Amaju Pinnick, NFF President

By Victor Okoye

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced the appointment of Media Officers for the nations mens and womens senior national football teams.

A statement by NFFs Director of Media and Communications, Ademola Olajire, and made available to the the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja, named the Media Officers as Babafemi Raji, for the Super Eagles, and Oluchi Tobe-Chukwu, for the Super Falcons.

For the Super Eales, Raji takes over from Toyin Ibitoye who has been in the post for five-and-half years, while Tobe-Chukwu takes over from Jane Onyinye Nweze for the Falcons.

Olajire praised both Ibitoye and Nweze for the excellent services rendered to the teams and wished them good fortunes in their future endeavours. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Formula One: Hamilton overtakes Schumacher with record 92nd win

Nico Rosberg hailed Lewis Hamiltons record 92nd Formula One win and sporting longevity as a great achievement on Tuesday.

Rosberg added that the way the Briton was using his platform to raise awareness for global issues was just as impressive.

The 35-year-olds were team mates and fierce rivals at Mercedes from 2013 until the German won the 2016 title and immediately retired.

Rosberg was also team mate to Michael Schumacher, whose record Hamilton broke in Portugal last Sunday, at Mercedes from 2010 to 2012 after the Ferrari great had made a comeback.

I have huge respect for what hes managed to achieve, Rosberg told Reuters after a launch for the Extreme E off-road electric series that starts next year with both men entering teams.

One thing is being at the level that hes at, just a phenomenal driver, but then to stick in there and year-in year-out stay at that high level and be the guy to beat every year and still dominate, thats just so hard.

It surely will go down as one of the greatest sporting achievements in general, not only in Formula One, across all sports. I can just take my hat off to him.

Rosberg said he was also super-proud of having beaten someone destined to become the most successful Formula One driver of all time.

The German added that it was impossible to decide between Schumacher and Hamilton in terms of greatness and he would put them as equals.

At the same time I think its really cool how Lewis is using his platform and awareness to do good in the world.

Hes really looking forward, thinking about the future I also have huge respect for that, he added.

Amongst all this craziness of becoming the best of all time in Formula One, he still has capacity to think of the greater picture and that I respect maybe even more.

Formula Ones only Black driver, Hamilton has been campaigning for racial justice and wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt when taking a knee before races.

Last Sunday, in a television interview before the Portuguese Grand Prix, he wore a T-shirt protesting about police violence in Nigeria.

A vegan, he has spoken out for animal welfare, pushed for a more sustainable sport and set up a commission to make motorsport more diverse.

Extreme E, a series that aims to highlight the effects of climate change by racing in extreme environments, will be Hamiltons first venture as a team owner.

Rosberg said that, while neither man would be driving, they would still be fierce rivals but sharing a common sense of purpose.

I want to be in sustainable racing. I want to be in motorsport where the platform is being used to drive positive change, said the co-founder of the annual Greentech festival in Berlin.

That is the most important and crucial element for me, that were not just entertaining but were driving change.

Were using the platform to innovate technology, to raise awareness for example for climate change.

Its great to see Lewis following in my footsteps on the path to sustainability, which I have undertaken already since my retirement four years ago, added the German.

Rosberg said he and Hamilton, his team mate in karting when they were 13 years old, would be just as determined to win.

Thats the beauty of this. Our competitiveness here and our rivalry is actually the catalyst for positive change in this championship, he said.

We hope that, as a result of the fascinating racing and challenges and rivalries, we can raise the awareness even more and have even more impact.

Source: NAN News

A well equipped hospital

By Olasunkanmi Onifade

The Guild of Medical Directors (GMD) has advised the Federal Government to work towards improving healthcare service delivery through improved funding, proper planning and execution of post COVID-19 action plan.

Dr Lekan Adelakun, the Publicity Secretary of the Lagos State Chapter of the guild said this in a statement on Tuesday.

Adelakun said the government must put in place structures to ensure improved healthcare service delivery for Nigerians in post COVID-19 period.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of fear and anxiety and indeed, panic attacks in many cases.

It has changed substantially the way we live, relate, work and brought untold economic hardships globally, he said.

Adelakun said that the guild plans to hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM), between Oct. 29 and Oct. 30 in Lagos.

He said, however, that the event will hold virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The theme is Post COVID Era; Economics and Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria.

He said that participants at the event will discuss the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on two key areas; economic and healthcare delivery and mental health system in Nigeria.

Adelakun said that the topics were carefully chosen to ensure robust deliberations at the event.

Members of the GMD are medical doctors who owned private hospitals and are Medical Directors of such hospitals. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Franca Ofili

The Federal Government is committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to ensure significant improvement in the countrys oncology practice.

Sen. Adeleke Mamora, the Minister of State for Health, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja during the 2020 International Cancer Week (ICW) with the theme: Cancer in Nigeria in the COVID-19 era and beyond.

He said that the event was meant to provide a platform for all stakeholders to create awareness and foster collaboration to fight cancer in the nation.

Cancer has gradually become a disease of public health concern as the incidence is now more than some infectious diseases including HIV and AIDs.

This underscores the increasing attention given to it. It has become imperative for all the stakeholders to jointly fight cancer in Nigeria, Mamora said.

He said the theme became necessary to address the challenges of cancer care which had been compounded by the pandemic of COVID-19 all over the world.

I must state here that the development of a National Hospice and Palliative Care Policy is a mission accomplished for me, he said.

Mr Elijah Elijah, the Secretary General of the Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS), commended the effort of the government to massively fight the cancer pandemic.

He said it was very necessary for the country to invest in the right direction to ensure that cancer was properly addressed.

The ICW project should be sustained and well supported to triumph beyond all odds because it is a major hope reawakening for cancer patients and survivors including their relatives, Elijah said.

He said that the country needed to change the cancer narrative as such would save the country from the catastrophic effects of the disease.

Dr Minnie Oseji, the National President, Medical Womens Association of Nigeria (MWAN) said the body inaugurated a project on Womens Right to Health Information (WORTH) on cancer screening for early detection of cancer of the cervix.

Oseji said that the inauguration was part of the associations activities to commemorate cancer awareness month, adding that the target was to screen 6,000 women across the country over the next six months.

According to her, the association advocates that screening of cancer should not be opportunistic but mandatory.

Health personnel should by trained, cancer screening centres should be equipped and made accessible as well as affordable to women who need the service.

She said the association therefore called for the vaccination against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) to be incorporated into the National Programme for Immunisation schedule.

States should be supported to establish cancer registries and five-year survival rate of cancer patients should be used as an indicator for tracking progress in cancer control.

National and state Health Insurance Scheme should be incorporated for at least partial coverage for cancer treatment, Oseji said.

Source: NAN News

Prince Goddy Jeddy-Agba

By George Odok
The Minister of State for Power, Prince Goddy Jeddy-Agba, on Tuesday inspected some buildings and properties vandalised by hoodlums who hijacked the Endsars protest on Oct. 24 in Calabar.

The Minister visited the West African Examination Council office, which was burnt down including thousands of certificates that were yet to be collected.

He also inspected the Cross River Basin Development Authority office, the Nigeria Television Authority and the Federal Neoru-Psychiatric Hospital that was vandalised also.

Speaking, Jeddy-Agba expressed shocked at the level of destruction of the buildings, cars and equipments, saying that the act was not normal.

According to him, the destruction has kept staff of the affected establishment out from their offices, describing the situation as worrisome.

While addressing staff of the Cross River Basin Development Authority, Jeddy-Agba urged them to be united and forge ahead.

This place has been vandalised totally; nothing is left anymore. I sympathise with you and I want to assure you that I will relate this to the Federal Government, he said.

Earlier, while addressing youths of Ekorinim community, the Minister informed them that the government have heard their requests.

He said that the Federal Government had outlined various empowerment and productive schemes for the youths with a view to engage them meaningfully.

This time, the President will deal with the youths directly. The important things is for us to be together and united. All the things that have been destroyed needs huge money to be repaired and this is not goof enough.

From next month the Federal Government public works will commence and the targeted beneficiaries are the youths because the Federal Government is committed in solving the problems of the youths in this country.

I urge you to always channel your complaints appropriately without causing violence, he said

The Minister also visited the Rev. Fr. incharge of St. Charles Lwanga parish, Fr. Malachi Ephraim, to seeks collaboration with a view to foster peace in the state.

Source: NAN News

Chairperson of Women Intervention Group (WIG), Mary Manzo

A coalition of Women civil right groups, Women Intervention Group (WIG), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and all political actors in the country to urgently respond to all the requests of youths during the #EndSARS Protests.

WIGs Chairperson, Mary Manzo, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja called on the leaders to urgently expand resources in building a structure that would create an enabling environment for employment and to harness their potential for nations growth.

According to her, such enabling environment can be achieved through having the basic amenities that will foster development.

As mothers of the nation we pray that our leaders and children who are in various leadership positions within the country will lend us positive ears of reasoning as we jointly air our views and proffer solutions to the present day predicament we have found our nation in.

She said that the country was blessed with human and natural resources that could make it the industrial hub for many nations, but was plunged into a state of anarchy and pandemonium in recent days.

All that we are begging for is to give this group of people the opportunity to explore their great potential in a country that belongs to all of us, she said.

On her part, Sarah Obafemi, WIGs Southern coordinator, said it was unfortunate that some political appointees and elected persons did not express quality leadership style that could have cushioned the threat to our national unity.

More so, Hajia Umma Getso, WIGs Northern coordinator, raised concern about the activities of Boko Haram, bandits and herders who had crippled economic activities in the region.

The Nigerian youth over the years have not been given adequate opportunity as well as enabling environment to express their talents to the fullest.

The level of unemployment has skyrocketed, living millions of them without jobs.

The agitations from various quarters within the country have been on the front burner of stakeholders from the six geo political regions of the country.

The outcry for restructuring and good governance has been the centre of this agitation as many prominent Nigerians continue to pour in their displeasure with the abuse of federal character rules by the government, she said.

WIG, which is an initiative of the Mary-Elika Foundation, added that provision of basic amenities would go a long way in fostering development and dousing agitations.

Source: NAN News

FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu quits

FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned from the club on Tuesday.

His resignation has come ahead of a vote of no confidence that was due to be held next month after some 20,000 fans signed a petition demanding that he step down.

The rest of the board of directors also resigned.

Its a thought-out, serene, informed decision to resign, Bartomeu said in a televised speech.

Bartomeu, 57, has been facing growing resentment in the last year due to the clubs worsening finances and the teams decline on the pitch.

The decline came to a head with their 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in August.

He has been widely criticised after talisman forward Lionel Messi requested a transfer following the Champions League humiliation.

The embattled Bartomeu was then facing a vote of no confidence from the clubs socios.

He had tried to convince the Catalan government to scrap the censure vote due to the coronavirus pandemic but it would not budge.

Bartomeu called the governments decision irresponsible in his speech, while thanking the club and saying he could not have resigned earlier.

The easiest thing after the Champions (League defeat) was to resign, but one had to take decisions amid an unprecedented global crisis, he said.

Bartomeu added that later on, in the wake of the Messi spat, he could not let the club be run by external, temporary figures.

Who would have ensured that Messi stayed? Who would have hired a new coach? said Bartomeu, who took over at FC Barcelona from Sandro Rosell in 2014.

Messi handed Barca an official notice in August of his desire to terminate his contract before eventually deciding to stay for this season, the last on his current deal.

But this was because he did not want to face a legal battle with the club.

After rowing back on his decision to leave, the Argentine continued to attack Bartomeu in a September interview, when he described his stewardship of the club as a disaster.

He also criticised Barca for their treatment of Luis Suarez, who left the club for Atletico Madrid.

On the pitch, Barcas struggles have continued into the new campaign after they ended last season trophyless.

Having appointed their former player Ronald Koeman as manager in the close season, Barca have won only two of their opening five league games.

They lost 3-1 at home to rivals Real Madrid on Saturday. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Disappointed Coleman

World 100 metres champion Christian Coleman will miss next years Tokyo Olympics after being banned for two years for breaching whereabouts rules, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Tuesday.

Coleman, who narrowly escaped a ban last year for missing three doping tests, was provisionally suspended by the AIU in June.

We regret to say that we do not think there is any mitigation which can fairly be relied upon to reduce the sanction from the two-year period, the AIU said in a statement on its website.

Unfortunately, we see this case as involving behaviour by the athlete as very careless at best and reckless at worst.

The American sprinter claimed at the time of his provisional suspension that anti-doping officials had not followed procedure when he missed them.

But this was after he went Christmas shopping on Dec. 9, 2019 at a time when he had said he would be at home.

Doping control officers testified before a disciplinary tribunal that they were present during the whole of the allotted hour of 7:15 pm to 8:15 pm on Dec. 9 in front of his house.

Coleman in turn testified he had arrived home from Christmas shopping shortly before the end of the one-hour period.

However, shopping receipts showed that Coleman had purchased 16 items from a Walmart Supercenter at 8:22 pm, the AIU said.

We do not accept the athletes evidence, the AIU added. It is obvious that in fact the athlete did not go home until after making his 8:22 pm purchase. We are comfortably satisfied that this is what happened.

At the time of his provisional suspension, Coleman had complained that the AIUs doping control officers had not called him on that night on Dec. 9.

The AIU said in its judgement that doping control officers were not required to phone athletes.

The AIU said Colemans ban would end on May 13, 2022 and that he could appeal the tribunals decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Three failures to properly file whereabouts information or being absent during the hour stated in a 12-month period can result in a one- or two-year suspension.

Coleman, also a silver medallist in the 100m and 4x100m relay at the 2017 worlds, escaped suspension last year.

This was when the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), after receiving guidance from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on how to calculate the 12-month window for three missed tests, withdrew the charge.

The sprinter, who also helped the U.S. to 4x100m gold at the 2019 worlds in Doha, later demanded an apology from USADA.

But two of those misses have now combined with the latest failure to result in a ban.

The fact is that he had had the narrowest possible escape from a potential ban on this prior occasion, the AIU said.

It might be thought he would have learned from this experience in fact, that is not at all what happened. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Lagos APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Seye Oladejo

By Yemi Adeleye

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State on Tuesday took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for faulting Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olus projection of N1 trillion to restore property destroyed during #EndSARS protests.

The Lagos APC, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Seye Oladejo, called on the PDP to show empathy for the state against the backdrop of public and private property as well as businesses destroyed during the protest.

Oladejo described the period as an inappropriate and insensitive time to play politics with an incident that has thrown the state into mourning as a result of avoidable loss of lives and property.

We opine that the estimate could at the end of the day be found to be hasty and conservative with a careful consideration of the present cost of reconstruction, revamping and regeneration of these public utilities.

We find it distasteful that the opposition PDP would rather mindlessly condemn and contest a mere estimate to restore our state as soon as possible, Oladejo said.

He added that the PDP, after two terms in opposition, ought to have developed a template for responsible opposition.

Its also germane to gauge the mood of the people before mocking the dead and the wanton losses. Our people deserve emphathy and understanding from all and sundry, he said.

He explained that, as a responsible and responsive party, the APC commiserated with the people and government of the state over the arsons and massive destruction of government property and businesses that trailed the protests.

Oladejo said that while not preempting the findings of the commission of enquiry already set up the party condemned all acts of omission or commission that might have directly or indirectly contributed to the national tragedy.

We acknowledge the characteristic swift and decisive response of Gov. Sanwo-olu who continues to stand firm in the face of tremendous pressure to uphold his oath of office to protect the lives and property of all Lagosians.

The visits to the injured victims in various hospitals and the statewide tour to pacify the citizenry and access the extent of damage were, without any doubt, moves in the right direction.

The statewide tour enabled the state government to have an inventory of the monumental destruction which set our state back by decades, he said.

The spokesman also called on the Federal Government to come to the aid of Lagos State at this trying time to successfully re-build and restore the state in a record time.

He said that the party joined other well-meaning Nigerians on the need for state police to forestall such incidents in future.

Oladejo urged all Lagosians to rally round the government, embrace unconditional peace and commence the process of far reaching healing to make the state great again.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Lagos PDP, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary on Monday, faulted Sanwo-Olus claim that it would take N1 trillion to restore all property and facilities destroyed by hoodlums during the violence.

Source: NAN News

Liverpool overcome Midtjylland in UCL

Liverpool laboured to a 2-0 win over Denmarks Midtjylland on Tuesday tosecure a hard-fought UEFA Champions League Group D victory at Anfield.

Goals from Diogo Jota and a Mohamed Salah penalty kick secured victory for the 2018/2019 champions.

The win came at a cost, however, as Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp suffered another defensive blow.

Brazilian Fabinho who has been a cover for others in the central defence position limped off in the first half with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.

Fabinho had been deputising for central defender Virgil van Dijk, who is out with a long-term knee injury, and he was replaced by 19-year-old Rhys Williams.

It is exactly the last thing we needed, said Klopp, who added that the seriousness of the injury would not be known until after a scan.

He praised Williams for the composed way in which he coped with being thrown into the game.

Liverpool made a slow start and suffered an early scare when Anders Dreyer broke through the middle but shot straight at goalkeeper Alisson.

With Klopp having rested his usual front three and given starts to Jota, Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri, Liverpool struggled to break down the determined Danes.

The breakthrough came in the 55th minute when after a swift exchange with Shaqiri, Trent Alexander-Arnold crossed low to Jota who had a simple tap-in.

The goal was Liverpools 10,000th in all competitions.

Substitute Roberto Firmino should have settled the contest near the end, but blasted over the bar after more good work from Alexander-Arnold.

Then Dreyer had the best chance of the game when he jinked into space in the Liverpool penalty box but, with Alisson to beat, he could only find the side-netting.

Salah made sure of the win, in stoppage time, from the penalty kick spot, converting after he had been brought down by Paulinho inside the box.

Liverpool have the maximum six points from their opening two games while Midtjylland are yet to get off the mark.(Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News