President Buhari Refuses To Reward Flying Eagles

Nigeria’s U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles will not be rewarded along with the Golden Eaglets and the Dream Team by President Buhari on January 21, 2016. 

The U-17 Flying Eagles win a seventh African Youth Championship in March 2015

 The U-17 Golden Eagles, U-23 Dream Team are to be rewarded by President Buhari after winning U-17 FIFA World Cup and U-23 Africa Nations Cup in 2015.

Osimhen To Visit Arsenal For Contract Talks

African Youth Player of the Year for 2015, Victor Osimhen, is expected to be at the British High Commission next week for a visa that will enable him to travel to England where he is scheduled to visit Arsenal officials for proposed contract talks, Completesportsnigeria.com reports.

Ribery looking forward to Ancelotti arrival

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery on Wednesday welcomed the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as the successor to Pep Guardiola as coach of the Bundesliga giants next season.

“I think Ancelotti is great as a coach and as a person,” Ribery, who has missed the best part of the last year through injury, said in an interview with German weekly Sport Bild magazine.

“We’ve already met without talking too much,” he added. “But I’ve heard often that he has a good relation with his players. It’s exactly the type of coach who suits me.”
Ribery was in 2009 the subject of a bid from Chelsea, then coached by Ancelotti, with the former France international admitting he was flattered by the interest.
“That shows he rates me as a player, it’s great,” said Ribery, who was voted UEFA European Player of the Year in 2013.

Arsenal to sign Nwakali, Chukwueze

Kelechi Nwakali and Samuel Chukwueze Photo: Mirror.co.uk

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Simon Ejembi
Arsenal are close to signing two Nigerian Under-17 players, Kelechi Nwakali and Samuel Chukwueze, according to the British media.

The players gained the attention of top European clubs after helping Nigeria to win the FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile last year.

According to Sky Sports, a host of top European clubs are interested in signing both players, with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hopeful of taking the duo to the Emirates.

The Mirror, which noted that Bayern Munich were also interested in signing the players, reported that Wenger believes the duo would sign for the Gunners.

Istanbul bomber registered in Turkey but not on wanted list

A person pays his respects at the Obelisk of Theodosius, the scene of the suicide bomb attack, at Sultanahmet square in Istanbul, Turkey January 13, 2016.

Reuters/Osman Orsal

 

A suicide bomber who killed himself and 10 German tourists in Istanbul's historic heart had registered with Turkish immigration authorities but was not on any list of known militant suspects, Turkey's interior minister said on Wednesday.
The bomber, who authorities say is an Islamic State member recently arrived from Syria, blew himself up on Tuesday in Sultanahmet square near the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, major tourist sites in one of the world's most visited cities.

EU begins assessment of Poland over controversial new laws Media Bill and changes to Poland’s highest court under review by European Commission

European Commission first vice-president Frans Timmermans: his announcement of a preliminary review of controversial new laws introduced by the governing Law and Justice Party will increase tensions between the EU and the new Polish government over. Photograph: Yves Herman/Reuters

Political pressure increased on Poland on Wednesday after the European Commission launched the first step in a procedure that could ultimately lead to its suspension from the EU Council of Ministers. 

European Commission first vice president Frans Timmermans said the commission would carry out a preliminary assessment of recently-introduced legislation governing Poland’s highest court in order to assess its compatibility with EU rule-of-law standards. 

Denmark debates seizing refugees' valuables

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen. (AFP)

Copenhagen - Denmark's parliament began debating on Wednesday a controversial plan to seize refugees' valuables, with the bill widely expected to pass a January 26 vote after being backed by a majority of lawmakers.

The bill has been criticised by UN refugee agency UNHCR which fears it will "fuel fear" and "xenophobia", while international media have compared the searches to Nazi Germany's seizing of gold and valuables from Jews and others during WWII.

The proposal would allow Danish authorities to seize asylum seekers' cash exceeding 10 000 kroner ($1 450), as well as any individual items valued at more than 10 000 kroner.

Besieged Syria towns 'should get more aid Thursday': UN

Aid groups hope to deliver more food and medicine on Thursday to three besieged Syrian towns, including Madaya, where residents have reportedly starved to death, a UN official said.

Linda Tom, a spokeswoman with the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), confirmed new aid deliveries were planned for Madaya, where more than two dozen people are thought to have died from lack of food, and two other towns.

"We are planning operations to Madaya, Fuaa and Kafraya on Thursday, which will be followed by a third delivery in the following days," she said on Wednesday.

A convoy of Red Cross aid waits on the outskirts of besieged Madaya, on January 11, 2016 ©Louai Beshara (AFP)

She added that assistance for a fourth town, Zabadani, was being planned for a later date.
Badly needed supplies entered the three towns on Monday.

It was the first aid to reach inhabitants for four months, and came after international concern about the situation in Madaya.

12 dead in Cameroon mosque suicide blast: security sources

A suicide bomber killed 12 worshippers Wednesday at a mosque in northern Cameroon, an area regularly targeted by Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists, officials said.
The blast struck the mosque in the village of Kouyape, in Kolofata district north near the Nigerian border, at around 5:30 am (0430 GMT) during morning prayers, a security source said.

"The provisional toll is 13 dead (including the suicide bomber) and one person who was seriously injured. The mosque was virtually reduced to ashes," said Midjiyawa Bakari, the governor of the region.

Cameroon troops in position after an earlier attack attributed to Boko Haram ©Reinnier Kaze (AFP/File)

Bakari asked locals "not to let down your guard" following "these barbaric, cowardly and nebulous acts."

Reps pass bill to restructure EFCC, establishment of witness protection, detention units

Members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously support the bill that seeks to restructure the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Section 12(1) of the amendment bill also provides for the establishment of witness protection unit and detention unit. The detention unit will ensure that there is a conducive and enough detention space to keep suspects in accordance with the law.

The legal framework, which supports the ongoing anti-corruption campaign of the present administration, also deals with EFCC property under trail, increased penalty and disqualification of convicted persons as provided for in sections 14(1a,b) and 32 of the Principal Act.

The bill, sponsored by Ossai Nicholas Ossai (PDP-Delta), was passed through second reading and referred to the House Committee on Financial Crimes for further legislative input.

Biafra Drags Nigeria To US Court, Gets Hearing Date

A top ranking Biafran leader has revealed plans to drag Nigeria before a United States of America (USA) court for legal battle.


The leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity with Biafra Media Forum as posted on the website of Radio Biafra, described the forthcoming legal battle between Biafra and Nigeria in a New York court as the first international legal battle between the duo. He said the case is expected to come up for hearing tomorrow, January 14, 2016.

He said: “Now, with their own hands, Nigerians have set the stage for Nigeria’s first international legal battle with Biafra, and we are ready to meet them in court. There, the world will begin to hear things that will shock them about the “illegal structure” called Nigeria, which they are still keeping as a country.”

Stop associating us with APGA – IPOB warns Abia Government

 

 The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has berated the Abia State Government for attempting to drag the group into the state’s politics, stressing that it has no interest in whoever becomes the state governor.

Following the nullification of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s election by the Appeal court in Owerri, Imo State, the state government through the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Bonnie Iwuoha had accused the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, of sponsoring pro-Biafra groups against the government.

But reacting through its Media and Publicity Officer, Emma Powerful, IPOB expressed its displeasure with the state government and it’s Commissioner for associating the group to Ikpeazu’s crisis, when it was busy agitating for the release of its leader and Radio Biafra Director, Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in custody of the Department of State Security, DSS.

I came too early, says Buhari as he arrives FEC meeting ahead of Osinbajo, ministers

ABUJA – President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday demonstrated a rare attitude to time when he beat his Vice, Yemi Osinbajo and indeed other cabinet members to meeting of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting.

The president arrived the Council Chambers of the State House, venue of the meeting at 9.51am for the meeting slated at 10.00am without most members of his cabinet seated.

File: L-R Minister of Women Affairs Aisha Jummai AL-Hassan, Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalong, Deputy Chief of Staff Mr Ade Ipaye, National Security Adviser Major- Gen. Babagana Monguno, Head of Service of the Federation Winifred Ita-Oyo, Chief of Staff to the President Abba Kyari, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Engr. Babachir David Lawal and President Muhammadu Buhari during the Federal Executive Council meeting, held at the Presidential Villa.

Osinbajo, Chief of State Alhaji Abba Kyari, National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno and some 19 ministers who were supposed to be seated before the president had not arrived.

Surprised, President  Buhari said: “I came too early”.

He later requested for national anthem to signal the commencement of the meeting in the absence of other key members.

Osinbajo and others however arrived about five minutes into the meeting

Cross River State To Get Pharmaceutical Company

 

The Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, has announced plans by his administration to site a pharmaceutical company in the state.

He said the company would be in operation on or before the first quarter of 2017.
According to the Governor, the initiative emanated from not only the conceptualisation of two of his major projects – the deep seaport and the superhighway – but the peace and tranquillity in the state.
He said that the peaceful atmosphere had attracted large foreign participation at the just concluded Carnival Calabar, culminating in investors pouring into the state.