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Juve’s Ronaldo off the mark with a brace, Costa dismissed for spitting

Ronaldo

Milan, Sept. 16, 2018 (Reuters/NAN) Cristiano Ronaldo broke his Juventus duck in his fourth game when his second-half brace gave them a 2-1 win over Sassuolo on Sunday.

However, the Turin side’s day was marred by a red card for Douglas Costa for spitting at an opponent.

The five-times World Player of the Year opened his account in the easiest possible fashion by tapping into an empty net from less than two metres in the 50th minute, then finished off a counter-attack 15 minutes later.

Khouma Babacar headed one back in the 90th minute but the game ended in ugly scenes as Costa became involved in a running feud with Sassoulo midfielder Federico Di Francesco.

The Brazilian escaped with a booking for elbowing and then head-butting his rival as they tangled before the Sassuolo goal, but was then sent off after cameras caught him spitting at the same player in another altercation.

Juventus, chasing an eighth successive Serie A title, have 12 points, three ahead of Napoli, while Sassuolo are on eight after their first defeat of the season.

“I was a little bit anxious as expectations were high,” said Ronaldo. “I really wanted to score, so I’m happy.”

Sassuolo allowed Ronaldo few openings in the first half apart from an early shot which was blocked and a header which went wide from Alex Sandro’s cross.

He also tried his luck from a 30-metre free kick but sent a disappointing effort harmlessly wide of Andrea Consigli’s goal.

But Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri’s prediction that it would be Ronaldo’s day proved to be right.

Ronaldo’s luck changed when Sassuolo defender Gian Marco Ferrari headed a corner onto his own post and the rebound left Ronaldo with the easiest of tap-ins.

Sassuolo, who caused Juventus trouble all afternoon, were then caught on the break, with Emre Can sliding the ball to Ronaldo to drill an angled left-foot shot into the far corner.

Ronaldo could easily have had a hat-trick but missed two more good chances and also had a penalty appeal turned down.

He volleyed wide from an unmarked position six metres out and also failed to hit the target when the rebound landed at his feet as Joao Cancelo’s shot was saved by Consigli.

Roma were left with only five points from four games after another unhappy afternoon.

Stephan El Shaarawy and Bryan Cristante put them 2-0 ahead in under half an hour, but Chievo hit back after the break as Valter Birsa curled in a delightful effort and Mariusz Stepinski levelled with seven minutes left.

Winless Chievo are on minus one point after having three deducted on Thursday by the Italian federation over accounting irregularities.

A second-half goal by Krzysztof Piatek gave Genoa a 1-0 win over Bologna in another match marred by ugly scenes after the visitors had Erick Pulgar sent off for a shocking tackle on Romulo, sparking a scuffle involving a number of players.

Torino midfielder Soualiho Meite was hero and villain in his team’s 1-1 draw at Udinese.

His mistake led to Rodrigo de Paul’s opener for Udinese but the Frenchman made amends with the equaliser after halftime. (Reuters/NAN)

VO/

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God has prepared me to be next Lagos governor — Sanwo-Olu

Declaration

By Bolaji Buhari

Lagos, Sept. 16, 2018 (NAN) A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress(APC)in Lagos,Mr Jide Sanwo-Olu on Sunday said he had a strong conviction that God had prepared him to be the next governor of the state.

Sanwo-Olu made the statement at Lagos City Hall while speaking at the formal launch of his governorship bid.

NAN reports that members of the National Assembly , council chairmen and other chieftains were at the declaration. Sen.Gbenga Ashafa, former minister,Mr Ademola Seriki, a federal lawmaker,Mr Rotimi Agunsoye were among those present.

It was a carnival atmosphere at the well-attended declaration as party members danced and interrupted Sanwo-Olu’s speech with the chants of “incoming,incoming !”

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN)reports Gov.Akinwunmi Ambode had on Monday declared his bid for re-election while a former Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure,Dr Obafemi Hamzat is also in the race for the APC governorship ticket.

Sanwo-Olu said he believed God was moulding him to become the next governor of Lagos by making it possible to have an understanding of government through series of private and public service responsibilities.

“When I look at my experience in public service,I realised that God has prepared me for this moment .

“I believe that my contribution to the public service made it possible to be appointed as acting Commissioner for Economic Planning ,then Commissioner for Commerce and Industry and later Commissioner for Establishment and Training.

“My public service career has crowned the glorious achievements of my journey to the private sector where I had worked in the financial industry.”he said.

He said his decision to contest the Lagos governorship was out of the need to sustain the vision of the past great leaders of the state.

Sanwo-Olu praised the achievements of Brig.Mobolaji Johnson, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Mr Babatunde Fashola ,saying their strides as past governors contributed to the prosperity of Lagos

He said he would sustain the great legacies and further reposition the state if elected as governor.

“If elected as the next governor,I shall immediately embark on full restoration of the glory of the state and make the people the cornerstone of government.

“I will restore the environment that has become the source of serious anxiety to Lagosians.

“I will relieve residents of Lagos State of the persistent gridlocks and hiccups that has made life nasty and brutish for all of us.

“Our government focal point shall be to provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people in Lagos State.

“I have invited all of you here to join me in this journey to take Lagos to new dimension by transforming the manifesto of our party to the programme of action

“I am sending a clarion call to all our members that there is a lot to be done to achieve a Lagos of our dream.

“And I present myself as a capable and competent and tested hands to make Lagos greater”,he said.

Sanwo-Olu promised to carry party members along and stick to the ideology of the APC if elected.

He urged other residents to believe in his aspiration to take the state to greater heights.(NAN)
BHB/SOA

Edited by Oluwole Sogunle

Education

By Chinyere Nwachukwu
Lagos, Sept. 16, 2018 (NAN) The Principal, King’s College Lagos, Mr Isaac Kolawole, has called on stakeholders in the 109-year-old institution to assist with the provision of more interactive boards to enhance teaching and learning.

Kolawole made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

The principal said that an institution in the category of King’s College should be seen as a model in terms of academics and discipline and as such, must be equipped with all the 21st century teaching and learning aids.

He noted that with the interactive boards in place, the teachers would do less work, while allowing the students space for self-discovery with some guidance.

During our pre-resumption one week workshop organised for our teachers, I made a statement in quote, that I do not have teachers in this school.

“Not that I do not have competent teachers to impart knowledge but rather, I am looking at the emerging scenario in other climes, in terms of the 21st century demand.

“The role of teachers are changing everyday and teachers should see themselves as facilitators of learning and one of the tools that can assist them is being in tune with current trend.

“And that is where the interactive board comes in. During that one week workshop, we had a lecture whereby we brought in experts to take the teachers on how to use the board.

“Currently, about three of the classroom blocks already have that interactive board and this, we want to replicate in all the classes in a bid to make them 21st century compliant.

“And our ICT department is ready to equip the teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills needed to operate the board at no cost,” the principal said.

He added that as a follow up to the development, the college had also sensitised the Old Boys, especially those in the Diaspora, on the need to assist in providing the boards as a way of giving back to their alma mater.

According to Kolawole, the college is also appealing to parents and other well meaning individuals and corporate bodies to join hands with the institution in its efforts to upgrade the infrastructure for a more improved teaching and learning environment.

He note that besides providing facilities for conducive teaching and learning, the college was also stepping up its fight against bullying and indiscipline among the students.

“One of the things also discussed during that workshop was how to handle issues of indiscipline and bullying that is common among students. This will be achieved through close and constant interaction between the students and the teachers.

“We have zero tolerance for such here in this school, in fact gone are the days when such was the order of the day and so, we have made it clear to parents and the students as they resume for this new session,” he said.

The principal lauded the Federal Ministry of Education for recruiting and posting more teachers to compliment the existing ones in the college.

According to him, the ministry has been magnanimous enough to recruit and post 19 new teachers to the college, but added that there were still shortfalls, especially in key subjects as English, Mathematics, Sciences and French.

He, however, said he was convinced that the ministry was working hard to ensure that some of the teachers of the core subjects engaged by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) would be absorbed on permanent basis.

Meanwhile, the PTA of the Federal Science and Technical College, Yaba, has said it had developed a web based application that would enhance a seamless and constant communication with parents.

The Chairman of the association, Mr Olisa Anene, also told NAN on Sunday that the app, which was already in the play store of android telephone sets had been programmed to give parents updates and other vital information about the welfare of their children and wards.

“We all know the power of communication and it is based on this that we decided to come up with this in order to carry the parents along in all we do.

“This app will provide parents with information on academic activities, school programmes, students’ performance bills and other information.

“But before then, our parents are enjoined to download the app and then contact us for the user name and password for them to start enjoying the service,” he said.

Anene noted that before now, one of the challenges that the institution had faced was that of poor information dissemination, especially with regards to the welfare of the children and wards.

He added that everything had been put in place for a peaceful commencement of the new academic session that would take off on Monday, Sept. 17, for all returning students. (NAN)
CCN/PDE
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(Editing by Peter Ejiofor)

Weather
By Sumaila Ogbaje
ABUJA, Sept. 16, 2018 (NAN) The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted that thunderstorms and rainfalls would prevail over most parts of the country on Monday.

NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office (CFO) on Sunday, predicted localised morning thunderstorms over the central cities like Yola, Bauchi, Ibi, Makurdi, Minna, Jalingo and Abuja.

It also predicted scattered thunderstorms over the region during the afternoon and evening hours with day and night temperatures of 26 to 31 and 16 to 23 degrees Celsius respectively.

The agency predicted that Northern cities would experience partly cloudy conditions
throughout the forecast period with thunderstorms over southern Maiduguri in the afternoon and evening period.

It also predicted that northern cities would have day and night temperatures in the ranges of 31 to 33 and 20 to 23 degrees Celsius respectively.

According to NiMet, Southern States will experience cloudy morning with prevalence of moderate rains over Lagos, Calabar and Port-Harcourt.

“Later in the day, there are prospects of rains over most parts of the inland and coastal cities with day and night temperatures of 29 to 31 and 20 to 22 degrees Celsius respectively,” NiMet predicted. (NAN)
OYS/AFA
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Edited by Felix Ajide

Draw

By Victor Okoye
Abuja Sept. 16, 2018 (NAN) Enyimba International FC of Aba, Nigeria’s representatives in the CAF Confederation Cup, on Sunday held hosts Rayon Sports of Rwanda to a goalless draw in a quarter-final first leg fixture.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the People’s Elephant were drawn with the Rwandan side in the quarter-finals pairings by the African football body (CAF).

The first leg at the Stade Régional Nyamirambo, Kigali, was a close affair as both sides were unable to break down each others defence.

The chances for both sides were not converted, even though Enyimba dominated possession away from home as Rayon Sports had more shots on target.

The visitors, however, held on for a vital away draw which could be an important result if they fail to concede at home in the second leg at home.

The result means that Enyimba have a chance to progress in front of their home supporters at their newly refurbished stadium in Aba in the second leg which will be played on Sept. 23. (NAN)
VO/PDE
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(Editing by Peter Ejiofor)

(This story has been re-issued after some corrections were effected in a name.)

Youth Games

By Olayinka Owolewa
Ilorin, Sept. 16, 2018 (NAN) Team Delta on Sunday made history by winning the fourth edition of the National Youth Games (NYG) in Ilorin to make it four wins out of four competitions.

The state finished with a total of 67 medals, made up of 27 gold, 24 silver and 16 bronze to win the 2018 Games.

They had won the multi-sports youth development event for the third time in 2017, after garnering 61 medals made up of 22 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze.

Delta had also won the competition’s maiden edition in 2013 at Abuja, as well as the second edition held in 2016 at Ilorin.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Team Lagos, which did not participate in the second and third editions returned in a big way.

They emerged second on Sunday at the fourth edition after securing a total of 60 medals —- 23 gold, 15 silver and 22 bronze.

Bayelsa and Ogun were joint third after winning 34 medals each —- 11 gold, 7 silver and 16 bronze.

Akwa-Ibom and Abia came fifth and sixth respectively.

Hosts Kwara who were fourth at the 2017 edition had a decline in their performance, finishing ninth with five gold, nine silver and four bronze medals.

NAN reports that 29 states won medals at the Games, with Team Adamawa coming last among the states with medals, as they won only one bronze.

Cross River, Ondo State and Jigawa failed to win any medal at the competition, while Yobe, Zamfara, Ebonyi, Nasarawa State and Kebbi did not participate in the Games.

Declaring the Games closed, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Adesola Olusade, said the Ministry was achieving its objective of using the Games to discover young athletes.

The National Youth Games was introduced in 2013, as a youth development initiative and was designed to hold annually, but this was only achieved three years after the first edition.

The initial 17-year age bar was reduced to 15 after the third edition in 2017, to ensure that the youth development target was sustained.

The Games’ fifth edition in 2019 will also hold at the University of Ilorin.(NAN)
OOH/PDE/OLAL
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(Editing by Peter Ejiofor and Olawale Alabi)

Bayelsa

By Emmanuel Afonne
Abuja, Sept. 16, 2018 (NAN) Rumson Baribote, an All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly aspirant in Bayelsa, has boasted that the party would dislodge the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state in the 2019 general election.

Baribote, who is contesting for the Nembe 1 Constituency seat in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday on telephone that serious mobilisation was on to achieve the party’s aim.

According to Baribote, being the party agent of Nembe Local Government Area ward 8 in the 2015 governorship election in the state has equipped him for the House of Assembly primary election scheduled for Oct. 2.

“I have been in APC since 2015 and we have been strategising for the 2019 election ever since I was appointed Nembe Ward 8 party agent,” he said.

Baribote, a former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) and proprietor of Nembe City football club, assured the people of quality representation if he emerged the party’s flag bearer for the election.

He solicited for the support of party elders, noting that APC had become a household name in the state compared to 2014 when it was newly registered.

“It’s about what you have given to your people and them ready to give you their votes. I am hopeful of emerging from the primary election and going ahead to win the seat.

“Sports will thrive under my leadership; even before going to the House, we have tried to use football to project Nembe by way of Nembe City FC.

“Going there, I will focus on constituency projects and one of them will be to bring out the youth in the area to harness their talents to curb youth restiveness.

“We want to use sports as a tool to achieve this. This race is about what individuals can do and not about PDP being the ruling party in the state; it’s about credibility,” Baribote said.

NAN reports that Baribote was the chairman of Bayelsa United FC during the reign of former Governor Timipre Sylva. (NAN)
EMAF/PDE
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(Editing by Peter Ejiofor)

No release of Lagbo Dam water by Cameroonian authorities yet, says NIHSA boss

By Victor Okoye

Dam

Abuja, Sept. 16, 2018 (NAN) Ahmed Mabudi, the Acting Director-General of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), said the rumor making rounds about the release of water from the Lagbo Dam by Camaroonian authorities was untrue.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports there were circulating reports that people living along the water banks of the Rivers Niger and Benue should run for their lives with the release of water by the operators of Lagbo dam in Cameroon.

According to the report, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigerian Police are quoted as warning those living along the water banks to run for their lives “between now and Saturday’’ or many houses will  be over run.

Mabudi, however, told NAN on Sunday in Abuja that the news was false.

“We’ve have spoken with the operator in charge of the dam in the Southern Cameroon region, Mr Abdullahi and we are in constant discussion with him.

“There is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and Cameroon that the Cameroonians must give us a long notice in the event that they want to release water from the dam so we can take precautionary measures to contain any havoc as a result of the release.

“As at Tuesday when we spoke with Abdullahi, he said the water level at the dam was 12.1m, so it has to get to 12.6m before they start any release.

“So, when we alerted him about the stories making the rounds, he was shocked and refuted the claims.

“Yes, we know that there are rising water levels in Adamawa, Taraba and the Benue axis, but this is basically due to the torrential rain fall being currently experienced in the country,” he said.

He urged people living in high level water areas to remain vigilant and calm, adding that the Minister of Water Resources Suleiman Adams as well as NIHSA were in touch with operators of the Lagbo Dam.

NAN also reports that as at Sunday, the water level in Lokoja is 11.2m as against 10.66 on Wednesday. (NAN)
VO/DOR/IA
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Edited by Nyisom Dore/Idris Abdulrahman

APC governorship aspirant backs direct primaries in Kwara

Primaries

By Usman Aliyu

Ilorin, Sept 16, 2018 (NAN) Mallam Saliu Mustapha, a governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara, has pledged support to the party’s decision to adopt direct primaries in picking candidates for the forthcoming elections in the state.

Mustapha said this while answering questions from newsmen on his arrival at Ilorin International Airport on Sunday.

He said that as a team player, all he desired for the state was the best and would therefore support any method adopted by the party leadership to select the party’s flag-bearer.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mustapha, an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari and former Deputy National Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), was received by a huge crowd of supporters.

The gubernatorial aspirant arrived in Ilorin after he obtained and submitted his expression of interest as well as nomination forms at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.

Mustapha told newsmen that his coming into the race for the coveted seat in the state was a call to service and ensure that the state was lifted from the decay it had found itself.

He, therefore, advocated partnership with all progressive minded people in the party for the state to be pushed to the next level.

The governorship hopeful urged the people of the state to support his aspiration to govern the state with a view to delivering on what had been lacking in the state over the years.

“For me, whatever the leadership of the party has decided to adopt, we would go by it because as team players, all we want is the best for the state.

“We want to see a situation where Kwara would be lifted from the decadence or decay that it has found itself.

“It is about bringing the state to the next level. It is about putting all hands on deck, partnering fellow progressives to see that we take Kwara to the next level.

“Any process, any method, we are comfortable with it. For me, it is about call to service, to serve our people and to make life better for them.

“We would want to appeal to Kwarans to give us the necessary support to be able to give them the best APC has to offer.

“My major appeal is that Kwarans should give us that opportunity to serve them and to be able to deliver what they have been lacking for a long time, ” Mustapha said.

He also added that he would support all efforts aimed at fixing the state from “its dilapidated situation”.

“We are going out into the field to canvass, campaign and to let our people know what we  have for them, why we have come out to aspire for this job and why we want to fix the state from the dilapidated situation it has found itself,” Mustapha added.

NAN recalls that the state chapter of the APC, led by Bashiru Bolarinwa, had earlier spoken of its decision to adopt direct primary in the selection of the governorship candidate of the party. (NAN)
AUO/ESAN/IA
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Edited by Abiodun Esan/Idris Abdulrahman

Borrowings

By Olawunmi Ashafa

Lagos, Sept.16,2018 (NAN) The Federal Government is expected to take more loans if its plan to fund infrastructure is to be realised, says a Senior Analyst at Agusto & Co, Mr Jimi Ogbobine.

Ogbobine said this on Sunday at a training for financial journalists during the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) 2018 annual workshop in Lagos.

He said government was expected to deploy about N1.6 trillion to fund infrastructure this year.

He said that the training, entitled, “Analysis of the Macroeconomic Environment’, organised by Rand Merchant Bank, was meant to deepen journalists’ knowledge of the economy and financial industry developments.

Ogbobine said the bulk of financing for infrastructure would come from borrowing with a larger share being domestic debts.

He also said funding the capital budget would require higher than planned borrowing with adverse implications for interest rates and interest costs for the economy.

“The Federal Government borrowing to fund infrastructure is likely to be between N1.2 and N1.6 trillion.

“The implementation is unlikely to start before the second quarter and revenue is likely to be lower than planned.

“Actual funding from asset restructuring, recoveries and others may be substantially lower than the planned level of N2 trillion.

“Therefore, fully funding the capital budget will mean higher than planned borrowing with adverse implications for interest rates and interest costs,” he said.

He added that obligatory spending of the federal government was still more than 100 per cent of revenues, hence, there was no free cash flow for investment in infrastructure.

“Every kobo of infrastructure spending is financed by debt constraints ability to fully fund budgeted amounts.
“Debt as percentage of revenue is significantly higher than the median, of 200 per cent, for countries in Middle East & Africa.

“Federal Government plans to partly finance 2018 capital expenditure with proceeds of asset sales,” he said.

Speaking on inflation, he said a hyper-inflationary environment was one where prices double at least every three years.

“This means inflation rate of about 25 per cent per annum.

“In such environments, investors hold savings in low inflation currencies like dollars, Pounds Sterling and Euros.

“Also, business persons price products, particularly those with a high import content in these low inflation currencies, usually the dollar.

“In effect, such environments are ‘dual currency environments’.

“Real Gross Domestic Product per capita should grow in 2018, making it easier for businessmen to access forex to fund their operations.

Therefore, most businesses should see top line and profit growths while unemployment rate will fall but the level will remain high,” he said.

The analyst said actual deficit might be lower than planned deficit largely because of a low implementation of the capital budget.

Ogbobine said that based on the long-term inflation difference, the naira-dollar exchange rate should close 2018 at about N420/1 in the Investors & Exporters’ FX Window.

He, however, predicted that should oil revenues increase, the CBN might try to keep rates in the market as close as possible to the current levels.

Ogbobine explained that despite recent contraction in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, Nigeria remained Africa’s largest economy, following rebased GDP figures in 2013.

“Still a viable economy based on long-run projections.

“Significant issues with political stability, terrorism and scattered violence in certain areas.

“Heavily dependent on crude oil exports and facing severe economic challenges with the current global oil market shocks, terrorism threats and attacks on key economic interests,” he said.

The analyst said that average oil price for 2018 would likely be firmer, driven largely by OPEC production cuts, stronger growth, high but declining inventories and political tensions in the Middle East.

“A lot is still contingent on ability to produce and evacuate oil from the Niger-Delta.

“Demand management of imports will continue. If Nigeria is able to produce and evacuate crude, it will build reserves.

“However, some of the reserves will be used to intervene in the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange (NAFEX) market to keep exchange rates in this market at near current levels,” he added.(NAN)
AWA/CHOM/WOJ
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Edited by Chioma Ugboma/Wale Ojetimi