The former Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou is optimistic that his team Ivory Coast can defend the trophy that they secured dramatically in the last campaign of the African Cup of Nation in Equatorial Guniea two years ago in a penalty shoot-out.
Ivory Coast AFCON 2015 Campaign celebration.
The Veteran striker has 83 national caps and 28 goals to his name. Ivory Coast fiercely faced Ghana in 2015. Ivory Coast came out on top in a penalty shoot-out as they secured their second Africa Cup of Nations trophy, having won the trophy back in 1992.
Kalou has become one of his team’s most important players after the national football team retirement of Ivory Coast Veteran striker Didier Drogba.They look forward to repeating their previous successes in Gabon and to do better. Salomon Kalou now Hertha Berlin stiker is proud that he will be able to defend The Elephants’ honour at the 2017 AFCON campaign and hopes that Ivory Coast won’t have to wait for so long as they did before securing the trophy in their last campaign.
The striker said in an interview “I think we are very fortunate to go and defend, with honour, trophies for our country. We love to wear the shirt, so let’s do it and I am looking forward to it because we have a great team with potential to keep our trophy.
Although Ivory Coast opened their 2017 campaign against Togo on Monday, with a 0-0 draw but DR Congo top the group with three points after their hard fought victory over Morocco in Monday night Group C fixture match.
Kemi Adeosun, minister of Finance and Udoma Udo Udoma, minister of Bugdet and National planning were under fire yesterday as members of the House of Representatives grilled them on the free fall of the naira and the rising inflation.
From Left: Udoma Udo Udoma and Kemi Adeosun
The lawmakers said the economy remained bleak and showed no signs of coming out of recession.
Last year Adeosun told Nigerians that by september 2016, the country will be out of recession. Some Nigerians including economic experts said at the time that the minister may have made political statement because there were no signs of the recession being over.
Some Nigerian ambitious youth who desired to join the Nigerian navy were shocked that the training centre was an illegal training camp.
Nigerian Navy
Operatives of the Navy smashed a camp in Ijanikin used for recruiting and training unsuspecting men and women.
The victims across the country paid between #50,000 and #150,000. After payment, they were taken to the training camp only to discover that they were being enrolled in Nigerian merchant Navy Coastal Defense Force. Yet to be approved by the government.
A professor and five students have so far been victims of an explosion in the University of Maiduguri. In an ironic manner, the bomb blast came barely 24 hours after 257 members of Boko Haram were released to mark the Army Remembrance Day which took place at Rainat Square in Maiduguri.
Bomb blast in Maiduguri
Some Nigerians think that the released Boko Haram members may have a hand in the explosion one of them is Adekunle Martins a lawyer. He told Scroll Report that it is not impossible for some of the released members to be invovled in the explosion because they cannot be totally clean as the Army claims they are. Besides terrorists like to strike when it will have maximum effect. And the effect is a land mark because it is coming barely after the Remembrance day.
Six months after the federal government and a chinese company signed an agreement, for Lagos-ibadan new rail, the project is set to take off.
Railway
The project is expected to cost #458 billion will begin in February. China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation has been awarded the contract, which will be jointly funded by the Nigerian and Chinese governments.
Already, the government had made its counterpart funds available, while China promises to do same by the end of January. So the project is expected to be completed July next year.
Jose Mourinho has revealed why he chose to play Henrikh Mkhitaryan at left-back against Liverpool on Sunday.
United salvaged a late 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Old Trafford, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic cancelling out James Milner’s first-half penalty and bringing the team back on level terms in the eleventh hour was really fantastic for untied fans to watch. And it was a wonderful performance from the swede after he had missed some chances on goal.
Zlatan with his goal celebration against Liverpool.
Manchester United were chasing a result for much of the game, with Milner opening the scoring after 27 minutes.
United kept on questioning Liverpool defense to find an equaliser, and it came about after Mourinho’s second-half tactical switch.
The Portuguese introduced Marouane Fellaini in the 76th minute for Matteo Darmian, with Mkhitaryan replacing the Italian at left-back. United would equalise eight minutes later.
When a journalist asked about Darmian’s role, Mourinho replied: “Do you want to buy him? Are you an agent? Do you work for the Italian federation?”
He continued: “When you have Antonio Valencia playing as a right winger you cannot defend with two players, you need that third player to give some cover inside and to keep some balances, and he [Darmian] did that well.
“But then losing, you take Darmian out and play Mkhitaryan left winger, covering a little bit and Valencia right winger, covering a little bit, and you risk everything.
“But I was watching the game, we were losing, I was looking always to the same side – I have a problem with my neck because I was always looking to the left side – and I watched so many yellow guys in front of me I thought let’s go for it, let’s try.”
Sovereign Trust insurance PLC said it paid #1billion. Claims between January and September last year.
According to a statement by the firm, the statement by the firm, the breakdown, of the figure shaved that motor insurance had the highest total claims of about #400 million.
Fire and allied perils claimed #250 million while #255 million was paid on general accidents claims.
Tajudeen Rufai Divisional Head, Technical said there is no compromise to claims settlement.
Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye’s pastoral visit to Ekiti State had drawn the ire of the Ekiti chapter of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC. The party’s scathing remarks about the statement credited to the respected clergy was occasioned by the glowing tributes Adeboye paid to the State Governor, Peter Ayodele Fayose.
According to reports, Adeboye commended Fayose’s courage and his people-supporting actions to protect their interests. He was quoted to have said: “We thank God for your courage, for your boldness. We thank God for your being willing to take risks so that your people can be protected. You have been a governor who knows when to say enough is enough in defence of his people. And I am sure you know what I am talking about and I am sure the world knows.
From the left; Governor Fayose and Pastor E.Adeboye
I don’t want to say more than that but be assured that we are praying for you and you will succeed in Jesus name. We wish all other governors who stand for their people, defend their people and know when to say enough is enough and we thank God for their lives.”
These statements were the ‘crimes’ committed by Adeboye that earned him invectives and aspersion from the angry Ekiti APC. They believe that for such tribute to come from a revered man like Adeboye, ostensibly Fayose is being endorsed as a ‘patriot’ as against a ‘rebel or ‘anarchist’ the APC believes he is. Reading between the lines of the party’s tirade, it was obvious that it wished Adeboye had criticized or rebuked Fayose for perennially attacking President Mohammadu Buhari and his government; after all, Adeboye’s spiritual son, Professor Yemi Osibajo, is the Vice President of the APC-led Federal Government. This insinuation indirectly called to question the ‘loyalty’ of Adeboye in the scheme of things. APC’s statement further betrayed its expectation that Adeboye should naturally be a ‘loyal party patron’ considering his relationship with many of its chieftains.
I think the abhorrent part of the party’s reaction was the bribery allegation which it claimed may have motivated Adeboye to endorse “a man like Fayose.” The party in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Christmas day, December 25 through its state chairman, Jide Awe, alleged that Fayose could have bribed Pastor Adeboye with huge amount of money to get such endorsement. The APC described Fayose as a “man that can bribe even an angel of God to endorse the devil.” I think this insinuation is rather very provocative, insulting and demeaning to the integrity of Pastor Adeboye. Must APC went this far in its reaction to Adeboye’s statement? Must Jide Awe led-party leadership issued such an antagonistic, bitter and derogatory statement to express its view on the so-called “endorsement”? This is very appalling and uncharitable!
The question I want to ask is that supposed Adeboye had criticized Fayose perhaps for being ‘boisterous’ or a ‘rabble-rouser’ in criticizing Buhari administration at every available opportunity, will the party allege bribery or hail the visiting clergy? I think it won’t. Then, it makes me feel like: must they soil every image or rubbish nobility because of politics? So, nobody, no matter how highly placed is spared of being tainted in the murky water of politics especially in Ekiti? That’s too bad! I keep wondering what manner of politics is being played in Nigeria in which everything, I mean everything is viewed or weighed on the scale of politics.
Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the Redeemed Christian Church of God’s General Overseer is currently on his annual pastoral visits to all his church regions nationwide including Ekiti. I’m not persuaded that the party was actually speaking the mind of its members in this matter as it is rather a norm for august visitors to speak peace, love and harmony wherever they visit be it community or nation. For insinuating bribery in a pastoral visit during which Adeboye didn’t step into the State Government House or had a closed door meeting with the governor, left much to be desired.
Another issue of concern is that Ekiti APC is fast assuming an all-negative state opposition in Nigeria. When in October 2, 2016 Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola honoured Fayose’s invitation to celebrate 20 years of Ekiti State creation, Aregbesola was hugely lambasted for not only coming but also for describing his host (Fayose) as “Omoluabi” and a hardworking governor who had turned around the fortunes of Ekiti State in terms of infrastructure. Social media reports also quoted Aregbesola as saying that “Fayose is a reliable person” and that in spite of political differences, he and Fayose shared many things in common, adding that “sooner than later, there will be realignment of forces.”
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Taiwo Olatubosun, Ekiti APC did not spare Aregbesola of the most scathing remarks as it said Aregbesola’s visit to Fayose praising him as ‘omoluabi’ was not only embarrassing but also awful. It went further to say “It is shocking that Aregbesola as a governor and one of the leading lights in APC in the South West and indeed the nation would be visiting Ekiti State without putting the leaders into confidence, more so on a visit to a man who once wished the President dead and had done unbelievable things both in Nigeria and abroad to bring Buhari’s government down. Worse still, Aregbesola was praising the man who will stop at nothing to bring APC-led Federal Government down after several years of failed attempts by the progressives to win the presidency of Nigeria.”
From this statement, it is obvious that Ekiti APC is ever combative and irritable as it dislikes anything positive mentioned about the state governor. I’m sure the day Ekiti APC gets to know that President Buhari himself admires Fayose for the same reasons Adeboye eulogized him I shudder to think what its reaction would be. In fact, beyond the political game of verbal assaults as an opposition leader, Mr. President acknowledges Fayose as an astute politician and electoral asset. Don’t crucify me over this statement yet or ask for proof, wait till when the President will visit Ekiti.
I’m still surprised that Ekiti APC is yet to give its usual hard knocks on the Sultan for his December 21, 2016 visit to the Governor. Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar IV, has visited the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose after leaving South East in what he called a “Bridge Building” tour. Has it dawned on the Ekiti APC that Fayose is already a force to reckon with in the political equilibrium in the country today? Do they ever imagine that Fayose is a potential game changer in 2019 general election? Time will tell.
If a man of Adeboye’s caliber could be cheaply taken to the cleaners for appreciating a governor, then, we have a big problem on our hands. This same Adeboye is the reason we have Vice President Osibajo whose joint-ticket with Buhari immensely contributed to the electoral victory of the APC in 2015 general election.
“I need the consent of just two people to determine my acceptance or otherwise of the Vice Presidential slot offered to me. The two are my father in the Lord, Pastor Enoch Adeboye and my wife. If one of them disagrees, I won’t accept the offer. Both of them have to agree independently as the only conviction I need to tag along with General Mohammadu Buhari as his running mate.” This was the solemn standpoint of Vice President Yemi Osibajo before he accepted the offer. Independently, both Daddy G.O (as Adeboye is fondly called) and Mrs Osibajo endorsed the erudite lawyer to run with Buhari.
I remember when a petition was sent to Adeboye against a well-circulated message on the perceived outright Islamisation agenda of Nigeria in which the then newly formed APC party was portrayed as an Islamic Brotherhood, Adeboye acted promptly to pacify the party; a development Lai Mohammed, then APC spokesman, openly acknowledged as commendable of a father. However, some section of the Christian community didn’t agree with Adeboye’s action and it almost tore his associates and followers apart. Should this apolitical man of God receive such a disdainful hard knocks from Ekiti APC? Does it mean Fayose has never done anything worth appreciating in office as a governor? Hmmmm. I’m just pondering…
Everton also secured for themselves an emphatic victory as they defeated Manchester City by 4-0. The team picked up a well deserved win at Goodison Park. For Manchester City, the defeat is the second league defeat in three weeks for them.
Everton victory over Manchester City has left many questioning if Pep Guardiola’s men can really be a serious contender for the English premier league title this season.
John Stones and Romelu Lukaku
Manchester City although took the lion’s share of the possesion during the first half but they were not clinical in front of goal. But Everton on the otherhand took thier chances. Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring with his 12th premier league goal of the season. Kelvin Mirallas, T.Davies, A. Lookman rounded off the match with a lone goal each to secure for the team 3 points.
Harry kane is an english footballer who plays as a forward for premier league club Tottenham Hotspur and England national team.
The striker had earlier revealed that he and long-term girlfriend Kate Goodland are expecting a baby. Kate Goodland had been a sweetheart to Harry Kane since childhood. Kane wrote on his twitter: ” Exicted times ahead! Can’t wait”. A picture of kane’s two dogs with signs around thier neck accompanied the tweet
Harry Kane and Goodland
The england forward did not feature in the F.A cup third round victory against Aston Villa after his wife gave birth to daughter Ivy just hours before.
But he returned with a hat-trick against West Brom scoring a goal in the first half and completing his hat-trick in the second half to give his team an emphatic win against the Bagies.
Nigerian Navy
