[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ur Proactive senator representing Delta north in the National Assembly, Barrister Peter Nwaoboshi has given reasons for sponsoring the amendment of the Act establishing the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). In a chat with journalists, the most distinguished senator said that his major reason was to create more monies for the commission. He recounted that both the federal government and oil companies were defaulting in their payments to the NDDC.
For instance, he said: “The federal government was supposed to have been paying 50% ecological fund to the commission but it failed to pay. The oil companies which also were to pay 3% of their real annual budgets reneged, for 17 years now.”Speaking further, the Senate committee chairman on Niger Delta Affairs, who has been code-named the most performing senator went on to say that the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) had taken the NDDC to law courts and won the cases.
As a lawyer, he said, “I thought the best bet was to amend the act.” In truth, there were two essential amendments that were done. Apart from this one which seeks to generate more funds for the NDDC, the other was on the membership of the board.
“Before now, anybody could be appointed into the board of the commission, but with the amendments, only persons from oil producing local government areas would be appointed into the board.
The other aspect, he said, was to look into the core mandates of the commission to disallow the unnecessary influx of those who had no reason being there.
Sen. Nwaoboshi regretted that the commission was also bedeviled with a lot of anormalies, particularly on its wage bill, stressing that his committee had demanded the actual staff strength of the commission but nothing has been done about it till date.
He was also quick to say that “one other great effort we have achieved was to make the Executive Director, Finance, of the NDDC, a member of the federal allocation committee (FAC), to enable him know and determine how funds are allocated to NDDC.
On whether the law was retroactive? Sen. Nwaoboshi said no. He went futher to explain that only bad laws were retroactive. He commended his distinguished colleagues and members of the House of Representatives who, according to him, welcome the bill for the amendment of the act. He said that it was a popular bill in both Chambers.
He further revealed that the department of petroleum resources, DPR, has been mandated to urge the oil companies to submit their annual budgets.
He further said that, for mr President to have assented to the NDDC Act (as amended), on December 29, 2017, the last working day of the year, was a good omen, remarking that those arrears of monies owed to the commission would be paid.
The law before it was sponsored for amendment by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, had given most Oil Companies, particularly the NLNG, a legal window of escape of payments and contributions to the coffers of the NDDC. The protracted legal battle which brewed between NLNG and the NDDC went as far as the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which had thrown the weight of legal opinions of the lower courts and even to the Supreme Court in favour of Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas. (NLNG)
From the fore-going it is no longer gainsaying that the people of Delta North Senatorial District have a vibrant voice in the Red Chamber of the National Assembly, as Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi is waxing stronger everyday.
….Says He Is Niger Delta Version of Zik, Awo, Balewa and Bello
..Blasts Wike for Sacking Port Harcourt, Obio -Akpor and Ikwerre L.G.A Chairmen
Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi
[dropcap]R[/dropcap]ivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC has described the unprecedented and monumental gathering of the Traditional Rulers, Political leaders, sons and daughters of Ikwerre extraction in Rivers State on 13th January 2018 at Isiokpo, the Traditional Headquarters of the Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality to honour one of their most illustrious sons, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi the erstwhile Governor of Rivers State and the incumbent Minister of Transportation as historical, epochal and monumental.
This great event organised by the Ikwerre Youth Movement (IYM) the foremost socio-cultural organisation in Ikwerre land was to solemnize the Chieftaincy title earlier conferred on Chief Amaechi by the Ikwerre Traditional Rulers abiding by all the traditional rites of the ancient Ikwerre heritage as “EZE OCHI ALIRI 1 of IKWERRE Land” which means the person who stands tall to take on and ward off any challenge in a family or Community. Briefly, he is the “Redeemer of His people” (Ikwerre) or “The wise Defender of the Ikwerre kingdom”.
The event unprecedented in recent time in the annals of social and political gathering in Rivers State commenced with 21 traditional gun shots to welcome Amaechi and over a million of persons from Ikwerre the largest ethnic group in Rivers State with friends and supporters to accord honour to this great son of Nigeria and to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for the honour done to their son and Leader of Rivers
State politics.
The Organisers through the President General of Ikwerre Youths Movement (IYM) and one of the greatest grass-root Mobilisers from Rivers State, Hon. Azubuike Chikere Wanjoku expressed their profound gratitude to President Buhari for assisting their son to demonstrate to the entire world the stuff he is made up with as a great leader in the mould of Zik Awo, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Sir Ahmadu Bello.
In short Amaechi is our own Zik, Awo, Balawa and Saraduna combined the party highlighted.
The party in a press statement circulated on Monday by Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze the SSA Media and Public Affairs Consultant to the APC Rivers State Chairman, Dr Ibiamu Davies Ikanya further described Chief Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi the Eze Ochi Aliri 1 of Ikwerre land as a breaker of records stating that the Holy Bible as reflected in the gospel of Mark 6:4, “A prophet is honoured everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family” (New Living Translation) but Amaechi with the event of today have dusted this truism with the millions of Ikwerre sons and daughters his brethren agreeing as one people to honour him for his sterling and outstanding inputs towards the emancipation of the Ikwerre people and for becoming a great Iroko and one of the pillars through which the politics of Nigeria currently rotates.
With this title and recognition Amaechi becomes the most influential Ikwerre man on planet earth.
The party further stated that Chief Amaechi stands out as the only Nigerian that was a Speaker of a State House of Assembly for eight years, Chairman of the Speakers’ Forum of Nigeria, Governor of Rivers State for eight years and two term Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and most historically led an opposition political party to unseat a sitting President in Nigeria.
The party explained that, today, Chief Amaechi is not only changing the face of Transportation in Nigeria as the Minister of Transportation but stands out as one of the key and influential member of President Buhari’ s political Team.
Refers in some quarters as the Lion of Niger Delta Politics, this great son of Rivers State has being reappointed to lead APC to victory come 2019 as the Director General of the Presidential Campaign
Council. No son of Rivers State has achieved such feats to warrant his ethnic tribe to have so honoured him in this manner.
Not minding that the incumbent Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike is of the Ikwerre extraction but the Ikwerre people in the event pleaded with the Eze Ochi Aliri 1 of Ikwerre to “please, introduce the APC candidate for the 2019 gubernatorial election and 2019 shall be a walk over as Wike has proved what it means not to be a Governor”.
Overwhelmed with the mammoth crowd that attended the event coupled with the resolution by the Ikwerre people to honour Amaechi and to elect an APC candidate by 2019, Governor Wike was so irked to a
boiling point that he immediately ordered the sack of three of the caretaker Committee Chairmen of Ikwerre extraction for not scuttling the reception. The unfortunate sacked Chairmen that earned the wrath
of Gov. Wike were that of Obio-Akpor, Port Harcourt and Ikwerre. The Emouha Chairman was spared the sack hammer as he made attempt to scuttle the event but his attempt could not make any impact as the reception was held without any hitch. It is based on this development that the party blasted Gov Wike for this childish move of sacking these men forgotten that 75% of those in his cabinet were all Amaechi’s product including himself as sacking them will not save him from the woes that await him come 2019.
Without mincing words, the party highlighted that Ikwerre ethnic group comprising of Port Harcourt and three other Local Government Areas of the State is the largest ethnic group in Rivers State and most importantly one of the major deciding factors on who becomes the River State Governor come 2019.
To the Ikwerre Youth Movement, “Amaechi is our liberator. He is the man who broke the shackles of political timidity and wrenched the chains of economic naivety in our domain. This colossus of a man brought political freedom to our very doorsteps and we will henceforth stand by him in all his political calculations.
The elated and excited Amaechi who expressed his appreciation reiterated, “If anybody on earth says I have sat with him at any meeting to plan how to kill someone, that person should step forward.
I swear before God and those of you here, 90% of those who benefitted from Scholarships under me, I never knew them. President Muhammadu Buhari will ensure that the 2019 elections will be free and fair. I
urge all our people to register and obtain their Voters’ Cards to enable them to exercise their franchise as the 2019 elections, especially the governorship, are our last battle. If we win, we will take over Rivers State. If we lose in the election, we will go home and rest. We will not impose any candidate. Anybody who will go for any position, like chairmanship, should go for primaries. Anybody who wins will be the party’s candidate. The President said that there would be no rigging during the 2019 elections. It is to our advantage.
As Ikwerre people, we must give out the power to other ethnic nationalities. But we will be in a position to take it back at any time. Your future is in your hands.”
The party expressed their unflinching gratitude to all Rivers State people that attended the event including the amiable State Chairman, Chief Dr Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, Senator Andrew Uchendu, Dr Dakuku
Peterside the Director General of NIMASA and gubernatorial candidate of the party in 2015 with his running mate, Hon. Honourable Asita.
Chief Victor Giadom, Engr. Ngerebara Sampson, Lauretta Onochie, SA to President Muhammadu Buhari, Hon Leyii Kwanee former Deputy Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Fred Mbombo Igwe, Hon. Tolofari George former Commissioner for Transport in Rivers State, the hard working Party Secretary, Chief Emeka Bekee, AkpoBari Celestine one of the best brains from Ogoni, Chief Oby Ndukwe and countless other leaders that witnessed the event.
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f you dream to conceive a boy on the certain day of ovulation, you need to learn how to determine this period effectively. At the moment of the ovulation, the egg leaves the ovary, after that it can be fertilized during one day. To determine the perfect time for pregnancy you must subtract the luteal phase from the period of the menstrual cycle – usually, it means a half of a cycle.
If the couple has decided to have a baby, there is often a question about the perfect days to conceive a baby, especially if you dream to have a baby boy. Finding out the perfect day for the birth of a baby is not so difficult, especially in the modern age of the Internet, new technologies and advanced developments. Ovulation calculator for baby boy already exists and we’ll give you the full information. You do not need to carry out difficult calculations to determine the correct ovulation period for baby boy using the difficult temperature measurements. It will be enough to use ovulation calculation for baby boy. It can be found on the web on the numerous specialized sites.
What is ovulation and how to determine it?
The common lady’s menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. It means that the calculation of your ovulation in order to conceive a boy will convince you that conception can happen within 14 days. As soon as the female body is close to the time of ovulation, there is a huge production of a well-known hormone which is called estrogen. And when the estrogen level reaches the level of ovulation, there is a considerable amount of release of luteinizing hormone. The perfect time for a woman to conceive a baby boy is only two days after the release of this special hormone.
It is currently possible to find out everything with the help of specialized home tests demonstrating the level of concentration of LH – you can easily buy them at any pharmacy. It is better to start doing your tests twice a day in the middle of the cycle. A lot of women can easily determine their ovulation by the body signals – it makes a feeling of pain and discomfort in the lungs that day. For others it is an unfamiliar sense – in this case, ovulation calculator will help you to conceive a little boy. In the case of any problems with the cycle regularity, determining the special day for conception will not be easy for you, so it is really recommended to consult your gynecologist, who can easily advise you on this issue.
How to conceive a boy, if you know the day of ovulation?
Ovulation calculation for a boy is a process that is considered the most reliable and efficient, despite its labor intensity. A present method takes into account such the fact that the sperm must be more rapid to conceive a boy than the sperm to conceive a girl, though, and it has a much shorter duration of life. Considering all of the above, the conception should take place on the day of ovulation, or about twelve hours before its occurrence.
If you are interested in how to conceive a boy during your ovulation, and what else can be necessary for the application of this special method, the only thing you have to find out is the time when the ovulation occurs. Gender of a child can be determined by the specialized program which is called Ovulation Calculator.
This is the easiest method to determine a favorable time to pregnancy. The calculator will help you determine the most likely day of ovulation. The accuracy of the calculation program is approximate – women’s menstrual cycle may shift due to infections, journeys, and even simple stress!
If you want to determine when ovulation occurs more accurately, it is also possible to make calculations analyzing the changes in the women’s basal body temperature. This type of temperature should be measured in the rectum daily in the morning, recording the dynamics. Period, when the temperature is the lowest, is the day of ovulation.
On the basis of data for a few months, let you create a table of ovulation to conceive a boy. Such a long period of observation of the temperature of your body will help you to identify the certain day of ovulation, and therefore it will become easier to conceive a boy.
Ovulation calculator for a boy: tips and tricks
If you want to conceive a boy quickly and easily, use the following guidelines and tips:
It is not enough to simply calculate ovulation to conceive a boy; you need to have sex in the correct position. In this question the penetration depth is very important – that is, the deeper it is, the more likely you will conceive a boy. In this case, you are advised to take into account such postures as rider position and ‘the man behind’.
You should not hurry during the sexual intercourse. A woman should have an orgasm during sex to increase the likelihood of conception. The chances are increased by changing the acidity of the vaginal environment; the increasing pH significantly prolongs the viability of sperm.
After sexual intercourse, you should refrain from the shower for a while, and in general, bathroom procedures should be excluded.
A few weeks before the conception you should better increase the amount of different food that contains protein in your diet. You can eat meat, eggs, fish and beans. In addition, it is better to reduce the consumption of all foods that are recommended for the conception of the girl – these are all dairy products and also foods that contain a high amount of fiber. It’s just people’s rumors and observations, not a proved fact, however, in such a complex case any little thing can help.
Lagos State Government on Monday arrested 30 cart pushers for allegedly dumping refuse indiscriminately on road medians in some areas of the state.
Chairman of the State’s Task Force on Environmental and Other Special Offences (Enforcement Unit), Olayinka Egbeyemi, told reporters in Lagos that the suspects reportedly committed the offence in the middle of the night.He explained that the arrest was in line with the recent ban on the activities of cart pushers and wheelbarrow operators by the state government.
Egbeyemi, who affirmed that the activities of cart pushers in the state remain illegal, said investigations found them culpable in dumping refuse on the roadside, thereby sabotaging efforts by the government to keep the state clean.
He, however, said the government is poised to go all out to prosecute anyone found to be working against the new waste management policy encapsulated in the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), adding that the programme has been designed to revolutionalise waste administration in line with global best practices when fully operational.
“There are reports that refuse are littering the Lekki, Victoria Island, Ajah and other parts of the state and investigations reveal that it is the handiwork of unscrupulous elements within Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and their outside sponsors who are not comfortable with the new arrangement for the management of waste in the state and are hell-bent on sabotaging government effort and frustrating them from carrying it out, Egbeyemi said in a statement.
“The state government has vowed to go all out against the saboteurs and after their sponsors and punish them in line with the laws of the State.
“We also need to let Lagosians know that it is illegal to use cart pushers to evacuate refuse and they should stop encouraging it; there are PSP vehicles that come around to pack refuse and they are the ones they should patronise and not these cart pushers.
“We want to notify all these cart pushers that their activities are illegal in Lagos. Lagos is a megacity and we have all it takes to collect refuse. So, the issue of going to the streets and collecting refuse and then dump same on the road is an act of sabotage to the government,” he added.
The Task Force boss said the suspects arrested would soon be charged to court and assured the people that government would leave no stone unturned in keeping the state safe and clean.
He also vowed that the enforcement would continue across the state until the activities of cart pushers and other unscrupulous elements found to be frustrating government’s efforts are completely brought to a halt.
“For the past two to three weeks, we have been noticing refuse on the roads and investigations have revealed that part of those carrying out such activities and sabotaging government efforts are these cart pushers and probably there might be some people behind them,” Egbeyemi said.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Nigeria Police Force to immediately unseal the office of the Peace Corps of Nigeria in the Federal Capital Territory.
Justice John Tsoho, who gave in the ruling on Monday, also ordered the police and other security agencies laying siege at the premises of the Peace Corps Headquarters to vacate immediately, as well as hand over possession of the office to the organisation.
The court gave the order following a ruling on a motion on notice filed by Mr Dickson Akoh, the National Commandant of Peace Corps of Nigeria, and the incorporated trustees of the organisation. The application, dated October 6, 2017, specifically sought the unsealing and vacation of the National Headquarters of the Peace Corps by the police and other security agencies, which had laid siege and barricaded the premises.
Delivering his ruling on Monday, Justice Tsoho disagreed with the police counsel that the application was an abuse of court process.
In their reply to the motion, the police sought an order of the court to grant the temporary forfeiture of the property housing the National Headquarters of the organisation.
The judge, however, the application lacked merit.
On the merit of the complainant’s application, he said: “Facts before the court glaringly showed that the police application was filed as an afterthought”.
Contrary to the claim that the police did not seal the Peace Corps office but merely maintaining normal observatory and routine patrol of a scene of a crime, Justice Tsoho noted that “it doesn’t seem to show mere police on patrol” from a picture exhibit tendered by the defendant.
He further held that the application by the police was designed to legalise an illegality already committed since February 28, 2017, when the office of the defendant was sealed.
“The court cannot be used to cover acts of illegality; in view of the foregoing, this application lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed,” the judge ruled.
It is the second time the Federal High Court would order the police to vacate the office of the Peace Corps of Nigeria.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]ransfers, especially between two great rivals, can be emotive subjects, which explains some of the ludicrous aspersions cast on Alexis Sanchez’s reported move to Manchester United. Of course money comes into his decision, but there’s been an achingly tedious section of commentators claiming his choice is Pep Guardiola’s holier-than-thou principles and the Evil Empire of Manchester United’s riches.
Manchester City have offered Sanchez an incredible pay hike — if it was purely down to remuneration, he could stew at Arsenal for a few more months and then accept a greater wage and signing on fee as a free agent in the summer. He could even move to China and play in the Chinese Super League, with all the money he could ever wish for.
But it doesn’t even need to get that far to dismiss those who believe Sanchez is greedy. The simple fact why he is not wearing a Manchester City shirt is because they failed to agree terms with Arsenal, whether last summer or this month. It hasn’t even got to the point whereby Sanchez has two simple choices, having been given permission to speak to both clubs. Manchester United are prepared to pay what Arsenal want, and Manchester City are not. They’re the ones turning down Sanchez, because they are not prepared to pay what Arsenal want for him. He’s not turning them down, he hasn’t had the chance to. That’s the crux of it, and a simple way of highlighting why this money talk is grating.
There’s also been an irritating suggestion that Sanchez and Guardiola are meant to be, that the Chilean is desperate to be reunited with the man that coached him before. Why? Some seem to have this doe-eyed view of the pair’s time together at Barcelona, which actually ended with a damp squib instead of this wonderful match made in heaven some portray it to be.
Guardiola became increasingly agitated with Sanchez’s head-down, Energizer Bunny style at the Camp Nou during the 2011-12 season, the supposed thinking man’s coach preferring a greater collective effort across the park rather than relying on individualistic brilliance.
Sanchez was benched for the crucial 2-1 defeat at home to Real Madrid in April 2012, his 70th minute strike seconds after coming on in vain. Barcelona lost to 10-man Chelsea to throw away the chance of reaching the Champions League final, Sanchez suffered with injuries throughout the campaign and at the end of it — which saw Jose Mourinho win the title with Real Madrid in record-breaking style — Guardiola left his job.
The man who bought Sanchez from Udinese didn’t fancy managing him, or them, any more so the Guardiola/Sanchez relationship lasted just one season, in which Barcelona failed in their two main objectives: winning La Liga and the Champions League. Hardly sounds like the type of set-up Sanchez would be desperate to rekindle, does it? Just because Guardiola is probably the world’s best coach right now doesn’t mean everyone is aching to play for him. He’s not a demi-God that footballers the world over throw themselves at. Perhaps, shock horror, Sanchez isn’t obsessed with Guardiola and has been persuaded to pursue another path?
Of course Manchester United would be able to pay Sanchez handsomely — and why are we damning people for choosing the best deal open to them, as if they should be vilified for thinking of themselves? — but there’s plenty of potential football reasons why he may favour Old Trafford. And in any case, what were Robinho, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Carlos Tevez et al choosing when they moved to City following their takeover in 2008?
United have been stagnant since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, desperately seeking someone who can lead their charge to the top. Mourinho, for all the claims he is yesterday’s man and toiling in Guardiola’s slipstream, still retains huge pulling power, and his psychological tactics should not be underestimated. Perhaps United’s predicament has been conveyed to Sanchez, the want-away Arsenal man told that he is the leader Old Trafford needs right now. He can be the man to deliver Premier League success once more. At the Etihad he’d be another cog in an already well-oiled winning machine. Perhaps he values the challenge, rather than simply the pay cheque. It’s not as if he’s going to some backwater for a quick buck. For all their travails, United remain a big deal.
Can City’s prospectus offer the same? Many will claim Sanchez is turning down a Premier League medal but how do we know this is the sticking point for him? Not many people get close to Sanchez to form a comprehensive dossier on his character but a few tell-tale clues, plus his ferocious playing style, suggest how much of a ruthless, driven winner he is. Would he really care picking up a Premier League medal that was largely won without him? The race is run and he’d only be there for the victory lap of honour.
His angry reaction to a 3-3 draw at Bournemouth last season while the game-saver Olivier Giroud larked around with a daft scorpion celebration said it all: Sanchez is a relentless, determined leader. Much in the same way Roy Keane doesn’t believe himself to be a Champions League winner as he missed the 1999 final, perhaps Sanchez wouldn’t feel he played such a part to make the all-but certain league title medal seem the sticking point in the deal.
It may leave those at City a little bitter at missing out on a big target to their big rivals, but a little perspective — not least some introspection after another long term target has seemingly slipped away — is required here.
Manchester City’s Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson (C) comes out to punch the ball during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield in Liverpool on January 14, 2018
Liverpool handed Manchester City their first Premier League defeat this season as the rampant Reds won 4-3 against the shell-shocked leaders to show they can thrive without Philippe Coutinho.
City swaggered into Anfield unbeaten in the top flight in 30 matches and widely heralded as champions-elect amid talk that they could go throughout the entire league campaign without losing.
But 90 minutes later, Pep Guardiola’s side were licking their wounds after their first domestic defeat since the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal last season. They were beaten at their own game as Jurgen Klopp’s team delivered a scintillating display that allayed fears they may struggle follow the sale of Brazil forward Coutinho to Barcelona.
In their first match following Coutinho’s exit, Liverpool were on fire from the moment Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain gave them an early lead.
Leroy Sane equalised before half-time, but Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah destroyed City after the break with three goals in nine minutes.
Late goals from Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan made the final score closer than City deserved.
It was a rare chastening experience this season for City, but shouldn’t prove damaging to their title bid as they remain 15 points clear of second-placed Manchester United, who host Stoke on Monday.
Liverpool go above Chelsea into third place after extending their unbeaten run to 18 matches in all competitions.
While Coutinho’s departure ended the brief reign of Liverpool’s ‘Fab Four’, Klopp could still call on Firmino, Mane and Salah. And on the evidence of this sublime performance, it won’t be long before they are dubbed Liverpool’s ‘holy trinity’.
They quickly combined for a tone-setting break as Firmino’s lofted pass to Mane caught the City defence flat-footed, but when the ball ran to Salah, John Stones made a last-ditch block. Liverpool fans mercilessly jeered Raheem Sterling on his return to the club he left acrimoniously in 2015.
And the Kop faithful were crowing even louder when Oxlade-Chamberlain put Liverpool ahead in the ninth minute. When Oxlade-Chamberlain took possession 45 yards from goal, he appeared to pose little threat, but City’s defenders fatally backed off.
Advancing at pace, Oxlade-Chamberlain set his sights from 25 yards and unloaded a fierce drive that fizzed past City goalkeeper Ederson into the far corner.
– Rattled City –
It was only the England winger’s fourth goal following his August transfer from Arsenal and it couldn’t have been more well-timed with Coutinho’s exit having opened up a place in the team.
Liverpool were rattling Guardiola’s men, pressing them relentlessly and attacking with poise and pace.
Yet City drew level with a bolt from the blue in the 40th minute.
Kyle Walker’s raking diagonal pass picked out Sane on the left flank and the German showed superb skill to chest the ball past the slow-to-react Joe Gomez.
With Liverpool suddenly exposed, Sane motored into the area, showing deft footwork to open just enough space for a shot that blazed past Loris Karius’s weak attempt to save at his near post.
Sane’s second goal in his last 15 appearances should have restored City’s equilibrium and they almost took the lead soon after the interval when Nicolas Otamendi’s looping header hit the crossbar.
But Liverpool, fuelled by Emre Can’s running in midfield, refused to let City dictate the tempo and went back in front in the 59th minute.
Oxlade-Chamberlain slipped a pass behind Stones, who tried to recover but was shoulder barged out of the way by Firmino as the Brazilian ran clear and chipped a fine finish over Ederson and in off the far post.
City were stunned and there was worse to come three minutes later.
This time, Salah’s tenacity forced Otamendi to concede possession and the winger teed up Mane, unmarked on the edge of the area, for a ferocious shot that raced into the top corner.
Losing all composure City capitulated again in the 68th minute when Ederson run out of his area to clear, but only found Salah, who clinically stroked the ball into the empty net from 35 yards.
As Liverpool finally stepped off the gas, Silva struck from close-range in the 84th minute before Gundogan’s 91st-minute effort set up an anxious finale to a remarkable game.
[dropcap]P[/dropcap]resident Muhammadu Buhari has instructed the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission to speedily end endemic poverty, unemployment and youth restiveness in the nine states that make up the Niger Delta region. Speaking in Owerri, the Imo State capital, during the inauguration of the 6th edition of the Empowerment Support Initiative, founded by the wife of the Minister of Transportation, Mrs. Judith Amaechi, the NDDC Managing Director, Nsima Ekere, represented by the executive director in charge of projects, Samuel Adjogbe , said that the idea was to ensure that the youth and women of the oil-rich region enjoyed sustainable lifestyle.
Ekere disclosed that in line with the presidential order, NNDC had perfected plans to begin the massive empowerment of 5,000 women and youths in the nine states under its purview. The NDDC boss disclosed that the idea was to ensure that issues of perpetual poverty, unemployment and youth violence didn’t continue to impugn the development of the Niger Delta.
Ekere said, “President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the NDDC should make sure that over 5,000 youths and women in the Niger Delta are massively empowered and trained in sustainable skills in order for them to be gainfully employed.
“In line with the presidential order, we are beginning with training 5,000 people in the POP ceiling, tiling, electric wiring and other entrepreneurial skills. This is an opportunity to develop homegrown artisans. The massive empowerment is part of our responsibilities.”
Mrs. Amaechi, in her welcome address, said that her pet project which empowered one hundred people across the Niger Delta states was consciously determined to help NDDC and other development partners in eradicating poverty in the Niger Delta region.
[dropcap]C[/dropcap]ourt of Appeal, Lagos Division, on Friday, upheld the decision of the Federal High Court in Lagos, which ordered the interim forfeiture of a sum of $5.9m found in Mrs. Patience Jonathan’s Skye Bank account.
The appellate court, in a lead judgment by Justice Mojeed Owoade, threw out the ex-President’s wife’s appeal, challenging the forfeiture of the funds to the Federal Government.
It held that the appeal lacked merit.
Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court in Lagos, had in April last year, ordered the temporary forfeiture of the funds after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission argued that the money was reasonably suspected to be the proceeds of fraud.
Apart from Patience’s personal account with $5.9m, the judge also froze a number of accounts that were linked to her, including an Ecobank account, with a balance of N2.4bn, opened in the name of one La Wari Furniture and Bath Limited. But efforts to secure an order for the permanent forfeiture of the money were opposed by Patience, through her lawyer, Mr. Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN).
Also, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), on behalf of La Wari Furniture and Bath Limited, opposed the permanent forfeiture of the funds in its client’s account.The two lawyers subsequently made an appeal, seeking to overturn the temporary forfeiture order and recover the funds.
But the appellate court on Friday dismissed their appeals.
The EFCC, had in an affidavit it filed before Justice Olatoregun, said its investigation revealed that Patience opened the Skye Bank account on February 7, 2013, and used it to allegedly keep proceeds of crime. According to an operative of the EFCC, Musbahu Abubakar, the former first lady made several cash deposits in US dollars into the account, through a former Special Assistant to ex-President Jonathan, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, and a State House steward, Festus Iyoha.
He said as of January 30, 2015, the Skye Bank account had a balance of $6.7m but Patience subsequently withdrew from it till it came down to $5.9m. The EFCC had prayed the court to urgently freeze the account so as to prevent Patience from moving the funds.
Justice Olatoregun had then granted the interim forfeiture order and adjourned till May 22, 2017, for anyone interested in the funds to appear before her to show any reason why the funds should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]ore than 80 petrol filling stations have been shut in Delta State for selling above official price and hoarding. The stations were sealed by Department of Petroleum Resources, Warri Zonal Office since fuel scarcity begun in December 2017.
Antai Asuquo, the Warri Zonal Operations Controller, said on Wednesday in Warri that the filling stations were sealed in Warri, Ughelli, Sapele, Isoko and Asaba. Asuquo, who led a group of surveillance team to Asaba, said aside selling above the government approved price of N145 per litre, the operators also always abscond on sighting DPR officials. He said: “DPR has sealed over 80 filling stations since the fuel scarcity began last month.
“Those we sealed are because they refused to dispense at the government approved price of N145 per litre and those that abandoned their retail outlets on sighting our personnel.
“Today, we have been to many filling stations in Asaba; one actually abandoned his station and we sealed the facilities because they have an equivalent product of 30,000 litres.“We will revisit the station to ensure that appropriate sanction is melted out on the owner.“We also saw stations selling above the approved pump price.“We compelled them to sell at the regulated pump price.”
Asuquo advised petroleum marketers not to purchase fuel if they knew that they could not sell at the regulated price of N145 per litre.He said: “It is our duty to keep monitoring the products and price; we will also ensure that the products are not sold to the third party.“Overtime, we have observed that some depots sell to third parties and they add their margin and that affects the ultimate price.”
Asuquo, who said that the Federal Government was doing everything to ease the fuel problem, also advised marketers not to dispense fuel to people with jerry cans.
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