time for the Zlatan Ibrahimovic critics to shut up

The Swede broke his national team’s goalscoring record on Thursday and continues to set new marks at all levels

He is still looked upon by many as a nearly man, an unnecessary luxury item for any side looking to challenge at the very top of the game. But Zlatan Ibrahimovic continues to show up those narrow-minded enough to write him off, proving he is a true great of the modern game.

After netting a hat-trick on Sunday for Paris Saint-Germain against St Etienne, he netted twice more on Thursday against Estonia to break the long-standing record of Sven Rydell and become Sweden’s all-time leading goalscorer.

His latest brace for the Blagult took him to an unprecedented 50 international goals, and he has now scored nine goals in just four full starts so far this season. The stats involved in the 32-year-old’s career records are simply phenomenal.

While his infamous Champions League drought continues, his record of having won 11 league titles in 13 years – including 10 in the last 11 attempts – is unparalleled amongst the world’s top leagues.

And it is not just team awards he has collected time and again. He topped the Serie A scoring charts twice, and has been Ligue 1’s top goal-getter in both campaigns with PSG.

He was named Italy’s Player of the Year three times and Serie A’s Foreign Footballer of the Year on five occasions. In his two seasons in Paris, he has racked up back-to-back Ligue 1 Player of the Year crowns.

Few players can match his honours in the game, either individually or as part of a successful team, and his 367 career goals mark is only set to grow. Over the last half-decade, his season-on-season tally has barely relented. He netted 21 times for Barcelona in 2009-10 before scoring 22 between Barca and AC Milan the following campaign.

His second and final season with Milan was notable for its lack of a Scudetto yet Ibra hit 35 goals, a figure he would match 12 months later with PSG. Last term was his finest yet in front of goal, racking up a career-best 41 strikes, and 2014-15 already promises to be a season to remember.

It is time people gave Zlatan the immense credit he deserves.

Gunmen kidnap 3 doctors, 2 other health workers in Rivers

Three doctors, a nurse and one other health worker have been kidnapped in Rivers State.

Vanguard gathered that the health workers were taken hostage at Okolomabo community in Abua/Odua Local Government Area.

Condemning the abduction, Coordinator, Niger Delta Youths for Positive Attitude Change and Progress, Mr Emmanule Enisuo, called for their unconditional release.

Community sources said the health workers were in the community for a free health care programme organised by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

Efforts to speak with the spokesman of the NDDC, Mr T. Abosede, on the matter was futile. Also, a text message to him on the issue was not responded to at press time.

Meantime, resident doctors at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital have called for unconditional release of another doctor of the hospital who was kidnapped in Tai Local Government Area of the state.

Dr Sam Kinaka was taken hostage by heavily armed men. It could not be confirmed if any contact had been established with relatives of any of the health workers for ransom payment.

7 Temptations That Can Ruin Your Relationship

There are a few temptations that can ruin your relationship, no matter how much you love your man. Unfortunately, we sometimes have desires that lead to destruction and ruin even the strongest relationships. That’s why I decided to share this list of 7 temptations that can ruin your relationship that you need to be aware of.

1. Constant lying

When you did something that you know your boyfriend or husband wouldn’t approve of, it can be tempting to lie to him about it. While it can be easy to lie, your lies will haunt you down the road. If you really love each other, you should never be afraid to tell the truth, no matter how hard it can be. A strong relationship is never based on lies. Remember it.

 

2. Desire to cheat on your partner

One of the worst temptations that ruin your relationships is the desire to cheat on your partner. If you are in a long lasting relationship and you meet another man, everything can become so complicated. The only way to maintain your relationship strong is to refuse to give into that dangerous temptation, if you really love your partner.

3. Stealing your partner’s things

When you are in a long term-relationship and you are living together, it can be tempting to steal your partner’s clothes or cash without asking him. While many couples are okay with it, others are not comfortable. Your boyfriend/husband has the right to know what you take or how much money you take. Don’t take anything without his permission and you will avoid lots of fights.

4. Spending more time with friends

When you are in a very long-term relationship, you might get jealous of all of the parties and free time your friends (especially single ones) have. But, don’t allow the temptation of alone time to ruin your relationship. Don’t forget that you can spend time with your friends; you just need to discuss it with your partner and rearrange your schedule.

5. Putting no effort into your relationship

Once you have been together for a long time, you may feel so comfortable that you may stop putting effort into your relationship. While comfort is a great thing, it can be dangerous as well. No matter how long you’ve been together, you still have to put effort into your relationship to make it last.

 

6. Constant fights

When you are in a bad mood, it’s so easy to scream at your partner to let out your emotions, however, he could get hurt and it can lead to numerous fights. Don’t risk upsetting your partner, scream into a pillow if you are tempted to vent. It may sound funny, but it’s actually work. Never blame your sweetheart for problems that he didn’t cause. It’s one of the best ways to keep your relationship strong.

7. Taking your partner’s efforts for granted

Just because you can walk all over him, doesn’t mean you should do it. If he washes your clothes for you and makes you breakfast every single morning, let him know that his hard work is highly appreciated. Treat your partner with respect and don’t take his efforts for granted.

It can be hard to keep the relationship strong, especially if one of the partners put no effort into it. If you want your relationship to stay strong, make sure you don’t act on the aforementioned dangerous desires. There’s nothing wrong with you, if you have these desires, but just don’t act on them and ensure your partner doesn’t act on them as well. Which one of these desires is the most difficult for you to avoid succumbing to? Do you know any other temptations that can ruin a strong relationship?

Imposition of candidates as threat to democracy – By Prince Oliver Okpala

Internal party democracy is a key ingredient of any democratic system of government. This is because democracy ought to begin from the parties and how they choose their candidates for the election proper. If the candidates are chosen otherwise than in line with tenets of democracy, then the political space would be tainted and no true democracy can be said to be in existence.

A key ingredient of internal democracy is the avoidance of imposition of candidates on the party. Every candidate interested in an elective office should be given the opportunity to test his popularity within his party by a democratically – conducted primaries which will produce the most popular candidate for the election proper. Anything short of this is a total detour from democratic norms and principles.

In Nigeria, imposition of candidates on the party by some influential leaders has become the rule rather than the exception. This practice has spelt doom for many political parties and even their candidates whose political ambitions had been truncated undemocratically in preference for some sacred cows. It can be said that imposition of candidates is as old as Nigerian democracy. But this spate of imposition assumed disturbing dimensions with the advent of republican democracy in 1999.

Political godfathers and party tin gods went practically low wire as they picked and chose favoured candidates and godson at will without any concern for the good and progress of the party. Such godfathers prefer their loyalists and criminals to popular candidates.

The imposition came to a head in the last general elections and thereafter as party members, who felt shortchanged during party primaries left in droves to other parties. It is important to note that imposition of candidates cuts across all the political parties. Recent experience has shown the tendency of this evil practice to cause the disintegration of political parties and to breed bad blood and discontentment in the rank and file of the parties. This practice is a threat to democracy as it does not give room for party members to have a say in the choice of candidates to stand for the main election.

Another dimension to the imposition syndrome is the practice whereby certain candidates who feel shortchanged in one party crossover to another party only to be given the opportunity to vie for elective posts or offered plum jobs over and above hardworking and loyal old party members. This also breeds frustration and bad blood in the system. It sounds in breach of the fundamental rights of party members to deny them the right to elect candidate of their choice.

The bane of our party politics since 1999 is impatience on the pact of party godfathers and members to allow  democracy to flourish in the parties. There is nothing interracially wrong with a party member deciding to pitch his tent with another party in order to realize his ambition or to identify with his personal ideals and manifestoes. But it is only prudent that such persons who cross over to other parties should exercise patience, bid their time and understand the party before taking a short at an elective position. It is indecent for someone who just joined a party to be handed over the mandate to represent the party in an election without regard to those members who have been loyal, committed and steadfast to the party.

The spate of imposition across Nigeria political parties dampen the morale of members. It is a practice that is capable of shaking the belief of members in their party and in its internal mechanisms. It is a direct affront to democracy which reduces the game of polities to a process of sheer selection, godfatherism, favouritism and particularism. No doubt, this is a total threat to our fledgling democracy.

The present development where certain politicians abandon their parties midstream only to join other parties and seek governorship or  other positions almost immediately is indecent. It should be completely discouraged.

Indeed, such persons who durmp their parties and seek elective positions in other parties can best be described as political self-seekers who are mere politicians of fortune. They will definitely cross over to another party should they fail to realize their ambition.

Similarly, where the legislature has impeached a governor, deputy governor or speaker, it is in bad taste for the speaker to aspire to the position of governor. Decency, wise counsel and good judgment dictate that such a speaker who presided over the impeachment of a governor should keep away from vying for that position immediately in order to give the legislature he led some measure of credibility.

This new practice should be checked or else our legislatures will embark upon impeachment spree all over the country to enable the head of the legislature transmute to a governor. This can spell doom for our democracy.

Not only does this practice shortchange our democracy, it threatens our national stability.

It is dangerous to national security. It is worse than insurgency, which has gulped a considerable chunk of our national budget. In a democracy without democracy, there will be no government to fight insecurity and insurgency. There will be breakdown of law and order. Let us protect and preserve our democracy for our posterity.

Prince Oliver Okpala is a political analyst.

 

I wish all my artistes were as successful as Wizkid — Banky W

Empire Mates Entertainment boss Banky W has said he is proud of his former protege, Wizkid who grew under his EME and expressed profound desire for all his other artistes to be as successful as the Star Boi. 

In a recent chat with Channels TV, Banky said he has no grouse with Wizkid for going to form his own record label Star Boi, saying it is indeed his desire for artistes to grow big enough to form their own record labels.

“I signed Wiz and he blew up. Now he is doing ‘Star Boi’ (music label) and that is a good thing. It’s not a bad thing…

The interesting thing is to allow an artist to renegotiate. Wizkid has earned the right to sit at the table to do what he wants to do and I hope all my artistes are as successful as Wizkid.” he said.

Clearing the air on any animosity between him and the Caro crooner, the Samsumg Africa ambassador opined, “”I think that people tend to make things a little more negative than they are.

Every label executive prays for their artistes to grow to the point when they want to set up their own label and they have the ability to do so. It is a natural progression in music.”

 

GOV DICKSON RESUMES DUTY AFTER VACATION, REASSURES ON CONTINUOUS DELIVERY OF DIVIDENDS OF DEMOCRACY

Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson resumes duty on Monday, 8th of September, 2014, after his annual vacation.
A Government House statement says the vacation has afforded the Governor ample time to rest and prepare him to further tackle the myriad of developmental challenges confronting the State.

The statement thanked the people of the State for ever being supportive to the policies and programmes of the Government, adding that, the restoration administration will reciprocate by ensuring the prompt delivery of the dividends of democracy to the masses.

Governor Dickson also used the opportunity to express his deep appreciation to the security agencies, government and non-governmental organizations for the various complimentary roles they have played in ensuring the proper implementation of the agenda of the restoration government in the State.

He solicited the continued support of all and sundry and assured the people of the cooperation of government at all times.

Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State

Otuoke Youths Close down Federal University in Bayelsa

Hundreds of students of the Federal University, Otuoke in  Bayelsa State, the hometown of President Goodluck Jonathan, were yesterday forced out of the campus by irate youths of the community who accused  the institution of refusing to employ and give out admission slots to indigenes of the community.

The students were having their second semester examinations when they were forced to flee as the youths barricaded the entrances to the school chanting war songs in protest against the institution’s management.

The protest was called off following the deployment of armed policemen and men of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) and the Oloibiri clan head of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) led by Mr. Osaanya Osaaya.

Before the deployment, the military men on guard at the president’s home refused to be drawn into the crisis even as they remained in red alert.

The protesting Otuoke youths accused the management of the university of discrimination, lamenting that no recruitments for employment have been done in the last two years.

“We demanded that a total of 319 names agreed by the community should be employed. We also demanded admission slots by the university. We also demanded that a Memoradum of Understanding (MoU) with the community on issues of employment and admission.”

But the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Mobolaji Aluko, said though the university had never failed in engaging the host community of Otuoke on issues of employment and admission as stipulated in the provided legislation, “community pressure will come up and we have handled them well. But we don’t want to be compelled and the academic activities of the students disrupted. It is not the protest by the youths that forced us to listen but the need to sustain our community relations policy and not allow community-student clash.”

Aluko said the institution presently has in its employment a total number of 1,300 staff with a student capacity of 1,040.

He disclosed that the quota system of employment showed that the indigenes of various communities in the state constituted 760 of its total staff strength, while Ogbia and Otuoke community have 350 and 150 persons respectively.

The VC noted that a memorandum of understanding have been reached with the community through the paramount ruler, Obanema of Otuoke,

“We have agreed to engage the indigenes based on the increasing requirements of employment in the next few months. The demanded names submitted for employment were done without required qualifications and we have asked them to attach to the names their qualification and we will conduct interview to affirm competence.

“We have informed them that we must be careful about fulfilling the Federal Character provision. It is possible we will increase our employment quota by 25 per cent due to our increasing needs but we must follow due process. And we have also insisted that the admission slots given to the community and others must be in compliance with the provision of the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB).”

Insurgency: Lawmakers to Meet with Jonathan, Blame Babangida for Weakened Military

•  Get briefing from Badeh on emergency rule

Following the rising wave of insurgency in the North-east and the threat to Nigeria’s territorial integrity, members of the National Assembly have set the stage for a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan so as to end the ceaseless attacks that have led to the death of thousands in recent months and turned several more into refugees.

This is just as the legislators have blamed the regime of former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, for the flagging performance of the Nigerian Armed Forces in their confrontation with Boko Haram, saying the regime intentionally weakened the military after the failed coup d’etat led by Major Gideon Okar in 1990.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator George Sekibo (PDP, Rivers), spoke to reporters on their intention to meet with the president at the end of a closed-door meeting the legislators had with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Marshal Alex Badeh, yesterday.

Badeh was said to have given a situation report on the emergency rule imposed on Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States to the joint Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives on Defence.

According to Sekibo, during the five-hour meeting, the CDS assured them that the Nigerian armed forces were on top of the Boko Haram situation in the North-east.

He said contrary to speculations, the insurgents were in control of only one o
r two towns in Borno State, but did not mention the towns that had fallen to Boko Haram.

“We’ve heard stories of towns being captured and our armed forces being withdrawn, that is why we invited the CDS to get first-hand information. Based on this meeting, the situation is different from all the speculation.

“We have one or two places where the insurgents have a stronghold, but within a few days, the Nigerian armed forces will take them back,” Sekibo said.

The senator explained that the proposed follow-up meeting with the president on the matter is aimed at seeing if more progress could be made to end the insurgency.

He stated: “We met here from 10 am till 3 pm. That’s about five hours. The purpose is to follow up on the approval of the state of emergency for the third time, so that the presidency will brief us on the progress in those states.”
Sekibo also assured Nigerians that more equipment had been procured to fight the insurgents, pointing out that the troops’ morale which nose-dived in the recent past would be lifted soon.

“The Nigerian armed forces are capable of handling the situation,” he assured the journalists.

“We’ll report the outcome to both chambers and we’ll meet with Mr. President. We believe that the armed forces will overcome this problem in no time,” he said.

The Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Hon. Bashir Adamu (PDP, Jigawa), also explained that a paltry N300 billion out of the N1 trillion in the budget had been released to the military.

He advocated that more funds be released to the military, especially with the security challenges facing the country, so that it could tackle insurgency head on.

He said as politicians, they would meet the president on the matter to discuss it extensively in order to bring lasting peace to the North-east.

Also commenting on the military’s inability to effectively rout the insurgents, Senator Sani Saleh laid the blame squarely on the Babangida regime, who he said went out of its way to weaken the armed forces following the failed coup d’etat of April 22, 1990.

Saleh, who is a member of the Senate Committee on Defence, said the situation in the North-east was deteriorating, insisting that the reason for the deterioration must also be tackled.

“We have heard about our soldiers’ mutiny. It is also our responsibility to find out why that is happening. For us to understand why that is happening, we need to go back to the Babangida era.

“After the 1990 Okar coup, the Federal Government of Nigeria systematically and comprehensively disarmed the military. All the tanks, all the artillery guns were disarmed and locked up.

“All the aircraft were parked in Ilorin and other places, flying stopped, training stopped to ensure the regime’s security and not national security.    

“All the good officers of the Nigerian Army were hounded out of the military. And there was an over-concentration of power at the centre which was the army headquarters.
“Prior to that, General Officers Commanding used to have training and manoeuvre grants,” he said.

 

THISDAY

Adamawa Guber: Ribadu, Barka, Tukur, Others Withdraw from Race

Apparently to enable the zone of impeached governor, Muritala Nyako,  to complete his tenure, most of the governorship aspirants from the Adamawa central zone have withdrawn from the PDP governorship primary election slated for Saturday.

Those that have withdrawn, THISDAY gathered include Nuhu Ribadu;  Auwal Tukur; Aliyu Idi Hong, Andrawus Sawa; James Barka;  Gen. Aliyu Kama; Markus Gundiri and Abubakar Girei. They  are stepping down for   the acting governor, Umar Fintiri, to complete the tenure of the former governor, Murtala Nyako.

This was the outcome of the meeting with the Adamawa state stakeholders, aspirants and President Goodluck Jonathan. The meeting lasted for more than four hours.

With their withdrawal from the race, the ticket is close to the acting governor, Umar Fintiri and former Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Mohammed Moddibo.
Details to follow

THISDAY