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A Nigerian peacekeeper serving with the African Union-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) has been killed in Darfur, the UNAMID said said on Thursday.
UNAMID, in a statement said the Nigerian soldier was killed by an unidentified group in a carjacking incident in Nyala, South Darfur State.
The Mission extended its condolences to the family of the late peacekeeper and the Government of Nigeria.
"UNAMID strongly condemns this attack, which constitutes a violation of international law.
"The incident has been reported to the relevant Sudanese authorities.
"UNAMID calls on the Government of Sudan to swiftly apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
"The Mission extends its deepest condolences to the family of the late peacekeeper, his colleagues, and the Federal Government of Nigeria."
The UN, at a press briefing by Mr Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General, confirmed the death and extended its condolences to the family, colleagues and the Federal Government.
"We join the Mission in extending our deepest condolences to the family of the late peacekeeper, his colleagues, and the Federal Government of Nigeria", Dujarric said.
An Igbo Socio-Cultural group, Nzuko Umunna, has expressed satisfaction with the conduct by the Igbo people worldwide in their activities to mark the May 30th "Biafra at 50" celebrations.
The group which commended the IPOB, MASSOB, BIM and such other organizations for the very peaceful and civil manner they mobilized and conducted themselves on the day, also hailed the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and all the South East governors for their cooperation in ensuring the success of the Remembrance Day.
In a statement jointly signed by the group's Coordinator, Mazi Ngozi Odumuko and the Secretary, Paschal Mbanefo, the prominent Igbo group noted that unlike in the past, this year's strategy ensured a string of non-violent yet very effective activities.
The statement noted that the level of compliance with the sit-at-home directive, while highly satisfactory and commendable, has shattered a lot of myths and fallacies about Igbo and their unity, adding that never would Ndigbo forget the heroes who made the supreme sacrifice for them.
The statement further thanked all Nigerians for their show of support and solidarity, and promised that Nzuko Umunna would work with all other necessary bodies to make subsequent commemorations in the years to come more massive.
The statement read in full:
"30th May, 2017, made it exactly 50 years after the civil war, otherwise known as Biafran war, broke out.
While it has become a tradition to remember our heroes who paid the ultimate price in the defence of Igboland during the war, the commemorations before now had been fraught with avoidable clashes between some Igbo youth and law enforcement agents.
"The commemorations, to say the least, had always been marked in an atmosphere of tension, mutual suspicion and forceful suppression of the people who were mostly attacked by the Nigerian forces even without provocation, leaving behind it trails of tears, sorrow and blood.
It was on this basis that it was decided that this year's commemoration be marked with a sit-at-home directive.
"As an Igbo socio-cultural group, we were highly delighted at the level of compliance with the sit-at-home directive despite not being enforced in any way except through moral suasion. IPOB, MASSOB, BIM and such other groups must be commended for this rare feat.
We are also very delighted with the commemoration of the day by Ndigbo and their friends worldwide including Europe, America, Asia, Australia and other African countries where the day was marked in carnival-like atmosphere.
"We must not fail to sincerely appreciate the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and all the South East governors for their cooperation and show of statesmanship while the Day lasted.
All these have shattered the myths and fallacies spread about the Igbo, their businesses, unity and solidarity.
"The support, understanding and effusive show of solidarity by all Nigerians to the cause was humbling. This has gone a long way to show that freedom is a universal cause and that tribute to fallen heroes is a natural human endeavour.
"Based on the foregoing, we commit to working even closer with all stakeholders in ensuring a more massive and more memorable Remembrance Day subsequently.
Liberal activists are urging U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, a conservative, with whom they often disagree, to put off any thought of retirement, fearing President Donald Trump would replace him with a jurist further to the right.
The liberal Democrats’ keep-Kennedy campaign, being pursued publicly and privately, reflects how powerless they have become against the Republican president when it comes to high court vacancies since the Senate in April reduced the vote tally needed to confirm a Supreme Court nomination to 51 from 60.
It also shows how big the stakes are for both sides in any decision that Kennedy, who turns 81 in July, makes about his future on the court. If he were to retire, Trump would have a historic opportunity to recast the court in a more conservative posture, possibly for decades to come.
Some former Kennedy clerks have said he is thinking about retirement. He has declined to comment on his plans, despite requests from many media outlets including Reuters.
Right now, Kennedy “is the most important man in America. He is the vote that swings the court on the most important cases that reach it,” said Elizabeth Wydra, president of the Constitutional Accountability Center, a left-leaning think tank.
Nominated by Republican President Ronald Reagan in 1987 to a lifetime court seat, Kennedy has been a crucial swing vote on the nine-member court for more than a decade.
On most issues, such as campaign finance and religious rights, he has voted with fellow conservatives. He also voted with the minority to strike down the 2010 Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. But on gay rights and abortion, he has sided with the court’s four liberals.
If he stays in his post, the court’s long-standing ideological balance will be preserved. If he quits, Trump could replace him with someone who tilts further right, giving conservatives a solid five-vote majority.
Wydra and other liberals are lionizing Kennedy and his legacy in the media. Some are reaching out to former Kennedy clerks and others who know him, asking them to urge him not to retire, said Michele Jawando, a legal advocate at the Center for American Progress think tank in Washington.
One former Kennedy clerk confirmed being asked to urge him to stay on and said other clerks had asked him to do so. Other clerks said they had not been approached by liberal activists.
Six years after its inauguration, Champions League finalists Juventus’s home stadium in Turin has finally been given a name: the Allianz Stadium.
As of July 1, the German insurance firm’s name — which already adorns a number of other sports stadiums, including Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, Nice’s Allianz Riviera, and the Allianz Park in London of rugby club Saracens — will be emblazoned on a ground until now simply known as the Juventus Stadium.
Juventus stadium now named Allianz stadium
Specialist Italian media company Calcio e Finanza (football and finance) said Allianz will pay three million euros a year until 2023.
However, Juve will see none of that money having sold the naming rights to the 41,000-seater stadium to Sportfive agency back in 2011 for 75 million euros over 12 years.
This deal will allow Sportfive to finally recover 18 million euros of that outlay.
Three first half goals from the Super Eagles ensured that they continue their unbeaten run under manager Gernot Rohr.
Super Eagles
The Premier League representation stole the show as a brace from Leicester’s Ahmed Musa in the 3rd and 17th minutes followed by an easy tap in by Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho saw to it that the Hawks of Togo remain without a win in six matches.
Musa opened scoring when Togo’s goalkeeper Alassani spilled Iwobi’s cross along Musa’s path, then doubled the scoreline with an assist from Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi. Iheanacho wrapped things up when he easily tapped in an assist from Oghenekaro Etebo.
The game saw the likes of Premier League bound Henry Onyekuru, Olanrewaju Kayode and Victor Osimhen make their debut for the senior national team.
The team will now return to Nigeria for their all important Nations Cup qualifier against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa billed for June 10th at the Godswill Akpabio Int’l stadium.
A Bill proposing six months imprisonment for persons who shunt or distort queues in public places on Thursday scaled second reading at the House of Representatives.
The Sponsor of the bill, Rep. Abubakar Amuda-Kannike (Kwara-APC), while leading debate on it, said that it sought to ensure that Nigerians conducted themselves orderly in public places.
Amuda-Kannike said that it was normal practice for some Nigerians to shunt or distort queues and go unpunished.
He expressed worry that recent events had shown that Nigeria was on the verge of losing its cherished sense of nationalism, cultural identity and hospitality.
"The bill underscores the need to re-awaken a derailed national culture by proposing disciplinary measures to guide Nigerians in their daily behaviours.
"In our society today, out of total disregard for other persons, who strive to do the right thing by conducting themselves orderly in public places, a large number of Nigerians distort queues and go unpunished.
"The bill if passed shall provide a starting point of value and cultural re-orientation in Nigeria," the lawmaker said.
He expressed optimism that the bill if passed, future generations would have a more sane society that would help to shape morals, principles and respect for each other in addition to adequate awareness on what constitute nationhood.
He decried the prevailing level of corruption, indiscipline, disrespect to elders and the rule of law in the country.
"The bill underscores the need to re-awaken the derailed national culture by proposing disciplinary measures to guide Nigerians in their daily behaviours.
"Any nation that is not organised cannot have rapid growth.
"We should be seen as organised people from point of entry but we have accepted that anything goes.
"Every school should have civic education in its curriculum to instil patriotism and orderliness in the country," Amuda-Kannike said.
Contributing, Rep. Sam Onuigbo (Abia-PDP) said that the bill would also ensure orderliness, equity, fairness and justice in the distribution of services in the country.
"It will be nice for us to be seen as orderly people from the point of entry into the country," Onuigbo said.
Rep. Ayo Omidiran (Osun-APC) said "by being orderly in all our activities, we will be transmitting good behavioural pattern to generations and this will promote a better society".
After the debate, the bill was passed for third reading through a unanimous voice vote.
Orphans from across the country on Thursday offered special prayers for the quick recovery and good health of President Muhammadu Buhari.President Muhammadu Buhari
The orphans, who were drawn from the 36 states and the FCT, prayed for God's intervention for the quick recovery of the president in Abuja.
The prayers, which were offered in the Muslim and Christian faiths, saw the children praying fervently for the quick recovery of Buhari and the nation.
Chief Samuel Pukat, the initiator of the programme, said the programme was to pray for God's mercies on the president and give him quick recovery.
"Base on what the orphans stand for, in the Bible and Qur'an, they have special place in the heart of God, so we decided to bring them together to pray for the president.
"The politicians have prayed; the rich and poor have also prayed.
"Various people have prayed with different intentions in their heart but these noble ones, children, whose hope is in God and have nothing in their heart have also come to pray.
"We decided that these ones that have a heart that is closed to God come and pray. We gather them from different states and today they are here to offer prayers.
"We believe that as they called on God something very important will happen to our prayers and he (Buhari) will recover and returned `hale and hearty,'' he said.
The prayers were led by the Deputy Imam of Abuja National Mosque, Dr Kabiru Mohammed, and Bishop Musa Fomsin of Unlimited Masses Church, Jos.
Donald Trump will on Thursday announce plans to withdraw from the Paris climate deal, a US official told AFP, signaling a policy shift with wide-ranging repercussions for the climate and America’s ties with the world.TRUMP
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an official said that Trump will confirm America’s “withdrawal” during a statement in the White House Rose Garden set to begin at 1900 GMT.
Although details and the timeframe are still unclear, Trump is set to argue that the agreement is a bad deal for Americans and that he is keeping a campaign promise to “put American workers first.”
The White House has told allies the 2015 deal was signed by President Barack Obama out of “desperation.”
Trump faced last-minute pressure from business tycoons, foreign allies and from inside his own White House not to pull out of the 196-party accord.
Ever the showman, the 70-year-old gave his decision a reality-TV-style tease, refusing to indicate his preference either way and coyly telling reporters on “you’re gonna find out very soon.”
His decision could seriously hamper efforts to cut emissions and limit global temperature increases. The United States is the world’s second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, after China.
Opponents of withdrawal — said to include Trump’s own daughter Ivanka — have warned that America’s reputation and its leadership role on the world stage are also at stake, as is the environment.
Nicaragua and Syria are the only countries not party to the Paris accord, the former seeing it as not ambitious enough and the latter being racked by a brutal civil war.
– Diplomatic pressure –
Trump’s long wind-up has prompted fierce lobbying, with his environmental protection chief Scott Pruitt and chief strategist Steve Bannon urging the president to leave.
“I’m hearing from a lot of people, both ways. Both ways,” Trump said on the eve of his statement.
A dozen large companies including oil major BP, agrochemical giant DuPont, Google, Intel and Microsoft, have also urged Trump to remain part of the deal.
Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk said he would have “no choice” but to leave White House-backed business councils if Trump pulls out.
On the diplomatic front, German Chancellor Angela Merkel led the “remain” camp, publicly describing the deal as “essential,” and suggesting other countries would press ahead regardless.
Trump raised alarm bells when he refused to sign up to a pledge on the deal at last week’s G7 meeting in Italy.
Merkel on Saturday labelled the result of the “six against one” discussion “very difficult, not to say very unsatisfactory.”
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was less diplomatic, all but accusing the US president of being ill-informed.
“I am a transatlanticist. But if the US president in the next hours and days says that he will get out of the Paris accord, then it’s the responsibility of Europe to say: that’s not acceptable.”
He noted that it would take three or four years to exit from the Paris deal, and revealed that world leaders had sought to explain that to Trump at the G7 summit.
“As it appears, that attempt failed,” said Juncker. “But a rule is a rule. And everyone must respect it. Not everything that is a rule, and not everything that stands in an international agreement is fake news.”
– China pledge –
Hours ahead of Trump’s announcement, China’s Premier Li Keqiang also pledged to stay the course on implementing the climate accord, and urged other countries to do likewise.
“China will continue to implement promises made in the Paris Agreement, to move towards the 2030 goal step by step steadfastly,” Li said in a Berlin joint press conference with Merkel.
“But of course, we also hope to do this in cooperation with others.”
China has been investing billions in clean energy infrastructure, as its leaders battle to clear up the choking pollution enveloping its biggest cities, including Beijing.
China and the US are responsible for some 40 percent of the world’s emissions and experts warn is vital for both to remain in the Paris agreement if it is to succeed.
The leader of Asia’s other behemoth, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said this week failing to act on climate change would be “morally criminal”.
– Contradictory signals –
A US withdrawal would come less than 18 months after the historic pact was adopted in the French capital, the fruit of a hard-fought agreement between Beijing and Washington under Obama’s leadership.
The Paris Agreement commits signatories to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, which is blamed for melting ice caps and glaciers, rising sea levels and more violent weather events.
They vowed steps to keep the worldwide rise in temperatures “well below” two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial times and to “pursue efforts” to hold the increase under 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Since taking office on January 20, Trump, who has called climate change a “hoax”, has sent contradictory signals on the Paris deal.
When asked on Tuesday whether Trump believes human activity is contributing to climate change, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters, “Honestly, I haven’t asked him that. I can get back to you.”
The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of Southwest Zone, Mr Foluso Adebanjo, has rated Ekiti as having the lowest crime rate in the country.Fayose giving out cakes and cash to residents of Ado-Ekiti for soft drinks
The DIG spoke in Ado Ekiti on Thursday during a working visit.
"The crime rate in Ekiti is very low, in fact, the lowest in the country. The police anywhere in the world can't do it alone without the cooperation and consent of the people.
"You need to work with critical stakeholders to achieve a crime-free society
"The Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, is committed to the task of giving our men incentives.
"Before now, Inspectors used to spend over 14 years before becoming Superintendent of Police, but such has been corrected.
"Apart from promotion, we are working on the housing scheme for our men to be able to own a house after retirement.
"We are also improving on the medicals so that our men who sustained injuries in the course of performing their tasks can get the best treatment and many other incentives.
"Let us do this job conscientiously. Don't be labelled corrupt officers, this is not good for the image of the force locally and globally.
"Do this job very well and you will not regret it because you are doing God's job and your reward shall surely come,'' he said.
Adebanjo added that the proposal for the recruitment of 30,000 policemen annually would take care of the shortfall in the personnel in some states, including Ekiti.
"As we speak now, 10,000 people are undergoing training and the proposal is that 30,000 will be trained yearly for the next 10 years.
So, we have a work plan and we must not allow a few criminals to destroy the beautiful name and respect Nigeria commands globally,'' he said.
Earlier in his address of welcome, the state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abdulahi Chafe, said the command would continue to ensure synergy with other sister agencies to make Ekiti crime-free.
After a wobble in her campaign, British Prime Minister Theresa May sought to woo voters in a Brexit-backing constituency Thursday, but activists warned that a policy misstep had lost her support.Demonstrators march onto College Green outside The Houses of Parliament at an anti-Brexit protest in central London on June 28, 2016. EU leaders attempted to rescue the European project and Prime Minister David Cameron sought to calm fears over Britain’s vote to leave the bloc as ratings agencies downgraded the country. Britain has been pitched into uncertainty by the June 23 referendum result, with Cameron announcing his resignation, the economy facing a string of shocks and Scotland making a fresh threat to break away. / AFP PHOTO / JUSTIN TALLIS
With one week to go until the June 8 vote, the Conservative leader headed to northeast England to remind voters of her pitch to be the best person to lead the country out of the European Union.
At a construction equipment firm in Guisborough on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors, where giant diggers lined up in the car park, May vowed that “if we can get Brexit right, I’m convinced the future will be brighter”.
Her promise to be tough in the negotiations with the EU drew cheers from the audience of mostly local Conservative activists installed on temporary chairs in a warehouse.
“This part of the world voted very strongly for Brexit and I think it’s important that we get it right,” said Paul Howell, who is standing as a Tory candidate in a seat further north.
“Theresa May all the way. She reminds a bit of Maggie Thatcher,” added 25-year-old Wayne Layton, referring to Britain’s other female prime minister.
But May is under intense pressure to deliver an increased parliamentary majority from the vote, which she called in April when her party was more than 20 points ahead in opinion polls.
Since then, the opposition Labour party has gained ground and May was forced to compromise on a key manifesto pledge on elderly care, which threated many traditional Tories with higher bills.
Jill Coleman, a 70-year-old party activist dressed in her Sunday best, said May was “absolutely fabulous” and posed for a picture in front of the Conservatives’ blue election “battlebus”.
But she said the social care policy — dubbed the “dementia tax” in the media — had also caused her alarm, before May confirmed costs would be capped.
“I was very worried because my husband has very bad health,” she told AFP, adding that it may put voters off.
Another Tory activist, Ian Ferguson, said his father-in-law — a lifelong Labour voter — had been ready to switch to May before the social care row.
“She was actually getting through to him but that one stumbling block over the dementia tax is (creating) a hesitancy,” he said.
– ‘So many U-turns’ –
Guisborough is in the parliamentary seat of Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, a Conservative target.
Labour had a majority of 2,268 at the last election, which May is hoping to overturn as she targets working-class voters who backed Brexit.
In the speech at CJ Leonard & Sons, May emphasised her plans to improve skills for young people — although the boss’s daughter was not impressed.
“She’s made so many U-turns in the past couple weeks I don’t see how you can believe in her as a leader,” Grace Leonard, a 20-year-old student, told AFP.
A few miles away in south Middlesbrough, Labour’s parliamentary candidate Tracy Harvey said May had little appeal to locals, who were concerned about jobs and public services.
“Theresa May is using this election for Brexit, but actually on the doorstep, people aren’t mentioning that,” she said, handing out leaflets outside a shopping arcade, many of the buildings locked up.
As bored children on their half-term break rode their bikes up and down the street, youth worker Ricky Tomlinson made smoothies at a Caribbean-style stall.
“I’ve always been Labour, my family’s always been Labour,” the 32-year-old told AFP, adding of May: “Good luck to her, but I don’t think it’s going to happen here.”
The Conservatives have exploited divisions in the Labour party over the left-wing leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, which prompted a failed coup against him after last year’s Brexit vote.
But Harvey said support for Corbyn had grown following a number of assured television appearances earlier this week.
“People are saying Jeremy is a strong leader, and he is — he’s got integrity and he’s got principles and that is certainly coming across,” she said.
By Omeiza Ajayi ABUJA – The ruling All Progressives Congress APC has appointed former Super Eagles handler, Christian Chukwu as head of its talent hunt football competition tagged National Unity Cup Football Competition involving non-league players in the six geo-political zones.Coach Christian Chukwu, former Rangers International Skipper and Coach
Inaugurating the committee Thursday in Abuja, APC National Youth Leader, Dasuki Ibrahim Jalo, said that the competition, scheduled for next month is part of the party’s mandate to initiate and implement strategic programs that would endear the party to Nigerian youth.
Adding that the competition is organized in conjunction with zonal and States Youth Leaders as approved by the party, Jalo said: “This competition would bring out hidden talents in the field of football which can be showcased to the world for future benefits to individual and the Nation at large. It also has ability to develop individual physical mental thinking and emotions. The competition would be between states of the federation and be played at the six geo-political zones with two teams emerging from each zone to play the semi finals and finals in Abuja,” he noted.
He equally disclosed that while league players will not be part of the competition since it is a talent hunt, the kickoff date, the modus operandi, competition format, the prizes among other things would be stipulated by the committee.
“I would seize this singular opportunity to call on the leaders of our party especially the state chairmen and their governors to support this initiative for the benefit of the party and our teaming youths in various states and LGAs especially the Sports lovers,” he appealed.
National coordinator of the competition, Christian Chukwu, who was represented by former Super Eagles assistant coach, James Peters, commended the ruling party for the initiative, which he said would produce abundant talents to feed the national teams.
“All Sports and Games Consult (AGC) has asked me to warmly welcome you to the epoch making event comprising the inauguration of the National Organising Committee, Unveiling of Chairmanship Trophy and Presentation of Branded Football for the APC National Unity Cup Tournament.
“Today’s event marks the high point of several months of hard work and consultations to ensure the plan to stage the first edition of the APC National Unity Cup Football Championship is successful.
“The Governing Party – the All Progressives Congress (APC) in partnership with Allsports ‘N’ Games Consult (AGC) has packaged this Talent Hunt programme for Youth Development and Empowerment through sports.
“Considering the local content advantages, which include abundance of talents, qualified technical hands at home and income generation potentials, the football development goal in the country is assured with the strong untiy advocacy for the citizens.”
Manchester United has overtaken Real Madrid to become Europe's richest football club despite not playing in the champions league nor winning the English League since 2013.Manchester United’s Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho celebrates with the trophy after the UEFA Europa League final football match Ajax Amsterdam v Manchester United on May 24, 2017 at the Friends Arena in Solna outside Stockholm. / AFP PHOTO
The latest football rich list from KPMG showed that United had topped Real Madrid to occupy the first spot as the richest club in the continent.
Five other English clubs also made it on the top 10 list of richest clubs in Europe including Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool.
United has failed to win the English Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as its manager in 2013, but the club increased in value to €3.
Although Manchester united owes almost hal a billion pounds in debt, it had a remarkable revenue increase due to a bumper television rights deal.
The English game's growing financial muscle is highlighted in the second year of KPMG's report.
The study looked at the finances of 39 clubs based on their popularity on social media channels, revenues for the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons, and success in European competitions.
The clubs were then ranked by a measure used judge how much it would cost to buy any given club as it includes a business's total debt.
United has been valued at €3.004 billion (£2.61bn), ahead of both Real (€2.895bn) and Barcelona (€2.688bn).
KPMG had estimated Madrid and United as being worth €2.9bn at the end of the 2015-16 season.
Bayern Munich (€2.367bn) are fourth on the list, with Manchester City (€1.909bn) the next highest-placed English team in fifth. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur complete the top 10.
In May, United announced projected full-year revenues of between £560 million and £570m and expected profits that could eclipse their current record of £191.9m.
They currently have 26 global sponsorship deals, including with kit manufacturer adidas, shirt sponsor Chevrolet, 20th Century Fox and Uber, as well as 10 regional sponsorship deals and 28 other media and financial partners.
Broadcasting rights alone are worth £8.3bn to the 20 Premier League teams.
KPMG studied the publicly available financial information of 39 clubs, as well as their popularity on social media and success in European competitions.
The top 32 teams had a combined value of €29.9bn (£26bn), an increase of more than €3bn on last year. The three top teams – Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona – account for around a third of the total value.
The influx of cash into football's biggest clubs saw transfer records broken last year with United manager Jose Mourinho paying £89m to bring Paul Pogba back from Juventus after a spell away at the Italian champions.
KPMG's €3.05bn ($3.4bn) valuation of Manchester United suggests that the stock market is currently underpricing the club which is listed in New York with a market capitalisation of $2.8bn.
Real Madrid fell to second in the rich list, despite a successful season which saw them win the Spanish title for the first time in five years and reach the Champions League final, to be played on Saturday.
The lack of correlation between footballing and financial performance further underlines the increasing importance of broadcasting rights to top clubs.
At the start of the 2016/17 season the Premier League began a new TV rights deal with Sky and BT Sport worth £10.4bn over three years.
"In terms of media rights value, the English Premier League sits comfortably at the top of European leagues, although other major leagues have outlined well-defined strategies to compete for the attention of global fans," said Andrea Sartori, KPMG's global head of sports and the report's author
Further down the list, German champions Bayern Munich kept the fourth place they held last year, while Manchester City overtook Arsenal to take fifth spot.
Leicester City and Everton were the two other English clubs to make the list, in 16th and 17th place respectively.
Manchester United (€3.004bn) Real Madrid (€2.895bn) Barcelona (€2.688bn) Bayern Munich (€2.367bn) Manchester City (€1.909bn) Arsenal (€1.882bn) Chelsea (€1.524bn) Liverpool (€1.260bn) Juventus (€1.158bn) Tottenham Hotspur (€978m) Paris Saint-Germain (€948m) Borussia Dortmund (€917m) Atletico Madrid (€771m) Schalke (€663m) AC Milan (€504m) 16 Leicester (€442m)
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has predicted cloudy morning in the central states of the country on Friday with prospects of thunderstorms over Abuja, Lafia, Minna, Makurdi, Ibi, Jalingo and Mambilla Plateau.
NiMet's Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office (CFO), in Abuja on Thursday also predicted partly cloudy conditions later in the day.
It added that the region would have day and night temperatures of 24 to 35 and 18 to 25 degrees Celsius respectively.
The agency predicted that southern states would experience cloudy morning with chances of localised rains over Akure, Osogbo, Benin, Calabar, Eket, Onitsha, Abakaliki, Enugu, Obudu, Ikom and Port Harcourt.
It also predicted chances of localised thunderstorms over Lagos, Shaki, Iseyin, Benin, Oshogbo, Warri, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Abeokuta in the afternoon and evening hours.
NiMet added that the southern region would have day and night temperatures of 28 to 35 and 21 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.
According to NiMet, northern states will experience cloudy morning to partly cloudy conditions with chances of thundery activity over Kano, Nguru, Maiduguri and Dutse in the afternoon and evening hours.
"The region will have day and night temperatures of 30 to 44 and 21 to 27 degrees Celsius respectively.
"Thunderstorms are expected to affect the central states down to southern cities due to availability of moisture and energy'', NiMet predicted.
By Bashir Bello KATSINA – Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Chieftain, Alhaji Umar Abdullahi Tsauri popularly known as Tata has been remanded in prison custody, Counsel to Tata, Barrister Uyi Igunma has disclosed.
The counsel who disclosed this to Vanguard said Tata was arraigned before Chief Magistrate court I and later remanded in prison custody till Monday.
Bar. Igunma said his client, Tata was arrested for distribution of grains to Muslim faithfuls in Dutsi Local government area of the state in the spirit of the Month of Ramadan.
When contacted, the Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO Gambo Isah said Tata was invited by the police for questioning following a petition written to the command by members of the Dutsi community accusing him of causing public disturbance in the area hence his invitation.
It would be recalled that on the eve of elections into the Mashi/Dutsi federal constituency seat, Tata was arrested by the police and arraigned before the court on two-count charges of Nuisance – by distributing food to the needy and by campaigning on a horse back, after which he was granted bail in the sum of Five Hundred thousand Naira (500,000) with two sureties.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Thursday, stated that it has entered into a partnership with the Bayelsa State Government to build a power plant in the state.
•Gov Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa
This was even as Bayelsa State also indicated its readiness to acquire an Oil Prospecting License, whenever another oil license bid round is conducted.
In a statement in Abuja, the NNPC said the decision to partner with Bayelsa in building a power plant was part of concerted efforts to resolve the nation's electric power challenge.
According to the statement, Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Maikanti Baru, stated this while receiving the Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Henry Seriake Dickson who paid him a courtesy in Abuja.
Baru, who also expressed interest in the state's Brass Fertilizer Company, disclosed that the NNPC was prepared to invest in the project as a shareholder.
Baru said the power plant would be built at the Bayelsa State's proposed industrial park, stressing that the collaboration would afford the state and NNPC the opportunity to share technical knowledge that would attract investors to the Niger Delta region.
He said, "We have a lot of areas of collaboration. The NNPC will support Bayelsa State Government every inch of the way to deliver on the power plant in the proposed industrial park, ensure security of oil and gas infrastructure and siting of other inclusive projects that would improve the lives of the people in the communities."
He further stated that Bayelsa State was earmarked for the Federal Government's Greenfield Modular Refinery project which feasibility studies had been concluded, adding however that the project was stalled due to the withdrawal of the foreign partners from the project.
In addition, Baru explained the reasons for the delay in reaching Final Investment Decision (FID) of Brass Liquefied Natural Gas (BLNG), stating that the project had not taken off because arrangements are on for a market window for the product.
He said, "We have spent a lot of money on the Brass LNG project and we had planned the FID for 2012 but the shareholders were unable to secure the market due to new plants in East Africa and other developments in the industry. What the shareholders in Brass LNG are doing now is to redesign the plant and secure a market because without the market the project cannot go on."
Baru further pledged to rally NNPC and its Joint Venture partners to support the State Trust Fund in order to mitigate the incidences of pipeline vandalism which impact negatively on the efficiency of the operators as well as the environment.
In his response, Governor Seriake Dickson said the visit was to appreciate the laudable efforts of the GMD and his team and to solicit the Corporation's support for the state's security, development and the oil and gas industry.
Dickson disclosed that the state would seek an Oil Prospecting License, OPL, whenever the industry undertakes another bid round, adding that it needed such investment, over time, to augment the monthly allocation from the Federal Government.
Ivory Coast legend Yaya Toure signed a new one year contract with Manchester City on Thursday, a reward for sterling performances after returning to favour mid-November.Manchester City’s Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure (C) celebrates with Manchester City’s Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (L) and Manchester City’s Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho (R) after scoring their second goal during the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Selhurst Park in south London on November 19, 2016. Manchester City won the game 2-1. AFP
The 34-year-old midfielder — a four-time African Footballer of the Year — had fallen out with City manager Pep Guardiola but regained his trust and has been retained unlike several other players who like him were out of contract and been allowed to leave.
“I’m delighted,” Toure told the club website.
“I told myself the journey at City is not done and when I received a call from Txiki (Begiristain the football director) and talked to the manager I was very delighted.
“When I was first coming here (in 2010) I was trying to be part of a new story, of something special at this club.
“I am very lucky now to be part of a great club with great players around me who are helping me to achieve my targets.”
Toure, who skippered Ivory Coast to their 2015 Africa Cup of Nations triumph over Ghana ending a 23 year drought, added the desire to win more silverware remained as keen as ever.
In his seven years at the club Toure has been part of two Premier League winning sides — scoring 24 goals in the 2013/14 campaign.
He has also played a significant role in their Cup successes, scoring in the 2011 FA Cup win over Stoke and the 2014 League Cup victory over Sunderland as well as a penalty in the shootout win over Liverpool in the 2016 final.
“Of course I want to win trophies, that is very important to me,” said Toure, who has scored 81 goals in 299 league appearances for the club.
“I want to enjoy it at this age still and remaining here is a massive, massive thing.
“It is a great club, going in the right direction with new players who are coming in. Our mentality is always to win week in, week out and I’m delighted with the fans as well.”
Begiristain for his part said despite Toure’s age the former Barcelona star remained firmly part of Guardiola’s plans.
“Yaya has been a fantastic servant for Manchester City and continues to be a vital member of Pep Guardiola’s squad,” said Begiristain.
“He is one of our most experienced and popular players and we couldn’t be happier that he is staying with us as we embark on what we all hope will be a very exciting season.
“Yaya has been central to the successes we’ve had over the past seven years and he has a vital part to play next season.”
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Procurement on Thursday, summoned the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, over alleged payment of N17 billion for procurement of office equipment.
It also summoned the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris, and former Accountant-General of the Federation Mr Jonah Otunla, over the transaction. The three top government officials are to appear before the committee members on Tuesday.
Their invitation was sequel to their failure to appear at the public hearing on the allegation organised by the committee on Thursday.
The minister sent the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Isa Dutse, to represent her, but the lawmakers flayed it and refused to accept any excuse for her absence at the investigative hearing.
Before issuing the summons, Chairman of the committee, Rep. Oluwole Oke, said that the three officials had violated the provisions of section 15 of the Public Procurement Act 2007 as it pertained to the role of procurement entities.
He told the permanent secretary that the minister must provide documents that included the president's approval for the contract, agreement signed by the contractors and record of payment of the contract by the ministry.
He said that the summons became necessary because there was a document from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation showing that they had paid N17 billion on the contract.
Oke added that public procurement regulation was the only way to curb corruption in the country.
In April 1994, the Super Eagles (then named the Green Eagles) placed fifth in the FIFA World Rankings, the highest ever achieved by an African football team. The achievement was hardly a surprise to sports buffs. The team was notable for recording successive wins that endeared them to fans locally and internationally.
At the USA ’94 World Cup, they gave their foreign counterparts a run for their money due to their professionalism. In fact, their performance was so remarkable that they were renamed the Super Eagles.
Over two decades down the line, the success story has been rudely cut short. Mismanagement and corruption have continued to bedevil the growth of the sport, affecting the professionalism of the team and dampening their morale.
The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) takes the blame for this state of affairs, since it is primarily charged with organizing domestic and international football in Nigeria. In the past 10 years especially, the national football body has been enmeshed in leadership crisis which has manifested in the recruitment of inferior foreign players, tribal considerations in the selection process and non-payment of salaries and allowances. Small wonder, then, that the majority of our teams have set their sights abroad for greener pastures while local football is struggling for survival.
Agreed, the NFF is not solely to blame for the incessant hiccups; the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports also has a key role to play in sports development. But the average Nigerian is not necessarily interested in the blame game between both sports bodies. What we want is a fully functional team that will do the nation proud in sports tournaments home and abroad consistently, not by fits and starts. Over the years, several setbacks have held the growth of Nigerian football hostage, but non-payment of salaries due to the national team and their coaches has been particularly worrisome. When Samson Siasia was in the saddle as coach, he was very vocal about this problem. So it was most unfortunate to hear that late coaches Stephen Keshi and Shuaibu Amodu were owed a backlog of salaries up until their demise. Unfortunately, there is only so much we can achieve in football if collectively as a nation we are unable to meet the basic needs of the teams that do us proud on the world stage.
Recently, the bubble burst when news went viral that the Super Eagles' new coach Gernot Rohr was owed his salaries for January through March, 2017 amounting to $141,000 because the NFF was broke. It was even more shocking when the NFF admitted it had no idea how to pay the bonuses and allowances of our national team during the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers. Consequently, the NFF was said to be in talks with three unnamed companies to manage the payment of Rohr's salary.
When all this is considered, our team's abysmal failure to qualify for the 2017 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) should hold no surprises for anyone. After all, if they remain unpaid for the services they offer the entire nation at the cost of their livelihoods and personal health, they would naturally lack the morale to give their level best in the game.
Amidst this back and forth, the recent announcement of integrated energy group Aiteo's 5-year sponsorship of the Super Eagles was a breath of fresh air. The N2.5 billion sponsorship, unprecedented in recent times, is aimed at boosting the morale of the national team and meeting their coaching, staffing and other technical needs. It will be disbursed in N500 million tranches annually to the Super Eagles through the NFF, as part of the sponsorship agreement between both parties.
The deal makes Aiteo Group the 'Official Optimum Partner of the NFF'. The funds shall be disbursed on a quarterly basis via a financial agency, and the other cadres of the national team shall share whatever is left after the Super Eagles have been covered. Unlike previous sponsorships, the accounts will be open to periodic auditing to guard against misappropriation of funds. Aiteo Group has even expressed its willingness to extend the sponsorship to the National Football League depending on the success of the current deal.
Aiteo Group deserves all the kudos it can get for this timely CSR initiative. The sponsorship deal is impactful and likely to change the face of Nigerian football as we know it. It is even more commendable when we consider that Aiteo is a player in the energy sector, not telecommunications from which most major football sponsors have been drawn in recent times. This is what CSR really means when all is said and done. It is about initiatives likely to impact not just a small crop of people, but the generality of the populace. After all, football is one sport that unites us as a nation despite our tribal differences. Other corporate bodies would do well to follow suit.
Understandably, some Nigerians may be a bit skeptical about this since previous sponsorship deals fronted by other companies have been run aground while our teams have been left high and dry. However, in Aiteo Group we have a company with the financial capacity and moral will to follow through its contractual obligation with the NFF without fail, and I think they deserve all the support they can get.
In the final analysis, the Aiteo/NFF deal is a beacon of hope to not only the Super Eagles but Nigerian football in general. Nigerians have taken to the social media to commend this effort, and rightly so. Aiteo Group has expressed its intentions to sponsor every cadre of Nigerian football, beginning with the Super Eagles if all goes well. In the next few weeks and months, we can be sure that the usual excuses offered by every party involved in satisfying the yearnings of our national team and sports-loving Nigerians will cease and the team can concentrate on being world giants again.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Thursday released its Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) report for May which confirmed that the nation is firmly on the path of recovery from economic recession.
The report showed that 20 out of the 34 sub-sectors surveyed during the month recorded expansion.
The report stated: "The Manufacturing PMI stood at 52.5 index points in May 2017, indicating expansion in the manufacturing sector for the second consecutive month. Ten of the 16 sub-sectors reported growth in the review month in the following order: primary metal; petroleum & coal products; plastics & rubber products; paper products; electrical equipment; appliances & components; textile, apparel, leather & footwear; cement; food, beverage & tobacco products and chemical & pharmaceutical products. The remaining 6 sub-sectors declined in the order: transportation equipment; non-metallic mineral products; fabricated metal products; printing & related support activities; furniture & related products and computer & electronic products.
"The composite PMI for the non-manufacturing sector grew to 52.7 in May 2017 after 16 consecutive months of contraction. Of the 18 non-manufacturing sub-sectors, 10 recorded growth in the following order: agriculture; transportation & warehousing; educational services; electricity, gas, steam & air conditioning supply; utilities; information & communication; water supply, sewage & waste management; accommodation & food services; health care & social assistance; and finance & insurance. The remaining 8 sub-sectors recorded contraction in the order: construction; professional, scientific, & technical services; public administration; management of companies; arts, entertainment & recreation; real estate rental & leasing; repair, maintenance/washing of motor vehicles; and wholesale/retail trade".
"The production level index for manufacturing sector expanded for the third consecutive month in May 2017. The index at 58.7 points indicated an increase in production at a faster rate, when compared to the 58.5 points in the previous month. Fifteen manufacturing sub-sectors recorded increase in production level during the review month in the following order: primary metal; electrical equipment; petroleum & coal products; cement; chemical & pharmaceutical products; plastics & rubber products; computer & electronic products; food, beverage & tobacco products; textile, apparel, leather & footwear; appliances & components; paper products; non-metallic mineral products; furniture & related products; printing & related support activities and fabricated metal products, while the transportation equipment sub-sector recorded decline in production
"The business activity index rose to 56.2 points in May 2017 for the second consecutive month. The index grew at a faster rate, when compared to its level in the previous month. Fourteen sub-sectors recorded growth in the following order: agriculture; transportation & warehousing; electricity, gas, steam & air conditioning supply; utilities; educational services; information & communication; health care & social assistance; water supply, sewage & waste management; accommodation & food services; public administration; finance & insurance; real estate rental & leasing; wholesale/retail trade; and repair, maintenance/washing of motor vehicles. The management of companies sub-sector remained unchanged, while the remaining 3 sub-sectors recorded growth in the order: arts, entertainment & recreation; professional, scientific, & technical services; and construction".
The Federal Government has mandated the recently appointed Executive Management team of the Federal Mortgage Bank(FMBN) to reposition the bank for greater efficiency.
Mrs Mercy Dominic, Unit Head, FMBN Public Affairs Department made this kown in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
Dominic quoted the Managing Director, Mr Ahmed Dangiwa as saying this in a meeting between the FMBN Executive Management Team and Heads of selected Primary Mortgage Banks (PMBs).
Dangiwa said that the objective of the meeting was to brief the PMBs on the focus of the new management team of the Bank.
He noted that the meeting was to address issues of PMBs' Non-Performing Loans in order to chart a way forward towards liquidation and to conclude transactions pending with PMBs for estates funded by the Bank.
Dangiwa noted the strategically important role played by PMBs in the operations of the Bank, being the only disbursement channels for National Housing Fund (NHF) mortgage loans as prescribed by the NHF Act.
He outlined the focus of the new team as to encourage Public Private Partnerships for Housing Delivery, to leverage private investments to bridge housing finance gap and to stimulate a viable mortgage system.
He listed others as strengthening partnerships with regulatory, financial and development partners, towards achieving set goals.
"Achieving set goals depends on improving the financial performance of the bank, which presently, is not in the best of shape.
"One major challenge of FMBN is its huge Non-Performing Loan portfolio, which has eroded its Shareholders funds and led to accumulated losses over the years.
"As a team, we have targeted aggressive loan recovery and improvement in the quality of the Bank's loan portfolio as our immediate priorities". The FMBN boss said.
Dangiwa assured the PMBs of the commitment and support of the new management.
He, however, promised to work towards the resolution of nagging issues in the system to create an efficient operating environment for the overall benefit of Nigerians.
Speaking on behalf of the PMBs, the Managing Director, Federal Housing Authority Homes Ltd., Mr Hayatuddeen Awwal congratulated the new management on their recent appointment and readiness to achieve success.
Awwal added that the PMBs are open to mutual cooperation, and urged the management to look into issues raised at the forum for better efficiency.
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