…After blasting Benitez for playing Luiz in his position
•Tips Chelsea to crush Corinthians today
By Onyewuchi Nwachukwu
Nigerian international, John Mikel Obi, may be in for a showdown with
Manager Rafael Benitez, after vehemently criticising the Spanish coach
for playing David Luiz in his position in Chelsea’s World Club Cup’s
semi-final game against Monterrey last Thursday. Mikel’s vituperations
were at variance with the opinion of most fans of the club, who were
impressed with Luiz’s attempt to play in defensive midfield as Chelsea
beat Monterrey in the game.
The Super Eagles’ midfielder was not expecting to be playing
alongside the Brazilian centre-back, but after Benitez sprung the
surprise, he was not stunned to see Luiz rampaging forward from the
start. “It was a bit of a shock to see David lining up there,” said
Mikel as reported in The Guardian. “I said to him, as we got on to the
pitch: ‘Where shall I play?’ “He said he’d play the holding role and
that I should go forward. I said OK, but when the game started, I looked
up and he was already up the end of the pitch.” Mikel did not think
playing Luiz out of position should be a regular occurrence.
“David is a great player, but I don’t know if this is going to be a
long-term thing,” said the Nigerian international. “I think he needs to
play at the back. It was a good performance from him because he kept the
ball well and played it well. But when it’s not your normal position,
you sometimes lose something. “He is a great player and a strong
character, who can only get better for this club.
He keeps going and doing his thing. Credit to him.” Both players have
come in for criticism – Luiz because he plays with too much flair and
attacking intent for a defender and Mikel, because fans complain he does
not contribute enough going forward. Under Roberto Di Matteo, Mikel
flourished, perhaps turning in his best performance for the club in the
Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
Benitez is less keen on the midfielder and has played Spaniard Oriol
Romeu in his stead recently. But the former Barcelona player picked up a
serious knee injury against Sunderland penultimate Saturday and is out
for several months while it is treated. Meanwhile, Mikel has predicted
that Chelsea’s current form would help the team record a resounding
victory against Brazil’s Corinthians to win the Club World Cup today.
The Blues will battle South American champions, Corinthians, in
today’s final in Yokohama, Japan, and the Nigerian international
midfielder revealed that his club have got the edge to beat the
Brazilians to the trophy. Chelsea beat Monterrey of Mexico 3–1 in the
semi-final, while Corinthians beat African champion, Al Ahly 1–0 to
reach the final. –“We are here for business and that is to win the Club
World Cup and write another history,” declared Mikel, who in May helped
the London club win a first-ever UEFA Champions League at Bayern Munich.
“This is our first appearance in the competition and we are in the
final. I am sure we will win the trophy by beating Corinthians. “They
are South American champions and they are good but with our recent form,
I am optimistic and believe we will beat them to lift the trophy.”
After a tough start by new Manager, Rafael Benitez, ‘The Blues’ thrashed
Danish champions, FC Nordsjaelland before they crushed Sunderland 3-1
in the English Premier League.
This will be Benitez third final. In 2005, he led Liverpool to lose
1-0 to another Brazilian club, Sao Paulo, but made amends in 2010, when
his Inter Milan trounced African kings, TP Mazembe 3-0. After last
season’s historic double, the Super Eagles’ star now wants to add
another page to the history books. “I am happy to be in Japan with my
team to compete in the Club World Cup. This is the first time Chelsea is
playing in this competition and I hope to win it with them.
I am ready to contribute my quota to making another history here in
Japan,” Mikel told MTNFootball.com Besides winning a first-ever
Champions League trophy with Chelsea, Mikel has also won a league and FA
Cup double with the London club. The Nigeria international is serving
out a three-match ban in England, but that does not affect his
participation in the Club World Cup.
TheSun
The
major opposition parties in the country – the All Nigeria Peoples
Party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, and the Congress for Progressive
Change – have said they are ready to include the deregistered parties in
their ongoing merger plan.
The merger, which is scheduled to emerge
in 2013, is aimed at launching a formidable challenge against the
ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the 2015 general elections.
The National Publicity Secretary, ACN, Lai Mohammed, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the deregistered parties, which wish to work against the PDP, would be welcomed to the merger.
He said, “Our doors are not closed to
the parties that are progressives and are ready to push the PDP out of
power in 2015. The condition is that they must be thoroughly convinced
and ready to oust the PDP from political offices at the state and
federal levels.”
Similarly, the National Publicity
Secretary, ANPP, Emma Eneukwu, said the best option for the delisted
parties was to join the established ones. He added that such would
enhance the quality of the politics in the country.
He said, “We are ready to absolve them.
Any deregistered party that shows interest in joining us is welcome. If
any party is deregistered, the best option is to join another. We
already have a committee in charge of consultancy and I am sure it is
reaching out to them (the parties).
In the same vein, the National Publicity
Secretary, CPC, Rotimi Fashakin, said the party was ready to
accommodate the deregistered parties, but noted that it would only
accept those that share similar ideologies with it.
He said, “The good option for any
political party in their shoes is to join the existing ones that have
been tested and found to be viable. I am talking about parties of the
progressives, not the kind of party system the Peoples Democratic Party
has which is on its way out. The PDP is a party in its final days. We
will definitely welcome such associations (parties). However, only those
with similar objectives will be accommodated.”
Meanwhile, the banned parties are also exploring the possibility of registering as new parties.
Confirming this, the National Chairman
of the Peoples Redemption Party, Balarabe Musa, said, “We either go to
court or seek registration of another political party. We are also
likely to join forces with leading opposition parties to challenge the
ruling Peoples Democratic Party, at the 2015 general election.
He said, “The parties have been meeting.
We have met for some days now, and there would be more meetings on the
way forward. And from the discussion so far, there is the possibility of
the parties coming together to form an alliance. However, I believe the
more effective way to tackle this problem brought by PDP is to join
forces with a viable opposition party and that, in my opinion, is the
ACN, either through a merger or a democratic electoral alliance.”
However, the National Chairman of the Fresh Democratic Party, Rev. Chris Okotie, told SUNDAY PUNCH that his party was bent on challenging INEC in court.
He said, “I won’t like you to create the
impression that INEC has the final say in this matter, because to do
that is to capitulate to INEC and to the hegemony of the PDP. This is a
democracy and the rule of law has been established. The constitution
governs the affairs of this nation. Our position at Fresh is to
determine whether that which INEC has declared is constitutional. We are
going to court to contest that in the interest of our democracy and for
posterity.
“So we believe that within the
democratic philosophy of this nation, INEC has gone beyond its powers.
We believe the judiciary will rectify this anomaly. There is no way we
are going to accept this conspiracy between the PDP and INEC.
Similarly, the National Chairman of the
Progressive Action Congress, Charles Nwodo, said the delisted parties
had agreed to continue with their court action against INEC.
“What we have decided is that we will
continue with our court action against INEC to prove a point. According
to the Constitution, INEC does not have the right to deregister
political parties. And we are doing this for the sake of our democracy.
The constitution states that we shall operate a multiple party system,
so INEC cannot determine the number of parties in the country.”
Reacting to the possibility of
re-registration by the affected parties, the Chief Press Secretary to
the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said, “The constitution provides
for the minimum requirements they must meet. Once they meet the
conditions, the INEC has no choice but to register them.”
INEC’s Secretary, Abdullahi Kaugama, had
said INEC deregistered the 28 parties “in the exercise of the powers
conferred on it by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral
Act 2010 (as amended).”
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who skipped an overseas trip
this past week because of a stomach virus, sustained a concussion after
fainting, the State Department said Saturday.
The 65-year-old Clinton, who's expected to leave her job soon after
serving as America's top diplomat during President Barack Obama's first
term, is recovering at home after the incident last week and is being
monitored by doctors, according to a statement by aide Philippe Reines.
No further details were immediately available, reports The Associated Press.
The statement said Clinton was dehydrated because of the virus and that
she fainted and sustained a concussion. She will continue to work from
home in the week ahead and looks forward to being back in the office
"soon," the statement said.
Congressional aides do not expect her to testify as scheduled at
congressional hearings on Thursday into the September 11 attack against a
U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans,
including the U.S. ambassador.
The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to publicly discuss Clinton's status.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs
Committee had planned to hear from Clinton, and department officials had
taken steps to set the stage for her appearance, with Tom Nides, a
deputy secretary of state, briefing some members of the House committee
staff about her testimony.
Clinton backed out of a trip to North Africa and the Persian Gulf on
Monday because she was sick. She caught the virus during a recent visit
to Europe.
She's known for her gruelling travel schedule and is the most travelled
secretary of state, having visited 112 countries while in the job.
`’What Oshiomhole taught me during the campaigns’
He was recently appointed as the Chief of Staff to
Governor Adams Oshiomhole, after the victory of his boss in the July 14,
2012 governorship election in Edo State. Patrick Obahiagbon
(Igodomigodo), a former Majority Leader in the state House of Assembly,
became a national figure while representing the people of Oredo Federal
Constituency in the House of Representatives. He is a man of bombast..
In this interview with SIMON EBEGBULEM, in his usual way of expressing
himself, he speaks on his new job, the vision and mission of Oshiomole,
as well as the 2015 election, among other issues.
Excerpts: There appeared to be an alteration between you and the
Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, at the Benin Airport, when the
Sultan of Sokoto visited Benin City last weekend. Can you shed some
light on what actually happened?
Did you say altercation? I beg I no know book oooo (I am not literate
o). But let me asseverate (explain) that my brief from the comrade
governor was very pellucid (clear) and it was an executive request to me
to proceed to the Benin Airport and accord all the protocols to the
Sultan of Sokoto. I was to lead him to the Government House as a guest
of the governor. I was also copiously in the know against the backdrop
of the concatenation of colloquy (discussions) between His Eminence, the
Sultan of Sokoto, and the comrade governor that there was a consensus
between the Edo State government and His Eminence that the state
government was to play host to the Sultan whilst he was in Edo State. I
had no difficulty therefore in executing the governor’s request with
clinical finish and political blitzkriegism (alacrity). So how has it been transiting from a lawmaker to the Chief of Staff to the Governor?
It has it been interesting, challenging and quite titillating. Whereas
the ambience (responsibility) of parliament was laisser-faire, it’s a
different kettle of fish here in Osadebey Avenue. The comrade governor
is an incredible workaholic who has no patience for indolence, hedonism
or opportunistic razzmatazz. To a large extent, I would say he is a
perfervid (incurable) perfectionist. You will understand therefore why
we need to be in daily attunement (touch) with the cosmic forces to
enable us keep pace with his boundless energy and stupendous verve.
The job of the Chief of Staff is, of course, quite more demanding in
terms of the application of the regime of mental magnitude than when I
was in parliament. You can choose when you go to parliament or not. In
fact, some members of parliament really don’t even show up until pay day
even though I can hardly remember a day I was not part of parliamentary
sittings in my unbroken twelve years in the legislature. But as Chief
of Staff, who are you not to be at work on a daily basis when you are
working with a governor that is at work every day by 8am (or even before
8) and don’t get home from work until about 8pm,most times (or even
much later)? Don’t forget that the office of the Chief of Staff is
supposed to be the clearing house of government which means I have to be
on my toes to catch up with the comrade’s burning desire to put Edo
State on the indelible map of transformation. It would interest you to
know that even on weekends, the comrade governor is at work and that is
precisely the fundamental reason Edo State is working again. You went through the length and breadth of the state during the campaigns. How was it?
The campaigns really afforded me the opportunity to appreciate the
compassionate and down- to- earth side of the comrade governor. I was
particularly touched most times when the governor eagerly entered the
rain in a no-holds barred manner to address the people. On one occasion
when he attended the passing out ceremony of Youth Corps members in
Okada, it rained donkeys and cows (cats and dogs) but the governor got
into the rain and addressed the Corps members for over one hour,
drenched and, of course, myself and his security aides could not but
stand in the rain with him and this happened most times in the course of
the campaigns. This endeared him further to me as a man that had a date
with history.
The campaigns also made me know that the comrade governor has a
passion for coconut especially coconut water which re-energizes him for
more action after every sip, and he passionately shared with me, his
security aides and the television camera guy anything he ate or drank,
especially the period of the campaigns when we did the helicopter round.
These were emotional and touching moments indeed. You people used helicopters during the campaigns;
sometimes you flew into Benin at night even when the weather was not
pleasant. Were you at any point scared that something unpleasant might
happen?
Those were breathtaking moments when the pilot alone was in charge of
our lives, but I had no fears for a second because I believed that
there were the hands of God in the emergence of the comrade governor in
the affairs of Edo State. Don’t forget that the way the governor emerged
and took suzerainty of Edo’s political turf speaks volumes of the
mysterious workings of divine providence and my mystical anchorage left
me not in doubt that “as it is above, so it is below”. The good Lord of
Hosts is always by those who give their all for the collective
upliftment of the people. The governor himself, I must mention, also
displayed a commendable sense of intrepidity (courage) even in the face
of mercurial weather convulsions. Some persons were shocked that you agreed to work with
the campaign train even after you lost the House of Reps ticket in the
ACN?
No doubt that most of my political fidus achates (associates) and PDP
faithful endeavoured to capitalize on the fact that I did not get my
ticket to get back to the House of Representatives as an intervention
point to sway me back to the PDP, but they were those who did not know
me well and have not followed my politics intimately. My political
peregrination has had all the trappings of progressivism from my student
union days; so, to me, coming to the ACN at the time I did was not all
about the politics of political ticketocracy (of just getting ticket to
contest election). The comrade governor is just a phenomenon in the
politics of Edo State and I am delighted that he has offered me the
opportunity to be part of his salubrious and revolutionary vision in
taking Edo to the next level and, for that matter, from the epic piazza
of his political sanctum sanctorum (inner recess). But there is this fear in some quarters that the comrade
governor may not perform in his second coming, like many second term
governors?
Let me state emphatically that the comrade governor is not only aware
that he was democratically invested with a pro- Edo mandate, he is also
conscious of the historical and sociological responsibilities that such
a leviathan mandate commands and he is consequently poised not only to
consolidate on the gains of yesterday, but to also turn Edo into an
agricultural hub and an industrial sub and super structure. I therefore
urge all Edo citizens not to be in tenterhooks, but be ready to be in
utilitarian cahoots with Mr. Governor as he takes Edo steadily and
surely to the next level.
Vanguard
Marisol Bello, Wendy Koch, Yamiche Alcindor, Haya El Nasser, Martha T. Moore, Laura Petrecca and Mary Beth Marklein
NEWTOWN,
Conn. -- The horror wrought by a lone gunman on this close-knit
community crystallized Saturday afternoon as the 26 victims of the Sandy
Hook school massacre were publicly identified.
Among the dead
were the educators who hailed as heroes -- the school's principal and
psychologist, who didn't hesitate to rush toward the sound of the
gunfire, and the first-grade teacher who used her body to shield her
tiny charges from the bullets. Six of the victims were adults. STORY: Many of young school victims were shot multiple times FULL COVERAGE: Nation mourns shooting victims
The
young victims -- 20 in all -- epitomized the children of that age,
bright, smiling faces, some of them missing their front teeth. Most of
them were first-graders.
All of them died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to state medical examiner H. Wayne Carver.
The victims included:
Dawn
Hochsprung, the school's popular principal. She was known for her
enthusiasm, frank opinions and love of teaching. Hochsprung, 47, a
veteran teacher and administrator, worked at the school for two years,
where those who knew her say she immediately became a beloved figure.
Board of Education chairwoman for the Newtown public schools Debbie
Liedlien says residents are feeling "a deep sense of loss" over her
death.
Town officials say Hochsprung was killed while lunging at the gunman as she tried to overtake him. STORY: Heroism no surprise to those who knew slain principal
"I
would expect her to jump right into the chaos," said neighbor Judith
Neukam. "I think she would have felt responsible for it and she would
have taken that responsibility."
Family friend Fraser Randolph,
60, of Danbury, has known Hochsprung and her husband, George, for more
than 15 years. He said Hochsprung and her husband, who is also a
teacher, often talked about educational policies over dinner with him.
"She
was always talking about education--always looking for ways to solve
problems, communicate better with parents and break down administrative
barriers to better serve the needs of kids," Randolph said.
Mary Sherlach spent most of her professional life trying to help kids from taking a wrong turn.
A
school psychologist at the Sandy Hook Elementary School since August
1994, she worked closely with students, parents and teachers.
I "am always ready to assist in problem solving, intervention and prevention," Sherlach, 56, wrote on her professional website.
She died while trying to protect others, Diane Day, a therapist who works at the school, told The Wall Street Journal. STORY: School psychologist died trying to protect others
When
reached at Scherlach's home in Trumbull, Conn., a friend of the family
read a statement that was written by Scherlach's daughter Maura
Schwartz.
"There are no words to describe the devastating loss
that we feel at this time," it said. "Our family has lost a loving
mother, dedicated wife and above all, a wonderful, caring woman who was
beyond dedicated to her students."
Victoria Soto was
known as Miss Victoria Soto in Room 10, a smiling teacher who
underscored her enthusiasm over teaching first-graders with exclamation
points.
On her page on the school's website, she
wrote: "I absolutely love teaching first grade!'' and "I look forward to
an amazing year in first grade with my amazing students of room 10!"
Soto's lifelong dream was to be a teacher.
"She was all about molding those young minds," her cousin, James Wiltsie, told ABC News. STORY: Woman in iconic photo is sister of slain teacher
The
27-year-old died in the classroom she loved, reportedly making the
ultimate sacrifice Friday by sheltering her students in a classroom
closet and coming between them and the gunman, Wiltsie said.
It's not clear how many of Soto's students died.
Gillian Chanko is now 13 and in 8th grade but remembers Soto as a young teachers' aide.
"She was really, really nice," she said. "It didn't surprise me that she was one of the first to try to save her kids."
Soto
still lived where she grew up in Stratford, Conn. She graduated from
Eastern Connecticut State University and was getting a master's in
special education at Southern Connecticut State University.
"I
love to spend time with black lab Roxie," she wrote. "I love spending
time with my brother, sisters and cousins. … I also love flamingos and
the New York Yankees."
Wiltsie told ABC: "Unfortunately, she lost
her life, but knowing the way she lost it, I'm proud to call her family.
… She was a hero trying to protect the children."
Emilie
Parker, 6, was a blonde blue-eyed first-grader, an artist who always
toted around her crayons and paper. She was a big sister to two younger
sisters who always turned to her for comfort.
In an
emotional press conference, Emilie's father, Robert, described the last
conversation he had with his eldest daughter. He was teaching her
Portuguese, and she asked him how he was doing.
"She
told me she loved me, and I walked out the door," he said. Robert
Parker kept his composure as he spoke but became emotional as he
described how his two younger girls always turned to Emilie when they
needed comfort.
"She was the type of person who could light up a room," he said. "She is an incredible person and I'm so blessed to be her dad."
Parker said he didn't know how he and his wife would get through this tragedy.
He
and his family moved to Newtown eight months ago when he accepted a job
as a physician assistant in the neonatal intensive care unit at the
Danbury hospital. He said he was at the hospital when he heard about the
shooting from his wife. He said at first he thought it couldn't have
been very serious, but as the day wore on, the enormity of it hit him,
he said.
"I don't know how to get through this," he said.
A
Facebook page created by the family shows Emilie at baseball games with
her father and watching over her younger sisters. The family plans to
return her remains to Utah, where they are originally from.
Jesse Lewis loved math and horse-back riding. The 6-year-old was in Soto's class, his father Neil Heslin told the New York Post.
"He was just a happy boy," Heslin told the paper.
Jesse
lived on a horse farm, Wild Rose Farm, with his mother. He loved to
play with the animals on the farm and had been horseback riding since he
was 1 and 1/2 years old.
Neighbor Judy Petro said she
occasionally saw Jesse riding with his mother, Scarlett, as the pair cut
through the Petros' property to reach a horse trail in the
neighborhood.
"They rode horses, and we gave her permission to
ride through our land to get to the trail that the horses go on. Once in
a while her son came with her. She's a very nice woman and very
generous. It's just horrible that it happened. The whole thing is just
unbelievable,'' Petro said.
Noah Pozner, 6, was one of the victims in
the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., on Dec.
14.
Washington Post via AP
Another
neighbor, Irene Arfaras, described Scarlett Lewis as "very friendly''
and "a hard worker'' for running the farm in addition to a day job.
Scarlett Lewis is the author of Rose's Foal,
a children's book she wrote about a draft horse and how she teaches her
foal about life. In an author's note on Amazon, she said she wrote the
book about the foal, born the day after 9/11, in honor of her sons.
She
described taking photographs for the book with her son "in a red Flyer
Wagon with his blanket and pacifier waiting patiently in the
background.'' What Lewis wrote about the now deceased draft horse could
now be said about her own child: "We miss her dearly every day, and this
book also helps keep her memory alive. Of course we look forward to
seeing her in heaven."
Ana Marquez-Greene, 6, was the
daughter of jazz saxophonist Jimmy Greene. She, her parents and older
brother moved to Newtown this summer from Manitoba, Canada, where Greene
taught music. Greene thanked friends on Facebook, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
"As we work through this nightmare, we're reminded how much we're loved
and supported on this earth and by our Father in heaven. As much as
she's needed here and missed by her mother, brother and me, Ana beat us
all to paradise. I love you sweetie girl," his post said.
Lauren
Rousseau, 30, had spent years working as a substitute teacher and doing
other jobs. So she was thrilled when she finally realized her goal this
fall to become a full-time teacher at Sandy Hook. Her mother, Teresa
Rousseau, does not hold back when describing what the job meant to her
daughter. "It was the best year of her life," she told the Danbury News-Times, where she is a copy editor. Rousseau has been called gentle, spirited and active. She had planned to see The Hobbit
with her boyfriend Friday and had baked cupcakes for a party they were
to attend afterward. She was a Danbury native, a graduate of the
University of Connecticut and the University of Bridgeport, a lover of
music, dance and theater. "I'm used to having people die who are older,"
her mother said, "not the person whose room is up over the kitchen."
Noah
Pozner, 6, is the youngest of five children. His parents are divorced
and his mother, Veronica, is a nurse, said Rabbi Shaul Praver of
Congregation Adath Israel. He was at the firehouse yesterday with
parents and will be buried on Sunday as is Jewish custom.
Benjamin
Wheeler was 6 and a relative newcomer to Newtown. He was one of two
sons of David and Francine Wheeler. David is a writer and performer with
the Flagpole Shakespeare Repertory Theater. According to his biography
on the website, he and his wife and two sons just moved to Newtown in
April 2011. They had lived in New York City before that, where David
Wheeler worked as an actor on stage, film and television. Other victims:
By Abdulrahman Abdulmalik The presidency has just released a statement mourning the
victims of this afternoon’s helicopter crash in Bayelsa.
It also gave the names of the other four victims of the crash.
They are Dauda Tsoho, an aide to Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna
and Warrant Officer Mohammed Kamal, an aide to former National Security
Adviser, Owoye Azazi, and the pilots, Commander Muritala Mohammed Daba
and Lt. Adeyemi O. Sowole.
Messrs Yakowa and Azazi had earlier been confirmed dead in the helicopter crash.
“President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has expressed utter shock and
sadness over the crash Saturday in Bayelsa State of a military
helicopter resulting in the death of Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna
State and former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Owoye Azazi
(rtd), their aides, Dauda Tsoho and Warrant Officer Mohammed Kamal and
the pilots, Commander Muritala Mohammed Daba and Lt. Adeyemi O. Sowole.
“The President extends deep and heartfelt condolences to the families
and friends of the deceased, and the governments and people of Kaduna
and Bayelsa States. He describes the sudden loss of these distinguished
Nigerians as extremely painful to the entire nation.
“President Jonathan has ordered an investigation into the cause(s) of the crash.”
LibertyReport
