Tuesday, October 30, 2012

English FA investigate alleged racial abuse of Mikel by referee

The wave of racial abuse of black players in football leagues around the world took a new dimension Monday as the English Football Association launched an investigation into claims by Super Eagles midfielder, John Mikel Obi, that he was abused by Premiership referee, Mark Clattenburg during Chelsea's 3-2 defeat by Manchester United last Sunday.

This is the first reported case of a referee allegedly racially abusing a footballer. Previous cases have been between players or fans.

But Monday, the English FA who are custodians of the Beautiful Game decided to launch an investigation into the matter to prevent it from further creating tension in the Premiership that is gradually becoming notorious for racial abuses.

An FA statement posted on the FA's website read: "The FA has begun an investigation relating to allegations made following Sunday's fixture at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and Manchester United. The FA will make no further comment at this time."

Chelsea made a complaint to the Premier League after Mikel stormed into the referee's room to demand an apology after claiming referee Mark Clattenburg made a racist slur when he booked the midfielder in the 76th minute.

One of Chelsea's Spanish stars is also involved after players claim they heard Clattenburg refer to him as 'a Spanish t**t'. Spaniards Fernando Torres, Juan Mata and Cesar Azpilicueta all played against United.

It has also emerged that Clattenburg has been stood down from this weekend's Premier League action, according to The Daily Mail.

The FA will now request all footage from Sky Sports from the game.

While not all are recorded, they should help confirm whether Clattenburg made an inappropriate or racially aggravated comment.

However, these discussions are not recorded - meaning it could come down to one man's word against another, like in the John Terry and Anton Ferdinand race row.

Chelsea, United and anti-racism group Kick It Out all refused to comment on the unfolding story Monday morning.

However, 'The Blues' did confirm they had decided against holding a press conference Tuesday to preview Wednesday night's Capital One Cup clash with United. Lee Mason is the referee for that meeting.

Former England Captain, John Terry was involved in a spat with Antone Ferdinand that led to his ban for four games. Last season, Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra similarly engaged in a war of word over racial abuse. Suarez was banned for 10 matches in addition to a hefty fine.

It was the handling of Terry's affair that led Antone's brother, Rio Ferdinand to refuse to wear the shirts denouncing racism in football recently.



Posted by at No comments:

Monday, October 29, 2012

Video report on suicide bomb blast at Church in Kaduna



Goodluck Jonathan, Nigerian president, has condemned an attack on a church in northern Nigeria, and has vowed to crush terrorists in his country. At least eight people were killed when a suicide bomber drove a car filled with explosives into the church packed with Sunday worshippers. Two two more people died later in reprisal attacks.


Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Suicide bomber attacks church in Kaduna

A suicide bomber drove a vehicle packed with explosives into a Catholic church in Kaduna on Sunday moring, killing at least five people, wounding nearly 100 and triggering reprisal attacks that killed at least two more, officials said.

The bomber drove a jeep right inside the packed St Rita's Church, in the Malali area of the city, a volatile ethnically and religiously mixed city, in the morning.

A spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Kaduna said that five people had been confirmed killed, while 98 people were receiving treatment for wounds at two local hospitals, reports Reuters.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Islamist sect Boko Haram has claimed similar attacks in the past and has attacked several churches with bombs and guns since it intensified its campaign against Christians in the past year.

"The heavy explosion also damaged so many buildings around the area," said survivor, Linus Lighthouse, saying he thought there had been two explosions in different parts of the church.

Other witnesses and the police said there was just one bomber. A wall of the church was blasted open and scorched black, with debris lying around. Police later moved in and cordoned the area off.

Shortly after the blast, angry Christian youths took to the streets armed with sticks and knives. A Reuters’ reporter saw two bodies on the roadside lying in pools of blood.

"We killed them and we'll do more," shouted a youth, with blood on his shirt, before police chased him and his cohorts away. Police set up roadblocks and patrols across town in an effort to prevent the violence spreading.

At least 2,800 people have died in fighting since Boko Haram's insurrection began in 2009, according to Human Rights Watch. Most were Muslims in the northeast of the country, where the sect usually targets politicians and security forces.

Another witness to the bombing, Daniel Kazah, a member of the Catholic cadets in the church, said he had seen three bodies on the bloodied church floor in the aftermath.

A spokesman for St Gerard's Catholic Hospital, Sunday John, said the hospital was treating 14 wounded. Another hospital, Garkura, had 84 victims, the NEMA official said.

Many residents rushed indoors, fearing an upsurge in the sectarian killing that has periodically blighted Kaduna. A bomb attack in a church in Kaduna state in June triggered a week of tit-for-tat violence that killed at least 90 people.




Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Lagos city ranked as one of the most innovative cities in Africa

The rapid transformation of Lagos state in the last five years got the world’s attention over the weekend as Citigroup and Urban Land Institute, ranked her as one of two most innovative cities in Africa.

The two bodies which assess cities worldwide in terms of sustainability and livability, ranked Lagos and Cape Town the most innovative cities in Africa in the list of the world’s 25 most innovative cities.

They also predicted that the Nigerian commercial capital may soon overtake Johannesburg as the continent’s business hub.

According to the ranking, Lagos got the nod of the international bodies for its population, rapid progress and potential as well as positive economic climate and potential for investors while Cape Town was ranked for its green space and massive investment in public transportation, technological research and the environment.

In terms of Economic potential, Apapa Port was ranked for accounting for 80 per cent of Nigeria’s seaport activity while the city itself accounts for about one quarter of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with $33 billion and the population in excess of 18 million making it the most populous city on the list of 25.

Lagos was also included in recognition of the innovative and transformational leadership of the the city’s leadership led by Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) who, according to the international ranking bodies,“spearheaded the introduction of the Innovative Advisory Council which deals primarily with Science and Technology”

A statement from Urban Land Institute which said the shortlisted cities “provide new avenues which reflect remarkable, forward-thinking decisions on the part of municipal leadership”, also described Lagos as one of the “biggest” cities in Africa.


Posted by at No comments:

Nuhu Ribadu uncovers large scale oil fraud

A leaked report of the Ribadu-led petroleum revenues task force says Nigeria lost about N4.64 trillion over the last decade from cut-price deals struck between multinational oil companies and government officials.

Former EFCC chairman Nuhu Ribadu headed the Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force, set up by Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke in January to retrieve outstanding oil revenues payable to the Federal Government.

Reuters news agency reported yesterday that the committee produced a 146-page report covering the period 2002 to the present, providing new details on long history of corruption in the oil sector.

Alison-Madueke told Reuters on Tuesday she had received the report last month but that it was a draft and the government was still supposed to give input. The one seen by Reuters was labelled "Final Report."

The report concluded that oil majors Shell, Total and Eni made bumper profits from cut-price gas, while petroleum ministers handed out licences at their own discretion. This, while not illegal, did not follow best practice of using open bids. Hundreds of millions of dollars in signature bonuses on those deals were also missing, it said.

It said also the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) made N86.6 billion over the 10-year period by using overly generous exchange rates in its declarations to the government. There was no sign of the money.

"We have not seen this report and are, therefore, unable to comment on the content, but we will study it if and when it is published," a Shell spokesman told Reuters.

Shell spokesman Precious Okolobo did not answer calls by a Daily Trust reporter yesterday and did not reply to text messages.

Spokesman for Total, Charles Eberionwu, told Daily Trust that he would not comment on a report that is not yet published or approved by government.

For his part, ENI spokesman Tajuddeen Adigun said he did not understand what

the report is talking about and he needed to have details before he could make any comments.

When Daily Trust contacted NNPC spokesman Fidel I. Pepple, he said the petroleum minister has already addressed the issues in the report and therefore he had nothing to add.




Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)