Victorious Leicester, beaten Tottenham turn focus to Premier League

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Struggle
London, Nov 23, 2016 (dpa/NAN) Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri and Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino vowed late on Tuesday to turn their focus to the Premier League, but for very different reasons.

In their first season in the Champions League, English champions Leicester have excelled in Europe but are struggling at home.

Ranieri’s men assured themselves of a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 2-1 win over Club Brugge.

But Tottenham, unbeaten in the league, cannot qualify for the knockout stages after a 2-1 defeat away to Monaco, their third loss in a disappointing Champions League campaign.

Ranieri said it was time to show their European form in the league, where they sit 14th, just two points above the relegation zone.

“It is unbelievable, to be top of the group,’’ Ranieri said. “I am very happy and very proud. I am happy for my players, for my chairman, for the fans – for everybody.

“(Now) our minds must now go on the Premier League because I want to push my players to think about the Premier League.

“We are very close to the relegation and we must play at the same level as the Champions League because when we want to do something we achieve something.

“We must concentrate on the Premier League now.’’

Tottenham, who finished third in the league last season, sit fifth this term, just four points off top spot.

Pochettino said Tottenham now had to show their resilience in the league, starting on Saturday, when they travel to leaders Chelsea.

“It’s true we’re much, much better than we’ve showed in the Champions League but we need to learn that to compete in the Premier League and Champions League demands a lot of mental energy,” Pochettino said. “That’s our challenge for the future.

“Now we need our heads up and to lift ourselves. Chelsea have had a clear week to prepare for us, and now we can start to prepare for Chelsea.

“It’s an advantage but we need to be ready, we need to be strong and like always, to show character and to be competitive.’’ (dpa/NAN)
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CAF Award: Exclusion of Nigerian players worrisome —  Enthusiasts

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CAF
By Kemi Ajayi
Lagos, Nov.23, 2016 (NAN) Friday Ekpo, an ex-international, on Wednesday described the exclusion of Nigeria players from the five finalists for the 2016 Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Player of the Year Award as worrisome.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no Nigerian player was among the five players announced by CAF on Nov. 22 as final nominees for award.

Mikel Obi, Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho were part of the 30 players earlier listed for the award, after which the top five were selected.

Ekpo told NAN that the nomination showed that the country’s players have not performed creditably in their clubs and national team.

“Honestly, it’s a worrisome situation for our football, we have produced numerous CAF footballers of the year in the past but it’s a different scenario in the recent times.

“It shows that our players are not doing enough in their various leagues and national team to merit the award.

“So, for me it’s not surprising that none of our players was part of the top five finalists,” he said.

Also, Falade Oyekan, board member, Lagos State Football Association told NAN that players must up their game to get the desired recognition.

“We have won this award several times and I still believe we have players that can still win the award if they are ready to do the needful,” he said.

Emmanuel Adisa, a grassroots coach in Ajegule area of Lagos said that the exclusion of Nigerian players from the list was a sign  of the decline in the country’s football.

“No Nigerian player deserves to be in the top five players for the CAF award because of the present state of our football,” he asserted.

NAN reports that the country had won the CAF awards five times since its inception in 1992.

Kanu Nwankwo was the last Nigeria player to win the award in 1999 having won it in 1996. (NAN)
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(Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Maharazu Ahmed)

Philippines and U.S. agree on “continued and robust” military relation

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Agreement
Manila (dpa/NAN) U.S. and  Philippine defence relations enjoyed a moment of stability Tuesday when officials from both sides promised a “continued and robust” defence relationship, after weeks of threats by Manila to sever ties.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has earlier threatened to stop joint military exercises with the U.S., saying the major war games conducted in September would be the last under his term.

Duterte has said he wants to redefine relations with the US and move closer to China and Russia. This comes after worries have been raised by many Western powers about the Philippines’ new war on drugs under Duterte, which some say has led to extrajudicial killings of innocents.

The U.S. and the Philippines have enjoyed a strong defence relationship for decades. The two signed a mutual defence treaty in 1951.

Tuesday’s meeting was of the Mutual Defence Board of the Philippines and the United States.

“The successful completion of the MDB-SEB (Mutual Defence Board-Security Engagement Board ensures continued, robust relations between the U.S. and Philippine militaries,” a joint statement released after the meeting said.

“This highlights the enduring commitment of both countries to the U.S.-Philippine alliance. We look forward to continued close cooperation in areas central to both our national and security interests including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, and maritime security,” the statement added.

The meeting was led by Philippine military chief General Ricardo Visaya and U.S. Pacific Commander head Admiral Harry Harris Jr.

Philippine military Spokesman Brig-Gen. Restituto Padilla said details of the meeting are not yet available.

Philippines Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said early this month that, while Duterte agreed to retain a security alliance with the U.S., the joint military activities will be scaled back.

He said the joint naval exercises will be stopped. (dpa/NAN)

(Edited by Julius Enehikhuere)

Swiss defend title of world’s richest people

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Richest
Vienna, Nov. 22, 2016 (dpa/NAN) The Swiss are the richest people in the world, with an average wealth of 561,900 dollars per adult, Credit Suisse said in its annual global wealth report on Tuesday.

This confirms Switzerland’s top ranking for the 16th year in a row.

People in the United States trailed with assets worth 344,700 dollars, followed by the British average net worth of 288,800 dollars, the major Swiss bank said in Zurich.

The depreciation of the pound that followed Britain’s vote to leave the EU has wiped out a total 1.5 trillion dollars of the country’s total privately held assets, Credit Suisse noted.

For the first time since the global financial crisis of 2008, the global average wealth per adult stagnated in 2016, at 52,800 dollars.

The report also showed that the share of people’s non-financial assets as part of their household wealth has increased for the first time this year since 2008.

Rising real estate prices have added to private wealth in several countries including Germany, according to the report.

The group of super-rich people, who own at least 50 million dollars, rose by 4,100 individuals to a total of 140,900 over the past year, driven by increases in Asian countries. (dpa/NAN)

(Edited by Julius Enehikhuere)

Farage pushes for U.S. ambassador job despite a “no vacancy”

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Position
London. Nov. 22, 2018 (dpa/NAN) British Prime Minister Theresa May has said on Tuesday that there is “no vacancy” for the position of ambassador to the U.S. after president-elect Donald Trump endorsed eurosceptic leader Nigel Farage for the job.

But Farage, who is head of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and was the first British politician to meet Trump in person after his election victory, is still pushing for the job.

May’s office had offered a swift rebuff to Trump’s recommendation, which was highly unusual considering that each country appoints its own overseas representatives and the role in question is already filled.

“There is no vacancy. We already have an excellent ambassador to the U.S.,” a government spokesman said.

But Farage contends that his loyalty to Trump before his win, compared to many high-level British politicians who have only tempered their criticism of the president-elect since his shock victory, makes him the ideal candidate for the job.

After Trump tweeted that his ally “would do a great job” in the role, Farage claimed that the “political revolution of 2016” sparked by his successful campaign to leave the European Union requires a new order in Britain – and that the British prime minister is blocking it.

In a bid to bolster his chances, Farage penned an article on Tuesday for far-right news site Breitbart, whose former executive chairman Stephen Bannon has become one of the most controversial picks so far in Trump’s new administration.

Farage wrote on the U.S. site that he would “do anything to help our national interest and to help cement ties with the incoming Anglophile administration.”

He criticised that “those who were openly abusive about Trump now pretend to be his friend.”

Farage joked in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election that he would like a role in Trump’s administration.

But since meeting Trump in New York, he has been gunning for an official job as go-between.

After May’s first phone call with president-elect Trump, a spokesman for May announced that they discussed maintaining a close relationship similar to that of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and that Farage was not mentioned. (dpa/NAN)

(Edited by Julius Enehikhuere)

Nuclear deal can’t be renegotiated, says Iranian minister

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Deal

Tehran, Nov. 22, 2016 (dpa/ NAN) – There will be no renegotiation of Iran’s nuclear deal, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht Ravanchi said on Tuesday, despite concerns that incoming U.S. president-elect Donald Trump might scrap the deal.

In an interview with the Iranian newspaper Etemad, Ravanchi insisted on keeping all arrangements of the nuclear deal, saying further changes are non-negotiable.

The agreement is supposed to make sure Iran uses its nuclear capabilities for peaceful purposes, preventing the regime in Tehran from gaining nuclear weapons instead. In exchange, the international community pledged to lift economic sanctions.

The deal was negotiated between Iran and all five permanent members UN Security Council, plus Germany, in Vienna last year.

It is important for all parties to keep their commitments, Ravanchi pointed out. He said it might be time to undo the whole deal if signatory countries can opt out at will.

Trump has repeatedly pledged to do just that.

Nevertheless, Ravanchi said the agreement could still be in danger.

He criticised US sanctions which were not part of the deal that make it difficult for banks to invest in Iran.

In order to ease financial boundaries, Iranian officials are currently in Brussels, negotiating with representatives of the European Union.

A lack of foreign investment could also endanger a possible re-election of moderate Iranian President Hassan Rowhani next May.  (dpa/ NAN)

(Edited by Julius Enehikhuere)

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Employment
By Simon Akoje
Lagos, Nov. 22, 2016 (NAN) The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has commended the Federal Government for living up to its word by employing 200,000 youths.

The Director General of the chamber, Mr Muda Yusuf, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday that the scheme would empower Nigerian youths.

Yusuf said that the commencement of the scheme in a few days was good for the economy.

He said, however, that the number of citizens hoping to be recruited was small compared to the millions of unemployed youths.

“The government should be applauded even though the small number to be given jobs is no match to the millions of youths reported to be without jobs by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

“However, if more initiatives are implemented across board over the years, it could change the unemployment narrative in the country,’’ he said.

Yusuf noted that more should be done by the government to improve the business climate in the country.

“There should not be an end to improving the business climate to ensure that many of the youths could venture into entrepreneurship.

“With encouragement, many of our youths could change their economic fortunes and create wealth in the long run,’’ he added.

The Federal Government has announced the employment of 200,000 out of the 500,000 job intervention programme, with successful candidates set to start work on Dec. 1.

The programme came to fruition after one year and seven months of the administration.

Some 150,000 of the youth will be teaching while 30,000 will be involved in agricultural schemes and 20,000 in healthcare. (NAN)
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(Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Mbadiwe Okwor)

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Export
By Simon Akoje
Lagos, Nov. 22, 2016 (NAN) Some business experts on Tuesday said that the resumption of Export Expansion Grant (EEG) by the Federal Government would make businesses boom as well as boost export.

The experts, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, noted that the reintroduction of grant would also enable exporters to cope with the current recession.

A confectionery, Mrs Precious Aremu, said that resuming the programmes would ensure that indigenous manufacturers produce commodities that would be of international standards.

Aremu, the Chief Executive Officer of Palinio Cookies, also said that bringing back the idea would enable businesses to expand and have good percentage of the market shares.

“The grant will boost businesses; our commodities have been on a high demand in Latin America but cannot cope with the needed financial requirement to expand.

“However, government should urgently help local manufacturers in this direction, as the grant will improve on their performances a lot,’’ he said.

An industrialist, Mr Muda Yusuf, said that resumption of the export expansion grant policy would serve as an incentive for domestic exporters.

Yusuf, the Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also said that the grant should be disbursed to citizens, who are qualified in order to avoid the mistakes of the past.

“This time around, they should be more transparent, so as to avoid any abuse of the process.

“If government can give N300 billion grant to exporters, the country’s  economy will move to the next level of development and gradually edge out of recession,’’ he said.

The government had said that it would resume the implementation of the EEG in 2017 with the settlement of outstanding claims to exporters.

According to the available figures obtained from the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the grant is worth over N300 billion that are unclaimed.

The EEG is an initiative of the Federal Government, meant to encourage exporters of non-oil products, including agro-commodities.

The initiative is intended to cushion the effects of infrastructure deficiencies and reduce overall unit cost of production. (NAN)
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(Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Yemi Idris-Aduloju

Nigeria’s first indigenous transport App debuts in Lagos
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Transportation
By Joseph Idika
Lagos, Nov. 21, 2016 (NAN) A transportation outfit, iWorld Transit Services, on Monday in Lagos launched Nigeria’s first indigenous public transport App which would enable commuters to access urban cab services at their doorsteps.
The firm’s Chief Executive, Charles Ojo, said at the launch that the App – www.soole.com.ng – was already linked to over 400 trained taxi drivers in Lagos State.
Ojo said that Soole, which would not be metered-driven, offered better services than the American brand Uber.
“The services are not charged per hour and all payments, for now, are made electronically through the App: This helps authenticate the services and the status of the driver.
“Over 400 cabs can be located in any part of Lagos State; it is to make movement convenient among professionals and other Nigerian.
“The App tells you where the driver is coming from and which association the cab belongs for safety reasons,’’ Ojo said.
He said that the service, which had been rolled out in Lagos, would later be extended to Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Abuja and other major cities in the country
According to him, over 10 million Lagosians move from one point to the other within the metropolis every day.
Ojo said that the services was to encourage collaborative ride among professionals to save the cost of fueling, wear and tear of vehicle and the stress of driving around the metropolis.
He explained that Soole was working with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) to expand the services with more cabs.
Speaking at the launch, Taiwo Omole, Secretary, Lagos State Taxi Cab Association, said that the indigenous App was long overdue.
Omole said that over 400 members of the association trained on the use of the App belonged to the over 287 taxi parks across the state.
He assured commuters of safety and jolly ride to their various destinations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the launch was attended by representatives of LAMATA, Lagos State Taxi Cab Association, Federal Road Safety Corps and Primrose Transport Services. (NAN)
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(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)

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League
By Kemi Ajayi
Lagos, Nov. 21, 2016 (NAN) An ex-international, Waidi Akanni, on Monday said that adequate funding of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) would entice young players to remain in the competition.

Akanni told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that lack of sufficient funds had made the league less attractive for most players to remain in it.

He commended the Umaru Dikko-led League Management Company for restructuring of the NPFL and urged the body to intensify its effort to secure sponsorship to enhance football development in the country.

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“You have to develop your talents locally and we have to discourage younger players just running out of the shore of this country for small amount of money, that will not develop them and that will not develop us as well.

“So, I want to believe that whatever we do, we must always make sure that we do financially because for them to run out of the country is financial.

“So, we must develop them financially by getting more sponsors, getting more people to have interest in local players, in the local league itself and that will help our people grow’’.

Cue out Audio — (NAN)
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(Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Peter Ejiofor)