₦airaland Forum

Benjamin Bassey, an ex cadet of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron today said I DO to his heartthrob Rosemary at the Calabar Museum. Maritime Academy band and naval personnel added beauty and colour to the event

Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo Has Just Been Conferred With The Chieftaincy Title -OBONG EMEM IBOM (King of Peace) - By The Akwa Ibom State Traditional Rulers Council, Led By The Paramount Ruler Of Ibeno, Owong Effiong Achianga
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Congratulations Obong Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, GCON

Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, has narrated how he missed the President’s phone call on Saturday.
The presidential aide, who made this known on his Facebook page on Saturday, said the Buhari originated a call to him from his London abode after he (Buhari) had spoken with some members of the presidential media team.
He, however, revealed that he received a text message from the President after missing the call.
According to him, the President had earlier spoken with the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
He said: “A day for the Presidential Media Team.
“We are thankful to the President, Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) for sparing the time to make calls to the Media team.
“The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed and the Special Adviser, Femi Adesina responded to the calls, exchanged greetings and thanked him for calling.
“I had an SMS from him thereafter because I missed my call! I humbly join them to say thank you, Baba Buhari!!
“We are together with other Nigerians of all faiths, in praying for his safe return.’’
Femi Adesina had earlier published his phone conversation with the president, on his Facebook page, on Saturday.
Adesina said: “And President Buhari called at 2:43p.m
“At exactly 2.43 p.m today, Saturday, February 25, 2017, my phone rang. Who was at the other end? Tunde Sabiu, personal assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Hold on for Mr President,” Tunde said.
And in a matter of seconds, the very familiar voice came:
“Femi, how are you?” (He calls me Adesina most times, but today, he opted for Femi)
I screamed :”Mr President, I have missed you. How are you sir?”
He first laughed. That familiar laugh. Then he said: “I am still resting. Thank you for holding out
against mischief makers.”
I said it was my duty, the very least I could do, adding how happy I was to speak with him.
“How is your family?”
I said we were fine, and he asked me to extend his greetings to them.
“I hope to call you again, ” Mr President said, and I bade him farewell, adding: “Best wishes, sir.”
“It was a defining moment for me. For more than a month, I had always spoken with aides who are with the President in London.
“Not once did I ask them to take the phone to him, deliberately so, because I didn’t need to speak with him to validate the fact that he was alive. And since he was on vacation, he had a right to his privacy.
“Of his own volition, President Buhari spoke with me. It made my day. Even if he hadn’t done so, he would have remained my
President, my leader, and my man. Any day.’’
President Buhari had proceeded on a 10-day vacation and a routine medical check in UK on Jan. 19.
In a letter he sent to both arms of the National Assembly the president said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo would act as president pending his return.
The president, who could not make it back to the country on Feb. 6, transmitted another letter to the Senate requesting extension of time to complete his medical check-up in London.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has in preparation for the conduct of the 2017 UTME has emphasized again that all licensed operators of Computer Based Test (CBT) centres must increase the capacity of their centres to accommodate 250 candidates at a sitting.

This was contained in a document issued by JAMB.

According to JAMB, there's an agreement with all CBT proprietors of CBT centres concerning the standardization of all CBT centres, in terms of capacity, equipment, materials, competent human resources and security appliances including Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) systems.

The document warned that failure to comply with the new set of rules would result in automatic disqualification of the operator and outright withdrawal of its license.

See more photos

The wife-to-be Rosemary Anthony Etim posted this on Facebook

We are delighted to invite u to witness as we would be joined in holy matrimony on saturday 25th February, 2017 @:
City of Victory Int'l Ministry, Joyce Estate by Gitto Road off Airport Road, Ifah Atai, Uyo, Aks.
Time: 11:00am Prompt.
Reception follows immediately @ same Rotunda Event centre, Joyce Estate, Gitto Road, Off Airport Road Ifah Atai, Uyo, Aks.

TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE: Thursday 23rd February, 2017 @ Sir (Teacher) Okokon Obot's compound (The White House), Nung Ikono Obio, beside Jubilee Redemption Church, Uruan L.G.A, Aks.
Time: 12:00 PM.

BE OUR GUEST!!!

The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, Mr Donald Awunah, on Thursday confirmed the abduction of Rev. Father Felix Akpan, a Roman Catholic priest of Ikot Ekpene Diocese, in Akwa Ibom.
Akpan, who is in-charge of St. Michael De Archangel Parish at Ikot Etim in Ukanafun Local Government Area, was abducted by unidentified gunmen along Abak-Ukanafun Road.
The priest is also said to be teaching at TopFaith International School, Mkpatak in Essien Udim Local Government Area. It was also learnt that the priest was said to have been kidnapped when he was returning from the school.
Awunah said that a crack team of police detectives had been deployed to ensure the release of the priest unharmed.
According to him, the priest’s SUV has been recovered at a mechanic garage.
He said some suspects who took custody of the vehicle had been arrested. The commissioner said the suspects were helping the police in their investigation.
“We are closing in on them. We have recovered his car in a mechanic garage and arrested those who had the custody of the vehicle; they are now helping us in our investigation.
“The Nigeria Police Force will remain cautious with the investigation to ensure that the priest regains his freedom without any harm,” he said.
Awunah appealed to members of the public to always volunteer useful information on criminal elements in their neighbourhoods to the police for prompt action.

MTN seems to have woken up to challenge Globacom in rewarding customers with bonus data. Recently MTN has been sending text messages to their customers asking them to enjoy 100% bonus data on every subscription. The bonus is indeed mouth watering, and it has given Glo customers an alternative since their network is most times poor.

Well done MTN

Twenty persons were feared killed in a fresh clash between Oku Iboku community in Itu Local Government Council Area of Akwa Ibom State and Ikot Offiong in Odukpani Local Government Council of Cross River State.
It was learnt that the clash started on Friday night with both sides using sophisticated weapons, responsible for the high number of casualties.
When the two communities clashed in December 2016, the member representing Itu Constituency, Idongesit Ituen, told the House of Assembly that four persons lost their lives.
The lawmaker, who said the attack, came unexpected, lamented that in 2005 the squabble was settled amicably and peace agreement signed.
Ituen maintained that the recent attack should be termed criminal because it occurred when the people of Oku Iboku and adjoining villages were harvesting their crops.
According to him, after chasing away the people away, they stole outboard engines anchored at the riverside and their farm produce.
The Akwa Ibom Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Cordelia Nwawe, confirmed the incident but was not ready to confirm the casualty figure.
The PPRO of Cross River State, Irene Ugbo, said: “Yes we are aware, but there is no casualty. Our men are there. They have been there since this morning (yesterday). The area is now calm.”

The management of the University of Uyo now has a lot to contend with as the students of the school have staged a protest over armed robbery incident of last night.

The unknown gunmen who mounted the three major entrances of the CBN Hall were reported to had made away with Laptops and several phones belonging to the students who came to read in preparation for their forthcoming exams scheduled to have started today.

The bandits reportedly raped some female students before leaving with their loots.

With the protests rocking the school, the management of the school and the SUG have concluded that the exams earlier scheduled for today be cancelled and rescheduled for another day yet to be pronounced.

Meanwhile, an emergency management meeting has been called to discussed this issue. In an address presented by VC through the CSO of the institution, students are advised to remain calm as investigations to bring these unknown gunmen to face the law is ongoing.

Also, students that had been robbed of any materials were also told to get their names and the names of their stolen property written and forwarded to the school.

Daredevil armed robbers have just attacked and robbed the students of the University of Uyo who were having night reading session at the CBN Hall, Town Campus, ahead of their first semester examinations which start tomorrow.

The robbers carted away laptop computers, mobile phones, cash and other valuables from the helpless students.

As at the time of writing this, the number of casualties could not be ascertained, though the robbers fired gunshots during the few minutes operation

The attention of the University of Lagos has been drawn to the publications by Vanguard Newspaper of Tuesday, January 7, 2017 and a blog, olufamous.com with the title, “Unilag Introduces New Dress Code for Students… no more shakara”.

The University of Lagos wishes to inform the general public that it has not approved or implemented any new dress code for its students.

The general public is hereby advised to discountenance any campaign in the print, electronic or social media claiming that the University of Lagos has introduced a new dress code for its students. All such claims are false and do not emanate from the University.

However, it is pertinent to state here that the University encourages students to dress decently and our watchword is “Dress as you want to be addressed”.

The Nigerian Army has demoted two soldiers who brutalized a crippled man identified as Mr. Chijioke Uraku alia CJ in Anambra state. Uraku has however met with officials of the Nigerian Army who gave him cash gifts and pleaded with him over the incident.

Read official statement from the army below:
*****
TWO SOLDIERS DEMOTED AND IMPRISONED WITH HARD LABOUR FOR MALTREATING PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED MAN
Sequel to the video clip of two soldiers maltreating a physically challenged man on the streets of Onitsha, Anambra State, last Tuesday, in line with our zero tolerance of infringement of human rights by troops, those involved; Corporal Bature Samuel and Corporal Abdulazeez Usman of 82 Provost Company, have been arrested, summarily tried based on 2 count charges and found guilty.

Consequently, both have been sentenced to reduction in rank; from Corporal to Private Soldiers and 21 days Imprisonment with Hard Labour (IHL) respectively, which includes forfeiture of 21 days pay to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The Nigerian Army has also reached out to the victim of their unjustifiable assault, Mr. Chijoke Uraku (alias CJ), as widely reported by the media.

We wish to reiterate our avowed determination to ensure that troops conduct themselves in the most orderly and professional manner at all times. Any act of indiscipline would not be tolerated.

You are please requested to disseminate this information to the public through your medium.

Thank you for your kind cooperation.

Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman
Director Army Public Relations

Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, today introduced a new policy for all the staff of the Academy to register their vehicles at the gate.

There was no vehicular movement as staff were left with no option than to park their cars and do as the policy demands they must register their cars, motorcycles and collect tag before entering the premises.

Some of the staff expressed displeasure having spent one hour at the gate. They maintained it was embarrassing as there was no prior notice or memo informing them of the new policy.

The following conversation took place between a teacher and his students in school this morning

TEACHER: Laye, find a word that is nearest in meaning to the word VACATION

Laye: Checkup

TEACHER: Wrong. Femi try another

FEMI: President

TEACHER: Are you children OK at all? Alright, Mole give me the synonym of the word VACATION

MOLE: Sick

TEACHER: Oh my God, what's wrong with these kids. OK, Ayose, I'm sure you know the correct answer. Tell us

AYOSE: Dead

TEACHER: You all are sick in the head, yet pretend to be well. The lies must stop. Leave my class!

FastNet Media presents #DjEsifast - Mad Over You Mix

Have a taste of Val's Day in advance

Download below

https://www.datafilehost.com/d/cf6a16b4

TRACK LIST
1. Leg Over – Mr Eazi
2. Kokonsa – Stonebwoy
3. Pana (Freestyle) – Yemi Alade
4. Snapdatsh*t – Dj Maphorisa ft Patoranking
5. Up to Something – Iyanya ft Don Jazzy & Dr Sid
6. I Ain’t Got No Time Rmx – Pepenazi ft Reminisce
7. Heartbeat – Iyanya
8. Diana – Tekno
9. Shele Gan Gan – Lil Kesh
10. No Kissing Patoranking ft Sarkodie
11. Anointing – Mr Eazi ft Sarkodie
12. Yoga – Iyanya
13. Rara – Tekno
14. Call the Police – Orezi
15. Daddy Yo – Wizkid
16. Kilogram – Tspize ft Runtown
17. Flirt – Solidstar
18. Ohema – Dj Spinall ft Mr Eazi
19. Mad Over You Rmx – Runtown ft Mr Eazi
20. Link Up – Ycee ft Reekado Banks & Mr Eazi
21. Jawonlaya – ILLbliss ft Reekado Bakns & Mr Eazi
22. Gbagbe Oshi – Davido
23. Just Like That – SHE ft Ycee
24. Regards to your Mumsi – Falz ft Ajebutter22
25. The Other Room – Cobhams Asuquo ft Ugovinna
26. Financial Woman – Phyno ft P-Square
27. Killy – ILLbliss ft Runtown
28. Ballerz – Wande Coal
29. Marry Me – Dj Neptune ft Mr Eazi
30. Do Like That – Koredo Bello
31. Fall in Love - Chidinma
32. Far Away – Masterkraft ft Tekno & Flavour
33. Gota – Victoria Kimani
34. Package – Dj Spinall ft Davido & Del’B
35. Halleluyah – Kiki Derita ft Selebobo
36. Iskaba – Wande Coal ft Dj Tunez
37. Bend Down Select – Young John ft Lil Kesh
38. If I Get Money Eh – Magnito
39. How Many Times – Timaya ft Iyaz
40. Tonyor – Selebobo ft Mr P
41. Bank Alert (Gospel Version) – Psqaure ft Gee Jay
42. Bureau De Change - Kcee

FastNet Media presents #DjEsifast -Daddy Yo Mix
Have a taste of Val's Day in advance

Download link below:
https://www.datafilehost.com/d/cf6a16b4

TRACK LIST
1. Leg Over – Mr Eazi
2. Kokonsa – Stonebwoy
3. Pana (Freestyle) – Yemi Alade
4. Snapdatsh*t – Dj Maphorisa ft Patoranking
5. Up to Something – Iyanya ft Don Jazzy & Dr Sid
6. I Ain’t Got No Time Rmx – Pepenazi ft Reminisce
7. Heartbeat – Iyanya
8. Diana – Tekno
9. Shele Gan Gan – Lil Kesh
10. No Kissing Patoranking ft Sarkodie
11. Anointing – Mr Eazi ft Sarkodie
12. Yoga – Iyanya
13. Rara – Tekno
14. Call the Police – Orezi
15. Daddy Yo – Wizkid
16. Kilogram – Tspize ft Runtown
17. Flirt – Solidstar
18. Ohema – Dj Spinall ft Mr Eazi
19. Mad Over You Rmx – Runtown ft Mr Eazi
20. Link Up – Ycee ft Reekado Banks & Mr Eazi
21. Jawonlaya – ILLbliss ft Reekado Bakns & Mr Eazi
22. Gbagbe Oshi – Davido
23. Just Like That – SHE ft Ycee
24. Regards to your Mumsi – Falz ft Ajebutter22
25. The Other Room – Cobhams Asuquo ft Ugovinna
26. Financial Woman – Phyno ft P-Square
27. Killy – ILLbliss ft Runtown
28. Ballerz – Wande Coal
29. Marry Me – Dj Neptune ft Mr Eazi
30. Do Like That – Koredo Bello
31. Fall in Love - Chidinma
32. Far Away – Masterkraft ft Tekno & Flavour
33. Gota – Victoria Kimani
34. Package – Dj Spinall ft Davido & Del’B
35. Halleluyah – Kiki Derita ft Selebobo
36. Iskaba – Wande Coal ft Dj Tunez
37. Bend Down Select – Young John ft Lil Kesh
38. If I Get Money Eh – Magnito
39. How Many Times – Timaya ft Iyaz
40. Tonyor – Selebobo ft Mr P
41. Bank Alert (Gospel Version) – Psqaure ft Gee Jay
42. Bureau De Change - Kcee

President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the National Assembly today, February 5, 2017, informing of his desire to extend his leave in order to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors.

The President had planned to return to Abuja this evening, but was advised to complete the test cycle before returning. The notice has since been dispatched to the Senate President, and Speaker, House of Representatives.

Mr. President expresses his sincere gratitude to Nigerians for their concern, prayers and kind wishes.

FEMI ADESINA
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
February 5, 2017

* Antonio Conte was careful not to use the particular word in the build-up to this match, but Chelsea headed into Saturday’s fixture at Stamford Bridge with a one-track mind. It was time to exact revenge.

It will go down as perhaps the most important result of the Premier League season. When Arsenal embarrassed Chelsea with a 3-0 win at the Emirates in September, everything changed. Not for the Gunners – Bill Murray is still presenting the weather – but for Chelsea, that was the turning point, the moment which has put them on the brink of a second Premier League title in three years. They have won 16 and lost just one of the 18 games since.

Conte’s role in this phenomenal run of form is well-documented, the Italian initiating both a change in playing system and in the players’ attitude. The result is that Chelsea hold a 12-point lead over their nearest challengers just five months later. The question has to be whether Arsene Wenger is capable of bringing about a similarly drastic wholesale change at Arsenal; the answer is obvious.

* As if to showcase the stark difference in mentality between these two sides, Conte’s starting line-up actually came in for criticism ahead of the game. It was the tenth time the Italian had named said XI, and Chelsea had won eight of those games. Yet the absence of Cesc Fabregas drew widespread disapproval.

The Spaniard is no stranger to the bench, of course. He has started just five Premier League games this season, and the six-minute cameo he was afforded here at Stamford Bridge means he has played just 54 minutes across the last five league games. After 12 seasons of regular first-team football across three clubs and two countries, the difficulty in transitioning to a bit-part player cannot be understated.

But the 29-year-old is ensuring not to waste any opportunity to impress, as his wonderfully-taken goal proves. Fabregas has played just 526 minutes this season, fewer than 13 Chelsea players, including Branislav Ivanovic. He has directly contributed to eight goals – more than all but Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Pedro. He deserves a consistent run of starts ahead of Nemanja Matic.

* As for Arsenal, there was only one real talking point when their side was announced: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would start in central midfield.
“The position where he really looks like blossoming is in the middle. I like his game,” said Arsene Wenger earlier this week. “He could perform in big games there and that means his real qualities are there,” he added.
From an admittedly small pool of contenders, the 23-year-old was perhaps Arsenal’s best performer. He created two presentable goalscoring chances, completed four dribbles, made four tackles, and registered the highest passing accuracy of any player on the pitch (93.2%). It would be a shame if the collectively shoddy performance of his teammates detracted from a generally positive display on his part.

* Chelsea headed into this game having conceded as many first-half goals in the defeat to Arsenal in September (3) as they had in the following 17 Premier League games. Many might have expected a plodding, tepid and nervous start from both sides, neither willing to risk making a mistake, but what they produced was a frenetic, energetic opening ten minutes.

After Wenger conceded that his players were not “mentally prepared” before their defeat to Watford in midweek, it must have pleased the Frenchman, surrounded by Chelsea fans in the home end due to his touchline ban, that the Gunners started with purpose and fervour. Alex Iwobi’s first-minute effort forced a corner, and every player looked motivated. Chelsea were caught by surprise, with Thibaut Courtois and even N’Golo Kante making early mistakes. The opportunity was there for Arsenal to capitalise, but the killer instinct was lacking. It would not be the last time.

* Chelsea, having made a poor start, responded emphatically. Gary Cahill almost scored from a free header on 11 minutes after Francis Coquelin conceded a free-kick for a mistimed challenge on Eden Hazard. The warning was not heeded, and the hosts took the lead through a header just two minutes later.

Debate will rage on over Marcos Alonso’s goal, the Spaniard deemed to have led with his elbow in challenging countryman Hector Bellerin for the aerial ball. Some insisted it was a foul – how could an elbow in the face not be? – while others saw no issue – Alonso kept his eyes on the ball and was simply using his arms for leverage.

It obfuscates the actual problem, which is that Arsenal had clear forewarning of Chelsea’s threat in the air. That Bellerin was left to mark Diego Costa for the initial header was laughable; that the right-back was once again stranded as the sole challenger against Alonso with three other Arsenal players in the penalty area was unforgivable.

* The main culprit in the concession of the goal was Theo Walcott, who watched Alonso’s run, but allowed the Chelsea wing-back free passage to goal. It would be an injustice if his crimes against defending went unpunished due to a contentious referee call.

It really does feel like back to square one for Walcott, who started the season in such wonderful form. He had no shots and made no key passes. Danny Welbeck was afforded 21 minutes and had more shots; Olivier Giroud was afforded 26 minutes and scored a goal; both had far more of a positive impact on the game than Walcott ever did.

The 27-year-old headed into the game with history in his sights. He had 99 Premier League goals and had been substituted 99 times in the top flight. That he reached the latter milestone first is a fitting summary of his career.

* Arsenal’s midfield was the talking point ahead of the game. Granit Xhaka’s stupidity, Aaron Ramsey’s lack of durability and Mohamed Elneny’s nationality forced Wenger into an uncomfortable position, particularly as he was responsibly for Jack Wilshere’s unavailability.
His solution was to debut a three-man central midfield of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Coquelin and Alex Iwobi, with Mesut Ozil on the left. It worked briefly, putting Chelsea on the backfoot, but the hosts soon adjusted.

Once they did, Wenger’s only response was to move Ozil back to the No 10 role which he was failed to impress in for months. The Frenchman stepped briefly outside his comfort zone before reverting to the norm. And why has the three-man central midfield never been truly tested with Xhaka, a player whose skills and flaws would surely suit it?

* The crass way to describe Arsenal’s first half would be to liken it to a sh*t sandwich. They started excellently and posed a considerable threat in the ten minutes before half-time, but the filling was awful. Heads dropped after Chelsea’s opener. No leadership, no authority, no guidance, no aggression, no discipline. No surprise; we’ve been here before.

If Alonso really did foul Bellerin for the goal, it should surely have instigated a response from the players. A feeling of injustice can be a powerfully motivating thing. But there was no fire or emotion.

“We have to bounce back, it’s a big game against Chelsea, we will try to be there from the first minute to the last second,” said Shkodran Mustafi, who also used the word “mentality” on a number of occasions in an interview earlier in the week. If they tried, they didn’t show it.

* But, as said, they did end the half as brightly as they started it. Ozil squandered a decent chance in stoppage time when played in by Coquelin, the German taking too long to test Courtois. But Arsenal’s best chance came a few minutes earlier, when the Chelsea keeper kept out Gabriel’s free header. A delightful cross from Oxlade-Chamberlain caught the defence off-guard, and the substitute really should have scored.
It was very much the theme of the game, with Chelsea having only one more shot on target than Arsenal. It is not that the visitors did not have chances to equalise, simply that they were not ruthless enough in taking them.

* So, how many points does Petr Cech guarantee his club a season now? Any number up to 15 has been mooted in the past, but that is no longer the case. It is difficult to attribute blame on the Arsenal keeper for either of Chelsea’s first two goals, but his assist for Fabregas’ third was delightful.

Cech made two saves on Saturday, both of which were regulation, and neither of which were made convincingly. It was a performance that was made more underwhelming by Thibaut Courtois, who produced wonderful saves from Gabriel, Ozil and Welbeck.

A good keeper exudes calm, while a bad keeper fosters panic. Cech does neither. He is not a bad keeper by any means, but there are at least five better than him in the Premier League right now. A more ruthless manager would already be looking for an improvement.

* Eight minutes after half-time, the result was secured. So was the embarrassment: Eden Hazard sauntered from his own half, bamboozled three defenders and fired past Cech. It was a moment of brilliance aided by bewildering ineptitude.

Unlike one of his most recent predecessors, Conte has afforded Hazard a free role. Chelsea’s system eases the defensive burden on the Belgian, who is relied upon to cause havoc in attack rather than track back. Some players are simply too good, too talented to shackle, and when Hazard performs as he did on Saturday, one can only sit back and applaud. He completed ten dribbles – no other player completed more than five – and Arsenal could not handle him.

* Fun fact: Hazard was fouled three times at Stamford Bridge – more than any other Chelsea player. He has been fouled 67 times this season – more than any other player. So Coquelin would have been forgiven for stopping the forward in his tracks when given the chance. The Arsenal midfielder was the first firefighter called onto the scene, but he fled because the flames were too hot. Laurent Koscielny was also culpable for the goal, the Frenchman constantly backing away as Hazard bore down on goal, but Coquelin’s attempt at a tackle was laughable. Arsenal’s midfield enforcer was swatted away by one of Chelsea’s smallest players. It was the crowning moment in the humiliation.

* It turns out that Neil Ashton was just two years, 11 months and one newspaper early. Now at The Sun, Ashton published an article in March 2014 accusing Mesut Ozil of ‘nicking a living’ at Arsenal. A shiny gold star for anyone who can remember just one of his 87 touches.

This website has often lobbied against the claim that Ozil is a hindrance to his club in big games, but the evidence is mounting. In five games against Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham and Arsenal this season, he has scored one goal and assisted another. His last Premier League goal came against Stoke in December. He was completely anonymous here, as he was against Everton and Manchester City in December and Watford earlier this week. For a player attempting to justify a much higher wage, he’s doing an awfully bad job.

* Ozil’s contract negotiations took a hit, and while Alexis Sanchez is in a far better position than his Arsenal counterpart, this game did him no favours either. The Chilean was handed the unenviable task of occupying three Chelsea defenders, and was often forced to drop deep in search of the ball. But that does not account for a completely ineffective performance. He did not manage a single shot or key pass, and was contained with ease. He really does need much more support in games against the better sides.

* One of Chelsea’s unsung star performers this season has to be Pedro, who has recovered from an underwhelming debut campaign in England to become one of Conte’s most important players. The Spaniard is the perfect foil for the attacking prowess of Hazard and Costa, and was crucial in pulling Arsenal defenders out of position to create space throughout. He created three chances in the first half, which was more than every visiting player managed combined.

It means the club’s Player of the Year has had to accept a more bit-part role this season. Willian has started 12 games to Pedro’s 15, but Conte has managed their respective game time so well that both accept their roles in the squad. They might not be guaranteed starters like Costa and Hazard, but they are just as important to the cause.

* The most damning aspect of this defeat for Arsenal is that Chelsea never really had to play that well. The Blues were comfortable for large swathes of the match, absorbing pressure before breaking at pace on the counter attack. They never really got out of second gear because they never really had to. Yet this was as easy a win as they have had all season. The only thing that will stop them winning the title now is themselves, and Conte will not allow such complacency to set in.

Wenger has a far more difficult job on his hands. This is now a top-four race for Arsenal, for whom an FA Cup would surely not be enough to keep the Frenchman in the job for a third season. A Champions League exit to Bayern Munich seems inevitable.

The 67-year-old is a man of his word, and so if his decision as to his future at the Emirates really does depend on the fans , this has to be his final season. The only thing keeping him in the job is a fear of the unknown. Much like their issues with mentality, attitude and glorious failure, they have to overcome that at some point.

©Matt Stead
www.football365.com

Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo told Nigerians who may not like President Muhammadu buhari to wait for another election instead of carrying rumours of his death. He also described those peddling the rumuored death of President Muhammadu Buhari as wicked, callous and treacherous.
Obasanjo stated this in a release issued by his Media Aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, in Abeokuta on Friday,adding that instead of embarking on such “worrisome” wishes, they should rather engage in marathon prayers from him.
He said, what the President needs “are our prayers and best wishes, which will ginger his morale to come back more stronger and better.”
Obasanjo who cautioned against politicization of every situation in the country, recalled that he has also been a victim of such rumoured death while in office as the President, declaring, “no normal human being will wish an elderly person dead irrespective of their differences.
“If you don’t like him, wait for another election, not going about to say he is dead. No matter his health situation, we should pray for him to recover quick and come back more stronger and better. For anyone wishing him dead, such person or group of persons are callous, wicked and treacherous.
“I was also rumoured to have died almost 12 times. I don’t know what they derive from doing so, but, they should seek forgiveness.”

This accident happened early this morning adjacent to a very popular club, Bako, in Eket, Akwa Ibom

An eye witness reported that the guy took off with speed immediately he came out from the club.

Five persons were hit, one died instantly while the rest are in the hospital.

OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE ON THE PROPOSED FEBRUARY 6TH NATION - WIDE PROTEST.

We receive with absolute humility and sense of responsibility, the massive and encouraging responses to my widely circulated resolution to join and coordinator patriotic, nationalistic and well-meaning Akwa Ibom people for the Nation - wide protest against the harsh economic policies of President Muhhamadu Buhari, due to hold on Monday, 6th February, 2017.

The protest which was earlier proposed for sunday, 5TH February, 2017 has now been shifted to Monday, 6th February, 2017. The adjustment was done to accommodate more Nigerians, whom for religious involvement, were not properly disposed to participating in this long overdue exercise.

Let me solemnly affirm and declare that that my involvement in this exercise is absolutely non-partisan. I am not motivated by any political party neither have I accepted the involvement and sponsorship of any politician, government, affiliates and agencies. My involvement is genuine, sacrificial and honest. Nigerian people are in an all-time bad economic sit since our independence and we have the right to speak up.

Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution gives every Nigerian the right of expression, section 40 gives us the right to associate and assemble while section 41 gives us the right to movement.

Apparently, the 6th of February's nation - wide protest becomes constitutional and legal under the aforementioned sections of the Nigerian Constitution. The protest is to enable us assemble, move and express freely.

The Commissioner of Police for Akwa Ibom State has been properly written and notified by our lawyer and we can therefore affirm that our safety is guaranteed.

We have under-taken to our various security agencies to ensure a peaceful and non-violent demonstration.

In a bid to forestall the possibility of the protest being hijacked by hoodlums and unscrupulous persons, we are compiling and keeping a database of every person demonstrating with us.We encourage interested persons to reach us with their phone numbers and names by text message, private Facebook message and through WhatsApp.This is to enable us ascertain those whom we are responsible to and can defend.

We are coordinating at various levels and this protest is opened to all Nigerians who are up to the age of 18 regardless of their status, profession, religion, tribe and background.

We have also created group social media platforms for the benefit of information that we can not publicly display. To be entitled to such information especially on our strategies and modalities, imply that you have to be added to any of this platforms. We therefore enphasize that interested persons should send us their names and phone numbers.

On the whole, this protest will hold on Monday, 6th February, 2017 by 12:00 noon.The point of convergence is at Ibom plaza.

We are thankful for your massive support and encouragements so far even as we continue to solicit for more. However, we continue to insist that support must be non-partisan.

We are specifically thankful to Media organizations and persons such as Channels Television, Planet fm, The mail newspaper, Courage Mbon, Ifreke Nseowo-Connoisseur, Osondu Ahirika etc, for their sacrificial and unflinching commitment to this course. I am confident that together we shall prevail. We are on the right side of history.

Thank you.

Endiong John,
Founder, Responsible Citizens of Nigeria.
08067265048.

Fresh students of the University of Calabar were this morning mobbed with buckets of water right from their hostel bed Malabor Hostel.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has posted pictures on Facebook on his meeting with US Congressman Rep. Steve Chabot and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee at the United States House of Representatives this afternoon

The parents of a little 10-year-old girl Sahana Khatun have become intensely worried following the discovery that their daughter is growing bark-like warts on her face and body.
A beautiful young Bangledeshi girl is thought to be the first female ever diagnosed with the “tree-man syndrome”. The girl has bark-like warts growing on her face already.
Now, the Bangladeshi doctors think ten-year-old Sahana Khatun could have contracted it after growths started emerging around her chin, ears and nose. Just about six people are known to have the condition worldwide and Sahana is thought to be the first woman affected.
Doctor Samanta Lal Sen said:“We believe she is the first woman.”
The warts grew rapidly over a period of four months. The girl’s father Mohammad Shahjahan said it held little concern at first.
But as they grew out of control the labourer took her from their village in northern Bangladesh to the capital Dhaka for treatment. Now, he worries whether he has enough money to treat the unsightly growths.
Mohammad said:“We are very poor. My daughter lost her mother when she was only six.
“I really hope that the doctors will remove the barks from my beautiful daughter’s face.”
Abul Bajandar, also from Bangladesh, is the most high-profile victim of the debilitating condition – named epidermodysplasia verruciformis. The 27-year-old has been undergoing intense treatment to remove tree-like growths from both his hands. After sixteen surgeries to remove 5kg of growths, the dad is almost ready to return home.
The rickshaw driver said it was the thought of holding his daughter again that motivated him to seek treatment for the “unbearable” condition.
He said:“I never thought I would ever be able to hold my kid with my hands.
“Now I feel so much better, I can hold my daughter in my lap and play with her. I can’t wait to go back home.”

SAD, A young teenage boy is gradually turning to a stone, as his parents have cried out for help to tackle the rare ailment.
An eight-year-old has been forced to stay indoors all his life because he terrifies other children and suffers from horrific pain if he touches anything due to a rare condition, reports Dailymail.
The little boy identified as Mehendi Hassan from Bangladesh has acute skin disease that is effectively turning him to stone. His face looks normal while the rest of his body is covered in thick, scaly skin making it difficult to walk or touch anything.
Most people in his community and even his grandmother, detest him according to Mehendi’s mother, who is calling on the government to diagnose and cure the condition that has robbed her son of his childhood.
Now, the little boy struggles to wear his own clothes as even slightest of friction to his skin is excruciating and stays at home all day because his appearance terrifies other children in the village.
His mother Jahanara Begum said:‘Other children detest him.
‘People find him filthy because of his condition.
‘He has been home for eight years because whenever he goes out, villagers get scared and say bad things to him.
‘Everyone hates him, no one likes to see him or eat in front of him.
‘Not even my mother-in-law. I beg government to help my child.
‘It upsets him so I keep him at home.
‘He always cries out in pain. It is devastating to see him suffering.’
Mehendi is Jahanara’s third child and was born a healthy seven pounds in the village of Dona Raninagar in Naogaon district of north Bangladesh.

The Nigerian Army said it has summoned a soldier, Suleiman Olamilekan and a guard commander, for allegedly assaulting a Nollywood actress, Jewel Infinity along the Port Harcourt-Onitsha Road, Rivers State.
The actress had posted on her Facebook wall that she was assaulted by Olamilekan while boarding a Sienna bus from Port Harcourt to Onitsha, Anambra State.
The actress had called for justice.
Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Sani Usman on Wednesday said the soldiers have been summoned and appropriate action will be taken.
He said, “The matter has been communicated to the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division and the necessary action is being taken. The soldier and his guard commander have been invited while effort is on to locate the lady.
“We enjoin the general public to have trust and confidence in the army by appropriately reporting issues to us; and if nothing is done, then they can go public with it.”

Music diva, Beyonce, is expecting a set of twins with her rapper husband Jay-z.
She made this known via an Instagram post that has since gone on to shatter a long standing record.
From the moment she shared the photo, social media has gone haywire, with many feeling it was long overdue being that the only child the power-couple have is 5-year old Blue-Ivy.
The Instagram post has skyrocketed to become the most liked image on the photo-sharing platform of all time and claiming the Guinness World Record.
In under eight hours, according to CNET, the photo, in which a pregnant Bey cradles her belly in front of a profusion of flowers, has gathered a total of 6,954,225 likes, and over 350,000 comments.
The “Single Ladies” singer captioned the picture with these words “We would like to share our love and happiness,” the post reads. “We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes. – The Carters.”
Beyoncé’s announcement of her pregnancy with daughter Blue Ivy Carter at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards also broke social media records, generating the most Tweets per second (8,868) of any event to date.

President Buhari has finally posted on Facebook after being silent for two weeks.

He wrote on Facebook

"I spoke with Sports Minister, Barrister Solomon Dalung, to commiserate with him on the death of his wife, Briskila. May her soul Rest In Peace, and may God grant Barrister Dalung, the children and the family the strength to bear the untimely loss."

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1894054790874712&id=1528952840718244&refid=17&_ft_=top_level_post_id.1894054790874712%3Atl_objid.1894054790874712%3Athid.1528952840718244%3A306061129499414%3A2%3A0%3A1485935999%3A269205150054171422

This is coming about 72 hours after the sports minister lost his wife. The question now is, why did it take the president such a long time to commiserate with the minister?

Akwa Ibom State Government has set up modalities for the screening and revalidation of five thousand personnel recruited as teachers whose appointments were cancelled October 29th 2016, on grounds of observed irregularities in the recruitment process.

The revalidation is scheduled for Saturday, 11th February 2017.

The Head of Civil Service Mrs Ekereobong Akpan, dropped the hint during a Media briefing with Government House Correspondents at her office.

Mrs Akpan said that Government has made good it promise of employing qualified personnel into the teaching service by opening another window of recruitment to enable the sacked recruited workers defend their suitability through another round of test adding that the affected personnel would be admitted into the venue of the revalidation on presentation of original copy of the Letter of Appointment which was cancelled.

Her Words: "affected persons will be expected to supply their personal details, Birth Certificate, First School Leaving Certificate, Educational Qualifications, Certificate of Origin etc. earlier submitted in the aborted recruitment exercise."

"Let me state here and very sincerely, that all the affected persons who succeed at this fool-proof screening exercise shall be offered appointment to teach in our public schools", Mrs Akpan assured.

On the absorption of staff of the six privately owned community schools, the Head of Service explained that the sudden rise to 546 personnel in the schools following approval for takeover by government in 2012 was worrisome to this administration as it immediately set up committee to unravel the mystery.

"... Let me again break the good news that the committee set up has submitted it report and all the bona fide teaching and non-teaching staff as identified by the community who used to pay roll them will be absorbed into the service"

Mrs Ekereobong Akpan mentioned the affected Schools to include Unity Model College, Obontong Nsit Ibom LGA, Community Secondary School, Obio Ediene Ikono LGA, Ikono Annang Comprehensive Secondary School Nkwot Ikono Etim Ekpo LGA. Others are Afaha High School, Ikot Udo Mbang, Ukanafun LGA, Comprehensive High School, Ikpe Mbak Eyop Obot Akara LGA and Comprehensive Secondary School, Iwere, Ini LGA.

She used the occasion to apologize to the affected genuine staff of the institutions for the hardship suffered while the verification exercise lasted and commended the committee for embarking on what she described as a painstaking assignment which required them visiting the affected schools, communities and stakeholders of the institutions.

The Head of Service who was flanked by the Permanent Secretary Deaconess Affiong Okpo, particularly expressed appreciation to the State Governor Mr Udom Emmanuel for his uncompromising stance in ensuring a fair and transparent recruitment process and called on the people to keep faith with the Governor and support his laudable programmes as well as efforts at repositioning the educational sector for a better Akwa Ibom.