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Electronics giant Samsung sign $1.5m sponsorship deal with Nigerian Football Federation

 

Asian electronics manufacturing giant, Samsung has thrown its weight on Nigerian football with the signing of a $1.5 million sponsorship deal with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), reports NEXT.

This is not the first time that a technology company is sponsoring Nigerian football. Last month, the NFF signed a ₦2 billion agreement with Nigerian telecommunications company, Globacom.

Speaking about the partnership, Idy Enang, Managing Director of Samsung Nigeria, said his organisation was partnering with the NFF because it believed Nigerian football has the capacity to soar to the highest heights while he also wishes that Nigerians rallied behind the teams no matter the circumstances.

By this recent agreement, Samsung, will now become the ‘Official Electronics of the National Teams’.

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Nollywood star, Sam Loco, passes away at 66

The cold hands of death Saturday visited the entertainment industry, when veteran actor, Mr. Samuel Loco Efeeimwonkiyeke, popularly known as Sam Loco Efe, died  on location in his hotel room in Owerri, Imo State.

He was said to have been enjoying his drinks at the bar of a popular hotel, located along Amakohia/Orlu Road, Owerri, at about 10pm on Saturday before he died.

However, a source at the hotel in Owerri told THISDAY on the condition of anonymity that the late actor was in good condition when he was last seen at about 10pm at the hotel bar drinking.

Similarly, a Nollywood actor (names withheld), told THISDAY that he led the late actor to his room No. 204 at about 11pm and left home thereafter. Late Saturday  night, the late actor called him to remind him of an appointment for 12noon the following day.

“But I was surprised when I was called by the hotel management to come over. On getting there, his room was locked and since there was no sign of anybody in the room they had to climb through the window and discovered the lifeless body of the late actor on the seat without shirts. His inhaler was by his side. We had to call the police on the scene,” he said.

When THISDAY visited the hotel, there was no sign of any ugly incident that happened there, even as the hotel workers were busy doing their work but discussing in low tones. They could not talk to THISDAY on the matter.

The hotel manager, Mr. Dan, who was spoken to on phone expressed surprise, saying “I’m not aware, because I am outside Owerri. I am going to call the hotel now to confirm.”

Confirming the death of the Nollywood actor, the Imo State Police command through the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Linus Nwaiwu said the information had gotten to their command.

“We have received information on the death of Sam Loco Efe from the hotel, our homicide unit is still working on the information,” he said.

Meanwhile, the corpse of the late actor has been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, (FMC) Owerri.
It would be recalled that Sam Loco Efe was one of Nollywoods most talented actors of contemporary Nigerian theatre and had for many years distinguished himself as a rare talent both in television and stage drama.

This Day

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President Goodluck Jonathan sends his best wishes to Obama on turning 50

President Goodluck Jonathan has sent "very happy birthday" wishes on behalf of government and people of Nigeria to U.S President Barack Obama who clocked 50 years on Thursday.

In a congratulatory letter to Obama, Jonathan extolled the American leader's "epic" personal, national and international achievements.

"I write to felicitate with you and to wish you many more years of fulfillment and accomplishment. In a span of 50 years, you have recorded epic achievements against the odds at the personal, national and international spheres.

"At this time, when our world is faced with sundry humanitarian and developmental challenges which require renewed resolve, steadfast leadership, and commitment to the highest ideals, I trust that you will continue to lead the United States in the vanguard of the quest for a more stable, prosperous, secure, just and equitable world", Jonathan wrote.

Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, said Jonathan looked forward to continuing to work with Obama "to engender even more robust bilateral relations and productive partnership between Nigeria and the United States of America".

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Nigeria Ranks 19th On Terrorism Risk Index

Nigeria occupies nineteenth position on the list of "extreme risk" countries and territories, according to the latest Terrorism Risk Index (TRI) released by Maplecroft.

Maplecroft, a United Kingdom-based risk analysis and mapping firm, has an international team of 75 multidisciplinary experts-including over 50 research analysts.

It provides services used extensively by leading global corporations across all sectors, governments, United Nations agencies and international non-governmental organisations.

t developed TRI to enable business to identify and monitor the risks posed by terrorism to employees and assets in 197 countries.

In the latest TRI released by the firm, 20 countries and territories were rated as "extreme risk," with Somalia, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan topping the list in that order. These top four countries also sustain over 75 per cent of world's fatalities from terrorism.

Other countries rated as extreme risk include the newly independent South Sudan (5), Yemen (6), Palestinian Occupied Territories (7), DR Congo (8), Central African Republic (9), Colombia (10), Algeria (11), Thailand (12), Philippines (13), Russia (14), Sudan (15), Iran (16), Burundi (17), India (18), Nigeria (19) and Israel (20).

Other categories of ranking include high risk, medium risk, low risk, and no data countries.

The UK-based risk advisory company stated on it's website that none of the major Western economies fall within the 'high' or 'extreme risk' bracket.

It rated as "medium risk", UK which was ranked 38 because of the deteriorating security conditions in Northern Ireland, while United States was ranked 61 and rated as "low risk."

The latest TRI also noted that there is a 15 per cent increase in terrorist attacks globally.

The risk advisory firm said the latest index was based on data available to calculate the frequency and lethality of terrorist incidents over the 12 month period prior to April 1, this year.

It also includes a historical component assessing the number of attacks over five years and the risks relating to countries' geographic proximity to terrorist hotspots.

On Nigeria, it said, "Security conditions in Nigeria remain fragile and a source of concern for investors."

It cited the activities of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which it said had launched attacks beyond the Delta, in Abuja, the nation's capital city.

It is, however, important to note that the ranking of Nigeria was based on the data available on terrorist incidents over the 12 month period prior to April 1, this year.

Lately, there had been series of bomb attacks in the northeastern states of Borno and Bauchi, and North-central state of Niger by Boko Haram. Mid-June, the group struck in the heart of the nation's capital detonating a bomb at the car park of the Nigeria Police headquarters.

This Day

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