Thursday, February 25, 2010

Glenn Hoddle flies in for talks to land post as Super Eagles manager

 



Glenn Hoddle is poised to become the new manager of Nigeria. The former England boss flew to Africa last night to meet with the Nigerian Football Federation.


Hoddle, 52, has been concentrating on his Academy in Jerez, Spain, since leaving Wolves in July 2006. The Academy aims to get young players who have been released by clubs back into the game.


But it is thought that the chance to take Nigeria to the World Cup in South Africa would appeal to Hoddle, who could take the job on a short-term basis and then return to Spain to concentrate on his business venture.


Nigeria need a new head coach after sacking Shaibu Amodu after their relatively disappointing showing during the Africa Cup of Nations last month.


The two-time winners were beaten in the semi-finals by Ghana, but were awarded third place after a play-off against Algeria.


The Super Eagles face Argentina, Greece and South Korea in the group stage of the World Cup in South Africa. Hoddle, a former Chelsea, Tottenham and Southampton manager, took England to the second round of the 1998 World Cup before losing to Argentina.


He was sacked by the FA in February 1999 for his controversial spiritual views.
Sven Goran Eriksson, another former England manager, was also on the shortlist for the Nigeria job.


Eriksson has also managed at international level with Mexico and is a free agent after recently parting company with League Two side Notts County.


The Swede was due to meet with Nigerian officials later this week.


Daily Mail


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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Video report on Bush,Blair, Rice in Nigeria


George W. Bush, Tony Blair and Condoleezza Rice attend an awards ceremony in Nigeria. CNN's Christian Purefoy reports.


Related stories: Blair in Nigeria to urge fight against malaria


President Barack Obama's speech in Ghana




300 children lose parents to aids in Niger

No fewer than 300 children, whose parents have died of the dreaded HIV/AIDS disease in Niger State, are currently on the support register of the state government.


Director General, Niger State Agency for the Control of Aids (SACA), Alhaji Baba Umaru, disclosed this at the closing ceremony of a two-week seminar for 88 facility staff and community volunteers who were trained on how to handle orphans and vulnerable children whose parents died of the dreaded disease.


According to him, "Presently, there are 300 children whose parents have died of HIV/AIDS in our support register. We are working hard to improve on this register to get those that are not yet captured in the register.


"The state Governor, Dr. Mu'azu Babangida Aliyu, recently directed local government chairmen in the state to adopt some of these orphans to provide adequate care for them. They were also directed to establish orphanage homes in their respective local governments."


He said that government was particularly concerned with the education and welfare of the children, and commended the Management Sciences for Health (MSH) for training the personnel to care for vulnerable children and those orphaned by HIV/AIDS in the country.


The director general explained that the state government appreciated the efforts of the Management Sciences for Health in establishing six comprehensive HIV/ AIDS treatment sites in six local government areas of the state, adding that there were also 18 feeder sites and care centres where prevention of mother to child infection of the disease are being done.


Project Director of Management Sciences for Health in Nigeria, Dr. Paul Waibale, has earlier explained that the community volunteers were drawn from six states of Adamawa, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Kebbi and Taraba states.


He explained that the people were being trained on how to manage the people infected and affected by the HIV/AIDS scourge particularly the orphans and venerable children.


Waibale said that the project was sponsored in the country by USAID to reach out to the over three million children orphaned by the disease in the country, adding that the training was to build the capacity of the volunteers to enable them face the challenges of the orphans and vulnerable children.


"They are our ambassadors in those communities," he said, adding that the objective was to provide quality, prevention and comprehensive HIV/AIDS care and management for all those who have been touched by the dreaded disease.


Daily Independent


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Man arrested for burying daughter alive

A 25-year-old labourer has been arrested by the police for allegedly burying his daughter alive.


Confirming the arrest of the suspect, the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Charles Muka in a statement in Asaba, Nigeria yesterday, however said that the child who was exhumed shortly thereafter by a good Samaritan has been hospitalized.


According to him "the state police command has arrested one Macaulay Onitcha, male, 25 years of Ekurudu Street Kokori for attempting to murder his four months old baby girl called, Edna Macaulay.


"On 13 February 2010, at about 1230 hours, the suspect who claimed he was unhappy with his wife for refusing to sleep with him, dug a shallow grave and threw the child into the grave and covered the grave with sand.


"Fortunately for the girl child, one Saturday Ekama, saw what Macaulay did and saved the girl.


The suspect who was marching the shallow grave when Saturday Ekama arrived at the scene gave him (Ekama)matchet cuts for trying to save the child. When the child was exhumed alive, she had neck injury and is undergoing treatment at Saint Francis Hospital, Okapra Inland while the suspect is currently assisting the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Asaba in their investigations," he said.


Vanguard


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Ribadu urges U.S. to prosecute corrupt locals


Former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Malam Nuhu Ribadu said the emergence of Goodluck Jonathan as Acting President has afforded the United States a second chance to purposefully reinvigorate the fight against corruption in Nigeria.


He said the EFCC under his leadership had left thousands of pages of detailed evidence and intelligence on corrupt officials, who are sitting waiting to be prosecuted.


He urged the US Department of Justice and the FBI to continue the prosecution of corrupt Nigerian officials as the United Kingdom is doing.


Making the request yesterday in a presentation before a US Senate Committee, Ribadu said, "I am overjoyed to hear that in the United Kingdom, the Metropolitan Police is continuing with its case against former Governor James Ibori. It will give most Nigerians cause to cheer that the U.S. also does the same and continue their cases."


He also urged the lawmakers to expand on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, saying that the FCPA allowed for the prosecution of a number of corrupt businesses and sent a wave of panic among those who were previously able to get away with their corruption.


Ribadu spoke on the need for electoral reforms in Nigeria saying the successful election in Anambra was possible because 'President Umaru Yar'adua and his cronies were distracted and unable to meddle in the democratic processes'.


Daily Trust


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