Nigeria Super Eagles goalkeeper diagnosed with acute leukeamia

Wolves and Nigeria goalkeeper Carl Ikeme is to begin chemotherapy after being diagnosed with acute leukaemia.

The Championship club say Ikeme, 31, returned "abnormal blood tests" during pre-season testing and further checks confirmed the diagnosis.

Ikeme has been with Wolves for his entire career, making more than 200 appearances for Wanderers.

Thirty-three of those came last season, having previously been in the team that won the League One title in 2013-14.

"It would be an understatement to say that everyone at Wolves has been shocked and saddened to hear the news of Carl's diagnosis," said Wolves managing director Laurie Dalrymple.

"That relates to both players and staff as Carl has been at the club for a very long time and remains such an integral personality within the group.

"At the same time, we all know what a fighter and a competitor Carl is, and I have no doubt that he will take all of those attributes into this battle.

"Similarly, its goes without saying that Carl and his family will receive the full love and support that we at Wolves can provide - we are all with him every single step of the way towards a full recovery."
'A strong man, a strong wolf'

Football clubs, players and team-mates of Ikeme, past and present, have been offering their support to the goalkeeper on social media.

Striker Nouha Dicko: "No words can express how I feel right now. I love you Carl. We are all with you, you are a strong man, a strong wolf. Stay strong bro."

Winger Jordan Graham: "Kemes - you're like a second father to me. The love I have for you I can't even put into words. Stay strong we are ALL with you bro!"

Midfielder Dave Edwards: "On and off the pitch you are a role model to so many Carl Ikeme...we are all by you and your family's side right now and we all love you!"

Millwall midfielder Jed Wallace: "One of the most genuine people you could wish to meet. Role model on and off the pitch. Stay strong big fella."

Norwich winger Matt Jarvis: "Stay strong big man! Wishing you my best!"

Bolton striker Adam Le Fondre: "Absolutely gutted to hear - one of football's top guys! My thoughts are with you and your family!!"

'I know exactly what he's going through'

Former Wolves and England midfielder Geoff Thomas was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2003 and, after successfully beating the disease, has taken part in several fundraising efforts to raise awareness and fund research.

His latest challenge - cycling the Tour de France course one day ahead of the elite riders in aid of Cure Leukaemia - is ongoing.

"It hit me really hard," Thomas, 52, told BBC WM. "I was having a bad day on the bike, we did 130 miles in the searing heat and I was thinking 'why am I doing this?'

"I really contemplated getting off. Thankfully I didn't. Then I was inundated with messages about Carl's illness and it just really hit me.

"It took me back to when I was diagnosed. I know exactly what he's going through, it's a painful period over the next few weeks getting all the information. I just wish him and his family well."

BBC

Video - The re-emergence of the Biafra movement

A look at the Biafra movement, five decades after the civil war.

Video - Nigeria's maize prices shoot up by 60% in the last year

The price of maize in Nigeria has gone up by nearly 60 percent in the last year. Coupled with already high inflation, experts warn of a food security threat in Africa's most populous country.

Nigeria drop to 39th position in FIFA rankings

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have dropped one position, in the latest FIFA Ranking released on Thursday.

Gernot Rohr’s men, previously occupying the 38th position in the world moved down one place and are now 39th.

The Eagles finally lost their unbeaten run under the German, as they went down 2-0 to South Africa, in the first match of their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying round.

Nigeria is now ranked the sixth best team in Africa with Egypt, Senegal Congo, Cameroon and Burkina Faso occupying the top five positions.

Germany climbed to top spot in the world, having won the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and Brazil dropped to second.

The top five is completed by Argentina, Portugal and Switzerland.

Daily Post

Transparency Bill to expose illicit funds from Nigeria

A corporate transparency bill introduced in the U.S. Congress last week will force disclosure of Nigerians and other nationals who run shell companies registered in the United States.

The bipartisan bill, ‘Corporate Transparency Act of 2017’, introduced by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat, and co-sponsored by Congressman Peter King, a Republican, will compel disclosure of beneficial owners “to prevent wrongdoers from exploiting United States corporations and limited liability companies for criminal gain”.

Both legislators represent New York, a city that has been cited in several investigative reports as one of the prime destinations for illicit financial flow from Nigeria.

The bill enjoys the support of members of the Financial Services Committee of the U.S. Congress, law enforcement agencies, 44 anti-corruption advocacy groups, and 27 investors whose combined asset are in excess of $855 billion.

Nearly two million companies are registered in the United States every year. The bill will amend current incorporation law which often demand only basic information from proprietors and typically does not ask for the names of beneficial owners.

In her introduction, Congresswoman Maloney said “criminals have exploited the weaknesses in state formation procedures to conceal their identities when forming corporations or limited liability companies in the United States.”

“They then use the newly created entities to commit crimes affecting interstate and international commerce such as terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, tax evasion, securities fraud, financial fraud and acts of foreign corruption,” she added.

Congresswoman Maloney’s speech to U.S. Congress on June 28 coincides with recent uptick in Nigeria’s campaign for transparency in the financial sector. Speaking in Abuja on June 5 at the Conference on Promoting International Co-operation in Combating Illicit Financial Flows, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo observed that the Thabo Mbeki-led High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa singled out Nigeria as source of most of the illicit fund flow out of Africa.

“The Thabo Mbeki report shows that most of the illicit funds flow that comes out of Africa are from Nigeria and that shows us very clearly especially the security agencies that we simply have to do more. It is evident that so much money is leaving our shores.

“There is no way the transfer of this assets can happen without a handshake between the countries that they are transferred and the international banking institutions in the countries in which they are transferred, there is no way it will happen without some form of connivance,” Mr. Osinbajo said.

While the acting president called for criminalising financial institutions, Akere Muna of the International Anti-Corruption Conference Council, who also chaired the conference, drew attention to Mbeki report’s emphasis on the need for transparency in all segments of financial transaction as the key to combating all “aspects of illicit financial flows.”

“New and innovative means of generating illicit financial flows are emerging; more effort is needed in asset recovery and repatriation; Weak national and regional capacities impede efforts to curb illicit financial flows; Financial secrecy jurisdictions must come under closer scrutiny,” he said.

Speaking at the conference, Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, stressed the long-term commitment needed to combat cross-border illicit financial transactions.

“We’re still collaborating with other nations of the world to repatriate funds stolen from Nigeria 20 years ago”, she said.

Ms. Maloney similarly called for international collaboration on corporate transparency. “Anonymous shell companies have become the preferred vehicle for money launderers, criminal organisations, and terrorist groups because they can’t be traced back to their true owners” she said, adding that “the U.S. is one of the easiest places in the world to set up an anonymous shell companies.”

“Frankly, it’s an embarrassment. We need to fix this gaping hole in our national security and listen to law enforcement who is requesting these changes.”

Ms. Maloney who was joined by Stefanie Ostfeld, Deputy Head of Global Witness’ U.S. office; Greg Baer, President of The Clearing House Association; and Rick Fulginiti, retired Price George’s County detective and Chairman of the Fraternal Order of Police’s National Legislative Committee, among others however, assured that once the Corporate Responsibility Law takes effect, criminal organisations that are infamous for using anonymous shell companies, both foreign and domestic, to open bank accounts, launder money and will no longer be able to escape oversight and thwart law enforcement.

The Corporate Transparency Bill 2017 will empower United States Treasury Department to issue regulations requiring corporations and limited liability companies to file information about their beneficial owners.

The bill also stipulates that Treasury Department will collect beneficial ownership information for corporations registered in states that choose not ask for such information.

The bill when it becomes law would also establish minimum beneficial ownership disclosure requirements, the beneficial owners’ name, current address, and details of their non-expired passport or state-issued driver’s license must be recorded at the time of registration. False, fraudulent or incomplete beneficial ownership information will attract civil penalties.

BBC