Luis Figo Has Announced He Is Going To Stand For FIFA Presidency

Former Portugal international Luis Figo has announced he is going to stand for FIFA presidency.

The 42-year-old has the support of five FIFA member federations - the minimum requirement needed for a candidate to enter May's vote.

Figo is the second high-profile former player to enter the race after David Ginola declared his intention to run earlier in the month - although the former Newcastle and Tottenham winger is yet to secure the support of five federations.

I'm delighted to announce my candidacy for the FIFA Presidency. Football has given me so much during my life & I want to give something back
— Luís Figo (@LuisFigo) January 28, 2015

Figo's standing means there should now be at least four candidates in the contest after nominations close on Friday.

As well as incumbent president Sepp Blatter and Figo, Jordan's Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein and Dutch FA president Michael van Praag are standing.

Another candidate is French former diplomat Jerome Champagne, who is yet to get the support he needs but could do so.

Source: Sportsmail
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Roberto Mancini Has Implored Yaya Toure To Move To Italy In The Summer

Roberto Mancini has implored Yaya Toure to move to Italy in the summer, and wants the midfielder to become his lynchpin at Inter Milan.

The Ivorian's future at Manchester City has been an ongoing concern since the summer fiasco whereby Toure and his agent told half-truths about varying situations.

Mancini said: 'He's been to Belgium, Russia, Spain and England, but he's missing Italy. It could be a good opportunity for him to come and try.'


Source: Sportsmail
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Must Read: The reality behind Chelsea Manager's, Jose Mourinho, 'campaign' By Levene

With Jose Mourinho contesting his FA charge – a look at the reality behind his claims of a 'campaign'.

The Chelsea boss was this week back in front of the cameras and Dictaphones after skipping his pre and post-match media duties against Newcastle.

"Don't tell me that you miss me," he said with his usual charm. "It was just a week!" Of course those assembled missed him – he makes this
job very easy sometimes.

He wasn't there to talk about the words that got him hooked on that charge. He didn't really need to. But let's turn the clock back to St Mary's Stadium on 28th December, to examine not the actual claim, but the soft furnishings around it.

"There is a campaign against Chelsea. I don't know why there is this campaign and I do not care."

Firstly, be aware that all press conferences are
rehearsed.

Pre-match, post-match, whenever – the Chelsea
manager, whoever he happens to be at the time, will talk through some lines to take with the club media team beforehand and agree largely what will be said.

Which is not to say that a manager will not decide to ski off piste at some point with his press officer sat reddening next to him – as we recently saw with Steve Bruce's ill-advised (and factually incorrect) cri de coeur on the subject of Ched Evans.

But it is highly improbable that a subject such as the 'campaign' raised by Mourinho at Southampton, an unusual word that Mourinho has never before used, could have been dreamed up on the spot.

Not a 'conspiracy' or a 'coalition', either of which could have been thrown out in a moment of passion to imply skulduggery by those in power.

No, a 'campaign' – carefully chosen as a word that implies a massed form of action by parties unknown or unstated. And that is the crux of Mourinho's method – always choosing words and actions carefully to achieve a desired outcome.

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that everything Mourinho does, from the side of the bed he steps out of in the morning, to the way he stirs his Horlicks nightcap before lights out, is done with an intended consequence.

And looking at his record of public deflection, which is what we are talking about here, he clearly has a tariff set down in precedent. When his team gets a result that is below expectations –he deflects attention from them by mildly grumbling, and blaming some newsworthy external factor. When his team loses, he cranks things up a notch – often drawing the back page eyes towards poor sportsmanship or refereeing. And when his team loses badly, goes out of a competition, or looks like being knocked off the top of the table – he creates an FA charge for himself.

Many will say there is good cause behind the 'campaign' diatribe – and there is clear evidence that some in the media do overly focus on Chelsea's misdemeanours in a way they don't scrutinise those of other teams.

But justification is no defence in the eyes of the FA. Nor is the fact that he didn't point the finger at the refs –because there was plenty in his words for Ashley Cole's favourite bunch to get him on some form of technicality. (Essentially, by suggesting refs are capable of bowing to outside influence, he breaks their rules).
But none of that really matters.

Mourinho has got exactly what he wanted all along –pundits are talking about it, you are reading about it, and he will see any fine that follows (paltry in the face of his £8.5m salary) as being money well spent. Hey – it's cheaper than placing an ad on the back page.

And few ended up talking about a poor run of form, which now seems to have been turned around.

Mourinho was certainly right about one thing – there is a campaign, of sorts, going on here. And he will keep on masterminding it as long as it continues to get the results he wants.

Source:
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Chelsea agree Andre Schurrle sale to fund Juan Cuadrado transfer

Chelsea have agreed to cash in on Andre Schurrle to free up the funds to sign Juan Cuadrado.

The move for Colombian Cuadrado, 26, could even be completed in time for him to play in Saturday's top-of-the-table game against Manchester City, with Chelsea eager to register him.

MailOnline Sport has learned that the deal – with almost £60million exchanging hands - moved closer in the last 24 hours.

Chelsea have asked for more than £30m for Schurrle, 24, and Wolfsburg have been leading the way, with Borussia Dortmund also keen.

Jose Mourinho is not a fan of the Germany international, but recognises his value in the transfer market. The World Cup-winning attacker is also keen to return home.

Chelsea have not been in a rush to sell, although they have been actively looking for a replacement.

Both Cuadrado and Douglas Costa have been at the top of their scouting list, but Costa is cup tied for the Champions League and was always a second choice; not least because dealing with his club, Shakhtar Donetsk, is always complicated and the transfer window closes on Monday night.

Once the Schurrle deal is completed, Chelsea will use the money to sign Cuadrado, who has a £26.8m buy-out clause.
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Press Statement by Buhari Today On Certificate Issue

Press Statement by Buhari Today [January 21, 2015] On Certificate Issue


Good Morning , Gentlemen of the Press.

I only consented to address you this morning because of the genuine concern expressed by many supporters and other well-meaning Nigerians that the issue be addressed.
Otherwise, I would have dismissed it for what it is—sheer mischief and would not have considered it an issue worth the nation's while.

I had assumed all along that all my records were in the custody of the Military Secretary of the Nigerian Army. Much to my surprise, we are now told that although a record of the result is available, there are no copies of the certificates in my personal file.

This is why I formally requested my old school the Provincial Secondary School, Katsina [which is now known as Government College, Katsina] to make available the school's copy of the result of the Cambridge/West African School Certificate. This will be made available to the press the moment this is available.

However, before we obtain that, let me say for the record that I attended Provincial Secondary School, Katsina. I graduated in 1961 with many prominent Nigerians, including General Shehu
Yar'adua, former chief of staff at the Supreme Headquarters, and Justice Umaru Abdullahi, a former President of the Court of Appeal.

We sat for the University of Cambridge/WASC
Examination together in 1961, the year we graduated. My examination number was 8280002, and I passed the examination in the Second Division. And although the ruling party may want to wish this away, the issue in this campaign cannot be my certificate which I obtained 53 years ago.

The issues are the scandalous level of
unemployment of millions of our young people, the state of insecurity, the pervasive official corruption which has impoverished our people and the lack of concern of the government for anything other than the retention of power at all costs.
_______________________
..................................
Thank you very much.

General Muhammadu Buhari
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Buhari to speak about certificate controversy today

The Nigerian Army has said it is not in custody of the original certificates of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

The Army, at a news conference by its Director of Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Olajide Laleye, in Abuja on Tuesday, added that it was also not in possession of the photocopies or statement of results of Buhari.

It however explained that the entry made for documentation by the APC candidate on its (Army) Form 199A, indicated that he wrote and passed the West African School Certificate in 1961.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Garba Shehu, said in a terse statement on Tuesday night that Buhari would address a new conference on the issue on Wednesday (today).

Buhari had in an affidavit he deposed to at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on November 24, 2014 and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission on December 18, 2014, said that his certificates were with the military.

"I am the above-named person and deponent to this affidavit therein. All my academic qualifications, documents as filled in my presidential form, President APC/001/2015, are currently with the Secretary, Military Board as of the time of presenting this affidavit. The affidavit is made in good faith and for record purposes," he had written.

When the controversy over Buhari's qualification gathered momentum, Laleye told The PUNCH during an exclusive interview which was published on January 4, 2015, that the military authorities were ready to release credentials and certificates in its custody to serving and retired officers in need of them.

He said that the procedure for the retrieval or collection of the certificates was known to all serving or retired officers of the military.

On Tuesday, Laleye said that military records showed that Buhari applied to join the Army on October 18, 1961.

The Army spokesman explained that it was the tradition of the Army to ensure that a selection board was set up to verify the original credentials of candidates shortlisted for commissioning. Laleye said that records did not show that the process was followed.

However, he said that the entry made for documentation by Buhari on Form 199A indicated that he had credit in English Language, Geography, History, Health Science, Hausa and a Pass in English Literature.

He said, "The media hype on Maj. Gen. Buhari's credentials as well as the numerous requests made by individuals and corporate bodies to the Army on this issue have necessitated that we provide the facts as contained in the retired senior officer's service record.

"Records available indicate that Maj. Gen. Buhari applied to join the military as a form six student of the Provincial Secondary School, Katsina on 18 October 1961.

"His application was duly endorsed by the principal of the school, who also wrote a report on him and recommended him suitable for military commission.

"It is a practice in the Army that before candidates are shortlisted for commissioning into the officers' cadre of the service; the selection board verifies the original copies of credentials that are presented. However, there is no available record to show that this process was followed in the 1960s.

"Nevertheless, the entry made on Form 199A at the point of documentation after commission as an officer indicated that the former Head of State obtained the WASC in 1961 with credits in relevant subjects.

"Neither the original certified true copy nor the statement of result of Maj. Gen. Buhari's WASC result is in his personal file.

"I hope this explanation will put to rest, the raging controversy surrounding the secondary school credentials of Maj. Gen. Buhari as it affects the Nigerian Army."

Although the Army authorities did not allow journalists to have copies of the documents filed by the former Head of State for his commissioning as an officer, they created an opportunity for the documents to be sighted.

The Principal of the school, in recommending Buhari for commissioning as an officer, said "I recommend him for military commissioning; I consider that Muhammadu Buhari will pass the West Africa School Certificate in English, Maths and three other subjects.

Laleye said that the Army holds Buhari, who rose to the enviable rank of Maj. Gen, and was Head of State of the country, in high esteem and would not be party to the controversy over "his eligibility for any political office."

____________________
................................
Source: The PUNCH
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If You Want To Have A Long Life, Let Your Wife Be In-Charge Of Your Salary

WORDS FROM A FATHER TO A SON ABOUT MARRIAGE

1. My son, if you keep spending on a woman and she never asked you if you're saving or investing, and she keeps enjoying the attention, don't marry her.

2. My son, a woman could be a good wife to you, some could be a good mother to your
children but if you've found a woman like a mother to you, your children and your family, please don't let her go.

3. My son, don't confine the position of your wife to the kitchen, where did you get that from? Even in our days, we had farm-lands where they worked every morning . . . that was our office.

4. My son, if I tell you that you're the head of the house, don't look at your pocket; look if you will see a smile on your wife's face.

5. My son, if you want to have a long life, let your wife be in-charge of your salary, it will be difficult for her to spend it when she's aware of the home needs and bills to pay but if it's in your care, she will keep you asking even when all has been spent.

6. My son, don't ever beat your woman, the pain in her body is nothing to be compared to the wound on her heart and that means you may be in trouble living with a wounded woman.

7. My son, now that you're married, if you live a bachelor kind of life with your wife, you will soon be single again.

8. My son, in our days, we had many wives and many children because of our large farm-lands and many harvests, there are hardly any land for farming anymore, so embrace your woman closely.

9. My son, under the cocoa tree that I did meet your mother could be your eateries and restaurants of nowadays, but remember, the closet thing we did there was to embrace each
other.

10. My son, don't be carried away when you start making more money, instead of spending on those tiny legs that never knew how hard you worked to get it, spend it on that woman that stood by you all along.

11. My son, when I threw little stones or whistled at the window of your mother father's house, to call her out, it was not for sex, it was because I missed her so much.

12. My son, remember, when you say your wife has changed, there could be something you've stopped doing too.

13. My son, your mother rode the bicycle with me before I bought that tortoise car outside there, any woman that won't endure with you in your little beginning should not enjoy your riches.

14. My son, don't compare your wife to any woman, there are ways she's enduring you too and has she ever compared you to any man?

15. My son, there is this thing you people call feminism, well, if a woman claim to have equal right with you in the house, divide all the bills into two equal parts, take one part and ask her to start paying the other part.

16. My son, I met your mother a virgin and I took more yams to her father, if you don't meet your wife a virgin, don't blame her, what I didn't tell you is that our women had prestige.

17. My son, I didn't send your sisters to school because I was foolish like many to think a female child won't extend my family name, please don't make that mistake, the kind of female achievers I see nowadays has made the male-gender an ordinary tag.

18. My son, your mother have once locked up the cloth I was wearing and almost tore it because she was angry, I did not raise my hand to beat her because of a day like this, so that I
can be proud to tell you that I never for once beat your mother.

19. My son, in our days, our women had more of natural beauty, though I wouldn't lie to you, some had minor painting of their appellation mostly on their arms, the ones you people
now call tattoo, but don't forget that they didn't expose any part of their body like your women of nowadays.

20. My son, your mother and I are not interested in what happens in your marriage, try to handle issues without always coming to us.

21. My son, remember I bought your mother's first sewing machine for her, help your wife achieve her dreams just as you're pursuing yours.

22. My son, don't stop taking care of me and your mother, so that your children will take care of you too.

Source: Nigeriacamera.net
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Opinion: General Buhari’s Quest And The Short-Long Way by Nwobodo Chidiebere

My fellow Nigerians, 2015 is not only ringing a bell in the nation's polity because of the general elections associated with it, but would present a golden opportunity to redefine and reshape the destiny of this great nation of Africa.

The emergence of two major candidates: Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP and General Buhari of the APC have made it a hard decision for Nigerians to make putting a lot of facts into consideration.

I am very conscious of the fact that Nigerians are yearning for improved standard of living, effective security of lives and properties, infrastructural facilities, etc. As a patriotic Nigerian with conscience, I cannot fall into the gripping hands of political entrepreneurs, whose spirit of opportunism and self-centeredness are the propelling forces behind their quest for power.

As 2015 presidential election approaches, the voyage of the Nigerian state has run into a cross road. On the left side of the road, is the short-long way and on the right side of it; lays the long-short way. The two candidates of the leading political parties represent these two ways. While President Jonathan represents the long-short way, General Buhari represent the short-long way.

Before I proceed, I would crave your indulgence to define the two proverbial ways in other to awaken the consciousness of Nigerian voters. The short-long way would appear shortest and easiest at the outset to an adventurer, but would later prove to be the longest and rocky road to take. While the long-short way may appear long and discouraging to a short-sighted explorer, it will at the end be the shortest and hitch-free route to ply to arrive at the desired destination.

The million-dollar question here is: why did I describe Gen. Buhari as the short-long way? Gen. Buhari may represent the change some sections of Nigeria are yearning for in the short term, but not in the long term because of his leadership weakness which made him a remote in the hand of the Emperor of the APC's empire, which unjustifiably manifested in his inability to pick his preferred running mate. It is no longer news that the people's General has been surrounded by hawks and caged into dungeon that nothing good would come out of this  man if elected president, apart from serving the interest of his Emperor owing to recent activities in the APC.

The same Lord of Lagos, who has dictated the tune of the state for 16 years running, single-handedly rammed John Odigie-Oyegun down the throat of the APC stalwarts as its National Chairman. He influenced the APC governors which made them to throw their weight behind Gen. Buhari's emergence as the APC presidential candidate in return for the position of the Vice presidential candidate, which the king of Bourdillion, later ceded to one of his cronies-Prof. Yemsi Osinbajo, after his earlier ambition to clinch the Vice Presidential ticket of the APC was crushed by the antagonists of Muslim-Muslim ticket.

The choice of Gen. Buhari may be popular amongst his Northern followers and power-starved politicians, who see the ageing General's ambition as an opportunity to grab power, but the selection of Osinbajo as Gen. Buhari's running mate  confirmed the fears of many Nigerians that we are in for another "Cabalnocracy", which implies government of the cabal by the cabal and for the cabal. The over bearing influence of one person in the so-called progressive party has made it crystal clear to lovers of this country, that the newest cabal in town is working assiduously to mask its motive with Gen. Buhari's face to get to power.

Nigerians should be aware of those who have exploited the people of Lagos for years via god-fatherism and heavy burden of taxes, while preaching the gospel of freedom in Abuja; those who installed their wives, children, in-laws, concubines, and cronies as governors, senators, House of Reps members, state Assembly members, etc, while they keep parading themselves as progressives. As if that was not enough, the same hypocritical elements who have been busy singing the song of change connived with some PDP governors to truncate Local Government autonomy; while they advocate for true federalism!

Nigerians have become politically conscious enough not to allow retrogressive fundamentalists to reverse this country to the same centralists who resisted the devolution of power at the National Conference, by insisting on the current "feeding bottle federalism" which made them parasites of Nigerian state.

Let's come to think of it, what informed the decision of the APC National leader to insist on Prof. Osinbajo as Gen. Buhari's running mate knowing his political naivety? Is Osinbajo more experienced and qualified than the likes of Governors Fashola and Oshiomhole or former governor Fayemi?  Why did Tinubu block the emergence of Gov. Amaechi as the APC vice presidential candidate? Is Tinubu the de facto presidential candidate of the APC, who is scheming to leverage on Gen. Buhari's popularity in the North to acquire power via Prof. Osinbajo?

In the first instance, the Emperor of the APC's empire went for a candidate who claimed that he borrowed money for his nomination form from a bank, without telling Nigerians the collateral he used to secure the loan.

The burning questions agitating the minds of Nigerians are: are we ready to be enslaved by this desperate cabal? Is the APC clamouring for change just for the sake of it? Gen. Buhari who truncated our nascent democracy in 1984, is aspiring to come back and benefit from the same democracy he rejected 30 years after. Does he represent the change we need at this defining moment? Is this not a grand conspiracy of power mongers with born-to-rule mentality riding on the gullibility of Nigerians to get power at all cost? What does the APC stand for, if not a party of disgruntled elements and power-starved individuals?

Objectively, I am not blinded to the fact that President Jonathan may not have performed optimally to the expectation of some Nigerians, but can we just for the sake of change replace a young woman who has given birth to two children with an old woman who has reached menopause because the impatient husband is angling for more children? Is the aspiration of 72 year old General not insulting the sensibilities of Nigerian youths? Your guess is as good as mine.

______________________
Nwobodo Chidiebere, public commentator writes via chidieberenwobodo@yahoo.com. He writes from Abuja.

Source Link: http://talkafrica.co/ng/p/24211/20788-updates
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Jonathan stopped B’Haram from taking over Nigeria —PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party on Monday boasted that it was President Goodluck Jonathan's tactics that stopped the Boko Haram from overrunning half of the country.

It said if not for Jonathan's actions and dexterity in the fight against insurgency, members of the dreaded sect would have taken over about half of Nigeria.

As a result of this, the party said the President deserved commendations from Nigerians rather than being vilified.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, said this at a press briefing in Abuja.

He said the problem of insecurity in the North-East should not be attributed to Jonathan, adding that the President had been trying to contain it.

Metuh said, "The problem that we have in the North-East to deal with is insurgency; it is not the making of this government. This government has tried as much as possible to contain it.

"I must proclaim, every now and then, Nigerians encourage us by saying that if not for the character, candour and the personality of the President, these insurgents would have overrun more than half of Nigeria.

"We would have been under occupation of terrorists if not for the determination, the style and the character and personality of the president."

Explaining how the President had been working to stop Boko Haram, he said the government had been able to secure a ceasefire, dialogue with members of the sect and the use of other methods.

"He has been able to offer a ceasefire, dialogue and other things to engage them. He has been trying all sorts of methods and engaging them in serious warfare and Nigerians have noted that if not for his character, Boko Haram would have overrun half of Nigeria," he added.
He said that the Jonathan administration had done more than other administrations in the history of the country for the people of the northern region.

Metuh said, "Jonathan's administration has been very fair to the North in terms of projects, political appointments and the establishment ofalmajiri schools which have improved education in the region.

"The present administration has done a lot more for the three zones in the North than any of the administrations before him in the areas of agriculture, education, roads, railways and many more.

Source: The Punch
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Hello TA Members: Strategy To Increase Your Bot Clicks

I hate writing, but somehow have found myself inspired daily on this forum and very often find it difficult to resist the temptation of writing.

Let me correct one impression here; bot clicks are wonderful and I have profited tremendously from them. The strategy, I will explain shortly.

Writing this article, I will be making reference to several ambiguous words; the reason is not far-fetched: I have realised that only very few publishers actually take the patience to read whatever I write. As a result of this new found knowledge, I am sorry to say this: I will not be writing for everybody any more. Am I selfish? Before you start casting and apportioning blame, ask yourself how many times you have read and made comments on all my ORIGINAL articles on this forum.

I observed that Nigerians, humans at large, are very good at apportioning blames, criticising people and issues; but, surprisingly, they are very far from offering a very detailed, concised, and elaborate critique of issues. Be that as it may, I will proceed to the topic of discourse.

It is no longer a hidden secret that bot clicks have been massively identified by the management. It is now an open secret that bot clicks are still being paid for by the management. It is even more fascinating that twitter, though has the overall best twitter, has the largest bot clicks so far. But, WHY ARE BOT CLICKS IMPORTANT?

We should be happy that bots/crawlers/web spiders exist; without them, our works here would be in vain. What is the essence of creating topics when people cannot find them in search engines? Why waste my time on this forum when I know that it is just within the confines of this forum?

Contrary to the popular held belief system in the house here among publishers; bots should be celebrated and not condemned. Without them, everything here will be meaningless. Without them, people cannot know what we are doing now and make reference to them in the future. Without them, my hashtags may not work. Without them, my tweets may not appear on search engines.

Ever since I embraced and accepted this strategy of utilising bot clicks, I have become more productive, more comfortable, more relaxed, and have equally made more profits. Within the past one week of having the above new shaped orientation, several search engines have picked the topics I shared. Some of these searches are: google.com, bloopish.com, bing.com, longurl.com, and many more.

So, are you still angry that bot clicks flood your timeline? Are you still discouraged that you do not earn a lot from them? Do not worry yourself; look at the bigger picture. Very soon, you will be smiling soon and will drop your testimony.

I leave you to your thoughts.

See more here: http://talkafrica.co/ng/p/24086/20788-updates
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