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Donald Trump’s constant slams against Fox News host Megyn Kelly have finally gone too far, with her network calling out his behavior as bei...
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ears-old flashback photo of himself kissing Gomez in a pool with the caption “feels,” and she has not responded to his seemingly out-of-the... -
It’s official! There will definitely be a ‘Terminator 6’, and on top of that, Arnold Schwarzenegger will reprise his iconic role! The legend... -
ABA—Traditional ruler of Abala community in Obingwa council, Eze Paul Ekwenye, has cried out to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu to save his community fr... -
Minister demoralises Team Nigeria The Olympic spirit is best expressed in the Olympic Creed: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games...
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So adorable! It turns out royal princes are just like everyone else when it comes to cute names for their great-grandmothers , even if she h...
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Rio Olympics: Why Buhari must not go beyond Dalung if . . .
Minister demoralises Team Nigeria
The Olympic spirit is best expressed in the Olympic Creed: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”
That was the dream of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founding father of the modern Olympics. He must have said so to reduce the win at all cost syndrome among athletes and their countries. This notwithstanding, no country consciously goes to the Games with this mentality in mind, otherwise they will not bother to budget money for discovering, nurturing and grooming athletes to stardom for podium performances. They will just send athletes to show their presence and enjoy themselves. This was the reason the immediate past government of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was thoroughly embarrassed when Team Nigeria returned from the 2012 Olympics in London empty handed when countries not as endowed as Nigeria had their names on the medals table. A sports summit was held where stakeholders in the sector dissected the problems and proffered solutions to end the shame of the biggest black nation on earth not being able to make any impact at the greatest sporting event in the world. That again was why President Muhammadu Buhari, on assumption of the political leadership of the country in May last year, graciously approved the budget brought to him by the defunct National Sports Commission led by Mallam Alhassan Yakmut. President Buhari was astounded by Yakmut’s uprightness to scale down the budget prepared before he took over the mantle as director General of the NSC and which the president thought was too bogus. He didn’t hesitate to put his pen on paper to approve the sum of N2.9 billion which was for both Team Nigeria’s participation in the 2015 African Games in Congo and preparation of our athletes for the Rio Olympics which is only 12 days away now. After the release of the money, Yakmut, as a true professional, having served the nation as an athlete and then administering it, went to work. Athletes who represented the country at the Games commended his ability to ensure that their welfare was uppermost in his heart as they got the preparation they deserved. This paid off as Team Nigeria, which had placed third behind South Africa and Egypt in the previous Games in Maputo, Mozambique, reclaimed the number two sport in Congo. There were plans for teams to participate in the qualifying tournaments of their respective sports and after qualifying, embark on an intensive training tour of countries with standard facilities to keep them in top shape and as well ward off the usual distractions athletes face from their acquaintances back home. Before the Yakmut era, administrators who have handled Team Nigeria’s preparations for such Games in the past were not lost on the fact of late release of funds by government to prepare athletes and so had alternative sources of fund so that the athletes’ training regimes were not disrupted. Funds usually sourced were refunded promptly any time government released the money budgeted for the Games. However, Yakmut was prudent enough to save enough money from the N2.9 billion he got from the government. A total of about N640 million was set aside for teams towards preparation for the Rio Games. He had prepared his foot soldiers in the NSC to kick-start the various camps and then training tours. That dream was aborted with the appointment of Plateau-born activist turned politician, Barrister Solomon Dalung. He came dressed in an apparel suited for guerilla fighters with a mindset, that is, that officials in the sports sector are all corrupt. He cited a case of the 2002 Africa Nations Cup in Mali, where as a member of the federal government delegation, he was cheated out of his due estacode, warning that he was going to expose corruption in the sports sector. Not too long after Dalung came, Yakmut was redeployed to another ministry while the NSC was scrapped. That was the beginning of the trouble for athletes and their administrators. The minister alienated the sports officials and chose to operate from the Youth wing of the ministry holed up in the Federal Secretariat, far flung from the National Stadium, where past ministers operated from and where most of the top directors in the sports section of the ministry operate from. Federations began to have problems as communication between them and the ministry became difficult. To worsen matters, files relating to team’s camping and training tours in preparation for the Olympics piled at the ministry’s offices. Next was the news that the TSA, the Treasury Single Account introduced by the Federal Government had swallowed every money traceable to any ministry, department and agencies of government. Even the money federations sourced privately for their various programmes were transferred into the Central Bank on the orders of the Finance ministry. One thought that after identifying with the various funds and its sources, the ban would be lifted to allow government businesses move on smoothly. The entire sports family was however, shocked when the sports minister told Nigerians that the N2.9 billion approved by President Buhari has not been accounted for and that there was no money to prepare Team Nigeria for the Olympic Games. In an advert he placed in newspapers in response to media criticisms, he alleged misapplication of the money. The minister’s statement was shocking to Yakmut, who initially said he didn’t want to join issues with the minister as he has been advised to allow relevant government agencies handle it. Dalung’s constant reminder that no one gave him account of how the N2.9 billion was spent and so didn’t know of any money left from the African Games fund, forced Yakmut to state that he handed over to the minister as he made to leave the ministry. That the minister instructed him to pay some money from the over N640 million left from the N2.9 billion to the Nigeria Football Federation to prosecute some of their programmes. This the minister has, however, not faulted, making Nigerians to believe that there is more to the ‘missing’ money than the minister’s cry especially after the NFF paid back the loan from the ministry. Stakeholders have consistently asked why the minister has not called for a probe into the ‘missing’ money if he actually feels the money has disappeared. As the circus show of no money or missing money for Team Nigeria’s preparation raged, federations whose athletes qualified for the Games lamented the state of affairs with the Olympic preparation which they all described as the worst in the country’s history. The Athletics Federation of Nigeria almost failed to attend a qualifying championship but when they eventually showed up at the venue, the athletes could not stand their counterparts from other countries and had to make do with a sprinkle of athletes who qualified. Boxing, the country’s stronghold in the 1990s, shockingly was able to qualify only one boxer who is still training in Nigeria with outdated equipment while weightlifting is equally going to Rio with only one athlete who managed, against all odds, to qualify. The basketball male team, the first among most of the sports to qualify for the Olympics is not faring better as the training in the United States is anything but smooth. Officials had to squeeze themselves and borrow from other sources to keep the team going. The worst is happening in football where the U-23 team unable to get funds from the NFF, got a willing sympathizer who offered to foot their bill to an extent. Rather than praise the players for going through hard times and commend the handlers who went out of their way to get the team to the US to prepare, the minister reportedly denied any knowledge of the team’s travail, surprisingly accusing the coaches of human trafficking. This has angered football stakeholders who condemned the minister for embarrassing the country and putting the coaches’ integrity to question before the eyes of the international community. Some stakeholders have blamed the poor preparation of Team Nigeria on the ignorance of the minister on the workings of the sports sector. They argued that instead of seeking ways to source funds to keep the various camps alive, the minister sat back waiting for government fund which he knew would come late. However, when President Buhari finally handed over Team Nigeria, whether well prepared or not, to the Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC on Tuesday with a charge for them to go for gold, he told them to do so as clean athletes instead of spiking their system with drugs, ostensibly because he is aware they have not prepared optimally for the crucial Games. It is an irony that Dalung who felt unperturbed about the state of the athletes he wants to lead to Brazil, saying that Siasia was on his own in Atlanta and sarcastically saying a couple of months back that he came on board barely a few months ago, is assuring Nigerians that his ministry has done its best in preparing 78 athletes for the Games despite the non availability of funds. “Lack of funds has dampened the morale of the athletes at this time. They could have suffered from psychological inconveniences including poor nutrition, non-payment of allowances and other social problems and may not give you their best. The failure to release funds up till this time has placed us in great jeopardy. We have run out of goodwill because we haven’t even been able to pay back money borrowed in the cause of waiting for funds to be released” Dalung said. If he knew this and had no clue about wriggling out of the mess, why did he not ask those who have been doing it in the past how they went about it? Why was he condemning those who went out of their way to seek support from external sources? These tears are cosmetic, mere crocodile tears. Truth, however, must be told. The release of money less than two weeks to the Olympics is counter productive. We must say that we are ill-prepared and any money teams get now is for participation. Preparation has been very poor and no magic should be expected from the athletes. However, if out of the blues, with the usual Nigerian spirit, any athlete wins a medal, nobody should celebrate nor beat his or her chest and take credit for it. President Buhari should not look beyond the man, Barrister Dalung, that he put in charge of sports if the team fails. This is because he was supposed to manage our sports properly, diagnose problems and proffer solutions but he has neither lived up to expectations nor inspired our athletes and coaches. Rather he has demoralised as demonstrated by his comments especially those on the Olympic soccer team.
The Olympic spirit is best expressed in the Olympic Creed: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”
That was the dream of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founding father of the modern Olympics. He must have said so to reduce the win at all cost syndrome among athletes and their countries. This notwithstanding, no country consciously goes to the Games with this mentality in mind, otherwise they will not bother to budget money for discovering, nurturing and grooming athletes to stardom for podium performances. They will just send athletes to show their presence and enjoy themselves. This was the reason the immediate past government of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was thoroughly embarrassed when Team Nigeria returned from the 2012 Olympics in London empty handed when countries not as endowed as Nigeria had their names on the medals table. A sports summit was held where stakeholders in the sector dissected the problems and proffered solutions to end the shame of the biggest black nation on earth not being able to make any impact at the greatest sporting event in the world. That again was why President Muhammadu Buhari, on assumption of the political leadership of the country in May last year, graciously approved the budget brought to him by the defunct National Sports Commission led by Mallam Alhassan Yakmut. President Buhari was astounded by Yakmut’s uprightness to scale down the budget prepared before he took over the mantle as director General of the NSC and which the president thought was too bogus. He didn’t hesitate to put his pen on paper to approve the sum of N2.9 billion which was for both Team Nigeria’s participation in the 2015 African Games in Congo and preparation of our athletes for the Rio Olympics which is only 12 days away now. After the release of the money, Yakmut, as a true professional, having served the nation as an athlete and then administering it, went to work. Athletes who represented the country at the Games commended his ability to ensure that their welfare was uppermost in his heart as they got the preparation they deserved. This paid off as Team Nigeria, which had placed third behind South Africa and Egypt in the previous Games in Maputo, Mozambique, reclaimed the number two sport in Congo. There were plans for teams to participate in the qualifying tournaments of their respective sports and after qualifying, embark on an intensive training tour of countries with standard facilities to keep them in top shape and as well ward off the usual distractions athletes face from their acquaintances back home. Before the Yakmut era, administrators who have handled Team Nigeria’s preparations for such Games in the past were not lost on the fact of late release of funds by government to prepare athletes and so had alternative sources of fund so that the athletes’ training regimes were not disrupted. Funds usually sourced were refunded promptly any time government released the money budgeted for the Games. However, Yakmut was prudent enough to save enough money from the N2.9 billion he got from the government. A total of about N640 million was set aside for teams towards preparation for the Rio Games. He had prepared his foot soldiers in the NSC to kick-start the various camps and then training tours. That dream was aborted with the appointment of Plateau-born activist turned politician, Barrister Solomon Dalung. He came dressed in an apparel suited for guerilla fighters with a mindset, that is, that officials in the sports sector are all corrupt. He cited a case of the 2002 Africa Nations Cup in Mali, where as a member of the federal government delegation, he was cheated out of his due estacode, warning that he was going to expose corruption in the sports sector. Not too long after Dalung came, Yakmut was redeployed to another ministry while the NSC was scrapped. That was the beginning of the trouble for athletes and their administrators. The minister alienated the sports officials and chose to operate from the Youth wing of the ministry holed up in the Federal Secretariat, far flung from the National Stadium, where past ministers operated from and where most of the top directors in the sports section of the ministry operate from. Federations began to have problems as communication between them and the ministry became difficult. To worsen matters, files relating to team’s camping and training tours in preparation for the Olympics piled at the ministry’s offices. Next was the news that the TSA, the Treasury Single Account introduced by the Federal Government had swallowed every money traceable to any ministry, department and agencies of government. Even the money federations sourced privately for their various programmes were transferred into the Central Bank on the orders of the Finance ministry. One thought that after identifying with the various funds and its sources, the ban would be lifted to allow government businesses move on smoothly. The entire sports family was however, shocked when the sports minister told Nigerians that the N2.9 billion approved by President Buhari has not been accounted for and that there was no money to prepare Team Nigeria for the Olympic Games. In an advert he placed in newspapers in response to media criticisms, he alleged misapplication of the money. The minister’s statement was shocking to Yakmut, who initially said he didn’t want to join issues with the minister as he has been advised to allow relevant government agencies handle it. Dalung’s constant reminder that no one gave him account of how the N2.9 billion was spent and so didn’t know of any money left from the African Games fund, forced Yakmut to state that he handed over to the minister as he made to leave the ministry. That the minister instructed him to pay some money from the over N640 million left from the N2.9 billion to the Nigeria Football Federation to prosecute some of their programmes. This the minister has, however, not faulted, making Nigerians to believe that there is more to the ‘missing’ money than the minister’s cry especially after the NFF paid back the loan from the ministry. Stakeholders have consistently asked why the minister has not called for a probe into the ‘missing’ money if he actually feels the money has disappeared. As the circus show of no money or missing money for Team Nigeria’s preparation raged, federations whose athletes qualified for the Games lamented the state of affairs with the Olympic preparation which they all described as the worst in the country’s history. The Athletics Federation of Nigeria almost failed to attend a qualifying championship but when they eventually showed up at the venue, the athletes could not stand their counterparts from other countries and had to make do with a sprinkle of athletes who qualified. Boxing, the country’s stronghold in the 1990s, shockingly was able to qualify only one boxer who is still training in Nigeria with outdated equipment while weightlifting is equally going to Rio with only one athlete who managed, against all odds, to qualify. The basketball male team, the first among most of the sports to qualify for the Olympics is not faring better as the training in the United States is anything but smooth. Officials had to squeeze themselves and borrow from other sources to keep the team going. The worst is happening in football where the U-23 team unable to get funds from the NFF, got a willing sympathizer who offered to foot their bill to an extent. Rather than praise the players for going through hard times and commend the handlers who went out of their way to get the team to the US to prepare, the minister reportedly denied any knowledge of the team’s travail, surprisingly accusing the coaches of human trafficking. This has angered football stakeholders who condemned the minister for embarrassing the country and putting the coaches’ integrity to question before the eyes of the international community. Some stakeholders have blamed the poor preparation of Team Nigeria on the ignorance of the minister on the workings of the sports sector. They argued that instead of seeking ways to source funds to keep the various camps alive, the minister sat back waiting for government fund which he knew would come late. However, when President Buhari finally handed over Team Nigeria, whether well prepared or not, to the Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC on Tuesday with a charge for them to go for gold, he told them to do so as clean athletes instead of spiking their system with drugs, ostensibly because he is aware they have not prepared optimally for the crucial Games. It is an irony that Dalung who felt unperturbed about the state of the athletes he wants to lead to Brazil, saying that Siasia was on his own in Atlanta and sarcastically saying a couple of months back that he came on board barely a few months ago, is assuring Nigerians that his ministry has done its best in preparing 78 athletes for the Games despite the non availability of funds. “Lack of funds has dampened the morale of the athletes at this time. They could have suffered from psychological inconveniences including poor nutrition, non-payment of allowances and other social problems and may not give you their best. The failure to release funds up till this time has placed us in great jeopardy. We have run out of goodwill because we haven’t even been able to pay back money borrowed in the cause of waiting for funds to be released” Dalung said. If he knew this and had no clue about wriggling out of the mess, why did he not ask those who have been doing it in the past how they went about it? Why was he condemning those who went out of their way to seek support from external sources? These tears are cosmetic, mere crocodile tears. Truth, however, must be told. The release of money less than two weeks to the Olympics is counter productive. We must say that we are ill-prepared and any money teams get now is for participation. Preparation has been very poor and no magic should be expected from the athletes. However, if out of the blues, with the usual Nigerian spirit, any athlete wins a medal, nobody should celebrate nor beat his or her chest and take credit for it. President Buhari should not look beyond the man, Barrister Dalung, that he put in charge of sports if the team fails. This is because he was supposed to manage our sports properly, diagnose problems and proffer solutions but he has neither lived up to expectations nor inspired our athletes and coaches. Rather he has demoralised as demonstrated by his comments especially those on the Olympic soccer team.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Fulani Herdsmen have invaded our farmlands for 5 days, Abia monarch cries out
ABA—Traditional ruler of Abala community in Obingwa council, Eze Paul Ekwenye, has cried out to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu to save his community from Fulani herdsmen who invaded their farm lands.
The monarch told Vanguard that herdsmen numbering 10 with over 200 cows attacked some women in their farms, as well as traders from Akwa Ibom state who were on their way to the Orie market in the community. Eze Ekwenye who appealed to the state government to deploy security agents to the community which is a border town with Akwa Ibom State, lamented that his people would soon face starvation since they no longer have access to their farms. According to him, “For five days now, Fulani herdsmen invaded our farm lands; they attacked women who went to their farm. Traders from Akwa Ibom state who were on their way to our Orie market said to me that they were also attacked. Some of the women said the herdsmen were shooting guns. We invited the Police, but the herdsmen ran away and came back when the Police left. There is tension in this community; every resident is afraid of his life and property. They have used their cows to destroy our crops. “This is the way they invaded Ukpabi Nimbo community in Enugu state and killed people. We don’t want to be killed in our home. So, we are appealing to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu to deploy security agents to help secure Abala community.” Chairman of the Council of Village Heads, Abala community, Ndubuisi Sampson, who said he has warned the community vigilance group not to take laws into their hands, disclosed that some residents of the community have fled their homes and are now taking refuge at the Eze’s palace while others have relocated to their relations in neighbouring communities. Police Public Relations Officer, Abia State Police Command, ASP Ogbonnaya Nta, who had earlier denied the incident, could not be reached as at the time of filing this report.
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Justin Bieber “Feels” Like Kissing Selena Gomez
ears-old flashback photo of himself kissing Gomez in a pool with the caption “feels,” and she has not responded to his seemingly out-of-the-blue remembrance.
However, it’s unlikely Gomez feels like kissing or romantically hanging out with Bieber. As Gossip Cop reported in February, when asked by W magazine about her ex-boyfriend, she said, “I honestly am so done. I care about his health and well-being. But I can’t do it anymore.” And a month before that, when asked by Rolling Stone about a video of Bieber serenading her in November at the bar inside the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills, Gomez said, “Honestly, what I would love to be printed is that I am so beyond done with talking about that, and him.”
While Gomez seemingly has made it clear she’s “done” with her ex-boyfriend, Bieber appears to hope they’ll get back together. A few months ago, Bieber told Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show, “I think maybe once we figure ourselves out, we can come together and make an awesome duo,” adding, “Or she’ll find someone awesome, and I’ll find someone awesome.” Gossip Cop will update should either Bieber or Gomez comment further about the throwback kissing photo.
Friday, March 18, 2016
Prince George Calls The Queen ‘Gan-Gan’: Kate Middleton Makes Adorable Confession
So adorable! It turns out royal princes are just like everyone else when it comes to cute names for their great-grandmothers, even if she happens to be the Queen of England! Prince George has the sweetest nickname for her majesty, according to his mom Kate Middleton.
Awww! Prince George is just like any normal toddler when it comes to the elders in his family, as the two-and-a-half-year-old refers to Queen Elizabeth II, 89, simply as “Gan-Gan.” Her majesty perks up every timethe adorable tot is around, and George’s mom, Kate Middleton, 34, has confirmed that her children are the apple of the Queen’s eye.
In a rare and candid interview for a documentary to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday in April, the Duchess of Cambridge has opened up about how fond the monarch is of her two great-grandchildren that she and Prince William, 33 have given her. “He calls her Gan-Gan,” Kate says about the cute name her son has made up for the queen, adding that any time George is around, he is the center of the senior royal’s attention. With such a little cutie that he is, how could anyone not want to play with him any chance they got!
Not only that, the Queen dotes on both George andPrincess Charlotte, 10 months, any time she can, just like any loving great-granny would. Kate revealed that new toys are always in store for the kids anytime the family stays at Buckingham Palace.
“She always leaves a little gift or something in their room when we stay. And that just shows, I think, her love for her family.” How sweet! We’re sure the Queen enjoys spending as much time as she can with those two precious little ones.
The Duchess also details how thrilled the Queen was by the arrival of Princess Charlotte in May of 2015. “It’s very special having a new little girl. I feel very, very lucky that George has got a little sister,” adding “The Queen was really thrilled that it was a little girl and I think as soon as we came back here, to Kensington, she was one of our first visitors.”
Fox News Blasts Donald Trump’s ‘Sick Obsession’ With Megyn Kelly
Donald Trump’s constant slams against Fox News host Megyn Kelly have finally gone too far, with her network calling out his behavior as being beneath someone seeking the Oval Office. Read on for their statement
Enough! Donald Trump‘s ruthless attacks on journalistMegyn Kelly, 45, have come to such an outrageous level that her own network is saying that it’s making him unfit to be president! In a bold move, Fox News has publicly called out the 69-year-old Republican frontrunner, and boy did they give it to him hard!
“Donald Trump’s vitriolic attacks against Megyn Kelly and his extreme, sick obsession with her is beneath the dignity of a presidential candidate who wants to occupy the highest office in the land,” Fox News released in a statement March 18.
“Megyn is an exemplary journalist and one of the leading anchors in America – we’re extremely proud of her phenomenal work and continue to fully support her throughout every day of Trump’s endless barrage of crude and sexist verbal assaults,” their statement continued.
The same day that Fox called on the tycoon about his comments, Donald proved their point about his needless over the top in his insults of Megyn by yet again slamming her in a tweet that read, “Everybody should boycott the @megynkelly show. Never worth watching. Always a hit on Trump! She is sick, & the most overrated person on TV.” Yikes! She really got under his skin after the first debate she moderated with him and he hasn’t let up since. If anything, his vitriol has only gotten worse.
✔@realDonaldTrump
Everybody should boycott the @megynkellyshow. Never worth watching. Always a hit on Trump! She is sick, & the most overrated person on tv.
Watching other networks and local news. Really good night! Crazy @megynkelly is unwatchable.
Can't watch Crazy Megyn anymore. Talks about me at 43% but never mentions that there are four people in race. With two people, big & over!
Donald has had it out for Megyn ever since she asked tough questions at their first debate encounter in summer 2015, calling her horrible names in the press. Things got even worse as he childishly backed out of the Jan. 28 debate just before the Iowa caucus because she would be moderating it. He finally manned up and attended their next meeting at the March 3 Republican Debate in Michigan, but she came at him super hard, showing videos of him flip-flopping on issues as well as bringing up numerous fraud lawsuits against Trump University. The Donald was NOT amused and their back and forth exchanges were heated.
Since then, Donald has been tweeting out tons of hateful messages about Megyn, and no other journalist has seemed to have got under his skin the way she has He bailed on their next debate meet-up, which was scheduled for March 14 in Salt Lake City. That step cause caused the event to be CANCELLED because candidate John Kasich, 63, refused to attend if Donald wasn’t there, leaving only Ted Cruz, 45, to be there by his lonesome.
HollywoodLifers, so you think Donald is overly harsh to Megyn? Is in unfitting of someone who wants to be president?
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