Super Eagles

By Emmanuel Afonne

Officials of the Super Eagles, including the teams assistant coach, Joseph Yobo and goalkeeper trainer Aloy Agu are expected to depart the country on Saturday night for Austria, ahead of the international friendly matches with Algeria and Tunisia.

Others to depart on Saturday night are Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor; Media Officer, Toyin Ibitoye; Team Doctor, Ibrahim Gyaran; Equipment Manager, Chidi Ngoka and Physiotherapist, Christopher Nnadozie.

Toyin Ibitoye, Super Eagles, Media Officer, disclosed this on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), saying that the officials had all received their visas for the journey.

Ibitoye also said team captain Ahmed Musa would depart with the officials from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The Super Eagles are scheduled to play the Desert Foxes of Algeria on Oct. 9 and Tunisias Carthage Eagle on Oct. 13 in friendly matches ahead of competitive games.

According to Ibitoye, the players will begin to arrive the teams camp in Austria immediately after their clubs engagement this weekend.

Our players will start arriving in the camp between Friday and Sunday immediately they finish playing their league games this weekend.

We will be playing our first game on Oct. 9, so, by Oct. 6, every player is supposed to be in camp in Austria.

We will have just two days to prepare and we know Algeria is a strong force in football, Ibitoye said.

The Super Eagles Coordinator, Patrick Pascal who also spoke to NAN, said the Coronavirus pandemic had affected football so much and as such cannot predict what would happen in Austria.

Pascal, however, assured Nigerian fans that the team would live up to the expectations during both matches. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

CAN urges government to overhaul countrys security system

By Ifeoma Aka

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Enugu State chapter, has called on government at all level to overhaul the countrys security system to guarantee the protection of lives and properties of the citizens.

The Chairman of the association, Rev. Ositadinma Edeh, made the call on Tuesday on Tuesday in a statement he signed to mark Nigeria at 60.

Edeh said that Nigeria at 60 called for celebration not minding the numerous challenges facing the nation.

He reminded those in authority that the Most High was sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gave them to anyone he wished, knowing that the positions of authority were given to them by God.

The clergyman urged them to be guided by the biblical injunction in 1 Corinthians 4:2, which says now it is required that those who had been given trust must prove faithful.

Edeh explained that if all in different positions of authority in this country could see themselves from this divine point of view, there would be respect for the rule of law and good governance.

He urged the government of the day to double its efforts in the provision of quality education for Nigerians who desired to be educated.

The CAN boss also called on those in authority to create jobs for the citizens, knowing that would certainly reduce youth restiveness and make them self-reliant.

He said that there should be enabling environment for small and medium enterprises to thrive.

Edeh commended the peace-loving governor of Enugu State and his team, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. for doing his very best to ensure peace and security in the state.

I wish to call on all Nigerians, especially Christians to continue in prayers for peace and security over the nation.

I pray that God will comfort those who lost their loved ones in one form of violence or the other and also for the provision of adequate care for those in different internally displaced persons camps in the country, he added.

Source: NAN News

Spurs edge Chelsea in English League Cup shootout

Tottenham Hotspur overcame visitors Chelsea 5-4 in a penalty shootout to progress in the League Cup following a 1-1 home draw in their fourth round clash on Tuesday.

Chelsea had appeared to be heading into the quarter-finals, thanks to a 19th minute strike from Timo Werner.

But Erik Lamela forced a shootout with an equaliser in the 83rd minute, finishing from close range after controlling a cross from debutant Sergio Reguilon.

In the shootout, Chelseas Mason Mount struck the post to miss the decisive fifth penalty kick after every other penalty kick had been converted.

Germany forward Werner scored his first goal for Chelsea in his fourth appearance, lashing the ball into the net from the edge of the area after receiving a cut-back from Cesar Azpilicueta.

Chelseas new goalkeeper Edouard Mendy had a confident display in his first game since switching from Stade Rennes.

He made a good save to keep out a vicious shot from Spurs Spanish left-back Reguilon in the second half.

But Mendy was finally beaten in the 83rd minute,when Reguilon turned in the box and found Lamela.

He controlled the ball at the far post before netting from close range to force the shootout in which Tottenham prevailed.

The victory was revenge for Spurs for a 2019 League Cup semi-final second leg defeat to Chelsea on penalty kicks.

Spurs boss Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, got one over his former Chelsea player Frank Lampard.

The Englishmans Derby County side beat a Manchester United team then coached by the Portuguese in a League Cup shootout in 2018.

We were ready to fight. I told the players before the penalty kicks that they were magnificent in the second half. We made Chelsea look ordinary. The team waited for the right moment, Mourinho said.

The League Cup fixture, which came only two days after their 1-1 draw with Newcastle United, was the second game of a gruelling run of four matches in eight days for Spurs.

Mourinhos side face Maccabi Haifa at home in a Europa League playoff on Thursday before a league fixture at Manchester United on Sunday.

Mourinho made nine changes to the team who had faced Newcastle, sticking with first-choice goalkeeper Hugo Lloris instead of new signing Joe Hart.

He gave a second start in three days to Eric Dier, who stepped up to score the first penalty kick.

I have to think about three games at the same time. But the players only thought about this game, they were phenomenal. Phenomenal, added Mourinho, just as he praised England international Dier who left the pitch to go to the toilet during the second half.

What happened to Eric Dier is not normal, I have to praise him in a special way. It should be forbidden for a player to play two games in 48 hours at this level. What he did is not human to do.

Source: NAN News

APC Logo

By Emmanuel Mogbede

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that a former two-term governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko is plotting a third-term bid through Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

Mr Yekini Nabena, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of APC made the allegation in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Nabena said that ZLP was one of the political parties contesting the forthcoming Oct. 10 Ondo State governorship election.

According to him Mimiko was first elected as governor of Ondo State on the platform of Labour Party on Feb. 24, 2009.

He contested as the Labour Party candidate and was re-elected on Oct. 20, 2012, for a second term in office, making him the first governor in Ondo State to win a second term election since 1999.

He, however, later defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the end of his tenure as governor in February 24, 2017.

Nabena while making the allegation, said: A former two-term governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko is plotting a third-term bid surreptitiously through Zenith Labour Party.

He said that Mimiko controlled the Zenith Labour Party as its sole administrator.

Nabena said that it was therefore, not surprising that the entire governorship campaign of the ZLP was centred around Mimiko rather than its supposed governorship candidate, Agboola Ajayi.

Perhaps, Mimiko deludes himself that the good people of Ondo State have forgotten how they were subjected to his arbitrary, tyrannical and dictatorial actions when he governed the state.

It is on record how Mimiko factionalised his then political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for his political divide and rule tactics in the party and government, Nabena said.

According to him, under Mimiko, government projects and patronage were distributed based on political servitude not priority needs of the state.

He said that this could be the reason most of his associates ditched him and were now front line leaders of the APC, in firm support of its candidate, Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu, the states incumbent governor.

Nabena said it was understandable that the ZLPs governorship candidate had nothing substantial to campaign on after joining several political parties to purchase their governorship ticket to contest the Oct. 10 election in Ondo state.

For us in the APC, the good governance credentials of our candidate, incumbent Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu is visible to all, particularly in the area of infrastructure, agriculture, human capital development, industry, and entrepreneurship, among others.

This is the focus of our well received campaigns.

Gov. Akeredolus first-term administration has ensured prudency, accountability, transparency and blocked leakages which has ultimately enhance good governance.

Ondo State has witnessed unprecedented and massive infrastructural developments, culminating in over 300 kilometres of critical roads being constructed and rehabilitated, Nabena said.

According to him, Ondo state is one of the model states that is successfully domesticating and implementing the diversification and agriculture drive of the APC government with over 6,000 trained Agripreneurs.

He said that the Ondo people had confidence in Gov. Akeredolu, who signed into law, a contributory health insurance scheme which enables all classes of people in the state have access to affordable health care services.

Nabena added that under Gov. Akeredolu, the people of Ondo state were better off and were poised to overwhelmingly return him to continue his administrations good work, come Oct. 10.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

Foreign Exchange

By Edith Ike-Eboh

A consortium of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure level playing ground for all oil marketers in accessing Foreign Exchange (FOREX) for importation of petroleum products.

The group disclosed this in a communique released after its meeting in Abuja, on Tuesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the consortium formed in April 2020, spearheaded by the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) comprises Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), BudgIT and Connected Development (CODE).

Others are Media Initiative for Transparency in Extractive Industries (MITEI), OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative, Women in Extractives (WiE), Dataphyte, Spaces for Change, Extractive 360, Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) and Youth Forum on Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (Youth Forum on EITI).

Also, Publish What You Pay (PWYP), Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), African Centre for Leadership Strategy and Development (CentreLSD), Centre for Development Support Initiatives (CEDSI), Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) and Koyenum Immalah Foundation.

It said that CBN must ensure that all marketers importing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol must be treated the same way as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The relevant authorities, especially the CBN should ensure a level-playing field for all importers of PMS and not place the NNPC at an advantage over others, it said.

It also called on the NNPC to take urgent practical steps to reverse the fortunes of the loss making refineries as revealed in its published 2018 Audited Reports of its subsidiaries.

The refineries remain cost centres that the Nigerian government cannot afford given the impact of COVIV-19 and other fiscal pressures on its economy.

The Nigerian government should create an enabling environment for the private sector to contribute to the efficient running of the refineries so that Nigerian can reach its domestic refining goals, it said.

The group further called on the President and the Minister of Petroleum Resources to demonstrate honest commitment to the deregulation efforts by expunging the laws that entrench the potential of returning to a subsidy regime and pre-deregulation state.

It said that government should repeal the law establishing the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and other agencies to ensure full deregulation of the downstream oil sector.

The government repeal the PPPRA Act, the PEF(M)B Act and the Price Control Act specifically, section 6(1) of the Petroleum Act, Schedule 1 of the Price Control Act, all acts that ensure a potential of returning to a price fixing regime and demonstrate to the Nigerian people that the declaration of full deregulation is merely a statement of intent and not yet honored.

There is need for the Federal Government to commit to the sustainability of the deregulation regime by entreating it in law either through a stand-alone legislation, or through appropriate clauses integrated into the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) will allow for the sustainability of the no-subsidy regime.

While we await appropriate legislation, we require the government to clarify the role of the Petroleum Support Fund in the new deregulation regime. Clarity is required about how that fund is being managed, whether the over-recovery sums were deposited there and how they are epected to be spent, it said.

It also urged the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to back up its deregulation policy statement by empowering appropriate agencies including the Federal Competition and Consumer Council to take over the consumer protection interests of Nigerians.

It said this might be adversely taken advantage of in a deregulated downstream sector to protect the interests of the people would not suffer exploitation in the hands of profiteering marketers.

On the issue of ameliorating the immediate effects of the removal of petrol subsidy, the group said government should channel the revenues used for subsidy to improve the lives of Nigerians and not the rich.

It noted that this could be achieved by investing in enablers of economic growth and development such as development of rural roads, education, health services and agriculture.

According to the group, if the NNPC must remain a player in the market, it must strive to operate under the same conditions and rules as other players in the sector regulated only by the prevailing market forces and competition.

It commended government for providing initial regulation to support the deregulation efforts in June 2020.

We encourage the government to ramp up its engagements with the public to improve their awareness and understanding of the deregulation process and all it portends for the Nigerian people. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Blood doping

A German sports doctor on trial for masterminding an international doping network for athletes admitted on Tuesday to helping athletes with blood doping for years, but said he made no profit.

The defendant, identified in Germany only as Mark S., is on trial, facing multiple charges in relation to helping at least 23 athletes from eight countries gain an unfair advantage over several years.

I did not make a profit from doping, he said in a statement read by his lawyers in court.

The defendant also said he never put the athletes health at risk but did admit to blood doping.

For me it was always important that there was no damage to the athletes health.

The case is a result of Operation Bloodletting under which police raided the Nordic Ski World Championships in Austria in February 2019 and arrested athletes just hours before the start of an event. Mark S. was arrested in Germany.

Prosecutors say he was behind performance-enhancing blood transfusions mostly for cross-country skiers and cyclists.

They believe he was involved in the practice from at least the end of 2011.

Four other suspects are on trial accused of helping him with the collection and supply of blood.

If convicted, the doctor could be put behind bars for between one and 10 years. The trial is set to continue until at least mid-December.

The trial that started earlier in September continues and a verdict is expected in the coming months.(Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

World Table Tennis Championships

The 2023 World Table Tennis Championships will be staged in Durban, South Africa, the first time since 1939 the tournament has been staged on the African continent.

Durban beat 2017 hosts Dusseldorf 90-39 in a vote by members of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), and becomes the first South African city to stage the event, and the second on the continent after Cairo 81 years ago.

We are continuing to see benefits from the forthcoming changes to the format of the World Championships Finals, which will be introduced from next year onwards, leading to more countries bidding from different regions of the world, ITTF Deputy President Khalil Al-Mohannadi said in a news release.

This also reflects the ever-increasing international appeal of table tennis, which is extremely pleasing to see as we continue to work hard to make the sport more global in the future.

South Africa will also play host to the 2023 Netball World Cup, with Cape Town having won that bid last year. (Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

UN Women, UNDP inaugurate COVID-19 global gender response tracker

By Busayo Onijala

The UN Development Programme(UNDP) and the United Nations Women(UN Women) have partnered to inaugurate a COVID-19 global gender response tracker.

The aim of the tracker is to provide unique data about what governments are doing to support women in their COVID-19 responses, says the agencies.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Gender Tracker which also analyzes gender equality in global pandemic recovery policies was inaugurated virtually.

It is said to look at both contributory and non-contributory global social protection response through two key lenses which are, whether the measures target or prioritize women as recipients of benefits and whether the measure addresses unpaid care work.

The Executive Director of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, said that the tool was being inaugurated in the context that the pandemic is hitting women and girls harder.

Mlambo-Ngcuka said that the social and economic fallouts of the crisis is worsening gender inequality, adding that the tracker would assist governments to address the worrying trend which is worsening by the day.

The pandemic is also threatening to hit women in areas that we as the United Nations are very highly vested in, in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.

We are seeing spiraling rates of violence against women as they have been under lockdown and we have been able to see through the tracker, that services such as shelter helplines are struggling to respond and cope with the increased demand.

Women are losing their jobs, faster than men in the sectors in which they are highly represented.

It is also sad that they have precarious contracts without security, the contracts are not enforceable and they do not have savings and insurance.

Also, we know that not just during the pandemic, but even before, there has been the crisis of care, where women shoulder the greater burden for unpaid care, she said.

The Executive Director added that the closure of schools worsened the crisis for women, as some of them have to homeschool and take care of children.

Our message to governments is that they must consider the impacts of the crisis on Women and Girls, and take positive steps by using what we are providing as reliable data.

We are excited about this tracker because it provides unique data on what governments are already doing and gives us incredible information in the three policy areas.

According to Mlambo-Ngcuka, the policy areas are, in the measures that have been taken to address violence against women, in ensuring womens economic security and in the support of unpaid care work.

Sarah Hendriks, Director of the Policy Programme and Intergovernmental Support Division of UN Women said in her report that 2,500 policy measures across 206 countries and territories have been compiled and analysed.

Weve made every effort to ensure that the tracker is as comprehensive as possible and were also following a moving target at a global scale.

The tracker is therefore a living platform and we are striving to improve it with the help of our partners, member states, civil society, and other UN agencies across the UN system, she said.

Meanwhile, UNDP Administrator, Achim Steiner said that without action, COVID-19 threatens to unravel the hard-fought gains towards gender equality made since the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action.

The COVID-19 crisis provides an opportunity for countries to transform existing economic models towards a renewed social contract that prioritizes social justice and gender equality.

This new gender response tracker can help accelerate policy reform by guiding on gaps in national efforts and funding and highlighting best practices, he said.

NAN reports that the tracker also shows that the gender response varies widely across countries and regions with Europe leading the response on addressing violence against women and girls.

Source: NAN News

World Heart Day: Stress management vital for healthy heart Ikokwu

By Ikenna Osuoha

Ms May Ikokwu, the Chief Executive Officer, Save Our Heritage Initiative (SOHI),
says stress management is vital for maintenance of healthy heart among people, especially older persons.

Ikokwu, also the Secretary General, Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria (COSROPIN), said this in commemoration of World Heart Day (WHD), in Abuja, on Tuesday.

World Heart day is annually observed on Sept. 29 around the globe to raise public awareness about Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).

CVD has many causes: from smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, to air pollution and rare and neglected conditions such as Chagas Disease and cardiac amyloidosis.

In the time of COVID-19, CVD patients faced double-edged threat. Not only were they more at risk of developing severe forms of the virus, but they might also be afraid to seek care for their hearts.

She added that heart related diseases were the highest causes of global mortality, especially among older persons.

She expressed concern over the unprecedented changes in lifestyle and diets, mostly responsible for heart related deaths, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic.

She, however, added that with a paradigm shift in the way of life in this unprecedented times, it is important that we dont stress ourselves but try to stay calm and composed while dealing with the pandemic and putting our best in managing work and personal life balances.

Many people are consuming a lot of junk foods because of its convenience and this habit is totally unhealthy.

Everyone, especially older persons are encouraged to eat a lot of locally grown vegetables, picked fresh from gardens or better still uncooked.

For a healthy heart, reduce the intake of oil, fried and processed foods. The combination of a balanced meal with 30 minutes exercise or one hour walk daily would go a long way in keeping the heart healthy.

She urged adults to walk whenever possible by using the stairs instead of elevators.

She said use the stairs instead of elevators, walk up to your vehicle, drop off a short distance from the drop zone and walk. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Yakubu Uba

Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno has met with families of policemen and members of Civilian Joint Task Force ( CJTF) killed by insurgents in an ambush on Friday in Borno.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that several security personnel were killed with some injured when the governors backup convoy was attacked along Baga Monguno road.

A statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Strategy, Malam Isa Gusau, said Zulum had on Monday met with the bereaved family of fallen policemen at the police headquarters in Maiduguri where he promised to assist the affected families.

Zulum said he was purposely there to sympathise and condole with brothers, sisters and the families of the deceased policemen.

It is very unfortunate that the incident happened. May Almighty God in his infinite mercy forgive and reward them for their sacrifices and may God grant you the strength to bear the fortitude of this huge loss that is for all of us.

It is so sad, looking at what happened. It is quite unfortunate and I am pained by that incident.

However, those men died as heroes, as patriots and as people that have brought honour to their families even though we never wished that it happened.

Insha Allah, we shall do everything possible to support the families. The education of their children is very important in addition to the support for their means of livelihood.

I want to once again sympathise with the families on behalf of the grateful people of Borno State.

I condole with the Borno state police command, the CP, the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force and entire Nigerians over the sad moment, Zulum was quoted as saying.

The governor was also at the state specialist hospital in Maiduguri where he consoled with those injured in the incident.

While at the hospital, the Medical Director, Dr. Laraba Bello said that eight injured persons were brought to the hospital on Sunday, made up of a policeman and seven CJTF members, and so far five had been treated and discharged while the remaining three were responding to treatment.

Source: NAN News