Leaders ask Nigerians to stop talks of 2015 polls

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan and former Secretary General of the Commonwealth,Chief Emeka Anyaoku ,yesterday again asked Nigerians especially the political class and the media to stop the undue focus on the 2015 elections.

 Their views echo that of many other eminent leaders who view the 2015 debate as pre-mature and a distraction.

 Jonathan said the focus should be “governance first”, stressing: “We are just talking about one year of a government of four years. Why should we begin to talk about 2015. Let us keep away from whether someone is going to contest or not. Let us focus on governance, it is not yet time for anybody to declare or not to declare interest.”

 Anyaoku said that the “main focus of our public debates at this time should be how to tackle the massively destructive challenges facing the nation.” Both spoke at a symposium marking this year’s Democracy Day held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja with the theme Our Democracy:

Progress and Challenges. On his part, Senate President David Mark enjoined Nigerians to participate actively in the democratic process and collaborate with government to strengthen the institutions in order to achieve progress and prosperity. Senator Mark in a statement to mark this year’s Democracy Day, said it was by deliberate decision and design that Nigeria chose democracy as the best form of government suited for our pluralistic society.

 Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed D. Abubakar congratulated “all Nigerians for their unwavering faith in the unity of the nation and urges all citizens to continue to work harder towards the realisation of our collective national goals and ideals.”

 In a statement, he reminded “politicians and other political stakeholders of the need to play politics by the rules” and urged them to “eschew all acts capable of impacting negatively on our fledgling democracy.” And to ensure a hitch-free Democracy Day celebration, the IGP has “directed all Zonal AIGs and Command Commissioners of Police to ensure that adequate security is provided at all venues of celebrations including venues of workshops and symposia.

He also directs that adequate security should be provided at all key government installations and vulnerable points across the country.” Jonathan, who said that Nigerians ought to celebrate this year’s Democracy Day, stated that “the worst democratic government is better than a dictatorial government.

In a democracy, we have a tenure and democratic government gives a little more elasticity for people to criticize government.” The President stated that his government has been successful in laying the foundation for a greater Nigeria.

 He went on: “Nigerians should encourage us to follow the rule of law to get to where you want to go. We will follow the rule of law in our transformation programme and as we progress. We have tried as a government.

The first year is more of a planning year. For you to succeed, you must plan. We have planned out a number of programmes. I believe Nigerians will agree with us that we have tried.” He dwelt extensively on separation of powers following the submission of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, that the concept should be religiously adhered to. According to Jonathan, “you can separate the judiciary to some reasonable level. But can you really separate the parliament from the Executive and have a stable government.

 That is one of the greatest challenges we have and especially in Nigeria.

 If the parliamentarians and those in the Executive maintain that theoretical separation of powers as if there is a wall separating the Executive from the Legislature, then this country would continue to have problems. We all belong to political parties but the Judiciary does not belong to parties. “I believe both Parliament and Executive must work together for us to succeed; for Nigerians to get the dividends of democracy and for us to even have good governance. I plead with our legislators now and the next set of people that would come.



Today, Mr. Jonathan is the President but we are talking about what should be the ideal is for us to continue to work together and work together as a team. If we begin to see this clear division, we are exposing the National Assembly to people who are anti-government to use.

It is not good to always celebrate the separation. When we begin to celebrate the separation, those outside government would use National Assembly against the Executive.” Jonathan expressed misgivings on alleged interference in the federal budgeting process. He noted: “For democracy to be meaningful and for us not to have conflict and for us to render good service, we must have a budget. Budget is a law.

 The constitution said the Executive must have a budget for you to be able to plan and manage the economy of the country. If you send your budget to National Assembly and they tear it to pieces and package what they like to you. We have challenges every year. “Our budget in 2008, we even want to go to court so that the Supreme Court tell us if it is the duty of the National Assembly to plan the economy. If it is, let them do the budget, hand over to us, we will implement. But if it is our duty, then they should listen to us because the Executive arm of government has a ministry for planning and finance and work with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

What you see sometimes could be disturbing. This has been a major conflict between National Assembly and the Executive. The Speaker mentioned it. That is why I am raising it. My plea is, the Legislative and the Executive arms of government of the same political party must work together for democracy to be meaningful to Nigerians.”

He enjoined Nigerians to abide by the rule of law and also encourage the government to do same, pointing out that the Federal Government has a judgment debt of N185 billion “because of decisions taken by government that were not properly thought through.” Anyaoku, who was Chairman of the event, urged Nigerian politicians and the media to “spare the nation the distraction of engaging now in public debate on the 2015 elections.”

 He spoke further: “This is only the first of a four-year political dispensation. We must not allow preoccupation with the 2015 elections to confirm the view that our politicians are only interested in self-aggrandizement, with the result that our national politics is bereft of active ideas on how to uplift the country and improve the quality of life of our citizens.

The main focus of our public debates at this time should be how to tackle the massively destructive challenges facing the nation.

 “We have a country with undoubted potential for greatness, a country whose size and diversity offer immeasurable benefits to all its people’s no matter their religion, ethnicity or place of birth. Our democracy, like democracy in many other countries, has over the last year faced a number of serious challenges.”

Anyaoku stated that Jonathan has set Nigeria’s compass “in the right and inspiring direction in their plans now being pursued by his government for improvement in the power supply, in agricultural development.” But Anyaoku stated that for the country to achieve peace, stability and national development, all activities by Nigerians must be driven by the commitment and desire to work for the good of the majority of the citizens. The occasion involved presentations by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Frank Adefaye, the Organised Private Sector, Women, Electoral Reforms, Security and Governance, the Judiciary and the Legislature.

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UNILAG shut, govt defends name change as protests persist

Even the closure yesterday of the rechristened University of Lagos(UNILAG) could neither douse nor stop the vehement protests by students and academic staff against the Federal Government’s action. Hundreds of aggrieved students for several hours resisted the attempt of the university’s authorities to shut down the school and force them out of their halls of residence.

The school’s authorities had yesterday issued a statement, ordering the closure of the institution for two weeks but the students vowed not to leave the Akoka campus. They alleged that the measure was hurriedly taken by the Senate of the school to enable them adopt the new name. But the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the National Universities Commission yesterday declared the renaming of the Ivory Tower as a fait accompli. Although, there had been legal interpretation that since the results of the June 12, 1993 presidential election was not fully announced and the winner named, it was wrong for the late Abiola or his supporters to claim victory at the polls, but the government admitted yesterday the business mogul “clearly won the election.”

 The Council said Jonathan took the decision “in the best interest of the country,” adding that it was anchored on the premise that “any nation that does not honour those who clearly stand out and make sacrifice as role models for others to follow, cannot appeal to the best in its own tradition for citizens to follow.” Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, told journalists in Abuja after the FEC meeting that with the decision made in good faith, “today (yesterday), Abiola can turn in his grave and say that this nation for which I made a supreme sacrifice for political development has recognised my contributions.” Jonathan had on Tuesday as part of activities marking the 13th edition of the nation’s Democracy Day renamed UNILAG after Abiola. Maku said: “For those of us who have been part of this country for long and have been adults who lived through the history of Nigeria particularly in the last two decades, if there is any figure who symbolises sacrifice of self for this nation, that figure is Chief M.K.O Abiola. He clearly won the June12, 1993 presidential election and died in captivity because he stood for and defended the principle of democracy. And for anyone that is familiar with the development of our politics in the last two decades, there is no event in the political history of Nigeria that touches the hearts of quite a significant number of citizens like the June 12 presidential election.” Maku said within the last two decades, there had been widespread outcry that this democracy had not given Abiola and other heroes who passed on in controversial circumstances because of their stand for the democratic development of this country the recognition they deserved.

 He noted that these outcries had continued to come from citizens spread across the nation. “What the President did was to listen to the outpouring of appeals of persuasions by Nigerians that Abiola deserved to be immortalised. What he therefore did in his capacity as a Visitor to the University of Lagos was to name the University after Moshood Abiola of blessed memory.

The decision has been made in very good faith by the President. And we have seen the reactions by a section of the students of school. We have also seen the outpouring of encomiums by patriots and statesmen who really understand why the President honoured Abiola. It is our hope that reason will prevail and that the decision to honour one of our nation’s icons and heroes will be appreciated by all Nigerians including our youths and students who are the future leaders of the nation.” According to the minister, sometimes, government’s decisions get reactions from the populace, “we do not as an administration see this as a disapproval. We just see it as normal way in every democracy; that when you make major decisions, definitely sometimes you have public reaction. But we should not allow the protest to overshadow the national significance of what the President has done. I think President Jonathan has shown that he is a true statesman, that he truly appreciates Abiola’s contributions to the political development of Nigeria. The Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie yesterday asserted the government’s decision had come to stay.

He hinted that process of reflecting the change of the school’s after Abiola had started.Okojie endorsed the closure of the institution, saying the action was taken by the management to safeguard life and property on the campus as well as prevent hoodlums from capitalising on the protest to unleash terror on the university community.

 He said: “There is no drama going on there, what you are seeing is something that is not new in the country. The University of Ife was named after the late Obafemi Awolowo; we have Nnamdi Azikiwe University; University of Agriculture, Umudike was renamed Michael Okpara University of Agriculture; we have Ahmadu Bello University, and recently, the Madibbo University in Yola, was formerly Federal University of Technology. So, these things happen everyday.” The order to shut down UNILAG was given by the Senate as hundreds of the protesting students resisted appeals to them to withdraw from streets. When the news of the directive reached the students, who blocked the Third Mainland Bridge for several hours, they abandoned the ever-busy highway and stormed the main campus where they seized the ground floor of the Senate Building and barricaded the main gate to the school.

In a circular that went round the campus and halls of residence at 10.00 a.m. yesterday, the Senate said: “In view of the recent developments on our campuses, the Senate of the university has directed that all academic activities be suspended forthwith for two weeks. “Accordingly, all students are to vacate the halls of residence, latest by 11.00 a.m. today (Wednesday), May 30, 2012. The university security has been mandated to ensure compliance. “Meanwhile, the burial arrangements for the vice-chancellor will go on as planned.” The students, however, said it was a clever attempt to start the change of name processes on the main campus, in an atmosphere that is free of protest. The protesters also resisted attempts by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Rahman Ade-Bello, to address them at noon yesterday before the Senate went into an emergency meeting. Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), UNILAG chapter, Dr. Karo Ogbinaka, described the suspension of academic activities as “unacceptable” to the teachers. Ogbinaka, who addressed the protesting students, said the “agents” must be resisted.

 “The agents of deceits and of opportunism who made the announcement that the university must also be closed down for two weeks must be rejected. It is unacceptable. They are afraid of their jobs, but we are committed to this struggle. “When the people of Ghana wanted to honour Kwame Nkrumah, they built a new university and named it Kwame Nkrumah University; they did not change the name of Legon or the name of Cape Coast or of Winneba. “This is the first university built by the Federal Government of Nigeria. It was established by the Act of Parliament of 1962 and it said the name shall be University of Lagos,” Ogbinaka said, amidst applause from the students.

through yesterday, the students mounted road-blocks on all the major roads leading into the university, chanting anti-Jonathan songs. Majority of the vehicles and motorcycles entering the campus carried green leaves in apparent solidarity with the students. On the campus, the lecture halls were deserted as both students and lecturers were not available but the non-academic staff reported for work. Talks and protests about the renaming of the school overshadowed the ongoing burial ceremony of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Tokunbo Sofoluwe. Movement in and out of the institution was almost paralysed as only the second gate was free for thoroughfare.

The President of the Faculty of Business Administration Students, Mr. Oyesanya Olawale, said that the students were not happy with the decision of the President because UNILAG had become a household name. He said that immortalising Abiola was good but Jonathan ought to name one of the new nine universities after him. As it is traditional of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), their leaders are divided on Jonathan’s action. The PDP in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Taofeek Gani, accused the ACN of sponsoring the students’ protest. The party insisted that there was nothing fundamentally wrong in the action.

“This is because we know that Abiola is well loved, especially in the South-West. He gave his best to students through donations and sports sponsorship on campuses.” The National Publicity Secretary of ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, however, dismissed the allegation. He said it was an unfounded statement coming from the party. Mohammed said:

“What is CAN’s problem with PDP’s policies? Our party does not hide under anybody to make its policies and it is not in our character to use anybody to fight our war. It is obvious from what happened that the PDP has offended every strata of the society including students.” He added that it was the gross incompetence of PDP that led to the students’ protest and warned the PDP against using its unpopular decision to undermine any of the ACN’s governors in the South-West “else the PDP will meet its waterloo.” A member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Ebenezer Babatope, who declined comments on the matter, said “since the alumni association of the university is deliberating on the matter of which I am a member, it will be wrong of me to start passing comment now.”

 The Director of Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Rev. Msgr. Gabriel Osu, has accused Jonathan of not consulting with UNILAG’s stakeholders before renaming the school. Osu in a statement, lauded the gesture but argued that it would have been better appreciated if the views of the relevant stakeholders, especially the university authorities and the students were sought before the action was taken. “The controversy generated by the recent renaming of UNILAG after Abiola by President Jonathan would have been averted if there was due consultation.

 There is no doubting the fact that Abiola deserves such an honour and even more, but one would have expected the President to consult duly with the relevant stakeholders of UNILAG before renaming the University after Abiola,” he said. Meanwhile, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Manko, has urged the protesting students to refrain from violence and all forms of illegal acts. The police boss told The Guardian yesterday that he directed officers and men in the command to avoid the use of maximum force against the students. “I warned my men to avoid the use of maximum force.

In fact, I had to climb a motorcycle to the Third Mainland Bridge where the students blocked the road to ensure that my men were not provoked to anger. When I got there, I warned them to remove the magazines from their rifles and put them in their pocket.” Manko, who led a team of police officers, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police, ‘B’ Department (Operations), Mr. Tunde Sobulo, to the scene, appealed to the students to return to their campuses and remain calm.

 Meanwhile, Kaduna State Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa has described Jonathan’s immortalisation of Abiola as a “wonderful democracy gift to Nigerians.” He said the timing couldn’t have been better than now, adding that 13 years after the nation’s democratic journey, the renaming of the great institution after Abiola matched the status of the late democrat. In a statement by his external media consultant, Mr. Ado Emmanuel, the governor decried the politicisation of the President’s gesture.

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Historic British mansion has 48 rooms but no toilet

Fans of the British television drama "Downton Abbey" could live out the drama in a counytrside estate of similar stature that has recently gone up for sale.


Apethorpe Hall, an idyllic British manor with an astounding 48 rooms, has hit the market for what is considered a "bargain" price of 2.5 million pounds (about $3,882,500).

There's just one catch: The place doesn't have a bathroom. The Daily Mail reports that the house was originally built between 1470 and 1480 by Sir Guy Wolston, then sold to Sir Walter Mildmay.

 It reportedly stayed in his family for 350 years. In more recent years, the house has been owned by the Catholic Church and Libyan millionaire Wanis Mohammed Burweila. Presumably whoever purchases the house, located in Northamptonshire, England, could afford to install a few modern amenities.

But as with any historic location, there are bound to be certain restrictions on developing a piece of property first constructed several hundred years ago. Along with not having a bathroom, the house comes with a few other catches: an annual $155,300 maintenance bill and a requirement that the hall be open to the public for at least 28 days a year.

 The British government reportedly spent more than $6 million renovating the house, which had fallen into disarray over the years and was at one time "on the brink of ruin."

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Suspected Seattle gunman d*es

A Seattle man suspected of multiple shootings has d*ed Wednesday night, a hospital spokesman told the Associated Press.

 Officers believe the man was responsible for a Wednesday morning k*ling spree that has now left five people d*ad: four from a Seattle cafe, and one at a downtown parking lot as part of a carjacking.

 The Seattle Times identified the suspect as Ian Lee Stawicki, a 40-year-old Seattle resident. His brother, Andrew Stawicki, said, "It's no surprise to me this happened. We could see this coming.

Nothing good is going to come with that much anger inside of you." The gunman left a trail of victims: Two men died at the cafe. Two women and another man died later at hospitals. One of the men k*lled at the cafe was described as a performance artist who was known as the "godfather of Café Racer." He and the other man k*lled at the cafe were members of a local band, God's Favorite Beefcake. Police went on a manhunt for the suspect after the spate of violence. "[We] were searching an area in Southwest Seattle when a plainclothes detective saw who he believed to be the suspect," Seattle Police Assistant Chief James Pugel said at a news conference. He said once the suspect saw officers surround him, the suspected gunman knelt down and sh*t himself in the head. "We strongly believe this is the person who committed the homicides," Pugel said. The man's clothing and other items he had on him also matched what witnesses saw on a suspect who sh*t a woman and drove off in her SUV.

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Truck hits students at Calif. high school; 8 hurt

HEMET, CALIF.- A high school junior in a pickup truck speed through a red light and into dozens of teenagers who were crossing a street outside a California high school Wednesday, leaving eight people injured, three of them critically, authorities said.

Classes at Hemet High School had just ended for the day when Daniel Carrillo, 18, who was in a 1994 Ford Ranger with his twin brother and a friend, plowed through a crosswalk, California Highway Patrol Officer Darren Meyer said. About 30 people were in the crosswalk, headed toward the student parking lot and the school's football stadium, Meyer said.


"The kids were in the crosswalk doing everything right," said Hemet High School principal Emily Shaw. Eight people were hit: five female students, two male students and a 60-year-old woman whose ties to the school were not clear.

 Three of victims were in critical condition, and five more were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, CHP and county fire officials said. None of the victims' names was released.

 Witnesses told the Riverside Press-Enterprise that the driver, whose truck was modified for off-road use, was in a right-turn-only lane that heads into the parking lot, but he accelerated into the intersection, running a red light and hitting the pedestrians. "He revved the throttle like crazy.

We heard the RPMs build," student Alex Bissett told the newspaper. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I've seen a lot of crazy stuff, but this tops it." Backpacks and clothing were strewn throughout the intersection after the crash, television station NBC4 reported. The driver was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and he stopped immediately to help the victims, Meyer said. The CHP would decide whether to file criminal charges after a thorough investigation, including a mechanical inspection of the truck, Meyer said. School activities director Al Fernandes said his 17-year-old daughter was among those hit.

 He told the Press-Enterprise the girl was conscious and talking but extremely sore at Moreno Valley Regional Medical Center. Hemet is a desert community about 80 miles southeast of Los Angeles. The collision came with just two days left in the school year and on the last day of classes for seniors, whose graduation ceremony is Friday night. There were no seniors among the victims, the Press-Enterprise reported.

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Usain Bolt plays down Justin Gatlin's London 2012 chances

Usain Bolt has dismissed suggestions former Olympic champion Justin Gatlin will provide the biggest challenge for his 100m crown at London 2012.

 Gatlin, who won 2004 gold in Athens before a four-year drugs ban, clocked 9.87 seconds in Doha two weeks ago. "I don't want to sound rude, but Gatlin's had his chance," said Bolt. "He's been on top, but to say 'get ready for the Gatlin show' is funny . "He has a few guys to get past before he should be worried about me."

World indoor champion Gatlin staked his claim as a contender for the Olympic 100m with victory in Doha's Diamond League meeting on 11 May.

 The 30-year-old aims to book his place at London when he runs in the United States team trials in Portland next month. But Bolt, who won 100m gold in Beijing four years ago, believes American Tyson Gay and current World Championship title holder Yohan Blake will provide sterner challenges than Gatlin.

 Meanwhile, the Jamaican sprinter has pledged to bounce back at Thursday's Diamond League meeting in Rome after his disappointing time in Ostrava last week. He clocked 10.04s in last Friday's 100m and afterwards blamed a lack of sleep and food. He said: "I explained to my coach that my legs were not feeling that energetic, probably through a lack of sleep and not enough food. "I've been trying to get a lot more sleep and eating better."

 Bolt's time in Ostrava was the first time since 2009 in Toronto that the Jamaican has failed to break 10 seconds in a final. However, the triple Olympic champion was in relaxed mood ahead of this week's meeting in Rome and admitted he does not feel under pressure to perform in every race.

He said: "You never have a good race every time you run. You have to just put that behind you and move on. It's not a worry.

I have a lot more races and the main one is at the Olympics. "I have set a high standard for myself so I know people like to see me run fast. "I can't look at it as pressure. People expect you to do certain things - I know I will have my bad races but I have to stay strong and focused." Bolt will face fellow countryman and former world-record holder Asafa Powell, France's European champion Christophe Lemaitre and veteran Kim Collins in the 100m on Thursday. Britain's world 400m hurdles champion Dai Greene faces a tough test in Rome, with American Bershawn Jackson among those keen for revenge after the Welshman's victory in Daegu last year. There is British interest in the men's long jump with both Greg Rutherford - who set a world Long Jump lead of 8.35m in California at the beginning of May - and Chris Tomlinson in action, while Andrew Osagie and Michael Rimmer go in the 800m.

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Spurs notch 20th straight win

The San Antonio Spurs have taken a 2-0 lead in their NBA Western Conference finals series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

 A spectacular shooting performance propelled the Spurs to a 120-111 victory at the AT&T Center on Tuesday. With victory, San Antonio become just the fourth team in NBA history to notch 20 consecutive wins with their last loss coming back in April against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Even more impressive is that 10 of those have come in the play-offs with the Spurs sweeping the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers in the first two rounds.

 Tony Parker was in irresistible form, shooting just under 74 percent from the field on his way to a game-high 34 points and eight assists. Manu Ginobili again provided valuable support off the bench with 20 points, while Kawhi Leonard drained three three-pointers in his 18 points, as well as pulling down 10 rebounds.

San Antonio set up their victory with a dominant first half that saw them open up an 11-point lead at the long break. They carried their momentum into the third quarter where they added another 37 points to at one stage lead by 22 points.

 Oklahoma did mount a charge to close within six points midway through the final term, but the Spurs were never seriously threatened. Kevin Durant led the way for the Thunder with 31 points, while James Harden (30 points) and Russell Westbrook (27) were also strong contributors. Game three of the series will be at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma on Thursday.

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Casillas breaks international wins record with Spain's victory over South Korea

In what was his 130th appearance for Spain, Casillas won his 95th match for the national team, breaking the record for the highest number of international victories that had been set by France's Lilian Thuram and matched by Egypt's Ahmed Hassan.

 The 31-year-old custodian was introduced in the second half and did not concede a goal, while watching Alvaro Negredo score La Roja's fourth goal of the night.

Casillas, who also recorded his 74th clean sheet with the national side, has also become the fourth-highest-capped goalkeeper in football, behind Saudi Arabia's Mohamed Al-Deayea (178), Sweden's Thomas Ravelli (143) and South Korea's Lee Won-Jae (132).

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Hulk deal to Chelsea 90 per cent complete - report

The highly-rated Brazilian has been sought after by the Stamford Bridge outfit for a while, with many expecting the 25-year-old to follow former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas to Stamford Bridge a year ago.

 The move did not materialise, however, with Hulk remaining at Porto for a further year. Yet it now seems the Blues have got their man, with a £40 million fee reportedly agreed.

 Hulk enjoyed another successful campaign at Porto last season, scoring 21 goals in 38 games as he helped guide the Portuguese giants to their second successive league title. Porto were thought to be holding out for the £80m release clause in the Brazilian’s contract. However, they appear to have now accepted that is an unrealistic goal and are willing to negotiate.

Should the move be completed, Chelsea’s summer spending will already have neared the £80m mark having already secured £6.5m Marko Marin and with £32m Eden Hazard set to sign.

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Davids backing Dutch firepower

Edgar Davids played in three European Championships for Netherlands, twice losing out at the semi-final stage. A combative midfielder with the ability to create, Davids was one of the most recognisable faces on the international scene over an 11-year period with the Dutch side. Davids retired from football in 2010 after a short-lived spell with Crystal Palace, but before that enjoyed a distinguished career which took him from Ajax to AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur.

 A winner of one Champions League, UEFA Cup and European Super Cup, three Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, three Eredivisie championships, two Dutch Cups and the Intercontinental Cup, Davids landed just about every trophy there was to win at club level.

As the Dutch prepare for Euro 2012, still looking to add to their only major title of the 1988 Euros in Germany, Davids is advocating an attacking approach for Bert van Marwijk's side in a tough group of Germany, Portugal and Denmark. Netherlands have two of the most prolific strikers in Europe, with Robin van Persie netting 30 goals for Arsenal and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar plundering 29 for Schalke while also finishing as the leading scorer in qualifying for the finals. Van Marwijk faces a dilemma over how to fit both into the Dutch system, with some suggesting Wesley Sneijder could be forced to make way after a disappointing season with Inter. Sneijder started four of Inter's last five matches, missing the final day defeat at Lazio, after a frustrating battle for fitness and form all season.

 But Davids insists the midfielder will be crucial to Dutch hopes of success. "Sneijder has to play," Davids told ESPN. "He showed in his last games [for Inter Milan] he was hungry, he was aggressive again, he was determined and he doesn't have the physical damage that a season brings to you. "I would play Klass-Jan Huntelaar, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Sneijder.

You have Huntelaar as a striker, Van Persie coming in from the left and also Robben on the other side. Why should you choose? They [Van Persie and Huntelaar] have scored so many goals, I think that's common sense. "Huntelaar grew at Schalke. People think it's easy to play in a foreign country but it's not only about the game as you have to adapt, adapting is key. The quicker you adapt, then the stronger you are and the more successful you can be. But I don't think he's capable of winning the Golden Boot, that normally goes to someone who has been playing in the Champions League."

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Balotelli rails against racists

Manchester City's Mario Balotelli insists he will storm off the pitch if racially abused while playing for Italy at next month's European Championship.


Balotelli has been the target of racist attacks both on and off the pitch in Europe, and is adamant he will not stand for such behaviour in Poland and the Ukraine.

UEFA officials have the authority to abandon any match if violence or abuse is taking place, but Balotelli says he will be the first to act.


"Let's see what happens at the Euro," Balotelli told France Football. "I hope that there will not be a problem because I really can't handle that. I cannot bear racism, it's unacceptable for me. If it happened again I would straight away leave the pitch and go home. We are in 2012. It can't happen."


On the pitch, Balotelli has been subject to abuse while playing for Inter Milan against Juventus, with the Turin-based club forced to play behind closed doors after the incident. Porto were then fined £16,000 as a result of monkey chants directed at Balotelli during a Europa League match against City earlier this year.


"I remember very well the Juventus game, but I also scored a goal," Balotelli said. "I had to pretend I hadn't seen or heard anything. I wanted to play. I was young. It was up to me to tell the referee, but if I had told the referee to stop the match I wouldn't have scored. Occasionally, you're so good that people can't think of any other way to make you angry."


The controversial striker, who once had bananas thrown at him while at a bar in Rome, also said if he encountered off-field abuse he "will go to prison because I will kill him".
Speaking about the incident in Rome, Balotelli said: "These two or three lads were lucky the police came straight away because, I swear, I would have given them a proper kicking. I would truly have destroyed them. I hope that doesn't happen again.


"I'm black and proud to have African roots. I think I'm lucky to be black. People say about me that I'm a black boy who has fun, earns money and has girls. It's not like that. It's too easy to judge people through what you see.

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Stray dog completes 1700km China race

Stray dog has completed a 1700km journey across China after joining a cycle race from Sichuan province to Tibet. The dog, nicknamed "Xiaosa", joined the cyclists after one of them gave him food. 

 He ran with them for 24 days, covering up to 60km a day, and climbing 12 mountains. Cyclist Xiao Yong started a blog about Xiaosa's adventures, which had attracted around 40,000 fans by the end of the race. Yong now hopes to adopt Xiaosa.

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Liberia ex-President Charles Taylor get 50 years in prison

Taylor has been sentenced to 50 years in jail by a UN-backed war crimes court.

 Last month Taylor was found guilty of aiding and abetting rebels in Sierra Leone during the 1991-2002 civil war.

 Special Court for Sierra Leone judges said the sentence reflected his status as head of state at the time and his betrayal of public trust. Taylor, 64, insists he is innocent and is likely to appeal against the sentence, correspondents say.

 The appeal process could last up to six months.

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Earthquake hits Italy friendly

The Italy-Luxembourg friendly has been cancelled after an earthquake hit the Emilia-Romagna region on Tuesday. 

The Euro 2012 warm-up game was scheduled to take place at the Ennio Tardini in Parma, but the Italian football federation (FIGC) and the local authorities chiose to cancel the international following Tuesday's events. 

The 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit just after 9am local time, and within 90 minutes four aftershocks measuring above 4.0 were also felt. Ten people have reportedly died in the quake, all in the Modena area, while several more are buried under collapsed buildings. 

Tuesday's earthquake comes only nine days after the area was hit by a 6.0 tremor. Italy's next Euro 2012 warm-up match will take place on June 1 against Russia in Zurich

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Ranieri to coach Monaco

The 50-year-old Roman, who was shown the door at San Siro by Massimo Moratti in March, is set to be unveiled as Marco Simone's successor in the coming days. Ranieri had been heavily linked with former club Fiorentina in recent weeks, but the Viola now look set to appoint Vincenzo Montella as their new coach. The vacancy at Monaco sprang up recently following the dismissal of former Italy international Marco Simone, who had led the Rouge and Blanc to a disappointing eighth-placed finish in the French second division. The side from the Principality are funded by Russian tycoon Dmitry Rybolovlev and recently announced the signing of Andrea Raggi for next season.

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YEKINI: How Abacha and team-mates contributed to Yekini’s demise(A MUST READ)

Not many know about the humble beginning of the naïve boy from Ira in Kwara State of Nigeria. Some versions have it that he was just a car spray painter while another version says he was a corner street vulcaniser, helping to repair punctured tyres of vehicles in Kaduna. What most later found out was that he played in the Nigerian league for United Nigeria Textile Limited, UNTL Football Club of Kaduna between 1981 and 1982 from where he joined Shooting Stars of Ibadan.

 It may have been at Shooting Stars, fondly called Up sootin by its fans, that Yekini was spotted by Chief Adegboye Onigbinde who drafted him into the then Green Eagles squad preparaing for the 1984 Africa Nations Cup in Cote d’Ivoire. He did not feature prominently in that squad which lost 1-3 to Cameroon in the final. He was again in the Eagles squad for the Maroc ’88 edition but like in ’84, Yekini was still learning the ropes from his more senior colleagues and did not ‘shine’ much.

 His climb to glory began in a fast pace at the 1990 and 1992 editions of the Nations Cup in Algeria and Senegal where the Eagles bagged silver and bronze respectively, of course courtesy of Yekini’s goalscoring prowess which had blossomed. Nigeria had never qualified for the World Cup but Super Eagles coach, Clemens Westerhof who came in after the 1990 ticket loss to Cameroon saw the potential in Yekini and thus built his team around the six footer who fans gave the sobriquet, ‘gangling’. 

 On the way to qualifying for the 1994 World Cup, the Eagles had a crucial match against rivals, Cote d’Ivoire in 1993 at their popular Houephet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan and Westerhof banked on a win or at most a draw from the encounter. Early in that match, the Eagles had a begging chance with Yekini positioned to finish up the Eagles’ build-up but a ‘selfish’ Samson Siasia turned away from Yekini, prefering to go solo and in the process blew the chance even after the Ivorian players had given up on an imminent Nigerian goal. 

Westerhof was furious and was almost leaving out Siasia from his squad. The setback did not deter Yekini nor the entire team as they fought doggedly to qualify for their first World Cup in front of the Algerian fans in the last match of the qualifiers. The entire team were eulogised but Yekini, through whom most of the vital goals came, was the real hero and his name played on the lips of all, young and old, men and women, including the kids. So it was also at the 1994 Africa Nations in Tunisia.

 The Eagles were considered favourites alongside host Tunisia, following their form in the World Cup qualifiers. Names like Sunday Oliseh, Finidi George, Daniel Amokachi and of course Yekini played on the lips of Tunisians, more than their own players. This is because they feared that the Eagles were the real dangers who could prevent them from joining the winners of the diadem which they have never won before then, even as host in 1965. The Tunisians didn’t meet the Eagles before they were sent packing after the first round of matches.

 From then their loyalty shifted to the Eagles and the chants from them either in taxis, from their home balconies or walking on the streets were, ‘Nigeria, coupe de Afrique’, which those of us sports journalists covering the competition later found out meant, ‘Nigeria for the Cup or Champions of Africa’. Everywhere we went, Tunisians wanted to pose for photographs with us. At a shop, one Tunisian even mistook one of us, Kola Bakare, who was with the Herald of Ilorin then, for Yekini. They even believed more because Kola was a Muslim like Yekini and responded well to their Arabic greetings. 

The shoe seller who later found out that Kola was not Yekini, told us to askYekini to visit his shop to take as many shoes as he wanted as his own package for him for his football prowess. While all thess lasted and the competition wore on, not many knew the pains Yekini was going through from the behaviour of his team-mates which he thought could derail their set objective in Tunisia, that is, be the first set of Eagles to win the Nations Cup on away soil.

 Yekini came into the competition as a hero, after just being crowned African Footballer of the year 1993. He wanted to put an icing on his cake by winning the Nations Cup too. He believed in his team-mates to deliver just like he wanted to do and so felt that total concentration would help their cause. Among his team-mates, the Ira-born enigma had so much respect for and trust in three, Finidi George, Sunday Oliseh and Emmanuel Amuneke. George for his dribble runs on the wings and almost near perfect crosses into the middle for him to finish up. Oliseh for his long range passes from the middle to wherever he (Yekini) was upfront to chest down and volley into the net. 

 Amuneke’s asset was his ability to waltz through defenders from the left into the 18 metre box and whenever he hits the brick wall, lays a through pass to Yekini between opponents swarm of legs. He was never selfish like Siasia, Yekini may have thought. Finidi did it so well in most matches, especially in the 6-0 demolition of Burkina Faso at the National Stadium in Lagos when the Nigeria Football Association, NFA then, had to cut their track suit trousers after an oficial forgot their jerseys at their Obasanjo Farms camp in Otta.

 He even perfected it in Tunisia and for this earned a pat on the back from Yekini with the greeting, Omo daadaa, a Yoruba word for good boy. Like I said earlier, in Tunisia Yekini was not happy with the behaviour of some of his team-mates. The team was divided along three lines, the party freaks, the smoking group and the timid set which some of them believed Yekini led. The party freaks among them always found a way of sneaking out of camp at night to visit Night clubs to unwind after a day’s hard training sessions which Johannes Bonfrere handled well to the admiration of Westerhof. 

The smoking group in the company of some sports journalists and Nigerian officials discovered joints where they went to allegedly smoke some raps of cannabis. Yekini, we got to know later allegedly confronted some of them on these, but he was rebuffed. The team didn’t really have the full control of their skipper, Stephen Keshi, alias Big Boss, who was more or less a non-playing captain nor stand-in captain, Austin Eguavoen, always not wanting to hurt a fly. A group which later turned out a mafia dictated the tune then.

 That the Eagles won the Cup after an initial scare from a youthful Zambian side led by Kalusha Bwalya, who missed being killed along his generation of players in an air crash off the coast of Gabon a few months earlier, was by divine providence. This cold affection among the Eagles was transferred to the USA ’94 World Cup. The camaradarie in the team ended after the first match which the Eagles won 3-0 against Bulgaria. As usual, Finidi was at his best from the wings and predictably Yekini finished up for what turned out a history making performance for the team.

Like it or not, many of his team-mates were shocked that rather than run to his colleagues to celebrate the goal, Yekini ran into the net to celebrate before the camera which showed him around the world. That was how the conspiracy theory was hatched. The players allegedly decided that Yekini was taking the glory alone for scoring and therefore other players should be placed in vantage positions to score too. Other problems like agitation for upfront match bonuses cropped up and the team was torn apart after they blew their chance to qualify for the quarter finals against the Arigo Sachhi-tutored Italian side. 

 The team were recalled for their title defence in 1996 after the 1994 World Cup fiasco but Westerhof was no longer in-charge after his 1994 experience of a near players revolt. Keshi had retired and Eguavoen too had been dropped with goalkeeper Peter Rufai assuming captainship of the ‘new’ team. Yekini had scored a total of 13 Nations Cup goals, one short of the African record of 14 held by Cote d’Ivoire’s Laurent Pokou. As champions, the Eagles looked forward to defend the title in South Africa and Yekini had a mission, to equal and possibly topple Pokou as the all time top scorer in the Africa Nations Cup history. 

 That was the era of Nigeria’s maximum ruler, late General Sani Abacha who against all good advice hanged world acclaimed writer and social critic, Ken Saro Wiwa along with eight of his kinsmen. Nelson Mandela, then president of the new South Africa, kicked and led the world in condemning the gruesome murder. This, Abacha would not take and saw the boycott of Nigeria from the Nations Cup in South Africa as the best way to hit back at Mandela. He knew what to do. He invited then Sports Minister, Chief Jim Nwobodo and top shots of the NFA. A handful of Eagles players, among them, the group now fondly referred to as the mafia who had access to Abacha’s Chief Security Officer, Major Hamza Al-Mustafa. 

Yekini was left out, it was gathered. To the astonishment of the entire football lovers in the country and Yekini himself, Abacha ordered the Eagles out of the Nations Cup, offering to pay the Eagles what they could have earned as bonuses if the had participated. Like the Ooni of Ife, Oba Sijuade Okunade said after a meeting of tradional rulers with Abacha over the clamour for MKO Abiola’s electoral mandate in 1993 that the dark-spectacled dictator was “talking sense”, Rufai as Eagles skipper was asked to explain to his colleagues the Head of State’s position on the competition and he told them there was sense in what Abacha wanted them to do, boycott the Nations Cup. 

 Yekini was crest fallen as his long time dream of making history was dashed on the altar of selfishness and fear on the part of his colleagues and administrators respectively. He was not growing younger and the fact that CAF had also handed Nigeria a two-year ban, meant that he would also miss the 1998 edition scheduled for Burkina Faso. His participation at the 1998 World Cup was not better as the mafia had gathered more powers from Al-Mustafa who offered them the presidential jet to junket around the country while their mates sweated out at training sessions. 

They even strolled into the Eagles camp in Morschach, a serene village about 47 km from Zurich in Switzerland and then coach, Bora Milutinovic could not sanction them for fear that he too could be thrown out of the team. The training they had in Switzerland could best be described as a retreat by fun-seeking spoil-brats because rather than concentrate on their training, the same party group in Tunisia with the Abacha boys found time to play around with girls imported into their camp by a Europe-based Nigerian musician who played a decour on the camp commandant, whose name I’ll keep out of print, by claiming the girls were his band girls. 

 The effect of this distraction in camp was exposed in the friendly in Amsterdam where the Patrick Kluivert inspired-Dutch team tore the Eagles apart at the Amsterdam Arena, home of Ajax Amsterdam. The defeat not withstanding, some of the players trooped out to town in hired Limousines to party to the chagrin of Nigerian fans, some of whom came all the way from London. 

 I write all these because I witnessed the mess right from Morschach to Amsterdam and I remember one of the furious fans from London that day who confronted the players at their hotel is a Nigerian football management consultant, Rotmi Pedro. Though another Nigerian African Footballer of the year, Victor Ikpeba came out to speak on the conspiracy theory in the Eagles camp against Yekini on Supersport the other day, claiming there was nothing of such, he indirectly averred to its existence when he affirmed that some players felt Yekini took all the glory of his scoring prowess alone to himself. 

 I make bold to say that prior to the World Cup in France as the Eagles departed Amsterdam for Paris, Ikpeba almost created a scene at the Schipol airport, complaining to then NFA chairman, Col Abdulmumuni Aminu that there were some favoured players in the team who broke camp rules and even arrived late to camp and weren’t sanctioned, stressing that it was going to count against the team at the World Cup. And it did count as the Eagles were bundled out after a disasterous 4-0 spanking in the hands of Denmark. 

That result poured cold water on their scintillating 3-2 defeat of Spain in their first match. Yekini witnessed all these and as a conservative among them was pained inwardly even though he couldn’t voice his anger like Ikpeba did. And so by the time Nigeria served out her ban and co-hosted the Nations Cup with Ghana in 2000, Yekini had lost his spark and potency in front of goal and in fact was no longer part of the Eagles squad.

 He then withdrew into his cocoon and had little to do with the Nigerian system or his team-mates, except of course goalkeeper Ike Shorounmu, who like Yekini was level headed, a teetotaler as well as a neighbour in Ibadan. For those who said Yekini’s team-mates never ganged up against him because of the claim that he took all the glory, one time Super Eagles goalkeeper trainer, Amusa Adisa confirms that Yekini told his friends and associates it was true. 

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LETTER OF APPLICATION BY AN AKWA-IBOM GIRL.

"An apprication to be jour serfant. 

 Here is the summarly of my cfi. 

My name is Ekaette my inklish name is Yulet(Juliet). Ah yam flom Ibiaku Ntok Okpo in Akwa Ibom stead(state). I blought up in Ayekunle den we relogate to Jaba @ Lakos. Ah yam a fery vunny and hadt worging kirl, my hoppies are picking snail and planting casafa. I know how to dance asonto and etighi. ...My best musician is yokodo. I can sing tiwa safage and ron yassi. I have a strong glush on marfin regord. I like gooking, gleaning and washzing. Oka mma Abassi ur rife will nefa lemain d same if u emproy me. I will even help madam satisvy jou when she is tiredt if jou think ah yam lie to you, Oka ko to my fillage and axe of Ekibaby alias Yulet d Kurimakpa baby. 

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Woman Gives Birth To LIVE Monkey In Benue State

It sure sounds unbelievable, but a young Nigerian woman has been delivered of a monkey-like monster in Otukpo, a popular town in Benue State. The outré event took place recently at St Theresa Hospital, Otukpo, when the woman said to be the wife of a hunter from Oju Local Government Area of the state gave birth to a creature that looks like a monkey. 

 The strange delivery, we gathered came as a surprise to the already mother of nine the who had successfully delivered nine children in the past and was having her 10th child before the strange creature visited her. According to an eyewitness, when the news broke out, residents of the town, especially those at the nearby Otukpo main market rushed to the hospital to see for themselves. 

 Describing the strange development as conginental malformation, Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Stanley Bwala said the malformation could have been forestalled if the woman was attending antenatal care regularly and advised pregnant women to always avail themselves to routine ante natal treatment.

 However, it was gathered that as soon as the hunter heard about the delivery, he came and removed the monster from the hospital, even as observers believed the abnormal birth was a usual occurrence to hunters who have killed several animals during hunting. In a brief chat with elder Adah Okoh, a traditional ruler in the area, he noted that in the Idoma tradition, such child should not be allowed to stay with the mother for fear of reincarnation. Asked if the monster should be buried alive or killed, elder Okoh said that should be left for the family to decide.

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LETTER FROM A MOTHER TO A DAUGHTER (MUST READ FOR EVERY LADY)

LETTER FROM A MOTHER TO A DAUGHTER "My dear girl, the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don’t interrupt to say: “You said the same thing a minute ago”... Just listen, please.

 Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep. When I don’t want to take a bath, don’t be mad and don’t embarrass me. Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl? 

When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don’t look at me that way... remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair and dealing with life’s issues every day... the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. 

If I occasionaly lose track of what we’re talking about, give me the time to remember, and if I can’t, don’t be nervous, impatient or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you. And when my old, tired legs don’t let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked.

 When those days come, don’t feel sad... just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love. I’ll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared. With a big smile and the huge love I’ve always had for you, I just want to say, I love you... my darling daughter. "Hmmm PLEASE!!!

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Nigerian appointed London police first black commander

Victor Olisa, a UK-based Nigerian and a Chief Superintendent with the London Metropolitan Police has been appointed as the first black commander for Bexley local council in London.

"Policing runs in the family and I have always wanted to be a police officer and ethnicity does not affect that" Olisa told the Europe Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in his reaction on the appointment in London.

Olisa, whose grandfather was a police officer in Nigeria, said his focus was on the job rather than on being the ``first black'' adding that his ethnicity never affected  the way he carried out his duties.

``I consider myself first and foremost a police officer. If (being black) is an advantage, then brilliant; If it's a disadvantage, I will have to deal with that, I  can't hide it.''

Olisa said a lot was being done to address racism within the force adding that it was the responsibility of the force to correct wrongs and not an institution for people with racist views.

``I am impeccably against anyone who uses racist language or behaves in a racist manner. This will not be allowed under my watch.

``I believe that everyone should be treated with dignity wherever they come from,'' Olisa said.

Olisa, 52, born in Warri, Delta,  is one of the  three chief superintendents from black minority ethnic background working for the Metropolitan Police.

He started his career in Surrey Police in 1982 before transferring to the City of London Police in 1990 as detective inspector in the Fraud Squad.

After a spell at the Home Office, he transferred to the Metropolitan police in 2006 as a superintendent in Southwark Council before his recent appointment.

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