Why Barcelona chose Guardiola over Mourinho - Man City Chief

     
Manchester City chief Ferran Soriano has revealed why Barcelona chose Pep Guardiola over Jose Mourinho in 2008.

The pair interviewed for the job after Frank Rijkaard's departure.

Mourinho, who was appointed as Manchester United manager last week, had worked at Barça as assistant to Sir Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal. Guardiola, now in charge of City, was then in charge of Barca's 'B' team.

In his new book 'Goal: The ball doesn't go into the net by chance', Soriano discussed the Barça board's decision-making process.

"Both had great virtues and they seemed to be at opposite ends of an imaginary scale," Soriano noted of Mourinho and Guardiola.

"At the one end we had an experienced coach, who was successful, with a strong personality, and a controversial reputation.

"At the other end was a very talented person, who was totally familiar with the club, but without significant experience as a coach."

Soriano revealed that, as part of the search for Rijkaard's successor, Barça devised a nine-point plan detailing what they expected of the man appointed - with Mourinho causing them some degree of worry when it came to point six.

"The coach is one of the club's permanent, weekly representatives," it said. "He must act cautiously at all times. Respect opponents, referees and other institutions in general - fair play.

"He must not abuse the media or create false controversy, but focus on the relevant aspects of the game and how the team is doing."

Soriano also compared the two coaches' management styles, observing: "Guardiola always prefers working with smaller groups with stable hierarchies and not a lot of internal competition.

"Guardiola chooses to work with 14 or 15 players that have his total confidence. The end result is a very stable playing style and a changing room that doesn't harbour much conflict.

"Mourinho's strategy is different. Whether in Chelsea, Inter Milan or Real Madrid, Mourinho works with bigger groups, with many well known and talented players competing for the line-up.

"Mourinho assumes the complex task of managing his players' egos in exchange for having that much talent at his disposal."

Federal Government scraps post-UTME

     
The Federal Government Thursday scrapped the conduct of post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) for candidates seeking admission into higher institution.

The government explained that all tertiary institutions were at liberty to conduct screening for candidates seeking admission into any school.

Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said this on Thursday in Abuja after declaring open the 2016 Combined Policy Meeting on Admissions to Universities, Polytechnics and other higher institutions in Nigeria.

Adamu, expressed confidence in the examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), adding that there was no need for other examination to be conducted by universities after JAMB.

He said: “As far as I am concerned the nation has confidence in what JAMB is doing. The universities should not be holding another examination and if the universities have any complain against JAMB let them bring it and then we address it.

“If JAMB is qualified enough to conduct tests and they have conducted test then there will be no need to conduct another test for students to gain admission.”

The Minister also asked the JAMB to stop extra charges on several categories of changes on admissions such as the change of course, change of school and others.

Meanwhile, the JAMB has pegged the cut – off mark for admission for 2016 at 180.

The 180 benchmark, applies to all universities and higher institutions in the country, including polytechnics, colleges of education, and others.

JAMB’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, after a long debate with delegates from various institutions, told journalists that no institution would go below the 180 cut-off set by the board.

He said: “180 is given, no institution will go below 180 this year, And some universities can go above it, I know University of Ife will not go below 200 and University of Lagos will not go below 200 and also UI. All these ones stand but 180 as bench mark for others.

“This year we have more than enough candidates, we have over 1.5 million candidates so we will get enough candidates to take in all the schools if they are serious. Re-distribution is already ongoing, because it is embedded in the registration procedure.”

IPOB commends Fayose, berates Delta SSG on Anioma & Biafra

      
Still leaking its wounds over what it called irresponsible and senseless killing of their members, the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB on Thursday told South East governors, politicians and those who claim to be Ibo and non Ibo elder statesmen to emulate the Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state for being outspoken and condemning the killing of non violent Biafran agitators.

In a statement signed by IPOB Media and Publicity Officer Mr. Emma Powerful the group said if responsible Nigerians have prevailed on President Muhammadu Buhari to do the right thing by releasing its leader and Director of Radio Biafra, just as condemning the wanton killing of non violent people who protest or agitate for what is their rights, the killing of innocent people would have been averted.

IPOB said it has high esteem for Governor Fayose, who has shown that he is the only detribalized politician after the late Owelle of Onitsha Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, that is still living and does not play politics with the lives of any citizen of Nigeria.

Fayose has shown that he does not play politics after electioneering campaign and election, he knows what governance is all about, unlike every other Nigerian Governor, or politician or President and ex-President, no wonder at every point in time his people in Ekiti State will come out to stake their lives for him.

“We are telling the people of Ekiti state that they have a son in whom the Biafrans and IPOB and other Biafra agitators are well pleased with, this is not because he condemned the Federal Government of Nigeria for killing IPOB other Biafran and non Biafran agitators, but because he equally condemned the killing by Fulani herdsmen in Agatu in Benue and Nimbo in Enugu States and others.

“He has equally stood tall by single handily and constructively criticizing the All Progressive Congress, APC, government in all their irresponsible and anti Nigeria’s policies when his party members and other Nigerian politicians have been afraid and intimidated not to talk for fear of being arrested for one alleged corrupt act or the other” he said.

Buhari never cancelled his trip to Ogoniland – Presidency

     
Presidency Thursday refuted claims in some quarters that president Mohammadu Buhari canceled his trip to Ogoniland, Rivers State for the commencement oil spillage clean up exercise in the region.

It rather stated that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo represented the president at the occasion.

It will be recalled that the presidential movement to the oil rich land had been widely publicized that even the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on the eve of the trip on Wednesday made a broadcast, calling for calm and support for the president.

But at the eleventh hour Wednesday night after his advanced team had arrived Ogoniland, the president detailed his deputy to perform the ritual.

Buhari's Special Adviser on media and publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina said that he was represented at the event by his deputy. “We all went to school. There is a difference between cancellation and being represented by someone. The president did not cancel his trip to Ogoniland.

He was represented by the Vice President”, Adesina said.

FG starts deliberation on minimum wage, fuel price hike

       
The Federal Government on Thursday inaugurated the technical committee set up to look into Labour’s grievances arising from the increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

After the committee’s inauguration by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Babachir Lawal, the committee headed by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, held its inaugural meeting.

Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, Ngige said the committee has been commissioned to look into three key areas.

According to him, the committee will look into a framework of a national committee that will discuss the issue of minimum wage and consider suggestions of all parties including government and the organised labour on how they can give amelioration to workers and Nigerians in general to cushion the effect of the fuel price hike.

He added: “Government has already provided N500 billion in the 2016 budget as palliatives and this will be subjected to a review by the committee.

“Another term of reference is the recommendation of the composition of the board of the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).”

The organised labour, before embarking on its recent strike, had faulted the federal government’s rational for hiking the fuel price from N86.50 to N145 per litre when the board of the PPPRA was not in place.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had also requested that the federal government should include labour stakeholders in the N500 billion palliative measures it planned to use to cushion the effect of the fuel price hike.

The union also demanded for upward review of the minimum wage to N56,000.

But President Muhammadu Buhari had subsequently approved the appointment of Mohammed Buba as the Chairman of Board of PPPRA.

At the end of the inaugural meeting of the Committee, NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said he concurred with the remark of Dr. Ngige.

One of the labour leaders, who spoke on a condition of anonymity after the inauguration, said the government has to look beyond the N500 billion as the sharing formula has already been completed.

“Government should think of other palliatives,” he said.

NO AIRPLANE SHOULD FLY OUT OF NIGERIA – NIGER DELTA AVENGERS LIST OUT THEIR 15 POINT AGENDA

  
A Niger Delta group, the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, has vowed to launch six missiles in the region.

The group also warned against the deployment of helicopters in the South South zone by the military, saying it was going to bring them down.

It also said once the deployment of the six missiles commences, no flight operations should take place within the country’s airspace.

The group, which also claimed affiliation to the Niger Delta Avengers, said the missiles were capable of bringing down any aircraft no matter how big.

It fixed June 7 for the commencement of the launching of the missiles.

In a statement signed by four members of the JNDLF, the group said it had observed that President Muhammadu Buhari was bent on breaking up the country and that it was set for the proposal.

The statement, signed by General Akotebe Darikoro, Commander, General Duties; General Torunnanaowei Latei, Creeks Network Coordinator; General Agbakakuro Owei-Tauro, Pipelines Bleeding Expert; and General Pulokiri Ebiladei of its Intelligence Bureau, reads in full: “We have seen and noted that President Muhammadu Buhari (a.k.a. Pharaoh) is set for the final breakup of the country.

Mr. Buhari should also know that we are also prepared and set for his proposal.

The Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC) which is the highest organ of all the freedom fighting body has finally endorsed the followings:

1. After extensive and exhaustive deliberation by all Commanders of various groups in Yenagoa, the heart of the Niger Delta struggle met last night and as part of our mission, we are going to test six (6) of our MISSILES in the region. This is to show the federal government of our readiness of the American prediction.

2. There should be NO any form of helicopter to fly around in the region as we will not guarantee the safety of such object.

3. The people of the Niger Delta region should not be panic in course of test running the 6 MISSILES.

4. We may also decide within the week to shut down the Nigerian satellite orbit, so that there will be no communication in the country if needs arise.

5. Within our three (3) days operations, NO airplane should fly out of the country because it can target such object no matter how small or big it may be.

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6. Our Fighter Expert Team shall be position in the six (6) Niger Delta states, who are already arrived the region from training through our country’s porous borders with our foreign partners who are going to showcase what they have learnt in past on year.

7. Our struggle is not for any human blood, but we have been pushed to the wall for justice because our patience is running out on daily basis as Nigerian uniform men killing our innocent people continuously.

8. Nigerian military should as a matter of urgency leave peacefully the Ijaw communities they are presently in, the next 48 hours under the guise of searching for the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) or else we should not be blamed of whatever catastrophe that may befall on such officers and the likely affected families of the officers should blame not the region.

9. We have consulted our war gods (deities) that enough is enough and that the time has come. Since the present Pharaoh of Nigeria, President Buhari is to preside over the disintegration of the country it is a good omen.

10. Henceforth, any attack on Ijaw communities or person(s) by the military or para-military body in the region, we will not hesitate to order our shoot-at-sight squad of any uniform personnel in the region.

11. We ask all Service Chiefs including Minister of Defence to shamefully resign their positions because Nigeria has no security in whatever form. Bravo to our Foreign Marine Crack Team for their ability to shut down Nigerian obsolete surveillance equipments.

12. For the records, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) are not in Delta state, we only go there to strike and return back safely to the struggle base, Bayelsa state.

13. We further warn especially Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, Information Commissioner in Bayelsa state not to criticize our activities any longer or else he has a choice of leaving the planet earth anytime he made such statement(s).

14. All oil and gas operations should shut down immediately as our MISSILES testing will affect their equipments.

15. NOTE, we shall commence MISSILES testing on Tuesday 7, June 2016 which coincide with the date of our training abroad. Since the present Pharaoh of Nigeria (Buhari) fails to our demands. We promised Nigerians and the entire world that we are going to surprise them.

Middle Belt of Nigeria unveils own currency note

   
Just few days after the Niger Delta militants unveiled their currency note, Middle Belt of Nigeria also released own currency note.

Major Gideon Gwaza Orkar appeared on the new banknote.

He was a Nigerian army officer who staged a violent coup against the government of General Ibrahim Babangida in 1990.

The Niger Delta Avengers militants have recently vowed to break away from the federation of Nigeria.

They have been carrying out attacks on oil and gas facilities of multinational oil corporations in the region.

Niger Delta Avengers which have claimed responsibility for the attacks have promised to stop at nothing until a sovereign state of the Niger Delta is actualized.

This is the third time Nigeria has been threatened by secessionists who come up with their own currency to show that they have no ties to Nigeria anymore.

There was circulation of a Biafra currency within the southeast, and some tried to use it for different transactions.

NIGERIAN PRESIDENT BUHARI’S NO SHOW IN TROUBLED REGION EMBOLDENS NEW CROP OF MILITANTS

  
Until earlier today, the people of Nigeria’s Rivers State were waiting to receive President Muhammadu Buhari whose office had announced would be in Ogoni land to flag off the clean-up of the polluted oil-rich community in the country’s Niger Delta region. But they got a shocking news; the president would not be coming anymore, for reasons that were not disclosed. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo would be coming in his stead.

On another day, it would not have been a big issue that a leader changed his mind about travelling to a particular place without any genuine reason, but circumstances surrounding his planned trip made every move sensitive and critical to the future of Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy.

The economy is on the verge of recession and last minute actions are currently being taken to save the economy, but recent attacks on oil installations by militant group Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) have reduced Nigeria’s oil output, further worsening the economic crisis of a country that relies on oil for more than 70 percent of government revenues and gas for more than 80 percent of electricity generation. The group has made demands that it wants met before it stops the attacks but the government had adopted a carrot and stick approach to solving the crisis. The fearless militants have continued attacks and even went as far as threatening to kill the president if he shows up in the Niger Delta for the flag off of the Ogoni cleanup. For one, many southerners believe President Buhari abhors the region; the militants share similar sentiment, making stronger their resolve to cripple the Nigerian economy until the man at the helm of affairs accede to their requests.

President Buhari, a retired general has never shown timidity in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges. He had at one time threatened to treat the Niger Delta militants as though they were Boko Haram terrorists. He would do whatever it takes to safeguard the country. But with a late announcement that the president will not be at Ogoni land today after a militant group had threatened to kill him, many have started questioning whether Buhari has lost his fearlessness to old age. Others say his absence could embolden the hearts of the Avengers and potential militants as well. “Don’t be surprised if new militants spring up,” says Ola Lasisi who worked in the creeks of Bayelsa for more than a year. “They are naturally fearless. Now, the president is making it look like he’s scared of their threat.”

The communications team of President Buhari has not been at its best since the former dictator won elections last year, most inexcusable. But Nigeria is a country of tolerant people; none of those responsible for the blunders have been sacked. The team’s fault on this occasion is bad information management. The effects of this remains to be seen.

However, more than the blunders of the communications team, Nigeria’s president has continued to prove right, people who insist Buhari has something against southern Nigeria. Over the past one year of his leadership, the Nigerian leader has visited over 20 foreign countries but he has only visited southern Nigeria once. Even a planned visit to Lagos, Nigeria’s most important city was cancelled just hours before he was expected to arrive at the commercial capital. Vice President Osinbajo covered up for him. The two-day visit was cut to one as Osinbajo had to be somewhere else; millions spent to host the president wasted.

The president hardly give reasons for his actions, especially when he is at home. Usually, most of the important information to have come directly from Buhari had been released outside the country.

While Nigerians pray the president’s latest decision does not worsen the attacks in the Niger Delta, they will also be waiting for his next journey outside the country to hear him explain why he did not show up at Ogoni. Was the general scared of the Avengers’ threat? Very unlikely.

JAMB cut off mark set at 180 as FG scraps post UTME

   
The post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) for candidates seeking admission into higher institution has been scrapped by the federal government.

The federal government explained that all tertiary institutions were at liberty to conduct screening for candidates seeking admission into any school.

According to The Nation, Mallam Adamu Adamu, the minister of education, disclosed this on Thursday, June 2, in Abuja after declaring open the 2016 Combined Policy Meeting on Admissions to Universities, Polytechnics and other higher institutions in Nigeria.

Adamu, expressed confidence in the examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), adding that there was no need for other examination to be conducted by universities after JAMB.

He said: “As far as I am concerned the nation has confidence in what JAMB is doing. The universities should not be holding another examination and if the universities have any complain against JAMB let them bring it and then we address it.

“If JAMB is qualified enough to conduct tests and they have conducted test then there will be no need to conduct another test for students to gain admission.”

The minister of education has also asked JAMB to stop extra charges on several categories of changes on admissions such as the change of course, change of school and others.

Meanwhile, JAMB has pegged the cut off mark for admission for 2016 at 180.

The 180 cut off mark, applies to all universities and higher institutions in the country, including polytechnics, colleges of education, and others.

Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, JAMB’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, after a long debate with delegates from various institutions, said that no institution would go below the 180 cut-off set by the board.

About 9 months ago JAMB registrar had predicted that the post-UTME screening exercise would stop following the introduction of the Computer-Based Test (CBT).

Ojerinde said the reason for this is that the Computer Based mode of UTME had helped to completely eradicate examination malpractice.

Post-JAMB tests for applicants was introduced by many universities and polytechnic before they are offered admission, irrespective of whether they passed the JAMB examination, which has attracted its fair share of criticism as it was described as a means of extorting money from applicants.

Restructure Nigeria or risk revolution, Okogie tells Buhari

                
Archbishop Emeritus of Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Anthony Caedinal Okogie, yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to return to his inaugural address to the nation, incorporate his ruling party’s blueprint and redirect the ship of state or risk a revolution.

Addressing newsmen in his Archbishop’s Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, as part of preparations for his 80th birthday and his 50th priestly ordination anniversary, the cardinal averred that one year after the inauguration of the Buhari administration, the poor masses were left to roam about without proper guidance, adding that majority  wallop in penury in the midst of plenty.

“The swearing in of the APC government last year was perceived as a major milestone in the people’s quest for positive change and improvement in their quality of life. But a year later,  thousands of workers are being laid off every day, the value of the Naira is falling drastically, while many states are owing their workers many months of unpaid salaries,” Okogie further agued.

Okogie, who took a cursory look at the state of the nation after one year of Buhari’s administration, warned that the Federal Government, which gave so much promise last year, must tread softly with the Biafra agitators and Niger Delta Avengers, noting that there was so much poverty among the youth.

“There is a popular saying that to jaw jaw is better than to war war, I am aware that the Niger Delta Avengers have reeled out a number of conditions to be met before seizing further attacks on oil installations.

I am equally aware that President Buhari has vowed to deal decisively with the militants,” he maintained, adding that just a few day ago, the Nigerian military stormed Gbaramatu Kingdom in search of ex-militant, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.

“While condemning the disruption of our oil facilities under any guise, I equally want to, stress that the use of military force is not a solution,” noting that option of military would only aggravate the situation.