John Mikel Obi joins Nigeria's Olympic team

Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi has been named in Nigeria's final 18-man squad for the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

The 29-year-old Nigeria captain is one of the squad's permitted quota of three players over the age limit of 23.

Watford's Odion Ighalo, Kelechi Iheanacho of Manchester City and Arsenal's Alex Iwobi miss out having not been released by their clubs.

The men's tournament - won by Mexico at London 2012 - begins on 3 August, two days before the opening ceremony.

Those selected for the Games would miss much of the English pre-season and potentially the start of the Premier League and this has proved a sticking point between clubs and country.

With many teams not releasing players goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi, who plays in South Africa, is the only other overaged player on the Nigeria list for The Games.

However, Mikel is excited by the prospect of playing in Brazil, posting on his Instagram page: "First part of Chelsea pre-season done. Off to Atlanta to join the Nigeria team for the Olympics 2016."

Nigeria, who have been drawn in Group B of the Rio Games alongside Sweden, Colombia and Japan, boast a strong Olympics record.

They made Olympic football history in 1996 by becoming the first African team to win the gold medal. Nigeria also finished runners-up at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, under coach Samson Siasia, who will again take charge in Brazil.

Meanwhile, Siasia's car was broken into over the weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, where the Nigeria team is training, and items including his credit cards, two mobile phones and the phone of his personal assistant Abu Daniel were stolen.

"It's one of the unfortunate things in life but we are focusing on the Olympics." Siasia told BBC Sport.

Nigeria Olympic squad:

Goalkeepers: Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa FC, South Africa), Emmanuel Daniel (Enugu Rangers)

Defenders: Kingsley Madu (AS Trencin, Slovakia), William Troost-Ekong (Haugesund FC, Norway), Ndifreke Udo (Abia Warriors), Saturday Erimuya (Kayseri Erciyespor, Turkey), Abdullahi Shehu (CF Uniao, Portugal), Muenfuh Sincere (Rhapsody FC), Stanley Amuzie (Olhanense FC, Portugal)

Midfielders: John Mikel Obi (Chelsea, England), Okechukwu Azubuike (Yeni Malatyaspor, Turkey), Usman Muhammed (CF Uniao, Portugal), Oghenekaro Etebo (CD Feirense FC, Portugal), Sodiq Saliu (Seraing FC, Belgium)

Forwards: Aminu Umar (Osmalispor, Turkey), Imoh Ezekiel (Al Arabi, Qatar), Sadiq Umar (AS Roma, Italy), Junior Ajayi (CS Sfaxien, Tunisia)

BBC

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Though Boko Haram is said to be losing its foothold in the region, conflicting priorities amongst threaten the efforts by west African forces attempting to eliminate the militant group's hold over parts of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

Video - Some Yorubas in Nigeria holding on to culture of tribal markings

The cultural practice of distinct tribal body marking in Nigeria is becoming less common, but many still find value in this form of art.

Monsanto planning to takeover agriculture in Nigeria

As everyone knows, one American company called Monsanto has been on a determined march to take over agricultural production all over the world and enslave all farmers and countries to their commercial blood sucking logic. They have finally found a bridgehead into Nigeria where a door has been opened to allow them enter and takeover. They have been allowed to initiate so-called experimental farms to produce cotton and maize. Their point of entry has been the irresponsible National Biotechnology Development Agency, which has been compromised by Monsanto to provide an entry point to take over our agriculture.

This week, I write to support the great work currently being carried out by Nnimmo Bassey and his team at the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) to resist the dangerous takeover of our agriculture by Monsanto. The Foundation has exposed the fact that GMOs have been approved to be grown in Nigeria and that the approval was surreptitious. There is an argument whether the approval was for a two-year trial process or for permanent production and for me, both must be opposed. At no time has the Nigerian Government taken a policy decision to approve GMOs and given the health dangers alone of this technology, it is irresponsible to allow this. We cannot allow the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) to sell our future for some temporary inducement they have received from Monsanto. How was it allowed that Monsanto Agriculture Nigeria Ltd would register in the country and start production without explicit approval the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly?


Burkina Faso, which took the lead on GMO production in Africa, decided this year to abandoned its GMO cotton citing the inferior lint quality of Monsanto products and the enslavement of buying expensive seeds and chemicals from the company each year for an income that is less than what they were having before introducing it. It would be recalled that for a long time, Burkinabé cotton was renowned for its high quality following a highly successful non-GM breeding programme founded by the French government and spanning 70 years. 

The main goal of the breeding programme was to create cultivars that were well adapted to the growing conditions in West Africa and had the desired quality characteristics, such as a high ginning ratio, which is the percentage of the desired cotton fibre per unit weight of cotton delivered to the factory and long staple length. They foolishly decided to abandon the home grown approach and follow the GMO route of Monsanto and after six years of commercial production, they discovered that the quality and world market price of their cotton had plummeted. Cotton is the second-biggest source of revenue for the impoverished West African country after gold. It is this same GMO cotton that failed in Burkina Faso that is now being introduced to Nigeria.

I therefore call on the Ministers of Agriculture and the Environment to call the National Biosafety Management Agency to order and to withdraw the authorization issued for the production of GMO crops. Given our fragile ecosystems and stressed environment, we must take our biosafety seriously and avoid the path of introducing crops that are dangerous to the health of our people and our environment. Nineteen European countries that care about the health of their people have completely banned genetically modified crops. 

Even the Russian State Duma last month passed a bill banning all import and production of genetically modified organisms in the country. We must not allow Nigeria to be turned into a dumping ground for what sensible countries have rejected. Sincere scientists have shown evidence that Monsanto’s crops are genetically enhanced to tolerate the use of the herbicide glyphosate which was declared as a possible carcinogen by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The current Monsanto project to grow glyphosate infused maize in Nigeria is a direct threat to our health. Recent studies have linked glyphosate to health effects such as degeneration of the liver and kidney, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is unfortunate that Bill Gates with his America First mentality is sponsoring Monsanto’s Water Efficient Maize for Africa, a five-year development project led by the Kenyan-based African Agricultural Technology Foundation, which aims to develop a variety of drought-tolerant maize seeds. Why will he not invest in the Institute of Agricultural Research project in Ahmadu Bello University that is developing draught resistant maize that does not have the dangers of what Monsanto is doing?

I have just read Chief Audu Ogbe’s Agriculture Promotion Policy 2016-2020 which outlines an excellent strategic approach to addressing the two key gaps in our agriculture today: an inability to meet domestic food requirements, and an inability to export at quality levels required for market success. The former problem is a productivity challenge driven by an input system and farming model that is largely inefficient. As a result, an aging population of farmers who do not have enough seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, crop protection and related support to be successful. The latter challenge is driven by an equally inefficient system for setting and enforcing food quality standards, as well as poor knowledge of target markets. Insufficient food testing facilities, a weak inspectorate system in the Ministry, and poor coordination among relevant federal agencies serve to compound early stage problems such as poor knowledge of permissible contaminant levels. 

The strategy he proposes is to address the challenges of food insecurity and the economic costs of importing $3 to $5 billion worth of food annually, especially wheat, rice, fish and sundry items, including fresh fruits by looking inward. The Ministry of Agriculture is proposing that agricultural research in the country should receive massive support. Our governments would engage its research institutions and bodies at different locations in the country, to conduct research for increased agricultural productivity and to make the research results available to farmers and other actors in the agricultural development of the states. That is the way to go. Was it not just a couple of weeks ago that the Institute of Agricultural Research of Ahmadu Bello University found a cure for the terrible blight of the tomato Ebola disease that wiped out fresh stew from our homes recently. Let’s empower our research institutes for our own good.

Daily Trust

Pastor in Ogun state, Nigeria chains up his son in church for weeks

A nine-year-old boy was rescued from a church by police in the Nigerian state of Ogun after the child had been chained up for weeks as punishment for allegedly stealing, police said.

Police and members of the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) found the boy at the Celestial Church of Christ in Ajibawo after receiving a tip-off from a concerned neighbor.

The child had been chained by the neck to a large log of wood in a room for weeks, police told the Premium Times.

Muyiwa Adejobi, spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, said the boy’s father, a pastor in the church, was responsible for chaining up his son and is now on the run.

The child’s stepmother, who had reportedly accused the boy of stealing and reported him to his father, was arrested.

Kareem Olanrewaju of the NSCDC said the boy was punished for repeatedly stealing soup prepared for the family and was chained up for two weeks.

The agency also released images showing the efforts to release the child from chains so that he could be administered medical treatment.

“She [his stepmother] reported to the father who took [this] step by chaining his hands and legs,” Olanrewaju said in a statement. “This situation was on like that until a good samaritan informed NSCDC officials.”

He added that church members led by the boy’s stepmother had tried to stop officials from rescuing the boy.

“The boy was tired and pale, he was not able to talk when he was initially rescued,” Olanrewaju added.

The child was taken away by officials and was given food and medical treatment at a hospital and is responding well to treatment, according to the Daily Post.

RT