Italian striker Mario Balotelli will face Manchester City at a Premier League tribunal in London on Wednesday.

Balotelli is fighting City's decision to fine him two weeks' wages for his poor disciplinary record last season.

The 22-year-old missed 11 games domestically and in Europe last season because of suspensions.

Balotelli appealed against the decision but an independent panel of City's board upheld the penalty. The case will now be heard by a three-man panel.

The striker is expected to appear in person, along with his Italian lawyer and a representative from the Professional Footballers' Association, while City will bring their legal team.

A two-week fine is the maximum penalty stipulated in standard player contracts and, although City refused to comment on the case, they are privately confident of winning.

It is unusual for internal disputes between clubs and their players to go to a Premier League tribunal. The PFA has advised the player throughout and its chief executive, Gordon Taylor, told BBC Sport: "We try to avoid situations like this wherever possible, but the player and club have not been able to resolve this situation."

City began the disciplinary process after Balotelli was sent off against Arsenal in April 2012.

In all, he received nine yellow cards and three reds - one of them retrospective - during the season.

Balotelli was taken off early in the second half of City's 3-2 defeat by Manchester United on 9 December, and then left out of their squad altogether for the 3-1 win at Newcastle on Saturday.

After the match, City manager Roberto Mancini said: "At this moment, Mario is not in good form and for this reason he is at home. It is only for this reason. To get back into the team he needs to work in training and when he plays, he needs to play well."

South African Football Association president Kirsten Nematandani and four other leading officials have been suspended in the wake of a report by football's world governing body, Fifa, into a match-fixing scandal.

Nematandani, new Safa chief executive officer Dennis Mumble, and three others have been relieved of their duties for their roles in the fixing of four friendlies that South Africa played ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

A Fifa investigation into the activity of convicted Singaporean match-fixer Wilson Perumal and his Football 4U organisation highlighted the involvement of the five South African officials, a media briefing was told on Monday.

The results of matches against Thailand, Bulgaria, Colombia and Guatemala in the weeks leading up the 2010 World Cup were found to have been pre-arranged to benefit an Asian betting syndicate.

A statement on the Safa website said the organisation has "accepted Fifa's report as received" and added that "a Commission of Enquiry will be set up, under the leadership of a retired Judge, to fully investigate the matter and the members cited in the report".

Safa vice-president Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana, who has been asked to act as president in the interim, said: "This is a difficult situation for the association, and for those who have been named in the report.

"We hope that there will be no speculation about their presumed guilt or otherwise. We need to allow the investigation to take place speedily and fairly, so those that are innocent can be separated from those who are not."

A plot to bomb the national conference of South Africa's governing African National Congress has been foiled, a police spokesman has said.

Four white suspected right-wing extremists have been arrested, he said.

President Jacob Zuma and other top officials are at the heavily-guarded conference in Mangaung, where the ANC is due to start electing its leaders.

The ANC has been in power in South Africa since the end of white minority rule in 1994.

Its leader will be overwhelming favourite to win elections due in 2014.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is challenging Mr Zuma for the leadership of the ANC.

However, Mr Motlanthe has withdrawn his candidature for re-election as ANC deputy leader, putting one of South Africa's richest businessman, Cyril Ramaphosa, in pole position to take the post, reports the BBC's Milton Nkosi from Mangaung.

This is a move by Mr Motlanthe to bolster his chances of unseating Mr Zuma, as it avoids diluting his support by running for two positions, our correspondent says.

After months of prevarication, the gloves are now off, he says.

Police spokesman Phuti Setati told Reuters news agency the four suspects were arrested for planning to plant a bomb in a marquee at the conference, which is being held at the University of the Free State in Mangaung.

South Africa's City Press newspaper reports that the arrests took during police raids in three of South Africa's nine provinces - Free State, Northern Cape and Limpopo.

The Federal Freedom Party (FFP), which campaigns for the self-determination of South Africa's white Afrikaner minority, confirmed that two of those arrested were its members.

However, it denied any role in the alleged plot.

"We were not involved and do not associate ourselves with their actions," FFP national secretary Francois Cloete told Reuters.

Our correspondent says there is a strong security presence, with police and sniffer dogs checking all cars entering the campus.

In July, a South African court convicted former academic Mike du Toit of treason.

The court ruled that Du Toit, the leader of the Boeremag (Afrikaner power) group, was behind a spate of bombings in 2002 and had also plotted to assassinate South Africa's first black president, Nelson Mandela.

Mr Zuma, who opened the conference on Sunday, is standing for re-election as ANC leader, despite a promise before he became party leader in 2007 that he would step down after one term.

He is the favourite to win, after winning far more nominations than his rival.

Mr Ramaphosa, once a close confidante of South Africa's first black President Nelson Mandela, has given him his support by standing for the party's deputy leadership.

Last week, Mr Motlanthe accepted his nomination to run for a second term as ANC deputy leader.

Mr Ramaphosa, who played a key role in the transition to black-majority rule, is now the favourite to become deputy leader, although ANC Treasurer-General Mathews Phosa and Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale are also running for the post.

In his opening address in Mangaung, where the ANC was formed a century ago, Mr Zuma said the country was now ready to "move into the second phase, in which we will focus on achieving meaningful socio-economic freedom".

The results of the leadership contest are expected later this week.

Uganda's president has said gay people should not be killed or persecuted, as MPs continue to consider a controversial Anti-Homosegxwality Bill.

In his first public comments on the bill for some time, President Yoweri Museveni also said that homosegxwality should not be promoted.

The original version of the bill stipulated the death penalty for some homosegxwal acts but this has reportedly been dropped.

Homosegxwal acts are illegal in Uganda.

The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga says the government has always stressed that the bill was introduced by an individual MP and was not official policy.

In his latest comments at the swearing in of a new head of the Anglican Church of Uganda, the president was careful to neither condemn the bill nor openly support it, our correspondent says.

The president said: "If there are some homosegxwals, we shall not kill or persecute them but there should be no promotion of homosegxwality.

"We cannot accept promotion of homosegxwality as if it is a good thing."

Ministers have warned MPs that passing the bill would have implications for foreign relations.

It has been condemned by Western donors, who have suggested that aid could be cut if it is passed.

Speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga recently said the bill would be passed as a "Christmas gift" to its advocates.
Continue reading the main story
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    I have been married to my wife for 39 years, but I have never kissed her in public”

President Museveni

However, parliament has adjourned until January without voting on it.

Even if MPs do approve the bill, Mr Museveni would have to sign it before it takes effect.

Some African opponents of homosegxwality have said it was introduced to the continent by European colonisers.

However, Mr Museveni said he knew of traditional kings and chiefs who practised homosegxwality, but that they did it in secret and did not promote it.

He said he had told the US ambassador to Kampala that all forms of sex were kept private in Africa, unlike in Western societies.
A Ugandan gay man who has sought exile in Nairobi Ugandan gay people often fear living openly

"I told him that I have been married to my wife for 39 years, but I have never kissed her in public and in my house before the children," the New Vision newspaper quoted him as saying at the same church ceremony.

"If I did it, I would lose elections and you know I am not about to accept that idea of losing elections."

Last month, MP Medard Segona told the BBC that the provision for the death penalty had been dropped.

In its original form, those convicted of "aggravated homosegxwality", defined as when one of the participants is a minor, HIV-positive, disabled or a "serial offender", faced the death penalty.

Such offences would now be punished with life imprisonment, it is understood.

The original bill also prohibited the "promotion" of gay rights and called for the punishment of anyone who "funds or sponsors homosegxwality" or "abets homosegxwality".

Correspondents say many Ugandans are deeply conservative, and say homosegxwality is against their religious and cultural beliefs.

Gay rights campaigners in Uganda say they are living in fear of attack.

In 2011, activist David Kato was beaten to death but police denied this was related to his segxwality.

Emmanuel Babayaro may not be too popular like his other brother, Celestine Babayaro, a former player of Chelsea FC of England and ex-Nigerian international, but he is very popular with the entertainment industry where he is also a player.

Emmanuel can also not be forgotten because of his role in the golden days of the Nigerian football where he was part of the team that won gold medal for Nigeria at the Atlanta 96 Olympics Games held in the United States of America where he was as a goalkeeper along with Dosu Joseph who manned the poles for Nigeria for most of the matches played.

As a singer and actor himself, one cannot but agree that he is also a player in the entertainment industry even though he may not be a major player there. What one of our correspondents authoritatively got from sources within popular hotel in Lekki, Lagos, Oriental Hotel, which is thought to be owned by
former Lagos State governor, Chief Bola Tinubu, is that Emmanuel and an actress named Biola Ige chose the hotel as their preferred sexcapade location few weeks ago.

Aproko247 exclusively learnt that Emmanuel was in Lagos for the novelty match between entertainers and some selected former Super Eagles player in celebration of World’s AIDS Day held on December 1st 2012, which was a Saturday.

The football match took place at Campos Mini Stadium, Lagos. The match was put together by Friends Africa’s Goodwill Ambassador, Emmanuel Hyacinth Babayaro (MON). and was tagged ‘Play for Life’ Novelty Football Match.

After the charity match, Emmanuel took his game further to the bed with Biola Ige who became the goalkeeper he was hammering with shots as a tough striker. This lasted for four days (Saturday to Tuesday).

A source who was in the know of the happenings between Emmanuel and Biola reliably informed Aproko247 that both lovebirds lodged in room number 508 of the hotel. What amused those in the know of this happening said that Emmanuel was always in the habit of coming out of his hotel room to eat breakfast while he leaves Biola inside.

This they explained may be a tactics by Emmanuel not to raise any suspicion on his ‘slaughter’ with him when he comes for his breakfast. Though one of our sources within the hotel stressed that Emmanuel sees Biola off to her car whenever the actress is done with the business of the day but comes back the next day until Emmanuel left for Abuja on Tuesday, December 4.

We Will Occupy The National Assembly If They Pass The Supplementary Budget Of N161 Billion For Fuel Subsidy-Dino Melaye

Last year, 2011 the National Assembly appropriated N245 billion for fuel subsidy. In violation of the Appropriation ACT 2011 and the Fiscal Responsibility ACT 2007, the Central Bank of Nigeria paid N2.3 trillion for fuel subsidy on the basis of fraudulent, satanic and wicked recommendations of the Ministries of Finance and Petroleum resources.

In 2011 budget, the sum of N888.3 billion was appropriated by the National Assembly for fuel subsidy.

Last two weeks at the budget defense in the National Assembly, the Executive Secretary of Petroleum product pricing Regulatory Agency, Mr. Stanley Reginald told Members of the House of Representatives that a total sum of N679 billion had been spent on fuel subsidy from January – October 2012 and that the sum of #670 million had been saved by the Federal Government.

From his postulations to the National Assembly Nigeria spend an average of N67.9 billion per month. So since we have paid unto October, we will only need #135.8 billion to settle for the remaining of November and December. If this N313.8 billion is deducted from the balance of #208 billion left now in the subsidy account, there will be an outstanding of N72.2 billion in the account at the end of the year. So what do we need a supplementary appropriation for it is fraudulent, not necessary and pure corruption.

So we conclude that the National Assembly and indeed the House of Representatives had yet to pass the bill must not do so. Because it is a total and complete fraud.

If this is passed, we will match and occupy the National Assembly. We can not be taken for granted. Subsidy is a total fraud, as it does not exist. What we subsidize is actually corruption. At all cost within the ambit of law, we must protect the resources of the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The SURE – P program is an aberration, fraud and corruption pipe for 2015 elections. We call on the House of Representatives to demonstrate courage and support for the common man by throwing the bill out through the windows of the National Assembly.
NO RETREAT NO SURRENDER.
God bless Nigeria.

Otunba Dino Melaye
Executive Secretary 
Anti-Corruption Network
Abuja

Embattled businessman and Chairman of Bi-Courtney Highway Services Limited, Dr. Wale Babalakin today lost his bid to stop the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, from arraigning him before a Lagos High Court, Ikeja on money laundering charges.

Ruling on the application by Babalakin for an order of prohibition against the EFCC and the Attorney General of Federation from arraigning him before the Lagos High Court, Justice Idris Mohammed of a Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos held that the application was defective as the applicant did not file service and serve same properly. He therefore dismissed the case for non-compliance with court rules and awarded the sum of N5000 against the applicant.

Justice Idris equally dismissed the preliminary objection by the EFCC that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the applicant’s application/suit and that the application is incompetent and an abuse of court process.

Justice Idris had on November 29, 2012 granted leave to Babalakin to apply for an order of prohibition to review the legality and constitutionality of the 27 count criminal charges preferred against him at the Lagos High Court.

The order was granted the same day the businessman was to be docked alongside four others before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of a Lagos State High Court, Ikeja for fraudulently transferring various sums of money on behalf of the former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, through third parties to some foreign accounts under the guise of purchasing a Challenger Jet Aircraft. He failed to show up, claiming sudden illness that necessitated his hospitalization at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.

However, the anti- graft agency through its lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN challenged the ruling.

At the last adjourned date, December 13, Jacobs had urged the court to strike out the application for want of jurisdiction and lack of competence. He argued that the court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the application, and that the application was incompetent and amount to abuse of court process as the reliefs sought were not available in law.

He added that information before any court is for that court to deal with and that the Federal High Court cannot exercise powers over the State High Court. “What they are doing here is a gagging suit and I urged the court to dismiss it.

 But Wale Akoni, SAN, counsel to Babalakin told the court that an issue of interpretation had arisen regarding the leave of prohibition granted the applicant as the respondent had taken the view that there was no order of stay against them. He further told the court that despite the order of the court, the EFCC had continued to lay siege to the hospital where the defendant is receiving treatment for undisclosed ailment. He therefore urged the court to reiterate and reinforce with some measure of clarity the effect of the ruling against the respondent. He equally they were in court because the commission has no power to prosecute his client at the Lagos State high Court as section 19(1) of the EFCC Act is unconstitutional.  He said that there was no valid statutory power available to the respondent to file charges against the applicant. He further added that the Commission ought to report to the AGF but that the Commission has not done that.

However, Jacobs, SAN, told the court that the matter before it was hearing of the substantive suit and the motion of preliminary objection. He said the order of court was unambiguous and needed no further interpretation.

Jacobs said the matter before the court was simple and that it was whether the respondent has power to initiate criminal proceedings and whether they followed the right procedures.

He said the powers conferred on the AGF or the AG of the State to initial and prosecute is not exclusive. “The EFCC can initiate criminal proceedings against anybody”, he said.

Wilson Uwujaren
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity

Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a former governor of the state of Osun, and now national secretary of Nigeria’s ruling party, the PDP, has claimed that the Women and Children Development Initiative Foundation (WOCDIF) in Osogbo belongs to his wife, Omolola.

The project’s centre has been taken over by the state government.

Oyinlola spoke while purportedly receiving 750 party supporters, who defected from Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to the PDP, a claim debunked by the ruling ACN.

He said the foundation was a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and was funded with private donations.

Mr Basiru Ajibola, the state’s Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, had said the centre was built with government money.

He had said at a press conference recently that the centre belonged to the state government.

However, Oyinlola argued that the centre was an initiative of his wife and not a government project.

Oyinlola, who left office in November 2010 after the Court of Appeal in Ibadan pronounced Rauf Aregbesola as the duly-elected governor, said he was yet to get his entitlements.

In a reaction, Mr Kunle Oyatomi, ACN’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, faulted what he called the purported defection of the party’s members to the PDP.

“No true ACN member will leave the party for the PDP,’’ he said

Make them do quick ...make we know as e dey go. aunty gooldie don dey old ooooooo

US Muslims launched an advertising and social media campaign Friday in the hopes of reclaiming the word jihad from extremists who insist on equating the spiritual quest with terrorism.

The campaign features Muslims describing their personal struggles — the meaning of jihad — on bus ads, Twitter, Facebook and a dedicated website: myjihad.org.

“#MyJihad is to build friendships across the aisle,” says one ad showing an African American man leaning on the shoulder of a Jewish friend.

“#MyJihad is to march on despite losing my son,” says another ad, featuring a portrait of a mother with her three remaining children.

“#MyJihad is to not judge people by their cover,” says a third, framed by two women in headscarves.

It was sparked by a series of hateful ads calling Muslims “savages” and urging people to “defeat jihad” that were plastered on buses and trains in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

But it also speaks to a larger frustration among “mainstream” Muslims with how a basic tenant of their faith has been distorted and demonized, said Ahmed Rehab who helped launch the campaign.

“Jihad is a term that has unfortunately been widely misrepresented by the actions of Muslim extremists first and foremost, and by attempts at public indoctrination coming from Islamophobes who claim that the minority extremists are right and the majority of Muslims are wrong,” said Rehab, who is the executive director of the Chicago branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.”

“The MyJihad campaign is about reclaiming Jihad from the Muslim and anti-Muslim extremists who ironically, but not surprisingly, see eye to eye on Jihad.”

The ads have been placed on buses in Chicago and Rehab hopes to raise funds to expand the campaign to buses and trains in New York, Washington, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, Dallas, Cleveland and Oklahoma City.

Organizers are also working to get the ads on buses in Toronto, London, Manchester, Sydney and Melbourne.

Africans face hell in Greece  print
Published on December 15, 2012 by pmnews   ·   No Comments

ATHENS (AFP) – Stuck in a small Athens flat all day to avoid being caught by police, earning another stint in prison and possibly a beating, 29-year-old Cameroonian Eugene Manaa rues the day he came to Greece.

“Life is not just difficult here. It’s impossible,” says Manaa, who recently spent two months in prison on the island of Crete for illegal entry into Greece.

“There’s no work, no money, no housing,” he tells AFP. “There are fifteen of us sharing a flat, we face police checks at every corner, we are subjected to racism and we cannot go to another country.”

Like many of his compatriots, Manaa is among tens of thousands of undocumented migrants caught in a vicious trap.

Lured to the European Union from war-torn homes in search of safety and a better future, they find themselves in Greece at the worst possible moment in the country’s postwar history.

2 Greek beggars in Athens: life is hellish for African migrants too
Near-bankruptcy, recession and soaring unemployment have created a hostile environment for migrants and refugees who are seen to be taking jobs from suffering, law-abiding, tax-paying Greeks.

For the past few months, the government has been rounding up migrants who cannot prove residency and placing them in detention centres for repatriation. Over 61,000 people have been inspected since August and over 4,000 have been detained according to police figures.

Ironically, the operation is code-named Xenios Zeus, named after supreme ancient Greek god Zeus, protector of guests.

“You go out to buy bread and you vanish for three months, it happened to me,” says Eric, an Ivorian just released from a detention centre in Corinth.

Worse still, gangs of racist thugs now roam Athens and other main cities by night, looking for foreigners to beat up.

Violent attacks on migrants have escalated after the political success of a neo-Nazi group, Golden Dawn, which in June won over 400,000 votes in national elections and sent 18 lawmakers to parliament.

Though police have been unable to find hard evidence linking Golden Dawn to the attacks, migrant groups say victim testimonies incriminating supporters of the ultra-nationalist group are irrefutable.

A Congolese man who declines to give his name takes out his cellphone to show a picture of a friend, lying on a hospital bed after being stabbed on the street in one such attack.

“Four people attacked him,” says Guy, a fellow Congolese from Kinshasa.

“They chased him down the street like a goat.”

“When I first arrived in Greece in 2011 there was not so much racism. Now it’s very hard,” says Guy, lowering his head.

The response of police authorities to these attacks is at best half-hearted. Rights groups say migrants are often discouraged from lodging complaints, and some officers are themselves suspected of beatings that go unpunished.

Out of a population of 10.9 million, Greece has around 1.5 million immigrants of whom around 600,000 lack residency papers. The largest group is Albanian but most come from Asian and African countries.

“A month ago, the other residents of the building who are Greek held a meeting and told us to leave,” says Eric.

“A few days later at the bakery, a woman spat at me, saying ‘Black man, why are you here, go back to your country’,” adds Eugene.

Many of these men would like nothing more than to leave Greece for other EU countries, where some have relatives and friends.

But hundreds are intercepted at the country’s borders, or by authorities in neighbouring countries and sent back to Greece.

“Some of these men have lost four, five consecutive air tickets after being intercepted at the airport,” says Father Maurice Joyeux, a Jesuit priest who holds mass for them every Sunday.

Unable to make a living, the small group face additional humiliation in having to ask their families and friends in Africa for help.

“I have to ask friends in Africa to send money so I can pay my rent,” says Manaa, reflecting on the bitter irony of his condition.

The Nigerian government in Cross River state has debunked widespread rumours that Governor Liyel Imoke has died.

Commissioner for Information, Akin Ricketts, said the story was grossly unfounded.

“There is no iota of truth in the rumour making the round in the state and beyond that Gov. Liyel Imoke is dead,’’ the commissioner said at a news briefing last night in Calabar

Rickett said the governor officially wrote to the state House of Assembly last week that he was handing over to his deputy, Efiok Cobham, to enable him proceed on a two-month accumulated leave.

“He is not dead, he is now recuperating. There are strong indications that he will soon return to the country,’’ he said.

The governor’s Chief Press Secretary and Special Assistant on Media, Mr Christian Ita, had in a statement on 6 December explained that Imoke was away on medical grounds.

The statement did not disclose the ailment but explained that Imoke started a two-month accumulated leave on 7 December.

According to the statement, Imoke has informed the State House of Assembly through a letter to the Speaker, Mr Larry Odey, that Cobham will act for the duration of the leave in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Na so i see am ooo

Ado-Ekiti – The Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, on Friday ordered the release of 27 inmates who have been  on awaiting trial list for a long time.

He gave the order during an official visit to Ado-Ekiti Federal Prison in Ado-Ekiti.

Daramola, who also granted bail to seven inmates, expressed dismay at the congestion in cells in the state.

He criticised the inadequate facilities in all the prisons.

“Today we have attended to 292 cases awaiting trial; 27 were released outright and seven others were granted bail, based on unfounded claim of offence, health condition and long stay in detention without any evidence to try them,’’ Daramola said.

In an interview with journalists, the chief judge said the aim of the visit was to remove congestion in the prison.

“We visited the prison to ensure that those detained are justifiably detained,’’ he said.

He said the judicial system needed to be reformed to make prisons serve the purpose for which they were established.

Daramola called for cooperation between Ekiti State Judiciary and officials of the Nigeria Prison Service, Ekiti command.

He said such partnership would facilitate speedy processing of cases and help to eliminate congestion in prisons.

The Comptroller of Prisons in Ekiti State, Mr Tajudeen Aremu, said prisons officials would always cooperate with the state judiciary.

Aremu appealed to other stakeholders and agencies to assist his command in the area of infrastructure and sponsorship of workshops to facilitate operation.

Kano – Some unidentified gunmen on Friday shot dead another member of Kano State House of Assembly, Alhaji Danladi Kademi.

The lawmaker was killed at Hotoro by Ring Road on the outskirt of Kano metropolis.

The Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, ASP Magaji Majiya confirmed the killing in an interview with the Reporters in Kano on Friday.

He said that Kademi, who was representing Gaya constituency in the state assembly before his death, was killed at about 6: 30 p.m. on Friday by gunmen suspected to be hired assassins.

According to the police spokesman, the gunmen went to the area on motorcycle and opened fire on the deceased who was sitting in front of his uncompleted guest house.

According to him, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris had directed a thorough investigation in to the incident.

“The commissioner had also directed security men at various check points to ensure thorough checks of vehicles with a view to enhancing security particularly in the area,’’ the PPRO said.

Late Kademi was a two-term chairman of Gaya Local Government Area before he contested the state assembly seat.
It will be recalled that some gunmen had earlier on Nov. 17, killed Ibrahim Garko, a lawmaker representing Garko constituency in the state assembly. (NAN)

Asaba – The anti-crime police division in Umunede, Delta, says it has arrested suspected cultists in Ede Grammar School and Comprehensive High School, Umunede.

DCP Taiwo Lakanu announced the arrest in a statement in Asaba on Friday.

Lakanu said the division received a distress call that cultists had invaded the schools.

He said that one Ikelechi, whose surname was unknown, was shot in the process and rushed to Agbor where he was confirmed dead.

Lakanu said the team responded based on the information and arrested 17-year- old Stephen Jerry of Ede Grammar School.

He said the cultists, numbering about 50, attacked the police station with intent to burn it.

He said that the Divisional Police Officer mobilised and dispersed them, adding that Chinedu Osemene and Roland Abiamuwe were arrested for damaging the station’s sign post.

He said items recovered from them included one locally made pistol, a live cartridge, two guns and two packets of knockout fire devices.

He said efforts were in top gear to arrest the fleeing cultists. (NAN)

TOKYO (AFP) – FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Saturday that goal-line technology “works” and that referees were happy to see it implemented, as a trial of rival systems at the Club World Cup in Japan enters its final stages.

The world body has been testing two technologies that determine whether a ball has crossed the goal-line — the camera-based Hawk-Eye and the German-developed Goalref, which utilises magnetic fields and a ball fitted with a microchip.

Although the intercontinental competition has yet to witness a contentious goal-line decision for the rival systems to judge, Blatter said the early signs were good.

“For the time being we can only say ‘it works’,” Blatter told a news conference in Tokyo, a day after FIFA held its final Executive Committee meeting of the year.

“We have had no critical situations so far and we will make an assessment after the final matches tomorrow.

“But the one thing I can say is that the referees are happy to have this help for them because they know now that if there’s a conflicting situation it is possible to get the assurance to say if it was or wasn’t a goal.”

FIFA granted licences to Hawk-Eye and GoalRef following a lengthy testing process lasting around two years.

They were galvanised into action by England midfielder Frank Lampard’s long-range shot against Germany in the 2010 World Cup which was clearly over the line but was missed by officials.

“At that time I was president of FIFA and I said if I’m still the president of FIFA at the World Cup in 2014 then we cannot afford to have the same situation… if an accurate system exists,” Blatter said of the “ghost goal” in South Africa.

“There are two systems (now) and they are accurate. So far we are very confident, referees are confident and players are confident (of both systems).”

GoalRef will be tested in the Club World Cup’s final two matches at Yokohama’s International Stadium on Sunday — the third place play off and the final between Corinthians and Chelsea, in which Lampard is expected to feature.

Hawk-Eye’s trial ended on Wednesday when Al Ahly lost to Corinthians at Toyota stadium.

TO GO WITH Fbl-Asia-WClub-2012-technology by Peter Hutchison
This photo taken on December 5, 2012 shows a FIFA official displaying new goal-line technology developed by GoalRef for the media in Yokohama ahead the start of the Club World Cup football tournament taking place in Japan from December 6 to 16. FIFA called it a “revolution”

One of the systems is likely to be chosen for June’s Confederations Cup in Brazil and the World Cup in 2014, following an analysis of their performances during the Japan showpiece.

IT was a shocking story to the parents and neighbours of an 11 year old girl and pupil of Ikorenim Primary School in Calabar, Cross River State, Ekamen  Asuquo, when a pregnancy test that was conducted on her at the General Hospital, Calabar revealed that she was carrying a four-month pregnancy.

The mother of the primary five pupil, who resides at 2, Pipeline Road, Ikorenim had suspected pregnancy, going by the symptoms exhibited by the teenage girl, who was sick for a while as she decided to take her to the hospital after she failed to get well, despite long period of self medication.

The mother was rattled when it was discovered that the girl was pregnant after some tests.

A neighbour, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said “She has been at home for the past two months always complaining of one ailment or the other and the mother had to take her to the General Hospital after home medication could not heal her in the hope that she could be treated there.”

The neighbour, said when the teenage girl was confronted by her mother, who allegedly sells hot drinks and illicit drugs over who was responsible for the pregnancy, she mentioned one Tony, one of the boys that patronises her mother’s hot drinking joint.

However, the source hinted that when Tony was confronted, he said “He was the one who dated the teenage girl first but another customer, Jones snatched her from him and when Jones was confronted, he said he had since stopped dating the girl and mentioned another person, who when also confronted, mentioned another boy and at the last count, the number was five.”

It was gathered that the mother was infuriated when her daughter confirmed that she slept with all the boys mentioned and could not actually tell who was responsible. It was also gathered that two of the boys mentioned were tenants living in the woman’s house.

Out of annoyance, “She has since asked the two young men living in her house to quit but they are asking for time to secure another accommodation before they can vacate the house.”

When the distraught mother was asked what she was going to do with the daughter’s predicament, tears rolled down her cheek, as she said “I leave everything to God.”

When the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr John Umoh, was contacted, he said the incident had not been reported to the police.

DELTA State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba said that his men have arrested a human rights lawyer for allegedly attempting to offer N.7m bribe to police so as to release a kidnap suspect.

Addressing a press conference in Asaba yesterday, the CP said “a Warri-based self acclaimed human rights activist Barrister Omo Irabor has been arrested for attempting to bribe SARS (State Anti Robbery Squad) operatives to pervert the course of justice by releasing one Vincent Akpokona, male, a self confessed suspect involved in the kidnap of one Jerry Okolowa, a company worker at Ekete Owian on 3rd December 2012.

“The suspect was arrested on 6th of December at Army barracks Effurun with the Sim card of the victim while trying to collect the demanded ransom for the release of the victim.

“As investigation was on to arrest the fleeing gang members”, the CP went on, “the Barrister well aBosom  with the facts of the high profile matter allegedly approached SARS team based in Warri and promised to offer the team the sum of N0.7m to secure the release of the notorious suspect whose gang has been terrorizing Warri and environs.

The team played along and on 13th December 2012 the barrister true to his promised went to the team with the said N0.7m in company of the relations of the suspect and he was subsequently placed under arrest.

“To achieve his ignoble ambition, he had advised the team cruelly to lie to the CP that the suspect died in custody while the suspect will be released to the family through him”.

Princess Nnenna Orji rise to stardom was at a time when her age mates where still learning to walk.

Favour brought her into the industry when she was less than fifteen years of age and she is not about to leave any time soon.  In this interview, she talks about her further studies in the University, segxwal harassment in the industry and her beautiful, bright future. Enjoy!

How did you become an actress at that very tender age?

Actually, I started acting when l was only thirteen years of age and l would attribute it to God’s favour in my life. I didn’t go for any audition to become an actress; l only accompanied my sister to the National theatre for an audition.

We were together and l was just gesticulating as though l was acting, unknown to me a director by name Dickson Iroegbu was sitting at a distance observing me. He walked to us and asked if l wanted to act.

I told him l wanted to and l went through an audition that same day and earned myself a role in a movie.

How did you know you could act at that age?

I knew already that l could at that time because l grew up seeing my dad act on stage.  And because of it l fell in love with acting at an early age. Getting a role in a movie, becoming an actress was a dream come true.

Which movie and what role has been the most challenging in your career?

Well, the movie titled ‘In Jesus name is the most challenging to me, although l have done other challenging roles. In Jesus name was directed by Alex Mouth.

What movie was most rewarding to you financially and how much were you paid in the job?

Well l cannot say l understand all the intricacies of been paid after shooting because l had someone managing my affairs, but l was told by my manager that the movie titled ‘The Ghost’ was financially rewarding.

How did you know it was rewarding if you didn’t see the money?

The movie was shot in 2008 in Portharcourt.  l was only fourteen years old at that time, hence I didn’t even see the money. All l remembered was that my manager told me that we are travelling for a movie and my needs as a young girl were met and that’s what matters at that tender age.

What is your name and where are you from?

My name is Princess Nnenna Orji. I am from Abia state

What have you done for yourself outside acting?

Well l started acting as a child, but l have being able to get into the higher institution to add value to myself. At the moment l am attending Nnamdi Azikiwe University Okwa. I am in my second year studying Sociology and Anthropology in the Faculty of Social science.

l have also become a model; I have done some jobs for Mr. Biggs and a few others, but l havent’t done anything  lately because of my acting career and education.

Acting is difficult, but that’s all l can take on until after school.

Tell us a little about Princess Orji before she became famous?

Princess is not an ordinary girl. I was born into a family of seven. We are five girls and two guys. I am the fourth girl.

I started my primary education at Premier Day Nursery and Primary School in Palm Avenue, Lagos state. My secondary school was at Suzan Martins Comprehensive High School in Apapa.  The rest is history as you can see.

Have you ever been segxwally harassed in the industry?

I have never been segxwally harassed at all in the industry. Perhaps it is because l started acting as a child.  And maybe my colleagues still see me as a child.  Actually maybe because I am much younger than they are. And as it is l play lead children characters in most of my movies. So it would only take someone with a wicked mind to want to have anything to do with me especially when it comes to segxwal pressures.

You started acting as a child, have you had full support from your parents?
My parents are in full support of my acting career, especially my mum! If they were not, l wouldn’t have started acting in the first place. Like l said before now my dad was also an actor. It is just that his type of acting was done on the stage.

What are the names of the movies you have featured in and the people you have acted alongside with?

My first movie is Unfaithful, my second movie is Little angel, Sins of my mother, the ghost, Bank manager, Last wedding, Peace of mind, In Jesus name, strange affection, the empire and lots of movies I cannot even remember their names. I have featured in a lot of soap operas, the Victims, Dear mother and many more yet to come out.   I have featured with the likes of Zack Orji, Hilda Dokubo, Hanks Anuku, Sharon Ezeamaka and so many more.

You seem to be related to Zack Orji bearing in mind that both of you share the same surname?

Zack Orji is like my dad or l could call him an uncle, but he is not biologically related to me. I call him my god- father because that’s what he is to me and l am proud I share the same surname with him.

What don’t you do again since you started acting?
I have always been a shy person, hence l don’t get to be in public view even before stardom. But these days l don’t even enter commercial buses, but l still board motorcycles what we Nigerians call ‘okadas’.