Dalung to commission wrestling centre in Yenagoa…See full details

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Solomon Dalung

The Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung, will today commission the Dynamite Recreation Centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa.

The President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Daniel Igali, who built the project, said yesterday that the President of Nigeria Olympic Committee, Habu Gumel, and Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson would also attend the ceremony.

Igali, who is also the chairman, Technical and Development Commission of the NOC, said the centre would help in producing future athletes for the nation.

“The centre is for both the beginners and experts in the wrestling. I become what I am today through wrestling, and that is why it is worthwhile for me to put up an edifice, a recreational facility for younger ones to come and display their talent,” Igali stated.

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Ikoyi Club holds Inaugural Kitty tomorrow…See full details

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Ikoyi Club 1938

Setting a tone for activities at the club over the next 12 months, the newly elected committee at the golf section of Ikoyi Club 1938 will hold its inaugural kitty tomorrow.

Club captain, Bayo Alli, who will take charge of the club in the next 12 months, will be the leading factor in the one-day event that will also serve as the its monthly mug.

Alli, who took over from Lanre Kalejaiye in February, will be assisted in running the club by the vice captain, Brigadier-General Musbau Amolegbe (rtd), Jide Aborishade and Johnson Toriola (Projects Officers), as well as Meckson Innocent Okoro and Ifeyinwa, who are the sponsorship officers.

Tayo Rotimi is in charge of Strategy & Planning, Col. Paul Obi (rtd) and Dele F. are House Officers, Magnus Macaulay is the Caddy Officer, George Eke and Osas E. will act as club Secretaries, while Tim Ayomike is the course officer.

Remi Olukoya and Tunji Tiamiyu are Competition Secretaries, while Ronke Iyiola is the lady captain in charge of the Ladies Section.Speaking ahead of the Inaugural kitty, Alli pleaded for the support of corporate organisations and members of the club, saying he needs their help to run the club well.
 
“We are hoping for a very good year ahead of us. I also know that to succeed in this assignment, we will need the support of every member of the club and our corporate organisations, especially in the area of sponsorship of tournaments and Projects,” he said.

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Shorunmu worried about poor standard of Nigerian goalkeepers…See full details

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Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Ike Shorunmu

Former Super Eagles Goalkeeper, Ike Shorunmu, has expressed dismay over the deplorable standard of Nigerian net tenders. The former Stationery Stores captain also warned that if the situation was not arrested on time, the Super Eagles could be in danger of not finding goalkeepers good enough to meet the demands of international football.

Shorunmu told The Guardian yesterday that the basic factors affecting the development of goalkeepers in the country were poor foundation and the indifferent attitude of the players during their formative years.

He also said the current process of selecting goalkeepers does not meet the required standard, adding that goalkeepers with the right height, interest and reflexes were shortchanged for shorter players, some of who don’t have the basic attributes for the position.

Drawing from his active days, Shorunmu said most goalkeepers that exceled in the Super Eagles in the past including Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu, Wilfred Agbonavbare and Vincent Enyeama, among others, succeeded because they discovered their potential very early and started developing their skills to face the challenges of the game.

He urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the League Management Company (LMC) to organize vibrant youth development programmes for goalkeepers and coaches, saying the move would help to produce quality goalkeepers for the country.

“It is very difficult for a goalkeeper to succeed if he does not have the basic height and qualities to function. In Nigeria of today, goalkeeping is an all comers affair as most youth dive into it out of joblessness.

“The Super Eagles had quality goalkeepers like Alloy Agu, Peter Rufai, Vincent Enyeama, myself and a host of others in the past because the Nigerian league produced players, who were hungry from their formative years to succeed in the art. You should also understand that these days, people lay much emphasis on money because of poverty.

“The goalkeepers in the Nigerian league should be paid well to motivate the younger ones to work hard for success. Adequate facilities should also be provided for the goalkeepers to train to meet international standard,’’ he said.

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Dalung assures stakeholders of fairplay during federations’ polls…See full details

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Solomon Dalung

Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, has assured all sports’ stakeholders of a level playing ground place for the forthcoming federations polls to avoid the rancour that trailed the last exercise.

Speaking while defending the ministry’s 2017 budget proposal at the National Assembly yesterday in Abuja, Dalung revealed that a summit of federation presidents would soon be held to drive the sector and redirect energy toward grassroots sports.

He said, “The ministry will be neutral in the forthcoming federations’ election and there will be no federal government nominees. We insist that those with the interest of driving sports without total dependence on government’s funds should go and contest.

“We want to build strong and robust federations and reinvigorate them for better performance. That informed our basis for taking steps to reorganize the federations so that they can be more effective. We admit that we have had challenges with the federations over funding.

“Unless discipline is restored in the Federations, including prudence and effective management of resources, we will continue to have problems. Government alone is unable to fund sports so we need them to augment whatever they will receive from the ministry by raising sponsorship and partnerships with the private sector. If there is no credibility in the federations then the private sector will not invest. That is one of the problems of the federations’ administration.”

Dalung also stated the need to restore confidence in the forthcoming elections starting with an all-inclusive polls.
“We will ensure that there will be a free democratic election for leaders of the federations and that all stakeholders are given a level playing field in March,” he added.

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No definite time for Buhari’s return to Nigeria – Presidency (Read full details)

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President Muhammadu Buhari

Despite increasing agitations over President Muhammadu Buhari’s absence since January 19, 2017, when he left the country on a medical vacation to the United Kingdom (UK), there is no definite answer from the presidency on when he is expected back

President Buhari was expected back on the February 6, 2017 after an initial 10-day medical vacation, but that was not to be. 

His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, had in a statement at the expiration of the 10 days confirmed ‎that the President would be extending his stay in the UK to “complete the test circle before returning.”

When The Guardian contacted Mr Adesina yesterday for update, he briefly said “when the President is coming will be made known.” 

Recall that President Buhari was expected to resume from his vacation on Monday, February 6, 2017.

However, he wrote to the National Assembly informing the parliament of his desire to extend his leave in order to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors.

With the Presidency failing to come up with a categorical statement on when President Buhari would return to the country, the development has continued to fuel agitations, with many Nigerians demanding hourly bulletin on President Buhari’s status, as was the case when former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was indisposed.

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Eleven die in River Benue boat mishap (Read full details)

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Samuel Ortom

GUMA, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom’s local council, was thrown into mourning, as not less than 11 persons lost their lives yesterday night after a boat capsized.

At the time of filling this report, it was revealed that three out of the deaths were elders, who were stormed to death by the irate youths as being responsible for the mysterious deaths.

Sole administrator of the local council area, Mr. Anthony Shawon, who made the disclosure to The Guardian, said the boat, which was conveying mourners was overloaded when it capsized near Kaambe crossing point of river Benue at Gbajimba.

Shawon attributed the cause of the capsize to heavy wind, adding that most of the mourners, who were heavily drunk, refused to heed to advise of the boat paddlers, who had insisted they would ferry some number of persons across and return for others.

Angered by the incessant incident, youths in the area in a mob protest made bonfire, while alleging that the incident was caused by some elders’ witchcraft.

Shawon informed that three elders were stone to death and their houses burnt, while the district head of Gbajimba Gwatse Akaahena had the windscreen of his car smashed by the irate youths.

“On arrival in Gbajimba, I saw there was protest as the youths made bonfire alleging that the incident has a spiritual connotation. I tried to calm them down.

“But the went wild pursing every elder in the area. I then saw another group of Indian hemp smokers with matchete parading the area. I reported the incident to the soldiers and mobile police who swiftly intervened and restored security to the area.” Shawon said.

According to him, no arrest has been made at the time of the incident.Meanwhile, Benue State Police Public Relations’ Officer, Moses Yamu, who confirmed the mob action in Gbajimba, said no person has been arrested, adding that normalcy has since been restored to the area, while investigation into the crisis has commenced.

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PDP House Caucus hails Wike over Apostle of Peace award

Shobanjo to lead discussion at NIMN investiture

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Biodun Shobanjo PHOTO: http://ift.tt/2kHYRfS

Advertising guru, Mr. Biodun Shobanjo, has been nominated to lead a marketing discourse at the forthcoming investiture ceremony of the new president of national institute of marketing of Nigeria, NIMN, Mr.Tony Agenmonmen.

The ceremony, which will be hosted in Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos on Friday, is expected to attract dignitaries across the marketing communications industry.

A statement from the institute’s secretariat revealed that the choice of Mr. Shobanjo was reached after extensive deliberations among stakeholders who consider him deserving and worthy to deliver the talk at such occasion.

The statement noted that his preference was informed by his rich repertoire of knowledge and experience in the marketing communications business, which has been on for more than four decades.

NIMN had recently, in Ibadan, elected a new President, Tony Agenmonmen in a contest that saw huge turnout of members from different part of the country participating in the electoral process. Agenmonmen who had since assumed his new role is expected to embark on sweeping reforms that would restore integrity and dignity of the profession.

Shobanjo,the enterprising businessman is unarguably the most respected professional in the marketing communication industry for a number of reasons that include his knack for integrity and professionalism. His job experience as a young professional started in Nigeria Broadcasting Commission and Grant advertising where he cut his early teeth in advertising before he went to set up his own agency, Insight communication, arguably the best advertising agency in Nigeria till date. Since the birth of Insight, his entrepreneurial foray has seen him set up a number of line extension agencies and companies among which include

The Quadrant company, Hotsauce, Halogen security among others. Shobanjo is a professional par excellence who has won numerous awards both within and abroad. Some of the awards he has received include Marketing Edge Personality of the year, The Sun Man of The Year and so on.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2kIfg3D

Ankara Press launches romance books at Valentine

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As part of activities marking St Valentine’s Day, Abuja-based publisher Cassava Republic Press, under its Ankara Press imprint, has launched two romantic books. The event took place yesterday in Abuja.

Love Me Unconditionally by award-winning writer, Ola Awonubi, is set in London and Lagos and explores issues of family pressure and expectations, while This Crazy Paradise by Aziza Eden Walker takes place in South Africa and is the second in a series, featuring characters from her previous novel The Seeing Place.

Ankara Press Publishing Director Emma Shercliff stated, “We are thrilled to be releasing two more Ankara novels and delighted that these are both by authors with whom we have worked already. True to the Ankara ethos, the books feature rather unconventional heroines – the first is a woman in her late thirties who is facing increasing pressure from her family to produce a child, the second a romance writer seeing solace on an island resort near Cape Town after a bruising divorce. Both are enormously entertaining, and feature characters whose lives are not as uncomplicated as those who often appear in romance novels. We want our books to reflect the reality of women’s lives, whilst also being engaging and uplifting reads.”

The e-books are available for purchase on the Internet.
Awonubi won first prize in the National Words of Colour competition and Wasafiri’s New Writing Prize for Fiction. Walker on the other hand is a former actress and psychologist. This Crazy Paradise is her second novel with Ankara Press, following the success of her debut novel The Seeing Place.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2koq5Mr

World’s first contraception app as effective as condom approved

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Natural Cycles records daily temperature and uses an algorithm to plot fertility on a calendar.<br />PHOTO CREDIT: DailyMailUK Online<br />

*Natural Cycles offers women hormone-free alternative from daily oral tablet

A contraception app that uses body temperature to track a woman’s menstrual cycle has been given the seal of approval.In a clinical study of 4,000 women in 2016, it was claimed to be as effective as the contraceptive pill. Now, German-based regulator Tuv Sud has approved it as a Class IIb medical device – the same level as acupuncture needles and blood bags.

The app is believed to be the first software of its kind to be certified as a contraception alongside condoms, the pill and intrauterine devices (IUDs).

Dr. Elina Berglund, who created the app with her husband Dr Raoul Scherwitzl, said: “Women around the world are interested in exploring effective non-hormonal, non-invasive forms of contraception.

“And now they have a new, clinically verified and regulatory approved option to choose from.”A growing number of wearable devices and software have appeared that focus on female health and fertility, but none have previously been certified as clinically viable.

“Our high quality clinical studies, together with the required regulatory approvals, means we can provide women everywhere with a new option for contraception,” Berglund added.

“Natural Cycles allow women to better understand their bodies so they can make choices that are right for them.”Natural Cycle uses a woman’s temperature to predict the days of the month when she is at her most fertile. On these, red days, the app advises a couple use a condom to reduce the risk of becoming pregnant.

In just three steps, a woman can discover if she is at risk of becoming pregnant. In the days leading up to ovulation, a woman’s body is flooded by oestrogen, which cools the body, compared with the post-ovulatory stage.

During that second stage of the menstrual cycle, after ovulation, the hormone progesterone warms the body, raising its temperature.The two phases are separated by ovulation day – when a woman is at her most fertile – when the body’s temperature rises between 0.2 and 0.45°C.

Currently, uncontrollable mood-swings, spontaneous bouts of crying even a loss of libido are common complaints of the Pill.There have also been associated risks with strokes, with a 2016 study published in the British Medical Journal suggesting that third generation pills raise the chance of a serious blood clot four fold.

But the drugs safety watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said contraceptive pills are ‘very safe, highly effective medicines’ and a review had confirmed the risk of blood clots with all contraceptives is small.
*Adapted from DailyMailUK Online

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Edo government, NSCDC to regulate activities of herdsmen

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Governor Godwin Obaseki yesterday said his administration would engage the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in settling disputes between herdsmen and farm owners to sustain the peaceful co-existence they have enjoyed in Edo State.

Obaseki stated this when he received the new state commandant of the corps, Makinde AyinlaIskil, at Government House where he noted that grazing by herdsmen in the country has been ongoing for the past 100 years.

“Why are we having such a problem and crisis in the herdsmen and community relationship? Instead of fighting, let us understand the depth of the problem, and sustenance of whatever resolution we make. We are relying on you to give us intelligent information,” he said.

He stated that his administration was developing its own internal security plans to complement the Federal Government’s efforts through agencies like the NSCDC.

His words: “We are in the final stages of our own community base arrangement. We want to get more members of our community in providing security across the state. We can’t rely exclusively only on federal authority because security is also a local responsibility.”

Meanwhile, Obaseki has re-affirmed his administration’s commitment to making Edo State a medical tourism destination.

He stated this when the chairman and members of the Hospital Management Board paid him a courtesy visit yesterday at Government House.

Represented by his deputy, Philip Shaibu, the governor noted that his administration was also interested in promoting industrialization.

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Standard Chartered pursues ten smart-branch plans

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Standard chartered bank Nigeria

Standard Chartered Bank Group has opened the fourth in a series of 10-smart branch plan in Lagos, due by the end of June this year.

The latest, located in the Maryland Shopping Mall, will support the growing local businesses in the business district area of the state and the branches will complement the bank’s ongoing investment in digital infrastructure.

The Bank also plans to align with its focus on supporting the rapid expansion of key cities across its global footprint in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

The lender, under its “Here for Africa” campaign, reiterated commitment to the continent and investment strategy, with Nigeria as key focus for expansion, particularly Lagos, being one of the eight fastest-growing cities in Africa.

Regional Head, Retail Banking, Africa and Middle East (AME), Jaydeep Gupta, said: “Africa continues to benefit from the Group’s decision to invest $3 billion over three years in digital channels and systems, enhancing our strategic focus, customer experience and security.

“We’re excited about the opportunities in Nigeria, and Africa as a whole.  We’re investing to bring the best in banking through our digital channels, as well as giving clients the choice of coming to a user-friendly branch when they want advice and a more personal touch.”

The Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria and West Africa, Bola Adesola, affirmed that the bank’s retail banking business in Nigeria has been growing from strength to strength.

“Thanks to the support from government and the Nigerian people; we will continue to invest in our capabilities to deliver increasingly efficient, cost effective and accessible banking for all our customers.”

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Group raises concern over number of IDPs in Taraba

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IDPs’ camp. PHOTO: hrw.org

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) – the Protection Sector Working Group (PSWG) has expressed concern over the rising number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Taraba State.

The group spoke in Jalingo yesterday during a meeting in the office of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).Led by the chairman, Daniel Istifanis Bisu from UNHCR and Secretary, Paul Tino from the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the group noted that the rising number of displaced persons can be reduced if governments at all levels, NGOs and individuals assist them by providing basic facilities at their camps.

According to PSWG: “The crisis in Ardo Kola, Gassol and Lau local councils has led to an increase in the number of displaced persons. Between December and now, about 10,000 people have fled the violence in the state. SEMA, NEMA, Red Cross and UNHCR have visited these areas to assess the situation.”The group commended Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for donating 40 boreholes to communities hosting displaced persons in the state.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2kgXJBM

Shyamalan’s ‘Split’ again rules North America box office

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This file photo taken on January 18, 2017 shows actor James McAvoy attending "Split" New York Premiere at SVA Theater in New York City. "Split," the M Night Shyamalan thriller about a man with multiple personalities who locks three teenage girls in an underground bunker, held onto the top spot in the North American box office for a third weekend, industry estimates showed February 5, 2017.<br />Matthew Eisman / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

“Split,” the M Night Shyamalan thriller about a man with multiple personalities who locks three teenage girls in an underground bunker, held onto the top spot in the North American box office for a third weekend, industry estimates showed Sunday.

The movie — by the director of the classic horror film “Sixth Sense” — stars James McAvoy as a man with 23 personalities who preys on young girls. It earned an estimated $14.6 million in ticket sales over a three-day weekend in which sales were slowed by football’s Super Bowl, Exhibitor Relations reported.

The cumulative North American total for the film, made on a low $9 million budget, is now $98.7 million. With mostly positive reviews, Forbes magazine has called it “the first outright sensation of 2017.”

In second spot was the Paramount feature “Rings,” which scored $13 million in its first weekend. The film, the latest in a horror franchise that began in 2002 with the money-making “Ring,” tells the story of a videotape that kills those who watch it.

Third spot went to “A Dog’s Purpose,” Universal’s family-friendly flick about a canine who continually comes back to life as different dogs searching for meaning. It took in $10.8 million in its second week.

Some animal lovers had called for a boycott of the film after video footage showed an apparently terrified German shepherd being forced into rushing water on the set.

In fourth place was “Hidden Figures,” Fox’s true-life story of three black women mathematicians who helped NASA put the first men in space. The comedy-drama, starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae, took in $10.1 million in its seventh week, for a healthy cumulative total of $119.4 million.

“La La Land,” Lionsgate’s nostalgic tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals, held on to fifth place in its ninth week, with revenue of $7.5 million. Behind the acting, dancing and singing of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, the film has garnered a boatload of accolades and is a strong favorite at the Oscars.

Rounding out the Top 10 are:

“Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” ($4.5 million)

“Sing” ($4 million)

“Lion” ($4 million)

“The Space Between Us” ($3.8 million)

“xXx: The Return of Xander Cage” ($3.5 million)

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2kx3nyr