Team Nigeria at the West and Central Africa junior tennis tournament holing in Togo, Benin Republic have started in bright note. Ten out of the eleven starlets slugging it out at the tournament won their opening matches with Rotimi Adetunji the only pl...
Argentina’s Lionel Messi has again won the world best player award. Messi made history last night when he collected the fourth consecutive title of best player in the world. The FIFA Ballon d’Or award took place in Zurich. United States player Abby Wambach claimed her first FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award at the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala held at the Zurich Kongresshaus this evening.
Vicente del Bosque, the Spanish national team coach, and Sweden’s new women’s national team coach Pia Sundhage (former USA coach) were the winners of the FIFA World Coach of the Year awards for men’s and women’s football, respectively.
Aged 25, Messi concluded 2012 by scoring over 90 goals. He also finished top scorer in the UEFA Champions League 2011-2012 season with 14 goals. Meanwhile, Vicente del Bosque added the European title to his 2010 FIFA World Cup crown when leading Spain to victory at EURO 2012.
In women’s football, 2012 was the US national team’s year. Sundhage and Wambach led the US to its second Olympic gold medal in London after defeating the Japanese team in the final and thus exacting revenge for the FIFA Women’s World Cup final the previous year, which Japan won for the first time in their history.
These awards were decided after a poll in which the captains and head coaches of the men’s (for the two men’s awards) and women’s (for the two women’s awards) national teams, as well as international media representatives selected by French football magazine France Football, voted for candidates in each of the four categories. Each group’s votes represented one third of the final result.
It was an unforgettable night, with many former and current football stars on stage and on the red carpet. The international audience was entertained with a flavour of Brazil as we look to the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013, as well as by Scottish singer Amy MacDonald.
The FIFA Ballon d’Or was awarded for the third time following the amalgamation of the FIFA World Player of the Year award with the France Football Ballon d’Or in 2010. Lionel Messi won the FIFA Ballon d’Or after polling 41.60% of the votes, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo on 23.68% and Andrés Iniesta on 10.91%.
Eagles captain Joseph Yobo will equal a six-AFCON finals appearance record held by Nwankwo Kanu at the tournament in South Africa. Yobo has already eclipsed Kanu’s record as the most capped Nigeria star with 89 caps and he could add to this tally...
Baby brains grow at an astonishing rate—they more than double in size by the time a newborn turns one year old and reach their full adult size just four years later, by kindergarten. To help with all this growth and learning, babies’ brains...
A clamour by some interest groups in the maritime sector advocating the rejection of amended Customs & Excise Management Act (CEMA) by the Senate has been described as self-serving. The National President, National Association of Government Approve...
A member of the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, Dr Chris Uwaje, says Nigeria needs a national database to be able to successfully fight cybercrime. Uwaje, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Connect Technologies, made this kno...
The judicial panel of inquiry set up to investigate activities of the Abia Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development Fund (ASPPIDF) has uncovered N24 billion fraud between 1999 and 2012.
The Chairman of the panel, Justice Okey Nwosu, gave the figure when he presented the panel’s five-volume report to Gov. Theodore Orji, at the Government House in Umuahia on Monday.
Nwosu said the amount was part of the internally-generated revenue by ASPPIDF since its inception in 1999.
It urged the government to direct a comprehensive audit of the agency to determine the exact amount and those involved in the fraud.
Receiving the report, Orji said the panel was set up ``not to witch-hunt but to find out why the fund could not live up to people's expectation’’.
Orji expressed regrets over ``the colossal revenue loss’’ in the agency, saying that the money could have been used in the development of the state.
He commended the panel for the effort in carrying out its assignment and assured that the recommendations would be implemented.
The Police Command in Delta on Monday said that no fewer than 91 kidnappers and armed robbery suspects were killed by the police between January 2012 to Jan. 5, 2013. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ikechukwu Aduba, gave the figure to newsmen in A...
Vice President Namadi Sambo on Monday stressed the need for the production of a national demographic data (NDD) of all Nigerians for rapid economic planning, healthcare delivery, security and educational development. Sambo made the call in Abuja ...
The police in Lagos on Monday arraigned two brothers, Onyekachi Okoro and Michael Okoro, over an alleged involvement in the abduction of a lady.
Onyekachi, 25, a barber and Michael, 48, a trader, are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and abduction before an Oshodi Magistrates' Court in Lagos.
The prosecutor, Cpl. Kehinde Olatunde, told the court that the accused and others at large committed the offence on Dec. 9, 2012, at No. 38, Aremu Olatunbosun St., Oshodi.
He said that the accused and others conspired to abduct one Eberechi Ogoke, 20, daughter of Ndubisi Ogoke.
"Onyekachi and others had visited the complainants, Ndubisi Ogoke and wife, with three bottles of wine, asking them to release their daughter, Eberechi, his girlfriend, to him in marriage.
"Ndubisi told them that he could not release his daughter just like that, that there were other things they needed to do before he could release his daughter to them.
Olatunde said that the complainant asked the accused to repeat their visit the following day, which they did.
"When the accused and others called back, the complainant called a photographer to take a group picture but this was rebuffed by the visitors.
"The accused told the complainant that they were not there to snap pictures, and to the dismay of the complainant, they all stood up and one of them grabbed his daughter and fled the scene.
"All efforts made to trace or find Eberechi since then has proved abortive,’’ the prosecutor said.
He said that when Onyekachi was arrested, the accused denied knowledge of the whereabouts of the lady.
Olatunde said that the offences committed contravened Sections 409 and 411 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
The accused, who reside at No. 14, Omilade St., Mafoluku, Oshodi, however, each pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Magistrate, Mrs M.R. Osho-Adebiyi, granted each accused bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case to Jan. 17 for mention.
Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS),in Abuja on Monday announced the promotion of 2,900 soldiers. Ihejirika said at the decoration of 14 Colonels with their new ranks of Brigadier-Generals, that no fewer than 10,000 soldiers wer...
A 27-year old politician, Terfa Ankyo of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue, was on Monday remanded at the Federal Prisons, Makurdi, for alleged terrorism. The prosecutor, Sgt. Gabriel Ebonyi, told the court that one Yandev Amaabai, also of Gbo...
The Nigerian Legion, a body of ex-servicemen in the country, has called on the governments at all level to make a separate budgetary provision for the Legion.
The Chairman of the body in Anambra, retired Major Gabriel Enyibuaku, made the call in Awka on Monday during the launch of the emblem appeal fund.
According to him, government must show more commitment to welfare of legion members.
He said that the body needed functional office as well as utility vehicle to help coordinate its activities in the state.
He, however, expressed gratitude to Gov. Peter Obi, for supporting the legion and urged other states and indeed, the Federal Government to emulate him.
``We are appealing for more assistance like the creation of a functional state office, a utility vehicle to enable us to reach our offices at the local government.
``we are also calling for employment for the children of our members both fallen and alive so as to take care of our members," he said.
In his response, Obi thanked the legion for their role in keeping the country together, adding that they put their lives on the line for the unity of the country.
Obi said his administration would be more aggressive this time in addressing the plight of the Nigerian Legion in the state.
He announced a donation of N1 million to the legion and launched the emblem with N50,000, while the Deputy Governor, Mr Emeka Sibeudu, launched it with N30,000.
He encouraged them to keep faith with the country and continue to contribute their quota to nation building.
John Dramani Mahama was inaugurated President of Ghana on Monday in a ceremony boycotted by the opposition over claims of electoral fraud.
Mahama, 54, was sworn in at a ceremony attended by numerous Heads of State and a crowd of Ghanaians in Accra's Independence Square.
``I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of Ghana and I'll preserve and protect the constitution of the Republic of Ghana, so help me God,” said Mahama in taking the oath.
Mahama, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party, won 50.7 per cent of Ghana's election on Dec. 7.
His 68-year-old opponent, Nana Akufo-Addo, of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), received 47.74 per cent.
The NPP, which alleged vote rigging in the wake of Mahama's narrow win, boycotted the swearing-in ceremony.
The party had earlier filed a petition at the Supreme Court challenging the results that declared incumbent Mahama the winner, claiming that 700,000 to 1 million votes were added in his favour.
The inauguration was attended by various dignitaries, including the Presidents of Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa and Equatorial Guinea, as well as the Chairman of the AU.
A 37-year old bricklayer, Oriyomi Adepoju, on Monday appeared before an Osogbo Magistrates' Court for alleged assault and shaving off his girlfriend's pubic hair without consent.
The police prosecutor, Insp. Isiaka Ajadi, alleged that the accused committed the offence on Jan. 1 at a house located on Ibokun road.
Ajadi told the court that the accused indirectly assaulted Nofisat Adedeji, shaved off the hair while she was asleep, without her consent.
He said the offence contravened sections 249(D) and 360 of the Criminal Code of Osun 2003. The accused, who had no legal representation, pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read out to him.
Magistrate Habbibat Bashiru, admitted the accused to bail in N100,000 and two sureties in the like sum.
Bashiru directed that the sureties must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction and their addresses verified by the police.
She ordered that one of the sureties must be a close relative of the accused.
The magistrate also ordered that the sureties must provide two passport photographs and one year tax clearance certificate to the court.
Bashiru adjourned the case to Feb. 11 for hearing, to enable the accused to get legal representation.