FIFA : RONALDO, MESSI, NEYMAR ON SHORTLIST FOR BALLON D’OR

Barcelona pair Lionel Messi and Neymar were on Monday named on the shortlist for FIFA’s prestigious Ballon d’Or along with double reigning title holder, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid. While Portuguese Ronaldo has triumphed over the last two seasons (in a total of three wins),


Argentinian Messi has previously claimed the coveted award four times while Brazilian Neymar makes the shortlist for FIFA’s player of the year award for the first time. Messi was the catalyst for Barcelona’s impressive run to three titles last season (the Champions League, La Liga and the Spanish Cup) and will be the standout favourite ahead of Ronaldo.

The Portugal international might have finished the season without a trophy, but his individual talent shone out as he was La Liga’s highest scorer with 48 goals, and has notched up a leading seven in the Champions League this term. World Cup-winning captain Carli Lloyd (USA/Houston Dash), Aya Miyama (Japan/Okayama Yunogo Belle), and Celia Sasic (Germany/1. FFC Frankfurt) are in the running for the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award.

 Two Spanish coaches, Bayern Munich’s Pep Guardiola and Barcelona’s Luis Enrique made the shortlist of the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football award alongside Jorge Sampaoli, the Argentinian coach who led Chile to Copa America victory. And Jill Ellis (USA/USA national team), Mark Sampson (Wales/English national team) and Norio Sasaki (Japan/Japanese national team) are the final trio to battle it out for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football award. All of the awards will be presented at the FIFA Ballon d’Or award ceremony in Zurich on January 11, 2016.

JONATHAN NARROWLY ESCAPES DEATH IN BAYELSA STATE

Goodluck Jonathan, the immediate past president of Nigeria, has narrowly escaped the death in Bayelsa state today, November 30. Some suspected men accused of working for the All Progressives Congress in the state drove into Jonathan’s convey.

The militants, who stopped and drove into a short motorcade transporting the former leader of the nation from the Julius Berger bridge area of the state capital Yenagoa, trailed and chased the motorcade to the entrance of the private house of Jonathan in the Kpansia area of the town, before they were crushed and detained by a combined team of security operatives attached to the ex-president.


Members of the arrested band have been taken to the Bayelsa state police command for further investigation and interrogation. Last year Jonathan and some top government officials escaped an air crash at the Minna Airport, when a presidential jet developed a technical fault, while they were aboard.

 Another accident with former president happened at the Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony in Abuja as one of the soldiers in the firing party mistakenly pointed his rifle at GEJ’s direction. Goodluck Jonathan was serving as president from 2010 till 2015. In March presidential poll he was defeated by Muhammadu Buhari.

TRUCK CRUSHES PASTOR TO DEATH

It was a gory scene yesterday, Sunday, November 29, when a truck crushed a pastor, Ojo Mattew, and a commercial okada rider to death on Oyero Road, Ijoko, in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun state.

Newsplanetb reports that the pastor was on a motorcycle in which the rider, Ayo Nugbohoyon, was heading for church before the truck carrying cement and asbestos pushed them to the way of an oncoming Toyota Camry car, carrying five members of a family, who were also going to church. The driver of the car, identified as Samuel, and his family members – wife and three children – reportedly were injured and were rushed to a nearby hospital. The car fell into the drainage channel by the roadside.

The truck with plate number Lagos EPE712XH, was on its way from Ogba Ayo to Oyero before its tyres slipped off, running into the motorcycle. The corpses of the dead pastor and okada man were taken to Ifo General Hospital Mortuary, as policemen from the Agbado division and some residents of the community were seen making efforts to clear the road. Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps later joined them in the operation. An okada rider and friend of Nugbohoyon, Israel Oyewo, said he (the deceased) had wanted to travel to Benin Republic to meet his wife who gave birth on Friday.

He said: “It is very painful. His wife had a baby two days ago and he had planned to travel later today (Sunday) before the incident happened. The passenger he carried, a pastor, also died. He was taking the pastor to a church.” Just recently, a Rwandan pastor made the record of conducting the largest conversion of Christians to Muslims on Tuesday, August 25.

The pastor, Salim Mikdad, converted all 480 members of his congregation to change their faiths. Meanwhile, hell was let loose yesterday, Sunday, August 30, at the United Methodist Church, in the Oshodi area of Lagos, when church members pursued their pastor off the pulpit.

CALABAR CARNIVAL 2015: GOV AYADE ADOPTS BEAUTY QUEENS

If you are a beauty queen, and you have the energy to rock on the streets, then you need not worry any more as Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has offered to put smiles in your face this season.

 The governor, at a glamorous unveiling of the 2015 edition of Carnival Calabar theme tagged ‘Climate Change’, which took place last Sunday, at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, surprisingly announced enlisting beauty queens as members of a new band called the Governor’s Band.

“Irrespective of their states of origin, they represent the beauty, elegance, style and class of the average Cross River youth,” said the governor.

 According to Ayade, the beauty queens also represent the signature band, they have been looking forward to seeing since the inception of the carnival.


While inviting all the beauty queens on stage, the governor declared, “ I will add value to their beauty and help them to realize their full potentials,” He revealed plans to commission the first of its kind runway in Nigeria.

The event had dignitaries from the Corporate Nigeria, the United States Embassy in Nigeria, actors, actresses and music stars in attendance. Marketing what has come to be known as the tourism destination in Nigeria, Ayade revealed that Carnival bands from 14 countries will be performing this year, while the notable children Carnival has also been repackaged to take the form of family funfair. 



Speaking further, Ayade said,the carnival can only get better with additional activities and restyling of the old ones, revealing that Bikers Day and Disco fiesta are part of the new offerings this year.

He also announced plans to set up ‘the biggest garment factory’ in Nigeria on December 15, adding that the establishment of the factory would reduce the money being spent by the state government to import various costumes for the festival and also, create employment opportunities for many citizens.
 
The governor assured of security, praising the State as having the lowest crime rate in Nigeria. “Our people are emotional stable and content with what they have. However, s full team of security will be mobilized for the festival,” he said. Also speaking at the event, Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa, Chairman, Calabar Carnival Bands Association and leader of the Seagull Band, commended the efforts of the past governors of the state for sustaining the carnival.


She said, like other concerned citizens, she was initially worried about the disposition of the new government in the State to the festival, but that the governor has allayed all fears. The Calabar Carnival started from the era of former Gov. Donald Duke. When Donald was leaving, we thought that would be the end of the Carnival,” she said, adding “But when Imoke came in, he took the carnival a notch higher.

With time, the carnival also became capital intensive, but despite the challenges, Imoke managed to keep it going. When Professor Ayade came, the same fear was entertained, but with what you are all witnesses to this evening, it is obvious the Carnival can only get better.” Mr Gab Onah, the Chairman of the Cross River State Carnival Commission revealed that this year’s carnival would attract more than 50,000 participants.