A Nigerian newspaper and Online version of the Vanguard, a daily publication in Nigeria covering Niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion,lifestyle human interest stories, etc
The Borno Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Sunday arrested a 16-year-old boy (name withheld) for allegedly parading himself as one of its Arm Squad Personnel.
Commandant of the Corps, Ibrahim Abdullahi, told journalists in Maiduguri that the suspect was arrested at NNPC Mega station, Damboa road, in the state capital on Feb 18.
"The operatives arrested the culprit around Mega Area wearing our Arm Squad uniform with the logo of the Corps, thus parading himself as a member.
"When interrogated, he claimed to have been given the uniform by his brother, who serves in the southern part of Nigeria,'' Abdullah said.
He said that this trend portended danger as Boko Haram insurgents "now wear camouflage of security agencies to wreak havoc. "We hope this arrest will lead us to more discoveries of these impersonators,'' he said.
He call on members of the public to be on the alert and report those they were suspecting to be fake security operatives, to the appropriate authorities.
Gov. Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has been elected as the Chairman of South-East Governors' Forum, journalists report.
Umahi was unanimously endorsed at a meeting of the forum attended by all the governors from the zone in Enugu on Sunday.
Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, who announced this after a closed door meeting, said that the lot fell on Umahi to lead the group because Abia and Anambra had had their turns in the past.
"I want to specially recognise the oldest member of this forum, Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo and Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra.
Gov. Dave Umahi
"We have just risen from a meeting and it is my pleasure to officially introduce the chairman of the South-East Governors' Forum in the person of Gov. Dave Umahi.
"He is our chairman today because Anambra and Abia have taken their turns in the past and we are moving forward from Ebonyi flank at this moment," Ikpeazu said.
Umahi said his election was an honour to lead the forum even though he might not be the most qualified.
"I want to thank my brother governors and to accept the leadership position my colleagues have pushed on me.
"Not being the most qualified but they decided that I should be the chairman of the forum at a time like this. I want to thank them with all sense of humility," Umahi said.
NAN reports that this is the first time after the 2015 general elections that all the governors were meeting face to face at the forums' meeting.
Some of the governors had in the past delegated their deputies to represent them at the meeting.
Former head of state, General Ibrahim Babangida and former Chief of Army Staff and Minister of Defence under Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma have been identified among 20 Nigerians who later became richer than Nigeria as at 1999 after being employees of Nigeria.
In a round-table discuss, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, held a discussion to chat ways of combating corruption in Nigeria so as to ensure full development of the country.
Watch the video and type your comment below let’s see your thoughts.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic sealed the first major silverware of Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United reign and broke Southampton’s hearts as the Swedish star’s late goal clinched a dramatic 3-2 victory in Sunday’s League Cup final.
Manchester United’s Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic (C) jumps to head their third goal during the English League Cup final football match between Manchester United and Southampton at Wembley stadium in north London on February 26, 2017. / AFP PHOTO
Ibrahimovic was one of Mourinho’s marquee signings in the close-season and he repaid his manager’s faith with a typically dominant display on the big occasion at Wembley.
The 35-year-old opened the scoring with a blistering free-kick before Jesse Lingard doubled United’s lead.
Manolo Gabbiadini sparked a thrilling Southampton fightback, scoring just before half-time and again early in the second half.
But Ibrahimovic had the last word as his 87th minute header ensured Mourinho joined United legend Alex Ferguson and Nottingham Forest great Brian Clough as the only managers to win the League Cup four times.
By Dennis Agbo ENUGU-President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo has alerted that the Igbos are grave danger in Nigeria which he said requires urgent remedy. Nnia Nwodo, President-General of Ohanaeze Nwodo said that the Igbo should subject their unpalatable condition in prayers and urged other ethnic nationalities to understand with the peculiar circumstances of Ndigbo in Nigeria.
Nwodo spoke on sunday at a church service and civic reception in his honour by the Knights of St. John at St. Mulumba Catholic Church, New Haven, Enugu.
He said he was humbled for my colleagues in the Knight of St. John to start his tenure with supplication to God, to ask God to kindly guide him and to lead him aright and to make it possible for his service to his people to be successful.
“I dedicate myself completely to all the supplication as offered in the Mass. I ask Ndigbo wherever they are to pray collectively for all of us. We are in dire straits, we are in very grave situation, I also ask that we pray for other Nigerians to understand our peculiar circumstances, understand our case and give us once more a hand of fellowship in a united Nigeria,” said Nwodo.
It was allegedly reported that Senator Shehu Sani , representing Kaduna Central spoke to newsmen on Sunday, that some officials wish President Muhammadu Buhari dead so they can be nominated as the vice when acting president Yemi Osinbajo is sworn in as President.
He made this assertion immediately after inspecting artefacts of Mallam Aminu Kano at Mumbayya House Centre of Democracy, Kano.
President Buhari
In his words: "Those peddling rumours of Buhari's death are enemies who by hook or crook want to be Vice President to Osinbajo but unfortunately they woefully failed because Buhari is coming back safely and healthy," he said. He equally said "Unfortunately for them, neither the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, nor Buhari trusts them.
"Osinbajo is a trusted ally to his boss and he dislikes anything that would make him compromise the trust he enjoys.
"Buhari has a daunting task of fumigating his government, cleanse it and flush out these hyenas who eat from the nation's treasury without pain.
"It is open fact that today, politicians are only interested in getting power to use as launching pad of their personal businesses", he said.
Lionel Messi struck the winner four minutes from time as Barcelona moved top of La Liga on Sunday with a crucial 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid.
All the goals came in the final half hour as Rafinha put Barcelona in front before Diego Godin’s header quickly restored parity.
However, so often the thorn in Atletico’s side, Messi registered his 27th career goal against Los Rojiblancos to ease the pressure on under fire Barca coach Luis Enrique.File: Lionel Messi
Barcelona now lead Real Madrid and Sevilla by two points. Real, though, have two games in hand on their title rivals, the first of which comes later on Sunday at Villarreal.
Defeat leaves fourth-placed Atletico just one point clear of Real Sociedad in the battle for the final Champions League slot.
Following their Champions League thrashing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain and struggles at home to Leganes last weekend, Luis Enrique switched from the Catalans habitual 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3 with Messi forced into an advanced midfield role.
However, the change in tactics did little to stem Barca’s slump in form early on as Atletico dominated the opening half hour.
Yannick Carrasco and Godin blasted wildly off target when well placed inside the area early on.
Antoine Griezmann then saw a goalbound effort blocked by French international teammate Samuel Umtiti.
Atletico’s best effort of the opening half came from long range, though, as Griezmann’s driven effort on his weaker right foot forced a brilliant flying save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Barcelona thought they had gone in front against the run of play on the half hour mark when Luis Suarez headed in from close range after a goalmouth scramble.
However, the Uruguayan was penalised for a handball after Jan Oblak had parried Messi’s initial effort.
Oblak was making his first appearance since December 12, but the Slovenian showed no signs of rustiness to once again prove his credentials as one of the finest ‘keepers in the world.
Firstly, Oblak produced a sensational stop to tip Messi’s dipping free-kick over and then clutched Gerard Pique’s header from point-blank range.
Both sides passed up huge chances at the start of the second-half.
Firstly, Suarez screwed his shot horribly wide after being played in by Messi.
Then at the other end, Ter Stegen made another excellent stop to deny Griezmann from a narrow angle.
The deadlock was eventually broken in scrappy fashion on 63 minutes as Rafinha profited from a loose ball inside the area to fire low into the far corner.
However, the lead lasted only seven minutes as Godin rose higher than a host of Barca defenders to flick home Koke’s free-kick for the equaliser.
Yet, when Barca needed a potential season defining goal, Messi again came up trumps with his 35th in as many games this season.
The five-time World Player of the Year’s first effort from Suarez’s cut-back was blocked, but he followed up to prod past the helpless Oblak and move Barca top of the table.
By Chimaobi Nwaiwu. The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has hailed the revoking of the license a top judge handling the case of its leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, describing his sanction as ‘nemesis catching wrong doer’.Director of Radio Biafra and Leader, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu as he appeared before Justice Ahmed Mohammed Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday, 23/12/2015
IPOB in a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Mr. Emma Powerful titled "ECOWAS Court in Chaos, Another enemy of Nnamdi Kanu disgraced out of the Judiciary, sign of warning to what is to come for the Nigerian judges" said that the judge was removed in his native Liberia on allegations of fraud.
IPOB alleged that the judge has been hobnobbing with the Nigerian Government to pervert justice against Nnamdi Kanu and now nemesis has caught up with him in his native home Liberia where he was removed and his license revoked for twelve months.
"The same judge has been delaying and postponing the judgment on the case because he wants to please Nigerian President Buhari by ensuring that Mr. Kanu is kept indefinite in detention.
"Justice, Justice M. Wilkins Wright, has come to public disrepute in his home country, Liberia, where the Supreme Court has revoked his license for 12 months. Wright was found liable of breaching Rule 8 & 9 the Moral and Ethical Conduct of Lawyers by obscuring his lawyer-client relationship with a former client of his, while representing the government against the client in his capacity as Solicitor General of Liberia."
Small and Medium Scale Enterprises(SMEs) from different parts of the federation would on Tuesday, Feb. 28, converge on Lagos to deliberate on their roles in providing solutions to Nigeria's current economic recession.
The Convener of the One-day seminar, Mrs Shade Bembatoum-Young, told newsmen in Lagos on Sunday that the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, Lagos would host the seminar.
The Chief Executive Officer of the African Sustainable SME Trade Solutions (ASSETS), said that the seminar was aimed sensitising SMEs on their roles in harnessing Nigeria's non-oil sector for export.
"Our close interactions with the SMEs have revealed that there are no post-workshop follow-up programmes to equip them with newly-acquired information, skills and contacts for regional and international markets.
"As the current economic recession continues unabated, we firmly resolve that our SMEs should be alive to their responsibilities of becoming major players in promoting Nigeria's non-oil sector for export.
SMEs returns
"We have, therefore, decided to on Tuesday, Feb. 28th, in collaboration with the Federal Institute for Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), to bring together the SMEs and other partners to look at the opportunities and challenges of SMEs in non-oil sector exportation," she said.
The Bilingual Trade Development Expert said that the seminar would raise the awareness of the SMEs on the opportunities and challenges for them in the nation's non-oil sector.
She also said that it was aimed at building SMEs capacities in the packaging and exportation of Nigeria's non-oil sector products and services to regional and international markets.
Bembatoum-Young said that her organisation had recently established an ASSETS SME EXPORT BUSINESS NETWORK, aimed at creating an informed, motivated and committed community that would prepare SMEs to become important links in various non-oil export value chains.
She enjoined more interested SMEs and would be SMEs to avail themselves of the opportunities and skills that would be provided by the seminar.
The Bilingual Trade Development Expert also said that there would be opportunities for the SMEs to meet and interact with representatives of different local and international businesses and organisations at the seminar.
The Nigerian Army has emerged the overall winner of the 2017 National Open Boxing Championship.
A statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, Army spokesman, said the Nigerian army team came first.
According to the statement, the army won 4 Gold, 1 Silver and 5 Bronze medals in the 6-day event which concluded at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
Lagos State came 2nd with 3 gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze medals while the Nigeria Police came 3rd with 1 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medal.
Usman said Ogun came 4th with one gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
The won soldier
"With this development, the Nigerian Army team will be among the teams to represent Nigeria at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in June, and also at the World Championships in August, 2017," he said.
Usman said that 20 states, the army, the police, NSCDC, and nine boxing clubs including Kanu Nwankwo, Alafin, Golden Gloves, WWBA, Abbey International, Oba Adeyemi and Bukar Tiger, participated in the event.
"The championship also featured 10 weight categories for male and 3 weight categories for female boxers.
"On the whole, 209 male boxers and 42 female boxers competed for honours during the champion," the army spokesman said.
Journalists recalled that two weeks ago, the Nigerian Army Marathon Team performed excellently at the 2nd Lagos City Marathon.
That Rotimi Amaechi is a confirmed liar is not in doubt. What is in doubt is his sanity. In recent comments to the media, Rotimi Amaechi kept referring to a certain missing $49 billion which he claims were monies missing from the NNPC account that were not paid into the federation account under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Said Amaechi,
“As chairman of the Governors Forum, when I started fighting with President Jonathan, I was clear about what the fight was all about. I was the first Nigerian to raise the alarm about the former CBN governor's letter to President Goodluck Jonathan that $49 billion was missing from the NNPC account and not paid to the federation account. If they had returned it, we would not be in recession. If that $49 billion was there plus other recovered looted funds, perhaps, we would have hit $50 billion. With $50 to $60 billion, you don't need to look for dollars to buy.”
Nigerians will recall that this discredited allegation was made by the then Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who went on to change the amount that was missing three times.
In September 2013, the then Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Malam Sanusi Lamido alleged that the sum of $49.8 billion was not remitted to the federation account by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. When he was challenged on this amount by the National Assembly, the then Minister of Finance, Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, and the NNPC, the then CBN Governor reduced the amount that was missing to $10.8 billion on December 18, 2013.
In February of 2014, the then CBN Governor wrote another letter to the Senate admitting that he did not know how much was unaccounted for saying it could be "$10.8 billion or $12 billion or $19 billion or $21 billion — we do not know at this point".
Eventually, it was established that no such monies were missing and even the Buhari administration has kept quiet about the matter knowing that it was propaganda to pull down the previous administration.
So for Amaechi to rely on allegations that have been discredited and proven to be false to make an allegation against former President Jonathan leads one to question his sanity since his dishonesty is already a settled matter.
Here is a man who is a contradiction of the Buhari administration’s so called anti corruption war dancing naked. A man who admitted spending half a million dollars to host Nobel Laureate to a one day dinner with state resources. A man accused by two separate Supreme Court Justices of trying to bribe them. A man who is only consistent when it comes to betraying his benefactors. This is the same man accusing Dr. Goodluck Jonathan?
Nigerians should realize that it is no coincidence that this allegation is coming just days after the revelation that no record exists of Nigeria’s crude oil sales since June of 2015.
Flowing from the above, Nigerians should see Amaechi’s most recent verbal diarrhea as an attempt to divert attention from pressing questions that demand timely answers.
It is quite telling that the single most expensive infrastructure built in Nigeria in the last decade is the Kaduna-Abuja 187KM modern fast railway that enables you live in Kaduna and work in Abuja.
Though President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned this project on July 26, 2016, it is worth mentioning that neither he nor the pot bellied Amaechi had anything to do with this project beyond reaping where they had not sown!
That project was built and completed by the Jonathan administration.
If Nigerians want to know why it was very hard to save money over the last decade, they should point fingers at Rotimi Amaechi.
Those in the habit of noising about the ‘alternative fact’ that the Jonathan administration did not save up during the sunny days for the rainy day should not forget so soon that the Jonathan administration met $6.5 billion in the Excess Crude Account upon inception in 2010 and increased it to almost $9 billion by 2012.
However, the Nigerian Governors Forum, using their influence at the House of Representatives, had gotten that August body to declare the Excess Crude Account illegal in 2012.
So excruciating was the pressure from the Nigerian Governors Forum and most notably from the then Rivers state Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, (now the minister of transport) for the Jonathan administration to end the Excess Crude Account and the Sovereign Wealth Fund regimes and instead share the funds in those accounts amongst the three tiers of government that they approached the Supreme Court, to challenge the legality of the Excess Crude Account and then President Jonathan's decision to transfer $1 billion from that account to the Sovereign Wealth Fund.
In fact after hosting a meeting of the forum on September 21, 2012, at the Rivers state Governor’s lodge, Rotimi Amaechi said inter alia:
"On the Excess Crude Account, Forum unanimously decided to head back to Court to enforce the Federal Government's adherence to the constitution.”
To those who do not know what the Constitution says, let me give you an insight by quoting from Section 162.
Section 162, provides that
"(1) The Federation shall maintain a special account to be called 'the Federation Account' into which shall be paid all revenues collected by the Government of the Federation, except the proceeds from the personal income tax of the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, the Ministry or department of government charged with responsibility for Foreign Affairs and the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
"(2) The President, upon the receipt of advice from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, shall table before the National Assembly proposals for revenue allocation from the Federation Account, and in determining the formula, the National Assembly shall take into account, the allocation principles especially those of population, equality of States, internal revenue generation, land mass, terrain as well as population density;
"(3) Any amount standing to the credit of the Federation Account shall be distributed among the Federal and State Governments and the Local Government Councils in each State on such terms and in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly."
From the above it was clear what the Amaechi led Governor’s forum wanted.
Mr. Amaechi led the governors in taking the Federal Government to court. The Jonathan administration offered an out of courts settlement with the governors in a deal that would have seen the federal government sharing some of the money and saving up the rest for Nigeria's future but the governors rejected the offer.
In fact, the Jonathan Administration had argued at the Supreme Court that sharing the money in the ECA would affect “the day to day running of the nation's economy”.
Working in tandem with Mr. Amaechi and his supporters in the Nigerian Governors Forum, the then minority APC members of the House of Representatives approached a Federal High Court on the 7th of February, 2014, for a perpetual injunction restraining the Jonathan administration from operating the ECA and to pay all the proceeds of that account into the Federation Account for sharing amongst the three tiers of government.
As a result of these actions, the Jonathan administration paid the 36 states of the federation a total of N2.92 trillion from the Excess Crude Account between 2011 and 2014. Using the value of the Naira at that time that amount was just above $20 billion dollars.
So it is quite clear that anyone who accuses the Jonathan administration of not saving for the rainy day has not been told the whole story.
By Reno Omokri
Omokri is the founder of the Mind of Christ Christian Center in California, author of Shunpiking: No Shortcuts to God and Why Jesus Wept and the host of Transformation with Reno Omokri
Two German archaeologists who were kidnapped while working at a dig site in northern Nigeria last week have been released and are doing well, the German foreign ministry said Sunday.
“The two archaeologists from the Goethe University in Frankfurt are free. They are in the care of the German embassy in Abuja,” a source said.
“They are doing well under the circumstances,” the source added, without providing further details.
The pair, who were working with Nigeria’s National Commission for Museum and Monuments, were abducted on Wednesday as they were working at an excavation site in Kaduna state, looking into ancient Nok culture.
Federal police chief Ibrahim K. Idris said on Thursday that the men had been assigned security personnel for their own protection but that they did not go with them to the dig site.
A local resident who asked not to be named told AFP that the pair were seized by abductors wielding gun and machetes, but they did not take the men’s two female German colleagues with them.
Two locals were killed during the abduction, he added, a toll confirmed by police.
The kidnapping took place off the main road linking Kaduna airport, to the north of the state capital, Kaduna city, with the national capital, Abuja, 220 kilometres (137 miles) away.
Safety on the road has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks since the federal government announced the closure of Abuja’s only airport for essential runway repairs.
The kidnapping of the two Germans added to security concerns in a region that has seen an uptick in violence.
Kidnapping for ransom was previously almost exclusively seen in Nigeria’s oil-rich south, where criminal gangs singled out the wealthy and expatriate workers in targeted or opportunistic attacks.
But it has gradually spread northwards as Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy imploded, to the extent that the Control Risks consultancy has said it is now “entrenched” countrywide.
In the first half of 2016, Nigeria was the fourth riskiest place for kidnappings in the world, the risk management firm said in September last year.
In the north, a government crackdown on cattle rustling has also been blamed for a rise in abductions.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has advised the APC National Leadership to forget about rigging in Rivers State as the people will always resist their evil machinations.
The governor also stated that Rivers State remains a PDP State where the people are satisfied with his development strides which revived the state after the immediate past APC administration squandered state resources without tangible development.
Governor Nyesom Wike
According to Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to the Governor, Electronic Media, the governor stated this at a Special Thanksgiving Service and dedication of awards bestowed on him by the Christian Association of Nigeria, Sun Newspapers, Authority Newspapers and Independent Newspapers on Sunday at the Saint Paul’s Anglican Cathedral.
Governor Wike regretted that APC leaders continue to fight against Rivers State to the extent of trying to stop Sun Newspapers from enthroning him as Sun Governor of the Year, 2016.
Governor Wike said: “They should forget about this state. No matter the level of security force, they will not be able to snatch Rivers State “.
He, however, commended the security agencies who covered the Etche/ Omuma Federal Constituency elections for being professional , despite the pressure from the APC National Leadership.
He also lauded INEC for standing firm for the first time. He noted that INEC attempted to redeem its battered image with the Etche/ OmumaFederal Constituency Election and the Etche State Constituency Election.
According to him: “Whenever a free and fair election is conducted in Rivers State, PDP will win. There is no other party here in Rivers State. ”
On his superlative performance, Governor Wike stated that his delivery of pro-people projects stems from the fact that he is focused despite the distractions from the Federal Government and her agencies.
He said that the progressive development of Rivers State is a function of determined application of scarce resources.
The governor said: “Some many APC leaders from Rivers State are very bitter that we are succeeding where they failed. They got between N23billion and N27billion monthly , but have nothing on ground to show for their 8 years in government.
“We get between N6billion and N7billion during a period of recession, yet we have transformed Rivers State. By the time we finish our first term, Rivers people will know the true meaning of good governance “, he said.
He commended political leaders, Rivers State House of Assembly and other stakeholders for supporting the success of his administration.
Bill Paxton has allegedly reported dead in Us. A filmmaker, director and Hollywood actor who has appeared in so many films died at the age of 61. He is known for his quality acting, his perfect exhibited roles in Hollywood. He will forever remain in the mind of Americans for his remarkable performance in their film industry.
Bill Pxaton
His extensive career includes film-making and acting films. He appeared in “The Terminator. Alliens and Titanic. In a statement with one of his relations, he died at the age of 61 due to some complications during surgery. “It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery,” the statement said.
In addition to more than 90 acting credits, Paxton was also a director on films such as “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” and “Fraility.”
Screenwriter Brian Lynch said Paxton was a talented director.
Harry Kane hit a first-half hat-trick as Tottenham stormed up to second in the Premier League with a 4-0 home demolition of Stoke on Sunday.
Kane’s treble took his tally to 17 league goals this season, while his first of the day at White Hart Lane was his 100th club goal.
The England forward, 23, who also scored three against Fulham in the FA Cup a week ago, capped an outstanding all-round display by setting up Dele Alli for the fourth.
That helped Alli to draw a line under his dismissal against Gent that contributed to Spurs’ Europa League exit on Thursday.
Tottenham Hotspur’s English striker Harry Kane (C) celebrates after scoring a hat-trick with Tottenham Hotspur’s Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen (L) and Tottenham Hotspur’s English midfielder Dele Alli during the English FA Cup fifth round football match between Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur at Craven Cottage in London on February 19, 2017. / AFP PHOTO
Tottenham’s victory took them above Manchester City and closed the gap on runaway leaders Chelsea to 10 points.
“It’s true that today Kane was fantastic, a hat-trick and a fantastic performance. He’s one of the best strikers in Europe and I’m very pleased for him because he deserves it,” Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino said.
“He has big potential to improve, he’s still very young. He works hard every day, he’s professional.”
The damaging failure to beat Gent marked the latest disappointment for Spurs in a frustrating month that also saw their title challenge fade significantly.
The challenge confronting Pochettino’s side was to produce a performance and result that would help put the midweek embarrassment behind them.
It quickly became clear this game would provide the ideal platform for Spurs and Alli to redeem themselves after a testing 72 hours of soul-searching.
Within three minutes Christian Eriksen had flashed a shot across the face of goal, provoking an angry reaction from Pochettino, who was infuriated at the Dane’s failure to pick out a better-placed team-mate.
The manager need not have worried. Stoke could barely manage to rouse themselves and after Joe Allen hit the side netting for the visitors, Kane produced the 14th-minute opening goal that put the home side firmly in control.
– Ruthless Kane –
The chance came when Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross failed to clear Eriksen's threaded pass, but Kane's finish was ruthless, with the striker latching onto the loose ball and producing a first-time shot that flew across keeper Lee Grant.
The technique Kane demonstrated in claiming his second in the 32nd minute was even better.
Eriksen’s right-wing corner was played out to Kane, who had positioned himself on the edge of the area, where he hit the bouncing ball on the full, left-footed, inside Grant’s right-hand post.
Prior to that, Stoke threatened when Peter Crouch slid in to meet Erik Pieters’ low cross, only to be denied by the boot of Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris, while Charlie Adam collected a booking for a foul on Alli.
But their response quickly faded and Tottenham’s third came when Adam again fouled Alli to concede a free-kick 30 yards out.
Eriksen rolled the ball to Kane, whose low shot deflected off the defensive wall, wrong-footing Grant and securing the striker’s hat-trick.
Stoke boss Mark Hughes was clearly angered by his side’s display but worse was to come in first-half stoppage time when Kane out-paced Bruno Martins-Indi on the right and burst into the box before squaring for Alli, who slid in for the fourth.
Injury to Toby Alderweireld at the start of the second half provided Spurs’ first setback of the game, while the sight of Kane colliding with a post was also a momentary cause for concern.
That aside, the only frustration for Spurs and Kane was that they failed to add to their first-half tally, with Grant producing an excellent save to deny the striker his fourth goal.
Mr Ken Ukaoha, President, National Association of Nigerian Traders, has listed multiple taxation, as one of the challenges hindering the ease of doing business in Nigeria which leads to high cost of goods in the country.
Ukaoha told journalists on Sunday in Abuja, that traders encounter several barriers on the highway in moving their goods from the factories and ware houses to the market.
"Whenever we are moving our goods from the factories or ware houses, we pay lot of fines before getting to the market and the cost will be added to the price of the goods.
"We encounter lot of corrupt practices and bribery on the road; even in the market, different people collect illegal fees and this has adverse effects on the cost of doing business,'' he said.
Ukaoha said that some individuals illegally form revenue agencies and collect taxes from individuals and small businessmen.
The president listed another challenge hindering the ease of doing business in Nigeria to the deplorable state of the roads.
taxation symbol
He said most times when goods are being moved from one place to another, the vehicles carrying the goods fall on the way and in the process, goods are destroyed.
He said that the association was making efforts build good relationship with officials of Road Transport Union and Road Transport Owners Associations to address some of the challenges faced on the highway. Ukaoha listed another challenge faced by the association to ignorance on the part of some traders.
He said that since most of the traders were not educated, the association had to go the extra mile to ensure that they abide by the policies of different government agencies that handle substandard products.
He disclosed that the association would convene national stakeholders meeting in March 6 where relevant agencies would be invited to discuss the need to facilitate free trade across the borders.
"The meeting will deliberate on how the country can address the current recession as traders play important role in the economy of the country.
"The meeting is coming at the right time that the government is looking at how it can increase the revenue base,'' Ukaoha added.
He commended the Federal Government for constituting committee to address the high cost of the goods in the country.
President Donald Trump has accused his fiercest rival at the Nov. 8 presidential election, Democratic Hillary Clinton, of rigging Saturday's chairmanship election of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Democrats on Saturday elected Clinton's long-time ally, Mr Tom Perez, as Chairman of DNC.
The election was seen as a proxy battle between Clinton and her arch challenger for the party's presidential nomination in 2016, Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Trump said on Sunday in his tweets that Clinton rigged out Sen. Bernie Sanders' candidate, Keith Ellison.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump
"The race for DNC Chairman was, of course, totally 'rigged'.
"Bernie's guy, like Bernie himself, never had a chance. Clinton demanded Perez!" Trump tweeted.
Trump had, in his congratulatory message to Perez on Saturday, said he "could not be happier for the Republican Party".
"Congratulations to Thomas Perez, who has just been named Chairman of the DNC.
"I could not be happier for him, or for the Republican Party!" Trump tweeted.
Perez defeated Minnesota Rep Keith Ellison and four other candidates in a race at a time when the party is facing one of its greatest challenges in serving as a credible opposition and united check to the Republican President Trump.
The election saw Perez receiving 235 votes in the second round of voting, ahead of Sanders' preferred candidate, Keith Ellison's 200.
Ellison, had the support of progressives like Sanders as well as more establishment politicians like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
In his victory speech, however, Perez announced that he was appointing Ellison the Deputy Chair of the DNC, a move that largely calmed frayed nerves among Ellison's group.
The move, which was accepted by Ellison, was unanimously supported.
There is no provision for the position of Deputy Chair in the party and there would be an election for the Vice Chairman later.
The election for the new DNC chairman was held following the resignation of former DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who left the post following the 2016 DNC email leak by WikiLeaks.
Emails leaked by WikiLeaks revealed that Brazile had informed the Clinton campaign of debate questions ahead of time.
It was revealed in the email leak that Schultz showed bias against Sanders' presidential campaign, and was succeeded as DNC chair by Donna Brazile, who served in an interim role, but ran into controversy as well.
Some Nigerians in the U.S. have expressed concerns over the controversial Executive Order expected to be rolled out this week by President Donald Trump to restrict citizens from certain countries and also put in place stringent measures against all categories of undocumented immigrants.
Newsmen report that the Nigerians voiced out their concerns during teleconferences organized to equip them with information about the travel ban, to also allay their fears and enlighten them on what to do to avoid falling into President Trump's immigration trap.
Journalists report that the information sessions, which held twice on Saturday, were organized by two influential Nigerian groups in the U.S., namely the Organization for the Advancement of Nigerians and the Nigerian Lawyers Association.
Some of the concerns raised by the Nigerians included those who have overstayed in the U.S. and were yet to perfect their documentations, and those with different names on their documents due to marriage, divorce or other reasons.
Others were those who have permanent residency, conditional permanent residency, criminal records and those who have money in banks, investments or property, should they be deported under the new immigration policy.
Newsmen report that the panel of attorneys on the teleconferences discussed concerns about the Executive Order, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Dreamers) and the rights of undocumented and documented immigrants.
The attorneys advised those without documentation and who have money and other investments to have contingency plans and seek counsel from financial experts and attorneys.
Green Card holders were advised to avoid overstaying beyond six months if they travelled out of the U.S. or they may risk having their Green Card revoked.
Those with conditional permanent residency were also advised to file the removal of conditions 90 days before the expiry of the card or it would be terminated and the holder would not have any valid status to remain in the U.S., and therefore, face deportation.
US President, Donald Trump
Similarly, those who have overstayed and without valid documentations were advised to be law-abiding by avoiding running into troubles like drunk driving or other associated crimes.
Those who have had criminal convictions, were told that this is not the best time to apply for any immigration benefits like Green Card as such record would pop up and they may just be exposing themselves by reminding the enforcement officers that they are illegal immigrants.
Also, for those who have overstayed following the expiration of their visas, the attorneys said such category of people could regularize their stay in the U.S. if they have American spouses.
Those travelling to the U.S. were advised against giving immigration or customs officers at the airports their phones' security codes to unlock the phones, saying the officials have no right to ask for the codes except with a search warrant.
They were, however, advised to download any incriminating records out of their phones to avoid any inappropriate questioning or deportation.
All categories of immigrants were advised to always contact reputable attorneys who understand immigration issues for necessary professional assistance.
The Nigerians with expired visas without criminal records and without any forms of identification were also advised to obtain cities' identity cards like New York's, which is valid across the State.
The Nigerian groups also allayed fears that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials were carrying out raids in New York or mounting check points across the country.
According to them, nobody is conducting raid in New York while check points by ICE officials can only be carried out within 100 miles of the country's borders.
Officials of the groups said the two teleconference sessions on Saturday and those sessions held on Monday, would be uploaded on their websites: www.oanweb.org and immigration@nigerianlawyers.org to provide handy information.
Mr Olayinka Dansalami, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Organisation for the Advancement of Nigerians, said the information sessions on the travel ban were the groups' contributions to the welfare of Nigerians in the U.S. "It's just our own way of giving back to our Nigerian community," Dansalami said.
Mr Francis James, a Member of the Board of Trustees, also told newsmen that the groups were always ready to defend and protect the rights of Nigerians in the U.S.
"If other issues come up after Trump rolls out a new travel ban, we will still address them for the benefits of our community," James said.
The U.S. Government plans to consider almost all illegal immigrants subject to deportation, but will leave protections in place for immigrants known as "dreamers" who entered the country illegally as children, according to official guidelines released on Tuesday.
The revised orders, which are expected to be rolled out this week, after the initial orders, which targeted nationals of seven countries, namely, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan and Libya, were blocked by Federal Courts.
The Department of Homeland Security guidance to immigration agents is part of a broader plan for border security and immigration enforcement of the executive orders that Trump signed on Jan. 25, but which have generated protests across the country and other countries around the world.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga claimed a second title in as many weeks and surged into the world top 10 after beating fellow Frenchman Lucas Pouille in the final of the ATP Marseille Open on Sunday.
France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Second seed Tsonga, currently 11th in the ATP rankings, notched up a 6-4, 6-4 win over fourth seed Pouille to become Marseille champion for a third time.
Tsonga, 31, won in Rotterdam last week for a first title since September 2015 and his Marseille victory was his 14th career ATP title.
“I played great tennis all week, like last week,” said the in-form Tsonga.
“I was never in too much danger. I served very well each time it was close.”
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