Onigbinde Reveals How FIFA decides World Ranking

A former FIFA Instructor, Adegboye Onigbinde, says the quality of friendly matches undertaken by the Super Eagles determine the team’s ranking in the monthly world ranking.

Onigbinde told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Friday that the world ranking showed the true state of every nation’s current football development.
He said the FIFA world ranking system was based on teams’ success, with the most successful teams being ranked highest.

The Super Eagles are currently ranked 66 on the world ranking log.
The former Eagles coach said with good administrative structure, the future of quality football would be ensured in the country.

Onigbinde said: “Our administrators need to get their acts together.
“They need to plan ahead.
“Players don’t solicit for friendlies.
“Administrators do.
“So it falls on them to ensure that players are booked for high-ranking international friendlies.

“There is need to plan ahead for any friendly match we want for the Super Eagles.
“It is not done to secure friendly with a high-profile country like England within two weeks.
“It will never happen because they have a structure that is well planned.

“Even common India has a list of their friendly matches for the next two years, unlike us that have a fire brigade approach to things.
“A team that plans will never fail.

“There is need for a functional, meaningful, technical developmental programme for sports generally and football in particular in the country.
“I have been talking about this for over 16 years but it’s nowhere in view and if you check the number one objective of FIFA is about improvement of the game of football.

“That is FIFA’s top priority.
“So if we are not doing that, are we not following FIFA’s objective that is supposed to guide us.
“We win age grade group competitions, which are supposed to help select players for our senior teams, but that can’t happen when we don’t have proper records of these players’ age.

“When I talk most times, some football administrators believe that it’s a publicity stunt.
“For God’s sake, at my age, I don’t need that.
“I remain a loyal Nigerian.

“I want to see my country do well.”
NAN reports that Nigeria’s most successful FIFA ranking till date was in 1995 when the country was ranked fifth in the world.

Akwa Ibom State Assembly legally constituted – NBA

 

 

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has dismissed claims in certain quarters that the current Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly is not legally constituted.

The Uyo branch chairman of the NBA, Aniekan Akpan, while reacting to certain newspaper and social media publications, described the argument against the current status of the House as misleading.

He said section 91 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended deals with the “composition” of the various state houses of Assembly and not their quorum.

He explained that the section states clearly that the house of Assembly of every state should be made up of 24 and not more than 40 seats. 

He pointed out that the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly is made up of 26 seats. He said, therefore, that the current composition of the house has not changed despite the various judgments.

Barr. Akpan made this known in a presentation he made at the public hearing of the 2016 briefing and public hearing on the 2016 budget organised by the State House of Assembly today.

“About 2 days ago, we read in some newspapers and the social media, arguments tending to imply that this distinguished house, in the imagination of the writers, is not property constituted and that the House as it stands had no powers to sit, or elect a speaker, or indeed receive the 2016 Budget from the governor.

“It is important to deal with this preliminary issue because if, as they claim, this House is not properly constituted, it would be a anathema for The Nigerian Bar Association to honor its invitation or otherwise associate with illegality in any form.

“The proponents of the argument made heavy weather of sec 91 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as variously amended, and came to the erroneous and/or mistaken conclusion that having lost some members to various judgments of the Court of Appeal that ordered rerun elections, the number of Honourable Members presently in the House being less than 24, the House can neither sit nor election a speaker, nor receive the Budget.

“With respect to them and others who may have been confused by this misleading argument, this interpretation is completely at variance with the words and spirit of the Consituation. Section 91 of the constitution deals with “COMPOSITION” of the various state Houses of Assembly and not their quorum. This distinction is crucial and central to a proper understanding of the issue.

The section states inter alia that the house of Assembly of every state should be made up of not less than 24 and not more than 40 seats (or state constituencies) the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly is made up of 26 seats (or state constituenices).

“This has not changed despite the various judgments. 2/3 of its membership would form a quorum, in this case 18. The house presently has 22 validly elected members. This is clearly above its required quorum. Consequently the house can lawfully stand carry out any business Including the election of its speaker.”

Doyin Okupe says President Buhari’s anti-graft war selective...condemns Metuh's arrest

Dr. Doyin Okupe

The former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of pursuing a selective war against corruption and ignoring the rule of law.

According to him, recent developments including the arrest of the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, is making the President to lose respect.

“Buhari is respected but with the hounding of opposition members, he is losing respect in the eyes of the international community. This selective probe is eroding his integrity,” he said in an interview.
Okupe condemned Metuh’s detention, insisting that the PDP sourced and utilised its campaign funds the same way the All Progressives Congress did.

He said, “The Federal Government should not try to dabble into or control the finances of the PDP. The way and manner the ruling party is undertaking its selective probe by hounding opposition leaders is unbecoming and very disheartening.

“Party finances are not the business of the government. The former National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, cannot deny that he didn’t collect money for campaigns during the last elections.

“Why is the Federal Government not asking questions on the sources of the APC’s campaign funds? The way the PDP spent billions of naira to fund its campaigns in the media was the same way the APC did theirs? Where did the APC get its campaign funds from? The opposition must be given the liberty to thrive.”

Reacting to an allegation that a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, benefited from the $2.1bn arms funds, Okupe said the former minister merely provided a service to the PDP during the electioneering and should not be questioned.
 
Okupe urged the President to be tolerant of criticism even as he condemned a statement credited to the National Chairman of the APC, John Odigie-Oyegun, in which the APC chair asked Nigerians not to abuse Buhari.

He advised Buhari to emulate Jonathan who he said was insulted by many leaders of the opposition but never retaliated.

Fani-Kayode had said on Wednesday that the All Progressives Congress spent more than the Peoples Democratic Party which was in power during the last general elections.

Fani-Kayode, who was the spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation, made the claim while reacting to the probe of some key officials of the PDP by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

He said, “No election campaign anywhere in the world, including that of President Buhari was run with just words, goodwill, grass and pebbles and neither were we given free campaign adverts or airtime. All these things were run and paid for with large sums of money.

“This is especially so with publicity and media because that was the lifeblood of the various campaigns. I repeat, there is nothing that we did in the campaign organisation or that my directorate did that Lai Mohammed, Buhari and the APC did not do in theirs.

‘As a matter of fact, they spent far more than we did but I have no idea where they got their money and whether they were private or public funds.”

The ex-minister also denied reports that he collected N1.7bn from the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

ISIS fighter publicly killed his own mother

ISIS fighter publicly killed his own mother

 

 

A source from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights made it known that an ISIS fighter publicly executed his mother in Raqqa, Syria, because she encouraged him to leave the group. 

 

The woman who was in her 40s, obviously worried for her son's safety warned him to leave because she feared that the US-backed coalition was going to wipe out the terror group. The said son neglected his mother's advice and reported the matter to the group.

Citing local sources, the Observatory said the 20-year-old man executed his mother on Wednesday near the post office building where she worked in front of hundreds of people in Raqqa, a main base of operations for the group in Syria.

Have you seen Kim Kardashian's twin?

 

There's no doubt that 20-year-old blogger, Kamilla Osman, is one of Kim Kardashian's doppelgangers, but she still admits that she had a little work done on her face.

"The only thing I did was my nose and my lips -- and the nose was for medical reasons," Kamilla revealed. "I had my nose done, which is rhinoplasty, for my health problems. I had a deviated septum so I couldn't breathe. That was for that and they tweaked it a bit. You know, why not?"

Kamilla says she got her lips done as a teenager. "My lips, I did them when I was 16 or 15 years old," she said. "As I was growing up, I always wanted big lips."

Her uncanny resemblance to Kim has helped Osman garner over 155,000 Instagram followers. "I think she's such a gorgeous woman. I mean, probably one of the most beautiful women in the world," she said of the 35-year-old reality star.

While Kamilla admits that it's fun to look like a celebrity, her main focus is being herself. "I'm embracing the fact that people think we look alike and I appreciate it because I think she's beautiful," she told ET. "But I want to be me."

Kamilla says she sees the differences in personality traits between her and the mother-of-two. "Kim is very reserved, calm and collected. Me, I'm more like a storm," she quipped. "I have a few talents and I hope to show the world soon -- that's probably more in music and fashion industries."

While Kim is happily married to Kanye West, her look-alike is still single. "I mean, Kanye is a great guy. He's one of one," Kamilla complimented. "It's all about personality that catches my eye. Of course, you want your man to be appealing but it's more of a character that I'm looking for. A man has to be kind, compassionate, ambitious and just love me."

Like her doppelganger, Kamilla has learned to deal with her haters. "They called me a Walmart version of Kim Kardashian. That was so funny!!" she exclaimed. "I actually commented back and was like, 'That's a brilliant comment.' So yes guys, I'm a Walmart version of Kim Kardashian."
 
She added, "You know, you got to have fun with it. I can't do anything about it. This is going to be my face until the end of the time."

ET also spoke with one of Kim's makeup artists, Mario Dedivanovic, about how you too can look like the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star. Check it out:

LG Caretaker Chairmen in Enugu inherit N4bn debt-- Commissioner

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has directed all Local Government Caretaker Chairmen and their deputies to as a matter of policy reside in their respective councils, adding that the era of living in hotels was over.

Ugwuanyi gave the directive during the swearing-in ceremony of the chairmen at the Government House, Enugu. “All chairmen and their deputies must reside in their councils as the era of living in hotels and running the local government areas is over,” Ugwuanyi said.

The position of Ugwuanyi was sequel to a revelation by Chijioke Edeoga, the Enugu State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, that the new local government Caretaker Committee Chairmen are inheriting over N4 billion in debt.

Edeoga said at the ceremony that the debts were incurred by the elected chairmen whose tenure expired on January 4.

He said the disclosure was necessary for the incoming chairmen to understand the enormity of financial obligations they would be faced with after their inauguration.

He said: “What is happening here today is the result of extensive consultations, mental and physical work put in to constitute an impeccable team.

“It is a clarion call to duty.

“You heard the governor talk of bailout.

“What is being handed over to you are sets of financial obligations to grapple with, so that you can begin to address them.”

Edeoga said acceptance to serve was a clarion call to duty, adding that it was their responsibility to prudently utilise available resources to meet the challenges ahead.

The commissioner listed the financial obligations of the various local government councils as follows: Aninri, N290 million; Awgu, N155 million; Enugu East, N365 million; and Enugu North, N207 million.

Similarly, Enugu South, N465 million; Ezeagu, N479 million; Igbo-Etiti, N360 million; Igboeze North, N330 million; Igboeze South, N622 million, and Isi-uzo, N198 million.

Others were Nkanu East, N408 million; Nkanu West, N290 million; Nsukka, N552 million; Oji River, N175 million; Udenu, N346 million; Udi, N242 million, and Uzo Uwani, N286 million.

Responding on behalf of the Chairmen, the Chairman, Nsukka Local Government Area, Prof. Rose Onah, said it was great to be considered to serve in that capacity.

Onah said in spite of the enormous financial challenges, they still thanked God for the opportunity.

“We have heard the enormous financial challenges and it is something to thank God for being chosen to occupy these positions of responsibility,” Onah said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that three of the immediate past chairmen, whose tenure elapsed on January 4, were re-nominated to serve in the new capacity.

They are Cornelius Nnaji of Enugu East, Afam Okereke of Nkanu West and Cornelius Onwubunya of Uzo-Uwani.

Gov Aregbesola to sack striking Osun doctors on Monday

 

There are indications that Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State may sack the striking doctors in the state by Monday. He gave the hint in Osogbo on Thursday while speaking at the 75th birthday anniversary of the founding President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Hassan Sunmonu, Punch reports.

Aregbesola expressed shock that despite his efforts to persuade the doctors, who commenced the ongoing strike on September 28, 2015, they had stuck to their guns.

He said, “To my dismay, they stuck to their guns. But you are either in or out. We have decided to use the civil service rule.

“The Head of Service will implement that as from Monday. Head of Service, it is over to you.”

Some of those present started grumbling loud enough to attract the attention of the governor, who was forced to ask if some of the doctors were present at the occasion.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Hospitals Management Board, Mrs. Omolara Ajayi, had while addressing journalists, appealed to the doctors to resume work in the interest of the masses.

She said, “I want to appeal to them to resume in the interest of the masses, people who do not have an alternative. A life that is lost is lost forever.”