‘We were treated as failures despite winning silver at Abidjan ’84’

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US-based ex-Green Eagles midfielder, Paul Okoku, won a silver medal at the 1984 AFCON. Okoku, who was in South Africa to cheer the Eagles to a third title, tells ’TANA AIYEJINA about his experiences at Africa’s top football showpiece 29 years ago

How did you make the team considering the array of superstars in the Eagles then?

I knew I had to do more substantially considering the extraordinary skill level and experience possessed by my midfield contenders. I also saw the need to raise my game and create a lasting impression on the coaches.  I did it quietly but proficiently.

Politicians forming alliance out of desperation – Fasoranti

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Leader of the Yoruba Socio-political group, Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, in this interview with SUNDAY ABORISADE, speaks about merger of political parties among other issues

What is your opinion on the state of politics in the country?

Politicians are forming alliances but they are doing this out of sheer desperation because they feel that the Peoples Democratic Party is becoming intimidating in all ramifications. They are afraid that the trend could force Nigeria to become a one-party state with the PDP dominating the scene. This is why people are looking for alliances. I hope it will work but such strategy hardly works because people have different reasons, different opinions for forming a political party, forgetting certain fundamentals.

Oteh: Senate Sings New Tune Over SEC budget

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The Senate sang a new tune on Friday when it reacted to the decision of the Board of the Securities and Exchange Commission to approve the 2013 budget of the commission without recourse to the National Assembly.

The board approved the budget, ignoring the joint resolution of the Senate and the House of Representatives demanding the sacking of the Director-General of the commission, Ms. Arunmah Oteh, on the grounds that she was not qualified to be appointed as the DG.

The resolution was later incorporated in the 2013 Appropriation Bill passed by both chambers on December 20, 2012.

Clause 10 of the bill  disallowed SEC from making any expenditure this year without the prior authorisation of the National Assembly.

N2.92bn fraud rocks police training schools

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Culled From Punch Nigeria

Thousands of police recruits who were trained in Lagos, Kaduna and Orji River police colleges might have been shortchanged to the tune of N2.92bn, aSUNDAY PUNCH investigation has shown.

A total of 2,900 recruits were trained at the Police College, Ikeja and 1,900 at the Orji River Police College, Enugu State.

A figure of 3,000 was reported as being the number of trainees in Kaduna.

These last set of recruits were trained for 15 months at the three police colleges and they graduated in December 2012. The recruits were at the training schools from between October 2011 to December 2012.

PDP crisis: Obasanjo’s men may back opposition in 2015

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Culled From Punch Nigeria

The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party is set to take a turn for the worse as party stalwarts loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo have decided to have a showdown with the supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The latest development follows the party’s decision to sack senior party officials known to be loyal to the former President from its National Working Committee.

 Investigations showed that the removal, announced on Friday, shocked the former President and his group.

The leadership of the PDP had on Friday sacked loyalists of Obasanjo in the National Working Committee. The Bamangar Tukur-led leadership is known to be loyal to President Jonathan.

I asked Goldie to be controversial — Hubby

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Andrew Harvey, the British husband of the late singer and ex-Big Brother Africa housemate, Goldie, has said he had no problems with his late wife’s lifestyle, adding that he even encouraged her to be controversial because it is “marketable.”

Andrew told SUNDAY PUNCH during an online interview that his marriage to the singer was a happy one and they had only recently decided to have children together.

Asked if he agreed with Goldie’s controversial behaviour at the BBA house, he  said, “We (Goldie and I) knew the pitfalls of the show and understood the game strategy. I think she did very well, I said ‘make controversy because people love it.’”

Andrew, who is an engineer and has been married to the deceased since 2005, said he decided to stay in the shadows because of the nature of his job.

Facebook Finally Launches A Search Engine

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Click Here To Visit the Search Engine 

Jonathan signed single-term pact with PDP govs — Aliyu • He did nothing like that — Presidency

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The intense power play preceding the 2015 presidential election intensified on Saturday when Governor of Niger State, Babangida claimed that President Goodluck Jonathan entered into an agreement with governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party to serve for a term.

Aliyu, made the claim during an interview with a Kaduna-based radio station, Liberty FM on Saturday morning.

The audio interview was later in the evening uploaded on an online news portal,Saharareporters.

Aliyu in the interview said PDP governors had a single-term pact with Jonathon.

Benue/Ebonyi Communities’ Conflict: 15-year- old Boy Shot in the Head by Mercenaries

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The communal conflict between Ngwo people of Ebonyi State and the Agilas in Ado local government area of Benue state, yesterday, left a 15-year-old JSS student of Government Secondary School, GSS Agila, Edwin Aboh, battling for his life after he was shot in the head by unknown assailants.

Saturday we gathered from sources that Aboh was shot on his way to school by his attackers who were suspected to be mercenaries from Ngwo. Our source confirmed that the student who was badly wounded and said to be in critical condition is presently receiving treatment at the Igumale General Hospital, headquarters of Ado local government council.

Pastor Arrested with Fresh Human Parts in Lagos [SEE PHOTOS]

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Two persons, one of them said to be a prophet with a white garment church, have been arrested by the Police in Lagos, following the discovery of fresh human parts in their custody.

(See the fresh parts below)

Policemen attached to Ikotun division on patrol accosted two men at about 12: 30 p.m last Friday, with a Ghana-must-go bag. When they requested to know the content of the bag, one of the men bolted. When the bag was eventually opened, fresh human parts were found inside two containers....

We thought Boko Haram attackers were bringing people for vaccination –Injured polio worker

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A polio worker who narrowly missed death in the hands of gunmen in Kano narrates her experience, writes David Attah

 Although she was shot in the head and leg, she  never ceases praising  Allah. As she narrated her ordeal, each sentence was punctuated with the name of Allah.

“All I could remember was that we had just settled down for work on the fifth day of the exercise when suddenly we heard gunshot outside. That was all I could remember,” said the 29-year-old mother of four,  Zahara’u Ayuba.

She is one of the few lucky ones that survived the attack by yet-to-be apprehended assailants that unleashed terror on health workers on immunisation routine in Kano penultimate Friday. She was among the four people rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.

PDP sacks Obasanjo’s loyalists

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Loyalists of former President Olusegun Obasanjo were on Friday removed from office by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party. Those sacked from office were the National Auditor, Chief Bode Mustapha, and the National Vice-Chairman (South-West) Mr. Segun Oni. In Ogun State, the national leadership also sacked the Obasanjo-backed executive led by Senator Dipo Odujinrin.

The decision to remove these officers were taken at the meeting held in Abuja on Thursday by members of the National Working Committee. The meeting was presided over by the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.  Mustapha, an ally of Obasanjo, was replaced with Alhaji Fatai Adeyanju.

Goldie Was ‘Brought In Dead’ –Hospital

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Nigeria’s singing sensation Susan Oluwabimpe Harvey, popularly known as Goldie who died last Thursday was dead on arrival at Reddington hospital where she was rushed to. Management of the hospital disclosed this yesterday while confirming the sad incident.

The confirmation comes even as another Nollywood actor, Lugard Onoyemu was said to have slumped and died while playing football on the pitch of the national stadium, Surulere, Lagos yesterday. A statement by the hospital’s Corporate Affairs Manager, Franklyn Ovbigbahon, stated that around 7.30 pm on Thursday February 14, 2013, “a high profile media personality was brought to the Reddington Hospital.

2015: Buhari, Tinubu Drop Presidential Ambition

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Former Head of State and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) presidential candidate in the 2011 general elections, General Muhammadu Buhari and the national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Senator Bola Tinubu, have dropped their ambition to contest for the nation's number one job on the platform of the newly formed opposition megaparty, All Progressive Congress (APC).

Singer Dencia Involved In Car Accident

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The singer was involved in a car accident yesterday February 15th. She said she was driving and 'was so lost in her thoughts and didn't know how she lost control of the car.' Her car was seriously damaged following the accident but she was not injured.

Rapper 2 Chainz arrested For Weed Possession

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Rapper 2 Chainz has been arrested on drug charges inMaryland where he was performing at a college homecoming event.

Maryland State Police spokesman Sgt. Marc Black said troopers stopped a van Thursday night about 9:15 p.m. for speeding near Easton, Md., and smelled a strong odor of burnt marijuana in the van. A backpack in the van had a marijuana grinder and trace amounts of marijuana, police said.

The rapper, whose real name is Tauheed Epps, claimed possession of the backpack and was arrested, police said. Epps was cited for having drug paraphernalia and marijuana and was released. The citation carries up to a year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.

20 Vehicles Damaged, 7 Persons Injured As Hoodlums Storm Motor Parks

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Hoodlums led by one Lateef Toriola yesterday invaded two motor parks in Kuto, and Ita-Oshin, in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, leaving seven people critically injured and 20 vehicles destroyed.

Security agencies including, Department of State Security, DSS; Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, and the Police in the state have arrested about 14 persons in connection with the attack.

The crisis it was gathered started as a result of the alleged plan by a faction of the Road Transport Employers’ Association, RTEAN, in the state led by Toriola, to take over the parks.

2015 Elections: INEC Removes Two More Parties

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As the race towards the upcoming 2015 elections continues, two more parties have been de-registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This development brings to 38 the total number of de-registered parties.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the affected political parties were the Change Advocacy Party (CAP) and the Democratic Front for a Peoples Federation. (DFPF)

According to a reliable source at the INEC the decision to de-register the parties was arrived at during the commission’s meeting of February 5. The source also said that the political parties affected did not meet the requirements stipulated in the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

Also, Mr Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, has confirmed the de-registration of the parties.

Lent: Your Prayers Will Help Us Make This Nation A Better Place – President Jonathan Tells Nigerians

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President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed his gratitude to Nigerians as they continue to pray for the nation.

President Jonathan was speaking at the Basilica of Grace, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Apo Abuja, at the beginning of Lent, the 40-day fasting and prayer by Christendom. According to the president, “I want to thank all Nigerians for praying steadfastly for the nation. Indeed, your prayers continue to help us in our efforts to make this nation a better place, and I urge you to continue.”

Instead Of Telling The EFCC To Do Their Job, Why Not Do Yours? Alao-Akala’s Aide To Ajimobi

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Mr Abraham Ojo, media aide to former governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, has called the bluff of the Oyo state government, following the decision of the Governor Abiola Ajimobi-led government to remind the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to expedite the prosecution of erstwhile governors in the state.