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PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V STOKE CITY
More of the same please will be the order from Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton will be among them...
TALKING POINTS
It is no surprise when one of the best teams in a club's history lays downmarkers for posterity, but the regularity with which the currentChelsea team is achieving new highs is quite remarkable.
Last weekend the Double champions inflicted on Wigan Athletic the biggest home defeat in their 32-year league history. Curiously nocorners were recorded for either side - the first occasion for any topflight match for 79 years when Newcastle United held Pompey 0-0.
The 6-0 margin was Chelsea's best away day in the top flight since August 1997 at Barnsley, when popular Italian Gianluca Vialli baggedfour.
It is also the first occasion we have ever scored six in two successive league games. On November 16 1960 we beat Doncaster away 7-0(Peter Brabrook 2, Bobby Tambling 2, Frank Blunstone 2, John Sillett) then three days later at Stamford Bridge defeated Man City 6-3 in Division One (Jimmy Greaves 3, Bobby Tambling, Ron Tindall 2). The win over Donny, however, was in the League Cup 3rd round.
The recent goals tally is formidable: 29 in five, and 20 in the last three - the highest since Wolves' 19 in three matches back in1955/56.
Six different Chelsea players have already scored this season, while the clean sheets are also mounting up. Such extremes won't lastforever, but let's enjoy them while they last.
Some individuals naturally stand out in this run. Florent Malouda is arguably in the form of his life, stitching together so much of theBlues' attacking play and hitting three goals in two games.
In-form Didier Drogba has scored six and assisted on three in the most recent trio of leaguegames. Those pondering his status among the great strikers of the worldmight ponder that despite injury the Ivorian has netted 10 goals sinceRooney last did, and nine over the course of Fernando Torres' barrenspell.
Curiously Chelsea are the only team to have a 100 per cent record after just two Premier League games and the next visitors will be alltoo aware that they conceded 11 in all competitions against the Blues,including a 7-0 victory that must still be fresh in the minds of manyof their players.
The Potters have lost both their games so far, although they must count themselves unlucky that a Jon Walters 'goal' against Spurs wasnot awarded, despite clearly crossing the line.
Sports pages often highlight the unrest in the dressing room and even a manager of Tony Pulis's experience must find it hard these daysto keep a big squad happy, focused and motivated.
This summer the Potters withdrew from the Premier League's new arrangements for reserves and promised to arrange fixtures againstsimilarly non-aligned sides. No fixtures have yet appeared on the clubwebsite.
Reserve games generally feature a loose amalgam of youngsters, players in rehab and fringe first-teamers. They may not be ideal butthey do provide a competitive environment to improve match-readinessand be seen by management and supporters. Others who opted out areFulham, Birmingham and Spurs.
Harry Redknapp made it clear that with extra pressure on his Champions League-qualified squad, he wanted a more flexible roster. 'Itgives you the option of fixing up a game where and whenever you wantrather than being tied to a fixture schedule which can sometimes provedifficult around first-team games,' he explained.
Without competitive games ambitious players, or those returning from injury, may have to arrange a loan move or simply rely on the usualdaily training to attain 'match fitness'.
Last March Stoke's no.2 goalkeeper Asmir Begovic played alongside other first team aspirants Amdy Faye, Andy Wilkinson and Louis Moultagainst the reserves of the club he quit in January, Portsmouth.
It was a rare outing for him, and a few weeks later he was forced into action in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge, with the score at 0-2 and Steve Sorenson hobbling off. It ended up a7-0 win for the Blues and ring-rust may have played a part.
On Saturday lunchtime we can all enjoy watching Arséne Wenger grapple again with the home bombardment from a Sam Allardyce team. As ahost the current Ewood manager is unbeaten in the league againstArsenal since 2002, including spells at Bolton, Newcastle and Rovers,notching up four victories and three draws.
Following recent drubbings there, struggling West Ham's last win at Old Trafford, in May 2007, seems a distant memory.
Man City will travel to the Stadium of Light on Sunday with great confidence - they have won four of their last five at the stadium.
LAGOS—PRESIDENT Goodluck Ebele Jonathan said, yesterday, he planned to eliminate constant power outage in the country by 2012 through theintroduction of ‘revolutionary’ policies to tackle the plethora ofchallenges bedeviling the sector.
The president’s aspiration was unveiled in Lagos at the launch of the Power Sector Road Map, the execution of which he said, would befast- tracked to create numerous employment opportunities, while alsorevamping the nation’s ailing economy.
PRESIDENT Goodluck Ebele Jonathan during his arrival in Lagos
President Jonathan who said: “We need a revolution in the power sector,” also stated that his administration had identified most of thebottlenecks impeding efficient and effective electricity supply in thecountry.
He noted: “By God’s grace, by December 2012, Nigeria will not only celebrate one day of uninterrupted electricity supply but we wouldcelebrate one week, one month and so on of uninterrupted electricitysupply.”
President Jonathan, however, believed that this will only be possible through the support of the various stakeholders, who arecurrently being engaged in constructive discussions on sustainable waysout of the current power quagmire.
New policies
Parts of the revolutionary polices the President enunciated include:
*The construction of what he described as “a super transmission network of 7000 Kilovolts, the procurement and design will commencenext year.” This is in acknowledgement of the current weakness inelectricity infrastructure, which frustrates the evacuation ofelectricity from the plants to the homes of Nigerians through thenational grid.
*Review of current tariff structure on the grounds that Nigeria’s current structure is the lowest and needs to be reviewed to encouragefresh investments, while not unmindful of the purchasing power of themasses
*Generation of additional 5000mega watts within the next three years from new and existing independent power plants
*Active and serious exploitation of hydro, nuclear and coal power, especially coal in states like Gombe, Enugu, Kogi and Benue states inthe next two years, which will be more private-sector driven
*Privatization of generation and distribution, while government retains transmission for strategic reasons
*Constitution of two presidential committees on power and the reconstitution of the board and membership of the National ElectricityRegulatory Commission, NERC, whose names have been forwarded to theNational Assembly for approval
Power challenges
The president said his assessment of the issues affecting the sectorover the past few years, revealed that “the sector’s challenge toeffective electricity delivery in Nigeria include the absence ofsustained policies and deliberately deploying long term powerdevelopment strategy, the absence of and low implementation of reformsto fast track all issues pertaining to the power sector.”
The President who was flanked by ministers, advisers and state governors, said Government was convinced that “it is only byconstructively engaging the private sector as partners in this journeyof national transformation that we can be assured of success.”
President Jonathan with Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola at the event
He added that constant power outages are perhaps the greatest paradox of life in Nigeria, which despite producing more than twomillion barrels per day of crude oil, relied on diesel generators topower everything from phone chargers to luxury hotels.
Powerful vested interests
World Bank country director, Onno Ruhl, who noted that successivegovernments had tried to fix the power problems, stressed that powerfulvested interests such as billionaire tycoons who import diesel andgenerators, and the chronic mismanagement of state-run utilitiesfrustrated progress in the sector.
He said: “This roadmap brings us to a point where we finally have a realistic plan that is actually technically, commercially sound, interms of the role of the private sector, the role of government. Thequestion is, will all the partners behind it actually rally around itand implement it … If it gets implemented, it will deliver results.”
Ruhl noted that fighting the graft and mismanagement that had hobbled the sector will be more of a political test than laying outplans, adding that in the challenges to reform listed by ministers andofficials, the issue of corruption was conspicuous by its absence.
Finance Minister, Olusegun Aganga, said: “If there is anything that unites Nigerians, it is a desire for power, electricity,” adding thathis ministry was focused on creating the right environment to attractinvestment as quickly as possible.
He said the nation had the world’s seventh_largest natural gas reserves and planned to use them as the source for improving powersupply.
Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison_Madueke, said gas supply to the power sector was already at an all_time high but estimated that demandfrom domestic energy producers would rise to 3 billion cubic feet perday by 2015 from around 800 million now.
She said that President Jonathan had already announced plans for a $3.5 billion transmission “supergrid” to be jointly financed with theprivate sector, while the privatisation agency had said it was seekingcore investors for 11 state_run electricity distribution firms.
Bomb Disposal squad at the airport during Jonathan's visit to Lagos yesterday.
Allison-Madueke said some of the firms in highly populated and relatively developed areas such as Lagos were likely to attractsignificant interest from foreign investors, potentially triggeringbidding wars, adding that others in less-developed areas and withgreater infrastructure challenges may be less attractive.
$12bn investment in energy, transportation
In another development, Vice President Namadi Sambo said the FederalGovernment has invested $12 billion in tackling the problem of powersupply and the resuscitation of the nation’s rail transportation system.
Sambo who was addressing members of the Nigerian community in Bujumbura, shortly after the inauguration of President PierreNkurunziza of Burundi, said the administration of President GoodluckJonathan was doing everything within its power to reduce the problem ofpoverty in the country.
Vice President Sambo said: “The administration of President Goodluck Jonathan is doing everything to ensure that we drive out poverty fromNigeria, and also transform our society and improve our economy,”adding that the emphasis of the government was to address the powersupply problem in the country decisively.
He said: “We are doing a lot in the real sector, we are doing a lot in the power sector to ensure that power supply is being addressed withall the seriousness it deserves. The government is investing over $10billion in the generation, transmission and distribution of power so asto attract direct foreign investors in the sector.”
The Vice President stated that government would continue to give emphasis on medium and large power plants as well as coal power plantsfor generation of electricity supply in country. Stressing that thegovernment was putting a lot of efforts in developing our transportsystem, Sambo said: “Our old railway system is now brought back to useand new railway is being built. Over N2 billion is being invested inthis area.”
Earlier, the Head of Nigerian Mission in Burundi, Mr. Sheidu Momoh, had said that the few Nigerians residing in the country had beencontributing positively to the development of the country. He called onthe Federal Government to take advantage of the return of peace inBurundi to acquire permanent structures for the Nigerian Embassy in thecountry.
An Australian mother has told how her touch brought her 'dead' baby back to life.
Doctors gave tiny Jamie Ogg no chance of survival when he was born prematurely at 27 weeks weighing just 2lb.
His twin sister Emily had survived but after battling for 20 minutes to get him to breathe Jamie was declared dead.
He was then handed to his mother Kate so she and her partner David could grieve and say their goodbyes.But after two hours of being spoken to, touched cuddled and held by his mother he miraculously began showing signs of life.
Then after being given breast milk on his mother's finger, he began breathing regularly.
Kate, who gave birth after a three-hour labour in March, has spoken of how vital 'skin-on-skin' care can be for a sick baby, or 'kangaroo touch' as it is known in Australia. 'Skin-on-skin' care is when the child is laid on the mother.
Normally, premature babies are sent to intensive care and she was only given her son to hold because he was thought to have died.
Telling how the drama unfolded at a hospital in Sydney, she said: 'The doctor asked me after the birth had we chosen a name for our son.
'I said, "Jamie", and he turned around with my son already wrapped up and said, "We've lost Jamie, he didn't make it, sorry."
'It was the worse feeling I've ever felt. I unwrapped Jamie from his blanket.
'He was very limp. His little arms and legs were just falling down away from his body.I took my gown off and arranged him on my chest with his head over my arm and just held him.
'He started gasping more and more regularly. I thought, "Oh my God, what's going on?" A short time later he opened his eyes. It was a miracle'
'He wasn't moving at all and we just started talking to him. We told him what his name was and that he had a sister.
'We told him the things we wanted to do with him throughout his life.'
Jamie occasionally gasped for air, which doctors said was a reflex action.
She added: 'After just five minutes I felt him move as if he were startled, then he started gasping more and more regularly.
'I thought, "Oh my God, what's going on?" A short time later he opened his eyes. It was a miracle.
'I told my mum, who was there, that he was still alive. Then he held out his hand and grabbed my finger.
'He opened his eyes and moved his head from side to side.'She said they passed on a message to their doctor insisting Jamie was showing signs of life, but he sent back a midwife with the reply that they were just natural reflexes and that there was no possible way he could still be alive.
Kate then said to her husband, 'What if he lives?'
She added: 'I was like, "We could be the luckiest parents in the world".
'I gave Jamie some breast milk on my finger, he took it and started regular breathing.
'At that point the doctor came back. He got a stethoscope, listened to Jamie's chest and just kept shaking his head.
'He said, "I don't believe it, I don't believe it".'
David, speaking to the Australian TV show Today Tonight, said: 'Luckily, I've got a very strong, very smart wife.
'She instinctively did what she did. If she hadn't have done that, then Jamie probably wouldn't be here.'
The Elochukwus (other names withheld) are being interrogated at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti, Yaba, Lagos, for allegedly killing the victim, Sunny Oriaku.
Their two househelps who were alleged to be in chains, were also rescued by the police. Daily Sun gathered that Emmanuel collapsed at the weekend. The couple, who thought the boy would give up the ghost, blamed each other for their travails. The man, who earlier denied torturing the deceased, later contradicted himself when he saw Emmanuel being revived by some police detectives interrogating them.
Elochukwu explained that he had been warning his wife not to maltreat her house- helps, but to treat them as their own children. “See what she has caused me now. When I was telling her to treat the children like ours, she did not listen to me. If this boy dies now, it is double wahala for us,” he lamented.
The 38-year-old man, from Anambra State said: “On several occasions, I saw the househelps being starved as punishment. I usually cautioned my wife and went to the kitchen to prepare food for them. God knows that I was handicapped in this matter, as I was not always at home.” His wife, who seemed to be unrepentant, warned him to be a man as statements by Emmanuel and Ebuka had already indicted them as having tortured Oriaku to death.
“Dear, all these confessions and allegations you are leveling against me are belated. Have you forgotten that two of us are being held over the death of Oriaku? So, stop being funny and face the challenge as a man.”
“As far as this matter is concerned, I am innocent. My husband is even innocent but I am surprised that he is blaming me for the sin I did not commit,” she said.
On whether she had the habit of beating up the deceased, she said: “There is an adage which says, “spare the rod and spoil the child”. I beat my househelps as I would to my children. Are they not under my care,” she queried. Ebuka had earlier given account of how 14-year-old Oriaku was chained in the toilet for over four days, an act which resulted in his death. He disclosed that Oriaku died without tasting any food. “As he was dying, he begged for food but our madam told him to die. She said if he died, she would compensate the family by paying a token of N200,000.”
“We were three househelps. We were suffering the same fate but Oriaku was unlucky. Madam had the habit of starving us for many days. She chained us in the toilet for many days.” He disclosed that on the day Oriaku died, his madam had accused Emmanuel of stealing fish from the pot of soup, but later found out that it was Oriaku who stole it. “As I am sitting before you, I may die soon. I had been in chains for five days alongside Oriaku,” Emmanuel said.
He narrated how they were denied food and water for days, which made them to drink their urine. The couple had allegedly subjected them to serious torture which he said, made him to report the matter at the Okota police station. “The police asked them to sign an undertaking that they would not torture us again, but few days after, they started torturing us again,” he said.
The Lagos State police spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, said the couple would be charged to court after investigation..
A woman's attractiveness now relates to the size of her waist compared with her hips, fresh scientific research suggests.…
It appears that long legs, cleavage and a pert bottom are no longer the womanly features that attract the most male attention.
Apparently a woman's attractiveness now relates to the size of her waist compared with her hips, fresh scientific research suggests.
The perfect figure for women, in the eyes of men, has been revealed as 0.7, which means a waist measuring 70 per cent of the hip circumference.
Examples include lucky celebrities such as Jessica Alba, Kate Moss, Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio and screen vamp Marilyn Monroe.
The findings are based on experimental evidence of what men have found attractive through history.
According to anthropologist Dr Barnaby Dixson at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, the size of a woman’s waist compared with her hips was found to be the most appealing female asset for men, rather than breast size or overall weight.
During the study, a group of volunteers were asked to rate images of women for attractiveness in which their bust, waist and hips were digitally altered in the pictures.
Infra-red cameras also tracked their eyes as they looked at the photos.
Dr Dixson claims: “It is likely that the perfect 0.7 ratio sends a biological signal to men that that woman is most fertile and most likely to produce a healthy offspring, no matter what size that woman is."
”It is all about the distribution of fat which is directly linked to fertility.”
Posted By Gaby Leslie .Extracted from
Chinwe, formerly married to one Okechukwu Ogbonna, reportedly arrived the ex-governor’s home at 14900 River Road, Potomac, Maryland at 8.30 pm on the fateful day, Thursday, August 19. According to sources, she had gone to deliver cologne purchased by the ex-governor at her shop during a previous U.S. visit in June this year. There were four other Nigerians at the ex-governor’s home at the time of Chinwe’s arrival.
Chinwe was offered a bottle of Guinness stout upon her request and 15 minutes later started shouting “my chest, my chest” vomiting blood. The ex-governor immediately picked up the phone and called paramedics and police, both arriving the scene in minutes. Paramedics were on their way carrying her into the ambulance when she gave up the ghost at 8.48 pm.
Police and detectives with the permission of the ex-governor, conducted an 8-hour search of his home. The Homicide unit of Montgomery County Police Department said they do not suspect foul play so far in Chinwe’s death and were awaiting autopsy results for final conclusion.
Photo Above: Deceased, Chinwe Masi
The decision is coming after President Goodluck Jonathan last night directed the minister power (state), Nuhu Wya, to strike a deal with the dissenting workers.
The Abuja Zonal secretary of the company, Temple Iworima, confirmed that its representatives met with Mr. Wya and added that there were conditions to the agreement. The terms of the agreement are that 20,000 members of verified PHCN staff will be paid monetization arrears starting from today, August 26th. The payment process is to last no longer than one week from today after which the PHCN will review and address the problem areas.
Mr. Iworima warned that there could still be further industrial action if the Federal Government fails to honour its own side of the agreement. It is expected that power installations will be switched back on when normal office duties resume in PHCN offices across the country this morning..
Thousands of people, including governors, top government functionaries, politicians, cultural dancers, and sundry airports users, today gathered around the presidential lounge of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos to receive President Goodluck Jonathan who is in Lagos to unveil his roadmap for the power sector..
Mr. Jonathan, whose presidential aircraft touched down at about 10.16am waved to the cheering crowd as he disembarked, and was escorted to his car by governors, ministers, heavily armed guards, and fans who sang his praise till he left the VIP lounge with his convoy.
Politicians role call
Those on ground to receive Mr. Jonathan include Babatunde Fashola, Lagos State governor; Gbenga Daniel, Ogun State governor; Yayale Ahmed, secretary to the government of the federation, and Olusegun Aganga, minister of finance.
Others are Musiliu Obanikoro, Nigeria's high commissioner to Ghana; Samsudeen Ade Dosunmu, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial aspirant for the 2011 elections; some heads of local governments; former minister of aviation, Babatunde Omotoba; heads of various airports authorities; and other political heavyweights.
Weird MC, one of Nigeria's foremost female hip hop star, provided entertainment, cheering the crowd and praising Mr. Jonathan.
Scenario at airport
All roads within and around the airport were blocked, and traffic got snarled despite the heavy presence of officers from the Nigerian Army, the Police, the special anti-bomb squad, Aviation Security operatives, and other State security personnel.
Flags of the Peoples Democratic Party were flown by party faithful; hundreds of women were seen in diverse traditional attires as they chanted songs praising Mr. Jonathan.
Mr. Jonathan, however, did not speak to journalists upon arrival, as he left the presidential lounge for Eko Hotel for the unveiling of the power roadmap.
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Everton assistant manager Steve Round insists Nigerian duo Yakubu Aiyegbeni andJoseph Yobo are not in line to leave the club this season. Neither player has featured in the Toffees‘ opening two Premier League games,with striker Yakubu a reported West Ham target and defender Yobo linkedwith a Celtic move. However, Round has revealed the pair‘s absence is down to them improving their fitness following theirlate return from the World Cup this summer. The assistant boss says Yobo could run out against Huddersfield in CarlingCup action on Wednesday, and expects both players to play a key role atGoodison Park this term. ”They came back from the World Cup a little bit later and have taken a bit of time to get fitteragain,” Round told Everton‘s official website. ”Joe is in the squad tomorrow (Thursday) and Yak would have been but he picked up a whack in training and is out. ”They are both in contention and will hopefully play a big part in us having a good season.” | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Jose Mourinho has insisted England will never win a major tournament while Fabio Capello is in charge of the national side. Italian manager Capello has been under fire since England‘s wretched campaignat this year‘s World Cup in South Africa, where they exited thetournament at the last 16 stage. ”The problem is the manager,” Mourinho told Wednesday‘s Daily Mirror. ”Capello will not work for England,” added Mourinho, who won two English PremierLeague titles while manager of Chelsea and last season guided Italiangiants Inter Milan to a domestic and Champions League treble. Portuguese boss Mourinho is now in charge of Real Madrid, where Capello was once the manager. And according to Mourinho, Capello‘s deficiencies are well remembered in the Spanish capital. ”He has a one-track relationship with players,” Mourinho said. ”Ask anyonehere at Real Madrid. He can‘t change. You cannot go around justshouting at players. They need to feel special. ”It is clear. Capello will not work for England. He does not know the players.They are frightened of him and they can‘t play for him. ”For me, it is a mess for England. Players need clear tactics. ”They cannot be confused about what they have to do,” added Mourinho, knownto remain close to several of the Chelsea players in the England squad,including John Terry and Frank Lampard. ”It is the manager‘s fault. And it is a big shame.” He also slammed Inter successor Rafael Benitez, saying the Spaniard‘sstewardship of Liverpool had seen the north-west club become aprogressively weaker force in the English game. ”It is very difficult for Roy (Hodgson, the new Liverpool manager) to do itwith Liverpool as, over the last few years, they have been gettingworse, worse and worse,” Mourinho said in the Daily Telegraph. ”The Liverpool of 2004 was better than the Liverpool of 2005, 2005 was better than 2006 and 2006 better than 2007. ”And they arrive at a situation now where, but for Jamie Carragher, StevenGerrard, Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres, if his head is there, it is verydifficult for Roy to make Liverpool champions. ”He needs time and it‘s not easy because I don‘t think they went in the right direction.” | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Liverpool are monitoring the contract situation involving Dickson Etuhu at Fulhamas the midfielder mulls over a new contract from the Craven Cottageoutfit. Anfield boss Roy Hodgson is a firm admirer of the tenacious tackler and is interested in bringing Etuhu to Merseyside,but only if his former club fails to tie him down to a new four-yeardeal that has been offered. It is also the same reason why Mark Hughes has informed the club to begin negotiations now, as theplayer is into the last year of his current contract and can walk awayas a free agent next summer. Liverpool are not the only one keen on signing the Nigerian international, as Etuhu is said to beinterested in a move abroad. But having flourished under his formerboss, the midfielder would be open to a reunion at Anfield. ”Unfortunately everything has been left to the last minute.” a Fulham source told the Sun. ”Although the situation is not ideal, no one at the club wants him to go.” The hard tackling ball winner has become a crowd favourite at CravenCottage after signing from Sunderland for only £1.5 million and gettinginto the team under Hodgson‘s previous tenure. The midfielder was aconstant thorn in the Manchester United side that had to settle for a2-2 draw on Sunday. | ||||||||||||||||||
PETER Odemwingie opened his Albion account in style in Saturday’s 1-0 winover Sunderland and promptly set himself a target of at least ten goalsthis season.
•Osaze Odemwingie
The Nigeria striker helped his new team-mates earn a valuable three points in their first home game of the campaign.
And he was delighted to prove wrong those who doubted his decision tojoin the Baggies after their opening-day 6-0 defeat at Chelsea.
“I can’t say a number but between ten and 15 goals for a striker, minimum, is a good result and I hope to at least achieve the minimum,”said Odemwingie.
“With that I think the club will be satisfied with my performance, but I hope I can do more.
“I know people asked questions about whether it was the right move forme, but they played against Chelsea in the first game and most of thegoals were from set-pieces so I had to take that into account.
“I knew that with more concentration we would be okay, because there were too many mistakes in that game and we were playing againstChelsea, which is not easy.
“Six was too many, but I saw some quality and I knew it was the right move.
“The people who didn’t want me to leave Lokomotiv asked if I was sureabout leaving, and there were little jokes, but I believed it would beokay.”
After what has been a hectic schedule for the 29-year-old ace, he is now hoping to find some time this week to pick out a song to sing forhis Baggies initiation — and work on his dancing for future goalcelebrations.
“They told me that at an away game I will have to sing,” he quipped.
“I will find a song.
“As for my goal celebration.
“My friends from Belgium, my uncle and some friends from London came towatch the game on Saturday and they were sitting over there.“Iremembered they were there so when I scored I ran over there.”
Reports from Sky Sports News yesterday claimed that Nigerian and Inter Milanstriker Victor Obinna has had a medical at West Ham.
It was reported earlier this week that the Hammers were in talks with Obinna over personal terms.
And an agreement has now been reached with the 23-year-old undergoing a medical on Wednesday at Upton Park.
Hammers boss Avram Grant is desperate to bolster his attacking options after seeing his side score just once in their first twoPremier League games and then scrape past Oxford in the Carling Cup.
Grant turned to Obinna after being forced to put his efforts to sign Machester City’s Felipe Caicedo on hold and Inter were willing to loanout the Nigeria international.
The former Chievo frontman went close to a move to Everton two years ago only for work permit problems to scupper the deal.
He has scored 11 goals in 34 internationals for Nigeria and played two games at this summer’s World Cup before scoring once in Inter’s 3-0friendly win over Manchester City in the USA earlier this month.
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An Onitsha, Anambra State, Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Ngozi Okoye, on Wednesday remanded a 21-year-old student of the University of Lagos, Mr. Chukwuemeka Muodieze, in prison for allegedly raping and defiling a 13-year old girl, Obiageli Elom, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
The police prosecution said that the accused person at about 12 noon, early in August, this year, at No. 37 Anam Street, Omagba Phase II, Onitsha, unlawfully and forcefully had carnal knowledge of Obiageli, a groundnut hawker.
It said the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 204 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 36, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 1991.
The prosecution told the court that the accused, who was on a holiday in Onitsha, had lured the victim into his relation‘s residential apartment on the pretext of buying groundnut from her.
The prosecution further said the accused grabbed his victim, tore her dress and engaged her in a marathon sex from 12 noon till about 6pm.
Okoye adjourned further hearing in the case to October 20 to enable the State Director of Public Prosecution advise on the matter.
The prosecution contended that it was only when the victim managed to free herself from the accused‘s custody that she abandoned her tray of groundnuts, blood-stained pant and raced to her parents to recount her experience.
The prosecution showed the court a medical report from General Hospital, Onitsha, which certified that there was a penetration and ejaculation in the victims’ genitals which was injured in the process.
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Following the crisis which rocked the University of Ado-Ekiti on Monday whenGovernor Segun Oni and other prominent persons in the state were stonedby irate students, the police in Ekiti State on Wednesday arraigned sixstudents of the university before a Magistrate’s Court on a five-countcharge. The students were arraigned before Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye for an alleged breach of peace, unlawful gathering,unlawful damage to properties, causing injuries while rioting andassault on police officers by stoning. Although the police arrested 10 students following the crisis and paraded all ofthem before journalists on Tuesday evening, six of the suspects werearraigned on Wednesday. Those arraigned were Oluwatuyi Olufemi, 24; Isiaka Muri, 25; Fadoju Olubode, 19; Lawal Oluwaseyi, 18;Oladeinde Kehinde, 24; and Akinsola Busuyi, 24. The prosecutor told the court that he would call five witnesses to testifyin his favour and he gave the names of his witnesses as A.V. Olubodun,B.C. Ogunleye, Gabriel Jacob, Ayomide Ayo-Oluwa and one SUPOL Giwa. He, however, asked for an adjournment to enable him to study the case file. Counsel to three of the accused students, Mr. Kayode Akinwunmi, who urged thecourt to grant his clients bail, said that the suspects had alreadyspent two days in police custody. He promised to produce them on theadjourned date. Before adjourning the case till October 8th, 2010 for hearing, the magistrate granted the accused persons bailin the sum of N10, 000 each. The Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Investigation Department in EkitiState, Mr. Suleiman Isa, while parading the suspects before journalistson Tuesday evening, had said that the students damaged no fewer thansix vehicles during their protest. But some of the students interviewed denied being involved in the protest. UNAD students had on Monday protested the hike in the fees charged fresh students of the university. The students, who were unable to see the governor in their earlierprotests, had used the opportunity of Oni’s visit to the school toregister their anger about the new fees. But the peaceful protest later became chaotic as some students hurled stones at thegovernor, who had insisted that he would not reverse the fees but wouldrather give the university authorities the approval to increase thefees by a maximum of 25 per cent every session. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Mohamemd, 28, claimed that his friend did not only touch the breast of his 18-year old wife, Aishat, but held it.
The incident happened at Shop 10, Shopping Complex, Jakande Estate, Isolo, Lagos where Mohammed owns a shop.
He disclosed that when he saw him touching his wife’s breast, he fought him and reported the incident at the Ejigbo police station.
The accused, it was learnt, confessed to the police when he was arrested that he was only playing with the woman when he went to her shop to buy an item.
He denied touching her breast as claimed by the husband.
He was charged to court for assault, an offence the police claimed, was contrary and punishable under Section 360 of the Criminal Code, Cap.31, Vol. 2, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge and sought to make peace with the complainant. The complainant told the court that he decided to forgive the defendant because of the Ramadan period and warned him to desist from touching his wife’s breast.
The magistrate, Mrs. M.B. Folami, said that since the husband who is the complainant has written a letter to withdraw the matter, she has no option than to strike out the matter.
She subsequently struck out the matter. .
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Workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), on Wednesday, begin an indefinite industrial action.
The workers are protesting the nonpayment of their monetisation arrears among others. The workers, under the aegis of National Union of Electricity Employees, had on Monday, released a memo instructing all members to lock all the gates to PHCN's offices and installations nationwide..
The workers' strike is coming two days before President Goodluck Jonathan is scheduled to unveil his power generation and distribution blue print. The workers are also protesting the procedure that government plans to adopt in the privatization of power distribution.
Mr Jonathan had, on Monday, approved the sale of 11 power firms, which are subsidiaries of the power company. The government insisted that this move will help to checkmate the high aggregate technical, commercial, and collection losses suffered in the course of electricity generation and distribution in the country.
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