on Friday, asking Governor Fayemi to also pay all deductions from April, May and June salaries of all

workers in the state to avert industrial crisis.

Speaking with the newsmen on the matter, the JNC chairman, who disclosed that the ultimatum commenced from July 17, 2014, said that the body has the right to call workers for strike action under the trade union Acts, contrary to the claims of NLC and TUC. The statement said that as a result of the hardship being experienced by workers due to the non-payment of gratuities to retirees and non-remittance of cooperative and union deductions, the union under the leadership of JNC, hereby gave the state government a 7-day ultimatum, within which all these must be paid, failing which the entire workforce will

embark on indefinite strike.

But the TUC chairman in the state, Com. Kolawole Olaiya, while condemning the ultimatum, said the JNC lacks the moral right to declare industrial action without recourse to TUC and NLC. Olaiya said JNC has failed to follow laid down procedures and principles as provided by law to call for workers to down their tools.

Also corroborating TUC’s position, the NLC chairman in the state, Com Ayodeji Aluko, said if there is going to be any strike, all procedures must be followed. “They can only embark on strike after all negotiations have failed, but this is not the case in this matter. So, to us in NLC, the

strike is illegal.”

Olaiya said, “Before you can declare industrial strike, the employers and the employees must meet. You have to even go to the ministry of Labour after which you give the government a notice of 21 days, followed by 14 days, then another 7 days and ends with a 3 day ultimatum, before you embark on strike if your demands are not met,” Olaiya said.

He said he had met with the state accountant-general and agreed that all the outstanding allowances will be paid by August and September, urging workers not to recognise the call for another industrial feud at this critical time, when the government is in transit.

Desertification: Katsina Raises 2.5Million Seedlings Yearly

By Muazu Elazeh, Katsina

Katsina state government raises 2.5 million seedlings annually to help combat desertification, the state governor, Ibrahim Shehu Shema has said.

Speaking at Daje Village, during the launching of tree planting for the Great Green Wall Programme, Shema said the seedlings are raised through the twenty nurseries scattered across the state, noting that they are distributed freely to farmers for planting.

Shema who spoke through the state deputy governor,

Abdullahi Garba Faskari said the state government had committed over N6 million on environment protection related programme.

He insisted that protecting the environment was the responsibility of all and urged residents to engage in aggressive tree planting so as to protect the eco system and reduce the dangers of desertification and land degradation.

Shema who disclosed that 10 local governments in the state are involve in the Great Green Wall Programme, said the state government would

remained committed to the implementation of the Programme.

Shema listed Katsina state government’s commitment to addressing desertification to include the planting of 28 kilometre shelter belts, the strengthening of forestry department and the employment of forest guards, assuring that the state would not waver in its commitment to aggressively pursue programmes and policies that would help make the environment friendly.

In her speech at the occasion, Minister of Environ-

ment, Laurentia Laraba Mallam said the programme aimed to establish shelter belt and promote agro-forestry, plantation of economic trees and supporting efficiency in the use of fuel-wood and alternatives.

The minister who spoke through an Afforestation /Capacity Building Officer in the ministry, Saminu Ado, said the programme covers 11 frontline states including Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa and Katsina adding that a contiguous green belt will run from Northwest to Northeast.

ramadan timing Day 22 Towns

Magrib

Abuja

7.00

Alfijr 5.01

Aba

6.56

5.04

Abakaliki

6.53

5.03

Abeokuta

7.10

5.20

Akure

7.03

5.12

Ankpa

6.57

5.06

Argungu

7.12

5.10

Auchi

7.02

5.10

Awka

7.03

5.05

Azare

6.50

4.48

Bama

6.39

4.34

Bauchi

6.51

4.53

Benin

7.05

5.11

Bichi

6.58

4.56

Bida

7.05

5.06

Birnin Gwari

7.04

5.04

B/Kebbi Gwandu

7.13

5.10

Biu

6.42

4.41

Calabar

6.50

5.01

Damaturu

6.42

4.40

Daura/Kazaure

7.01

4.41

Dutse

6.52

4.53

Enugu

6.54

5.03

Funtua/Malumfashi

7.02

4.59

Gembu

6.47

4.47

Gombe

6.45

4.45

Gusau

7.01

5.02

Gwadabawa

7.12

5.03

Hadejia

6.50

4.48

Ibadan

7.14

5.15

Ife

7.09

5.12

Ilesha Baruba

7.11

5.11

Ilorin

7.07

5.13

Jalingo

6.42

4.45

Jere/Suleija

6.59

5.00

Jos

6.56

4.54

Kabba

7.04

5.06

Kafanchan

6.58

4.57

Keffi/Nasarawa

6.58

4.57

Kaiama

7.13

5.14

Kafin Maiyaki

6.58

4.54

Kaduna

6.57

5.00

Kano

6.53

4.55

Katsina

7.01

4.57

Kontagora

7.07

5.09

Lafia

6.53

4.57

Lagos

7.12

5.18

Lokoja

6.57

5.09

Maiduguri

6.35

4.38

Makurdi

6.54

4.56

Minna

7.01

5.07

Missau

6.47

4.47

Monguno

6.38

4.30

Mubi

6.37

4.37

Nguru

6.47

4.45

Ningi

6.51

4.52

Okene

7.07

5.07

Ogbomosho

7.12

5.15

Onitsha

7.00

5.10

Oyo

7.14

5.17

Port Harcourt

6.59

5.14

Potiskum

6.45

4.43

Saki

7.06

5.17

Shagamu

7.07

5.23

Sokoto

7.07

5.08

Umuahia

6.58

5.02

Warri

6.57

5.17

Wukari

5.45

4.57

Wurno

7.11

5.03

Yenagoa

6.39

4.40

Yola

6.36

4.40

Zaria

6.58

5.01

Cotonnou-Benin

7.16

5.20

Ndjamena-Chad

6.27

4.27

Niamey-Niger

7.22

5.19

Zinder – Niger

6.59

4.46

Younde-Cameroun

6.40

4.46

Garoua – Cameroun

6.34

4.39

(Source: Timing Committee, Islamic Research and Timing Organisation Kaduna)

Recommended DU’A for Day 22 Pray an 8 Raka’ah Salaat, In every Raka’ah recite Surah Al-Fatiha and any other Surah.

Then say: ALLAHUMMAJ-A’L LEE FEEHI ILAA MARZ”AATIKA DALEELAA WA LAA TAJ-A’L LISHSHAYT’AANI FEEHI A’LAYYA SABEELA WAJ-A’LIL JANNATA LEE MANZILAN WA MAQEELAA YAA QAAZ”IYA H’AWAAA-IJIT’ T’AALIBEEN. Meaning: O Allah, on this day, show me the way to win Your pleasure, do not let Shaytan have a means over me, make Paradise an abode and a resting place for me, O the One who fulfills the requests of the needy.

Compiled by Al-Amin Ciroma

7

Saturday, July 19, 2014

CONCERNED OSHIMILI CITIZENS House 8, Ezenei Street, Asaba, Delta State

Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, President & Commander-in-Chief, Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Dear sir,

THE UNWARRANTED ATTACK ON DR (MRS) MARIAN NNEAMAKA ALI AT THE PEOPLES DEMOCRACTIC PARTY (PDP) STAKEHOLDERS’ MEETING AT THE PARTY SECRETARIAT ASABA BY THE STATE PARTY CHAIRMAN, MR PETER NWAOBOSHI AND HIS THUGS, ON THE 11TH JULY 2014 OUR PLEA FOR JUSTICE We write to draw the attention of The President of The Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan,GCFR and The National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), The Governor of Delta State, The National Woman Leader, the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party and the general public to the unwarranted violent attack and molestation resulting in bodily harm on the Dr. (Mrs) Marian Nneamaka Ali at the PDP stakeholders meeting held at the party’s Secretariat in Asaba on the 11th July 2014.

removed the duly elected executive members after allegedly forging the party’s national legal adviser’s signature.

As concerned citizens of Asaba/Oshimili, in Oshimili Local Government, Delta State, we vehemently decry the act of thuggery, assault and humiliation meted to Dr (Mrs) Marian Nneamaka Ali at the People’s Democratic Secretariat Stakeholders meeting in Asaba on the 11th July 2014, by Mr Peter Nwaboshi, the party chairman and his thugs.

Sir, that a married woman of such status was beaten up at the PDP Secretariat was a show of indecency, indiscipline and disrespect to Mr. President and the entire PDP by Mr Peter Nwaboshi and his rampaging thugs. Even if she sat on a chair designated for another person is that enough reason to forcefully eject and beat her up?

We state as follows: That the allegation that Dr (Mrs) Marian Ali breached protocol in seating arrangement hence she was beaten up was hogwash and inexcusable for the indecent and brutal treatment meted to our sister, Dr (Mrs) Marian Ali, our daughter.

As a gender sensitive party, the action of Peter Nwaoboshi was a negation of the avowed respect for woman as espoused by the PDP.

In a setting of such high profile meeting should they not have provided ushers whose responsibility will be to navigate the guests to their seats?

Is the State Party Chairman, Mr Peter Nwaboshi, the protocol officer in the stakeholders meeting? Even if all the chairs on the high table were taken, should the organizers NOT provide a chair for Dr Mrs Ali, for the avoidance of doubt, apart from being a very senior member of PDP and the wife of a former PDP National Chairman, she is also a staff of Mr. President by virtue of being Special Adviser to The President of Federal Republic of Nigeria on Intergovernmental Affairs and a member of BoT of our great party. Is her status not enough to guarantee her respect and decent treatment in a PDP function?

The argument by Peter Nwaoboshi and his cohorts that the highly esteemed Dr. Mariam Ali was not invited to the stakeholders’ forum is to say the least paedestrian and callous. Does a member of BoT of the PDP need an invitation before attending a function at the party’s secretariat, moreso at her home state? Were they engaging in anti-party activities that they were trying to shield from responsible and right-thinking people?

“She was manhandled, humiliated and pushed away. Her gold necklace and other valuables were lost in the process. Chief Solomon Ogba, the speaker, former deputy governor, and others, were there but nobody could do anything. Nwaoboshi forgot so soon how he was brought from the trenches, and made what he is today by the same woman he has fought. This was the same woman who made him, that he is fighting because of his tall ambition that he will never achieve,” Okocha Victor said.

More importantly, it is a taboo in our culture to beat a married woman (that is, someone else’s wife). It is akin to rape. We demand JUSTICE. This act of abomination will also require traditional cleansing of our land. This underscores the gravity of the obnoxious committed by Mr Peter Nwaboshi and his thugs.

We demand an explanation urgently as to why Mr Peter Nwaboshi and his thugs subjected our sister, mother and an Asaba High Chief to such unprovoked public humiliation, assault, bodily harm and trauma.

We are peace loving and very accommodating people but to beat up our daughter in her home town is a sacrilege of monumental proportion which ordinarily would have necessitated a very violent reaction. We have held our peace out of deference to Mr. President and the State Governor in the hope that Mr Peter Nwaboshi will be severely sanctioned and an apology tendered to our community.

This rascality should be punished to assuage the confidence of our people that there is rule of law and respect for the dignity of womanhood in the nation and respect for our community.

The Chairs were unlabelled as claimed by Peter Nwaoboshi and his co-travellers and so the breach of protocol was an afterthought by him for the orchestrated violent assault on our daughter.

Sir, we restively await the reaction of the authorities at the national level of our great party for this dishonour and brutality to our daughter by Mr Peter Nwaboshi, the state PDP party chairman.

The accounts of the incident in the media were largely at variance with the claims of Peter Nwaoboshi and his hired megaphones, especially the so-called Forum of PDP Local Government Chairmen, whose members merely rehearsed the tunes dictated by their paymaster in their publications in the VANGUARD, LEADERSHIP and other National Dailies on Thursday, July 17, 2014.

Long live PDP! Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria!!

What do you expect from some PDP Local Government Chairmen, who were handpicked by Peter Nwaoboshi? What do you expect from the chairmen, who were just given new cars from the money illegally collected from chairmanship and councillorship aspirants from the 25 local government areas of the state in the October 2014 council poll? It is understandable when one realises that some of them have been jumping into rickety commercial buses to move from one point to another. Obviously, Nwaoboshi has offered them a new lease of life and since one good turn deserves another, it was a pay back time for them.

MEMBERS OF OTUHAZA OF ASABA GOvERNING COUNCIL OF ASABA

These misguided chairmen would soon face the wrath of the aspirants whose money were used to puurchase these cars because we have it on good authority that the candidates of PDP for the various positions in the council poll have been selected by Peter Nwaoboshi and his cohorts. It is being rightly speculated that Peter Nwaoboshi has ruled out primaries to allow for the emergence of popular candidates for PDP. Sir, various accounts in the media pointed at Peter Nwaoboshi as the Aggressor in the needless disgraceful scenario of July 11, 2014 in Asaba.

Sir, for instance, the fearless SaharaReporters, which is not known to take sides with people in your government reported thus: “Decorum was said to have been thrown into the wind Friday, 11th July, 2014, when the Delta State Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and youths suspected to be loyal to the party chairman, allegedly in broad day light beat up and tore the clothes of the wife of the former PDP national chairman, Mrs. Marian Nneamaka Ali. “The show of shame occurred when the State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, had waited to come and perform the formal commissioning of the newly built state secretariat of the party. It was a presentation of vehicles to the 25 local government party chairmen in the state.

“A SaharaReporters correspondent learned that trouble started at the state party secretariat following a heated argument between the state party chairman, and the wife of the former PDP national chairman. It was all over a seat.

“In recalling her ordeal, the wife of the former PDP national chairman, Mrs. Mariam Nneamaka Ali, alleged that as a Board of Trustee member of the party, she had been, on several occasions, ‘sidelined’ by the state party chairman and others.

“According to Nneamaka Ali, “A PDP caucus meeting (Delta State) was held in Abuja on the 8th of July, 2014, and as a Board member, I was deliberately not invited and just today, another stakeholder meeting was held at the state party secretariat. The same way the same thing happened, I was not informed until someone called me that since I am in town, it will be nice and wise for me to attend, and I went.

On arrival, I saw two vacant seats besides the former deputy governor, Chief Benjamin Elue, and the speaker, Mr. Peter Onwusanya.

I quietly seated [myself] and immediately, to my surprise, the MC of the ceremony publicly announced that where I was seated was not meant for me,” she said.

“As that was happening, the state party chairman, Peter Nwaoboshi, was called to the scene, and walked up to me, and asked me to stand up from the seat. And before anyone could say, ‘Jack Robinson,’ he started dragging me and slapped me and started fighting me, and I sprang up from my seat in defense and immediately, over a hundred youths gathered and started attacking me, and tore my clothes,” she stated angrily in recalling her ordeal.

“Also recalling the incident in the same vein, a former political assistant to the state governor and PDP stalwart, Mr. Okocha Victor, who corroborated Mrs. Ali’s statement, stated that what actually took place today shows that ‘the wife of the former PDP national chairman was ganged-up on,’ and made to be humiliated. He said before now, there was a congress and the local government party chairman, the speaker and the state party chairman, Peter Nwaoboshi, manipulated the local government party list. He

Cc: National Chairman, PDP Chairman, BoT, PDP Delta State Governor National Working Commitee, PDP

8 news across the states

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Nigeria Owes Domestic Lenders N7.1tr – Enwegbara

By PAUL CHIAMA and CHIBUZO UKAIBE, Abuja

A renowned development economist, Odilim Enwegbara, has said that Nigeria owes domestic lenders a shocking N7.183 trillion, retarding economic growth.

Enwegbara stated this yesterday while addressing the media in Abuja.

The economic expert said this has a negative implication for the country as the funds are borrowed

internally at very high interest rates as against the low-interest borrowing rate in other parts of the world.

Enwegbara said: “The problem is that Nigeria is borrowing domestically at a high interest rate - at about 12 to 13 per cent - whereas if you go and borrow from America, India or China, it will be about a maximum of 3 per cent. Do you see the gap? But do you know who are borrowing us the so-called domestic money? It is foreigners

that bring the money, change it to naira and lend it to us and make all the profit; and they are conniving with our banks.

“That is why today Nigeria is owing N7.183 trillion domestically and is paying N712bn this year only to service it, not even to pay the debts.”

He added that the volume of the country’s debt before the appointment of the minister of finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was about N3tr and wondered at

the astronomical upsurge.

“When Okonjo-Iweala came to power, it was about N3tr; today, it has ballooned. In fact, the money we spent in capital this year is N1.1tr. The money we spent in servicing the debt is N712bn. So, there is a contradiction,” he stated.

He described Nigeria’s domestic fund borrowing as the most expensive in the world, adding that it is unhealthy for economic development.

short news Mariam Ali: Asaba Women Demand PDP Chairman’s Removal, Apology Thousands of aggrieved Asaba women in Oshimili South local government area of Delta State yesterday took to various streets in Asaba, including the Asagba of Asaba’s palace and the government house, to protest what they described as “inhuman treatment” allegedly meted out to one of their daughters, Mrs Mariam Nnemeka Ali, in a squabble which ensued between her and the state PDP chairman, Peter Nwaoboshi.

It would be recalled that the fight ensued last Friday between Mrs Mariam Ali, a Board of Trustee Member (BOT) and a senatorial aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Nwaoboshi, over inexplicable differences, which lead to physical altercation where both allegedly exchanged blows.

At the palace of the Asagba, the protesters said that it was a monumental taboo for a married Asaba woman to be beaten up in Asaba without regard for the peoples mores.

They stated that it was an act that in the past would have resulted in an intercommunity war, but stressed they do not want to go to war with the people of Ibusa where Nwaoboshi hails from.

By Kola EkeOgiugo, Asaba

L-R: Vice-Chancellor, University Of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof.

Rahaman Bello, Chairman, Governing Council, UNILAG, Prof. Jerry Gana, and Representative, South West Board Of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (Tetfund), Dr Hannah Kolawole, at the 2014 Tetfund Interactive Workshop, in Lagos yesterday Photo By Nan

Issuance of ID Cards: ACF Cautions Eastern States

By ISAIAH BENJAMIN, Kaduna

Apex northern socio-cultural group, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has called on states in the South east to apply wisdom and tread with caution while handling issues that have to do with northerners resident in the region, in the interest of peaceful coexistence.

It would be recalled that northerners doing business in the east, and Imo state in particular, were allegedly being registered by Imo state government by issuing identity cards to them as means of identification as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency.

Although, the forum said, there was nothing wrong with issuing identity cards if such is to be carried out with good intentions, ACF said it is not right for a segment of a community to be targeted, stressing that everybody deserved the identity cards if done in good faith.

Addressing members of the South-South/South-East Arewa Coalition who paid a courtesy call

on the forum yesterday , the deputy secretary-general of ACF, Engineer Abubakar Umar, said statistics available to the forum indicated that Igbo investments in Kaduna, Kano, and Jos alone amounted to not less than N45 trillion.

Umar said with such huge investments in just three states of the north, the easterners have no reason to maltreat northerners doing legitimate businesses in their states, stressing that “if the table turns round, it could be disastrous as these investments may suffer for it, but we are praying for understanding among the entire Nigerians to accept themselves wherever they live to earn legitimate means of livelihood.”

He explained that Yoruba and Igbo people in Jos, capital of Plateau State lost not less than N450 billion and N410 billion investments, respectively in the 2011 post election violence, adding that south-south put together lost not less than N970 billion in the same crisis.

“We know these statistics; we

have these statistics, so we expect the Igbo to treat our kinsmen, our brothers and sisters in the east as kings and queens in view of the fact that they (Igbo) have more investments in the north than the northerners have in the east,” Umar said.

Earlier, the leader of the coalition, Mallam Awwal Yusuf told members of the ACF that northerners were doing business under a cloud of fear in the east, and called on the ACF to intervene because according to him, “every trader or Muslim from the north is considered Boko Haram.”

Yusuf said the Arewa Coalition has taken to court the issue of identity card in order to seek justice and be freed from undue molestation in the hands of the people in the area.

“We are so embarrassed with this issue of identity cards, why should it be only traders or Muslims from the north that should be identified?

We have taken the case to a court in Enugu, and we are aware that the state governor, Sullivan Chime is ready to help us by sending his lawyer to stand for us,” Yusuf said.

Amaechi Unveils Automated Monitoring Device For Road Projects In Rivers

By ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, Port Harcourt

In a clear technology-driven spirit, Rivers State Governor and Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Rotimi Amaechi has unveiled a scientific device – the Automated Road Analyser (ARAN) that would monitor

and ensure that road projects are done according to specification.

Unveiling the ARAN at Government House, Port Harcourt, Amaechi explained that the device would be used by his administration to check quality of work done on road projects according to laid-down specifica-

tion, while the ARAN vehicles would be driven on newly constructed roads to determine their quality.

The governor said the measure would check fraudulent activities of some road contractors who fail to adhere to project specifications.

short news US Consul General Tasks Nigerians On Unity

The United States consulgeneral in Lagos, Jeffrey Hawkins, has urged Nigerians to work towards building a strong united country in spite of the religious and cultural differences in the country Hawkins, who spoke at his residence in Ikoyi, Lagos during the Iftar dinner with Muslim and Christians scholars, said the killings by Boko Haram should not be allowed to split and derail the nation’s potential for greatness.

He stressed that “what brings Nigerians together is stronger than what may seek to divide them.”

By George Okojie, Lagos

6 Killed In Osun Bank Robbery No fewer than six persons were killed on Thursday evening by armed robbers who attacked the branch of a second generation bank located beside Modakeke High School, Modakeke, headquarters of Ife East local government, Osun State.

Public relation officer, Osun State police command, Folasade Odoro, confirmed that six persons, including customers of the bank were shot dead by the armed robbers during the robbery operation.

It was gathered that the remains of the deceased were taken to the palace of the traditional ruler of the town, Oba Francis Adedoyin, Ogunsua of Modakeke as the ancient town was gripped with tension over the incident.

The PPRO said the police chased the armed robbers to the outskirts of the town before they escaped, assuring, however, that “men of the Nigerian police force are still in search of the robbers.”

By Joshua Dada, Osogbo

Entrepreneurship Will Spur Growth – Oputu The immediate past managing director of the Bank of Industry (BoI), Dr Evelyn Oputu has said engaging students in entrepreneurship will lead to economic empowerment and spur economic growth.

She made the assertion in Abeokuta at her investiture as an ambassador for Entrepreneurship and Industrial Linkages at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).

Communicating the appointment to her during a visit to the university, the vice-chancellor, Prof. Olusola Oyewole described Oputu as an exemplary woman with great values, integrity and focus, who was committed to building future leaders.

Prof. Oyewole gave a brief history of FUNAAB and availed her of the expectations of her role as an ambassador, which would require that she projects the mission, vision and objectives of the various colleges, centres and institutes through internationalisation, community engagement and entrepreneurial activities in the drive towards attaining a world-class status.

Accepting the offer, Ms Oputu appreciated the university management for the honour done her by being part of FUNAAB’s success story as an ambassador for Entrepreneurship and Industrial Linkages, as she commended the vice-chancellor for providing good leadership in the university, adding that “this is the way to go because if you add entrepreneurship to innovation, it is not just going to spur growth, it is going to change things; it is going to make us proud as Nigerians.”

By Gbenga Adeboye, Abeokuta

news across the states 9

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Nigeria Achieves 35% Drop In New HIV Infections–UNAIDS

By Ruth Tene Natsa, Abuja

A new global report by the UNAIDS has revealed that new HIV infections have declined by 35% in the past three years in Nigeria.

The report also revealed that new infections showed signs of decline while about 640,000 people in Nigeria were on antiretroviral therapy in 2013.

The report made available to LEADERSHIP Weekend yesterday by the UN information centre in Nigeria revealed that despite the improvement, “there is need for much more work to be done in the country in order to eliminate HIV by 2030.”

The Gap report released in Geneva Switzerland on July 16, 2014 also indicates that Nigeria is part of the countries in the world that realised a rapid increase in the number of people living with HIV that are accessing antiretroviral therapy.

UNAIDS country director to Nigeria, Dr Bilali Camara said, “the decline in new infections is a clear sign that the government of Nige-

short news Hepatitis: NAFDAC Shuts Fake Clinic National Agency for Food, Drugs and Administration Control (NAFDAC), Taraba State chapter has closed down a fake clinic known as Bondima Hyparitoviral Disease Centre for allegedly deceiving people that they had a cure for hepatitis.

The state coordinator of NAFDAC, Joseph Asikpo, who stated this yesterday in Jalingo during an interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend, said the closure of the clinic followed series of complaints in some quarters that the owner of the clinic, Richard Anyah, had been deceiving the general public of being a specialist in the treatment of hepatitis and other viral diseases.

Asikpo, who said the primary aim of NAFDAC is to create awareness as well as enlighten the general populace on the importance of living a healthy life, maintained that NAFDAC is also mandated to safeguard the health of the people.

By Andrew Ojih, Jalingo

ria is steering the HIV response in the right direction and much more progress can be reached if more resources are committed to the cause.

“HIV testing is critical to the provisions of care and treatment, in line with the president’s comprehensive response plan for HIV/ AIDS in Nigeria. If Nigeria commits resources to helping 80 million people know their status by 2015, more people can be put on treatments and new infections and AIDS related deaths could drop drastically,” he stated.

The report highlighted 8 points to support ending the AIDs epidemics which include securing leadership, protection of human rights, Investing in communities and focussing on local epidemics and population, decentralising delivery of HIV services.

Other recommendations include expanding the choices for HIV preventions and treatment, integrating HIV programs as well as innovating and investing in science for a cure and vaccine.

Niger To Resuscitate AM Station Niger State government is set to resuscitate the state-owned AM radio station with the approval by the governor, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu.

Commissioner of Information, Communication and Strategy, Danladi Ndayebo, disclosed this while briefing journalists after the executive council meeting, stating that Governor Aliyu has given the ministry approval to acquire the necessary equipment to commence transmission.

The commissioner stated that the station, which has been moribund for over 14 years, has been a source of worry for the government, considering the situation whereby programmes meant for the AM station were being aired on the state’s FM station.

“The idea is part of ongoing efforts to reposition state-owned media organisations for effective dissemination of information,” Ndayebo said, adding that there must be a clear cut difference between programmes aired on AM and FM stations.

While saying that plans were underway to ensure training and re-training of staff of the ministry, in order that they are acquainted with digital broadcasting, Ndayebo added that equipment would be upgraded and furniture would be provided to encourage practitioners to play by the rules of the profession.

By Abu Nmodu, Minna

short news NGO Rehabilitates 22 Boreholes A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Simon Peter Life Enhancement Foundation, in collaboration with Squadron Leader Bitrus Auta Yawa (rtd) has commenced the rehabilitation of 22 boreholes in Kwoi, Jaba local government area of Kaduna State.

This was disclosed by the chairman, Simon Peter Life Enhancement Foundation, Engineer Simon Opara at the organisation’s third quarter general meeting, held on July 15 at the organisations head office at Kakuri, Kaduna.

A statement made available to LEADERSHIP Weekend by spokesman of the foundation, Rev. Joseph Jones, explained that the initiative was in line with the organisation’s motto: “Government Cannot Do It Alone.”

“The Simon Peter Life Enhancement Foundation is rehabilitating 22 bore-holes in collaboration with Squadron Leader Yawa who is a PDP stalwart from the state,” it stated.

By Onjewu Dickson, Abuja

Buying and selling at the fruits section of Kuje Market, Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO BY OGOH JOSEPH

University Degree Is Overated –Bishop Kukah

By ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto

Too much emphasis on a university degree in a developing country like Nigeria signifies post-colonial mentality and a misplaced priority that the country must do away with if we are to get out of our current worrisome unemployment status, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah has observed.

The clergyman cum social commentator also stated that a good number of the universities in the West have hit gold in Nigeria because of the rising desperation for a university degree in the

country.

Bishop Kukah, who lamented that a consumer country like Nigeria does not have to accord too much priority to university degrees, further observed that Nigerians should take a cue from their fellow countrymen, the Igbo, who have achieved a considerable degree of self-sufficiency as well as comfort arising from their entrepreneurial prowess and not necessarily university degrees.

While stressing that everybody does not necessarily have to go to the university before he or she is considered functional, Bishop Kukah submitted that

there was disarray in the educational policy being operated in the country, hence, the polytechnics offering courses such as mass communication and a host of others, straying from their original intent.

Speaking exclusively with LEADERSHIP Weekend, Bishop Kukah said, “We lost the script somewhere along the line, and the idea of a university degree smacks of post-colonial mentality and it is only in Nigeria that you find a man with seven children who believes that all the seven children must become graduates.”

2015: PDP Elders Endorse Suswam For Senate

By SOLOMON AYADO, Makurdi

Elders, traditional institutions and political stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue north-east senatorial district, yesterday formally approved Governor Gabriel Suswam’s desire to run for a seat in the senate come 2015.

Governor Suswam has formally declared his intention to contest the senate seat against the incumbent, Senator Barnabas Gemade who is seeking a second term.

Yesterday at Adikpo, the ancestral home of the Tiv nation, a traditional ceremony of the official endorsement of Sus-

wam was performed at the ACC playground in Kwande local government area of the state and attended by Benue PDP elders.

The Ter Kwande, Chief Hilary Ikima and his Ushongo counterpart, Chief Ambrose Iortyer anchored the occasion and symbolically washed the governor’s feet to imply good fortune and finally released about 12 white doves in the air to mark their vowed commitment to the project.

The traditional rulers and elders from Sankera, where the governor hails from, led by Chief Atoza Ihindan and Chief Abu King Shuluwa had met yesterday with the elders of Kwande to seek a ‘loan’ of the senatori-

al seat. By zoning arrangement, it is the turn of Kwande and not Sankera to go for the senate.

However, due to the reason behind the governor’s aspirations, the Kwande people yesterday unanimously granted the request and swore that no person in the entity would run against Suswam.

Speaking during the endorsement, Chief Shuluwa said their request became imperative because Governor Suswam has demonstrated qualities of a development-driven leader and needed to be sent to the National Assembly to enhance rapid progress for the people of the area.

Teachers Strike: Benue Constitutes Academic Review C’ttee

By Solomon Ayado, Makurdi

The Benue State government has constituted an education committee to review an integrated academic course of studies for primary school teachers that have recently resumed from a prolonged strike.

The primary school pupils have lost a complete session due to the strike and the state government is evolving measures

that would ensure an academic regain.

Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Anum Iho, stated this yesterday in Makurdi in an interview with newsmen. He said government has also trained about 1,000 teachers in the areas of information communication technology (ICT), data collection and management.

According to Iho, government

has made academic review and training of staff a priority policy and that so far, a total of 15,777 workers, including teaching and non-teaching staff have been trained in various programmes.

He added that it became necessary to enable the staff meet up on the courses that were lost because of the nine-month strike, stating that the development would enable proper graduation of the pupils.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

Prospective private guards during a training session

Terrorism And The Private Security Guards’ Dilemma As Abuja, the nation’s capital, becomes a hot spot for insurgency, private security guards are caught in a web of terror they never imagined would be part of their brief. AGBO-PAUL AUGUSTINE writes “The relative peace I enjoyed on this job has gone. Whenever I hear of such attacks in the past, I never bothered to picture the magnitude of the devastation on people especially on the lives of guards on duty,” says Samuel Abah, 25, a private security guard as he releases the rope of a crossbar to allow a customer drive into a popular eatery in Wuse II, few meters away from ground zero of the June 25, 2014 EMAB Plaza bomb attacks in Abuja that claimed 21 lives with dozens injured.

Abah recalled the trauma he had to deal with after the deadly attack a few feet away from his duty post. “I

was totally discouraged from coming to work but the reality is that there are no jobs in this country, I have no choice than to face the risk,” he says.

The average height man was stationed at the entrance of an Abuja famous eatery where many bigwigs in the city savour their meals. Without a scanner, Abah relied on intuition as he searches through the boots of customers’ cars making their way to the parking lot.

Abah’s slow security checks is a source of concern to other motorists who must wait minutes in traffic before finding a way out. Many motorists groan and some even haul a

barrage of insults at Abah for alleged "time wasting" and causing "unnecessary gridlock" on the busy Aminu Kano Crescent.

Watching Abah and his colleagues at work, LEADERSHIP Weekend observed that the reality of insecurity has caught up with many private security guards who now find themselves at a crossroads. Under the sceptre of the insurgency, they must work secure their lives and that of the places they guard; a task that is proving too hot to handle for many of them.

Their problems appeared to be in multiple folds: poor

remuneration, hostile working condition, poor kitting, no insurance, no pension, improper training, societal scorn and the risk of untimely death from Boko Haram attacks.

Yet, this downgraded set of the nation’s work force are also involved in intelligent gathering in the fight against terror.

They are never remembered as heroes for stopping bomb-laden vehicles from gaining access to targetted buildings.

Before the EMAB Plaza attack, many private security companies thought their responsibility was to provide men and women who open and close gates and doors to business places and watch over private homes. But as Boko Haram attacks become directed at soft spots, the business of providing security to public places have become too expensive as it requires more technology, which has caught many of them off guard.

“The job of providing security in Abuja is no longer an attractive venture,” says Yakubu Bitrus who is just three months old on his job. He fears for his life daily and every end of duty day calls for thanksgiving for CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

They are never remembered as heroes for stopping bomb-laden vehicles from gaining access to targetted buildings

12 cover story

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Terrorism And The Private Security Guards’ Dilemma

Security officials at the EMAB Plaza blast scene , recently

➔ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 not being in a body bag.

LEADERSHIP Weekend discovered that most private security guards in sensitive places around Abuja are poorly kitted and ill-trained to forestall insurgency attacks. Except for a few who now use scanners, majority rely on manual search while others just flash scanners as a form of pre-emption.

“They should have given us communication devices to be able to relay sensitive information real-time to our colleagues within our area of operation and also connect to our head office. Whenever we notice any threat to the place we guard, we should be able to share intelligence information to forestall any attack on people and property but when such devices are not available, only little can be achieve,” says Luka Bawa, a guard in a busy mall in Wuse II. Other guards who spoke with LEADERSHIP Weekend did not hide their fears over the new waves of Boko Haram attacks on soft spots in Abuja. “The salary is meagre and there is no insurance for injury or death and this scares me a lot because I have a family to take care. As soon as I get my July salary I will leave the job,” says Aminu Dauda in Area 10.

Dauda’s frustration also plagued Edwin Asogwa, a security consultant who says the situation in Abuja has made private security guard’s job less attractive to the teeming jobless youths. “Contrary to the views of many people in Abuja, the business of private security guard is in recession. Employees are leaving their duty posts in droves for other less risky jobs.

Some have even gone into farming in rural areas.

"Many of the private security

firms are just realising the real issues of insecurity in Abuja, security business goes beyond stop-and-search. It requires high technology and intelligence gathering,” Asogwa further said.

Bolstering Asogwa’s assertion, Okoro Uche shared his experience: “A man came to the mall where I have a shop and sought to know when the mall reaches its peak in human traffic. When the security guard tried to bring the attention of is superiors to the strange question, the man hurriedly left but they could have traced the man’s face if the mall had a CCTV camera to monitor," Uche said.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend on their travails in Abuja, some private security guard operators who pleaded that their names and companies not be mentioned in prints for security reasons said the larger security community is not doing much to help them.

“We are at the forefront of insurgency attacks in Abuja as most commercial and even some public corporations are guarded by private security firms but we get nothing in the area of intelligence sharing,” said an operator.

Another one told LEADERSHIP Weekend that the attention of the police was drawn to an abandoned car in front of a business premise in Gwarimpa Estate recently “but the reaction of the police was shocking as the senior police officer on duty demanded N20, 000 as cost of towing away the car from the place. That was how that car was left there.”

The operators accused the Nigeria Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) of negligence and encouraging quacks in the industry. “As a supervisory

agency of private security guards in the country, much is expected but the NSCDC prefers to chase booty from quacks rather than the good of the society. ‘’They only encouraged the entrenchment of mushroom firms with ill-trained, illequipped guards who cannot differentiate a criminal from a law-abiding person,” says another operator.

They claimed licensed operators do not give bribe to the men of the police and civil defence and in return the duo do not share any intelligence with them. According to them, security agencies in the nation’s capital shut them out of counter terrorism training. “What we are doing now is self-help based on our past experiences in security matters but terrorism is a new angle of global threats which is still strange to us,” one of the firms confided in LEADERSHIP Weekend.

A source of worry to some is that many Abuja residents, in spite of the recent EMAB Plaza and other Boko Haran attacks in the city, have not taken security issues serious. To them, many property owners in Abuja are hesitant in spending money to safeguard lives and property.

“Scanners cost between N10, 000 and N600,000 depending on functions but many property owners are too reluctant to buy.

When we include it in their bills they are always grumbling.

“Some clients have agreed to put cross bars as first line protection but that’s not enough. We need to go beyond that to high technology scanners, radio communication and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV). Manual search of people and vehicles is outdated and less effective,” says an operator who simply gave his name as James.

Reacting to the matter, NSCDC spokesman, CSC Emmannuel Okeh, denied allegations levelled against the corps by the companies. In turn, Okeh accused the private security companies of engaging in unprofessional activities outside the guidelines provided by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

“Some of them failed to renew their operational licence when it expired and continue to operate while some will just register a company with the Corporate Affairs Commission, (CAC) and commence operations without obtaining the necessary approval from the Corps.

"The NSCDC, in a bid to bring sanity into the operations of private guard companies, went after quacks and between 2013 and 2014, over 20 illegal operators have been sealed by the corps,” Okeh said.

He also accused some of the operators of not helping the corps by refusing to send their weekly intelligence report to it.

“We expect them to send reports to us but many shy away from doing that and this reports help us in our intelligence gathering around the city,” he added.

The Civil Defence spokesman said the federal government established a security management institute to train private security operators for no fees but only firms from two states have taken that advantage of the opportunity so far.

He accused Abuja private security guards companies of chasing money at the expense of professionalism. “Abuja private security companies refused to send their staff to the Civil Defence College of Security Management in Abeokuta, Ogun state because they don’t want to spent money even though no fees is charged,” he stated.

Okeh reiterated that the training in Abeokuta would equip the private security guards with techniques in modern counter-terrorism which would help them to tackle the new phase of terror attacks in Abuja.

But some security experts told LEADERSHIP Weekend that the cold war between the Nigeria Police and Civil Defence Corps has not help the private security guards 'operations in the federal capital territory.

LEADERSHIP Weekend discovered that many of the private security companies in Abuja are owned by former top police and military brass.

Regardless, the new wave of Boko Haram attacks in Abuja has put them in a new and dire situation they never envisaged would come their way.

Scanners cost between N10, 000 and N600,000 depending on functions but many property owners are too reluctant to buy

Saturday July 19, 2014 ISSUE 83

Men’s Health

What You Should Eat Before A Workout

The Untold Health Benefits Of Banana Ayurvedic Medicine:

Lemon Juice, Water and Honey

WOMEN:

Health Beauty Fitness

Getting Pregnant After A Miscarriage

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July 19, 2014

KIDS- HEALTH

R’S EDITO

NOTE

Bedwetting: Causes And Treatment

Dealing With Emergencies Hi readers, We’re all familiar with the maxim that, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” but that only helps you remember to prevent accidents; it doesn’t do a darn thing when you’re in the middle of an emergency. How you can keep calm and avoid panicking in an emergency is very important.

First of all, it is important to understand just how important keeping calm is when you are dealing with an emergency.

Once you panic, your “fight or flight” response is engaged, and blood is diverted from places like your brain and digestive system, and redirected to your heart, lungs, and legs. This makes it literally more difficult to think logically, and you are likely to overreact or forget information that seems simple and self-evident.

Acknowledging the fact that emergencies happen when you least expect them, here are few steps to manage them: • Take a deep breath.

• Count and tell yourself you can handle the situation.

• Check for danger and protect yourself and the injured person from fire, explosions, or other hazards.

• Try to look at the situation as a whole. What is the most serious problem and what do you need to do first? The most obvious problem is not always the most serious.

• Treat the most life-threatening problems like bleeding or shock first.

• If you think the person has a spinal injury, do not move him or her unless the danger is great.

• Check for broken bones and other injuries.

Lastly, if the person is unconscious and does not respond to voice or touch, call for emergency services, such as the local fire department or hospital, if you need help.

E-mail: miminaija@yahoo.com 08075300560(text only)

EDITOR: Raliat Ahmed-Yusuf Ag. GM CREATIVE DESIGNS: Chukwudi J. Nwabueze AG. EDITOR: Catherine Agbo

FOUNDER: Sam Nda-Isaiah Chairman: Hajiya Ireti Heebah Kingibe GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR: Azubuike Ishiekwene GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Michael Okpere Dr. Kazeem Durodoye

B

edwetting is a frequent medical condition affecting millions of kids and teenagers from every part of the world. Its so easy to feel kind of alone, but you are not alone.

The fancy name for bedwetting, or sleep wetting, is nocturnal (nighttime) enuresis. Enuresis runs in families. This means that if you urinate, or pee, while you are asleep, there’s a good chance that a close relative also did it when he or she was a kid. Just like you may have inherited your mom’s blue eyes or your uncle’s long legs, you probably inherited bedwetting, too.

The most important thing to remember is that no one wets the bed on purpose. It doesn’t mean that you’re lazy or a slob. It’s something you can’t help doing. For some reason, kids who wet the bed are not able to feel that their bladders are full and don’t wake up to pee in the toilet. Sometimes a kid who wets the bed will have a realistic dream that he or she is in the bathroom peeing, only to wake up later and discover he or she is all wet.

Many kids who wet the bed are very deep sleepers. Do your parents complain that it’s hard to wake you up? Could you sleep through a marching band parading outside your bedroom door?

Or a pack of dogs howling at the moon? Trying to wake up someone who wets the bed is often like trying to wake a log — the person just stays asleep.

Some kids who wet the bed do it every single night. Others wet some nights and are dry on others. A lot of kids say that they seem to be drier when they sleep at a friend’s or a relative’s house.

That’s because kids who are anxious about wetting the bed might not sleep much or only very lightly. So the brain may be thinking, “Hey, you!

Don’t wet someone else’s bed!” This can help you stay dry even if you’re not aware of it.

Good News The good news is that almost all kids who wet the bed eventually stop. So if you wet every night, don’t be discouraged. And don’t worry that you’re not normal, either physically or emotionally. Sleep wetting is not usually caused by a problem with your body or your feelings.

It’s likely that bedwetting will go away on its own. In fact, 15 out of 100 kids who wet the bed will stop every year without any treatment at all.

But if you have this problem it’s still a good idea for you and your parents to talk to your doctor about it.

Your doctor will ask you some questions, and it’s important to answer them truthfully and not feel embarrassed. Remember, bedwetting is so common that your doctor probably treats a lot of kids who do it. The doctor will examine you and probably ask for a urine sample to test.

Some kids who have other problems, like constipation (when you aren’t pooping regularly), daytime wetting, or urinary infections, may need some extra tests.

More Good News If you wet the bed, there are some things you can do to stay dry. Try not to drink anything after dinner and remember to go to the bathroom before going to bed. If you do wet the bed, help with the cleanup by pulling off the sheets and putting them in the laundry.

A lot of doctors think that the best treatment for enuresis is a program that retrains your brain to do one of two things: 1. Wake you up so you can go to the bathroom 2. Stay asleep and hold it until morning This program includes doing bladder exercises, such as waiting a little longer to pee during the day, reading about and imagining staying dry, or even using a tiny alarm. The alarm is connected to a pad placed in your underwear at night. If you start to urinate, the pad senses the moisture and sets off the alarm. Different alarms make a loud noise, vibrate, or do both, but they’re all easy to use and can help wake even the deepest sleeper.

There are medicines for kids who wet the bed.

They might help you temporarily, but they don’t cure bedwetting. These medicines work best when combined with the alarm or other training programs.

It may take some practice to retrain your brain, and you’ll need to be patient. But eventually, you will stop wetting the bed.

The word aerobics comes from two Greek words: aero, meaning “ability to,” and bics, meaning “withstand tremendous boredom” ¬-Dave Barry

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July 19, 2014

The Untold Health Benefits Of Banana Ultimately, banana has an array of benefits in your body. It contains three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber which gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Studies have proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous workout. Little wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet. In this piece TUNDE OGUNTOLA writes on the health benefits of banana and you’ll never look at a banana the same way again after discovering the many health benefits and reasons to add them to your diet.

Weight Loss Finding foods to fit into your weight-loss diet can be challenging, but bananas make a perfect fit. Bananas are naturally sweet and can help curb your sweet tooth if you get that afternoon sugar craving. A 6-inch banana has a minimal 90 calories, about one-fourth of the calories you would get from a chocolate candy bar. Additionally, about half of the fiber content in bananas is soluble. When soluble fiber reaches your

Did you know?

digestive tract, it absorbs water and slows digestion. Food is forced to sit in your stomach for a while, making you feel full.

If you have a banana before lunch, you’ll be less likely to overeat when your food comes to the table.

Depression Bananas help overcome depression due to high levels of tryptophan. According to a recent survey undertaken amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. Bananas are officially recognized as being able to lower blood pressure and protect against heart attack and stroke.

Eye Health Bananas have a small amount of vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that is vital for protecting your eyes and normal vision.

The term “vitamin A” refers to a series of compounds, including beta-carotene and

Food nourishes the body and gives us energy to get through each day. Healthy eating is fundamental to good health and is a key element in healthy human devel-

alpha-carotene. These compounds preserve the membranes that surround your eyes and are a component of one of the proteins that brings light into your cornea.

Temperature Control Many other cultures see bananas as a ‘cooling’ fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature. So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.

Anemia Strengthen your blood and relieve anemia with the added iron from bananas, conversely, banana is high in iron; it can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Brain Power Bananas make you smarter and help with learning by making you more alert. Eat a banana before an exam to benefit from the high levels of potassium. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can

opment, from the prenatal and early childhood years to later life stages. Healthy eating is equally important in reducing the risk of many chronic diseases.

assist learning by making scholars more alert.

Constipation Banana is high fiber and can help normalize bowel motility; including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and rehydrates your system.

Heartburn Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito Bites Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

16

WOMEN Fitness Beauty Wellness

By Raliat Ahmed Yusuf, with additional report from WebMD

July 19, 2014

Simple Steps To Healthy Living

Getting Pregnant After A Miscarriage

If you are keen on a pregnancy, chart the fertile period with your doctor and plan to have sex during that time to maximise your chances of conception

M

iscarriage and pregnancy loss brings lot of different feeling for different people.

Feelings such as sadness, anxiety and depression can overwhelm during such times. Hence, making a decision to try another pregnancy may seem very difficult. On the contrary, if after sometimes you feel you are not coping with your feeling. You may need more support, but before then, here are some tips to help you get pregnant just after a miscarriage:

Make sure you continue taking your vitamins and folic acid even after an abortion or a miscarriage. This will ensure that your body is getting the required nutrients in order to be able to sustain a future pregnancy. Eat a balanced diet and make sure you get your regular 8 hours of sleep.

Drink Enough Fluid A surgery or a miscarriage can be physically draining so make sure you drink enough fluids after the operation to get your energy levels back. Fluids will hydrate you and help you to get back to your normal pattern of eating.

Speak To Your Doctor It is wise to speak to your doctor before you think about having a baby. The doctor will give you the correct advice on how long you should wait before trying for a child.

Take Rest The doctor may recommend bed rest after an abortion as deemed fit.

Listen to the doctor and take bed rest, as it will help you to recover faster. The faster you heal, the better your chances of trying again for a baby. Take a break from office if needed.

Get Your Vitamins

Avoid Exercise If you have just had an abortion, you will be asked to completely stay off exercise for at least 2-4 weeks. You will be asked to not lift any weights as it may put a lot of strain on your body. You will also be asked to not do heavy housework, which involves, climbing, lifting or reaching out.

Make Sure You Do Not Have Sex For At Least 2 Weeks After The Surgery.

Although you might feel horny, it is required to give your body sufficient time to recover from the operation.

Speak To Your Spouse It is very important that you speak to your spouse on when is the right time to have a baby. Do not feel pressured into having sex if you are not feeling up to it. Even if you feel satisfactory with sex, you need to have a protected intercourse if you do not want a baby. Always remember that the decision to have a baby should primarily rest with you no matter what anyone else says.

This is your body and you know best when it is ready to take on the onerous responsibility of carrying a child. If you are keen on a pregnancy, chart the fertile period with your doctor and plan to have sex during that time to maximise your chances of conception. Have a baby when you are healed physically and emotionally especially if you had a miscarriage and are feeling depressed. Practice birth control in the period in-between.

• ‘Okay, now do 100 of those’.

Instead of flailing away at gym, enlist the help – even temporarily – of a personal trainer. Make sure you learn to breathe properly and to do the exercises the right way.

You’ll get more of a workout while spending less time at the gym.

• Stop fuming. Don’t smoke and if you smoke already, do everything in your power to quit.

Don’t buy into that my-grannysmoked-and-lived-to-be-90 crud – not even the tobacco giants believe it. Apart from the wellknown risks of heart disease and cancer, orthopaedic surgeons have found that smoking accelerates bone density loss and constricts blood flow. So you could live to be a 90-year-old amputee who smells of stale tobacco smoke. Unsexy.

• Ask about Mad Aunt Edith.

Find out your family history. You need to know if there are any inherited diseases prowling your gene pool. Experts advices, finding out what your grandparents died of can provide useful – even lifesaving – information about what’s in store for you. And be candid, not coy: 25 per cent of the children of alcoholics become alcoholics themselves.

• Do self-check. Do regular self-examinations of your breasts.

Most partners are more than happy to help, not just because breast cancer is the most common cancer among SA women. The best time to examine your breasts is in the week after your period.

• My smear campaign. Have a pap smear once a year. Not on our list of favourite things, but it’s vital. Cervical cancer kills 200 000 women a year and it’s the most prevalent form of cancer among black women, affecting more than 30 percent. But the chances of survival are nearly 100 percent if it’s detected early. Be particularly careful if you became sexually active at an early age, have had multiple sex partners or smoke

close up 17

Saturday, July 19, 2014

I Want To Fill The Void Left By Asa–Ruby Ruby Gyang is a Soul/R&B musician signed to MI-owned Loopy Music. The effervescent lady dropped her GoodMan video recently.

With singles like Okay, Down and Goodman which emphasise her music as a hybrid sound of soul, urban house and afrobeat. In this interview with SAMUEL ABULUDE, the mother of one from Benue State shares her music, motherhood and experience in the music industry.

What have you been up to?

I have been recording a lot lately. I didn’t have many songs out there, so I decided this year to do some songs, which is like a small album. So I’m putting out 5 new songs. I’m in the studio working on three new songs. I have already released 2 singles, Goodman and This Is Love. I’ve been working in the studio for six months now. I’m actually doing a lot of collaboration in the country and outside. I’m embarking on a musical tour of venues around Lagos and across the country

by God’s grace. I hope to do a lot more shows this year; get to perform in a lot more festivals.

Any plans to release a fulllength album?

I’m releasing a proper album next year. The one I’m doing this year is an EP titled This Is Love coming out in August.

Goodman is the first single; the video is coming out in two weeks. I hope to push out a single and a video before the EP drops. I’ve been away for a while so I’m trying to bring out the hype. So I’m bringing out 2 singles-2 videos.

For a budding singer like you, how challenging is the music scene?

We were even in church. My mum was a pastor in Charity and Faith Church in Zaria, Kaduna State many years ago and she had always been in a church choir

It’s very hard. You don’t know how hard it is until you are in it; but it’s very rewarding.

I’ve been singing professionally since 2005. Even though it’s hard, I love every moment.

I grew up in a very musical family. My mum sings, my father is a music man. There is always music in my house.

My father loved soul music and highlife. We were even in church. My mum was a pastor in Charity and Faith Church in Zaria, Kaduna State many years ago and she had always been in a church choir. From there I had always loved music and wanted to be a singer.

spiring me to be a better woman as well as men out therefathers, brothers, husbands; people that are working hard to take care of their families to be the best they can be. Also, there is a song called Shakara and I featured Ajebutter 22. I have a song called High and I featured Naeto C as well. There is a song called Beautiful and I featured Becca from Ghana as well; it’s a song celebrating women.

So what has been the most memorable moment in your career?

Ahh... I have had a few memorable moments in music. Performing along with the African legend, Youssou N’dour was a great memorable moment for me that I won’t forget in a hurry. It was in February this year at an event on the island and I was invited to come and perform. Seeing Youssou was kind of a surprise. This is someone I used to listen to and watch on TV. Such moments don’t come all the time. Then as a mother, having my daughter was an awesome moment, something every woman cherishes as long as she lives.

How would you describe your kind of music and your ability to connect with your fans?

I not only do Soul music, I’m

also an R&B artiste. I try to express myself musically and give fans the Nigerian feel in my music. So, all my songs have that afro feel. I’m highly influenced by the music of Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding. Those were the songs my dad used to play in our home. In contemporary times, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Jill Scott, Onyeka Onwenu, Mariam Makeba and my mama, Aretha Franklinthey call her the Queen of Soul.

In Nigeria soul music is not as popular as hip hop, doesn’t that bother you?

Tell us more about the five singles and collaborations.

Goodman is a song celebrating men, especially men who have inspired me and who are in-

Ruby

Ruby Gyang & Youssour N’Dour

Well it doesn’t really bother me. Music comes from the heart and the genre of music you major in is a product of different factors. I grew up in a home that loved all kinds of music, especially soul-jazz music. So I do neo-soul music because it gels with me. Asa, Bez, Nneka and other Nigerians that sing soul are doing well and are successful. Since Asa is not based in Nigeria

anymore and Nneka is based in Germany, I want to fill the void. It’s a tall task but I’m ready to step into those shoes.

How do you intend to break into the music scene?

By creating good music and visuals as well as putting up great performances. I believe drive and determination are the keys to success and I have those qualities in abundance.

As long as I consistently and persistently work hard, success will come.

What is your greatest fear as a singer and as a woman?

My greatest fear is not being able to accomplish all I feel I’m supposed to, as a woman and artist.

What are 3 things people don’t know about Ruby Gyang?

Well, for me, I’m a closed hypochondriac; I’m an adrenaline junkie. I don’t like my face being touched.

18 BLITZ

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Omawumi, Sasha P Grace Belvedere Vodka Event

Basketmouth To Perform At “Just For Laughs”In Canada

By SAMUEL ABULUDE , Lagos

King of Comedy, BasketMouth will be flying the flag for African comedy as he becomes the first ever Nigerian comedian to perform at the annual “Just for Laughs” comedy festival in Montreal, Canada.

Comedy Central (DStv Channel 122) and DStv will be flying BasketMouth and South African comics John Vlismas and Mpho Popps off to Montreal, Canada this month to participate in the legendary Montreal Just for Laughs (@just_for_laughs) comedy festival (20-27 July).

BasketMouth will make his festival debut at various clubs during the week, while veteran South African comedian John Vlismas returns to Just For Laughs to perform in Talk of The Fest, one of the festival’s premiere club shows. Vlismas’s performance is being taped as part of the Just For Laughs: All Access television series, and will air on Comedy Central later in 2014.

Commenting Evert van der Veer, channel director, Comedy Central, Africa, said: “African comedy has the potential to be one of the African continent’s most powerful cultural exports and we are very proud to have John, Mpho and Basketmouth representing Comedy Central in Canada. We are delighted to facilitate their presence at Just For Laughs – one of the world’s most important international

Celebrities and style aficionados gathered recently to celebrate with the world’s first super premium vodka - Belvedere at its old-school themed party titled ‘Decades’.

Style classics, namely: afros, gold chains, jerry curls, dungarees, hipsters and more, were the popular looks of the evening. Taking tips from Michael Jackson and Prince, men wore curly hair, fedora hats and tight pants, while women opted for the nineties charm in patched jeans, cropped tops, afro wigs and heavy gold chains.

Sasha

Guests enjoyed an evening of Belvedere cocktails, performances and great

throwback music by DJ Exclusive, who took the audience back in time and led them back to the present.

Omawunmi, Waje, Sasha P, Louise Priddy, Oona Priddy, Yets Asika, Toke Makinwa, Maje Ayida, Jennifer Obayunwana, Vanessa Banigo, Michelle Dede, Kaylah Oniwo, IK Ogbonna, Richard Nnadi, Ade Bantu, Yolanda Okereke, Venita Akpofure and Folusho Leigh were some of the known faces at the event.

DECADES was about celebrating, feeling alive, free and colourful and appreciating the past with a view of the present.

Half Of A Yellow Sun Grosses N280 Million Worldwide

By SOLOMON NDA-ISAIAH, Abuja

The worldwide release of Half of a Yellow Sun has generated N280 million from cinematic showing, TV sales rights, online viewing and in-flight viewing. The movie, which generated a lot of public debate after its release was suspended by the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) in April and will be released across 17 Nigerian cinemas come Friday, August 1st.

The journey of Half Of A Yellow Sun to cinemas has not been all rosy, as the NFVCB refused to classify the movie in a move that some people felt was political, while NFVCB insisted that some aspects of the movie could incite religious unrest. After a lot of meetings, intrigues and a public outcry which attracted international attention, the NFVCB eventually classified the movie and gave the goahead for a cinema release.

The movie, which had been released in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand,

Nnaji

has so far generated over N280 million, according to a source close to the producer.

The movie is expected to set a new box office record in Nigeria since the producer, author, and director are all from the country. Keen watchers are interested in seeing if HOAYS will beat the box office record of over N100 million set by

Avengers.

When contacted, an officer of Bigsam Media said the whole team has high expectations for the movie.

‘We won’t like to get into calling figures but the whole team working on HOAYS have high expectations for the movie as it sets for the August 1st release. This is unarguably the biggest movie in terms of investment produced from Nigeria. The expectations will be high, naturally. We hope for the best and believe this should open the industry up for more investment and opportunities.’

Half of a Yellow Sun, is set in the time of the Biafra War and is the story of love, hate, lust, greed, jealousy and forgiveness. The movie features British-Nigerian BAFTA award winner and Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, BAFTA award winner Thandie Newton and other A-list actors including the Julia Roberts of Africa, Genevieve Nnaji. The movie will be distributed in Nigeria

by FilmOne Distribution.

CCC Kosofe Province Holds Marriage Seminar Today

By SAMUEL ABULUDE and OLAYEMI SOWUMI, Lagos

Married couples, youths and other guests will be spending quality time today at Celestial Church of Christ (CCC), Atunbi Cathedral in Alapere Ketu, Lagos as a marriage seminar is held.

With the theme, Marriage institution as ordained by God, guest speakers like M/C Owoade from Ore-Ofe parish, S/Evang Oyegbesan, Asst Sup Evangelist Ayo Oyediji,

Pastor Emmanuel Mobiyan Oshoffa, Pastor CCC Worldwide

among others will demystify the institution of marriage and educate the teeming youths of the church’s province on how to get married God's way.

According to Evang Gabriel Abulude, the seminar, which is slated to hold periodically, will afford singles as well as married members the opportunity to ask pertinent questions as they will be empowered to act as role models in the society. The seminar starts 12 noon prompt.

By SOLOMON NDA-ISAIAH , Abuja

Basketmouth

comedy events.”

Expressing his delight, BasketMouth says, “I am extremely humbled by the opportunity and I intend to give it more than my best shot and the best of me; it is certainly a dream come true.”

John Vlismas added, “I am so excited to be going back [to Montreal] after about nine years. I’m going back a lot more experienced, more divorced, more tattooed and more focused than ever. I’m going determined to make an impression. This time: I’ll take hostages if I have to!”

“Just For Laughs is thrilled to welcome Comedy Central Africa back to the festival for a third consecutive year.” said Bruce Hills, C.O.O, Just For Laughs.

Follow BasketMouth’s progress at the Just for Laughs festival by following their regular tweets from Montreal using the hashtag #CCLive.

Angel T Comes Back With You & Me

By SAMUEL ABULUDE, Lagos

The Nigeria music industry is set to witness a new face among the female singers. Angel Tina Ekpunnobi, alias Angel T, dropped her second single titled You & Me last Tuesday July 15.

You & Me is produced by Cold Flames, a fast growing music producer.

Angel T is an international musician who is based in Dublin, Ireland. Having spent more than 18 years as a wellknown musician across Europe, the beautiful singer has brought her craft to her fatherland, where she is set to make an impact with her sonorous voice.

The songwriter, model, CEO, and former, video vixen from Imo State has worked with some of the industry’s biggest acts, like Felix liberty and Alex O, before leaving the shores of Nigeria.

Her first single, Should I, released some time ago, has been getting rave reviews. The video for the single was recently shot, produced and directed by legendary singer/songwriter,

Angel T

Alex O. '' I think, I have what it takes to make a change in the Nigerian music industry; coupled with my experience singing around Europe, I think I understand the music industry very well. My coming back to Nigeria is to fulfill my dream of becoming one of the biggest female artistes,'' she said.

scoop 19

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Solomon Nda–Isaiah Entertainment Ricochet

08116759802

nda_is@yahoo.co.uk

POWER SHOW

T

here is a kind of show going on in our dear country now that is greater than AY Show, Crack Ya Ribs, the Bill Cosby show and all the Jams and Mega Jams put together.

This great show is tagged “Impeachment”; where the ruling party is trying to use all the weapons in its armoury to get rid of the governors and others that are not on their side.

Today I am diverting from entertainment to politics, because all these nasty manoeuvrings will definitely affect the entire country in one way or the other. They are just trying to create chaos; and if the country is in disarray we won’t be able to have fun and entertainment activities will be put on hold!

Since this impeachment power show started, not one governor loyal to them has been served with an impeachment notice; sadly their governors are the most corrupt and non-performing leaders we have in Africa.

Instead of focusing on how to bring a lasting peace to the country, with the high levels of insecurity, thuggery, kidnapping, armed robbery and caustic political rivalry, they are trying to create more problems. My dear friends, we are not in a military era where the leader uses force to throw out or deal with anyone that chooses to disobey his orders or anybody that is not on his side; we are in a democratic era where everyone, irrespective of tribe or religion has the right to belong to any association, political party, group or union he or she chooses. I don't see the justification for trying to use military style to operate a civil rule.

When the news broke early this week that the governor of Adamawa State had been impeached, for many it was indeed a sad story.

Many people assert that though the governor may be corrupt, if he were still in the ruling party he would not have been impeached.

The question now is: does it mean that being in the ruling party gives you the absolute licence and power to be corrupt? May God forgive them because they don't know what they are doing! Few people ponder on the future of our great country; all they are thinking of is how to be part of the "chop I chop" party and keep on having fun.

Nobody ever thinks there is hope for our dear country that is why they all say all our leaders are the same, the ones that have ruled us in the past and the ones now are all the same. They even go further by saying the ones yet to come will still be the same and even worse - that

is why decent men and women can be lured with money to sell their consciences.

I don't know if all these state assembly members think they can take money along with them when they are leaving the earth.

The way and manner they collect bribes to commit atrocities or pass one unruly law or the other is disgusting.

Everyone, including the blind, deaf and dumb know that it's the "Oga at the top” that is engendering all this impeachment threats, causing more problems when we need peace. I don’t know anywhere in the world where people force people to vote for them. What I know and have seen happening in many places is that people declare their interest to contest and thereafter campaign; it is left for the electorate to cast their votes for their choice candidate(s).

This shameless power show must stop because it is not helping Nigerians. We all know the people that are trying to eject others just because they are not in their camps, but there is nothing we can do; we don't have the kind of power at their disposal! But Dia is God ooo!

My advice to all politicians is to play safe, do your homework well and leave the rest to the electorate to come out and vote for whoever they want, because democracy is a game of numbers not a game of force.

I was in Bayelsa State three weeks ago and the road from the Port Harcourt airport to Bayelsa is one of the worst roads in the country. I took that same road last year June and it is still as it was then and now - still under construction. That road has sent many to their early graves.

Most projects in the state are still under construction and when I asked, I was told by a number of the state’s indigenes that some of those projects have been under construction for years. Why has the governor not been served with an impeachment notice? This whole impeachment saga is a farce. If it were real many governors in their camp would have been impeached a long time ago. Why is it happening at this time when the general elections are getting closer? Why is it that it is one sided?

Let's try and do things right. No any public office is anybody's birth right; it's only God that chooses whosoever He desires to man the affairs of a country or group. Like I have said before, let the power play stop; it will not take us anywhere. It will only help in destroying our dear country. A word is enough for the wise. Ramadan Kareem to all my Muslim brothers and sisters. Have a lovely weekend peeps. Cheerio!

I Spent Over N20m On Bum Bum –Timaya

By Anthony Ada Abraham,

Abuja with agency report

Following the rumour making the rounds that the collaboration between Timaya and Sean Paul was gotten on a platter of gold by the Nigerian artiste, the Ebgeri Papa 1of Bayelsa has come out to tell all who care to listen that he spent huge amounts in securing the collabo.

He recently opened up in a Rent interview that he parted with a whopping N20 million

Sean Paul And Timaya

to secure the collaboration with Sean Paul for the remix of his hit track Bum Bum, as well as 6 months of planning.

‘I spent over N20m just to put that song and video together. It cost that much to bring Sean Paul and his people from Jamaica; I’m not joking,” he asserted.

The video for the international collaboration with the Jamaican megastar, Sean Paul dropped and became the rave of clubs and popular entertainment stations all over the world.

Stars Storm Nnewi For Jude Okoye's Traditional Wedding

By SAMUEL ABULUDE , Abuja

Today, the town of Nnewi in Anambra State will be agog with guests, celebrities as music video producer, Jude Okoye, ties the knot with his heartthrob, Ifeoma Umeokeke, in a traditional wedding.

The celebrity wedding between the duo brings the who's who in the showbiz world and business luminaries to Nnewi, the bride's hometown. Preparations had been in top gear to make the nuptial a memo-

Jude Okoye with his heartthrob, Ifeoma Umeokeke

rable one.

Jude had purchased a unique

exquisite marquise cut ring for Ify, among other gifts.

Final Audition For Queen Of Aso Holds Today

By PATIENCE IVIE IHEJIRIKA, Abu-

ja

The final audition of the 9th Edition of Queen of Aso Nigeria beauty pageant is holding today in Abuja.

The exercise has successfully gone round all the regions in the country. The final event is taking place at the bank, No 80, Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2 at 11:00am.

The pageant is holding in partnership with Hip TV, Soundcity TV, City People Magazine, and AIT. Others include Studio 24, Omab Communications, You International Magazine and Amity Global Network.

The Queen of Aso Contes-

Some of the contestants

tants after party will also take

place at the same venue.

Destiny’s Child Regroups For Gospel Song

By SAMUEL ABULUDE, Lagos

For about a month now, there have been speculations that Destiny's Child, comprising the trio bootilicious Beyonce, Kelly Rowlands and Michelle Williams are reuniting to work on a project. The rumours are true and the song is the evergreen 'When Jesus Says Yes, Nobody Can Say No'. The song reunites the singers of Destiny's Child. Beyonce, Kelly Rowlands and Michelle Williams The single premiered in the US on May 2nd, 2014. Titled Say Yes, the recorded song is from coming album titled, Jesus one of Michelle Williams' up- Christ Superstar.

20 e-FEATURE

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Davido: The Birth Of An African Star

BY ANTHONY ADA ABRAHAM , Abuja

Davido’s rise in the African music scene started in April 2011 when he released his single One Of A Kind

In recent times, few artistes have attained the achievements of the young and talented Davido, who was crowned Best African Act at the 2014 BET Awards, June 29, 2014, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

The Nigerian artiste beat Tiwa Savage, South Africa’s Mafikizolo, Ghana’s Sarkodie, Tanzania’s Diamond Platnumz and Togos Toofan to win the award. The excited Davido tweeted ‘Thanks to all my fans!! WE WON!' Earlier in June, the Skelewu singer also won the Best African Act award at the MTV Africa Music Awards.

Who would doubt that he is currently the hottest artiste in Africa?

Davido does not shy away from his privileged background. In his single Dami Duro, he drummed his privileged background into our minds.

The song immediately shot him up to the A-list category, a well-envied and soughtafter status occupied by top acts like Psquare, D’banj, 2face Idibia and another young star Wizkid. He soon morphed into Omo baba olowo, the rich kid who planned to dominate the music industry.

Many have attributed his success in the music industry to his father's wealth, which is far from the truth. Davido is a producer; producers are better musicians because they create beats and follow the notes. Though financial stability also contributed to his achievements, there is no denying his talent.

Davido’s rise in the African music scene started in April 2011 when he released his single One Of A Kind.

The song was strategically written to cater for the African market, with the singer naming several African countries in the chorus.

The music video followed the theme of the song, highlighting several African flags; that was all the pop star needed to break into the eastern and southern African markets, two regions where only the likes of Psquare and Flavour held ground.

Davido

Months after, Davido moved his music from Nigeria and Ghana into Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Liberia and turned into an international star.

Another huge single, the intoxicating Skelewu, which the artiste considered spiritual, blew him into space – the controversy behind the music video somehow played to his advantage, receiving millions of views on YouTube.

Davido went on a European tour, returned and visited several African countries.

Photos and video clips show the young singer now pulls close to 30,000 fans outside Nigeria. It should also be noted that despite a catalogue of controversies, Davido’s career has soared, steadily gaining more and more fans.

Born David Adedeji Adeleke November 21, 1992, he is a Nigerian American recording artiste, performer, and record producer. In 2011, he coproduced and released Dami Duro, a song well received throughout Nigeria.

Along with his elder brother Adewale Adeleke, Davido is the co-owner of HKN Music, a record label home to Sina

Rambo, B. Red,and DeeKay. He has produced for numerous artistes, including Naeto C, Skales, Tiwa Savage, and Sauce Kid. In April 2012, he signed an endorsement deal with MTN Nigeria. On October 23, 2013, Davido partnered with Guinness for the "Guinness World of More" concert.

Davido has won a KORA award, a Channel O music video award, a Ghana Music award, a Nigeria Music Video Award, 2 MTV Africa Music awards, 3 The Headies awards, 4 Nigeria Entertainment awards, and 2 Dynamix All Youth awards, among others.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Davido relocated to Lagos at a young age. He released his debut album Omo Baba Olowo in 2012, which contained the single, Back When, featuring Naeto C. It also has Dami Duro; All of You; Overseas featuring Sina Rambo; Ekuro; Gbon Gbon and Feel Alright featuring Ice Prince. Davido has also released the singles Gobe, One of a Kind, Skelewu, Aye and Tchelete (Goodlife).

Many have compared the young artiste to Wizkid

because they seem to go head-to-head in the music industry.

SPORTS

8

ELATING

PAGES

19.07.2014

NPFL RETURNS

EPL CHANGES AFFECT FANS

TOON TRAGEDY

NIGERIAN FOOTBALL, P23

FOOTBALL GUIDE P24 & 49

REPORTS P51

The Nigerian Professional Football League returns after the one month break due to the FIFA World Cup

The 2014/15 Premier League fixture changes make it impossible for fans to attend some matches by train

Newcastle United mourn two of their fans involved in Tuesday's Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, which crashed in Ukraine

Naming Messi MVP Is A Disgrace – Collymore

Stan Collymore has labelled FIFA's decision to name Argentina's Lionel Messi the World Cup's best player 'an absolute disgrace'.

Germany beat La Albiceleste 1-0 in extra-time in the World Cup final as the Barcelona star struggled to inspire his nation and there was widespread surprise when the 27-year-old picked up the Golden Ball after the match.

Messi scored four goals in Brazil over the course of the tournament but Collymore was adamant there were others who deserved the award ahead of the Argentine.

"His performance was poor tonight," he told talkSPORT. "We've seen him three or four times now in the flesh and he's been poor in all of them, bar several trademark runs which I think

masks a lot.

"It's an absolute disgrace giving him the Golden Ball tonight. You look at players like James Rodriguez, even players like Chile's Alexis Sanchez and Manuel Neuer [they deserve it more].

"He wasn't even the best player in the Argentina side over the tournament, [Javier] Mascherano gets that vote for me."

2014 WORLD CUP: TOP 20 STATISTICS

PAGE 22

22 SPORTS/POURRI

Saturday, July 19, 2014

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

Every season you have to prove that [you are the best] and last season you were seventh New Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal brutally reminds fans of what happened during the previous campaign

I thought he was joking so I asked him to repeat the question, and he said: ‘I need to know if this is really the final.’

Referee Nicola Rizzoli reveals the full extent of German Christoph Kramer's concussion during the World Cup final against Argentina

My restaurants were sold four years ago and I’ll be surprised and very sad if anyone has put my house up for sale Daniel Agger has dismissed suggestions he's selling his house and preparing to leave Liverpool

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

A team of expert florists have produced a mural, which is made from approximately 25,000 red and white flowers shipped in from Van Gaal's native Holland, in Manchester city centre to welcome him to the city.

SPORTING RECALL 0: Premier League players shortlisted for the best player, best goalkeeper and best young player of the tournament

GROUP SPORTS EDITOR Ishaku Kigbu REPORTERS Samuel Malik, Salifu Usman DESIGN & LAYOUT Paul Benjamin ACTING EDITOR Catherine Agbo

group FOUNDER Sam Nda-Isaiah CHAIRMAN Hajiya Ireti Kingibe GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR Azubuike Ishiekwene GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Michael Okpere, Dr Kazeem Durodoye

Mondrago when he became the oldest player in World Cup history 52: Miles covered by Germany’s Thomas Muller – the most at the finals

3: Shots on target from Golden Ball winner Lionel Messi during four knockout-stage matches, three of which went to extratime

66: Seconds between Olivier Giroud and Blaise Matuidi scoring for France against Switzerland – least time difference between two goals at finals

6: Germany players who were part of Under-21 side to win Euro 2009 – Neuer, Howedes, Boateng, Khedira, Ozil, Hummels

100: Six-goal top scorer James Rodriguez was 100/1 to win the Golden Boot before the finals

7: Minutes Argentina were behind during 12: Managers who have now left their the entire tournament position 8: Games which went to extra-time – a joint record with Italia 90 10: Reds cards 12: Penalties scored

26: England's official finishing position out of the 32 teams

16: Teams that had only played one game 30: Seconds taken by Clint Dempsey to by the time England had been knocked out open the scoring against Ghana – the fifth fastest goal in World Cup history 23: Players used by Holland boss Louis van 32: Goals scored by substitutes – a record Gaal - his entire squad 43: Age of Colombia goalkeeper Faryd

171: Goals scored, matching record set at France 98 562: Passes completed by Germany’s Philipp Lahm – the most at the finals 618,725: Tweets per minute about the match at the final whistle, the highestever peak during an event

TRANSFER SNIPPETS Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, 31, has turned down a move to Manchester United.

Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, 20, is on City's radar to replace Toure if the Ivorian forces through a move away from the Etihad.

SPORTS

2014 World Cup: Top 20 Statistics

Arsenal right-back Carl Jenkinson, 22, is a £5m target for West Ham. Sunderland have made an enquiry for Atletico Madrid's Uruguay international winger Cristian Rodriquez, 28.

Deportivo La Coruna are confident that Barcelona striker Bojan Krkic, 23, who has been told to find a new club, will turn down the chance to join Stoke and join them instead.

Crystal Palace have agreed transfer fees for Cardiff striker Fraizer Campbell, 26, and Tottenham

midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, 24.

QPR manager Harry Redknapp says the club are hopeful of signing Steven Caulker, 22 after agreeing a fee with Cardiff for the defender.

West Brom boss Alan Irvine says Manchester United's £30m signing of Luke Shaw, 19, has led to other clubs pushing up their asking prices for defenders.

West Ham have made a bid to take Boca Juniors left-back Emanuel Insua, 23, on loan.

Toure

Liverpool have enquired about the availability of PSV Eindhoven's £8m-rated winger Zakaria Bakkali, 18.

Former Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli, 23, has dropped a huge hint that he wants to join Arsenal by being photographed in front of the Gunners' logo.

Caulker

Balotelli

SPORTS 23

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Nigerian Football

Giwa FC Vow To Shock Ikhana Nigeria Premier League debutants, Giwa FC of Jos, have vowed to deny former coach, Kadiri Ikhana, three points when he and his new club, Enyimba, storm the Rwang Pam Stadium for this weekend 19 encounter of the NPL. Former African coach of the year guided newcomers to a goalless draw with Enyimba

Giwa FC

in Aba in the first fixture between the two side, but Giwa FC forward foresees a tough duel against Enyimba with the return to base of their former head coach. He said his side will fight tooth and nail to grab the maximum points at the expense of the People's Elephant.

"The clash against Enyimba won't be easy more so as the

coach, Kadiri Ikhana who helped us to earn a point at Enyimba has rejoined the Aba-based side.

"Naturally, Ikhana will want to use his knowledge of Giwa FC to undo us but that's the shock we've in stock for him as he will on match day discover to his chagrin that he is meeting a completely different side from the one he knows.

Samuel Debunks TEAP FC Job

Former Sunshine Stars coach, Abimbola Samuel, has denied joining the Nigeria National League (NNL) side, TEAP FC. The immediate past head coach of Prime FC was widely reported to have joined the struggling Abujabased side on rescue mission for the remainder of the ongoing league season.

General manager of the side, Dickson Okoro, was quoted

last week as saying that the former Flying Eagles assistant coach has joined his side as head coach.

However, Samuel said the widely reported switch to TEAP FC is 100% untrue as he is still with his academy.

"No, I've not joined TEAP FC, the report is unfounded and untrue. The truth is that I'm still with my academy to keep body and soul together.

“There was approach and

discussion for me to join the side as head coach but nothing meaningful was agreed. I was not comfortable with the terms and condition of work and there and then I voiced my disapproval and rejection of the offer.

“I need a job but I'm not desperate about it, at this time and age I must insist on seeing where I'll land before I Samuel take the dive.”

Eguavoen Seals Gombe Utd Move Gombe United have completed the formalities for contracting former Super Eagles captain and coach Austin Eguavoen as their new Technical Adviser.

Eguavoen signed the dotted lines on the contract papers that will initially bind him with the club for the rest if the season.

The Desert Scorpions also contracted another exinternational, Oladuni Oyekale, as their new Chief Coach.

"We believe that these two will bring their experiences and technical acumen to Gombe United," the club's Media Officer, Tanimu Umar said in a statement.

Gombe United are second from bottom on the Glo Premier League table with 20 points from 19 games and Eguavoen's primary objective will be to lift the club out of the trenches, as the Management Board have promised to give him all the necessary support towards ensuring that the club

Eguavoen

improve on their placement.

Earlier in the week, the club unveiled as much seven newly signed players.

NPLF Team

P

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

PTS

1

Kano Pillars

18

8

7

3

27

18

9

31

2

Nasarawa United

19

9

4

6

20

15

5

31

3

Abia Warriors

19

9

3

7

26

19

7

30

4

Sharks

19

8

6

5

22

17

5

30

5

Enyimba

19

8

5

6

18

12

6

29

6

Giwa FC

19

8

4

7

19

15

4

28

7

Warri Wolves

19

8

4

7

20

19

1

28

8

Akwa United

19

8

4

7

18

18

0

28

9

Dolphins FC

18

7

6

5

20

13

7

27

10

Heartland FC

19

6

9

4

18

15

3

27

11

Sunshine Stars

19

6

9

4

27

25

2

27

12

El-Kanemi Warriors

19

7

5

7

23

17

6

26

13

Lobi Stars

19

8

1

10

21

25

-4

25

14

Taraba FC

19

8

1

10

13

19

-6

25

15

Enugu Rangers

19

7

3

9

24

23

1

24

16

Bayelsa United

19

7

3

9

24

30

-6

24

17

Crown FC

19

7

3

9

16

23

-7

24

18

Kaduna United

19

6

3

10

16

23

-7

Nigeria Premier League Midweek Results Lobi stars vs Heartland vs El-Kanemi Rangers Abia Warriors

vs Nasarawa Utd Akwa

Utd

vs Sharks

Giwa FC

vs Enyimba

Wolves

vs Kaduna Utd

Sunshine

vs Nembe City

Bayelsa Utd

vs Crown FC

21

Taraba FC

vs Gombe Utd

Dolphins

vs Pillars

19

Gombe United

19

5

5

9

21

23

-2

20

20

Nembe City

19

3

7

9

9

33

-24

16

Baribote

part of Nembe City, so am I supposed to be responsible for paying their salaries?" he queried.

"I'm not running Nembe City now, so I'm not in a position to... I'm not even supposed to put my money to Nembe City. They were told to disassociate themselves from me, so do I need to put my money into the club?

Enyimba Laud Ikhana’s Return Players of Enyimba have described the return of Coach Kadiri Ikhana as good omen for the team aiming to win on both domestic fronts.

The former Falcons and Kano Pillars coach made a midseason move to Enyimba from Giwa FC and the players reckons his return will motivate them more because as an experienced coach in the land.

"Coach Ikhana is class. He makes us work extremely hard at training and pushes us to give a hundred per cent all the time.

"He knows Aba very well, and he is experienced enough to help us win the double because he has been there before and knows what to do," one of the player,

Yaya Turns Down Man United

Set to leave Manchester City this summer after repeatedly voicing his unhappiness with the way he has been treated by his employers, Ivoirian star Yaya Touré has turned down an offer from rivals Manchester United according to reports from the Daily Express.

The Red Devils have reportedly put £ 40 million on the table for the 29-year old, who has ruled out a move to Old Trafford.

Toure Commits Future To Manchester City

Baribote Slams LMC, NFF Embattled owner of Nembe City FC, Victor Rumson Baribote, has blamed the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the League Management Company (LMC) for the club's recent financial woes.

Players of the club have launched a protest demanding the payment of the six months’ salary arrears owed to them, along with other outstanding entitlements.

When KickOffNigeria.com contacted the estranged owner of the club, Victor Bartibote, to confirm the recent developments, he blamed the current situation at the club on the decision of the country's football administrators to ban him.

"They said I should not be

FOOTBALL BRIEFS

Ikhana

Jonah Abutu said.

"I hope to play more than I did in the first round because I am fully fit now. We want to dispatch off Nembe City and also get the second round off on a good note. The double is possible," Abutu added.

Yaya Toure has vowed to remain at Manchester City as he asked for an end to a summer of speculation largely begun by his own agent.

Toure and his representative Dimitri Seluk have confirmed the Ivory Coast international's intention to honour his contract - which runs until 2017 - at the Etihad Stadium.

“The fans have always been good to me, they've always been good to my family,” Toure told Sky Sports News. “I want to stay. I will always honour my contract.

I don't think about all this speculation. It's a big pleasure to stay and enjoy the next season.

“Everything is fine now. There was a lot of speculation, you know. I think sometimes it's quite disappointing. I need to do something for the fans, it's important to let them know.

Romeu Signs New Chelsea Deal Oriol Romeu has been handed a new three-year deal at Chelsea despite not playing a competitive game for the club since December 2012.

The 22-year-old spent last season on loan at Valencia, making 19 appearances overall, and some Chelsea fans may be surprised the Spaniard has been given a new contract.

Romeu joined Chelsea from Barcelona in the summer of 2011, and made 33 appearances before suffering a knee injury that kept him out the rest of the 2012-13 term.

He played 70 minutes in Chelsea's 5-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers on Wednesday night, and looks to be in the front of Jose Mourinho's mind for more competitive appearances this term.

24 SPORTS/FOOTBALL GUIDE

FOOTBALL GUIDE /SPORTS 49

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Games Where Fans Can't Go

By Train

WORLD CUP BRIEFS

August Sun 17: Liverpool v S'ton Mon 18: Burnley v Chelsea Sat 23: A/Villa v Newcastle Sat 23: Everton v Arsenal Sat 30: Everton v Chelsea September Mon 15: Hull v West Ham Mon 29: Stoke v Newcastle October Sat 25: Swansea v Leicester November Mon 03: C/Palace v S'land Mon 24: Aston Villa v S'ton Sat 29: S'land v Chelsea

UEFA Changes Rules On Yellow Cards UEFA have announced that they players will no longer miss the Champions League or Europa League final through suspension for the accumulation of yellow cards.

Players' booking will be wiped out after the quarterfinal stages of European club competitions.

Real Madrid's Xabi Alonso was suspended for the Champions League final in May after picking up a third knockout phase booking in the second leg of his team's semi-final.

Famously, Paul Scholes and Roy Keane missed Manchester United 1999 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

In a statement, UEFA said: '(Our) emergency panel decided that, as of this season, all yellow cards from the beginning of the group stage will expire on completion of the quarterfinals. Bookings will therefore not be carried forward to the semi-finals.'

The rule is already in force in the international area during the European Championships.

Notable Absentees From Finals Due To Yellow Cards 1999 - Roy Keane and Paul Scholes 2009 - Dani Alves 2011 - Jose Pinto 2012 - Branislav Ivanovic, Ramies and Raul Meireles, David Alaba, Holger Badstuber and Luis Gustavo 2014 - Xabi Alonso

Newcastle fans will have to find an alternative way to get home from their game at Stoke in September

Chelsea fans will face travel difficulties for games at Burnley, Everton and Sunderland

But Arsenal fans might find their route home from Everton blocked by problems with trains

EPL Changes Make It Impossible For Fans To Travel By Train Football fans are once again bearing the brunt of changes to the Premier League fixture schedule

by Sky and BT Sport.

The TV duo released changes to kick-off times for every weekend up until the end of November on Monday, leaving many travelling supporters frustrated.

A large minority of the changes leave it impossible for fans of the away side travelling on the train to either get to the host town or city in time for an early kick-off, or get home after an evening game.

The opening round of fixtures sees Chelsea travel up to Burnley for the Monday night 8pm kickoff – with travelling fans unable to get home the same night.

Southampton fans will also struggle to see Ronald Koeman’s first game managing their side in the Premier League, with the earliest train from the south coast making it into Liverpool Lime Street just minutes before kick-off at Anfield on Sunday August 17.

Monday night matches are the worst culprits in the revised list, with five of the seven announced fixtures leaving train-travelling fans stranded in the host city, including Hull City vs West Ham on September 15 and Crystal Palace vs Sunderland on November 3.

August is the worst month for travelling supporters, with five games leaving away fans needing other arrangements, including Londonbased supporters of Arsenal and Chelsea playing

at Everton in the Saturday 5.30 kick-off on consecutive weekends.

The opening round of fixtures sees Chelsea travel up to Burnley for the Monday night 8pm kickoff – with travelling fans unable to get home the same night.

Southampton fans will also struggle to see Ronald Koeman’s first game managing their side in the Premier League, with the earliest train from the south coast making it into Liverpool Lime Street just minutes before kick-off at Anfield on Sunday August 17.

Monday night matches are the worst culprits in the revised list, with five of the seven announced fixtures leaving train-travelling fans stranded in the host city, including Hull City vs West Ham on

September 15 and Crystal Palace vs Sunderland on November 3.

August is the worst month for travelling supporters, with five games leaving away fans needing other arrangements, including Londonbased supporters of Arsenal and Chelsea playing at Everton in the Saturday 5.30 kick-off on consecutive weekends.

A spokesperson for the Football Supporters’ Federation said: ‘Match-going fans come too far down the list of priorities when matches are selected for TV. Every season there are examples of games being moved to times which are extremely difficult for travelling fans.

‘To pick an example at random on the season’s opening weekend, how are Southampton fans

going to get to Liverpool for a game on Sunday at 1.30pm?

‘TV companies often get the blame but let’s not forget that it’s the clubs themselves who allow this to happen by agreeing to contractual terms which inconvenience their own fans.

‘That’s not to say BT and Sky couldn’t lighten the load on fans. The FSF has received many complaints from fans unhappy at the four weeks it took both companies to announce which games would be moved for broadcast.

‘Every day of silence from them cost fans time and money. Train fares go up, hotel rooms are sold out, and it’s more of a struggle to book days off work. Supporters want to see both BT and Sky move a lot quicker next season.’

Can Van Gaal Work With Rooney?

Manchester United have a manager again.

Louis van Gaal touched down in Manchester on Wednesday and headed straight toward his first training session and meetings with his new staff.

You have to admire the guts of a man who has taken his nation to third place in the World Cup denying himself even a day off before taking on his next job.

The fervour behind Van Gaal's arrival is perhaps an indication of the enormous void left by the end of the World Cup, but also of the expectation his exploits in that competition have created. Manchester United fans are expecting the world from the Dutchman before he has even taken charge in a single game. The pressure is on.

On Wednesday afternoon, he was given a brief tour of United's training complex, and cheesy photos of him smiling alongside assistant

manager Ryan Giggs and club executive vice chairman Ed Woodward were soon circling on the club's website. After the embarrassment that was caused by the photo of a toothy David Moyes with a "Manchester United mousemat" last year, you would think the club might be more cautious.

However, people are excited.

Nobody expected the Netherlands to do quite as well as they did in Brazil, thumping both the hosts and holders on their way to an impressive third-place finish. In the meantime, Van Gaal has proven himself to be eminently quotable and unafraid of making tough calls under pressure. He will need to be.

There is work to do at Old Trafford. Moyes was certainly handed a poisoned chalice by taking over for Sir Alex Ferguson, but nonetheless, the squad is imbalanced and short of confidence. Several

players need a stern kick on the rear end.

Van Gaal is said to be running the rule over six players who are nearing the end of their contracts. That may be the case, but it is more likely that he will pay only cursory glances over the performances of Darren Fletcher, Shinji Kagawa, Chris Smalling, Tom Cleverley, Javier Hernandez and Ashley Young. He has a bigger fish to fry, and he knows it.

What Van Gaal wants to know, and what everyone connected to the club wants to know, is can he work with Wayne Rooney? That is the key question. It has already been confirmed that United's England contingent are not getting any extra time off after the showpiece in Brazil.

That can only be a good thing; they all need to get it out of their systems.

The attitude of United's No.10 contains the key to many of the team's

conundrums. If Rooney can be squeezed into the same team as Robin van Persie, then the formation of Van Gaal's best XI starts to take shape. If he can't, then the new man will have an extremely well-paid and disgruntled personality which would be self-defeating to sell.

That Rubicon might not be crossed this week, but make no mistake, Van Gaal is thinking about it as is Rooney and Van Persie. You can expect some full-blooded performances and meaty tackles from the Englishman as the club embark on their US tour. He won't be giving up a starting spot without a fight.

Just what exactly is Van Gaal going to do with Wayne Rooney? How can he get this club back on its feet again?

Because that is what the Manchester United manager needs to do.

Source: ESPN

I Need Time —Van Gaal Louis van Gaal admits he is facing a big task adapting to life at Manchester United and reviving their fortunes after being unveiled as the club's new manager.

The Dutchman arrived on Wednesday, just three days after the end of the 2014 World Cup, where he led the Netherlands to third place.

Now he is charged with restoring the 13-time Premier League champions to former glories after their disappointing seventh-place finish last season.

He told a news conference: "It's the biggest club in the world.

Within two days I already know how important Manchester United is.

"In China, in Brazil, when I was coach of the Dutch team, people are talking about Manchester United.

"I have to work, I have to prepare a team and I have to adapt to this big club. It will not be easy, but I will do my best.

Every season you have to prove that [you are the best] and last season you were seventh.

"When you see my career, you can see what I have won the future will show if I can do that again."

Van Gaal

ISSUE 142, JULY 19, 2014.

P REICTA ION ED

A-Z of a memorable tournament From Algeria's heroics to Zamorano's lively language, the 2014 Fifa World Cup has provided plenty of memorable moments

STUFF

World Cup stars' tattoos decoded

CLICK CLICK

HOW THE WORLD CUP PLAYED OUT ON FACEBOOK VERSUS TWITTER

>43

KEY QUESTION

DESIRABLES

THE BIG STORY

When do footballers reach their peak?

How Germany plotted final glory

Top marksmen in World Cup history

26

Saturday, July 19, 2014

KNOW-ALL BELIEVE THIS!

THAT'S INSIDE THIS ISSUE

32

STUFF

Linda Wolfe holds the Guinness World Record for being the most married woman in the world. She died single in 2010 with 23 ex husbands

28 TRENDED

45

DESIRABLES

30

29 TOP TEN STARTING BLOCKS 27 PROUDLY NIGERIA •

OLASUBOMI BALOGUN: Symbol of excellence

28 TRENDED •

Rihanna denies sending 'Free Palestine' tweet

28 VIRAL •

Fake shark attack video goes viral

29 TOP TEN FIFA rankings July 2014

30 WHAT'S UP •

World Cup 2014: A-Z of a memorable tournament

STUFF •

Easter Island, Chile

•

Ten World Cup stars' tattoos decoded

32 STUFF

33 ACHIEVING THE IMPOSSIBLE Discover a planet

34 ARTICULATE •

Trash expertly painted on pieces of wood

35 THE KEY QUESTION •

when do footballers reach thier peak

36 DOERS •

Eryca Freemantle: Beauty ambassador

37 WORLD CUP TOP SCORERS • • • • • • • • •

Phenomenal Ronaldo Nutorious Gerd Muller Unstoppable Just Fontaine Legendary Pele Record Breaking Miroslav Klose Golden head Sandor Kocsis Dynamic Jurgen Klinsmann Formidable Helmu Rahn Gabriel Batistuta, Warrior

38 OTHER WORLD CUP TOP SCORERS • • • •

Gary Lineker Teofilo Cubillas Grzegorz Lato Thomas Muller

WHAT'S UP?

44 DRESS SENSE

THE REGULARS

THE BIG STORY

31 WONDERS OF THE WORLD

•

43 TECHLIFE

35 THE KEY QUESTION

43 TECHLIFE •

Click Click,

44 CULTURED! •

Etiquettewise, Superstitions, Proverbs, Excusez moi

45 DESIRABLES 46 MINDFUL •

Crossword, WordSearch, Sudoku, Homework, Bookshelf

47 A LA CARTE •

Crazy Tricks, Gentleman's Words, Laugh-Out-Loud

48 BONUS PACK •

Seen & Overhead, English Phrases, Keepsakes

BOXED • • • • • • • • • • •

Believe this Fact Box, Do You Remember When? Strictly For JJCs Shocking Foodfacts Psychology Ideas, Useless Information, Business Blunder, Quick Quiz, Espionage, Discovered Sounding Clever, Sounding Great, Spotlights, Know Why, Celeb Info, Teeny Fascinating Facts, Keepsakes, Just Unbelievable, Fast Forward

Buzzstop It was revealed on Tuesday that after giving birth last summer around the same time, Kim Kardashian and Princess Kate Middleton are both looking to try for baby number two.

On Wednesday, a mysterious 260-foot crater was discovered in a remote region of Siberia.

On Thursday, a Malaysian Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed in eastern Ukraine amid reports that the plane was shot down. There were 280 passengers and 15 crew members on board.

Kim Kardashian isn’t going to make $200m on her new video game app as earlier reported. It was confirmed Tuesday by Yahoo that she will make $85m instead.

The ESPY (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) which held on Wednesday July 16 was a very interesting show as rapper Drake mocked fellow rapper Macklemore, his Music and his Grammy Win. Sir Marcus Setchell the surgeon who delivered Prince George opened up in an interview on Wednesday. He described Prince William and Princess Kate as ‘just another healthy young couple giving birth to a hopefully very healthy baby.’

On Thursday, it was confirmed that Technology giant Microsoft is set to axe 18,000 jobs marking the deepest cuts in the firm’s 39-year history.

Ryan Gosling sparked Internet outrage when

word spread that he was expecting a baby with long-time girlfriend Eva Mendes. After the cries of millions of broken-hearted female fans quieted down, however, the news got even more depressing. According to the latest issue of Us Weekly published on Wednesday, Ryan has been waiting on Eva hand and foot in the final months of her pregnancy.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday launched his most bitter attack yet against Israel over its air campaign in the Gaza Strip, accusing the Jewish State of seeking a systematic genocide of the Palestinians.

CONTENT Victoria Usman, Abisola Alawode, Love Adeyemi, Elizabeth Martin DESIGN/LAYOUT Michael Igwe-Ngerem ACTING EDITOR Catherine Agbo

group

FOUNDER Sam Nda-Isaiah CHAIRMAN Hajiya Ireti Kingibe GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR Azubuike Ishiekwene GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Michael Okpere, Dr Kazeem Durodoye FEEDBACK AND MAILS Cognoscenti is published as an insert in LEADERSHIP Weekend. A number of the articles in this pullout are sourced from diverse sources.

Please do send your feedback and enquiries to cognoscenti@leadership.ng or send us a tweet @LeCognoscenti

27

Saturday, July 19, 2014

STARTINGBLOCKS AFRICANFACTS

Ghanaian squad at the 2014 FIFA world cup was made up of footballers from 13 football leagues in the world, the most at Brazil 2014.

THE PACESETTING PAGES

Cameroon was the first African team to reach the quarter final stage of the world cup. They achieved the feat in 1990.

CLETUS IBETO

Man of good character

PROUDLY NIGERIA OLASUBOMI BALOGUN

Symbol of excellence An acknowledged baron of the Nigerian Capital and Money Markets; doyen, pioneer and role model of entrepreneurial banking in Nigeria, Olasubomi Balogun has devoted substantial part of his private resources towards Nigeria a better place for all Olasubomi Balogun has been described as a meticulous, painstaking, impeccable, hardworking and honest man.

Born at Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, on March 9, 1934 to hardworking parents, the young Olasubomi Balogun graduated LLB Honours, June, 1959 at the London School of Economics (LSE) and was called to the English Bar in December, 1959.

He was trained by the Government of Western Region of Nigeria as a Parliamentary Counsel at Whitehall and the British Parliament in London. For nine years, between 1966 and 1975, he was the first Principal Counsel and Company Secretary to the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (NIDB). During this period, he received extensive training at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), otherwise known as the World Bank, and its private sector affiliate, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) both in Washington DC. He also received extensive training from leading stockbrokers, investment banks and merchant banks in London and New York.

Following his pioneering spirit, he resigned from the NIDB in December 1977 to set up his own

STRICTLY FOR JJCs In a new book ‘Virtual Unreality’

by Charles Seife (which deals with how to detect lies online) there is an interesting insight on the origins of those absurd scams from people asking for relatively small sums money in exchange for larger returns you'll supposedly get later.

These scams are the modern iteration of the classic ‘Spanish Prisoner’ scam that goes back hundreds of years. By 1898, Seife writes, the scams were so ubiquitous that The New York Times was warning its readers about them.

‘When The New York Times warns

Olasubomi Balogun

company, City Securities Limited, which became the first institution in Nigeria to combine issuing house and stock broking businesses under one roof. In less than two years of the establishment of City Securities Limited, he bestrode the Nigerian Capital Market like a colossus so much so that a leading and reputable financial and business journal, in a citation, described him as ‘a most distinguished and a leading baron of the Nigerian capital market’. As a natural sequence to his outstanding performances in the Nigerian capital and money markets, Otunba Balogun in 1979, single-handedly set up the first wholly Nigerian

owned merchant bank, known as ‘First City Merchant Bank Limited’. Under his leadership as chairman and chief executive, First City Merchant Bank Limited (FCMB) in its first 20 years of existence, experienced steady and un-interrupted growth, and earned national and international recognition as market leaders in investment banking and capital market services.

Otunba Balogun in his retirement is today a constructive philanthropist and a distinguished church leader who has devoted substantial part of his private resources towards the care and service of the less privileged in his immediate community and Nigeria at large. He was the first in Nigeria as at 1987 to endow a professorial chair in a university when at the University of Ibadan he set up a chair for capital market studies in the department of economics and finance. He also endowed a research fellowship in the legal department of the University of Lagos. He has equally donated to several altruistic causes in a number of institutions such as the Olabisi Onabanjo University (formerly Ogun State University), Yaba College of Technology, African Leadership Forum, among others.

Email scams still waxing strong readers about a scam, you know that a lot of money has already been lost,’ Seife wrote. ‘And when the paper decided that it had to sound a public alert about the 'Spanish Prisoner' game, it did so because the swindle was likely one of the most successful frauds ever known.’

In that scam, a fraudster tells a victim he's in prison and has a large amount of money he can't get his hands on.

The fraudster then asks the victim for a smaller sum of money to access the cash. In return, the fraudster says, the victim will be getting a handsome

reward. That reward obviously never comes. The swindle used to be worked entirely by mail, and the treasure was always on some convenient island or somewhere in Florida.

More than 100 years later, the Spanish fraud scheme has many new features, but its basic premise remains the same. So if you have been scammed by a variant of this mail, be rest assured that you are not the only one.

Thousands have been scammed before you. At the same time, be smart and always inform your loved ones so they will not fall willing victims.

Dr Cletus Ibeto is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Ibeto Group. Dr Ibeto has been described as a man of good character, with a good sense of business and community reputation fully dedicated to the pursuit of excellence.

The young Cletus Ibeto started out as a spare parts import dealer, after spending some time as an apprentice in the motor parts business, a gradual step taken by many eastern traders. In March 1988, he stopped direct importation of lead acid automotive battery and plastic motor accessories after completing his factory in Nnewi.

By 1995, The Ibeto Group had become one of the largest auto spare parts manufacturing outfits in the country. On October 2, 1996, he established Ibeto Petrochemical Industries Ltd. which is engaged in the blending of oil lubricants as well as the production of various types of petroleum products for local and international markets. Ibeto Cement Company Limited was incorporated in year 2002 in response to the federal government clarion call on indigenous entrepreneurs to go into cement bulk breaking and bagging.

Ibeto has been honoured by the Federal Government of Nigeria with Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON); and by the University of Nigeria with a Doctor of Business Administration, DBA (Honoris Causa). Dr Ibeto served as President, Nnewi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture from 1994 to 1998.

In January 1997 the Anambra State Government accorded him state honour in recognition of his contributions towards the development of the state and on July 8, 2000 he received the prestigious Gold Service Award of the Rotary Club of Enugu, Rotary International District 9140. He is an acknowledged industrialist who has advanced the cause of international goodwill and understanding through his extensive international business undertakings. He is currently on the Board of many reputable institutions and organizations.

28

Saturday, July 19, 2014

STARTINGBLOCKS

1,748,000

Number of people killed within an hour by the army of Mongolia’s Genghis Khan’s at Nishapur in 1212.

400,000,000

Number of people who are addicted to sex the world over.

THE BUZZWORTHY STUFF ONLINE

Trended Rihanna denies sending 'Free Palestine' tweet Rihanna has denied claims that she supports the Palestinian Authority during the week after a tweet was sent from her official Twitter account.

The tweet simply contained the hashtag ‘#FreePalestine’. Reports claimed that after she was inundated with questions from fans asking if she supported Hamas, the tweet was removed within eight minutes of first appearing. A source close to the singer said she had not intended to send it. ‘She deleted it because it was never meant to be tweeted. She didn’t even realise it was a tweet until she started hearing from her fans.

Tabloids craze over Kate Middleton pregnancy rumours

Rumours are swirling that the Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant again.

They are being fuelled by online reports from the likes of The National Enquirer, which screamed Kate Middleton pregnant with second child! and British tabloid The Mirror, which ran the article titled Kate Middleton Pregnant Again, claims ex-school friend - but Buckingham Palace stays tight-lipped over rumours’. According to reports, her close friend, Jessica Hay, told Australian publication New Idea that ‘Kate’s inner circle is buzzing with the news that she is pregnant.’ Hay also ‘pointed out that Kate’s face has been looking fuller once again, and she’s changed up her hair to hide it. Sources have also pointed out that Hay and the Duchess are not close friends and have not spoken for many years. Some observers have added weight to Hay’s alleged comments, pointing out that same Hay confirmed Kate’s first pregnancy several weeks before it was officially announced in 2012.

Apptitude Save time with PrintWhatYouLike

Have you ever wasted time trying to get the right part of a website to print? Then, wasted more time trying to get rid of the ads and other superfluous information you didn’t need on the printed copy? What a waste of time!

PrintWhatYouLike is a free online editor that lets you format any web page for printing in seconds. You can remove ads, change the font size, combine multiple pages, and save your modified page as a PDF or HTML document.

Viral

Fake shark attack video goes viral

Feed your font addiction with WhatTheFont

Along with abundant font collection comes the lack of ability to remember which font you last used and where. So sometimes, you end up with a flat graphic and no recollection of what font was used to create it.

WhatTheFont lets you upload an image or specify a URL, then it walks you through a series of character selections then spits out the names of a few possible font matches.

Resize your pictures without complications with Pic Resize

If you don’t always want to start Photoshop or your other comprehensive image editing app for a quick image crop and resizing, then Pic Resize is one of the best productivity tools for you. You upload your image online, and can crop, resize and apply a number of special effects in seconds. This is also the perfect tool if you’re on a mobile device or away from your main computer and all of your normal software.

iBlackout for the night crawlers

If you sometimes go out with the guys and plan to have a lot to drink then this app may be what you need. Activate it at the beginning of your big night out and it tracks where you’ve been and who you’ve called/texted from your phone. iBlackout won’t save you from the stupid things you do but it will help you remember them when you just can’t remember what you did.

Twenty four million people have soiled their pants watching the video on YouTube which starts with a GoPro-wearing Australian jumping into the water, only to hear his friend with the extremely good eyesight shouting ‘Shark!’

The protagonist does what everyone would do in this situation: he swims straight in the direction his friend pointed at and then stands still in order to get a good shot of the passing shark. But the real harrowing moment comes at the revelation that the shark is also able to teleport in the water like a slightly more razor-toothed Night crawler. Those two shots are a few frames apart, yet the shark magically changes position. Maybe

it’s just an awkward cut that is a little difficult to understand but how about the part where the shark is so consistently terrorising that it actually attacked two different swimmers in the exact same manner, both of whom uploaded different videos of it on the same day? In fairness, this does support the teleportation theory. The second video was meant to be a parody of the first, but it illustrates how easy it is to fake this stuff.

So either these videos were a hoax, or Syfy just found the reallife inspiration for an upcoming Teleport-a-shark movie no doubt being cast with Z-list actors as we speak.

STRANGE

Woman allergic to husband’s sperm A bride, who waited until she was married to have sex with her husband, has opened up about the shocking discovery that she is allergic to his sperm. Clara, 35, has seminal plasma hypersensitivity, an allergic reaction to the proteins in her husband Jeff ’s semen - and even using a condom won’t help the North Carolina couple. ‘I had this bizarre reaction,’ Clara told ABC, who for privacy reasons did not want to use her real name. ‘I had burning and swelling and redness, which was very unusual. I thought I had contracted an STD.’ After several visits to the gynaecologist and hours of research online, the couple finally got some answers. They had no choice but to avoid intimacy. Jeff explained: ‘It was a real problem, because everything else was great.

We were madly in love, but it was a real game-changer… we really

haven’t had much sex at all for the last 10 months. The intimacy level drops dramatically -- all of a sudden instead of living with your new wife or husband, you are more like roommates.’ Clara, who said the allergic reaction had never happened before in previous relationships, explained: ‘The swelling was worst immediately after sex. It would take 24 hours to subside and my skin would be irritated as if you’d put a chemical on it that caused it to burn.

29

Saturday, July 19, 2014

STARTINGBLOCKS In Bahrain, male doctors only legally examine a woman’s genitals through a mirror.

DUMBLAWS

10

OF EVERYTHING THAT'S WORTH ITS SALT

FIFA RANKINGS, JULY 2014

Argentina

SWIMMING SPOTS – ITALIAN LAKES

Netherlands

Colombia

Belgium

Rank Team

Pts

1

Germany

1724

+/Pos 1

2

Argentina

1606

3

3

Netherlands

1496

12

4

Colombia

1492

4

5

Belgium

1401

6

6

Uruguay

1330

1

7

Brazil

1241

-4

8

Spain

1229

-7

9

Switzerland

1216

-3

10

France

1202

7

Germany

WORLD CUP WINNERS S/N Country

Winners

Runners-up

1

Brazil

5

2

2

Germany

4

4

3

Italy

4

2

4

Argentina

2

2

5

Uruguay

2

-

6

France

1

2

7

England

1

-

8

Spain

1

-

9

Holland

-

3

10

Czech Republic

-

2

SHOCKING

FOODFACTS

In Vermont, a woman must get written permission from her husband to wear false teeth.

In North Carolina, it is illegal to swear in front of dead people.

Brazil

According to research findings published in the journal HortScience, fruit and vegetables have become less nutritious than they were 50 years ago, due to new agricultural methods which have stripped nutrients from soil.

1. Lido Giardino, Menaggio, Lake Como This complex on the northern outskirts of Menaggio offers a lake beach, some grassy patches, two pools, a children’s playground and lovely sunbathing areas.

2. Belvedere, Iseo, Lake lseo This low-key lido with great views has grassy sections, a shady picnic area and a swimming pool with slides and a beach.

Water sports are offered, as well as equipment hire for windsurfing.

3. Punta San Vigilio, Lake Garda In a charming little corner of the lake, the Parco Baia delle Sirene, a clean, stony pay beach, is backed by grassy olive groves. There’s a picnic spot, activities for kids and refreshment kiosks.

4. Lido delle Bionde, Sirmione, Lake Garda Sirmione’s lido is a good spot for swimming and sunbathing, and refreshments are available.

5. Manerba, Lake Garda At the southern end of Lake Garda, Manerba boasts 11 km of fine beaches with fabulous views across the lake to the distant mountains.

6. Torri del Benaco Beach, Lake Garda The north-facing, white shingle beach at the end of the promenade to the north of town is a good spot for cooling down. On the corner is a leafy public park with a children’s playground.

7. Bellagio, Lake Como Bellagio does not have the best swimming on the

Menaggio-Lake-Como

Lake Iseo

lake, but if you cannot bear the heat, head towards the waters off the Punta Spartivento for a dip.

8. Aqua Paradise Park, Lake Garda Europe’s largest water park has something for everyone: slides, rapids, a relaxed beach, a sunbathing area and an exciting medley of children’s theme sections.

9. Gravedona Beach and Lido, Lake Como Just by the entrance into Gravedona, the town’s beach has a small lido with two pools, a bar and great views over the lake and mountains. Water sports are offered.

10. Cannobio, Lake Maggiore This clean and spacious beach backed by shady trees offers windsurfing and sailing, although it can get crowded in peak season.

30

Saturday, July 19, 2014

STARTINGBLOCKS

BY THE NUMBERS

FIFA World Cup 2014

1

Points mustered by England after another underwhelming appearance at football’s top table.

CELEBINFO

BOXOFFICESTATS

Rapper LL Cool J’s name is short for ‘Ladies Love Cool James’.

WHAT'S UP

IN-THE-NOW HAPPENINGS AROUND US

World Cup 2014: A-Z of a memorable tournament

4 6

World Cup titles won by Germany.

Colombian hotshot James Rodriquez’s goal tally to claim the World Cup’s Golden Boot honour.

8

World Cup finals reached

by Germany.

9

Uzbekistan referee Ravshan Irmatov’s record number of World Cup matches.

10

Red cards dished out in Brazil.

16

Miroslav Klose’s record World Cup goals haul.

16

Saves made by Tim Howard in the USA keeper’s heroic display against Belgium.

24

Years since Argentina appeared in a World Cup final.

171

Goals scored in Brazil, matching record set at France 1998.

As at July 16th 2014, Sony pictures’ 22 Jump Street has grossed over $175m worldwide

Statue of Christ the Redeemer looking over the Maracana Stadium

A is for Algeria The disappointment of Cameroon, Ghana and Ivory Coast left Algeria to fly the African flag - and they did their continent proud. The Desert Foxes reached the knockout stage for the first time and produced a stirring last-16 display against Germany, only to succumb in extra time.

B is for bite Few inside the Estadio das Dunas in Natal could believe their eyes when Luis Suarez committed the most infamous act of this, or perhaps any other, World Cup. C is for Costa Rica Costa Rica came into the World Cup, bereft of two of their best players, and in a group with three former world champions (including England). They left it agonisingly close to the semi-finals and to a hero’s welcome back home.

D is for dancing Celebration of the tournament arguably belonged to the superb Colombians, who showed a hip-shaking, rhythmic ability that captured the sheer joy and fun of a World Cup in the home of samba.

E is for England In World Cup terms, it was a blink and you missed it campaign from England.

Out after two group defeats by Italy and Uruguay, any gloss of optimism after the opening game was removed on close inspection of the rest of the tournament, which suggested England are being left behind.

F is for fans They came from all corners of the globe in all shapes and sizes not prepared to miss football’s biggest fiesta.

G is for goals, goals and more goals There were 136 of them in the 48 group games - an average of 2.83 per fixture; a record for a World Cup; with six more than 2002.

H is for Howard, the American hero Tim Howard produced one of the great individual performances of the World Cup. Howard made more saves (15) in a World Cup match than anyone since records began.

I is for injuries Radamel Falcao, Franck Ribery, Marco Reus and Rafael van der Vaart were ruled out before a ball had been kicked.

J is for Jesus Get there first thing or be prepared to queue for hours to visit Christ the Redeemer, the 36m tall statue of Jesus that looks down over the Maracana and the rest of Rio de Janeiro.

K is for Klose Miroslav Klose came into the tournament needing two goals to become the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer. He got them.

L is for Luiz David Luiz opened the tournament by scoring a cracking free-kick in the win over Colombia and ended up in tears after skippering his side in the 7-1 semifinal defeat by Germany.

M is for Messi Lionel Messi was the undisputed star of the show for Argentina. He was a shining light in an occasionally dull team.

N is for Neymar Poster boy of this tournament, 22-yearold Neymar carried the hopes of 200 million people on his young shoulders

and did it with style, grace and humility.

O is for organisation The build-up to the World Cup was dominated by legitimate fears over stadiums, infrastructure, safety and protests, but many of the concerns failed to materialise.

P is for people (kind, courteous, usually smiling, always happy to help) Brazil and its people opened their arms to the world and left a brilliant impression on most who visited.

Q is for Queiroz Iran coach Carlos Queiroz stepped down after the World Cup - where they drew with Nigeria and were seconds away from holding Argentina.

R is for rain Due to the rain, the water was so deep in places that waves swept up and down the streets leaving fans stranded in some places.

S is for seven Seven is the number that sent Brazil into meltdown and despair.

T is for tears Brazil set the tone with an emotional rendition of their national anthem before the tournament opener against Croatia.

U is for the USA A friendly time-zone, a successful team and a travelling support bigger than any other came together to create a unique blend that led to record of tens of thousands watching on Stateside. Even Barack Obama watched from Air Force One and the White House.

V is for vanishing spray It may resemble shaving foam and more than a few referees may have sprayed the players’ boots, but the spray has been a genuine success story of this World Cup. W is for water and words of inspiration The first cooling break in World Cup history took place in the intense heat of Fortaleza when Netherlands beat Mexico. It gave the players the chance to rehydrate - and much more besides.

X is for Xherdan Shaqiri Not just included here because his name helpfully starts with an X, he scored the only all left-footed hat-trick in World Cup history and was named man of the match twice as his team reached the last 16.

Y is for yellow On a Selecao matchday you cannot move without seeing Brazil shirts. Generally with a number 10 on the back and the name Neymar Jr. above it.

Z is for Zamorano Chile legend Ivan Zamorano was working in Brazil as a television pundit - and apparently engaged in some lively language when Mauricio Pinilla struck the crossbar late in his team’s game against Brazil.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

STUFF

p32

WORLD CUP STARS' TATTOOS

WHEN DO FOOTBALLERS REACH THEIR PEAK?

p35

Brazil 2014 was the most ‘World Cup’ of World Cup tattoos.

p36

The perfect age to be a player in the World Cup is 27.5.

ERYCA FREEMANTLE The make-up artiste and beauty ambassador is in Nigeria for good.

THAT WILL TICKLE YOUR FANCY

ECONOMIC IDEAS

WONDERS OF THE WORLD

Inflation Keep prices rising slowly

Different measures of inflation CPI: The Consumer Price Index is the most common measure of inflation throughout the developed world, used everywhere from the United States, Europe and elsewhere. Statisticians calculate it by visiting shops and businesses throughout the country each month, checking how fast the price of an ginary basket of goods and services has risen.

RPI: The Retail Price Index is used in the UK to measure the cost of living more comprehensively. It includes costs associated with home ownership, such as mortgage repayments and interest.

Gross domestic product deflator: This measure of prices - which is the most comprehensive of all - gauges the cost of goods across the economy. However, it is produced far less regularly than the CPI ar RPI figures.

Easter Island, Chile On Easter Sunday 1722, Captain Jakob Roggewegen came across an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the first European to visit this isolated part of the world. On his nautical map he gave the place a name: Easter Island.

Where is the world's largest indoor theme park located?

Answer:

QUICKQUIZ

Captain James Cook visited Easter Island in 1774. What he found was very different from the Dutch reports of a flourishing, advanced civilization comparable to the Old World. Instead, Cook found many of the magnificent stone colossi had been knocked over or otherwise destroyed. The island was depopulated, with the few remaining inhabitants living in fear in inaccessible caves. What had happened? The islanders’ reports were contradictory. Archaeology would provide the best information. Sometime after the departure of the Dutch, the islanders suffered catastrophically from overpopulation and starvation. The cult of the stone images had led to deforestation, which led to a sharp decline in food resources. A series of failed harvests added to the misery. A series of violent conflicts broke out and cannibalism was widespread. When Cook arrived on the island, he counted 4,000 inhabitants instead of the 20,000 Roggewegen had reported in 1722. Worse was yet to come. In 1862, Peruvian soldiers arrived and carried off 900 people as slaves to work the guano fields; only fifteen of them survived. When they returned, they brought smallpox and other diseases with them.

By 1877, there were only 111 people living on Easter Island. In 1888, it was annexed by Chile. The islanders were denied local jurisdiction until 1966, when they elected their own governor for the first time. Since 1964 Easter Island has had an airport, bringing it closer to the outside world. Some 20,000 tourists visit the still mysterious island each year. For the present population of around 3,800, sheep herding, introduced in the late nineteenth century, is an important part of the economy.

The deforestation and subsequent ecological disaster has left Easter Island covered with little more than thin grassland, and even that meagre remnant of the once lush biosphere is threatened by overgrazing and erosion.

The world's largest indoor theme park, Ferrai World Abu Dhabi is located in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

One can only imagine the astonishment of Roggewegen and his crew, not to mention how surprised the islanders must have been. The sailors didn’t expect to find an inhabited island in the empty vastness of the southcentral Pacific Ocean, and the islanders had certainly not anticipated the arrival of a boat load of ‘white gods.’ The sailors were fascinated by the colossal stone sculptures that ringed the coastline of the island. Who were these people who could carve and set up these giants in stone? How did they come to settle such an isolated place? Where did they get the stone they used for their sculptures? According to legend, around the year 1400, a small group of men and women commanded by Polynesian chief Hotu Matua set off in canoes searching for an uninhabited island in the Pacific. With them they brought everything they needed to make the island liveable: seeds, plants, domestic animals, and tools. They found their island and named it Te Pito 0 te Henua, the ‘Navel of the World.’ Its new inhabitants brought their customs and rituals with them as well. Hotu Matua had cult sites set up along the coast. On the islands where he was born, probably the Marquesas, it was customary to erect moai, memorials to dead tribal leaders in the form of monumental stone statues.

The figures-over 900 finished pieces have been catalogued-are up to 10m tall, with the majority closer to 5m, and there is an unfinished piece in the quarry that would have stood 22m high. They were probably transported using the tree trunks from the thick forests of giant palms that once covered the island. The enormous figures were first set on trunks used as rollers or sleds, and then slowly pushed and pulled over many miles to their positions. This difficult task would have required the strength of as many as several hundred men.

PPI: The Producer Price Index measures bl the cost of raw materials for manufacturer and the price they then charge retailers fOI their finished products. It is a useful signal where inflation may be heading.

Other indices: There are many other more specific indices, including houseprice indices and commodity-price measures.

BUSINESS BLUNDER

Your customer's privacy is king In July 2001, the pharmaceutical corporation, Eli Lilly sent a mass email to all the users of its anti-depressant Prozac. Unfortunately the writer of the mail didn’t use the ‘bcc’ function on email to hide the addressees from each other. In seconds Lilly had published its entire mailing list of Prozac users.

When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the beautiful baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the label to describe the contents inside, since most people can’t read English.

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Stuff

Saturday, July 19, 2014

HISTORIFIC

THAT WILL TICKLE YOUR FANCY

In the 1700s in Paris, women wore hats with lightning rods attached when venturing outdoors during bad weather.

SCIENTIFIC Polar bears are nearly undetectable by infrared cameras, due to their transparent fur.

10 World Cup stars' tattoos decoded

Mauricio Pinilla, Chile

Sergio Ramos, Spain

Nigel de Jong, Netherlands

Mauricio Pinilla, Chile This is the most ‘World Cup’ of World Cup tattoos. The tattoo serves to remind striker Pinilla of his own nearmiss in extra time during the secondround game against Brazil. Chile were later knocked out on penalties, with Pinilla having his attempt saved.

The line ‘One centimetre from glory’ adds to the tattoo’s hair-shirt quality.

‘It illustrates the depth of despair this individual is feeling,’ says David Fletcher, a sports psychologist at Loughborough University.

Sergio Ramos, Spain The twin offerings - one on each calf - from the Real Madrid player show the World Cup and Champions League trophies. Spain did not win the former until 2010, while Real had to wait 12 years to take the latter for a record 10th time. Ramos and his teammates had high hopes of retaining the World Cup trophy in Brazil, but they were knocked out in the first round.

Nigel de Jong, Netherlands The artist Ade Itameda, who draws inspiration from traditional Indonesian ornaments, patterns and carvings, designed the warriorlike tattoos covering the torso, arms and hands of midfielder Nigel de Jong. ‘The warrior theme shows just how central the World Cup is to his very being,’ says David Fletcher.

‘It demonstrates that this one,

gladiatorial moment in his life is core to his being and that there is no doubt in his mind that this is the defining moment of his life. It’s not just a game to these guys. They’ve trained a whole lifetime and it comes down to a few moments.’

Daniele de Rossi, Italy The midfielder plays up his own tough approach, which has sometimes got him into trouble, with a mocked-up triangular ‘hazard’ sign of a tackle being performed. It looks like a warning of a slippery floor left behind by an office cleaner.

Neymar, Brazil The injured superstar’s neck inscription has a philosophical edge, much-needed following his team’s semi-final performance. The expression ‘Tudo Passa’ translates into ‘Everything passes’ or ‘nothing lasts’ in English.

Raheem Sterling, England The teenage winger draws inspiration from his childhood in west London, choosing a picture of a 10-year-old boy staring up in wonder at Wembley Stadium’s famous arch, accompanied by the statement: ‘It’s a dream’ Raul Meireles, Portugal The montage adorning the entire right leg of the midfielder, who plays his club football in Turkey, works like an autobiography/travelogue.

Designs include the baroque Torre dos

Clerigos church in Meireles’ home city of Porto, a cable car (either in Porto or Lisbon, according to the AngloPortuguese Society) and a Portuguese Fado guitar.

Tim Howard, USA The shot-stopper par excellence is one of the most decorated of the players on display in Brazil. He has a Superman logo, dragons and a crucifix among his tattoo collection. It also Neymar, Brazil includes pictures of his mother as a young woman and his grandfather in military uniform, which he had done at the Aurora studio in Lancaster in May. Lionel Messi, Argentina Messi has his son Thiago’s name tattooed on to his left calf, underneath a pair of hands, presumably based on those of the child. They are not believed to refer to fellow countryman Diego Maradona’s Tim Howard, USA ‘hand of God’ goal against England in the quarter-final of the 1986 World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal The Portugal captain is something of a counter-culturalist in modern football, choosing not to have any tattoos. The reason? He frequently gives blood and it’s not recommended that people do so soon after getting a tattoo or body piercing, for fear of spreading infections. In fact, it’s banned within four months in the UK. Raul Meireles, Portugal

Daniele de Rossi, Italy

QUESTIONS YOU'LL NEVER ASK

WORLD OF ESPIONAGE

Up to 20 US spies in German government

How do you kiss?

German counterintelligence has intensified its surveillance of ‘certain employees of the United States embassy’ in Berlin; after internal reports suggested that ‘up to 20’ agents of the American government are operating inside the German federal bureaucracy.

Citing information ‘from American security circles’, German newspaper Bild am Sonntag said recently that the agents are German citizens who are secretly employed by a variety of American civilian and military intelligence agencies in return for money.

The Berlin-based tabloid noted that at least, a dozen such agents have infiltrated four departments of the German federal government, namely the ministries of defence, finance, interior, as well as the Ministry for economic cooperation and development. The paper said that the latter has been targeted by the US Central Intelligence Agency because it is routinely employed by the BND, Germany’s main external intelligence organisation, as a cover for clandestine activities. Last week, Germany ordered the immediate removal from the country of the CIA station chief, after it caught two German citizens, one working for the BND, and one for the country’s

For someone who has never kissed or been kissed. It can look a little intimidating. How do you know when to lean in, which side do you tilt your head to, how hard or soft should it be, tongue or no tongue- it’s a lot to think about.

The good news is that it’s much simpler than it looks.

All people kiss differently, but there are a few things you can do to help the first time go smoothly. First, relax and take a deep breath; when the time is right for you and your partner, you’ll sense it. Read your partner’s body language and follow his or her lead. Your partner may indicate readiness by leaning in closer, looking at you in a certain way, or putting an arm around you. When you are about to kiss, tilt your head to one side to avoid bumping noses, and gently press your lips together. That’s all there is to it. After a few times, it will feel natural and you’ll wonder why you ever worried in the first place.

ministry of defence, secretly spying for Washington. It also instructed its intelligence agencies to limit their cooperation with their American counterparts ‘to the bare essentials’ until further notice. According to Bild am Sonntag, the ‘growing pressure’ against American intelligence operations inside Germany has prompted American spy agencies to transfer their recruitment activities of German citizens to nearby European capitals, such as Prague of Warsaw. Meanwhile, in an interview aired recently on Germany’s public-service television broadcaster, ZDF, German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared pessimistic about the possibility that American intelligence agencies will stop recruiting German citizens. She said that Washington and Berlin had ‘fundamentally different views’ on the nature and operational character of intelligence, and that it would be difficult to bridge the gap of perception between the two countries. The German leader added, however, that she favoured continued cooperation between German and American intelligence agencies, as both countries ‘profit from the cooperation concerning counterterrorism and other things.’

33

Saturday, July 19, 2014 PepsiCo Inc., makers of the world's number two soft drink, Pepsi Cola, was founded in 1965 through the merger of Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay.

SOUNDINGCLEVER ELUCIDATE To explain (something) clearly From the Latin elucidare: to make clear, from e-: out, and lucidus: light. In his book A Brief History of Time (1988), Stephen Hawking uses simple language to elucidate the subject of black holes.

ALEATORY Random from the Latin alea: a game with dice (singular of ‘die’). Travelling across London at the weekend can be a somewhat aleatory experience in view of the improvement works on the underground.

PORTICO A porch consisting of a roof supported by columns spaced out at regular intervals from the Latin porticus: porch. The Royal Opera House in London has a facade consisting of a gaint portico.

MAGISTERIAL Authoritative from the Latin magister: master. Steven Spielberg’s selfconfidence means he exudes a magisterial air on set.

SOUNDING GREAT

PUGNACITY

A combative or warlike attitude, nature, or inclination belligerence. Modern war is so expensive that we feel trade to be a better avenue to plunder; but modern man inherits all the innate pugnacity and all the love of glory of his ancestors. Showing war’s irrationality and horror is of no effect upon him.

Germany's Christoph Kramer played his first national match for his country in the finals of the 2014 World Cup match against Argentina. The 23-year-old was unfortunately injured in the first 40 minutes and removed.

SPORTFACT

BRANDED

ACHIEVING THE IMPOSSIBLE

THINGS YOU WILL NEVER DO

Discover a planet

Stuff

THAT WILL TICKLE YOUR FANCY

DECEMBER 1991

SPOTLIGHTS

FILM The Last Boy Scout Do you look up at the stars at night and dream of discovering a new planet? Do you hope that in the future there will be a telescope named in recognition of your achievements? If planetfinding is your goal, you’ll be well advised to look beyond the confines of our own solar system.

And you’ll need to know Uranus from your elbow.

Officially, our solar system has eight major planets. There used to be nine, but Pluto, discovered by US astronomer Clyde Tombaugh in 1930, was downgraded to a ‘dwarf planer in a controversial decision in 2006. The ‘youngest’ of the survivors is Neptune, discovered through the mathematical calculations of French man Urbain Le Verrier way back in 1846. All the planets bar Uranus and Neptune are visible to the naked eye, so you might think that collecting planets would be a pretty straightforward undertaking. The fact is, though, that a lot of people have been scouring the edges of our solar system for a long time and have failed to come up with any new ones that take the grade, so your chances don’t look good.

However, extrasolar planets (the technical term for planets outside of our on solar system) are a different matter together. Since the first one was identified in 1992, the number has risen to more than 700, and there are regular new additions.

Identifying extrasolar planets is not altogether straightforward though; they’re extremely faint (and usually only shine by reflecting starlight) and lie at huge distances, so they’re usually lost in the glare of their own parent star. In practice, they’re nearly always invisible to us. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be detected - It just means you need to don your deerstalker, grab your super powered stargazing regalia and prepare to do some deduction. Needless to say, you will need deep pockets for this sort of thing, so funding from a major space agency is desirable.

It’s also recommended that you get all your smartest egghead mates

together to help you out. Try the following methods, most of which involve studying starlight to infer the influence of a planet: • Direct detection. An exceedingly challenging method that aims to make direct observations of planets using highly advanced equipment that analyses infrared light.

• The radial velocity method. When a planet orbits a star, the velocity of the star’s orbit around the system’s centre of mass will vary slightly.

Astronomers can detect this by analysing the spectrum of starlight.

By interpreting changes known as Doppler shifts, they can work out the mass and orbit of any large planets.

• Astrometry. This technique relies on detecting slight motions in stars caused by orbiting planets. In effect, astronomers are looking for stars that have a visible ‘wobble’ in the sky.

• Transits. In this method, the astronomer uses special equipment to detect a fractional and periodic dimming of a star’s brightness, caused when a planet passes between the star and the observer and blocks out the star’s light.

• Gravitational micro lensing that utilises Einstein’s theory. When a planet passes in front of a star, its gravity acts as a lens to focus light rays from the star, leading to temporary increase in the star’s brightness and making it see it has moved slightly.

• Polarimetry. A method using that starlight oscillates in a particular direction when it bounces off a planet and through the planet’s atmosphere.

These rays are said to be ‘polarised’ while rays are normally ‘un-polarised (i.e. they oscillate in random directions).

If that all sounds like too much work, you can help find a plane from the comfort of your own house as long as you have a computer. In 2010, researchers from some of world’s finest universities launched planethunters.orq, an automatic transit-searching system to which you can contribute.

A down and out cynical detective teams up with a down and out ex-quarterback to try and solve a murder case involving a pro football team and a politician.

MUSIC Genesis

I Can’t Dance is the fourth track from the British rock band Genesis’ album We Can’t Dance. The song earned the group a Grammy’s nomination that year.

TELEVISION The Adventures of Tintin In this series, we witness the adventures of Tintin, a young reporter and his faithful dog, Snowy, as they travel around the world on adventures.

EVENT Ferry disaster

On the 15th, the Egyptian ferry, Salem Express, sank in the Red Sea, killing more than 450 people.

BIRTHDAY Brad Pitt

Golden Globewinning actor, producer, and iconic figure Brad Pitt celebrated his 28th birthday on the 18th.

DEATH Richard Stone

Eminent British economist and Nobel Prize winner in Economic Sciences Sir John Richard Nicholas Stone died on the 6th at the age of 78.

34

Stuff

THAT WILL TICKLE YOUR FANCY

ARTICULATE

Trash expertly painted on pieces of wood From crushed Starbucks coffee cups to crumpled Goldfish cracker packages, Kentucky artiste, Tom Pfannerstill is able to create perfect replicas of all sorts of garbage he finds on the streets. In a series he calls From the Street, he starts off by choosing a real piece of trash and traces the outline of the object onto a flat piece of wood. Once his wooden canvas is ready, he fills it in with acrylic paints, in painstaking detail.

The two-dimensional painting soon comes to life, looking exactly like a piece of trash it was modelled after. To create these perfect illusions, Tom uses the ‘trompe l’oeil’ painting technique, which allows him to make a flat painting look like a three-dimensional object. Using only paint, he manages to depict the myriad of folds and creases of crumpled paper, crushed cans and flattened boxes in mind-blowing detail.

So when you look at an image of a battered Budweiser can, it’s actually just a smooth piece of wood that Tom’s painted on. Tom thinks trash is worth replicating, because while the packages are mass produced, each piece of trash is uniquely changed by the time it reaches him. Tom wants his paintings to serve as memorials – he makes notes on the back of each one of them about where and when he found the original object.

KNOW WHY...

…mirror views reverse left and right, not up and down?

5,575 metres

Saturday, July 19, 2014 Length of Mahatma Gandhi Setu Bridge in Patna, India.

30

Seconds it takes to produce oxytocin, the enzyme which facilitates trust and a sense of sexual desire when we hug.

Why does shampoo make your eyes sting?

Vertebrate eyes need to focus a sharp image onto the retina so the surface needs to be optically very smooth. A dry eyeball would quickly get scratched and dusty and surface cells would die without soluble nutrients, causing them to slough away and break up the image quality even more.

So instead, we have evolved a wet eyeball that sits in a lubricated socket. But this presents a vulnerable point of entry for bacteria, foreign bodies and chemical contaminants. The blink reflex, and our tears, are able to wash these things away, but only if we can adequately sense the hazard in the first place. Our eyes are very sensitive to variations in pH. Normal tears have a pH of seven, but shampoo is intended to be slightly acidic.

Are bad smells harmful?

Smells in themselves do not cause harm.

A smell is a neural response to airborne molecules binding to receptors in the mucus membranes of your nose. You can’t be harmed by a smell any more than you can by a colour. But the chemical that causes the smell can harm you. In general, we have evolved so that harmful substances smell bad, to warn us.

What is the history of birds?

Birds are pretty impressive animals: they can fly, have an advanced vocal system and some can be as intelligent as primates. For the past three decades, a mountain of genetic data and comparative studies of ancestral species has suggested that birds arose from grounddwelling bipedal dinosaurs that gained the ability to fly through a number of small,

slow biophysical changes that were up to now very poorly understood. A recent re-examination of an ancient sparrow-sized fossil from China

by American palaeontologists Stephen Czerkas and Alan Feduccia suggests that the ancestors of birds were in fact tree-climbing animals that existed well before the first dinosaurs.

Is sitting down all that harmful?

As a species, our lifestyles are becoming ever more inactive. Twelve thousand years ago, our hunter-gathering nomadic culture assured we were constantly moving around, yet today’s society insists that we work, rest and play whilst remaining seated. But just how unhealthy can our sedentary lifestyles be?

Pretty unhealthy, according to cardiologists at UT South-western Medical Centre, whose research has shown that remaining seated for

two hours a day can be just as detrimental to our overall cardiovascular fitness levels as 20 minutes of exercise is beneficial.

How do gorillas communicate?

Mirror views don’t reverse left and right either – that’s just our interpretation of what happens. Your reflection in the mirror is actually reversed front to back – if you have a mole on left side of your face, it still appears on the left side of the reflection. But we are used to seeing the faces of other people and we instinctively perform the mental rotation because we know that they have turned through 180 degrees to face us. The image in the mirror is reflected, not rotated, so when we rotate it back in our head, it appears reversed.

Animals communicate with one another using a plethora of signals: tropical fish use neon technicolor, songbirds tweet sweet melodies and gorillas, new research has shown, may communicate using social odour cues.

Using chemosensory information, such

as scent, to convey a message is a universal ability of all living things.

Bacteria aggregate together using chemical cues, and everything from beetles to humans are thought to involve chemical signalling in courtship and sexual reproduction.

35

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Stuff

THE KEY QUESTION

When do footballers reach their peak?

TEENY

WORLD CUP WINNING TEAMS

Year

Winners

Average age

1962

Brazil

30.7

2006

Italy

29.6

1934

Italy

29

1954

West Germany

28.5

1994

Brazil

28.5

1998

France

28.3

1982

Italy

27.9

1990

West Germany

27.8

2010

Spain

27.3

1974

West Germany

27.1

1930

Uruguay

27

1970

Brazil

26.9

1966

England

26.7

1986

Argentina

26.7

2002

Brazil

26.6

1958

Brazil

26.3

1938

Italy

26.2

1950

Uruguay

25.9

1978

Argentina

25.7

1ST GROUP MATCH STARTING 11 ( BRAZIL 2014)

Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero is 27.5 - though goalkeepers peak later than strikers

It's often said that footballers are at their peak between the ages of 27 and 29 and World Cup stats provide a startling confirmation.

Historically, the perfect age to be a player in the World Cup is 27.5. That’s the average age of the winning teams in the 19 World Cup finals from 1930 to 2010, from the youngest - Argentina in 1978 (25.7) - to the oldest - Brazil in 1962 (30.7).

Interestingly, this figure, 27.5, also jumps out of the stats from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. It’s the mean age of the 32 teams that played in the first group matches.

The median age is also very close - if you list all 32 teams in order of age from the youngest (Nigeria, 24.4) to the oldest (USA, 29.5), the two teams in the middle of the table (England and Australia) both have an average age of 27.4.

In all cases we have taken the starting line-up of 11 players, ignoring substitutions. Does this suggest that the perfect age to be a footballer is 27.5? Or that the German team, whose starting line-up in the semi-final had an average age of 27.7, is likely to beat Argentina, who’s starting 11 averaged 28.4? Well, maybe not.

Consider the competition’s semifinal. Argentina beat a team whose starting 11 had an average age of exactly 27.5 - the Netherlands.

Two other conclusions can be drawn from these figures. One is that the headlines about Roy

Hodgson picking a very ‘young’ England side for Brazil 2014 were misleading. England’s average age was 27.4, which - as mentioned above - is the median age in this competition. (And incidentally the England team’s starting 11 in the 1966 World Cup final was a lot younger, averaging 26.7.)

We can also dismiss the idea, widely bandied about on the eve of the competition, that Spain’s team was too old to retain the trophy it won in 2010. Spain’s average age in its first group match was 28.7 - the same as Argentina’s in its first group match. And note that Argentina beat four of the 10 youngest sides in the competition to reach the semi-finals: BosniaHerzegovina (26.7); Nigeria (24.4); Switzerland (26.6); Belgium (25.8).

(Again, these numbers are the average age of the starting 11 of the first group match.)

It’s also worth mentioning that Brazil’s 1958 World Cup winning team was one of the youngest (26.3) but their 1962 winning team was the oldest by a long way (30.7).

The huge difference in average age is explained by the fact that eight of the team that started in the 1958 final also started in 1962 - which proves that the age of a side is irrelevant if it’s simply incredibly talented.

THAT WILL TICKLE YOUR FANCY

Team

Average age

USA

29.5

Iran

29.5

Greece

29.3

Portugal

29.2

Ivory Coast

29.1

Honduras

29

Russia

28.8

Argentina

28.7

Spain

28.7

Mexico

28.3

Italy

28.2

Colombia

28

Croatia

28

Brazil

27.8

Cameroon

27.6

Australia

27.4

Italy

26.2

Uruguay

25.9

Argentina

25.7

England

27.4

Uruguay

27.2

Chile

27.2

Holland

27.1

Japan

27.1

Costa Rica

26.9

Bosnia

26.7

Switzerland

26.6

Ecuador

26.5

France

26.5

Germany

26.4

Algeria

26.1

Belgium

25.8

Korea

25.7

Ghana

25.2

Nigeria

24.4

Items every girl should have in her purse Mints Mints over gum, period! They’re just more chic. Mint is a great appetizer or palate cleanser, and it promotes digestion. It also soothes stomachs in cases of indigestion or inflammation.

It adds to oral health by inhibiting harmful bacterial growth inside the mouth and by cleaning the tongue and teeth.

Concealer Dark circles are friends to no one. It is an instant beauty fixer. A concealer is a trendy option that you can go for without worrying about the side effects on your skin. A concealer offers multiple benefits by giving you an amazing look and hiding the black spots and darker areas easily visible on your skin.

Nourishing hand cream Avoid that awful dry hand feeling.

Your hands perform an amazing amount of work, and their skin is regularly exposed to drying, chafing elements and harmful UV rays from the sun. Incorporating hand lotion into a daily self-care routine helps keep the skin on your hands and fingers supple and healthy.

Hydrating lip balm Keep those lips soft and avoid the embarrassment of chapped lips. The skin on your lips is thinner than your facial skin. So in case you are suffering from chapped and dry lips, using a lip balm will ensure that your lips are well hydrated and they heal faster. Thin and dry lips turn plump and moisturised with a sweep of balm giving your lips the perfect movie star pout!

Oil control blotting sheets Say goodbye to an oily forehead.

Combat general shiny skin during the day by using oil blotting papers. Their absorbent properties allow the skin to feel refreshed and clean after use.

This quick fix can also spare you the hassle of retouching your makeup in public places.

Signature lipstick Always carry an emergency lipstick, always.

Your go-to perfume Never leave the house without a travel-size perfume. It gives you confidence and is a mood booster.

Cash Because a girl is always prepared, you will always need money because anything can happen and you will need money to rescue yourself.

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Stuff

Saturday, July 19, 2014 that will tickle your fancy

SHOPAHOLIC

Get the Falke luxury socks available for $1,188 for a friend this season.

LADYLIKE

If a lady discovers she can attend a party for which she has already declined an invitation, she calls her host and asks if she may attend.

fitnessdorm Get a glowing complexion

Eryca Freemantle

Beauty ambassador

Eryca Freemantle’s career as a makeup artiste came to her literally by accident after a near fatal car crash almost took away her ability to walk and left her with more than 200 scars on her face. By sheer will she managed to recover and today, she is one of UK’s best makeup artistes.

What she does I started off as a makeup artiste, doing make up for upcoming stars at the time, one of them being Seal and I ended up as his makeup artiste. Since then I’ve worked with makeup artistes for people like Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Yasmin Le Bon and worked on many fashion shows, TV shows, publications.

Working with all these artistes was a wonderful experience but it didn’t give me much satisfaction so I decided to teach people how to become makeup artistes and that went down very well.

Why start a career as a makeup artiste?

I was involved in a major car accident before I became a makeup artiste. That accident left me with no hair, over 200 scars on my face and a near amputation of my left leg. I was told I will never walk again. But obviously I’m here and I’m talking to you and the doctors got it wrong.

However, I had to fight for who I am and what I represent and I came through that barrier.

But with the scars on my face there was no makeup available in the UK for black women, much less black women that had demarcations and needed the imperfections to be made perfect. So I got some mud from the garden, mixed it with water and put it on my face. That was my first ever experience with makeup. It didn’t look good, but it made me feel better because what it did is that it covered the scars for a little while. Over the years I started working with makeup companies then I realised that I still had that skill of being able to look at a product and see what’s right, what shade fits what person, what tone and I realised that there was a lot of Ignorance. So I started to develop products for makeup lines with makeup companies.

Moving to Africa at this point of her career I was born in the UK, schooled in the UK and my career started off in the UK. However, I’m a true black woman. Growing up, I found out that I didn’t belong but I could not do anything

about it. I don’t think I was brave enough to do anything about it.

Then I had my first encounter with Africa. I first went to South Africa and found out that there are people that look like me but I noticed in South Africa what was missing for me was that spirit.

But I still looked at the country and liked what I saw and felt an affiliation. A couple of years later I was invited to Gambia by the president to do a fashion show and it was really nice. I liked the spirit of the people; I liked the country and the environment.

I said to myself there must be more of this in other African countries. I then coincidentally got invited to Nigeria five years ago and I’m telling you I’ve never looked back.

Eryca Freemantle School of Beauty We are taking the same format to the Middle east and Brazil, so I will be in those countries too as well as London. But I think Africa as a continent on its own is big enough to be shared. I believe what we do and are about to do will encourage others.

Deep circulation stimulation routine is especially good for mature skins that look dull or pale due to poor circulation. It gets the blood moving properly around the face and gives a glow to the complexion. Not only will this routine make your skin look younger, it will also give you an invigorating lift.

Before performing this routine, try a simple oatmeal scrub to gently exfoliate the skin surface. In a small bowl, place two tablespoons (30 ml) of fine oatmeal, and add enough water to mix to paste. Apply this mixture to your face with a small circular movements, avoiding the eye area, and then remove with warm water and pat your skin dry.

For the blend, use one teaspoon (5 ml) of nourishing jojoba carrier oil with one drop of frankincense essential oil for cell renewal.

Pressing across the forehead Bring your index finger to meet in the middle of your forehead at your hairline. Make a line of pressure out towards the side of the forehead.

Then bring the fingertips back together, a little farther down, and and make a second line of pressure out to the side of the forehead.

Continue until you reach elbow level.

Pressing down the sides of the nose Bring the tips of your index finger together between your eyebrows and stroke slowly down the sides of your nose, pressing firmly, to the level of your mouth. Lift your fingers off and repeat the movement three times. Sometimes this area can be a little tender, so be gentle.

Streching and lifting the cheeks Using all your fingertips, with one hand on either side of your nose, stroke out over the cheeks to the sides of your face, stretching the skin under your hands, then release. Repeat this movement three times.

Alternate stroking under the chin Using one hand after the other, slowly and firmly stroke up the neck and under the chin in a series of sweeping movements. Keep the strokes firm and flowing. This stroke encourages good muscles tone in the chin and lower jaw area and is vital for lifting sagging skin.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

Stuff

THAT WILL TICKLE YOUR FANCY

FASCINATING FACTS

MYTHICAL BEASTS Orang-Bati: Indonesia This half-monkey, half-bat creature enjoys flying around its native island of Seram, shrieking and scouring for babies to abduct and eat. It has an apelike head, huge claws on its forearms, and leathery wings that can span up to 3 metres.

Cherufe: Chile Made of rock and magma, this reptilian beast lives in active volcanoes and causes an eruption or two when peeved. To stave off such fits, locals evidently throw a sacrificial victim into the volcano, and the cherufe often throws the head back out.

Honey Island swamp monster: US The coastal swamps of the American South are legendarily home to this huge and putridsmelling ‘swamp wookie,’ which may stand 2 metres tall and weigh up to 159 kg. It has matted grey hair and oversize amber-coloured eyes.

Runan-Shah: Iran This amphibious man-thing makes its watery home in Caspian Sea; eyewitnesses describe it as sturdily built, with a beak, a protruding gut, webbed hands, gills, and seaweed-coloured hair. It converses freely with the fishes of the sea.

Yeren: China In the mountains of the Hubei Province lives an orang-utan-like beast that is covered in red fur (although there have been reports of albino specimens0 and walks upright. It is said to have a large belly and emit a terrible odour.

Ahuizotl: Central America According to Aztec legend, the ahuizotl was a slimy, cave-dwelling creature with a dog’s head and a hand like appendage on the end of its tail. Sometimes known as the lake guardian, it would cry like a human baby to attract prey.

Yowie: Australia A hominid said to dwell in the Australian wilderness, the Yowie was first spotted by Aboriginal peoples. Early settlers described it as covered in matted hair and standing 1.5 metres tall. It’s a touch shy and prone to running off when confronted.

Owl man: UK Locals of Cornwall, England, occasionally glimpse this massive and mysterious owl beast as it flies through the forest. This winged creature sports a coat of reddish-brown feathers and its eyes glow a bright, sinister red. It enjoys hissing at young girls.

Fear Liath: Scotland Since the 1800s, hikers on Ben Macdui Mountain have reported being stalked by a hulking grey humanlike figure that is 3 metres tall. The sightings are often accompanied by feelings of paranoia and hearing crunching noises, like footsteps.

p38-42

THE BIG STORY

TOP MARKSMEN IN WORLD CUP HISTORY

Since the first edition of the World Cup in 1930, some players have made extra effort to register their names as the tournaments best by hitting the net severally. Apart from leading their country side to the top with these goals, these players also get to bring home the award of The Golden Boot.

Here are some of the men who have enjoyed this privilege.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

WORLD CUP TOP SCORERS

Phenomenal Ronaldo Brazil’s Ronaldo has just been displaced as the top scorer in World Cup finals history having scored 15 goals. His best tournament was in Korea/Japan in 2002, where he scored 8 goals as Brazil eventually claimed the trophy. The striker scored four times at World Cup 1998 in France and a further three times in Germany at the 2006 tournament.

With unparalleled power, pace to scare any defence and ruthlessness in front of goal that many looked at in awe, Ronaldo was very much the all-round package. His list of footballing honours reads more like a bibliography, having set the world alight at some of the biggest clubs including Inter Milan, Barcelona and Real Madrid. He also stands as one of only ten players to have won the FIFA World Player of the Year

award on more than one occasion.

Born Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima on the September 18, 1976, he began his playing career at Cruzeiro, making his league debut on September 7, 1993 against Corinthians, two weeks before his 17th birthday. In his first season he notched up an impressive 12 goals in 14 appearances. It was a feat that brought him to the attention of the national team, with his burgeoning reputation seeing him selected for Brazil’s triumphant USA ‘94 World Cup squad. While he did not make an appearance during the tournament, Ronaldo’s status as one of the game’s hottest talents was ensured. Ronaldo went on to play for the Brazilian national team and several European clubs over the course of a career that spanned nearly two decades.

15 GOALS OVER 4 WORLD CUPS

Notorious Gerd Muller Gerd Muller made his World Cup finals debut for West Germany in 1970 and celebrated the occasion with 10 goals. He also scored four times at World Cup in 1974 in West Germany including the goal in the final against the Netherlands that secured his country’s tournament victory.

The most notorious goal poacher of his generation and one of World Cup’s all-time top scorers, Gerd Muller began his career in his birth town club in Nordlingen before moving to Bayern Munich as an 18-year old in 1964. His career took off from there and Muller made his international debut in October 1966 against Turkey and quickly established himself in the team. Stockily built Muller had a special talent for scoring.

Virtually all his goals came from

inside the penalty area and most of them out of nothing. Twisting and turning away from defenders and great positioning helped him score an incredible 68 goals in only 62 appearances for his country and 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games which enabled him to top the scoring charts seven seasons.

The World Cup in Mexico 1970 saw ‘Der Bomber’ at his very best. He knocked in 10 goals in 6 matches including successive hat-tricks against Bulgaria and Peru. It earned him the Golden Boot as top scorer and later a European Player of the Year Award, but there was no World Cup winning medal to go with it.

Italy won 4-3 - despite two Muller goals. The most treasured chapter of his glorious career was written in 1974 when West Germany hosted and won the World Cup.

14 GOALS OVER 2 WORLD CUPS

OTHER WORLD CUP TOP SCORERS Gary Lineker

It seems a long time ago that Gary Lineker was leading England’s front line, but Match of the Day’s favourite son should not be forgotten about. Graham Taylor might have done his best to keep him from the limelight, but it was rare that Lineker wasn’t the talk of the town when in an England shirt. He is England’s greatest ever World Cup goal scorer with ten and was an incredibly disciplined player to boot; during his 18-year career Lineker was never cautioned by a referee for foul play, prompting FIFA to award him with the Fair Play Award in 1990.

Lineker ended his international career with 48 goals and promptly went on to eat a lot of crisps.

Teofilo Cubillas

Teofilo Cubillas played in two World Cups eight years apart and scored five goals in each, making him one of the most prolific scorers in World Cup history. A virtually unknown 20- year-old in 1970, he was soon acknowledged after helping Peru to the quarter- finals. Nene Cubillas was born at Lima in March 1949 and began with local team, Alianza. He liked to run at defences, was fast and had good close control and a fine shot. Peru did not qualify for the 1974 World Cup, but 12 months later they were South American champions, Cubillas scoring twice in their 3-1 first leg semi-final win over Brazil. When he helped Peru reach the second phase of the 1978 World Cup, he was an Alianza player again. The 1982 World Cup failed to produce any more goals for him

and he bowed out after 81 caps and 26 goals for Peru.

Grzegorz Lato

Polish legend Grzegorz Lato plied his trade throughout the ‘70s and ‘80’s, scoring 45 goals for Poland including ten in World Cups. He played a major role in Poland finishing 3rd in the 1974 and 1982 editions and remains a keen ambassador for the Polish game now that his playing days have long come to an end. Grzegorz Lato is one of the great World Cup legends due to the fact that he remains one of surprisingly few attacking players to have done really well in three different World Cups. The speedy right-winger spent most years of his career at Stal Mielec where he made 272 league appearances and scored 111 goals.

Lato helped the club win the Polish league championship twice and was also top scorer in the league twice.

Thomas Muller

Germany’s Thomas Muller has only been in 2 World Cups and has a total of ten goals from both making him one of the tournament’s top scorers. He isn’t a man to mince his words it seems. Known for his unerring accuracy on the pitch it seems he is equally clinical off of it too. The Bayern midfielder was just one goal away from securing an unprecedented Golden Boot, but was still part of the German side who lifted the most important trophy on Sunday, the World Cup. And afterwards when quizzed about missing a historic second consecutive award he gave the reporter short shrift.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

WORLD CUP TOP SCORERS

Unstoppable Just Fontaine Just Fontaine remains one of only two players to have scored more than 10 goals at a single World Cup. The French forward scored 13 goals at the 1958 tournament in Sweden and helped his team to finish third.

Unsurprisingly, he won the Golden Shoe award for highest tournament goal scorer.

Fontaine was a born finisher, smooth and strikingly twofooted. There are similarities with another great goal scorer, Gerd Muller: both were squat men with formidable strength, particularly in their tree-trunk thighs, and both had a supernatural awareness and serenity in their patch of land, the 18-yard box.

Like a few of France’s greatest players, Fontaine wasn’t born

in France. He was born of a Spanish mother in Marrakech, then part of French Morocco, and started his club career with USM Casablanca. Fontaine later moved to Nice and then Reims, as a replacement for the Madrid-bound genius Raymond Kopa. It was with Kopa, one of the great number 10s, that he would have such an impact in Sweden in 1958. Fontaine went into the tournament at his peak: he was 24 years old, relatively fresh because of an unplanned winter break for a knee operation, and had just hit 34 goals in 26 league games to help Reims to the double. Yet his part in the tournament was not set in stone.

His overall total could have been more than 13.

13 GOALS

IN 1 WORLD CUP

Legendary Pele Only one man in the history of football has three World Cup winner’s medals on his mantelpiece: Edson Arantes do Nascimento popularly known as Pele. Because he played his club football in Brazil and later the USA but never in Europe, most people associate Pele with the World Cup more than any other competition and for most people that was the only time they saw him play. Because of that, and the fact that he won it three times, no player is more closely associated with the biggest sporting event in the world than the brilliant Brazilian.

Pele was just 17 when he arrived in Sweden to play in the 1958 tournament and although his name was already known in football circles, it was the World

Cup that really made him a household name. It was on this day that he announced his arrival to the world when he scored his first ever World Cup goal.

His strike was the only goal in a 1-0 win over Wales that gave Brazil a passage into the semifinals. At 17 years and 239 days he was the youngest goal scorer in World Cup history, but he wasn’t finished yet. In his next game against France Brazil were leading 2-1 when Pele made more history by netting a hat-trick. In the final he bagged two more as hosts Sweden were swept aside 5-2. Brazil had won their first World Cup and the world had a new hero. His total of 12 goals cumulating from other splendid outings makes Pele one of the top goal scorers in the World Cup.

12 GOALS OVER 4 WORLD CUPS

OTHER WORLD CUP TOP SCORERS Eusebio

Also known as the ‘Black Panther’ or simply ‘The King’, football legend Eusebio of Portugal reigned over Portuguese football in the 1960s, bringing glory to both his club Benfica and his country. The top scorer in the 1966 World Cup and considered one of the best footballers of all time with a record of 9, Eusebio rivalled alltime greats including Brazilian Pele, Argentina’s Alfredo Di Stefano and England’s Bobby Charlton. From humble origins in the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique, Eusebio da Silva Ferreira was to emerge as one of the World Cup’s most feared strikers,

combining panther-like pace with a ferocious shooting ability. Known throughout his career simply as Eusebio, the poor boy from Maputo became a legend for his exploits with Portugal and Lisbon giants Benfica during the 1960s.

Christian Vieri

Christian Vieri is one of the most famous and well respected Italian strikers of recent times. Although he had a nomadic career taking in 12 different clubs, his success for Inter Milan and Lazio, along with his prolific scoring record for the national team, earned him a place in Pele’s top 125 living footballers list of 2004. His impressive performances for

Juventus earned him his first international call up and he went on to play in the qualifiers for the 1998 World Cup. Despite his goal scoring prowess Vieri moved again, this time to Athletico Madrid. Born in Bologna on the 12th of July 1973, Vieri spent his early childhood in Australia, briefly playing for the Sydney based club Marconi Stallions, in which his father was also a player.

Vava

As a centre-forward, Vava’s main objective was to score, and that’s exactly what he did, especially in the games that matter the most: the World Cup ones. The Brazilians had the pleasure of enjoying Vava’s

goals in the 1958 and 1962 World Cup campaigns that ended with the first two championships for the Selecao. In Sweden he scored a brace against the Soviet Union in the group stages, then scored in the semi-final and ended the tournament with a brace in the final.

In Chile ‘62, after Pele’s injury, Vava did not disappoint and, along with Garrincha and Amarildo, helped Brazil to retain the title with his goals in the crucial knockout stage matches. Vava scored four goals, including a brace in the semi-final and one more in the final. He also finished the tournament on the top of the goal scorers’ list along with five other players.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

WORLD CUP TOP SCORERS

Record breaker, Miroslav Klose Germany’s Miroslav Klose walked away from the 2014 World Cup with his own personal slice of history: he succeeded in making the all-time FIFA World Cup scorers record his own as he hit his 16th finals goal against Brazil in their 7-1 semi-final encounter.

Klose, who scored his first World Cup goals against Saudi Arabia in 2002, overtakes Ronaldo as the tournament’s all-time top scorer. He also becomes Germany’s leading goal scorer with 71 goals in 136 games as well as the only player to score at four World Cup finals.

16 GOALS OVER 4 WORLD CUPS

The Polish born striker began his career playing for SG Blaubach-Diedelkopf. In 1998, at the age of 20, he moved to FC 08 Homburg. One year later, he moved to 1. FC Kaiserslautern. A World Cup winner’s medal is a fitting climax to the modest Klose’s international career which he retired from after this year’s tournament. His trophy cupboard isn’t exactly brimming over with silverware. Two Bundesliga title wins with Bayern, a Coppa Italia gong with Lazio and the German footballer of the year award for 2006 is about his lot. The striker also has a

reputation for sportsmanship. Playing for Werder Bremen in 2005, he refused to accept a penalty awarded to him, which resulted in a fair play accolade. In 2012 Klose used his hand to score for Lazio against Napoli. He immediately confessed to the referee who scrubbed the goal out and shook Klose’s hand. Despite not being quite as prolific in domestic football, Klose is the top all time German national goal scorer, finding the net 71 times in 136 appearances. And those 136 caps make the 36 year-old Germany’s second most capped player behind Lothar Matthaus.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

WORLD CUP TOP SCORERS

Golden head Sandor Kocsis Top scorer in the 1954 World Cup with 11 goals, Sandor Kocsis was a superb header of the ball and known as ‘the man with the golden head’. In 68 internationals he scored an incredible 75 goals, including a record seven hat-tricks. Born in Budapest in September 1929, he began with KTC before moving to Ferencvaros and at 19 helped them win the 1949 Hungarian title. After Ferencvaros were amalgamated into the new Honved team, he established a great partnership with Ferenc Puskas at both club and international level.

Kocsis made his international debut in 1949 and in the early 1950’s was the Hungarian league’s top scorer three times. A key member of the Hungarian side that remained

unbeaten from the start of the decade, he was in the team that beat England 6-3 at Wembley in 1953.

Sandor Kocsis scored eleven times for Hungary in just five games at the 1954 World Cup, and it might have been more, save that he was played out of position in the Final. He scored two extra-time goals in the 1954 World Cup semi-final against Uruguay, but could not add to his 1952 Olympic Gold medal. In 1956 Honved were playing in Spain during the Hungarian uprising and Kocsis, Puskas and others decided not to return home. Kocsis became playercoach of Young Boys Berne, then joined Barcelona in 1957 and scored in their defeat by Benfica in the 1961 European Cup final. He retired in 1966, at the age of 37.

11 GOALS

IN 1 WORLD CUP

Dynamic Jurgen Klinsmann Germany’s Jurgen Klinsmann netted a total of 11 goals for his country at the World Cup at the peak of his footballing career. Born on July 30, 1964 in Goppingen, Klinsmann started his career in the second division club Stuttgart Kickers in 1982. When he two years later became top scorer in the division, the big club in the city, Vfb Stuttgart signed him. He would spend his next five seasons there and achieved much success, both personally and with the team.

1988 was his first big year. He was top scorer of the Bundesliga and was voted German Player of the Year. Only set-back was the defeat to Holland on home ground in the European Championship.

Klinsmann was a continental player, who could easily adapt to

new cultures and so easily played top level football in England, Italy, Germany and France. In 1990, he won the World Cup with West Germany in Italy. He played five of the games on his home ground in Milan which made the triumph even more special. Klinsmann was now established as one of the greatest strikers in world football and after two seasons in Monaco without winning any major trophies, it was time to defend Germany’s title in the World Cup in America. He was now 30 years old and at the peak of his career. He scored five goals and personally had a great tournament, but the rest of the German heroes from 1990 had become too old and failed to reach the standards required of winning a World Cup. Bulgaria won 2-1 in the quarterfinal,

11GOALS OVER 3 WORLD CUPS

and Klinsmann’s tears after the game summed it up. Klinsmann announced he would retire after the World Cup in France 1998, he scored three goals in the tournament but

Germany once again bowed out in the quarterfinals, this time to Croatia. With 108 caps and nearly 50 goals, he is one of the legends in German football.

TOP SCORERS AT THE 2014 WORLD CUP James Rodríguez

With 6 goals, Colombia star, James Rodriguez was rewarded for his sensational goal scoring exploits at World Cup 2014 with the Golden Boot. The attacking midfielder was the breakout star in Brazil, inspiring his side to a first ever appearance in the quarter-final stage by netting six times in just five games. His excellent form, including his volleyed goal against Uruguay which was among the pick of the goals of the tournament, saw him come out on top with the fans.

Thomas Muller

Four years after claiming the Golden Boot in South Africa, Thomas Muller was forced to settle for silver in Brazil. However,

after doubling his overall World Cup goals tally with five strikes during Germany’s triumphant campaign, the 24-year-old is now a very serious contender to break the all-time record held by team-mate Miroslav Klose. Incredibly, Muller made his Germany debut just three months before South Africa 2010 kicked off and, at the age of 20, picked up the adidas Golden Boot and Hyundai Young Player Award at that tournament.

Neymar

Neymar played a key role in Brazil’s progression to the last four only to see his tournament ended by a fractured vertebra sustained in the quarter-final win over Colombia. This was after he had

netted 4 goals for his country in previous matches. Until the injury, he was having an incredible tournament. Despite his youth, his progress as a footballer and his leadership made a mark on the Brazil team. Wearing the iconic yellow No. 10 shirt, Neymar got Brazil level with Croatia in the opening match of the 2014 World Cup with a goal in the 29th minute.

Lionel Messi

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi netted four goals and an assist at the World Cup in Brazil but was unable to score in Argentina’s three knockout stage victories with defences obviously focused on the elusive and talented player. The 27-year-old received the Golden Ball for

his performance. His goals came during the group stage, with a double against Nigeria following strikes against BosniaHercegovina and Iran.

Robin van Persie

Robin van Persie scored one of the most eye-catching goals of the 2014 World Cup with a diving header in their 5-1 victory against Spain. The goal came when Daley Blind fired a diagonal ball from the halfway line, and from out wide on the left wing. The Dutch striker threw himself through the air and managed to lob the Spanish keeper Iker Casillas with his header. He went on to score three goals in the tournament making him one of the top scorers in the 2014 finals.

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WORLD CUP TOP SCORERS

Formidable Helmut Rahn A major force in two World Cups - he scored the winning goal for West Germany in the 1954 final - Helmut Rahn, was the kind of muscular, bulldozing right-winger once famous in British football. The remarkable feature of his World Cup games, however, was that he might well have not appeared in either of them.

He was not included among the 22 German players for the 1954 series in Switzerland, and accordingly went off on tour with his club, Rot Weiss Essen, in South America.

In Montevideo, he played so well against the top Uruguyan club, Penarol, that they tried to buy him.

Sepp Herberger, who had been the German team manager since the 1938 World Cup, heard about his form and summoned him to Switzerland. Rahn did not figure in the first and third German games,

but scored in the fiasco of an 8-3 defeat by Hungary. In the quarterfinal against Yugoslavia, his strong run and finish gave the Germans their second goal four minutes from the end. He failed to score in the semi-final, when Austria were thrashed 6-1 in Basle, but came into his own in the final at Berne. His first home appearance for the Germans was at the Rot Weiss Essen ground and the club was where he spent the bulk of his career. In total, he scored 19 goals for his country, 11 were at the World Cup, exploiting his pace, power and fearsome right-footed drive. His final goal was in April 1960 against Portugal in Ludwigshafen.

He later worked as a second-hand car dealer. Helmut Rahn died at the age of 73 on August 13, 1993. His statue stands in front of Georg Melches Stadium in Essen.

10 GOALS OVER 2 WORLD CUPS

Gabriel Batistuta, indomitable warrior Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta who is affectionately known as Batigol, was a gentle giant and prolific goal scorer for his country. His tall frame and agricultural facial hair was a contrast to his graceful, elegant style on the field, and his numbers certainly do his quality justice. Ten goals in World Cups, 56 overall for his country, and a mammoth 168 for Fiorentina made him one of the most feared forwards in the world during his time. Even in his final venture as a footballer, in Qatar with Al Arabi, he continued to cut the mustard. Batigol was a superstar for La Albiceleste and a constant fixture on my bedroom wall.

Born on February 1st 1969, Batistuta harboured dreams of being an engineer or a doctor,

but was not thought to be a particularly diligent student. He did have a keen interest in team sports, particularly volleyball and basketball which he excelled at, thanks in no small part to his height. It wasn’t until Argentina’s success on home soil in the 1978 World Cup that Batistuta took a keen interest in football however.

Captivated by the achievements of his countrymen the youngster began to play football in the streets where, barefooted and tough, the striker that would come to be known as Bati-gol was born. He went on to play for several clubs in Argentina and Europe as well as making international appearances for his country. 2002 World Cup effectively signalled the end of

10 GOALS OVER 3 WORLD CUPS

the great man’s football career.

Over eleven years with the national team Batistuta had amassed a staggering fifty-six

goals in seventy-eight games, making him Argentina’s alltime top goal scorer by some distance.

AFRICA'S TOP GOAL SCORERS Asamoah Gyan

Asamoah Gyan has is the leading scorer from an African country in World Cup history having netted in Ghana’s 2-1 defeat to Portugal in Brasilia in the tournament which ended in Brazil last week. The striker takes his total record to six World Cup goals, overtaking the record of five set

by Cameroon’s Roger Milla. Gyan, 28, had already become the first African to score in three World Cup finals after his strike against Germany in Ghana’s previous Group G fixture. But the Al Ain forward’s goals were not enough to prevent the Black Stars elimination from the tournament in Brazil.

Roger Milla

With 81 full caps and in five games, all as a ‘super-sub’, Milla scored a total of

five goals in his World Cup career making him one of Africa’s top scorers in the tournaments. He scored the two goals which beat Romania and the two that beat Colombia at the 1990 World Cup and in the quarter- final against England he was involved in Cameroon’s two goals.

Milla, who changed his name from Miller to sound more African, is the oldest man to score in the final stages of a World cup.

He was 42 when he scored against Russia in the 1994 World Cup. Daniel Amokachi Former Nigerian professional and the assistant manager of the Nigeria national football team at the 2014 World Cup, Daniel Amokachi was a striker from 1989 until 2005, starting his career with

Ranchers Bees before earning notability by playing outside his native country with Premier League side Everton, as well as Club Brugge and Beşiktaş before initially finishing his career in the United States with Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids. He played with the national team at the 1994 World Cup and scored 2 goals to put his name on the record sheet of the continent’s top scorers.

Salaheddine Bassir Morocco’s Salaheddine Bassir played for a few clubs, including Raja Casablanca, Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia) and Deportivo La Coruna in Spain. He then played for OSC Lille (France) and Aris Thessaloniki (Greece). He retired at the end of 2005 season. He played for the Morocco

national football team and was a participant at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where he scored two goals in the 3–0 win against Scotland, this placed him on the list of the continents top scorers.

Abdulrahman Fawzi

Abdulrahman Fawzi was an Egyptian footballer who played at the 1934 FIFA World Cup. He scored twice for Egypt in their 2–4 loss against Hungary which was the first time (and the only time before 1970) that an African team had competed at the FIFA World Cup. He was thus the first African footballer to score at the World Cup. He would have been the first African to score a hat trick at the World Cup but his third goal was disallowed.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

GAMETROPIC

GADGETED

The Misfit Beddit is a sleep tracker that you don’t have to wear. It is comfortable and works efficiently.

The Xbox was originally named DirectXbox, as it was initially designed to show how Microsoft’s Direct X graphics technology could benefit the console market.

TECHLIFE

Germany's World Cup tactics: shaped by data Back in 2006, when Germany hosted the World Cup, goalkeeper Jens Lehmann had to resort to studying a crumpled, handwritten cheat sheet to glean tips on the habits of Argentina’s penaltytakers just before the quarterfinal shootout against the South Americans. Skip forward eight years, and the two teams met again in the World Cup final, but this time, the German players had a much more sophisticated way of obtaining potentially matchwinning information about their opponents. Together with software company SAP, the German Football Association (DBF) has developed an application called Match Insights, which analyses vast amounts of data about members of the German team and their opponents, based on their on-field performance. This data can then be converted into simulations and graphs that can be viewed on a tablet or smartphone, enabling trainers, coaches and players to identify and assess key situations in each match. These insights can then be used during pre-match preparations to improve player and team performance. Player performance is analysed using eight cameras that surround the pitch.

The pitch itself is transformed into a grid, and each player is assigned a unique identifier, allowing their movements to be tracked digitally.

This data can then be used to measure key performance indicators, such as the number of touches, average possession time, distance travelled, movement speeds and directional changes. For the German national team, one of their key targets ahead of the World Cup was to improve their passing speed. With the help of SAP’s Match Insights technology, the team was able to reduce average possession time from 3.4 seconds in 2010 down to 1.1 second in 2014.

‘SAP’s involvement has transformed

Click! Click!!

FOR THE UPWARDLY MOBILE

Prosthetic limbs get real with lifelike features A German company has created prosthetic limbs so lifelike that most people have trouble spotting them.

Christoph Braunstamos of Stamos and Braun Prothesenwerk said the company considers each silicone prosthetic a work of art. ‘All the work is done individually,’ he said. ‘We try to catch the right colours from the patients and transfer them to the prosthesis.’ Braunstamos said the company works hard to get all the little details right. For instance, they craft fingernails and toenails from acrylic, the same material used in nail salons, so people can paint them.

BarkCam helps the pet-obsessed take better dog portraits

the football experience for coaches, players, fans, and the media,’ said Oliver Bierhoff, manager of the German national football team.

‘Imagine this: In just 10 minutes, 10 players with three balls can produce over seven million data points.

With SAP, our team can analyse this huge amount of data to customise training and prepare for the next ma tch.’

As well as enabling the German team to analyse its own performance, Match Insights can help coaches and players to identify opponents’ strengths and weaknesses, and inform defensive tactics. The software can extract data on individual players, and present it in the form of digital personas, so that it is ‘as simple to use as their favourite video game’, according to Chris Burton, general vice president of global sponsorships at SAP. ‘Today each sports team is looking for innovative ways to gain a

competitive edge over its rivals,’ said Bierhoff. The German national team is currently using SAP Match Insights in an early adoption phase, but ultimately SAP plans to open the app up to other clubs and football federations, and make this type of information accessible to sports journalists and fans.

SAP and the DFB are also planning a series of additional projects that will take the app’s capabilities beyond match analysis, linking various disciplines – including psychology and medicine – with match analyses, and integrating all the data in a single solution.

This would involve gathering information as a basis for longterm research, such as health data and player training schedules, and running match analyses for individual players.

So, it is safe to say that Germany’s win at the 2014 world cup, was due to the help of the computers.

Taking the perfect dog portrait is harder than you think. Begin by choosing from a variety of sounds meant to grab your dog’s attention, including cat meows, squeak toys, doorbells and a bag of treats rustling. Tapping the shutter button triggers the sound, and hopefully, gets your dog to look at the camera before taking a photo. Once you’ve managed to get the right shot, you can add text, filters, stickers and chat bubbles, or share it on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

High-tech cooler in the market now A Portland, Oregon man has raised over $4m in a Kickstarter campaign for a new and improved cooler. Gunning for $50,000 when it first went live, the campaign has been funded over 80 times that amount in less than one week.

Cheekily called the Coolest, the product is like a regular cooler but with extra features tacked on, including Bluetooth speakers, a blender, a USB charger, LED lights and a bottle opener. As of today, there’s only one ‘Coolest’ in the world,’ founder Ryan Grepper said on the Kickstarter page.

How the world cup played out on Facebook versus Twitter

On Facebook, the final between Germany and Argentina was the most talked about fixture of the tournament, with 88 million people worldwide combining for 280 million interactions. (Again, that includes posts, likes and comments.)

The US led the world in talking about the match, with 10.5 million people participating, followed by Brazil (10 million) and Argentina (7 million). But on Twitter, the final was only the second-biggest match of the tournament. More people actually talked about the July 8 semi-final between Germany and

Brazil, which generated 35.6 million tweets, versus 32.1 million for the final. (The next most tweeted-about match was Brazil-Chile on June 28, with 16.4 million.) In fact, BrazilGermany was the most tweetedabout sporting event ever, beating the 24.9 million tweets from the most recent Super Bowl. Why did the semi-final outdraw the final on Twitter but not on Facebook? Sure, Brazil has far more Twitter users than Argentina — but that’s true for Facebook as well. Similarly, both sites see a sharp falloff in clicks over the weekend compared

with weekdays. The answer has to do with the nature of the two matches. The Brazil-Germany semifinal was exactly the sort of event Twitter was made for, a mixture of outrageous and boring. Think of this year’s Academy Awards, with the group selfie, or the presidential debate where Mitt Romney made his ‘binders full of women’ gaffe. An event that provides easy fodder for humour or offense and then plenty of downtime to express it — those are the ingredients of a perfect tweet storm.

The final, on the other hand, was

less a news event than a milestone, like a birthday or a wedding. Aside from one dramatic late goal, nothing particularly interesting happened.

But, like a birthday or a wedding, even if people had nothing much to say about it, they wanted to say something anyway to acknowledge the occasion. Twitter is where people go to talk about surprising, unexpected events as they’re unfolding. Facebook is where people go to record their feelings about big, shared milestones somewhat after the fact. The World Cup told us what we already know.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

CULTURED!

FOR THE UNINFORMED & CLUELESS

CULTURE

SHOCK

For the Japanese, slurping hard on soba noodles is a must.

You show your appreciation for the soba with the volume of your slurp – the louder you slurp, the better! ‘Ooishi neh!’

Superstitions

Dresssense

In Sri Lanka, it is a belief that when a piece of gold is mixed with the mother's milk and then placed on a new-born’s tongue, good wealth and fortune will be brought to the baby.

Emma Watson breaks hearts with her ugly shoes This isn’t quite what we expected from the always fashionable, yet usually relatively low-maintenance, Emma Watson. Her appearance at Dior’s haute couture show wearing a pair of pointed, awkward, heelless platforms by the brand was a departure from her usual down-toearth style — and an unwelcome escalation in the trend for utterly un-wearable women’s shoes.

Surely, in 2014, we should have

escaped this tyranny? But no, thanks to diktats from those at the top of the fashion tree, it seems that in order to be considered fashionable we must lumber ourselves with items of clothing that prevent us from achieving the most basic day-to-day tasks — walking in a straight line, for example. We’ve barely moved on from the days of the Victorians’ 18in corsets.

Proverbs You can outdistance that which is running after you, but not what is running inside you.

-RWANDAN PROVERB The cobra will bite you whether you call it cobra or mr cobra.

-INDIAN PROVERB Even the fall of a dancer is a somersault.

-SENEGALESE PROVERB

Excusez-moi

Auctioned

Ski dream home on Baldy Peak listed for auction at $21.9m

Thinking of buying luxury vacation home on mountain top? A ski-out chalet in Little Baldy Peak atop Deer Valley has been

listed for auction. The property has been listed at a price of $21.9m. The home, built in 2007, is one of the best luxury

ski homes in Deer Valley.

Luxurious amenities including heater wrap in the patio area is a specialty of this property.

Uncommon history of common things The Muslim observation of the month of Ramadan has many parallels with other major world religious observances. For example, like the Christian practice of Lent, Ramadan is a time of inward reflection and material denial. Like the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, the end of Ramadan (a celebration known as Eid al-Fitr) is a time of joy, gift-giving, and family feasting. But while it shares characteristics with other religious rites, Ramadan also has its origins in a specifically Muslim event. It is believed that the ninth month of the year (by the lunar

Islamic calendar) was that in which the Prophet Muhammad received the first of the Koran’s revelations.

The exact date, referred to as Laylat ai-Qadr, is known only to God and Muhammad, who refused to reveal it so that people would not be tempted to restrict their prayers to one day.

The name of the holy month comes from the Arabic ar-ramad (‘scorching heat’ or ‘dryness’). As the fundamental aspect of Ramadan is fasting, it is believed the name may signify the burning desire for drinking water and food. Daily

The exclusive property has six bedrooms and ten bathrooms. Currently, the property is available for rent at $16,500 a night. This exclusive vacation home has heated swimming pools, a grand theatre and not to miss the aquarium which has Utah Trout. This house is special as it has a private ski bridge access to Deer Valley Resort’s Jordanelle run. In addition, the property has a golf stimulator. Recently, a real estate event was held at the property in which major brands like RollsRoyce, Armani and Zai Ski participated.

The spoken and body language of the French Although French is the official language, many French people speak English. Unless your French is perfect, use it only for greetings, toasts, and occasional phrases.

When speaking, don’t be offended if someone corrects your grammar or pronunciation.

When writing, be sure your grammar and usage are perfect. The French view proper writing as a sign of education and breeding.

The French tend to stand close to one another, and may even touch your shoulder or pat your arm. They don’t smile at strangers and never smile unless they mean it.

Stand or sit up straight. The French consider good posture a sign of breeding. Maintain eye contact.

Sneeze or blow your nose as quietly as possible, using a handkerchief or tissue. If possible, leave the room.

Don’t slap your open palm over a closed fist. The French consider the gesture vulgar.

The ‘okay’ sign (curling your index finger and thumb to make a circle) means ‘useless’ or ‘zero.’ Point only with your whole hand, never your index finger.

Ramadan fasting takes place for all healthy adults (the elderly, ill, pregnant or nursing, and children under 12 are exempt) from sunrise to sunset each day until the new moon. Sunrise is defined as ‘when the white thread becomes distinct from the black thread.’ During daylight the devout are forbidden to eat, drink, or smoke.

At sunset, long congregational prayers containing passages from the Koran are traditionally said, because another injunction to the faithful during Ramadan is to read the entire Koran. After sunset, families gather to shop for, cook, and eat the Iftar

meal to break their daylong fast. The evening and night hours are often a time of great festivity as people gather.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

TRAVELOGUE

Nearly 5 million people visit the 1 mile deep Grand Canyon national park every year. There are various camp grounds both on the top and floor that can serve as temporary homes should you decide to vacation there.

DESIRABLES

THE MUSTREADS AND LINGER-ONS

World Cup 2014: How Germany plotted final glory A collective resilience, a communal resistance to set back, a refusal to be deterred from a group destiny requires careful nurture over years for all involved to believe in the same vision. But how did Germany get here?

Germany

The pressure suffocated those toiling on the grass, the gravity of a World Cup final adding weight to the air like plumbing a great depth in the ocean. That pressure was only intensified by the anxiety rolling down the terraces of the Maracana stadium, perhaps world football’s holiest site. After four gruelling weeks, across 64 games – where 32 of the planet’s best soccer nations scrapped and shot and passed and passed and passed each other to elimination – it had come down to this. An estimated one billion people were watching, gripped, as the drama unfolded including a lucky, enthralled, 80,000 spectators in the seats of the arena.

Two teams, forged on different sides of the planet, had been locked in combat for 90 minutes without significant advantage.

The 2014 version of Die Nationalmannschaft (The German national team) had been patiently planned, engineered and inculcated.

They’d waited for this moment for over a decade and now was not the time to buckle.

‘The lowest point came in Euro 2000 that was German football’s lowest point: very poor performances, a very poor team and very poor

management,’ German football expert Rafael Honigstein said. Germany’s performance in the 2002 World Cup, where they lost in the final to Brazil, helped papered over the cracks, but it would take another two years for the real changes to the national game to filter through.

‘The grass roots reforms were already in place by the time Jurgen Klinnsman took over with Joachim Low in 2004,’ added Honigstein, referring to Germany’s former and current coach. ‘The 10-year development you’ve seen culminate in Brazil benefited from two changes being made at more or less the same time.

Youth development was instilled to make sure young players were much better educated and had better facilities and coaching. And at the same time there was a change of philosophy and footballing ideas at the very top after 10 years these two elements fused quite brilliantly to deliver the World Cup. ‘You have to credit the chairman of the German Football Association (DFB) at the time, Gerhard Mayer, who realised the needs for reform. He was able to get all the Bundesliga clubs, including the big ones, on board. They all signed up to create

academies and there was a spirit of cooperation, which was especially pronounced in those years, because Germany had won the right to host a World Cup in 2006. There was a real fear the team and the footballing nation might embarrass themselves as hosts if they didn’t make changes, said Honigstein.

Germany’s blueprint for change didn’t come cheap and it needed the clubs to work closely with the DFB. ‘Bayern Munich has also been the driving force of the national team because they produce the best youngsters, and they buy the best German players and hone them, to make them even better. ‘Bayern, under former president Uli Hoeness, always kept the greater good of the national team at the back of their minds and that’s an important factor for the success of German football,’ explained Honigstein. Such long-term planning and dedication to a single goal, by the time the last match was being played in Brazil in 2014, was in the final throes of its application. The squad and the 11 men on the pitch were the fruition of a design drawn up long ago. The path to glory sewn into the psyche of everyone involved.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

MINDFUL

RANDOM

FOR THE LEISURELY-MINDED & THOUGHTFUL

FACTS

LAST WEEK'S

CROSSWORD

SOLUTIONS 1. Gusto (4) 3. Brings to an address (8) 8. Feast (7) 9. Tag (5) 10. Performer (5) 11. Trade barrier (7) 12. Voice box (6) 13. Large numbers of people (6) 16. Closest (7) 18. One of the senses (5) 20. Cajoled (5) 21. Before (7) 22. Fragile (8) 23. Unsightly (4)

WORDSEARCH CRAB DOLPHIN JELLYFISH LAMPREY LOBSTER MOLLUSKS OCTOPUS OTTER PENGUIN SEA TURTLE SEAL SHARK SHRIMP SPONGE SQUID STARFISH STINGRAY WALRUS WHALE

SUDOKU CLASSIC

WORDSEARCH

WORDLADDER Can you climb the ladder and find the missing numbers?

?

295 ?

50 55

SUDOKUCLASSIC

11 16 4 9 See solution below

HOMEWORK FOR GROWN-UPS 1 What X men character shoots laser beams from his eyes? a) Wolverine b) Cyclops c) Gambit

5. Which Pope died in 1978 after a mere 33 days in office? a) John Paul III b) John Paul II c) John Paul I

2. Who is the world’s most filmed male author? a) Ian Fleming b) William Shakespeare c) John Grisham

6. Which country has more volcanoes than any other in the world? a) Indonesia b) Singapore c) Malaysia

3. Which country is Entebbe airport? a) Israel b) Kenya c) Uganda

7. What Italian city is considered ‘the fashion capital of the world’? a) Milan b) Naples c) Genoa

4. What transparent material is produced by heating lime, sand and soda? a) Glass b) Plastic c) Nylon

8. What West African nation's name means ‘Lion Mountain’? a) Mauritania b) Burkina Faso Answers c) Sierra Leone

WORDLADDER SOLUTION

HOMEWORK

b) Cyclops b) William Shakespeare c) Uganda a) Glass c) John Paul I a) Indonesia a) Milan c) Sierra Leone

1. Striped equine (5) 2. US legislator (7) 4. One or the other (6) 5. Hot remnants of a fire (5) 6. Bars (7) 7. Secured by written agreement (10) 9. Research workplace (10) 12. Lackadaisical (7) 14. Hoping for (7) 15. Certify (6) 17. Spiritual being (5) 19. Ahead of time (5)

CROSSWORD

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

ACROSS

3(x3)=9(-5)=4(x4)=16(5)=11(x5)=55(-5)=50(x6)=300(5)=295(x7)=2065

DOWN

Put each of the numbers 1-9 once in every row, column and 3x3 box

The sentence ‘the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog,’ is a combination of every letter in the English alphabet.

47

Saturday, July 19, 2014

a la carte

70%

GRAFFITI

THE LOTS TO CHEW ON AND REGURGITATE

Percentage of time cats spend sleeping.

40%

Percentage of children’s Christmas gifts that are already broken by March.

LADY'S WORDS When a lady needs to break off a telephone conversation with a long- winded business associate or friend…

She does not say: “I need to run. I’ve got something more important to do.”

“Is this going to take much longer, Laurie?’’

“Can you hold a sec’ (and then cut off the caller).

But she does say: “I wish I had time to continue our conversation, Tom, but I’ve got a meeting in a half hour. Now, what was the point you wanted to make?”

A lady need not apologise for gracefully ending a phone conversation that has gone on too long. Unless her business is customer service, she is not required to have her day taken up by intrusive callers.

She attempts to complete her telephone business as expeditiously as possible. At the same time, a lady remembers what it is like to be on the other end of the phone and ends a conversation with a direct explanation that it is time for the conversation to end.

When a friend offers to arrange a blind date for a lady…

She does not say: “It all depends. What does he look like?”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“If he’s so wonderful, why aren’t you dating him?”

“What makes you think I need help getting dates?” ‘’Thanks, but I’ve seen the kind of men you date.”

She does say: If she is interested, “Can you tell me a little bit about him, maybe some of his interests?” If she’s not

interested at all, “I’m sure he’s a great person, but blind dates just aren’t my thing.”

A lady might enjoy the adventure of blind dating, or the accompanying anxiety it may give her the hives.

Either way, she attempts to be gracious to a friend who is, at least in the ‘end’s opinion, trying to do her a favour. Whatever her opinion of blind dates in general, she can feel complimented that her friend thinks she’s a nice person who deserves a little romance in her life.

CHANGE YOUR WORLD

Fall back in love: Divorce doubles your carbon footprint Getting divorced is seldom a great option, financially or health-wise. You’re likely to increase your stress, decrease your disposable income and, in many cases, measurably shorten your lifespan. And to all of that, you can now add doubling your environmental impact because moving

out means going from one of everything to two of everything. You’re also far more likely to be growing your own veggies, being involved in community green projects and hammering up solar panels if your home life feels secure and safe. No one doubles your carbon

footprint faster than a divorce lawyer. So do your bit for the environment this evening. Get a babysitter, book a restaurant and treat you and your partner to a little alone time. It’s a tough task, but everyone has to do their bit. you would like as a parent. Make sure that it’s you who does the teaching.

Have dirty kids-and fewer allergies Dr Harry Seftel sums up parent’s responsibility to their children’s health perfectly: ‘Let them eat dirt’. We are way too precious with the little sweethearts these days, with the net result that our

kids are a snivelly lot, prone to higher rates of allergies than ever before. Boot them out into the garden, encourage them to poke sticks (gently) at slugs and crickets, and generally just

behave a little more like the sorts of kids Enid Blyton was always writing about. Kids who grow up dirty have a far better appreciation of the world around them and are generally healthier too.

LAUGH–OUT–LOUD

Chasing the little white ball Three senior golfers were griping continually. ‘The fairways are too long,’ said one. ‘The hills are too high,’ said another. ‘The bunkers are too deep,’ complained the third. Finally an 80-year-old put things into perspective. ‘At least,’ he noted, ‘we’re on the right side of the grass.’

You can always spot an employee who is playing gold with his boss.

He’s the fellow who gets a hole in one and says, ‘Oops!’

When the legendary salesman was

asked his secrets of success, he gave a humble shrug. ‘I’m sure you all know the cardinal rules: know your product; make lots of calls; never take no for an answer. But, honestly, I owe my success to consistently missing a three-foot putt by two inches.’

‘Are you my caddie?’ asked the golfer. ‘Yes, sir,’ replied the boy. ‘And are you any good at finding lost balls?’ ’Yes, sir.’‘Right, then. Find one and let’s start the game.’

Jock and Angus, two craggy Scots, were sitting before the clubhouse fireplace after 18 holes on a raw, blustery day. The ice slowly melted from their beards and collected in puddles under their chairs.

Outside, the wind howled off the North Sea and hail rattled against the windows. The pair sat in silence over their whiskies. Finally Jock spoke: ‘Next Tuesday, same time?’‘Aye,’ Angus replied, ‘weather permitting’.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

BONUSPACK KEEPSAKES

SEEN & OVERHEARD

NICKNAMES OF ALL 32 WORLD CUP 2014 TEAMS

BEST QUOTES FROM BRAZIL 2014 The quality is absolutely incredible, the pace is so intense. It’s without doubt the best World Cup of all.

FABIO CAPELLO, Russia coach

I lost my balance, making my body unstable and falling on top of my opponent. At that moment I hit my face against the player leaving a small bruise on my cheek and a strong pain in my teeth.

LUIS SUAREZ

1.

2.

3.

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NICKNAME

PATRICE EVRA

MEANING

Brazil Croatia Mexico Cameroon

Canarinho Little Canary Vatreni The Blazers El Tri Les Lions Indomptables The Indomitable Lions Spain La Furia Roja The Red Fury Netherlands Clockwork Orange Chile La Roja The Red One Australia Socceroos Soccer and Kangaroo Colombia Los Cafeteros The Coffee Growers Greece Piratiko The Pirate Ship Ivory Coast Les Elephants The Elephants Japan Nihon Daihyo Blue Samurai Uruguay La Celeste The Sky Blue One Natives of Costa Rica Costa Rica Los Ticos England Three Lions Italy Gli Azzuri The Blues Switzerland The Schweizer The Swiss National Team Ecuador La Tri The Tricolour France Les Bleus The Blues Honduras Los Catrachos Citizen of Honduras Argentina La Albicelestes The White and Sky Blue Bosnia and Herzegovina Zmajevi Dragons Iran Team Melli National Team Nigeria Super Eagles Germany Nationalmannschaft National Team Portugal Selecção das Quinas Team of the Five Ghana Black Stars United States The Yanks Belgium Red Devils Algeria Les Fennecs The Desert Foxes Russia Sbornaya National Team South Korea Taeguk Warriors please cut along this line and keep

please cut along this line and keep

COUNTRY

I love myself all the time.

It’s a little arrogant, but even in difficult moments and moments of joy I don’t like to criticise myself.

It was a crazy game. We could have scored five. Oh right, we did score five.

ROBIN VAN PERSIE

Pirlo is that good; he meant to hit the bar.

THIERRY HENRY, on Italy’s Andrea Pirlo

This is the worst day of my life.

LUIZ FELIPE SCOLARI, Brazil coach

In nigh on half a century of watching football, that’s the most extraordinary, staggering, bewildering game I’ve ever witnessed.

GARY LINEKER, former England striker

The Belgium defence they’re not all Ferraris there, you know. They have some Skodas too.

VAHID HALILHODZIC, Algeria coach If Belgium wins the World Cup, I will cut my hair.

MAROUANE FELLAINI

If we beat Costa Rica I want a kiss, obviously on the cheek, from the UK Queen.

MARIO BALOTELLI

I didn’t like Brazil from the start, but I didn’t think Germany was going to be so imposing, so devastating, so decisive.

DIEGO MARADONA

We witnessed a collective implosion of Brazil. They fell apart emotionally, completely.

OLIVER KAHN, former Germany goalkeeper

THE TAKE-AWAYS THIS WEEK

GERMAN FOOTBALL PHRASES The world watched in wonder as Germany dismantled Brazil enroute their recent World Cup triumph. But to really appreciate the art of German football you need to understand the lingo.

1. First, start strong in defence. You need a great goalkeeper or a TEUFELSKERL (Devil’s Man). He needs to command the penalty area, be the first to corner kicks and block shots and penalty kicks. German history is rich with great goalies from Sepp Maier to Bodo Illgner and Oliver Kahn all the way to the 2014 Golden glove winner, Manuel Neuer.

2. If your goalkeeper does not perform he is laughed off as a FLIEGENFÄNGER (fly catcher).

3. Moving on to your defence, which is always the core of a German team. This is the ABWEHRRIEGEL (defensive barrier).

4. Great defenders have to excel at the BLUTGRAETSCHE (blood tackle) to take out attacking opponents. Prototypical German defenders have names like Guido Buchwald and Jürgen Kohler from the 1990 World Cup squad, who struck fear into most opponents.

5. There are also smaller more shifty defensive players who cannot be shaken off by attackers that are called WADENBEISSER (calf-biters), like Berti Vogts from the 1974 squad or Philip Lahm, captain of the present squad. Vogts earned the nickname the Terrier, like a little dog who never stops snarling around its enemy.

6. Think of the German midfield and you think of names like Lothar Mathäus, Michael Ballack, Stefan Effenberg or the present squad which is laden with talent including Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sami Khedira, Mesut Oezil, Toni Kroos, and Mario Götze.

Great midfielders who lead teams are known as MITTELFELDREGISSEURE (midfield directors).

7. These midfielders must also be able to deliver perfect BANANENFLANKEN (banana passes), usually with the outside of their foot, setting the forwards free on goal.

8. And talking of the forwards, their main job is to score goals. You want a striker on your team who is a TORJÄGER (goal hunter).

9. But in order to be a great TORJÄGER he has to have a great TORRIECHER (goal nose), someone with the instinct to be in the right place at the right time.

Germany is fortunate to have had two TORJÄGER with the same last name in Gerd Müller, who scored the decisive goal in the 1974 final against the Netherlands, and Thomas Müller of the present squad who was the top scorer in the 2010 World Cup and had five in Brazil. Then there was the current U.S. coach Jürgen Klinsmann who made his mark in the 1990 World Cup. 10. If your forwards and strikers have many chances but never seem to put the ball in the net, they will be dismissed as CHANCENTOD (death of chances).

Believe it or not, Germany has had its share of these.

11. If you have your WADENBEISSER and TORRIECHER in your team, good for you. If not your team may be ridiculed as a GURKENTRUPPE (cucumber troop).

12. Or, even worse, a KARNEVALSVEREIN (carnival team). Brazil perhaps.

Ultimately, to be German you need to temper success with pessimism and criticism. After a 7-1 victory over Brazil there were warnings against complacency in the final against Argentina, because they acknowledged the team still has weaknesses.

People from other countries often cannot understand this. It is why Americans were furious when Klinsmann said that the U.S. had no chance of winning the World Cup. He was not trying to be mean. He was just being German and guess what, he took team America further than most fans predicted.

So here’s to German football strategy, team lingo and pessimism, as they won the World Cup for a fourth time.

Viel Spass beim Fussball!

50 SPORTS/other sports SPORTS BRIEFS TENNIS

Career First For Teenager Konjuh Croatian teenager Ana Konjuh reached the first WTA Tour quarter-final of her career with a hardfought victory over Misaki Doi at the Istanbul Cup. The 16-year-old has been rising fast and made the third round of Wimbledon as a qualifier, and she came out on top in a 6-4 6-7 (3/7) 6-4 battle with Doi that took two hours and 15 minutes.

Japanese sixth seed Kurumi Nara needed almost three hours to defeat qualifier Katerina Siniakova 7-6 (7/5) 6-7 (3/7) 6-2 and next meets second seed Roberta Vinci, who was leading 6-3 4-1 when her opponent Alexandra Dulgheru retired.

Garcia Pleased With Opening Round

QPR Agree Fee For Caulker

QPR have agreed a fee for Cardiff centre-back Steven Caulker, according to Rangers’ manager Harry Redknapp.

Redknapp is hopeful of signing the 22-year-old to play alongside recent acquisition Rio Ferdinand.

But he admits the England cap is still considering offers from other clubs.

“He’s got a couple of other clubs interested in him but I think he feels if he was playing with Rio, it could help him get back into the England team,” said Redknapp.

Caulker has made one international appearance, scoring against Sweden in a 2012 friendly.

Garcia

Farah On Track In Fitness Race

FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL

the Merseyside links in 2006.

Asked if he was in his best mental state at a major for some time, Garcia said: “I don’t know, (but) probably since 2008.

“But, like I said, even on the tough years this championship, it’s different to me. I love it so much.

“After the Ryder Cup it’s my favourite tournament to play. You always come with a different frame of mind here, even if you’re struggling little bit.

Sergio Garcia declared himself in his best shape at an Open Championship for years after starting with a four-under-par 68 at Royal Liverpool.

The 34-year-old Spaniard is still chasing his first major despite having been in contention on numerous occasions since bursting on to the scene as a precocious teenager.

Garcia’s best Open remains 2007, when he lost in a play-off to Padraig Harrington, but he also has happy memories of Hoylake having finished in a tie for fifth on

Mathieu Keen On Barca Move

Valencia defender Jeremy Mathieu has urged the club to sanction his move to La Liga rivals Barcelona.

The Frenchman is a target of the Spanish giants and Barca sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta this week confirmed that a bid had been made.

With Carles Puyol having retired, Mathieu is among Luis Enrique’s targets for his maiden campaign in charge of the club.

Mathieu insists that he does not want to force the situation or provoke an exit, but described a potential move to Camp Nou as a “big step” in his career.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Farah

Mo Farah remains on course to double up at both the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships, according to British Athletics performance director Neil Black.

Farah’s participation in both events was thrown into doubt when he was forced to pull out of last weekend’s Glasgow Grand Prix after suffering abdominal pains.

But the 31-year-old has been named in the 74-strong Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad for the Europeans, which take place in Zurich from August 12-17.

And Black is also confident that Farah will

be fit enough to race in both the 5000m and 10000m at the Commonwealths, which begin next week in Glasgow.

Black said: “Mo has had some challenges with his health which have all been dealt with and he is now phasing back into full training.

“He is really positive about things and he is thinking optimistically about the summer.

“Obviously it would be impossible for him at this stage to be 100 per cent sure he will be able to do everything, [but] that’s the plan and there is no reason at this stage to think otherwise.”

Mouratoglou Staying As Serena Coach Patrick Mouratoglou will be staying as Serena Williams’ coach but admitted the world number one is going through “a difficult period”.

Williams has struggled at the grand slams this year, failing to progress beyond the fourth round, and was beaten in round three at Wimbledon by France’s Alize Cornet.

But it was Williams’ performance in the doubles at the All England Club alongside sister Venus that really gave cause for concern.

Mouratoglou insisted that is not

the case and that Williams is training hard and determined to rediscover her best form ahead of next month’s US Open.

The Frenchman told France’s Tennis Magazine: “Serena is clearly going through a difficult period.

But after Wimbledon we had many hours of discussions and we have restarted our work.

“Today, she is in a state of mind where she wants to train hard to come back strong. At no time was there any question of our Serena collaboration ending.”

Tour Of Britain Lands Title Sponsor Friends Life has become the first title sponsor of the Tour of Britain, race organisers have announced.

The pensions and retirement specialist in May sponsored the inaugural Women’s Tour and has followed up its support of cycling by sponsoring the Tour of Britain, which takes place in September.

Last year’s race was won

by Sir Bradley Wiggins and the 2014 event begins on September 7 in Liverpool, finishing in London on September 14.

Friends Life group chief executive Andy

Briggs said: “Cycling is now hugely popular in Britain and we want to encourage and support its growing popularity by sponsoring the Tour of Britain.

“The success of the inaugural Friends Life Women’s Tour has fuelled our enthusiasm for elite road racing and the inspiration it brings to a wider cycling audience.

“This sponsorship also gives us the opportunity to demonstrate how the discipline of being a cycling professional is similar to being financially fit.

REPORTS/SPORTS 51

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Lahm Retires From International Football Germany's World Cup-winning captain Philipp Lahm has retired from international football at the age of 30.

Lahm made 113 appearances for his country and lifted the World Cup on Sunday after Mario Gotze's extra-time goal secured a 1-0 win over Argentina in Rio. It was the Bayern Munich man's third appearance at the global showpiece and he has chosen to end his Germany career on the highest of highs.

"THANK YOU, Philip! World Cup captain

Philipp Lahm has finished his career with the @DFB_Team after 10 years," the Deutsche Fussball-Bund (DFB), German football's governing body, tweeted.

Having secured his first piece of silverware with Germany, Lahm will now focus solely on his club career with Bayern.

The full-back, who has also been deployed in midfield for club and country over the past season, has won a host of trophies at the Allianz Arena since coming through the club's youth system.

Lahm

Nike Unveil Official Ball For EPL, La Liga And Serie A

Nike have unveiled their Ordem football, the company's 'most aerodynamically tuned ball to date'

Nike have unveiled their latest football, under the name of 'Ordem', which will be used in three of the biggest leagues in Europe - England's Premier League, Spain's La Liga and Italy's Serie A. Each league will use a different colour variation of the ball, with the the Premier League taking the blue edition while La Liga has the orange and Serie A the pink.

According to the sportswear company, the Ordem is Nike’s 'most innovative, technologically

advanced and aerodynamically tuned ball to date'.

The ball consists of 12 fuse-welded panels in a three-layer casing system, and a poly-blend wrapped, free-floating carbon latex bladder.

The Ordem also features so-called AEROW TRAC grooves, Nike Football’s latest innovation. The grooves are engineered to grip and channel the air to produce the truest trajectory and most consistent flight, which help ensure stability and accuracy in mid-air.

Newcastle Mourn Supporters Involved In Plane Crash

Two Newcastle United fans are among the British victims of the Malaysian Airlines flight which crashed in Ukraine on Thursday.

John Alder and Liam Sweeney were heading to New Zealand to watch the Magpies on their pre-season tour of New Zealand.

Alder was well known among Newcastle fans, nicknamed ‘The Undertaker’ as he always wore a black suit and white shirt to games.

The North East club released a statement on yesterday expressing their sadness at the tragedy.

‘It is with great sadness that we learn today the tragic news of the deaths of John Alder and Liam Sweeney, two of the club’s most loyal supporters, who lost their lives on Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 which crashed on Thursday afternoon in Eastern Ukraine,’ it read.

‘John and Liam were travelling out to New Zealand together to support Newcastle United in the forthcoming Football United Tour, which takes place next week in Dunedin and Wellington.’’

Tributes have been paid to Newcastle supporters' John Alder and Liam Sweeney

Wenger: Debuchy A Perfect Fit

Van Persie’s Flying Header Immortalised In Brazilian Favela Street Art It was the most memorable goal of an unforgettable World Cup, and now Robin van Persie’s diving header against Spain is adorning the walls of a Brazilian favela in a brilliant bit of street art.

While the YouTube videos and Vines will serve as a reminder of Van Persie’s brilliance online, Brazilian artists have left a more traditional tribute to the wondergoal on the streets of a favela.

Daley Blind’s 50-yard ball from the left wing had looked to evade the Dutch hitman before he threw himself forward to brilliantly guide it over Iker Casillas and into the back of the Spain net - inspiring his side to eventually run out 5-1 winners in the group stage.

The superb piece of improvisation has already inspired a internet ‘Persie-ing’ craze and a limited edition coin in Van Persie’s homeland.

Manager Arsene Wenger is confident new Arsenal defender Mathieu Debuchy will fit right into his team’s counter-attacking style - with more additions expected before the start of the Barclays Premier League campaign.

Debuchy, 28, is seen as a Premier League-ready replacement for Bacary Sagna, who left to join Manchester City on a lucrative free transfer after helping Arsenal beat Hull in the FA Cup final at Wembley.

Wenger is confident Debuchy can continue his progress with Arsenal, having been a consistent performer at Newcastle following a

£5m move from Lille in January 2013.

“The obvious replacement for Sagna was Debuchy. He knows what to expect and that’s of course a huge advantage,” Wenger said on Arsenal Player.

“Debuchy is very good going forward, is very quick in transition.’’

Debuchy

FOOTBALL BRIEFS Liverpool Eye Remy

Queens Park Rangers striker Loic Remy has emerged as a Liverpool transfer target as manager Brendan Rodgers plans to continue strengthening his squad before a Champions League push.

Remy, 27, scored 14 goals as he spent last season on loan at Newcastle United and Rodgers is weighing up an offer of around £8 million for the France international after backing away from a move for Swansea forward Wilfried Bony, sources have told ESPN. Liverpool's manager is continuing to chase several other transfer targets too, with Lille's Belgian striker Divock Origi, Southampton centre-half Dejan Lovren and Swansea left-back Ben Davies also on his wanted list.

Ba Joins Besiktas Chelsea striker Demba Ba has completed his move to Besiktas, the Turkish club has announced on its website.

Besiktas claim the deal for the 29-year-old Senegal striker is worth six million Euros (£4.7m).

Ba passed a medical on Friday after posting a picture of himself wearing a Besiktas shirt.

"I've had a lot of positive feedback about Besiktas and Istanbul from my Senegalese friends in Turkey," he said on the Beskitas website.

"To play in a Muslim country and in a new stadium is definitely very exciting.

"I know what my coach Slaven Bilic expects from me, and I am open to all sorts of competition.''

Del Bosque Remains As Spain Boss

Vicente del Bosque has broken his silence on his future, revealing that he intends to continue as Spain boss until Euro 2016.

La Roja endured a torrid defence of the World Cup they secured in South Africa in 2010, exiting the tournament in Brazil at the group stages after damaging 5-1 and 2-0 losses to the Netherlands and Chile respectively.

Despite the underwhelming performances that his team delivered last month, Del Bosque insists that he has no desire to step down and enjoys the continued backing of the Spanish FA.

52 SPORTS/COMMENT

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Mourinho Faces Hard Yards After World Cup Joy There was a popular joke that did the rounds throughout the final week of the World Cup. "What's that scrabbling sound?"

"It's PSG's owners trying to find the receipt for David Luiz."

After a Titanic-like captaincy of a 7-1 defeat to Germany, Luiz's tears in a clown's wig in Belo Horizonte recalled that PSG just spent ÂŁ50 million on him.

Much mirth ensued, while Chelsea fans exhaled in satisfied relief at getting the deal done before the tournament.

On re-arrival at Chelsea a year ago, one of Jose Mourinho's first media leaks signalled a desire to cash in Luiz, as well as Juan Mata. He has his wish, and the World Cup made it look like he had pulled off the deal of the century.

However, the month in Brazil has given Mourinho plenty to deal with when his players return to the Cobham training ground and for their short series of preparation matches against European opposition.

Mourinho was supportive of Luiz in the aftermath of the semi-final. "I don't think it is fair to separate a player from the team, because the team was very bad," Mourinho told Yahoo, for whom he is a World Cup ambassador. "Did David make mistakes? Yes, he did, but Dante made mistakes, Marcelo made mistakes, Fernandinho made mistakes.

The team as a team made mistakes."

A propensity to make such mistakes was the reason Luiz was rarely trusted at centre-half and grudgingly played as a midfield anchor. Now, Luiz is someone else's expensive problem, and the money hauled in for him helped pay for Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa and Kurt Zouma, with the hope that the French defender is far less flighty than his Brazilian predecessor.

That Fabregas and Costa suffered in Spain's disastrous defence of the title may have slightly muffled the impact of those deals, though Mourinho will be glad they will get an almost full summer's rest.

Spain's fall will have brought him undoubted enjoyment in other regards.

Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos were leaders in the revolt that deposed him from Real Madrid; both led the list of culprits in that 5-1 opening defeat by the Dutch.

Other Mourinho foes took serious falls too.

He has often had a testy relationship with Luiz Felipe Scolari, who tried and failed to succeed him at Stamford Bridge.

Lionel Messi, to whom Mourinho could only rarely find a solution, stopped short of achieving true greatness on a night when Andre Schuerrle, a Chelsea charge who is the willing type the manager likes, supplied the assist for the winner in the final.

Having a player hit such heights

might be a boon to Mourinho's Chelsea, though he could also be glad that not too many of his players were involved in the showpiece. Players who win World Cups have not always gone on to enjoy successful Premier League campaigns in the following season.

France '98 winners Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit ended the 1998-99 season potless at Arsenal, while Gilberto Silva struggled in the 2002-03 campaign for the same club. Spain's 2010 winners featured Fabregas and Fernando Torres, who both endured hugely disappointing campaigns in 2010-11.

Mourinho's motivational genius could be required in spades in pre-season. He finds himself addressing the problems of a set who suffered in Brazil.

Oscar, having shone in the opening match with Croatia, shrank into a shell

he too often retreated to last season.

Willian, who Mourinho last season converted from luxury player to power outlet, was one of the Brazilians who struggled to provide an alternative source of creativity to Neymar.

Ramires' failure to impose himself on a malfunctioning midfield with anything other than some reckless tacking was another disappointment.

Costa, freshly arrived, was castigated for his failure to add a fresh dimension to Spain, while Cesar Azpilicueta was part of a defence picked apart by the Netherlands and Chile. Mourinho's sole English participant, Gary Cahill, had a yet more horrendous tournament, with his slips against Uruguay proving particularly costly. Conversely, John Terry's reputation grew anew through absence.

Eden Hazard, meanwhile, was part of a Belgium team that reached expectations, yet he played a disturbingly low-key role.

In February, Mourinho was suggesting that Hazard could reach the level of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but he hugely under-performed both in Brazil, even allowing for their suffering significant disappointments.

Perhaps John Obi Mikel, a solid citizen in Nigeria's successful reaching of the last 16, was - behind Schuerrle Chelsea's greatest success at the World Cup. Now, in a season that must end with serious silverware after last season's failings, Mourinho must harness those experiences and put the World Cup behind him and Chelsea. He must achieve far more than getting a good price for David Luiz.

A propensity to make mistakes was the reason Luiz was rarely trusted at centre-half BY MOURINHO Agree or disagree? We want to know what you think . You can have your say by emailing weekendsports@leadership.ng or tweeting @sportsmetronome

feature 53

Saturday, July 19, 2014

When Malala Came Calling Last Sunday, Malala Yousafzai was in the country for a threeday visit.Winifred Ogbebo reports Like a mid-day storm in the middle of summer, she happened upon us without a notice.

Suddently, we were told that she was with us. She is Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani education right activist who turned 17 on Tuesday, 14th 2014. Her young life makes an interesting read. She was shot in the head

by Taliban insurgents in 2009.

According to her, the experience has made her “weakness, fear and hopelessness die and courage, power and fearlessness is born.” Though her coming was quiet, her three-day visit did not go unnoticed. If anything, they were power packed. At the Lagos Hall of the Transcorp Hilton where she held a press briefing, which had school girls and Bring Back our Girls campaigners in attendance, it was tight security all the way. Many were a little miffed at the security checks they were subjected to. Even journalists were not spared. In fact, one of the journalists sarcastically remarked that the security mounted round her beats that of President Goodluck Jonathan hands down. Perhaps, it was just as well, considering the ‘dynamo,’ Malala proved to be. The saying that dynamite comes in small sizes aptly fits her personae.

Her speeches when they came were like thunderbolt. Everyone in the hall sprang to their feet to give this young crusader, a standing ovation. She disclosed that she came to lend her voice to the campaign to bring back the over 200 school children abducted by Boko Haram since March, saying that her only wish was for her “sisters” to be released. She said, “this birthday is not one of celebration but of standing up for my sisters who are in captivity in Nigeria. Today, Malala has joined us in Nigeria to ask: how dare insecurity stop us from having the right to education, forcing girls to be brides when they are supposed to be girls and forcing girls to give birth to children when they themselves are children is unacceptable?Narrating her experience in the hands of the Taliban, Malala stated that after her near- death experience, she has resolved to strive for the education of the children of the world as she is currently doing through her Malala Day Celebration. “I will repeat what I said last year. Nothing changes in my life except days.

Weakness, fears and hopelessness die. Strength, power and

Malala

courage was born. When I was shot by the Taliban, the world stood up. I, Malala, was the cry I heard around the world. I received thousands of good wishes cards and letters from people. I believe that God saved my life because of people’s prayers.

Today, this Malala Day, I’m not here to tell my story because I am not the only child who has been target of extremism.

There are thousands who are suffering from terrorism, from violence and do not have any access to education. I speak for those children whose right to quality education has been snatched from them.” She announced that she was speaking for the 66 million girls who are out of school., adding that Malala Day is the day for education of every child and it is dedicated to “my dear Nigerian sisters who are going through the same rigorous situation. I dedicate this day to my sisters in Nigeria. My sisters and brothers, not only in Nigeria, but the situation all around the world, especially in the Middle East countries, Africa countries and Pakistan is getting worse every day. Children do not have access to education; their studies are badly affected.Around 157 million children are out of school. 10.5 million children in Nigeria do not have access to education. Around 400 girls in total are abducted by Boko Haram in Nigeria. 7 million chil-

dren in Pakistan are deprived of education. Around 900,000 people are homeless in Pakistan. In Pakistan, they have to leave their homes for safety against the military operations going on against the terrorists. Because of that, many children now do not have access to education and they are out of school. Girls from Syria were once in school and learning are now living in camps and are made to understand a new life as a refugee while the world is silent doing nothing. And, the children in Syria are becoming a generation lost! Because of conflict between Gaza and Israel, people are badly affected. And, children on both sides are suffering. Recently, many children died because of Israel’s strike on Palestine, which is unfortunate.”

Malala who also called on President Goodluck Jonathan during her visit in company with her father, also extracted a promise from the president to visit parents of the abducted Chibok school girls.

She said, “One thing that is important today is that I was able to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan. I told him that I hear the voice of my sisters. I am representing my sisters and their parents to you today. And, as you are the elected President, you need to fulfill your responsibility. And, your responsibility is listening to your people that

are saying “bring back our girls.

Luckily, the President did make two promises. He made two promises to me and to you, the people of his country. He promised the government will do the best option to bring back the girls alive and safe. The second promise he made that is important is that he will meet the parents of those abducted girls. I am hopeful that Mr President will meet you soon because he promised to me, to you and to all Nigerian people.”

The social crusader took her visit a notch higher when she made a donation to boost girlchild education in Nigeria from The Malala Fund. With this, about $200,000 that will be given to two Nigerian organizations Girl-Child Concern and Centre for Girl-Child Education. I know that my small contribution is not enough; we still need a lot to do. But, this is just a start. But, under a just God, this is what I could do in a short time.”

With uncommond boldness and unflinching resolve, she took a swipe at Boko Haram, calling on them to lay down their weapons and stop misusing the name of Islam. “Not only am I asking the President and government of Nigeria to take action, but I am also asking that Boko Haram to stop misusing the name of Islam.

Islam is a religion of peace. Islam allows every boy and every girl to get education by going to school. And, education is compulsory in Islam. The word ‘Islam’ means peace. Islam gives a message of prudence, patience, harmony and humanity. I want to tell Boko Haram, think about your own sisters; just think for a while; think about your own sisters. If they suffer the same way the same brutal and harsh situation, how would you feel? “ I ask you all: lay down your weapons; release our sisters.

Release my sisters and release the daughters of this nation.

Let them be free; they have committed no crime.”

Before she left, she had some words for Nigerians. “To Nigerian people, I will like to say that Nigeria is a rich country not because it has oil resources but because it has people that have bravery and courage. It has people with the heart of humanity. This is the wealth of people; this is the wealth of this country. This is my word to this nation. Make your country stronger for unity and togetherness.

Make it stronger. Do not judge each other on the basis of your religion, class, colour creed.

These are just words of identity. We should treat each other as human beings. All human beings should treat one another as human beings.”

Though her coming was quiet, her three-day visit did not go unannounced, if anything, they were power packed

54 beauty & health

Accessorise With Blue BY chalya dul, Abuja

Colours generally have integral roles to play when it comes to fashion. Colours in the fashion world amongst other use serve as a means of expressing one’s self and also depicts mood. Colour is not only an element of design but an entity with psychological impact. For every colour worn, there is a feeling and mood being described by the wearer.

The cycle of colours changes with every fashion season as new colours catch our attention, love and fascination. The fashion world works with colour palettes to establish trends as well as accentuate colours that fit with the season while dealing with all the stuff that comes with its temperatures.

The colour blue is a common, cool colour, which can easily be found anywhere around but yet one of the most inspirational colours in the fashion world.

There are three stylish ways the colour blue can be used this season, as elaborated below: Elegant Blue Shoes: Like everything else, fashion has its own list of favourite palettes, which makes it impossible for anyone to ever go wrong with colours. White, tan and blue is a good example of such classic palettes. The blue colour is most dominant in the form of denims, but this does not have to be the case at all times.

Blue shoes fit the bill ofclassic palettes perfectly when themed with any other colour and its combination is perfect for an evening outing.

Blue for the Soirée: Every lady should have a black outfit in her wardrobe. It is a fashion saviour for most ladies simply because the chances of going wrong with it are rare. A black outfit with a hint of another colour, particularly blue does not just add glamour to an outfit but also breaks the serious mood of the colour black.

An ‘all black’ look is predictable and breaking it with blue is a perfect solution for an evening party.

The “Blue” Print: There are two basic ways to accessorise with colour seven if you are following such colours as a trend or following because of its appeal. You either own the colour by wearing a head-to-toe look or play smart by adding little packages and touches of the colour to your outfit.

Accessories are a good way to follow the latter; however, it can also be incorporated into an outfit in the form of prints.

Every colour has got its charms and with every season the list changes. Enjoy the blues while it lasts.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

OPINION 55

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Pastor T. O. Banso Faith 08155744752

L It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish

ast week, I discussed two of the duties of the shepherd namely: He gathers the flock and leads the sheep.

Today, I want to talk more on the duties of the shepherd.

• He knows the sheep by name.

No matter how large the flock is, Jewish shepherds know the name of each sheep. Not only that, the sheep also know the voice of the shepherd; they will not therefore respond to a stranger’s voice. There is such attraction towards each other, the shepherd and the sheep.

“And they follow him because they recognize his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t recognize his voice.” (John 10:4-5 NLT) Those who pastor the church of God must be connected with their members; they must not be estranged from them, they must know them. Jesus says, “I know My sheep, and am known by My own.” (John 10:14 NKJV) Even where the congregation is large, the leadership should devise a system where the members know they are well known to the leadership, and not feel just like a face in the

cedarministryintl@yahoo.com, cedarministryng@gmail.com

Church Abuse (12) crowd. We shouldn’t give a wrong impression that they are only interested in the people’s money – their tithes and offerings and seed. We’re not robbers!

• Waters and feeds the sheep. A shepherd has a responsibility to water and feed the sheep. (Gen 29:7) It is his job to look for where the still waters are and where the green pastures are and lead them there; it is not the job of a sheep. “The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.” (Ps 23:1-2 NLT) Shepherds always avoid taking sheep to roaring or troubled waters but still, peaceful water for the safety of the sheep. Ezek 34:23 says, “I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them — My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.” (NKJV) Talking about what God will do, Isaiah says, “He will feed His flock like a shepherd.” (Isa 40:11 NKJV) Ministers of the Gospel are shepherds and they have a responsibility to water and feed the sheep. They must never allow them to lack spiritual nourishment and refreshment.

In John 21, Jesus, after his resurrection, told Simon, as the leader of Jesus’ disciples, to “Feed My lambs” (Verse 15), “Tend My sheep” (Verse 16) and “Feed My sheep” (Verse 17). That is what God expects of a minister of God – feeding the people with the Word of God and ministering to them the water of the Holy Spirit, and the people have a responsibility to eat and drink. The minister is not to use the people to meet his personal needs or place emphasis on their responsibilities towards him when he hasn’t even discharged his duties to them.

•Looks for the lost sheep – “So my people are wandering like lost sheep, without a shepherd to protect and guide them.” (Zech 10:2 NLT) The sheep do get lost (go astray) sometimes, and it is the responsibility of the shepherd to look for lost sheep.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’” (Matt 15:24 NKJV) He also told the parable of the lost sheep in Matt 18: “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the

ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” (Matt 18:12-14 NKJV) The parable is also recorded in Luke 15:3-7. Despite still having ninety nine sheep, the shepherd left them to look for the only one lost. That is what a good shepherd should do. But not the shepherds of the people of Israel that God indicted in Ezek 34:8: “You didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost.” (NLT) It is the responsibility of the ministers of God as shepherds to look for the lost sheep though there may still be many in the fold that have not gone astray. “It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” (Matt 18:14 NKJV) Because of space, I’ll stop here today and conclude this series next week. The Lord bless you as you obey his voice.

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

Friday Ebinyi Impactful View impactfulview@gmail.com

Tel: 08150741383 (text only)

Love And Forgiveness In A Divisive Society ➔ CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

A classical example can be found in the Old Testament narrative concerning King Saul and David. King Saul had fallen out of favour with God due to his disobedience and self will. Samuel the Prophet handed him God’s stern judgment: ‘Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king… The Lord hath rent the Kingdom of Israel from you this day and hath given it to a neighbour of thine that is better than thou.” For this, for over a decade, Saul led his killer squad in a relentless manhunt for David. At some points the trauma seemed overwhelming for the young David as he crossed over into the enemy’s territory seeking refuge.

During this period, there were two instances when David had the opportunity to kill Saul, but chose to spare him

thus rewarding evil with good.

As Saul retired into a cave for some rest, unknown to Saul, David and some of his men were hiding in the cave. Saul who was all alone by himself and did not notice them was completely at the mercy of David. While David’s men rashly interpreted this providential act of God as an opportunity for David to kill Saul, end all his troubles and take over the Kingdom, David considered it wiser and saw it as an opportunity to show mercy and return good for evil. However, he walked stealthily to where Saul was and sliced off a piece from his garment. Saul eventually rose up and walked out of the cave not knowing what had happened. David called out to Saul that it was unjustifiable for Saul to seek after his life. Saul was humbled by this act of kindness and acknowledged his sinfulness. Though

David had won many battles before this time, this singular act of forgiveness and non-retaliation seems to be the greatest of all victories he had.

Obviously, it takes considerable strength of character to do what David did. The Lord Jesus knew that retaliation or revenge cannot solve our problems. He knew that violence will lead to more violence and that war will lead to more wars.

Hence, He came with the message: “Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you and pray for them who despitefully use you”. Apostle Paul equally warned the Roman believers, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves…. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good”. The world amplifies dialogue or negotiation for conflict resolution. But from the standpoint of the scriptures, love and forgiveness remain the most potent antidotes to conflict in

the world.

Since man is born with an inbred weakness or depravity with natural predisposition to do evil, he cannot on him own overcome evil tendencies of retaliation and violence. This then has informed the coming of Jesus Christ, the Prince of peace, to the world. He gave the world the royal law (love your neighbour as yourself) and the golden rule of communal and personal relationship (do unto others as you would have them do unto you). Christ as love epitomized and the peace giver can transmit these virtues into the lives of those who come to Him for new birth and reformation.

The solution to all conflicts is in Christ and His teachings, Love and Forgiveness. Those who have been truly transformed

by Christ cannot retaliate, and are ready to make peace with all men.

CONCLUDED

Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you and pray for them who despitefully use you

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

Charlyboy Nuts And Screws 08032481739

Khadija Abdu Iya Searching Inward

Email: areafada1@yahoo.com Twitter:@areafada1 Instagram: areafada1 BB pin: 2324A360

Beyond Repairs After Rehabilitation…

07033726351 (Text only) searchinwards@yahoo.com 0708 370 1955 cedarministriesintl@yahoo.com

I

Most of us live a lie, when we are meant to bend and work hard to achieve good ‘results’, we go about forging things or wasting our time

t is often said, it is never too late to begin anything or achieve something you desire in life…in as much as that may be true on one hand, there is a certain stage we get to in life that what we are or what we have become has no remedy.

When you live a life that the substantial years of your youth has been wasted, it is usually hard to catch up at your older years, even if you do, how far would you go?

Most of us live a lie, when we are meant to bend and work hard to achieve good ‘results’, we go about forging things or wasting our time ‘following’ but never being a part of. Many of us forget the proverb, ‘make hay while the sun shines’.

I see most Nigerians live their life abroad and return home when they can’t really cope or adapt…they forget to lay any foundation while they are away; sadly, most of them still thinks of Nigeria like the time of old when the system still worked. It’s such a pity that people can’t actually look ahead and plan what the future holds.

It pricks me greatly that our country Nigeria is sailing the same direction, towards a point of no repairs. We keep quiet and we sit still watching our country go down. It baffles me why we have kept quiet this long, why we have refused to unanimously say no to bad governance and leadership, it surprises me that we are so patient with rubbish. I wonder if we are actually just being scared or we are being hypnotized.

More sadly is the fact that people who wants to speak out, are shut down by others, others who do not believe that anything could be done. They criticize others’ approach to how they attack the government. See Fela, he knew Nigeria needed change; he advocated for change through his many songs, he prophesied about the doom that would come if changes didn’t take place. He’s dead and gone, but we now see the reality of what he preached and the way he knew how to preach it. Instead of people to see what he preached, they concentrated on how he preached it; people tagged him as mad. Na wa ooo!

Maybe we are surrounded by fear of death, fear to die if we resulted to a revolution or whatever but aren’t we gon’

die anyway or anyhow? For some time now in Oguta my home town in Imo, there’s been chaos and restiveness amongst the youths. Joblessness and hopelessness had made them resolve to violence.

Certain cabals simply exploited the town and left nothing for those at home. Pathetically, we all looked, no one to challenge the evil perpetrators but then, were we going to simply sit and stare forever? Were we going to let this spoilers have their way? Then a faction of us arose, we stood up and we said no more. We could see that so many others were just waiting for whom to champion this cause so they could follow. We began to look into the cases of unemployed graduates and skilled individuals, also on how to bring more development to the town and we decided to fix our light problem.

This started towards the ending of last year, and in order to pull everyone together we organized a peace concert titled the “Ameshi Peace Carnival”. It was beautiful; you could see the hopes in people’s eyes, the willingness to be one again. We also would strive so we do not dash the hope of our people and ourselves inclusive. We are there yet but we are getting there.

I didn’t intend to bore you with my village gist, but if we don’t take the giant steps who will? I’m getting old and soon I would want to retire home, I need to be able to find peace in my own mother land. What if there is an upheaval for instance, isn’t it my home town I am to result to?

The beautiful thing is we had realized where Oguta was headed and we are trying real hard to get a hold of it and turn things around completely What if we had all relaxed and things had gone beyond repairs?

Maybe if we all go to our respective home towns and begin to work things out instead of waiting for the government to do something, then things would get better. Since it seems we cannot do anything about the situation of our country Nigeria, how about the situation of the little home towns we all emerge from? Do we watch everything go down the drain when we could actually do something? Abeg think am.

“I examined my body, one beautiful day and felt a huge lump in my throat. I quickly jumped out of bed palpitating furiously. When I finally caught my breath, I held on to my chest and still wondered what was wrong with me.

“I laid back on my very tiny ironbed and launched into a journey of self-discovery.

“I just returned to my little village in the far north after a rehab one uncle paid for,” my narrator told me a few years ago. “A rehabilitation centre in a beautiful Arab country that I didn’t get to enjoy. It all came back to me how and why I allowed myself to go into self-destruct mode for a long time. My best friend is now a young medical doctor married with a child. But here I am with nothing. I couldn’t even complete my secondary school because I couldn’t get to sit for my final exams,” he said regretfully.

I tried.

“Although I tried to change; take control, but my strength failed me.

My mother, God bless her soul couldn’t give up on me. She was the one that asked her brother to come to my aid. After watching her grieve on my behalf while she took me to Abuja, I resolved to do something about my life, he said with great sense of gratitude for her mother.

“I loved the treatment, the care and the devotion the centre’s staff showed me. “Whatever my uncle paid for, this service won’t come cheap and as a result I promised not to blow it. This might be my last opportunity to make something out of my life, I thought. And at that point, I was tired of being a liability to everyone. The only aspect I didn’t like about the rehab in the beginning was the group therapy.

I found myself gripping the bottom of the seat and at times felt like barking or snarl at those ‘crazy’ people around me (or so I thought), forgetting I was one of them. But it became my turning point, I learned to open up and got my feelings out,” he explained.

Expression “Previously, expressing myself, especially coming from the Fulani ethnicity, was an act discouraged at home. So I reached out for all forms of dangerous drugs that filtered into our community at that time to feel better. But through the therapy, I learned to recognize the conflict between needs and wants.

From courage born out of desperation I learned to face what I needed to do, and this enabled my personal growth. One programme I loved most and was highly therapeutic was learning how to care for myself – cleaning, cooking – and I discov-

ered I loved to read. When I discovered that aspect of my life, I regretted how much years I have wasted not finding out these pleasures. In all, I am glad I have a second chance to turn all that around. All these activities had a positive effect on my wellbeing,” he revealed.

“The rehabilitation programme took almost nine months and I am glad I allowed the help offered me.

“Immediately after the programme, I signed up for college and went back to rewrite my WAEC exams. Afterwards, I signed up for a law degree. It was not easy but I persevered because I wanted it so much as I craved to be a shining example for other boys like me in my community. I wanted them to turn their lives around too. I was determined to make something out of my life and not go back to that dreary years where I couldn’t differentiate day and night.

“I might have been stupid in my early years and dippy too, but that was in the past. I was also aware that I come from a very poor background, but my uncle decided to help me. So the best way to appreciate his kind gesture was to seek education and more education, he explained with emphasis.

Giving back Continuing he said, “Unlike what many think of a rehabilitation centre, mine was a gift that helped me turn my life around. Today I am a lawyer. I went back to the secondary school where I had that reverie; I know that if we had a more committed team of teachers in my school at that time, life in my community would have been better.

“Our school was one of the remotest and the teachers hardly ever came for lectures. So the students were left most times at their whims and caprices to do what they like. Only a few of the teachers cared. I am not blaming them though for my travails; I know better now that if the authorities in charge of education did their jobs well, groomed and paid these teachers well, most of us that fell on the wayside would have been saved earlier.

“I still thank God that my mother didn’t give up on me. My noble uncle and God Almighty had great plans for me. I give back today, to my community whenever I can by offering free English tutoring and conducting free counseling services to the teenagers. I speak mostly on the dangers of drugs to them.

I wish I have enough money to rebuild that institution and make available the basic amenities that would give the students there better opportunities than I ever had.

I might have been stupid in my early years and dippy too, but that was in the past

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July 19, 2014

MEN’S HEALTH

Test Men Should Never Ignore

Some benefits, like fighting inflammation, exist when eating moderate amounts of healthy fats, but fat also promotes feeling full and delays stomach emptying

What You Should Eat Before A Workout

P

TUNDE OGUNTOLA

rotein or fat before exercise might provide health benefits that carbohydrates don’t. Ultimately, what you take before your workout can make or break not only your performance in the gym, but your gains in rock-solid muscle, a new study suggests.

Although, there is no one meal that you need to eat before working out, instead, focus on these 5 things: • Low fat • Moderate in carbs and protein • Low fiber • Includes fluids • Made up of familiar foods that you tolerate well The common advice if you’re cycling or running is to eat a carbohydrate-rich meal or snack before working out, the fact is the ever-popular carbohydrate dinner. This diet spikes glucose in the bloodstream, causing an insulin release that signals muscle cells to soak up and use the glucose for fuel.

However, researchers found some evidence that there may be benefits to ditching the standard banana and toast. According to one study in a small group of college runners, eating a meal high in fat before exercise increased fatburning and spared carbohydrates, allowing their bodies to use them for energy near the end of the workout, after the runners spent the previous three days carbo-loading. Ramping up protein intake, on the other hand, may improve metabolism during exercise, the researchers

note.

That’s good if you’re shooting to torch fat, but the key word is this may happen. There still isn’t enough proof in the nutrition research to push eating high-fat/protein foods prior to long bouts of endurance exercise. Even the study authors say that there have been no significant performance benefits found yet, so more info is needed before you start fueling up on cheese and high-protein bars.

Some benefits, like fighting inflammation, exist when eating moderate amounts of healthy fats, but fat also promotes feeling full and delays stomach emptying, so those fries will sit in your stomach like a brick and cause distress.

The sweet spot, it seems, could be a protein, carb combo. Compared to a meal of only carbs, this pairing can improve blood sugar control and prevent that fatigued or light-headed feeling some people get when blood sugar takes a dive mid-workout. A few options Tortilla with banana, honey, and almond butter; oatmeal made with milk topped with nuts and dried fruit; or yogurt with honey and granola.

And consider the timing. If you wake up late and have 30 minutes before a 10-mile run, go for a sports drink over a bowl of stick-to-yourribs and slow-you-down oats. Most contain both carbs and sodium that are easily and quickly absorbed, expert suggests.

A small, healthy snack consisting of carbohydrates and protein will properly fuel your body for a killer workout.

• Enjoy Ginger The volatile oils in ginger have long made it a useful herbal remedy for nasal and chest congestion. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over a 1-inch piece of peeled, grated ginger; steep for 10 minutes; and strain. Add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper to the water and drink as needed.

• Get a Massage Certain trigger points -- spots of tension in musculoskeletal tissue -- can cause back pain. Ask a massage therapist or other bodyworker who specializes in myofascial release or neuromuscular therapy to focus on these points during a massage.

• Rub Your Temples Tame tension headaches by rubbing peppermint oil, Tiger Balm, or white flower oil into your temples. All three remedies contain menthol, which has analgesic properties.

• Sniff Rosemary According to some research, catching a whiff of this aromatic herb may increase alertness and improve memory. To stay sharp, try smelling fresh rosemary or inhaling the scent of rosemary essential oil before a test or meeting.

• Benefit from Bilberry Studies are mixed, but some have found that bilberry, a relative of the blueberry, may improve night vision. During World War II, fighter pilots reported better night vision after eating bilberry jam. Take 25 to 50 milligrams of bilberry extract; expect best results within the first few hours.

• Keep Capsaicin Cream on Hand For sore muscles and joints, apply a cream or ointment that contains capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers, two or three times a day. The heat from the peppers has been shown to help relieve pain.

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July 19, 2014

Ayurvedic Medicine: Lemon Juice, Water and Honey

honey: 1. Take 1 glass lukewarm water 2. Add 1 table spoon of black pepper powder 3. Add 4 table spoon lemon juice 4. Add 1 table spoon honey 5. Mix well 6. Drink every day

Grapefruit tones an oily skin and scalp, is helpful in treating acne and congested Natural home remedy using pores. lemon juice and honey: Weight Loss: Being overweight is harmful to one’s self esteem. It is also a health concern since it leads to many serious ailments including: diabetes, high blood pressure Causes: • Some people overeat when they are: • Depressed • Bored • Angry • In a relaxed environment • Incorrect lifestyle • Improper diet • Lack of exercise • Hypothyroidism Natural home remedy using black pepper powder, lemon juice and

1. Take 1 glass hot water 2. Add 4 table spoon lemon juice 3. Add 1 table spoon honey 4. Drink every morning on empty stomach Tips To Boost Your Weight Loss • Exercise regularly • Cabbage is very effective in burning body fat. Consume 1 bowl of cabbage everyday These remedies are based on the principles of Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of healing, and are completely natural, non-invasive, and can be prepared at home. Consult your doctor if the symptoms persist.

Refer to the terms of use.

LIVING HEALTHY AT 70 AND ABOVE Managing Age Related Memory Loss Aging is an unavoidable part of life, bringing with it many baggage, prominent amongst which is memory loss. Though most of the time they aren’t cause for concern, memory lapses can be very frustrating.

However, when it comes to memory, its ‘’use it or lose it’’ just as physical exercise can make your body stronger. More so, it is pertinent to note that memory loss is inevitable part of the aging process as there are plenty of things you can try to help keep your memory sharp.

However, exercising regularly is one of the best things you can do to help prevent age-related memory loss. Moving boosts blood flow to your brain and helps nerve cells in the part of brain that controls your memory.

If you’re not active now, check with your doctor to see if there’s anything you shouldn’t do. Then get moving.

Often, water exercises are great, because they aren’t hard on your joints but you can still get a good workout for your heart and lungs.

Herbal Clinic With Buki Fagbenle

Tel: (SMS only) +234-705-983-1992; Email: buki.fagbenle@leadership.ng

Natural Treatment Of Hypertension

T

he first measure in managing and treating high blood pressure is dietary. In most cases of hypertension, diet remains the single most important factor in preventing and even lowering the figures. The most annoying and truly sad part is that most practitioners know that over 85 per cent of all cases of high blood pressure are both treatable and preventable WITHOUT drugs but hypertensive patients’ compliance is also to blame.

Many have been told to lose weight, cut out refined salt and undertake demanding exercise but are unwilling or incapable of making these important lifestyle changes necessary to increase their life spans. From experience though, there is a growing number who are ready to make these lifestyle changes once they are educated properly about what steps to take.

This education process will take considerable time and effort but the rewards are high. I bet you would prefer to be here for your daughter’s wedding than be underground! I have seen patients who made the necessary changes, carefully weaned off their medications having a satisfying feeling of self-control of their health and life.

Many studies have shown that the most effective way to lower blood pressure safely, rapidly, and permanently, is an entirely vegetarian diet. This also involves reducing salt intake, eating oily fishes, fruits and vegetables, increasing the use of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and herbs daily.

I understand that it is not easy being a total vegetarian overnight but it is in a severe or long standing hypertensive patient’s best health interests to try the regimen of total vegetarianism for 3-6 months or until your blood pressure is under control. You can then resume eating fish and poultry, if you

really can’t do without them, once you achieve this target. A diet based on mostly grains and fresh vegetables can allow some saturated animal fat and still maintain a healthy blood pressure, if combined with adequate exercise.

Steps To Take Make a list of every food, solid or liquid, that enters your mouth for 3 days.

Try and analyse your diet in the light of what I have written in the preceding articles. Are you consuming too much saturated and/ or trans fats, sugar, salt, alcohol or coffee? Do you eat more meat than vegetables? Do you eat enough fresh fruits, vegetables – raw and cooked (preferably steamed), whole grains, seeds, nuts, oily fishes or supplement with a good Omega 3 capsule? Do you drink enough water? You should be drinking 6-8 large glasses daily although an exact daily amount is based on your body weight. Do you need to lose weight? Are you getting enough aerobic exercise?

Dietary Therapy Salt- You should lower your salt intake – one research that collated the results of several trials showed that reducing salt to around 5g per day had a significant effect on blood pressure of people with or without high blood pressure. Don’t add salt to your cooking or when eating – use herbs and garlic instead – your taste buds quickly gets used to lower salt. You can use potassium but I am not sure where you can buy this in Nigeria - you can always check good chemists or Shoprite.

NuSalt and Pansalt are potassium based. I usually mix equal measures of dried garlic powder, dried rosemary powder and dried thyme powder with some potassium or a little seasalt (and optional dried turmeric for a nice curry/yellowish colour). This is used to cook and flavour everything in my kitchen.

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July 19, 2014

Live Well Tips

Live well tips are NOT medical advice. Please consult your doctor before taking medicine or supplement, changing diet or exercise.

• Potatoes are worldwide favorite, and a super source of vitamin C and B6. But please go easy; they are full of carbohydrates.

• Snooze to lose: people burn more calories sleeping more than watching TV- so trade an hour of TV for sleep: a simple way to burn calories.

• Calcium is necessary for healthy bones and to prevent osteoporosis and heart ailments, also to keep skin healthy. That’s Wow!.

• Beans are excellent source of Vitamin b6, Zinc, copper, iron and protein which are essential for good health.

• Brussels sprouts are a rich source of vitamins A and C. they help assist infections and keep skin healthy. Serve some up!

• Raspberries are a rich source of ellagic acid, which resist growth of cancer. An excellent source of vitamin C, it also helps digestion.

• Everyone knows that smoking kills but is hard to give up. If you smoke you must quit, because the reward are well worth it.

• Pumpkin can keep your eyes healthy with its lutein content.

It is also a good reliever of Osteoporosis related problems.

PHOBIA PoinephobiaFear of punishment When we were kids, we learn that actions always have consequences and bad actions have bad consequences.

Punishment may range from physical, emotional or loss of something you consider important. A positive outlook or understanding regarding punishment can provide good motivation for good behavior.

When there is incapacitating fear for punishment, the person might be suffering from Mastigophobia or Poinephobia.

This fear often results from a tendency observed in others or a warning repeated by a family member. The dreaded warning usually sticks with the individual after the person who gave the warning is no longer present. The warning is usually repeated in the memory of the individual who suffers this phobia. The fear may be recognized by profound anxiety whenever a mistake is made. The individual usually fears the

worst for even just a minor error.

This fear may require the assistance of a therapist. The mental chains associated with this fear are nearly impossible to break on your own. It can be incredibly problematic to believe there is a punishment waiting for every imperfection common to being human.

The truth is we will all make mistakes and while there is punishment for some mistakes there is also forgiveness that can and often is extended in deference to good grace.

The proper role of punishment is to free an individual to make better choices in the future.

The negative consequences associated with this fear is that life can’t be well-lived without second guessing every decision made or action taken.

We all make mistakes and no one is perfect so it would be very unfair to oneself to be so frustrated and so guilty even just for a simple mistake.

Your Sexual Health Questions Answered!

Why You Should Practice Kegel Exercises Kegel exercises were developed by Dr. Arnold Kegel to help women, especially after childbirth, regain bladder control by strengthening their pelvic muscles. Dr. Kegel later discovered that his exercises also increased orgasm intensity. There are many variations, but the exercises are similar.

For women and men: • Locate your pelvic muscles by stopping the flow of urine midstream.

• Contract the pelvic muscles hard for one second and then release them, ten times in a row, three times a day. Gradually increase the number of contractions so that by the end of one month, you are doing ten contractions, twenty times a day.

• Vary the exercise by holding the contraction for a count of three and then releasing it. You can mix the exercises up, some short and some long.

• Kegel during commercials, every time the phone rings, at each stoplight when you are driving or riding, while you are waiting for your Web search results -- find your own regular pattern.

• Kegel when having sex for extra pleasure for you and your partner.

• Do the Kegels for a minimum of six weeks. Results will not be immediate, but eventually, you will be able to notice a difference.

Note: Some practitioners recommend that pregnant women do up to one hundred extra Kegels per day to strengthen their pelvic muscles for the work they’re about to do.

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July 19, 2014

Think Yourself Thin With Zahra Bakari - Imam

08183666800 (text only) thinkyourselfthin@yahoo.com, twitter@thinkurselfthin

FIRST AID Bone, Joint And Muscle Injury The skeleton is the hard framework around which the body is constructed, and on which all the body’s tissues depend for support.

The skeleton is jointed in many places, and muscles attached to the bones enable them to move. Most these movements are controlled at will, and co- ordinated by impulses that travel from the brain via nerves to every muscle and joint in the body.

Diagnosing types of injury It can be difficult to distinguish between bone, joint, and muscle injuries, so it helps to understand how the bones and muscles attached to them function, and how and why injury can happen.

This information is given here, together with the general principles of treatment for

different types of injury.

You will also find specific first -aid treatments for injuries to bones, joints, and muscles in every part of the body, from top to toe The only type of fracture not covered in these pages is skull fracture, which, because of the potential effect on the brain.

FIRST-AID PRIORITIES • Maintain an open airway • Steady and support the injured part, if possible.

• Provide more permanent support, with padding and firm bandaging or splinting.

An uninjured part of the body is the best form of ‘’splint”.

• If a broken bone lies within a large bulk of tissue (for example’, the thigh), treat the casualty for shock.

• Obtain appropriate medical treatment.

JOKES High Blood Pressure When a physician remarked on a new patient’s extraordinarily ruddy complexion, he said, “High blood pressure, Doc. It comes from my family.”

“Your mother’s side or your father’s?” I asked.

“Neither,” he replied.

“It’s from my wife’s family.”

“Oh, come now,” I said.

“How could your wife’s family give you high blood pressure?”

He sighed. “You need to visit us during the weekend, Doc!”

Is Fasting For Weight Loss Healthy?

F

asting has been practiced for centuries. But can it really help you lose weight and get healthier?

It sounds so simple - no choices, no counting calories, no cooking. Just say ‘no’ to food, and start fasting for quick weight loss and other health benefits.

After all, Beyonce did it. She said she lost 20 pounds by fasting (and using a concoction of syrup, lemon juice, water and cayenne pepper) for her role in Dreamgirls.

But what about the rest of us mortals? We wonder: • Is fasting an effective way to lose weight?

• Can fasting really help with medical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma, arthritis and other auto immune disorders?

• Will fasting help you live longer?

• And finally, is fasting healthy?

Although fasting has been practiced for thousands of years, the question is still a subject of intense medical debate. WebMD consulted experts on weight loss and fasting for some answers.

Fasting and Weight Loss If you weed through all the controversy, you’ll find that most medical experts agree on one thing: fasting is not a healthy weight loss tool.

“The appeal is that (fasting) is quick, but it is quick fluid loss, not substantial weight loss,” says Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, CNS, founder and director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Weight Loss Management Center.

“If it’s easy off, it will come back quickly” -as soon as you start eating normally again, she says.

Even some proponents of fasting for other medical purposes do not support fasting for weight loss. Some say it can actually make weight problems worse.

“Fasting is not a weight loss tool. Fasting slows your metabolic rate down so your diet from before the fast is even more fattening after you fast,” says Joel Fuhrman MD, author of Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Plan for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss and Fasting and Eating for Health.

Fasting for weight loss carries other health risks as well.

Even worse for dieters is that fasting for weight loss “distracts people from the real message of how to lose weight and fast: lower fat intake, eat five fruits and vegetables a day, drink water and stop drinking other liquids, walk 30 minutes a day, and get more sleep,” says Fernstrom, an associate professor of psychiatry, epidemiology, and surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

In addition, other practices that are often combined with fasting for weight loss, such as colon cleansing, carry their own risks.

“Fasts are sometimes accompanied with enemas to cleanse your intestinal tract, and that can be very dangerous,” says Fernstrom. “The intestinal tract has a lot of good bacteria. When you are changing that balance, the good bacteria are affected, too.”

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

NASARAWA STATE COUNCIL OF CHIEFS C/O Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Lafia

July 18, 2014

RESOLUTION OF THE mEETINg OF EmIRS ANd CHIEFS HELd AT THE EmIR’S gUEST HOUSE SHENdAm ROAd LAFIA ON FRIdAy 18TH JULy, 2014 1.

Traditional Rulers in Nasarawa State viewed with concern the sore relationship between the Executive and Legislature in the State.

2.

Their Royal Highnesses are particularly unseated by the fact that the situation if allowed to persist could reverse the modest gains recorded thus far in the nearly 2 decades of our existence as a 7.

State.

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4.

5.

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Coming at a time when the State is emerging from an abhorable cycle of communal strifes witnessed in some parts of the State, their Royal Highnesses are concerned that the turn of events could 8. reopen wounds that had began to heal or worse still create new fault lines that could deepen conflict in our State.

Given that both the Governor and the Legislators are worthy sons 9. of the State, their Royal Highnesses deem it duty bound to in the discharge of their natural and historical responsibilities wade into the matter.

10.

To this end, their Royal Highnesses appealed to the Legislature and the Executive to sheathe their swords and make themselves available for further negotiation and positive consultation.

Their Royal Highnesses were quick to state however, that this resolve to intervene should not in any way be perceived as

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partisanship on bias towards a party in the debacle but as a genuine effort driven by the love of the State and its people as well as an overriding desire to engender sustainable growth and development of the State.

Their Royal Highnesses therefore appealed to the people of the State to remain peaceful and law abiding as only in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity would the sad debacle be resolved in the mutual interest of all.

In this regard their Royal Highnesses admonished media outfits, political practitioners and the citizenry in general to avoid inciting acts and comments that could fuel the misunderstanding.

Their Royal Highnesses also admonished that all rallies and attempts to initiate recall of members of the State House of Assembly should be stopped forthwith.

To achieve their stated resolve therefor, their Royal Highnesses constituted a High powered Committee to reach out to the involved.

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

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64 feature

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Flooded street of Tudun Wada-Ado, Karu

Nasarawa Community Submerged As Floods Hit The people of Tudun Wada-Ado in Karu local government area of Nasarawa State are gripped by fear whenever the skies go dark.

MALIK SAMUEL and AGBO-PAUL AUGUSTINE, Abuja write on their experience with nature’s fury.

A

s the wet season approaches its peak in Nasarawa State, many of its communities are caught once again in what has been described as an annual doom. Most communities in Karu local government area are hit with the perennial floods that have continued to create untold hardship and suffering.

Adejo Williams, a 54-year old former staff of Nigeria Telecommunication (NITEL), who lives in the Tudun Wada neighbourhood of Ado, Karu, wailed profusely as three feet of flood water inundated his two-bedroom flat. He watched helplessly as floods destroyed the fence of his house, created a gaping hole in his sitting room wall and unleashed havoc on his belongings.

Before the July 12, 2014 downpour, Williams always slept with one eye open, especially when it looks like it may rain.

But when the doomsday arrived, there was nothing he could do as he was forced to flee his home with his family and seek refuge elsewhere, when it rained heavily in Ado. “We had to be carried on the backs of the boys who rescued us; as I am talking to you, the clothes I am putting on belong to my friend who accommodated us for the night,” he lamented.

The two-bedroom apartment was Williams only testament to his service in the defunct NITEL, in which he lived with his wife and seven daughters. “I built this house with my gratu-

ity and flood has taken it away from me. I don’t know what to do,” he cried.

When LEADERSHIP Weekend took a tour of the community, the immediate impact of the flood on the people was enormous as several homes, shops and places of worships were half submerged in water. Residents resorted to desperate measures by scooping water from their homes with bowls and buckets.

Mama Grace Dachi, a 65 year old shop owner struggled against the current to salvage some of her belongings as the flood water made its way down the street. “My pikin, if the water takes these things away where will I get money to replace them?” She asked as the drizzling rain washed away her flowing tears.

Dachi told LEADERSHIP Weekend that the devastation in the community is an annual disaster for them. “There is no year that we don’t experience flood in this area, some years it comes mildly but it appears the forces of nature have the worst for us this year,” she said.

Many residents were forced to salvage their few belongings as they head to higher grounds leaving their homes in flood water. Many of them were not willing to speak but their body language was enough to say that they are worried.

Ado just like several communities in Karu local government area does not boast of any government presence. It does not have a single tarred road, mak-

ing it difficult for motorists to access. The roads are as horrible as they are dangerous, with houses and shops built on waterways.

Also, the fact that Tudun Wada is on slopy ground, it means it is the last area water reaches before it gets to the stream. Thus, the haphazard nature of houses and businesses built there poses real danger, most notably flood and erosion, when it rains.

A resident of the area who spoke to LEADERSHIP Weekend is of the view that the greatest issue with the area is the refusal of the government and residents to provide drainages in front of the houses.

“Our greatest undoing in this area is the blatant refusal of the people to provide drainages to channel rain water outside the community.

“The government on its part has not been good to the people, in the last 10 years no administration, both at the local and state level has ventured to provide the needed infrastructure in this area,” he said Some residents of Tudun Wada said the latest round of flood is chiefly caused by buildings on water ways. According to them, the space left by buildings is not enough for the volume of water that came with the heavy rains witnessed a fortnight ago, no thanks to people turning the minimal drainage into refuse dumps.

Residents are simmering with resentment towards a particular house owner whose compound,

residents say, is a religious meeting place.

Iwodi James, a retired air force officer, says in addition to the widening of the waterway, there is need for gutters to be dug and channeled to the stream. “I had to write to Nasarawa State Urban Development Board, (NUDB) about the buildings on waterways,” he says.

According to Abdullahi ‘Osama’ Abubakar, chief of Tudun Wada, who sold most of the lands in the area, the land currently occupied by the said structure was originally sold as two separate lands to two different people and the lands were separated by a considerably wide waterway. But while developing the owners chose to narrow the space for drainage to their advantage.

Prince Idris Omale, who lost 10 chickens and saw his compound and sitting room flooded, has lived in the neighbourhood for 14 years and says he started having problems with rain only few years ago. “Rain was no issue until this structure was built.

Now, whenever it rains, I have to be outside to monitor the water because the gutter in front of my house is lower than the one in front of the church,” he says.

Another victim, Samuel Galadima, believes there would not have been problem if the layout of the area was properly followed. “The problem worsened when structures came on the waterway.”

Grace Adikwu, a patent medicine store owner who lost drugs worth over N20, 000 said her loss is one too many. “This is not the first time I am experiencing such problem. In the past, a meeting of landlords was called to find a lasting solution and it was suggested that gutters be built but some people living at the end of the street and close to the stream staunchly objected for fear that they might be at the receiving end of an overflow of water from the stream,” she said.

The residents claimed that a formal complaint had been sent to the NUDB for action.

When contacted, special adviser to Governor Tanko Almakura on development control, Hassan Ogbole, said he was aware of the problem.

“I am going to send someone to mark the building and the waterway and then we will sit down with the owners of the worship center and tell them where to cut to allow for smooth passage of water,” he says.

Any time it rains in Karu, motorists plying the Abuja-Keffi always have a tough time accessing the road due to floods caused by blocked drainages. This has created a new front of challenges for the Nasarawa State government in the past few years.

We had to be carried on the backs of the boys who rescued us; as I am talking to you, the clothes I am putting on belong to my friend who accommodated us for the night

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weekend politics Saturday, July 19, 2014

Politics Editor Weeklies: UCHENNA Awom

Suspension Of Edo Lawmakers Not Based On Their Defection – Majority Leader Hon Philip Shaibu (APC) is the majority leader in the Edo State House of Assembly, representing Etsako West II Constituency. In this interview with PATRICK OCHOGA, he speaks on the lingering crisis rocking the House and the Appeal Court ruling that compelled the four suspended lawmakers to obey the earlier judgement of the High Court as well as other issues.

What is your reaction to the recent ruling of the Court of Appeal in Benin City regarding the four suspended lawmakers?

I think it is kudos to the rule of law and it is a clear testimony to the fact that the Edo State House of Assembly-the lawmaking body of the state obviously respects the rule of law as well as the law that they themselves make. This has also reaffirmed that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is sacrosanct; nobody is above the law. All of us together must obey the constitution of the country.

How did this crisis get to this extent?

Decampment or no decampment, if we are to use that as a punishment, we are supposed to declare their seats vacant and not just suspension

I think the PDP decided to turn it into a political issue. The House of Assembly has its rules and regarding the issue of suspension for erring members and members that are disobedient to the rule of the House, the provisions are there for necessary punishments and one of them is that you can be suspended; after which if such persons that are suspended show remorse through appealing, they are recalled. So, it is a normal exercise that is not supposed to have degenerated to the crisis it became in Edo State. It is just because some PDP leaders felt they needed to create an economic empowerment for themselves. The PDP chairman in Edo State and his leaders have been idle so they now used this as a means of empowering themselves. What they did was to push these four lawmakers

to break the law; and also push the lawmakers in conjunction with the police to create what seemed like a crisis. They have been idle so they needed to create work for themselves and so in the process get hand-outs from Abuja to fuel the crisis, so that they will now be seen to be active.

The suspended members believe they are being persecuted because they defected from the APC to the PDP, your thoughts.

Decampment or no decampment, if we are to use that as a punishment, we are supposed to declare their seats vacant and not just suspension. They know that Section 109 is clear about defection; all the indices that allow one to decamp are there and they know that their decamping does not have the blessing of Section 109 and that is why they rushed to court to deter us from declaring their seats vacant. As law-abiding citizens completely obedient to the rule of law and court judgments, we decided to wait, because the court has restrained the house from declaring their seats vacant pending the determination of the suit. It is not about decampment. Abdurasaq Momoh decamped, he was not suspended; Festus Ebea, former deputy speaker is a member of APC as we speak and he is suspended. So, it is not about decampment, it is about misconduct which the house cannot condone.

Two other members have also

Hon Philip Shaibu

been suspended as a result of their illegal sitting. For issues like this, we rely on the constitution- the law of the land, we don’t politicise things. If you read Section 99 of the Constitution, it is clear that without the blessing of the Speaker, you cannot have what is called a “sitting”. When you do that, you have contravened the law and the punishment is in line with the rules of Edo State House of Assembly.

What they did last Monday already contravenes that section of the constitution. The minority leadership of the House of Assembly led that group to go and destroy the gate to the entrance of the premises of the state house of assembly and further went to destroy the doors leading to the chambers, where there is on-going renovation.

That is a breach of the constitution and for us, we felt that if the leadership is not clear-headed enough to know this section, they have to be suspended and that is

why the minority leader and minority whip have now joined the list of suspended members. Festus Ebea and Jude Ise-Idehen have double suspension on them, because they had earlier been suspended. They committed an offence before and now they have committed another one- which is breaking and entry and illegal sitting. Unfortunately, Kingsley Ehigiamusoe claims to be a lawyer, Friday Ogierakhi claims to be a lawyer; lawyers contravening the law! I think the disciplinary committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) should investigate this because it is the profession that is being ridiculed.

I think the NBA should look into Barrister Kingsley Ehigiamusoe and Barrister Friday Ogieriakhi’s conduct; they are actually giving the profession a bad name.

There are attempts by traditional rulers to intervene, is there still hope for a political solution?

66

This Week On Backlash

The All Progressives Congress (APC) last week called for an international inquiry into the Boko Haram menace, with the aim of unravelling its sponsors. But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lashed back, saying the APC’s call was more like that of a “highly apprehensive party”, unsettled by the ongoing inquest by the British parliament into the party’s alleged sponsorship of the sect.

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66 weekend politics

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Backlash

Boko Haram Sponsorship: We Demand International Inquest – APC

Our party, which is barely one year old, has been at the receiving end of diversionary, carefully-choreographed and blatantly irresponsible point-blank accusations as well as insinuations of sponsoring Boko Haram, not minding that the group’s activities date as far back as 2002 when there was no APC

An angry All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for an international inquiry into the activities of the terror group Boko Haram in order to unravel its modus operandi and sponsors as well as any individual or group that may have links with the insurgents.

The party said the call is with a view to ending, once and for all, the debate over who is behind the insurgency and also to facilitate efforts to tackle it decisively. In addition, the party said it wants the name of the party to be completely cleared from a direct accusation made by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and growing insinuations in some circles.

The conveyed their preference in a statement issued by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed last Sunday. The party said the inquiry should include intelligence experts from the US, UK, France and Canada, as well as representatives of the UN and Nigeria’s neighbours- Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

It also suggests that representatives of the Nigerian military and other security agencies, especially the police and the departments of state security, governments of the states worst-hit by the Boko Haram insurgency, including Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Kano, Bauchi and Jigawa, the Federal Capital Territory, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, civil society organisations, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress, National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and any other relevant individuals or groups should participate.

It said major political par-

ties, including the PDP and the APC itself, must be represented on the panel of inquiry, whose findings must be made public and those found to have any links with the insurgents be made to face the full wrath of the law. ‘’We hope the PDP-led federal government, which has led the incessant but baseless campaign to point accusing fingers at the opposition, especially our party the APC, will give its total support to the immediate constitution of this international panel of inquiry. We have no doubt that the international community will give its unalloyed support to this inquiry, in view of the trans-national nature of the insurgency and the threat posed by terrorism to global peace and security,”’ the party said. ‘’On our part, we pledge our total support for this inquiry anytime it is launched, but hopefully very soon. Our party, which is barely one year old, has been at the receiving end of diversionary, carefully-choreographed and blatantly irresponsible point-blank accusations as well as insinuations of sponsoring Boko Haram, not minding that the group’s activities date as far back as 2002 when there was no APC. ‘’These accusations and insinuations have become so virulent and have indeed reached a level where one begins to wonder whether those behind the finger-pointing are actually trying to divert attention from their own culpability and whether they have even more sinister motives for their finger-pointing. ‘’Whatever their motives are, let the international inquiry we are seeking be launched urgently and let the findings be

Lai Mohammed

published for all Nigerians to see. Anyone opposed to this call for an international inquiry will have a lot of explanations to make to Nigerians as well as to the international community. ‘’Enough is enough; the daily killing, maiming and abduc-

tion of innocent Nigerians, as a clueless federal government looks on, must end. The pervasive insecurity that has crippled Nigeria since this insurgency started must be halted.

Those behind it must be unravelled and prosecuted. Let the inquiry begin!’’

Suspension Of Edo Lawmakers Not Based On Their Defection – Majority Leader 65

The issues are in court; the Court of Appeal said exactly what some of us laymen have been saying. When these issues came up, I did my research even though I am not a lawyer. Check Part 10 (81) 2010 Nigerian Weekly Law Report, Oparaku vs Oparaku; the issues that the Court of Appeal addresses are the same and I told these so called lawyers to go and read that portion. You cannot jump from the state high court straight to the appeal court when the issues have not been heard. I am not a lawyer but I told them these things but they didn’t lis-

ten.

The traditional rulers have intervened from the angle of peace and they have told us to maintain peace and as a result of that, we have refused to fight. If you observe, the APC lawmakers refused to be provoked.

The Nigerian police are actually one of the front-liners in this crisis. They are the ones fuelling the crisis, because the court affirmed that these members are on suspension. Section 287 of the 1999 constitution is clear about enforcement; it is the police that are supposed to enforce.

All they needed to do was radio the officers at their post in the house of assembly and tell them to enforce the court order by stopping those four members from entering; instead of blocking the gate with over 40 to 50 patrol vans and ushering in those four lawmakers. So, the police are also in breach of the court order.

They were used by this same PDP to gain entrance into the chambers and also destroy our properties. The police that should be the ones protecting lives and properties are now being used to destroy properties. The question I

want to ask the Nigerian police is whether breaking and entering has become legal? If breaking and entering is not legal, I am calling on the IG to arrest publicly and charge publicly those police officers that were used to destroy the gate of the house of assembly chambers that is undergoing renovation. They must be charged publicly so that the people of Edo State will know that breaking and entering is illegal.

Failure to do that means the IG has legalised breaking and entering, because policemen were used to do that.

weekend politics 67

Saturday, July 19, 2014

the lashback

BOKO HARAM: APC’s Call for International Probe Curious, Desperate – PDP

There were some people in this country that believe that it suits their purpose for Boko Haram to kill people in order to discredit the government, destabilise the country and bring the government down

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reacted sharply by dismissing the call made by the opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC), for an international probe of Boko Haram to unravel the group’s sponsors.

It described the APC move as a reaction of a “highly apprehensive party”. PDP further says APC may be seeking to promote an orchestrated inquest to exonerate itself.

The PDP said the call by the opposition APC shows a party unsettled by recent suggestion

by British lawmakers of a likely probe of the APC’s alleged role in Boko Haram.

The APC had in a statement last Sunday said only an international inquiry will end, once and for all, the debate over who is behind Boko Haram insurgency and also to facilitate efforts to tackle it decisively.

But PDP, in a statement by its national publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, it said the call by the APC shows a party unsettled by recent suggestion

by British lawmakers of a likely probe of the APC’s alleged role in Boko Haram.

The PDP said it was curious that the call came less than one week after an inquest into its links with insurgency was tabled before the British parliament.

“Indeed, the APC statement betrays a party that has become unsettled and highly apprehensive following the increasing demand by the British parliamentarians for an enquiry into their links with the insurgency and violence ravaging our dear nation,” the party asserted.

Last week, senior British lawmakers hinted at the possibility of a broad inquest into allegations-mainly by the PDPthat the opposition APC is behind Boko Haram for political gains. “We ask, is the APC in a desperate move to pre-empt the British parliament for fear of indictment or are they seeking to promote an orchestrated inquest to exonerate themselves?” the PDP asked.

It can be recalled that the APC had on several occasion debunked accusations and growing insinuations that most of its members are sympathetic to the sect. Also, the party had on several occasions accused the PDP of driving the highly divisive accusation with the aim of killing opposition in the country.

Recently, a former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, who was before now a member

Olisa Metu

of the APC alleged that the Boko Haram Islamic sect is the armed wing of the opposition APC. Fani-Kayode, who spoke as a guest on Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily, also accused the APC leadership of being supportive of the sect’s actions, saying such actions suit their purpose of discrediting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)led government.

Asked about the identity of Boko Haram supporters, FaniKayode said: “there were some people in this country that believe that it suits their purpose for Boko Haram to kill people in order to discredit the government, destabilise the country and bring the government down.”

He also pointed fingers at members of the opposition, arguing that some of them have sympathies for the Boko Haram insurgents.

Defending his claims, he referred to statements credited to members of the opposition, concerning the possible outbreak of violence if the presidency did not return to the north in 2015.

“If you compare what’s happening in Nigeria to what hap-

pened in Ireland some years ago, you had Sinn Fein on the one hand and then you had the IRA on the other. The IRA was the armed wing of Sinn Fein and as far as I’m concerned, Boko Haram could well be described as the armed wing of the opposition today.

“It’s very clear to me when you look at all these things that Nigeria is a nation that is at war and we need to be able to do something about this and recognise that when we are at war, you don’t start fighting the government of the day,” he added.

But APC reacted swiftly to Fani-Kayode’s allegation, saying, “the statement is most irresponsible, uncharitable and without basis.” ‘’Equally irresponsible and condemnable is Mr Fani-Kayode’s deliberate distortion of statements made in the past

by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to mean that he or his party is a sympathiser of Boko Haram,’’ the party said.

It said Fani-Kayode’s latter day castigation of opposition politicians, “after he returned to his vomit and repudiated all the damaging statements he made

publicly in the past about the PDP and the Jonathan administration, is not based on any altruistic considerations.”

National publicity secretary of the APC, Lai Mohammed, also demanded a retraction of a statement credited to the former minister that the party condemned the federal government for proscribing the Boko Haram group or face a legal action.

In a statement in Lagos, the party said at no time did it issue a statement condemning the proscription of Boko Haram, and challenged Fani-Kayode to produce evidence of such a statement if he was so sure the APC issued it.

The statement quoted Mohammed as saying: ‘’I have caused my attorneys to formally write both Fani-Kayode and Channels Television, where he made his allegation, to retract the statement and apologise, failing which I will sue for defamation of character.”

Well, the altercation seems to have unsettled the APC hence its effort to convince Nigerians that its accusers are only on destructive voyage driven by fears of its imposing status ahead of the 2015 elections.

68 interview

Saturday, July 19, 2014

‘We Are Beyond Trading Blames Over Security Challenge’ National coordinator, Goodluck Initiative for Transformation (GIFT), Chinedu Okpalanma, thinks that Nigerians and the government have moved beyond buckpassing on the security challenge. He sits with ONUOGU KANAYO JUBAL What put you in the forefront of the Jonathan campaign?

When we started this, we were not interested in being a group in the forefront. The organisation was formed, basically, with one thing in mind.

Towards the end of last year, if you remember, there was a sustained anti-government campaign. I was in South Africa then and it sounded scary.It was as if the president had done nothing but let the country go to rot and there was chaos everywhere.

When we returned to the country, it was a huge surprise to see a country that was a complete opposite the one these social media groups were painting.

We saw some changes and we wondered if they were talking about another country or this same one. We then decided that we would create a platform, the GIFT. When it came on board, we found out that there were so many groups and individual who loved what the president was doing and they desired to identify with us. We got to wondering that if all these groups could agree that the president is doing well, then it is only reasonable that we see to the continuation of this transformation. The best way to ensure this continuity is to help get him to do more until the end of a possible second term, which should be in 2019.We have youths, women and men who have identified with us, to help us spread the message of continuity.

In doing this, we are nipping the plan of those who hope to get power at all cost in the bud.

Many groups have pitched their tents with incumbents at different times, only to go underground after the main action has taken place or they got their desire. What does your group want?

First, we a group for the longterm. Second, we do not want anything from the president.

We are only out to drum up support for him should he declare his intention to run for a second term. Third, you must understand that not everyone wants something. We are not the kind of group you just described above and we will not be.

Our mission is to get Nigerians to know what the government is doing. After they know that, we can now educate and sensitise them about these programmes or policies. We are trying to encourage participatory leadership, connect the govern-

ment and the people. This process of education will continue even after the elections.

We have a database of women and children and we have foreign affiliates interested in what we are doing. Some of them want to give loans to our members while others want to help educate Nigerians. We hope to have about 50 million Nigerians in our database by 2019 who will support good government programmes and disseminate information to Nigerians and reach out to people who possess peculiar talents and leadership skills. From there, we can reach into this pool for leaders of any level, cadre, inclination and the sort. We are in this for the long run.

The South East did say it will be its turn to produce the next president in 2015. How have the politicians in that region received your support for Jonathan?

I will begin by saying that I am not aware of the desire or agreement with any group to produce the next president in 2015. Two weeks back, in Enugu, we had a zonal rally and people turned out. We found out that there are lots of groups in the South East.

We are talking about a president who is working and not the president who comes from a ‘minor’ ethnic group, so the issue of whose turn it is is not our thrust. We are supporting the one who is doing well and not the one whose turn it is. If someone from Bayelsa can be president of Nigerian then anyone can be president of Nigeria.

Also, we hope that by 2019, after he has served a possible second term, Nigeria must have gone on from the politics of ethnicity to issue-based and performance-related politics. The problem with ethnic politics is that a certain section believes that power belongs to them and we know that it does not.

You are saying this is not a ‘southern’ thing, but one that is performance-driven?

You don’t sound too convinced. Let me tell you; every sector of the economy has been touched, in one way or the other. The rail system has been stagnant for more than 30 years, as a result of corruption but it is presently up and running. The president promised to tackle transportation during his campaign and he is doing that. Today, people are moving from place to place, thanks to the rail system. A few weeks ago, we

abandon everything this administration has laid the foundation for and we will have a huge disconnect occasioned by another four years of experimentation.

You seem to believe in his chances so much; yet, he has been accused of being embarrassingly soft on corruption…

Okpalanma

witnessed the launching of the south-west rail line. The contribution of the rail system to the transportation of agricultural products from place to place is immense. As for road transport, our road networks have improved greatly. Take the Lagos-Benin-Ore Road for example and imagine how much was sunk into it by past administrations, until now that it has been put in good shape. For 35 years, no administration has been able to take care of that road. In fact, the last time I used that road sometime in 2007, it was not funny. But when I passed there in February, I could not believe it. Fact: this administration has built more roads than any other in the history of this country.

In the agricultural sector, what is taking place there is more like a revolution. During a parley, I was telling some people that 2013 was the first year in which crops were produced in dry season, in Northern Nigeria. These things are happening in the agric sector because every initiative is backed up by a good intention and all the incentives (fertilisers, farming implements, good seeds, farming network and farmers’ registration, eradication of middle-men and the formation of cooperative unions) which were supposed to get to the grassroots got there.

The power sector has been unbundled and investors are coming in to make it better. If you follow this administration closely, you will see that institutions are being tackled and not individuals.

Now, those who want power have not come out with their blue-print or a better alternative; all they want is power. If we jettison this presidency and let another power-based one get a hold on it in 2015, they will

(Cuts in) As far as I am concerned, the only snag here is that we can call the president lots of unsavoury names because the Freedom of Information Act gives everyone the right to these things. Time was when everything was concealed and only got out years later. I can tell you that the worst cases of corruption from years back are still being concealed. I am not being overly defensive; I am only saying that if the president were someone who had a soft spot for corruption, he wouldn’t have clamoured for the signing of that act into law.

Having done that, I do not think it will be right to say that he is soft on corruption, because his efforts against it are evident. He is doing everything to curb corruption…

(Cuts in) But his stance is back-firing…

I beg to disagree with that.

He is on course, as much as you seem inclined to disagree. Of course, there are challenges, no one is arguing with that. But the basic thing is that we have someone who is committed, despite these challenges. He is fully democratic, follows due process, respects the law and acts based on the principles of fair play. When you have these attributes, you can never be seen as someone who supports corruption.

Are you also going to tell me that the prevailing security situation has nothing to do with the president’s inability to deal with it convincingly?

To be frank, everyone once blamed the president, but as the days roll by, it is clear that this whole security thing began immediately after the elections of 2011. Some individuals promised to make this country ungovernable and since then, people have not forgotten those statements. As the days go by, it is evident that what began as an attack on a part of the country has now become a full-blown security emergency. Now, Nigerians are coming together to support the president and the armed forces. We are past trading blames on the security situation. At the end of the day, this division which we had at the beginning will give way to a oneness which will make us stronger and give us the desired victory.

We have a database of women and children and we have foreign affiliates interested in what we are doing

interview 69

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Poor Enforcement Of Child Rights Act Encourages School Drop-outs– Dr. Rosemary Dr Rosemary Abdullahi is a former director, Child Development, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and now director, Total Child Care Initiative(TCCI), a non-profit organisation based in Abuja. In this interview with AGBO-PAUL AUGUSTINE, she bares her mind an why children and the vulnerable deserve the attention of government and well-meaning Nigerians.

You are retired from public service and yet you still render service to vulnerable Nigerians. Let us into your motivation?

First of all am still strong and I thank God for that. Am not too weak to go out to work. Secondly, I am use to work in a busy environment and particularly my civil service years. Sometimes then, I don’t even go on leave. I am used to being active, I wouldn’t have enjoyed my retirement if I had stayed at home and not doing much.

Thirdly, I was director, child development and I knew the problems that the Nigerian child is going through in terms of education, health and even supplies like nutrition. I cannot sit down and fold my arms and look at them suffering. So felt that, for as long as I live, there should be a way I can assist them no matter the few that can be reached. That is why I stared the Total Child Care Initiative (TCCI) and thank God we have been able to assist so many children particularly in the area of education.

What would you say are your major achievements so far?

We started the organisation in 2008 and between then and now we have been able to support about 1600 children. That is in terms of attending to outof-school children. We pay their school fees and provide the basic school requirements and today they are back in school. In fact some of them have graduated from primary and secondary schools to higher institutions today.

In 2010, we were able to give capital grants to caregivers of the vulnerable children homes to start a trade. About 120 of them in the FCT and Kogi State benefited from it. A cash of 10, 000 naira was given to them and that was enough for some of them to start a micro and small trade like selling charcoal and firewood etc. We also made them to open a savings account so that in every market day, whatever they made they can put in the bank instead of

keeping it at home. Today, many of these women are doing well in their various places. They have also formed cooperatives groups in the villages they reside.

In Dako, in the FCT, we are able to start a school because was no school there and now they school is functioning well.

The population is very high.

Abdullahi Some critics believe that NGOs use the name of the vulnerable in the society to seek for funds from donor agencies only to divert such funds for personal use. What is your take on that?

I think that those who say things like that don’t understand the workings of NGO. Some of us went into NGO work because of the passion of helping the needy of the society. I know in Nigeria we may have a few that are not straight forward. They may go into NGO to make or embezzle money but most NGOs are really touching lives in Nigeria. If not for NGOs, many of these children or the low social economic groups would have been suffering in the country because it is the NGOs that go into the grassroots as the government agencies in most cases find it hard to reach all crannies of the country.

When we stared TCCI we didn’t get money from anybody, it was just funds from the Abdullahi family that sustained our operations. We were able to start with some children. It was when International NGOs saw what we were doing that they came to our aid after a thorough assessment of our work.

We have partnered with the World Bank through the National Action Committee on Aids (NACA) and you know how World Bank can be strict when giving out funds to organisation. Also the TY Danjuma Foundation has been of great help in funding some of our projects.

Recently your organisation donated a staff quarter to a remote primary school in the FCT.

It’s a new development in the FCT, tell us more?

It’s a great fulfilment for me, because in most public primary schools in Nigeria staff quarters are hardly seen. But we saw that there was a problem in Dako because of the very bad road. Teachers were not willing to go there because there were no houses for them to stay. The huts in the community were not attractive to make the teachers stay overnight. The children of the school were not able to access the facilities in the school because there are no teachers to work. The flats were built to make sure some of the teachers stay in the community to teach on work days and leave at weekends hence, helping their finances in cost of transport to the village.

The Child Rights Act was passed into law in 2003 and enforcement appears to be a problem in most states of the federation. What in your opinion is the cause of the slow drive?

Supervision is not strict enough at all levels of governments. The various governments are supposed to supervise the people to obey the law.

Our lawyers perhaps have not been given proper orientation as far as the Child Rights Act is concerned. They have to know the content of the Act and what they are supposed to do before they can force the implementation on the people. Another reason is that the northern states because of Islamic grounding of the people, some of the provisions of the Act may not be easy to implement and you cannot blame them.

It requires all of us to embark on awareness campaign and the children too deserve to know their rights in the society and by this, the children will begin to demand for their rights. That is what I think should happen in Nigeria.

School drop-outs have reached an alarming rate in the country.

Why are we still in that state in spite of existence of ministries in charge of child welfare in all states of the federation?

In most states the ministry of women affairs are not properly funded. The allocation to the ministry of women affairs mostly goes to projects addressing women issues. It just the scraps that drops to the Child Development Department and Social Welfare. We need to have a package that everybody in the ministry will have access to funds to be able carry out effectively it duties to the public.

We also need a lot of training for our officers in this ministry; they have to know what they should and how they can reach the populace. With our political system now, politicians are recruiting children and the youths for their personal gains. Many of these children don’t see the value of education anymore; they see thuggery as more profitable.

The economic situation of many parents is not so good.

Most parents are finding feeding difficult let alone sending their children to school. Family planning is also an issue, people need to care about the number of children they bear. The high number of births especially among the poor is not helping the issue of children education in the country.

Our lawyers perhaps have not been given proper orientation as far as the Child Rights Act is concerned

70 Business

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Content Development Board Commends General Electric For Technology Transfer BY chima akwaja, Lagos

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), on Thursday, gave thumbs up to General Electric (GE) Nigeria for the kind of high-end technologies the company has brought into the country and for promoting capacity development among Nigerians.

The NCDMB team gave the commendation in Lagos when it paid a visit to “The Garage” – GE’s innovation and manufacturing centre where aspiring makers and entrepreneurs can go to develop new skills and learn about advanced manufacturing technologies.

Speaking during the inspection of the GE Garages, Mr Okey Egbuta, Manager, Projects and Operations, NCDMB said his Board had come a long way with the General Electric. According to him, the NCDMB and GE have embarked on a journey with a common goal of giving prominence to local content. He noted The National Content Development and Monitoring Board was encouraged by GE’s sustained efforts in prioritizing indigenous human capital in its operations across critical sectors in the country.

On his part, Mr. Olugbolahan Sobande, Strategic Accounts Executive, General Electric, declared that GE is a benchmark for tech-

nology development and capacity transfer. He assured that with the determination of GE to transfer modern technologies needed for the real sector, the nation’s manufacturing sector will soon experience a boost especially with the planned manufacturing and assembly plant in Calabar.

He disclosed that with a global team of 600 engineers, spread across 21 sites by 2020, GE invests $6 billion in Research and Development. “We will help to develop best-class workforce in Nigeria and subsequently assist in improving on the Gross Domestic Product.” he said The National Content Development and Monitoring Board

(NCDMB) is responsible for ensuring indigenous participation in the oil and gas industry; building local capacity and competencies; creating linkages to other sectors of the national economy; as well as boosting industry contributions to the growth of the National Gross Domestic Product.

About GE GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter, using the best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges, finding solutions in energy, health and home, transport and finance, building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining; Doing. GE works

We Believe In Nigeria’s Bright Future – Olivier Thiry BY george okojie, Lagos

The Managing Director Of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr. Olivier Thiry has stated that his company will continue to contribute to the development of Nigeria through the physical and mental nourishment of its future leaders.

Mr. Thiry spoke in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State during the prize presentation event of the 2014 Cowbell National Secondary Schools’ Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC) which took place at the Le Meridien Hotel and Golf Resort.

The Event

I would like to thank every stakeholder who contributed to the success of the 14th edition of the Cowbell National Secondary School Mathematics Prize Giving Ceremony. The event reaffirms the support of Promasidor Nigeria Limited for youth development and our commitment to host communities and the nation of Nigeria. Our coming together for the prize presentation was to honour and recognize our talented young students in Junior and Secondary Schools from all over the country who have done us proud. They have all done very well and I would like to encourage them to keep this up.

Why Nigeria must develop its human capital

As a business that is into quality nutrition and therefore nourishment of health and wellbeing of our community, we are very proud to be nourishing the dreams of our future leaders. The world faces numerous challenges in the 21st Century especially in this era of digital revolution and rapid globalisation. In light of this, it is important to note that Nigeria as a nation no longer competes with only its African sister nations but with all other nations across the world.

To remain competitive and relevant among the community of na-

(L-R): Mr. Olivier Thiry, Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria Limited; Mr. Aniekan Umanah, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information; Chief Keith Richards, Chairman, Promasidor; Kate Henshaw, the Onga Brand Ambassador; and others at the dinner organised for winners of the 2014 Cowbell National Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Thursday

tions, Nigeria needs to develop and nurture its human capital to meet the challenges facing the process of nation-building. Transformational development will come from the quality of human capital Nigeria has and this can only be developed through education especially the learning of mathematics and science.

Promasidor believes in Nigeria

Promasidor believes in Nigeria and its bright future and will continue to invest not only in its business but also in the community that has supported and sustained it throughout the past 21 years. We have demonstrated this faith in the Nigerian society by investing millions of Naira in the conduct of the NASSMAC competition and we promise to sustain our support of mathematics as best as we can. Promasidor has led the nutrition revolution across Africa and through innovation, creativity and modern technology, developed quality brands such as Cowbell, Onga, Loya, Miksi, Top Tea just to mention a few.

Employment to young Nigerians

Our business has also offered em-

ployment to young Nigerians who with their knowledge skills and passion continue to drive the vision and growth of our business across the country. The value of human capital development can therefore not be over emphasised and this is the reason we have continued to support the study of mathematics in Nigeria. I would like to assure you that we will continue to support the academic development of the Nigerian youth. In this regard, I am happy and grateful to the National Mathematical Centre for their offer of sponsorship for the top 10 winners of this year’s competition who desire to continue to study mathematics at the university level. We have also made special effort to encourage our girls to increase their participation across the country.

Challenges

I must admit this project has not been without challenges but our team and partners have always risen to the occasion to deal with them and have done so with remarkable success. I would therefore like to use this opportunity to thank everyone who was part of the organisation of this project.

I also will like to extend my grati-

tude to the Ministry of Education in all our states across Nigeria as well as the National Mathematical Centre who ensured that schools participated and in addition conducted the exams across the country. To our teachers who devoted their time and effort to teaching and preparing our students for the exams, I say a big thank you.

Bola Onitiri’s Autobiography For Launch Today “It’s Fun To Remember”, the autobiography of notable professor of economics and policy adviser to presidents as well as various levels of the United Nations System, Bola Onitiri, will today be launched at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on Victoria Island, Lagos.

A statement signed by Professor Akinola Owosekun of Bowen University,Iwo, said the book provides insights into the operation and evolution of a number of institutional frameworks for managing the development process.

sports

71

Saturday, July 19, 2014

news

FIFA Lifts Nigeria’s Suspension ...We are ready for probe – NFF

By Salifu Usman, Abuja

World football –governing body, (FIFA) has lifted the suspension on Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) following the reinstatement of the Aminu Maigari-led executive committee. NFF were suspended from all international football activities July 9 after the court order restraining the NFF executive committee and congress from controlling and managing the affairs of Nigeria football.

In a letter signed by FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, and addressed to the NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, he said they were satisfied that Nigeria has complied with their demands for reinstatement into international football family.

“Since the conditions set by the FIFA Emergency Committee on 9 July, 2014 have been met, the suspension of the Nigeria Football Federation is lifted with immediate effect. The lifting of the suspension means that all of NFF’s membership rights have been reinstated, as defined in article: 12 of FIFA Statutes.

“The NFF is therefore entitled to take part again in international competitions and to benefit from all programs which were suspended.”

Meanwhile, amidst tidy and heavy presence of security from Nigeria police Force and Department of State Security (DSS), reinstated NFF’s executive committee member and the embattle president, Aminu Maigari held a crucial meeting yesterday at the NFF’s secretariat, Abuja.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting which lasted for over four hours, chairman NFF media committee, Emaka Inyama said the Aminu Maigari-led executive committee of the NFF, management staff and NFF congress are back to move Nigeria football forward, saying all the warring factions have resolved to sheath their sword in the interest of the Nigeria football.

He said the committee will hold another meeting again on Thursday, July 24 further deliberation on how to move the nation’s football forward.

On the alleged financial em-

Maigari

bezzlement level against the board, he urged the Federal government to set up probe panel to investigate all the corruption allegation against, adding that they are determining to face the probe and give account of all the financial transaction of the NFF. Speaking further, he said with lifting of NFF suspension by FIFA, NFF has stepped up arrangements to ensure that the U-20 Women National Team, Falconets, travel to Moncton, Canada next week for a final training camp ahead of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup taking place in the same country.

USA Men’s National Team To Visit Senegal

NBA in action

Ambrose Downshifts After Brazil Celtic defender, Efe Ambrose has spoken about the need to make adaptations following his participation at the 2014 Fifa World Cup with Nigeria.

Ambrose was on duty for Celtic in the Uefa Champions League on Tuesday Icelandic minnows, KR Reykjavik.

The Nigerian defender bowed out of the Brazil showpiece on June 30 with a 2-0 last-16 defeat to France in Brasilia, watched by 67,882.

On Tuesday in Reykjavik, only 1,520 spectators turned out at the KR-Völlur and Ambrose conceded that it was not easy making the transition from the big game against France and Argentina in Brazil.

“It was difficult but at the same time you have to respect everyone you play against in football these days,” he told the Express.

Celtic won the game 1-0 and Ambrose added that showing respect to the opposition was key

to achieving the victory.

“You have to give your opponent due respect because there are no minor teams or minor countries in football these days.

You can get beaten when you are not prepared.

“So it doesn’t matter who we play against, the most important thing is to represent Celtic and win every game.”

After only a fortnight’s break and a couple of training sessions under new Celtic boss, Ronny Deila, the 25-year-old was pitched into the first leg of his club’s second qualifying round tie.

However, Ambrose, speaking at the club’s Lennoxtown training complex, said he was not tired despite having no proper pre-season training.

“It is normal because it is not the first time. I am a professional and I am used to it. I am always ready to go. I just love playing football,” he said.

The USA Basketball Men’s National Team will visit the African continent for the first time ever and will travel to Dakar, Republic of Senegal, on August 27.

The Team will conduct a clinic in conjunction with the Senegal Men’s National Team for Senegalese boys and girls at the Marius Ndiaye Stadium. The team will also tour Senegal’s historic Gorée Island and will conclude its visit by attending a reception hosted by the Senegalese government.

The team’s stop in Senegal will occur one day after the USA plays the final exhibition game of its 2014 tour in Gran Canaria, Spain, and three days before the USA starts play in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Basketball World Cup that is being held August 30-September 14 in Spain.

“We’re excited about this special opportunity to visit Dakar and learn more about Senegal and its people,” stated Jerry Colangelo,

USA Basketball chairman. “This will be a terrific experience for our entire group – players, coaches and staff. Others have described this as a life changing experience.

For our group to experience this firsthand is not just a great educational opportunity but also a great way for all of us to bond together as we go through our preparations for the FIBA World Cup. Hopefully our visit will have a positive impact on the boys and girls who will be involved in the clinic.”

I’m Staying For The Fans - Toure

By SOLOMON NDA-ISAIAH, Abuja

Yaya Toure has no intention of leaving Premier League champions Manchester City and is looking forward to the new season with them, he said on Friday.

“The fans have always been good to me, they’ve always been good to my family,” Toure told Sky Sports television.

“I want to stay. I will always honour my contract. I don’t think about all this speculation. It’s a big pleasure to stay and enjoy the next season.”

Media reports over the summer linked the midfielder with a number of clubs since his agent Dimitry Seluk tweeted in May that he was unsettled.

Seluk claimed that the Ivorian was not given proper recognition by the club on his birthday during a close-season trip to Abu Dhabi,

comments subsequently supported by Touré on Twitter.

The furore was despite City posting a video on the club’s website showing the player being presented with a birthday cake.

“Everything is fine now. There was a lot of speculation, you know.

I think sometimes it’s quite disappointing. I need to do something for the fans.

“The team is preparing well and we will try to win again next season,” added the 31-year-old who was one of the driving forces in City’s title triumph.

Toure, who signed a new fouryear contract with City last year, was due for talks with City over his future before the club’s second match of their summer tour of the United States on July 27.

He is expected to join Manuel Pellegrini’s squad no later than three days before the champions

Toure

face Milan at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

He joined City from Barcelona in 2010 and quickly became an influential figure in midfield, scoring the winning goal in the 2011 FA Cup final, and adding League championship medals in 2012 and 2014.

AMUSEMENT PARK

ONLY DULL PEOPLE ARE BRILLIANT AT BREAKFAST — Oscar Wilde

19.07.14

www.leadership.ng

FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

No. 441 N300

The Weekend Column Capt Daniel Omale

A second runway at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport is long overdue.

Twice this month, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport was shut down for runway repairs. The single runway airport in the capital of Nigeria has witnessed serial cracks that require continuous patching to enable utilization. After nearly 30 years of continuous bashing, the original asphalt has gradually lost viscosity and strength to accommodate further various aircraft weights due to load factor.

In a normal country with rational leaders, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport should have had a second runway to support the aging landing strip. The associated cost of flight disruption into the airfield is enormous, and if a national emergency had occurred during the time of airport closure, it would have been unbearable.

Stella Oduah's administration as aviation minister was full of rhetoric/propaganda. Her vision of the industry, the aviation roadmap, was an avenue to loot the system in the name of airport remodelling.

The airport remodelling programme, an incomplete exercise, has plunged the nation into a debt of N174 billion; only the General Aviation terminals in Lagos and Abuja are barely nearcompletion. Oduah was more concerned with terminal building renovation which, in her mind, was equivalent to aviation safety. She hypnotized and induced the evergracious Nigerians into believing that she had come to cleanse the 38-year- old rot in the system.

Unfortunately, the reverse was the case. Stella Oduah actually became the rot in the system.

Commercial aviation safety is an international subject, heavily regulated by agencies such as the NCAA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as well as their international counterparts, including the Standards and Recommended Practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The introduction of the Safety Management Systems (SMS) by ICAO throughout the world has

Airport Remodelling Or Air Safety? daniel@leadership.ng

created a paradigm shift in the management of the aviation sector of any economy.

Air safety is simply the implementation of safety programmes in aviation industry.

Terminal building remodelling without runway improvement is not aviation safety enhancement.

Runway 18L of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, has been without a runway lighting system for the past seven years.

Oduah and her team introduced unapproved temporary lighting technology, which they claim to have purchased for millions of dollars. The Federal Airports Authority (FAAN), the operator of the airports in Nigeria, was not consulted or involved in the whole transaction to substitute permanent runway lighting system with fake illuminants. As of writing this article, runway 18L of Lagos is closed to traffic after 6pm every day.

Another area of missteps is in Air Traffic Management (ATM).

Navigation, communication and surveillance, the heart and soul of ATM have never been on the decline like now. Kano Flight Information Region (FIR) is basically inaccessible by pilots wishing to make request or inform the Kano centre of their position.

Inbound, outbound or overflight traffic within Kano FIR suffer

immensely from inaccessible/ congested radio communication as a result of low and ineffectual radio transmission strength from poor equipment. The radio equipment in the Kano centre is old and obsolete.

Oduah's roadmap is less concerned with air traffic management.

There are very few airports in Nigeria today with serviceable very high omni-directional range(VOR) and instrument landing system(ILS). Training of aircraft inspectors and surveyors of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was never in her diary. Funds allocated for NCAA personnel training was diverted to airport remodelling for aesthetic and social approval.

The symbol of her roadmap includes bulletproof vehicles, limousines for executive aircraft, and over-inflated airport renovation contracts.

The whole concept of aviation roadmap has always been a charade, immense corruption, and totally devoid of aviation safety. The fact that the aviation ministry is indebted to the tune of N174billion to Stella's companies or companies owned by her proxies should explain better.

Nigeria is a country where extensive screening of a wouldbe public officers is virtually nonexistent. Appointment to plum government jobs is based on whose

08054102747 (text only) godfather is or was in government.

Oduah had no virtuous background before her appointment, and no one should be surprised that she has cleverly committed the federal government to a debt that would have been avoided by an educated, rational individual.

In the name of aviation roadmap, the former minister squandered all available funds in the bilateral air service agreement (BASA) account. Using the same slogan, she borrowed $500m from China to erect another terminal building in Abuja.

Any meaningful future aviation minister should first discard Oduah's roadmap, privatise the majority of our airports, and embark on real safety initiatives.

A second runway at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport is long overdue.

We have, numerous times, intimated the government of the utmost necessity to maintain constant flight operations in Abuja – of course we have spoken to deaf ears. Another runway at Abuja wouldn't have given Stella the social accolade she desperately wanted, but it would have saved the nation the embarrassment of closing down an airport at the nation’s capital.

Although Ms Oduah has marginally left the scene, the rot she created still lingers.

GHANA MUST GO 2015: Don't declare now, PDP governors caution Jonathan

—News

Too late; he has declared already!

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