Liverpool lost their first European penalty shootout as Besiktas knocked them out of the Europa League.

 
Lovren misses key penalty in shootout

Balotelli starts for first time since 8 November

Scorer Arslan joined Besiktas in January

Ba hits crossbar at end of normal time

Liverpool lost their first European penalty shootout as Besiktas knocked them out of the Europa League.

Centre-back Dejan Lovren missed the crucial spot-kick after Tolgay Arslan's 20-yard curler forced extra-time in the round of 32 second leg.

Daniel Sturridge's shot was beaten out by Cenk Gonen as Liverpool failed to make their first-half superiority tell.

Besiktas were the better side after that, and almost sealed the tie in 90 minutes as Demba Ba hit the crossbar.

NASS invasion: Senate asks Police to sanction six officers

The Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Special Senate Committee which investigated the circumstances that surrounded the invasion of the National Assembly by the police on November 20 last year, has recommended stiffer punishment for all the six security personnel indicted in the unfortunate development.

The committee submitted its report on the floor of the senate on Wednesday but no date has been fixed for its deliberation.

A member of the committee told our correspondent on conditions of anonymity on Thursday that the report recommended, among others, heavy sanctions against six top police officers in the Federal Capital Territory command who were indicted.

Police proposes N24bn to fuel patrol vehicles

The Nigeria Police Force has proposed to spend N24bn on fuel and maintain its patrol vehicles across the country in the 2015 fiscal year.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of logistics and supplies,   Mr. Ibrahim Tsafe,  stated this on Thursday when he defended the 2015 budget estimates of the force before the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, in Abuja.
Tsafe explained that the force has a fleet of 13, 083 patrol vehicles, including 2, 937 motorcycles nationwide.
According to him,  N11bn would be spent to fuel 8, 698 petrol engine vehicles with 40 litres capacity tank while N4.2bn would be spent to fuel all its 1, 448 diesel engine vehicles with 50 litre capacity.
Tsafe who added that  N932.6m would be spent on to fuel 2, 937 motorcycles, explained that N45, 000 would be spent on  each of the petrol engine patrol vehicles per annum while N90, 000 would be spent on each of the diesel engine patrol vehicles.

Fake experts misinforming politicians on card reader – Edo REC

The Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini, on Thursday said some unscrupulous information technologists were misinforming politicians on the use of the card reader in the forthcoming general elections.

Igini told journalists in Benin that the commission got “intelligent information” that some politicians were collaborating with Information and Communication Technology  experts to hack into the commission’s system and sabotage the efforts of the Independent National Electoral Commission on the elections.

He expressed disappointment that such persons would use their expertise to promote electoral malpractice rather than contribute to the development of the nation’s electoral process.

Father of abducted French woman in Yemen begs kidnappers

The father of a French woman taken hostage in Yemen on Thursday called on her kidnappers “to show their humanity” and release her free along with the Yemenite woman taken at the same time.
“We face up to this challenge with confidence, and we are staying close to the French authorities with whom we are in permanent contact and who we know are determined to see our daughter set free,” Jean-Noel Prime said in a statement sent to AFP.
Isabelle Prime, 30, worked as a consultant on a World Bank-funded project.
Unidentified gunmen dressed as police officers seized her along with her translator Sherine Makkaoui from a car in the capital on Tuesday.
“Isabelle loved Yemen and wished to continue her work even in difficult conditions,” said Jean-Noel Prime.
He described his daughter’s work as “social and for the benefit of Yemen’s people”.
“I have been living a nightmare for the past two days,” he told AFP by phone.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Paris was making “every effort” to reach Prime’s kidnappers, while the abducted Yemeni’s family said contacts had been made with tribal chiefs and the Shiite militia known as Huthis.
Efforts to secure their release have been complicated by the political chaos in Sanaa, where the Huthis stormed to power last year, and where most Western countries have shut their embassies over security fears.

Egypt army kills 38 extremists in Sinai

At least 38 extremists were killed and 27 others were injured in overnight raids launched by the Egyptian Armed Forces on extremists’ hideouts in Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid cities of North Sinai province, a security source told Xinhua.
The source pointed out that the raids started late Tuesday and continued until Wednesday early morning, where the raids destroyed four houses, four vehicles and ten motorbikes.
The said extremists belong to Sinai-based al-Qaida-inspired Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis (ABM) group, which has recently pledged allegiance to the regional Islamic State (IS) militant group, according to the source.
Meanwhile, the forces also foiled two car-bomb explosion attempts targeting security personnel in Arish and Rafah cities and busted five explosive devices planted on a highway in Arish.
Egypt has been facing a rising wave of terrorism since the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi by the military in July 2013 and the security crackdown on his supporters that left at least 1,000 killed and thousands more arrested.

EU, African countries to convene on Ebola recovery

The European Union (EU) has invited African countries for a high level conference in Brussels to review current efforts of fighting Ebola and place a plan to help Liberia and the other African countries to recover from the hit of the disease.
An emailed EU statement reaching Xinhua on Thursday said the presidents and ministers of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Togo as well as representatives of the African Union Commission, the UN, the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and the European Union will all be attending at the very highest level.
Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf will co-chair the conference on Ebola and she will be speaking as spokesperson for the Mano River Union (MRU).
During this High Level Conference, the 11th European Development Fund National Indicative Program for Liberia 2014-2020 will be signed between Liberia and the EU.
This is the most important support program of the EU to Liberia for the coming years, the statement said.
This Fund is allocating 326 million U.S. dollars to Liberia, which will be divided into the four areas including good governance, energy, education and agriculture.
The EU Ambassador to Liberia, Tiina Intelmann, said “For us it is crucial to assess the priorities and envisaged action presented by Liberia and to find a way that we can all work together, in the immediate and longer term, for recovery in Liberia and in West Africa.”

Jega To Receive Notice Of Terminal Leave Next Week- APC Senators

Members of the All Progressives Congress in the senate, on Thursday raised the alarm of a fresh plot by the Federal Government to allegedly prevent the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Attahiru Jega, from superintending over the forthcoming general elections.

The senators led by the Leader of the opposition in the upper chamber, Senator George Akume, while addressing a news conference in Abuja said they heard from a reliable source that the Head of Service would direct Jega to proceed on his pre-retirement leave next week.

Akume said, “We have received information from a very credible source that next week, the Chairman of INEC will be given a letter from the office of the Head of the Civil Service directing him to proceed on terminal leave.

He alleged that federal government was trying to use a circular from the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation dated 11th August, 2010 to place Jega on compulsory pre-retirement leave.

“Whether the letter emanates from the HOS office or the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, it does not make sense. Even if we go by the terms of the civil service circular of the 11th of August, 2010, it is not applicable whatsoever to the INEC chairman.

Akume explained that the circular, with reference number HCSF/CMO/1772/TI/11, was talking about clarifications on pre-retirement leave, which is only applicable to tenured officers who are career civil servants.

He said anyone who had spent 30 years in service or had attained 30 years of age is bound to disengage officially from the service which did not apply to Jega.

Akume said Jega’s offense was that he was ready to conduct the election when the Peoples Democratic Party controlled federal government was not ready.

He insisted that using the issue of card readers to discredit Jega will not work because the National Assembly appropriated money for that purpose and the sensitive items had been acquired.

He said, “We want a credible election but in a situation where we are being informed that because the postponement of the election attracted no reaction from the people, Jega could be removed and a person who will do the bidding of the government be planted, doesn’t hold water.

“You can not start a game which is about to end, and suddenly you want to change the goal post. You don’t want a referee that is fair to all so as to subvert the whole system for sinister or personal purposes.

“We will continue to say no to impunity. We will continue to say no to any attempt to undermine the credibility of the forthcoming election.

“We therefore want to appeal to Nigerians to be steadfast, to keep watch so that their labour will not be in vain. If Ghana and other countries got it right, Nigeria can also get it right.”

“We are opposed to the removal of Jega because it is criminal, illegal and unconstitutional. They want to remove him through the back door.”

Akume maintained that President Goodluck Jonathan reserved the right to remove Jega but that he could not unilaterally do so without seeking the permission of the National Assembly through a two-third majority.

He added that Jonathan does not also, have the legal powers to suspend the INEC boss under whatever guise.

He said, “Section 157(1) clearly states that the president can only remove Jega with the vote of 2/3 majority of all senators. Under whatever guise Whether suspension, retirement or voluntary leave, he cannot be removed.

” Section 157 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President cannot remove the INEC Chairman from office without getting approval of the Upper Chamber.

“Section 157 (1) of the constitution reads: “…a person holding any of the offices to which this section applies may only be removed from that office by the president acting on an address supported by two-third majority of the Senate praying that he be so removed for inability to discharge the functions of the office”.


The senators reiterated their opposition to the clearance of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as minister at the senate and the deployment of soldiers for elections.

Giving further clarification on the fate of Obanikoro, Spokesperson of the group, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, said the position of the opposition senators is that the ministerial nominee was not qualified to hold public office.

He said, “We are going to oppose that, and the three senators from Lagos have written to Mark opposing that. Obanikoro is not qualified to hold public office based on his antecedent and a case which will be coming up on March 6 in Lagos.

“When any case is in court under our rules, the senate president will use his power to ensure that it is not brought before the senate.”



http://www.punchng.com/news/apc-senators-allege-plot-to-sack-jega/

Military onslaught on B’Haram proves Jonathan’s critics wrong —ex-militant leaders

Niger Delta ex-militant leaders, yesterday, said that the remarkable achievements made by the Nigerian armed forces, the Joint Multi-national Task Forces in their present onslaught against Boko Haram in the North-East region, have proved President Goodluck Jonathan’s critics wrong. The ex-militant leaders added that the President has defeated his opponents who were carrying campaign of his ineffectiveness in tackling insecurity in parts of the North, as Mr. President had adopted a working strategy to end the Boko Haram menace. Coordinator of the Phase Three Amnesty group in Delta State, Mr. Preye Ekpebide, who spoke with reporters after the group’s meeting in Warri, commended the Federal Government and the Armed Forces for the acquisition of modern warplanes, Helicopters, and personnel carriers that are assisting in winning the war against the insurgents. Ekpebide, who applauded the gallantry of Nigerian soldiers and the Multi-National Taskforce, noted that that the Nigerian Army which was highly rated in the world was gradually redeeming its image, adding that the deployment of Army Generals to the battle field was a great morale booster to the rank and file. The ex-militant leader said Nigerians wee happy with the recent onslaught in the North-East against Boko Haram and called on Nigerians to be patient with the military. He also called for prayers for the soldiers in the battle fields and urged everyone to assist security agencies in bringing insurgency to an end in the country. Expressing joy over the towns the military had re-taken, he said this has further boosted Jonathan’s acceptance by Nigerians because Mr. President has demonstrated that he is a man of his words, enjoining all and sundry to have faith in the current administration.

US-led strikes on IS after group seizes 220 Christians

The US-led coalition carried out air strikes Thursday against the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria, where the jihadists have launched a new offensive and kidnapped 220 Assyrian Christians. The raids struck areas around the town of Tal Tamr in Hasakeh province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, without giving information on possible casualties. They followed the launch Monday of a new offensive by IS, which kidnapped the Assyrians as it seized territory around Tal Tamr. The town remains under the control of Kurdish forces, but at least 10 surrounding villages have been seized by IS, along with the captives. Many of those abducted are said to be women, children or elderly. The Observatory said negotiations were ongoing “through mediators from Arab tribes and a member of the Assyrian community” to secure their release. The IS offensive has killed at least 35 jihadists and 25 members of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and of an Assyrian defence force, according to the Observatory. – Thousands flee IS advance – The fighting and kidnappings prompted around 5,000 people to flee the countryside, with many seeking refuge in Qamishli, a large city in the province that is controlled by Kurdish and regime forces.

APC reps revolt, abort House sitting

ABUJA—The sitting of the House of Representatives was, yesterday, disrupted after members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, rejected moves by the presiding officer of the House to stall a motion seeking to bar the military from playing a role in the conduct of the forthcoming elections. The APC members, who now form the majority, were galled by the ruling of the deputy speaker of the House, Chief Emeka Ihedioha of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to derail the motion spearheaded by the APC minority leader. After first walking out from the chambers, the APC members returned to put deliberations on a standstill, taunting the deputy speaker who they accused of foisting his will on majority of the members. House of Representatives Faced with the unprecedented rebellion and unable to bring the House under control after repeated pleas, Chief Ihedioha was forced to adjourn the proceedings.

Photos: Pres. Jonathan dons military uniform as he visits Baga, Mubi

Photos: Pres. Jonathan dons military uniform as he visits Baga, Mubi

President Jonathan today visited in Mubi, Adamawa State and Baga, Borno State where he met with the troops who are fighting Boko Haram. He applauded the troops for recapturing territories formerly held by insurgents. He said that he and all Nigerians were very proud of the bravery, competence and patriotism with which they were now undertaking operations to expel the insurgents from all parts of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa state. See more photos after the cut...

Chris & Rihanna are back together? Thought she was pregnant for Leo?

Chris & Rihanna are back together? Thought she was pregnant for Leo? This MediaTakeOut will not kill somebody with their reports. Lol. First they swore that Rihanna is pregnant for Leonardo DiCaprio, now they swear -100% facts - that she's back with Chris Brown..lol. Yeah right! Read their report below... "Last week Chris Brown gave multiple interviews - where he shaded Drake and talked about how he loved Rihanna and how he wished things would go differently. Well they're going to get a second chance. MediaTakeout.com exclusively learned that Chris Brown and Rihanna have began communicating again. One of Chris closest friends told us, "Chris is really going through it - with his legal trouble, tour issues, and now all this bad press - he reached out o the only one that really understands him - Robyn." The insider told us that Chris and Rihanna were "on FACETIME" last night for nearly two hours - and they ended the call with "I Love You". What does this mean for Karrueche . . . or Leonardo Di Caprio? No idea - but what we can say OFFICIALLY is that Chri Brown and Rihanna are back together. This is 100% FACTS - no rumor here. Shout out to BREEZY, RiH and their TEAMS for the scoop!!

Akwa Ibom wins Heroes: Back To The Roots Reality TV show

Akwa Ibom wins Heroes: Back To The Roots Reality TV show

Akwa Ibom State representative, Miss Happiness Udodang has emerged the winner of the 2014 edition of ‘Heroes: Back to the Roots, a reality TV show that tasks housemates on their deep knowledge of Nigerian culture. 

Udodang, a graduate of Education Technology, University of Calabar, who is getting N2m, a car and a role in a movie is followed closely by Luter Emmanuel Ikyobo (Benue State) and Chelsea Chinenye Oguejifor (Anambra State).

The competition had 37 housemates (one from each state of the federation and FCT) co-habiting for 104 days, to stress the unity in Nigeria’s diversity. The competition which screened on NTA Entertainment was produced by Chinyere Ogbukagu and directed by Nollywood’s Ifeanyi Onyeabor.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT HEROES:

 BACKGROUND:     

 Piqued, by the dwindling fortunes of Nigeria’s very rich cultural heritage, especially amongst the youth, a creative mind, Chinyere Ogbukagu, who heads Havilla Timeless Production, based in Jos, Plateau State after several years of brimming with the idea, arrived at a concept of using television to engender the cultural values of the various ethnic nationalities in Nigeria. After meeting, Ifeanyi Onyeabor, a renowned Nollywood director, the idea took flight, and metamorphosed into what is today known as HEROES: BACK TO THE ROOTS, a television reality TV show which sets culture-based tasks for housemates who are in contest from all the states of Nigeria and FCT, with the sole motive of letting ethnic nationalities in Nigeria to better understand one another. This has proven to be the required panacea for peaceful co-existence urgently needed in Nigeria today.

OPERATIONS:

Entry for HEROES: BACK TO THE ROOTS starts with obtaining the form, and followed shortly by nationwide auditions in the 6 geo-political zones, where applicants are first screened for eligibility. Eligibility is strictly determined by the panel constituted for auditions that are drawn from the arts community. After auditions, 5 persons are selected from each of the states and FCT for the final screening to arrive at the 37 finalists-one from each state and FCT- to compete in the house where they would co-habit for 60 days. Contestants who have great understanding of their culture are usually on an advantageous pedestal to emerge victorious.

MISSION:

Apart from re-awakening the interest in our culture the show also highlights the various tourism potential abundant in the various states where the cast and crew of the show are visiting. The stay of the crew and cast in states like: Imo, Bayelsa, Kaduna, Niger etc, obviously highlighted some places of interest. The meaning is that states and the federal government can latch onto this as the next alternative source of income, especially oil prices continue to fluctuate.

2014 HEROES: BACK TO THE ROOTS

After a painstaking 104 days, traversing many states, the first batch of contestants were admitted for a 10 day orientation exercise in Kaduna, from where they moved to Plateau, where they spent another 10 days which pruned the contestants down to 37. These final 37 later moved into a camp in Niger State where after 60 days, the activities which aired on NTA produced THE FOLLOWING WINNERS:

First Position: HAPPINESS UDODANG (Akwa Ibom State)

First Runner-up: LUTER EMMANUEL IKYOBO (Benue State)

Second Runner-up: CHELSEA CHINENYE OGUEJIOFOR(Anambra State)

The 2014 edition of the TV show also culminated in an event of honour to recognize individuals and institutions that have contributed in no small measure to a better understanding of our cultural legacies in Nigeria, with great emphasis on cultural tolerance. Some of those recognized in no particular order are:

Best Supporting Governor: BABANGIDA ALIYU (Niger State)

Best Governor: GODSWILL AKPABIO ( Akwa Ibom State)

Cleanest State:   CROSS RIVER STATE

Most Culture Friendly State: NIGER 

PRIZES:

The ultimate winner HAPPINESS UDODANG gets a car, N2M, a role in a film that will be shot with the 10 finalists of the show, while the others get N1.5M and N1M respectively alongside roles in the film. They will also be undertaking many projects in line with the preservation of Nigeria’s culture during their tenure.

PRODUCER: Chinyere Ogbukagu (Havilla Timeless Production)

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Ifeanyi Onyeabor

Legislators Agree to Belt-tightening, Cut N’Assembly’s Budget by 25%

• Senate slashes recurrent vote to N2.5tn in 2015 budget, raises capital spending to N700bn, scraps service wide vote

By Ndubuisi Francis and Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

Towing the same path of the federal government to cut costs owing to dwindling oil revenue occasioned by low oil prices, the National Assembly, for the first time in years, has finally agreed to a 25 per cent cut in its annual budget of N150 billion.

Minimah Visits Baga, Rewards Triumphant Soldiers with Promotion

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Kenneth Minimah

• Encourages displaced residents to return to vote

By Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

Barely one week after the Nigerian military recaptured Baga in Borno State, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Kenneth Minimah, on Wednesday said victory could still be achieved over the Boko Haram insurgents before the elections scheduled to start March 28.
Minimah, who was in Baga town in Kukawa Local Government Area to boost the morale of the troops, said the Nigerian military would not rest until Boko Haram is completely flushed out of the North-east, promising that all officers and soldiers who participated in the recapture of Baga would be promoted.

Goodluck’s Sure-P Graduate Internship Scheme: Not Enough Praise?

There is a sense of purpose that comes when one contributes to the success and growth of another individual and Elijah Omijie, a 29-year old IT engineer feels responsible for the innervation of interns who have passed through him.
As Project Manager of the Graduate Internship Scheme at his former employers, Web Data Technologies, he ensured that quite a number of graduate trainees were adsorbed into the scheme.
Now working with telecoms giant MTN, he recalls with a smile on his face the sense of pride he felt while training young people. Many of them have gone on to be gainfully employed with other organizations based on the experience they acquired under his tutelage.
According to Omigie, “I felt like I was actually influencing someone else’s life positively, and I’m sure if not for anything, those people that worked under me will remain grateful to the present administration for giving them a chance to harness their skills”.”

Saraki vs Juguda: Is Nigeria Broke?

       

Kwara senator Bukola Saraki on Tuesday claimed Nigeria is broke, blaming corruption and mismanagement.

Senator Saraki’s claim was dismissed by the federal government which, through the minister of state for finance, Bashir Yuguda, insisted the nation is absolutely not broke, Premium Times reports.
Yuguda named the oil sector as the main one keeping the country afloat. He challenged critics to come up with evidence of “what they mean for a country to be broken (sic)”, as “nobody has depleted our foreign reserves”.
“I have spoken to various people on this issue. We have never skipped holding Federation Account Allocation meeting for a month. We have not failed to pay salaries of workers, or missed our payment terms on the bond we raised in Nigeria. I do not know the issue about the country being broken,”  Yuguda responded.

Full text of Buhari’s speech @Chatham House

Permit me to start by thanking Chatham House for the invitation to talk about this important topic at this crucial time. When speaking about Nigeria overseas, I normally prefer to be my country’s public relations and marketing officer, extolling her virtues and hoping to attract investments and tourists. But as we all know, Nigeria is now battling with many challenges, and if I refer to them, I do so only to impress on our friends in the United Kingdom that we are quite aware of our shortcomings and are doing our best to address them.
The 2015 general election in Nigeria is generating a lot of interests within and outside the country. This is understandable. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and largest economy, is at a defining moment, a moment that has great implications beyond the democratic project and beyond the borders of my dear country.

Boko Haram: President Jonathan Sneaks into Yola, Visits Mubi

As part of efforts to fulfill his promise to Nigerians that his administration will flush out the Boko Haram insurgents before the coming general elections, President Goodluck Jonathan sneaked into Yola unannounced on Thursday and proceeded to Mubi  to encourage soldiers of 155 Special Task Force battalion in Mubi town of Adamawa state.
The president also paid a courtesy call on the Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Isa, to sympathize with and strengthen the morale of the people of Mubi over the loss of their love ones and properties destroyed by the insurgents.

The president who landed in Yola International Airport around 11 am amidst tight security boarded a helicopter to Mubi along with Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police.

The president’s chopper  landed at the Mubi army barracks from where the president took a ride to the emir's palace where he met the Emir and members of Mubi Emirate traditional council.

A resident of Mubi, Idris Buba, said there was heavy security in Mubi during the president’s brief visit.

"When the President and his entourage left the emir's palace, they headed to Vimtim village, the home town of Chief of Defence Staff, Chief Air Marshall Alex Badeh, who is also in the president entourage",  Buba said.
According to him, the president also held a closed door meeting with the three Service Chiefs who were already in Vimtim Village ahead of the president.

Mubi is the second largest town in Adamawa and among those recently recaptured from Boko Haram by the military