Today in history being 30th December

Today in History

1460		The Duke of York is defeated and killed by Lancastrians at the Battle of Wakefield.
1803		The United States takes possession of the Louisiana area from France at New Orleans with a simple ceremony, the simultaneous lowering and raising of the national flags.
1861		Banks in the United States suspend the practice of redeeming paper money for metal currency, a practice that would continue until 1879.
1862		The draft of the Emancipation Proclamation is finished and circulated among President Abraham Lincoln‘s cabinet for comment.
1905		Governor Frank Steunenberg of Idaho is killed by an assassin’s bomb.
1922		Soviet Russia is renamed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
1932		The Soviet Union bars food handouts for housewives under 36 years of age. They must now work to eat.
1947		Romania’s King Michael is forced to abdicate by Soviet-backed Communists. Communists now control all of Eastern Europe.
1965		Ferdinand E. Marcos is sworn in as the Philippine Republic’s sixth president.
1972		After two weeks of heavy bombing raids on North Vietnam, President Nixon halts the air offensive and agrees to resume peace negotiations with Hanoi representative Le Duc Tho.
1976		Governor Carey of New York pardons seven inmates, closing the book on the Attica uprising.
2006		Saddam Hussein, former Iraq dictator, is executed by hanging for crimes committed against his own people during his rule.
Born on December 30
1865		Rudyard Kipling, British author (Jungle Book, Soldiers Three).
1867		Simon Guggenheim, philanthropist and U.S. senator for Colorado.
1884		Tojo Hideki, Japanese Prime Minister during World War II.
1928		Bo Diddley, blues composer and singer.
1935		Sandy Koufax, Hall of Fame left-handed pitcher with the L.A. Dodgers.

Source: History net

Cech sets new Premier League record

Peter Cech

The Arsenal goalkeeper now has 170 clean sheets in the Premier League, overtaking former Liverpool, Manchester City and Portsmouth stopper David James

Petr Cech has broken the record for most clean sheets kept by any goalkeeper in Premier League history.

The 33-year-old passed David James to move onto 170 with another clean sheet in Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Bournemouth on Monday.

He reached the milestone in 352 games, compared to 572 for James, who played for Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham, Manchester City and Portsmouth.

"He can be very proud of that as it is a remarkable achievement," said Arsene Wenger. "He is gifted goalkeeper."

Arsenal moved to the top of the Premier League with the 2-0 win following goals from Gabriel and Mesut Ozil but will be overtaken if Leicester City beat Manchester City on Tuesday.
Source: Goal

“Where do I go from here when I’m getting so much grief from my crowd?”

Unfortunately, she’s also rather fat and my mates say that they don’t want her coming out with us any more as she lowers the tone.
They’re all really image conscious and keep telling me that I could do so much better for myself.
All of the girls they date are skinny, designer-obsessed clones.
I’ve been out with girls like that myself and they’ve all left me cold.
One mate has confessed that his fiancée doesn’t want us at their wedding, because my girl will ruin the photographs…
I haven’t got the heart to tell my girl she’s not welcome, when I know that she’s already got the present and made her outfit.

DILEMMA: He told her he loves her but doesn't know what to do about his mates

Another ‘pal’, someone I used to think was quite decent, has taken to calling my girl a cruel name behind her back and I’m angry and upset.
The fact is that there isn’t a bad bone in my girl’s body. She had a difficult childhood but is endlessly thoughtful and kind.

“Where do I go from here when I’m getting so much grief from my crowd?”

Just before Christmas my mum got ill and it was my girlfriend – not either of my two sisters – who cooked for her, did her shopping and, basically, nursed her back to health.
When I try to tell my mates stuff like that, they simply cheer “Jumbo”, which breaks my heart.
The fact is that my girl is healthy and bright and knocks socks off everyone else I know in terms of success and the salary she earns.
The other night we made love and I told her that I love her, which I really do. But where do I go from here when I’m getting so much grief from my crowd?

GETTY (FILE IMAGE)
SNUBBED: One mate's fiancee is worried she'll ruin the wedding photos

JANE SAYS: I simply don’t understand why the opinions of your ‘crowd’ are so important to you.
Yes, of course we all have our friends, the people we’ve known for years, and we are happy when they like the people we love.
But it doesn’t sound as if there is anything likeable, reasonable or human about the people you still call your pals.
How dare they be so rude about the woman you adore? Are you honestly telling me that every single one of them is absolutely perfect both inside and out?
It sounds like she’s got more compassion and humanity in her little finger than the rest of them put together.

 
TAUNTS: Pals have been calling his lover nasty names

What concerns me is that you repeat in your letter that she’s a “nice person” and that you love her.
But it sounds as if other people are getting into your brain and turning you against her. If you love her, then stick with her and support her.
Ask your friends to respect your position and keep their nasty opinions to themselves. If a snotty bride doesn’t want your girl in the pictures, then stuff her.
Concentrate on the one person whom you love the most.
If you don’t, then I fear that she’ll soon begin to sense something is up and lose faith in you. Then where will you be?
Source: Daily Star

Today in History being December 26

1776		After crossing the Delaware River into New Jersey, George Washington leads an attack on Hessian mercenaries at Trenton, and takes 900 men prisoner.
1786		Daniel Shay leads a rebellion in Massachusetts to protest the seizure of property for the non-payment of debt.
1806		Napoleon’s army is checked by the Russians at the Battle of Pultusk.
1862		38 Santee Sioux are hanged in Mankato, Minnesota for their part in the Sioux Uprising in Minnesota. Little Crow has fled the state.
1866		Brig. Gen. Philip St. George Cooke, head of the Department of the Platte, receives word of the Fetterman Fight in Powder River County in the Dakota territory.
1917		As a wartime measure, President Woodrow Wilson places railroads under government control, with Secretary of War William McAdoo as director general.
1925		Six U.S. destroyers are ordered from Manila to China to protect interests in the civil war that is being waged there.
1932		Over 70,000 people are killed in a massive earthquake in China.
1941		General Douglas MacArthur declares Manila an open city in the face of the onrushing Japanese Army.
1943		The German battleship Scharnhorst is sunk by British ships in an Arctic fight.
1944		Advancing Soviet troops complete their encirclement of Budapest in Hungary.
1945		The United States, Soviet Union and Great Britain, end a 10-day meeting, seeking an atomic rule by the UN Council.
1953		The United States announces the withdrawal of two divisions from Korea.
1962		Eight East Berliners escape to West Berlin, crashing through gates in an armor-plated bus.
1966		Dr. Maulana Karenga celebrates the first Kwanza, a seven-day African-American celebration of family and heritage.
1979		The Soviet Union flies 5,000 troops to intervene in the Afghanistan conflict.
1982		Time magazine chooses a personal computer as it “Man of the Year,” the first non-human ever to receive the honor.
1991		The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union formally dissolves the Soviet Union.
1996		JonBenet Ramsey, a six-year-old beauty queen, is found beaten and strangled to death in the basement of her family’s home in Boulder, Colorado, one of the most high-profile crimes of the late 20th century in the US.
1996		Workers in South Korea’s automotive and shipbuilding industries begin the largest labor strike in that country’s history, protesting a new law that made firing employees easier and would curtail the rights of labor groups to organize.
1999		Lothar, a violent, 36-hour windstorm begins; it kills 137 and causes $1.3 billion (US dollars) damage in Central Europe.
2004		A tsunami caused by a 9.3-magnitude earthquake kills more than 230,000 along the rim of the Indian Ocean.
2006		Former U.S. President Gerald R. Ford dies at age 93. Ford was the only unelected president in America’s history.
Born on December 26
1716		Thomas Gray, English poet.
1792		Charles Babbage, English mathematician who perfected the calculating machine.
1891		Henry Miller, American writer.
1893		Mao Tse-tung, founding father of the People’s Republic of China.
1894		Jean Toomer, poet and novelist who figured prominently in the Harlem Renaissance (Cane).
1905		William Loeb III, publisher of the Manchester Union Leader (later The New Hampshire Union Leader), one of the best-known small town newspapers in the US.
1907		Albert Gore Sr., US Senator from Tennessee who was instrumental in sponsoring and pushing through legislation that created America’s Interstate Highway System.
1914		Richard Widmark, actor (Kiss of Death); member of Western Performers Hall of Fame.
1921		Steve Allen, radio and TV personality, actor, musician, comedian, writer; hosted The Steve Allen Show and I’ve Got a Secret; won a Grammy for his jazz composition “The Gravy Waltz” (1963).
1924		Frank Broyles, college football player and coach; member of College Football Hall of Fame.
1927		Alan King, comedian, actor, producer, author (How to Pick Up Girls, Night and the CIty).
1939		Phil Spector, record producer; creator of the “Wall of Sound” production method; convicted in 2009 of murdering actress Lana Clarkson, he was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison.
1942		Dan Massey, social activist, author; co-founder and CEO of VenusPlusX.
1945		John Walsh, TV personality, victims rights advocate; created of America’s Most Wanted TV series after the murder of his son Adam in 1981.
1947		USMC General James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps (2006-10); commanded 1st Marine Expeditionary Force during the Second Gulf War.
2000		Samuel Sevian, chess prodigy; at age 12 became youngest-ever United States International Master.

Source: History Net

Bangladesh Signs $12.65 Bln Deal with Russia for Nuclear Power Plants

 

Bangladesh's state-run Atomic Energy Commission signed a deal with Russia on Friday to set up two nuclear power plants, each with 1,200 megawatt capacity, an investment totalling $12.65 billion, a government official said.
Work will begin early next year at Ruppur in Iswardi, 160 km (100 miles) from Dhaka, said Kamrul Islam Bhyian, spokesman for the ministry of science and technology.
"Russia will finance up to 90 percent of the total cost as credit with an interest rate of Libor plus 1.75 percent," Bhyian told Reuters.
Bangladesh will clear the total loan within 28 years with a 10-year grace period.
Bangladesh finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said it would be the country's biggest power project.
The first power plant is expected to begin operating by 2022 and the second by 2023.
The official said the plant would use a new generation reactor that has a lifespan of 60 years with an option of extending it for 20 years.
The reactor contains improved safety features, and its passive safety system can work for 72 hours in any critical or emergency situation, it said.
Rosatom will maintain the plant for the first year of its commercial operation before handing over to the Bangladesh authorities, and will bear fuel costs for the first year of operation.
Source: Moscow times

Why are Japanese children the healthiest in the world?

In a country where food culture permeates all aspects of life and society, it is perhaps unsurprising that Japan leads the “World Health Olympics,” in the words of Naomi Moriyama and William Doyle. In their book, “Secrets of the World’s Healthiest Children,” the pair proselytize for the traditional diet of Japanese families, revealing how Japan manages to stay so healthy, and how you can, too, with tidbits of parenting advice thrown in.

The book opens with Japan’s podium finish: the results of a comprehensive 2012 study backed by the Gates Foundation and published in the medical journal The Lancet, which showed that of the world’s nations, children born in Japan can expect to have the healthiest lives and live the longest. The U.S. was ranked 32.
Moriyama, speaking to The Japan Times from Finland where her husband is a Fulbright scholar, explained that they wrote the book firstly for themselves. Like many exasperated first-time parents, when their son was born they turned to books and experts to glean advice on everything from sleeping to discipline. However, when it came to food, Moriyama really felt like she needed extra guidance, which is why she turned her attention toward home.
“I was away from Japan, (from) my mother and my sister,” Moriyama says, “and I really felt that I needed to go back to Japan and understand why Japanese children had the healthiest diets.”
Promoting the Japanese diet is a cause to be championed and Moriyama and Doyle make for convincing crusaders, despite my initial scepticism of a whiff of exceptionalism — the idea that Japanese food is better than food anywhere else. Rather, the authors simply focus on beneficial approaches toward food and exercise.
Their book’s obvious objective is promoting health, which the authors say comes from eating more plants and fruit, less sugar, salt and processed foods, serving correctly sized portions on smaller plates, and a call to celebrate food while being able to practice flexible restraint. But there is another theme, one that echoes back to an era before the digital age, when we were all less distracted by phones, tablets, alerts and, of course, the ubiquitous TV; an era when kids were ferried to school by their own two feet. Moriyama, reflecting on her childhood in Kawasaki, urges us to think back to the past, when outdoor games and exercise were part of a daily regimen. Some of the book’s “secrets” are simply valuable lessons that have been lost in our hyper-busy age.
Another interesting — if slightly New Age concept — that Moriyama and Doyle write about is the wrap-around family lifestyle: in essence, a holistic outlook that involves children learning about all aspects of food, but one which also works on a smaller level.
To do this Moriyama advises stocking your refrigerator and cupboards with the food you want to eat and serve your family.
“This way if your child wants to open the cupboard and eat something they will be presented with healthy options,” she says, acknowledging that habit can be the best of teachers. “As they get older, they are exposed to things that you want them to eat.”
Asked to distill the book’s secrets into one piece of advice for parents Moriyama takes a long pause.
“For us, it’s really about having moderate restraint — meaning don’t demonize food,” she says. “Food is to be enjoyed with your family and people you love. It’s OK to have treats once in a while, in moderation.”
For parents in Japan, much of what Moriyama and Doyle cover will be familiar. Here, the school lunches are healthy, students must clean up after themselves, and they can get their hands and aprons dirty cooking and planting vegetables.
Even the commonplace sight of yellow-hatted school kids being chaperoned to school is singled out for praise in the book. But, for parents unfamiliar with this landscape, Moriyama and Doyle’s book could serve as a useful explainer, and the 50 pages of Japanese recipes aimed at families could also prove invaluable.
Whether Japan’s so-called secrets gain a worldwide following remains to be seen. The idea of improving health by traveling to school on foot rather than by car is just not practical in many cities around the world — even before you consider menaces like stranger danger. However, as a school health director interviewed in the book tells Moriyama, when it comes to school lunches, “Japan’s standpoint is that school lunches are a part of education, not a break from it.”
Japan may be obsessed with food, but as Moriyama says, “It’s a healthy obsession.”
Source: Japan Times

Zidane eyes Managing Real Madrid says Figo

Figo and Zidane

Luis Figo says Zinedine's Zidane will probably some time or another get to be Head Coach of Real Madrid.

Zidane, who was fellow team mates with Figo amid his vocation, is as of now overseeing Real Madrid's B group.

Rafa Benitez has battled following being named Madrid Boss in the wake of Carlo Ancelotti's sack toward the end of last season.

"I think so, it's one of his goals," Figo told Omnisport. "So if you want to be a coach and he's now coaching the second team ... I think in his head it's the objective and the goal to one day to coach the first team.

"So I don't have a clue. It's continually relying upon the open doors - on the off chance that they give you the obligation or not."

Rooney: The team don't want to see Van Gaal go

wayne rooney

Wayne Rooney says Manchester United's players are fighting for the job of Louis van Gaal.
United have not won since they beat Watford on 21 November to go top of the Premier League.
United has been reportedly considering firing Van Gaal to hire Jose Mourinho.
“We haven’t won games in the last few weeks so it’s normal confidence will be a bit lower,” Rooney told Sky Sports News HQ. “We need to try to get it back because we’ve got some tough games coming up and need to be at our best to win them.
“It’s not nice when you’re getting criticised every game. It’s tough for the players to deal with. We get hurt because we’re proud people and proud to play for Manchester United. When it’s not going right it’s hard to take and frustrating.”

Arsenal, Wolfsburg interested in Nigerian Starlet Victor Osimhen

Victor Osimhen

Brilliant golden boot champion of the FIFA World Cup under 17, Victor Osimhen is still separated over the decision of club he would pen his signature for as weight mounts on him from English Premiership side Arsenal and German side Wolfburg.
The youthful players is torn between signing for Wolfburg and the North London side. As it is, he could be the latest young player to be swayed by Arsenal’s state-of-the-art Lon- don Colney facilities after he was invited to the club for a trial.

The Nigeria Under-17 starlet made his mark at the U-17 World Cup prior this year, scoring 10 goals in 7 matches to offer the Golden Eaglets some assistance with winning the competition, while additionally getting the Golden Boot trophy him-self.

Arsene Wenger is celebrated around the world for his capacity to support youthful ability, and he puts his confidence in youth like no other director does. Osimhen is unmistakably mindful of the notoriety the Frenchman has, and proposes that after his visit to the Emirates his brain will be made up.

"I talked with the [Wolfsburg] boss who likewise made a few guarantees and in the event that I in the end sign for them, I trust they'll keep their statement," he said.

"Be that as it may, I have not chose where to go yet on the grounds that Arsenal are additionally demonstrating solid hobbies and maybe after my visit to the club, I will have an unmistakable perspective of where I need to go."

In spite of overwhelming connections to Wolfsburg, the reports recommended Arsenal are the top picks for his mark. The German side are undeniably a great side, however as prove by their two thrashings at the Emirates Cup this year – one of which was against us – we are a far unrivaled outfit.

Arsenal currently have a number of young strikers on their books, with Yaya Sanogo, Alex Iwobi, Chuba Akpom all looking to break into the team. So far none have shown they have what it takes, and a little more competition wouldn’t do any of them any damage.

Chelsea hold talks with Montreal over Drogba

Didier Drogba

CHELSEA are in talks with Major League Soccer franchise Montreal Impact over the future of striker Didier Drogba.
Montreal say Drogba has expressed a “desire to help” his old club. “We understand his attachment, but our objective is to have him back for another season,” Montreal tweeted.
Drogba, 37, who signed for Montreal in July, watched Chelsea’s win over Sunderland on Saturday with interim manager Guus Hiddink and owner Roman Abramovich.Hiddink on Wednes- day refused to be drawn on whether Drogba would join his backroom staff.
“I worked with him five or six years ago and I was delighted to have such a professional in the squad,” the Dutchman said.
“He’s a legend already in this club. The only thing is at the moment is that he’s playing in Montreal.
“The official process I don’t know but I spoke openly from the bottom of my heart that huge impact players can be key for the club.” The Ivorian spent nine years at Stamford Bridge in two spells, first representing the club between 2004 and 2012 before rejoining them last season. Montreal say it was agreed in Drogba’s contract that he would have a second season in Canada. “We are doing everything we can to have him back with the Impact in 2016,” the club said.
“We are willing to accommodate him. This situation is out of our control.”
Defending Premier League champions Chelsea have endured a terrible start to the season, losing nine of their 17 games to slip to 15th, and last week sacked manager Jose Mourinho.

Source: The Sun Newspaper

Arsenal in for Nwakali

Kelechi-Nwakali

English Premier League club Arsenal have reignited their enthusiasm for Nigeria Under 17 universal Kelechi Nwakali.

Jonathan Barnet's Stellar Group has educated Diamond Academy Umuahia that the Gunners are prepared to meet the focal midfielder's 3.5 million euros (N752.5m) asking cost.

The group of Nigeria line up for supplicating amid the FIFA U-17 Men's World Cup 2015 quarter last match in the middle of Brazil and Nigeria at Estadio Sausalito on November 1, 2015 in Vina del Mar-FIFA/FIFA

Then again, it is comprehended that Arsenal will just offer the Golden Eaglets star an agreement if he awe amid trials.

Nwakali's bonafide mediator, Klay Ekeocha, said that he had reached the Londoners however there was no positive input from the club as at late November.

The 17 – year – old has been connected with conceivable moves to Chelsea, Olympiakos and Sporting Lisbon in the wake of developing the Most Valuable Player of the 2015 Fifa Under 17 World Cup yet the enthusiasm from Udinese is the most cement.

The Italian Serie A club had before made an offer of 800,000 euros which was dismisses yet they have been advised to build their offer to €1.2 million.

Today in History being 25th December

Today in history

Merry Christmas!Christmas is the festival celebrating the birth of Christ and is observed in most countries on December 25. Christmas is sometimes called Yule (from the Anglo-Saxon) or Noel (from the French). Christian churches throughout the world hold special services on Christmas Day to give thanks for the birth of Christ. In addition to religious observances, Christmas is a time of merrymaking and feasting. North American customs are a combination of those of the various European countries from which the original settlers came. On Christmas Eve children hang stockings for Santa Claus to fill with gifts. The Christmas tree, usually an evergreen, was first used in Germany. Topped with a star or spire and decorated with colored lights and shiny ornaments, the tree plays an important part in the celebration. Mistletoe was sacred to the Druids, priests of ancient Britain and Gaul. The Norse used holly and the Yule log to keep away evil spirits. Gifts were exchanged during the Roman celebration of the Saturnalia, a feast to the god Saturn. Gift-giving came to symbolize the gifts brought to the Christ Child by the Magi. The most popular Christmas legend however, is that of Santa Claus, whose name came from Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children. Many of the qualities that Santa Claus is known for came from Clement C. Moore’s poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas.”
376		In Milan, Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, forces the emperor Theodosius to perform public penance for his massacre.
800		The pope crowns Charlemagne emperor in Rome.
1066		William I is crowned king of England.
1621		The governor of New Plymouth prevents newcomers from playing cards.
1651		The General Court of Boston levies a five shilling fine on anyone caught “observing any such day as Christmas.”
1776		Patriot General George Washington crosses the Delaware River with 5,400 troops during the American Revolution. Washington hoped to surprise a Hessian force celebrating Christmas at their winter quarters in Trenton, New Jersey.
1861		Stonewall Jackson spends Christmas with his wife; their last together.
1862		John Hunt Morgan and his raiders clash with Union forces near Bear Wallow, Kentucky.
1862		President and Mrs. Lincoln visit hospitals in the Washington D.C. area on this Christmas Day.
1912		Italy lands troops in Albania to protect its interests during a revolt there.
1914		German and British troops on the Western Front declare an unofficial truce to celebrate Christmas during World War I.
1918		A revolt erupts in Berlin.
1925		U.S. troops in Nicaragua disarm insurgents in support of the Diaz regime.
1927		The Mexican congress opens land to foreign investors, reversing the 1917 ban enacted to preserve the domestic economy.
1939		Finnish troops enter Soviet territory.
1941		Free French troops occupy the French Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon off the Canadian coast.
1944		Prime Minister Winston Churchill goes to Athens to seek an end to the Greek civil war.
1946		Chiang Kai-shek offers a new Chinese constitution in Nanking pledging universal suffrage.
1950		Scottish nationalists steal the Stone of Scone from the British coronation throne in Westminster Abbey. The 485 pound stone was recovered in April 1951.
1962		The Bay of Pigs captives, upon their return to the United States, vow to return to Cuba and topple Fidel Castro.
1965		Entertainer Chris Noel gives her first performance for the USO at two hospitals in California; became a star on Armed Forces Radio and Television, entertaining troops in Vietnam; in 1984 Veterans Network honored her with a Distinguished Vietnam Veteran award.
1973		U.S. astronauts onboard the Skylab space station take a seven-hour walk in space and photograph the comet Kohoutek.
1976		Over 100 Muslims, returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca, die when their boat sinks.
1979		Egypt begins major restoration of the Sphinx.
1991		Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union’s first and last executive president, resigns. The Soviet Union no longer exsists.
2006		James Brown, the “Godfather of Soul”, dies at age 73.
Born on December 25
1642		Sir Isaac Newton, English mathematician and scientist who enunciated the laws of motion and the law of gravity.
1841		Clara Barton, founder of the Red Cross.
1870		Rosa Luxemburg, Polish-born founder of the Spartacus League which later became the German Communist Party.
1907		Cab Calloway, band leader, the first Jazz singer to sell a million records.
1918		Anwar Sadat, Egyptian president (1970 to 1981) and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
1919		Paul David, founder of the Montreal Heart Institute.
1924		Rod Serling, screenwriter, producer; created The Twilight Zone TV series.
1925		Sam Pollock, general manager of the National Hockey League of Canada and the USA; member of Hockey Hall of Fame; a public square in Montreal is named in his honor.
1936		Princess Alexandra, the Honourable Lady Ogilvy, youngest granddaughter of King George V and Queen Mary.
1939		Bob James, Grammy-winning jazz musician, arranger and producer.
1945		Noel Redding, singer, songwriter, musician; member of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Noel Redding Band and other groups.
1945		Ken Stabler, pro football quarterback nicknamed “The Snake” for his ability to evade tacklers.
1946		Jimmy Buffett, singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, actor (“Margaritaville,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise”).
1948		Alia Baha Ad-Din Touqan, Queen consort of Jordan, third wife of King Hussein of Jordan; died in a helicopter crash in 1977; Amman’s international airport is named in her honor.
1948		Barbara Mandrell, country singer; twice Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year (“Sleeping Single in a Double Bed”).
1949		Sissy Spacek, actress; won Academy Award for Best Actress portraying country singer Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980).
1950		Karl Rove, White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the George W. Bush administration.
1954		Annie Lennox, Scottish singer, songwriter, activist; member of Eurythmics band; winner of eight Brit Award, four Grammys, an MTV Video Music Award, a Billboard Century Award; won Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Into the West” in the soundtrack of the film The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.
1954		Steve Wariner, country singer, songwriter, musician (“All Roads Lead to You,” “Life’s Highway”).

I Have No Confidence In This Court - Nnamdi Kanu

There was drama at a Federal High Court in Abuja today, December 23, when Nnamdi Kanu, the director of Radio Biafra and a leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) made an objection in court.

Kanu being led by into court by security personnel wearing balaclava.

On calling the case, the court clerk had asked the accused person, Kanu, alongside two others – Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, if they understand English, a procedure normally done before hearings.

Nnamdi Kanu at the entrance of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on December 23, 2015.

But instead of answering the clerk’s question, Kanu began by saying he has an objection to make. His counsel, Vincent Obetta, in his advice urged his client to wait for the case to be fully mentioned before any further objection.

Defence counsels at the venue.

After the clerk was done with calling of the case and the accused person, the judge, A. R. Mohammed, said: “It will be good to appreciate and take into consideration the objection raised by the defendant.”
At the judge’s permission, Nnamdi Kanu went further with his objection after being handed a microphone by the court clerk.
He said: “Thank you very much my lordship, but my objection is that I will not receive a fair trial before this court. The information I got is that I will not receive a fair trial before this court.

Kanu welcoming members of his counsels inside the court room.

“I will not sacrifice the due process of law because of speedy court process over the principle of natural process on the altar of speedy release. In other words, I would rather remain in detention than subject myself to a trial that I know amounts to perversion of justice.

Kanu deliberating with his counsels.

“Your lordship, previous court rulings have been given by courts of competent jurisdiction in this country, Nigeria which were not carried out by the DSS.”
Done speaking, Kanu handed over the microphone to the court clerk.
Just immediately, the prosecuting counsel, Mohammed Diri, having heard the objections of the defendant said: “First, he objects trial by your lordship because he believes he is not going to get fair trail. Two, he said, the trial before your lordship will amount to perversion of justice.
“He said the rule of the law is clear and that the defendant may object to his trial at any time.

Nnamdi Kanu’s mother, Ugoeze Nnenne Sally Kanu, at the court.

“Your lordship before the defendant can object to his trial, he has to file an application objecting his trial before this court.”
He said in that application the defendant is expected to exhibit special evidences why he should not be tried by a particular court.

Nnamdi Kanu with his siblings inside the courtroom.

Diri said that this will enable the court and the prosecutors to properly reply to the defendant.
“And this has not been done in this case,” he added.
Quoting section 396 sub section 2 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, Diri said an objection trial may be raised by the defendant only after the plea of the defendant is taken, but not before.
Diri said: “My lordship, what the defendant just did is putting the cart before the horse.”
He further urged the court to overrule the objection of the first defendant and order that the charges filed by the prosecution before the court be read to the three defendants for the purpose of taking their plea.

Nnamdi Kanu with mother, Ugoeze Nnenne, and siblings.

In his reply, the defending counsel said the argument by Diri is only an effort to puncture his client’s objection, adding that he is in tandem with the objection made by Kanu.
“We believe that whatever comes out of this court should be justice for the three parties – the state, the court and the accused persons,” Obetta said.
But in his ruling, Mohammed said he sees nothing wrong in the defendant’s objection.
Defining Kanu as someone who is learned and understands the legalities of his objection, Mohammed said the first defendant is not objecting the validity of the charges against him but on the confidence he has in the court.
He added that there is nothing wrong with the defendant’s objection which he (the judge) said is in order.
Mohammed also said that he was standing down from the case as Kanu had the right to reject the trial, saying: “After all justice is rooted on confidence. If any of the parties has no confidence in the court, he has the right to say so.”
He noted that the prosecution would have done the same thing if they were in Kanu’s shoes.
Mohammed, therefore, said: “I therefore remit this case file to the chief judge of this court to take necessary action.”
Watch video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYxXAQYKyX0
Source: Naij

Nnamdi Kanu Appears in court again

The director of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu has been arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja amid heavy security presence.

Outside the court premises, scores of heavily armed police officers were seen jumping down from a long truck. Both uninformed and uninformed security operatives can be seen around the court house.

Kanu welcoming members of his defence counsels inside the court room.

On Friday, December 18, after a court’s order that Kanu should be released immediately and unconditionally, the Nigerian government filed fresh charges against the Biafra agitator.

The six-count charges bordering on illegal possession of arms and treasonable felony is expected to be heard before Justice A. R. Mohammed.

Kanu was arrested by operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) on Wednesday, October 14 in Lagos on his arrival to Nigeria from the United Kingdom.

Nnamdi Kanu with mother, Ugoeze Nnenne, and siblings.

He was earlier charged for criminal intimidation of the Nigeria government among others at a Magistrate Court in Abuja.

The court later discharged and struck out all cases against kanu after the SSS applied for the discontinuation of the case for lack of jurisdiction by the Magistrate Court to entertain the matter.

Also on Thursday, December 17, the Federal High Court presided over by Ademola Adeniyi ordered an immediate and unconditional release of the accused.

See pictures of Nnamdi Kanu in court below:

Nnamdi Kanu discoursing with family members in court

Nnamdi Kanu in court today, December 23

Meanwhile, Vincent Egechukwu Obetta, counsel to the detained director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, had also accused the federal government of instituting unnecessary legal bottlenecks to frustrate his release.
In a related development, a statement signed by MASSOB leader Uchenna Madu in Enugu on Wednesday, and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) accused Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state of involvement in the killings of people who were jubilating following the release Nnamadi Kanu on bail in front of Abuja Federal High Court.
Source: Naij

Today in History being December 24

Source: History Net

1638		The Ottomans under Murad IV recapture Baghdad from Safavid Persia.
1812		Joel Barlow, aged 58, American poet and lawyer, dies from exposure near Vilna, Poland, during Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow. Barlow was on a diplomatic mission to the emperor for President Madison.
1814		A treaty of peace between the United States and Great Britain, ending the War of 1812, is signed at Ghent, Belgium. The news does not reach the United States until two weeks later (after the decisive American victory at New Orleans).
1861		The USS Gem of the Sea destroys the British blockade runner Prince of Wales off the coast at Georgetown, S.C.
1862		A Christmas present arrives a day early for the Federal troops at Columbus, Kentucky, in the way of artillery on board the USS New Era.
1914		Over 577,000 Allied soldiers are to spend Christmas as prisoners in Germany.
1917		The Kaiser warns Russia that he will use “iron fist” and “shining sword” if peace is spurned.
1943		General Dwight D. Eisenhower is appointed the Allied Supreme Commander, even though almost everyone believed the position would go to American Chief of Staff George C. Marshall.
1947		An estimated 20,000 communists, led by guerrilla General Markos Vafthiades proclaim the Free Greek Government in northern Greece. They issue a call to arms to establish the regime throughout the nation.
1956		African Americans defy a city law in Tallahassee, Florida, and occupy front bus seats.
1963		New York’s Idlewild Airport is renamed JFK Airport in honor of the murdered President Kennedy.
1964		The U.S. headquarters in Saigon is hit by a bomb killing two officers.
1966		A Soviet research vehicle soft-lands on the moon.
1967		The Greek Junta frees ex-Premier Papandreou.
1968		The first pictures of an Earth-rise over the moon are seen as the crew of Apollo 8 orbits the moon.
1970		Nine GIs are killed and nine are wounded by friendly fire in Vietnam.
1972		Hanoi bars all peace talks with the United States until U.S. air raids over North Vietnam stop.
1974		An oil tanker’s spill pollutes 1,600 square miles of Japan’s Inland Sea.
1974		Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, destroying more than 70 percent of the city’s buildings, including 80 percent of its houses.
2005		Chad declares a state of war against Sudan in the wake of the Dec. 18 attack on the town of Adre, in which approximately 100 people were killed.
Born on December 24
1166		King John of England.
1745		Benjamin Rush, American medical pioneer and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
1809		Christopher Kit Carson, one of the most famous mountain men and scouts in the West.
1905		Howard Hughes, American industrialist, aviator, film producer, and director.
1922		Ava Gardner, film actress (The Barefoot Contessa, The Sun Also Rises).
1923		US Army Major General George S. Patton IV, son of Gen. George Patton of World War II fame.
1929		Mary Higgins Clark, author of suspense novels (Where are the Children, Daddy’s Gone A-Hunting).
1955		Scott Fischer, mountain climber and guide; first American to reach the summit of Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest mountain.
1971		Ricky Martin, Puerto Rican pop musician, actor, author; was a member of the boy group Menudo before launching a successful solo career (“Livin’ la Vida Loca”).
1973		Stephenie Meyer, author best known for her young-adult, vampire romance series Twilight.
1974		Ryan Seacrest, radio personality, TV host; host of American Idol TV talent competition.

Power, works, housing take lion’s share of budget

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday personally presented the 2016 N6.8trillion budget to the joint session of the National Assembly. Highlights of the budget were that Works, Housing and Power got the lion’s share of N433.4billion. He promised to retain the N87 per litre of petrol for now, while strengthening the key agencies that would keep the price at that level.
Buhari was accompanied by Vice President Yemi Osibajo and other members of the federal cabinet as he presented government’s spending plan for 2016 to a jam packed joint session of the federal legislature.
The President took the opportunity of the budget presentation to announce that pump price of petrol hasn’t been reviewed from N87. He emphasised that the price of fuel remained at the official price “for now”.
He arrived in the House of Representatives chambers which hosts budget presentations, around 10am and proceeded to present his speech after the welcome address by Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is the chairman of the Assembly.
He said the government plans to spend N6.08 trillion in 2016 with a revenue projection of N3.86 trillion, resulting in a deficit of N2.22 trillion. while capital projects will gulp N1.8 trillion.
“To deliver our development objectives, we have increased the capital expenditure portion of the budget from N557 billion in the 2015 budget to N1.8 trillion, in the 2016 bud- get. Distinguished and honour- able members of the National Assembly, for the first time in many years, capital expendi- ture will represent 30% of our total budget. In future years, we intend to raise the percent- age allocation for capital ex- penditure” the President said.
A breakdown of capital ex- penditure shows that Works, Power and Housing received N433.4 billion, while Transport got N202 billion. This is just as Special Intervention Program was allocated N200 billion; Defence – N134.6 billion; and Interior Ministry – N53.1 billion.
Buhari stated that the target- ed investments in infrastructure and security are linked to government’s reforms in the agriculture, solid minerals and other sectors with capability to create jobs for the youth.
The President, while reiterating his resolve to run a lean and transparent government, said borrowing will be strictly for capital projects, noting that N113billion will be set aside for Sinking Fund to deal with maturing loans.
He said: “Distinguished and honourable members of the National Assembly, our 2016 borrowings will be principally directed to fund our capital projects. Furthermore, the sum of N113 billion will be set aside for a Sinking Fund towards the retirement of maturing loans; while N1.36 trillion has been provided for foreign and domestic debt service. This calls for prudent management on our part, both of the debt portfolio and the deployment of our hard earned foreign exchange earnings.
“In fulfilment of our promise to run a lean government, we have proposed a 9% reduction in non-debt recurrent expenditure, from N2.59 trillion in the 2015 budget to N2.35 trillion in 2016. Furthermore, we have budgeted N300 billion for Special Intervention Program, which takes the total amount for non-debt recurrent expenditure to N2.65 trillion,” he said.
According to him, the government will ensure adequate funding for critical sectors such as education and health- care which fall under recurrent expenditure.
“We will devote a significant portion of our recurrent expenditure to institutions that provide critical government services. We will spend N369.6 billion in education; N294.5 billion in defence; N221.7 billion in health and N145.3 billion in the Ministry of Interior. This will ensure our teachers, armed forces personnel, doctors, nurses, policemen, firefighters, prison service officers and many more critical service providers are paid competitively and on time,” he disclosed.
Buhari who admitted the downturn in the economy, owing to the slide in the oil price from $112 per barrel as at June 2014 to the present $39 per barrel, noted that the prevailing socio-economic challenges has been further worsened by the unbridled corruption and security challenges experi- enced in the last few years. He, however, stressed his commitment to the ongoing fight against corruption especially in the oil and gas industry.
The President said: “Al- though we are working to diversify our economy, we will not lose sight of the need to restructure the oil and gas sec- tor which has been marred by corruption and plagued with inefficiencies. Accordingly, I have directed the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to adjust its pricing template to reflect competitive and market driven components. We believe this can lower input costs and at- tain efficiency savings that will enable PPPRA to keep the selling price for all marketers of petrol at N87 per litre for now”.
On the issue of ensuring transparency and accountability in non-oil revenue generating agencies, which will lead to increased availability of funds for government, Buhari said he has appointed qualified persons to head these agencies. This is even as he expressed the hope that the Treasury Single Account (TSA) will block leakages.
“Some of the decisions taken by the new administration include: injection of new leadership at the helm of our revenue generating agencies including the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) as well as implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) which, so far, has provided greater visibility of government revenues and cash flows.
“The present administration also provided intervention funds to support states to navigate their fiscal challenges by restructuring their commercial bank loans and by providing facilities to enable them to pay salary arrears,” Buhari said.
Source: Daily Sun

Igalo is going nowhere

Odion Ighalo

The rising profile of Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo with Watford in the English Premiership is quick turning into a reason for worry to the club with the striker's ability getting the eyes of big teams.

Ighalo's goals have gotten the consideration of greater Premier League clubs and there are now implications that he may leave in the January window however his mentor, Quique Sanchez Flores demands that Super Eagles forward will stay in any event until the end of the season.

"I think Ighalo is totally astute, he picked five months back the choice to stay here with Wat-portage," Sanchez told British media.

The Nigerian striker joined Watford in July 2014 from Italian out-fit Udinese subsequent to spending a couple seasons on advance with Granada in Spain.

"It's extremely smart, he knew impeccably it was the best choice for him. I think he'll complete the season with Watford, after that anyone knows," Sanchez included.

Ighalo showcased his completing ability with two objectives in Wat-passage's 3-0 win over Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday, taking his count this season to 12.

His prospering association in advance with Troy Deeney, who has scored five objectives in his last six group diversions, have pushed last season's elevated side up to seventh spot.

Arsenal Stronger after City win - Wenger

ARSENAL'S victory over Manchester City has given them the conviction they require in the Premier League title race, says chief Arsene Wenger.

The Gunners have not won the title since 2004, but rather goals from Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud were sufficient against City regardless of Yaya Toure's late strike.

"It gives us certainty, quality and conviction," said Wenger, 66.

“We have a bit more maturity in the side now, which you could see in the game when we were under pressure.”

Arsenal are now four points clear of third-placed Manchester City, but re- main two points adrift of leaders Leicester City.

With current champions Chelsea fifteenth and apparently out of the title race, the north London side are currently top choices to win the trophy.

They are unbeaten in their last six matches and five of Arsenal's last six top-flight title wins have seen them in second place at Christmas, including two of their three Premier League titles.

“Two or three years ago we were top for a long time but what is special is that this time we lost important players, had to go to Olympiakos, play at Villa and today, and we won those games,” said Wenger.

“That is positive. I believe that we have shown our talents of spirit, organisation and brilliance all together and that gave us three points.

“When we did not have the legs any more we relied on the spirit and that got us through in the end.”

Today in History being 23rd December

Today in History

1861		Lord Lyons, The British minister to America presents a formal complaint to secretary of state, William Seward, regarding the Trent affair.
1900		The Federal Party, which recognizes American sovereignty, is formed in the Philippines.
1919		Great Britain institutes a new constitution for India.
1921		President Warren G. Harding frees Socialist Eugene Debs and 23 other political prisoners.
1933		Pope Pius XI condemns the Nazi sterilization program.
1937		London warns Rome to stop anti-British propaganda in Palestine.
1939		The first Canadian troops arrive in Britain.
1940		Chiang Kai-shek dissolves all Communist associations in China.
1941		Despite throwing back an earlier Japanese amphibious assault, the U.S. Marines and Navy defenders on Wake Island capitulate to a second Japanese invasion.
1944		General Dwight D. Eisenhower confirms the death sentence of Private Eddie Slovik, the only American shot for desertion since the Civil War.
1947		President Harry S Truman grants a pardon to 1,523 who had evaded the World War II draft.
1948		Japan’s Prime Minister, Hideki Tojo and six other collaborators are hanged for war crimes.
1950		General Walton H. Walker, the commander of the Eighth Army in Korea, is killed in a jeep accident. Lieutenant General Matthew B. Ridgeway is named his successor.
1967		U.S. Navy SEALs are ambushed during an operation southeast of Saigon.
1974		The B-1 bomber makes its first successful test flight.
1986		The Voyager completes the first nonstop flight around the globe on one load of fuel. The experimental aircraft, piloted Americans Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California after nine days and four minutes in the sky.
1990		In a referendum on Sovlenia’s independence from Yugoslovia, 88.5% vote in favor of independence.
2002		An Iraqi MiG-25 shoots down a US MQ-1 Predator drone.
Born on December 23
1777		Alexander I, czar of Russia.
1790		Jean François Champollion, French founder of Egyptology who deciphered the Rosetta Stone.
1805		Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church.
1867		Madame C. J. Walker, first female African American millionaire.
1933		Emperor Akihito, Emperor of Japan. Broke with tradition by marrying Michiko Shoda, the first non-aristocrat to join the royal family.
1935		Paul Hornung, pro football player; member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
1938		Bob Kahn, computer scientist and engineer; co-developed the Transmission Control Protocol that web browsers use to connect to servers on the World Wide Web.
1943		Queen Silvia of Sweden (born Silvia Renate Sommerlath); suppose of King Carl XVI Gustaf.
1944		US Army General Wesley Clark; while serving as Supreme Allied Commander Europe in NATO (1997–2000) he commanded Operation Allied Force in the Kosovo War.
1952		William Kristol, American politician, journalist; founded The Weekly Standard, an influential neoconservative opinion publication.
1953		Maria Vladimirovna, Grand Duchess of Russia.

Ancelotti: Mourinho paid price for Chelsea players' loss of motivation

The Italian has empathised with the Portuguese following his sacking last week, while he looks forward to his next job at Bayern Munich
Carlo Ancelotti believes that "a lack of motivation" among the Chelsea players cost Jose Mourinho his job at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho led the Blues to the Premier League title last season but they endured a shocking start to the 2015-16 campaign, losing nine of their opening 16 games, with a 2-1 loss at Leicester City last Monday week proving the final nail in the coffin for the Portuguese coach.

After the defeat at the King Power Stadium, Mourinho admitted that he felt "betrayed" by his players but Ancelotti - who was sacked by Chelsea in 2011, a year after leading the west London club to a domestic double - says that it is never easy to keep motivation levels high within a squad coming off the back of a successful season.



"That is the most difficult job for a coach because within a group, both one that is doing well and one that is doing badly, there are always problems to resolve," the Italian coach told Goal.

"When things are going well, there is a risk of relaxation; when things are going badly, obviously there is a loss of confidence.

"The coach must always keep a good balance in that sense, lifting the confidence levels particularly when things don't seem to be working.

"It's a little of this that Mourinho paid for, the fact that the team had not started like last year, when they had a tremendous desire to do well after a bad year.

"This year it was exactly the opposite; he paid for the lack of motivation among the players."

Ancelotti, of course, has just confirmed that he will make his return to coaching next summer, having agreed to replace Pep Guardiola as Bayern Munich boss.

Succeeding the Catalan would appear to represent a daunting challenge, given the 44-year-old is bidding for a third successive Bundesliga title and gearing up for one final crack at the Champions League, with the Bavarians having suffered disappointment at the semi-final stage for the past two seasons.

However, while Ancelotti has never coached in Germany before, the well-travelled Italian is neither intimidated by the prospect of following Guardiola - nor by the challenge of adapting to a new culture.

"Nothing worries me," the former PSG and Real Madrid boss stated. "I'm going to have a new and interesting experience and I'm certainly happy to discover a new country, rich in stimuli.

"The thing that has enriched me most in these past few years has without doubt been getting to know different cultures; the customs in various countries.

"I believe that it will be this kind of experience in Germany; very interesting. Learning German? I've already started. I can confirm that it's not easy!

“The important thing, though, is to find a good player-coach relationship and to carry forward your beliefs, managing to convince the players of the merit of your ideas.

"Imposing things on players is never good. It's important to find in the group the belief in what you are doing and to make sure it is accepted by all.

"Bayern are a great club and my objective is to keep them competitive in Germany and in Europe."

Indeed, Ancelotti admits that he is particularly excited about plying his trade in what is officially the best supported league in the world.

"I believe that in Germany in recent years, after 2006, they made great investments," the 56-year-old mused. "They rebuilt the stadiums and they became a very competitive nation on a European level.

"I'm especially intrigued by the atmosphere that I will face on the field, because it seems that the full stadia create a beautiful atmosphere around the football. This is the thing that intrigues me most."

Ancelotti says that he feels privileged to have been given yet another high-profile position within the game, confessing that he feels blessed by the opportunities that have come his way across a coaching career that began 20 years ago.

"I have been fortunate," the ex-Italy international admits. "From the very start, at Reggiana, I have always found myself in clubs that have had great faith in me.

"I have had a lucky career, in the midst of which there have been great triumphs that have helped me in this sense. Undoubtedly, great opportunities have always arrived at the right time for me.

"I was at Reggiana at the start, then it was Parma in Serie A, then in the same way opportunities came along at Juventus and AC Milan.

"And in the same sense, when I decided to go abroad, I always had the opportunity to coach big teams."
Source: Goal

PDP on the proposed budget for 2016

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) describes the N6.8 trillion 2016 federal budget presented by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday as a big fraud and executive conspiracy tailored towards mortgaging the future of the nation. The party queried President Buhari’s decision to borrow N2 trillion, the biggest in the history of the nation as the height of recklessness and deceit from a government that trends on propaganda.

The PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh on Tuesday berated the Federal Government for trying to use their bogus welfare programme and phantom capital projects as cover and conduit to syphon the funds to satisfy partisan interests, particularly to settle huge campaign debts. 

“It is obvious that this budget is an extension of the campaign promises of the APC government, presented as a manifesto filled with bogus promises which implementation will be inconclusive, thereby allowing the APC to once again deny their promises.  

“There has never been any known economy in the world where government deliberately mortgage the future of its nation by borrowing excessively to finance partisan interests while hiding under bogus welfare programmes. This is moreso important as the APC in reeling out their bogus campaign promises never informed Nigerians that they would mortgage their future through excessive borrowing.

“We have it on good authority that this is the first in the series of APC borrowings which would leave the future generation of Nigerians under the burden of huge debts after four years”

The PDP said the budget clearly shows that after seven months in power, President Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) are yet to differentiate between governance and campaign propaganda.

“By all standards, the 2016 budget, the first major economic policy outing of this government, is completely unrealistic and duplicitously embellished with impractical predications, a development that confirms fears by economy watchers and investors that this administration is obviously ill-equipped for governance.

“We are indeed shocked that President Buhari and his minister of information have come up with two different reasons for the current fuel crisis in the country. While we appreciate the President’s apology, we think it is high time he called this minister to order as his excessive propaganda and blame game are ridiculing this administration and the image of the nation.

“Furthermore, it is instructive to note the official endorsement of Mr. President to the devaluation of the naira as against his campaign promise of firming up the value of our currency even to the much vaunted one naira to one dollar.

‘Does it mean that Mr. President lied his way to power, or that he did not understand the complexities of governance when he was making his false promises to Nigerians?

“In future, there is need to regulate campaign promises so that we will not end up with a government that promises to climb Mount Everest with bare hands and end up mortgaging our future with orchestrated borrowings.

“Finally, we want to request Mr. President to once again to involve experienced and well-tested hands in the management of the economy and budgeting processes. This economy is not for Mr. President, neither is it for the APC. The progress of the economy is for all Nigerians and as such, due care should taken to save ourselves from unrealistic and deceptive programmes.

Signed:

Chief Olisa Metuh

National Publicity Secretary

Source: Naijamember