FG unveils N2.87trillion … Recurrent expenditure – N1. 649 trillion … Capital expenditure – N796.7 billion

Less than four weeks to the end of the 2008 fiscal year, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua finally presented the 2009 Appropriation Bill of N2,870,510,042,679 to the joint session of the National Assembly, with a promise to remain focus despite the global economic downturn.

President Yar’Adua who spent about 57 minutes reading the 30-paragraph speech with no specific title said that Nigeria’s economic growth remains on track just as it is buoyed by strong performance of the non-oil sector in spite of the global downturn.

The president further noted that growth in the non-oil sector particularly in agriculture, remains robust, at an estimated 9 per cent saying that as the administration moves to reposition the economy to meet the challenges as well as take advantage of the opportunities that the people are faced with at home and internationally, it has to be recognized that the global financial crisis has led to slowing growth across the world’s economies.

According to Yar’Adua; "The changing international oil market poses grave concerns for our fiscal outlook. The global financial crisis has led to slowing growth across the world’s economies, resulting in a lower demand for commodities, especially oil.

While speculative investment activities had helped to buoy oil prices in recent months, the reality of the global recession is beginning to be fully appreciated across the globe, and more poignantly in Nigeria by its adverse impact on the international price of oil."

He noted that the recent volatility of the oil price is apparent in the unprecedented decline of prices from record highs of about US$147/barrel in July this year to current prices of about US$50/barrel, adding that there is no guarantee that the prices will not further decline despite OPEC’s recent mitigating efforts, stressing that there was the urgent need to adopt a prudent outlook that does not invest misplaced confidence in the expectation of unrealistically high prices.

He further said; "Notwithstanding however, the oil sector’s GDP contracted in 2008 by about 2.5 per cent due to reduced production levels precipitated by the ongoing situation in the Niger Delta. Overall, real GDP growth for 2009 is estimated to be about 7.5 per cent which compares favourably with the 6.6 per cent recorded so far in 2008.

The budget is 4.45 per cent higher than the 2008 budget of N2.748 trillion as well as an increase of 8.42 per cent over the 2008 Amended budget expenditure of N2.647 trillion.
The budget was benchmarked on a $45 per barrel of crude oil as against $59 of last year and a deficit of N1.09trillion or 3.95 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and a forecast production of 2.292million barrels of crude oil per day.
According to the President, the 2009 budget would seeks to tackle critical areas of national needs such as power supply, education, security, Niger Delta, human capital development, critical infrastructure, land reforms, food security and agriculture.

For critical infrastructure, the federal government planned to spend N361.2billion in 2009. This include N88.5billion for power, aviation N15.4billion, petroleum resources N26.5billion, works N129.3billion, transport N35.2billion and N48.7billion for critical infrastructure within the federal territory.

Others are human capital development for which N131.9billion was earmarked. This include N39.6billion for health, education N33.6billion, N32.6billion for MDGs conditional grants, N19.7billion for MDGs quick wins projects and N6.3billion for MDGs capacity building.
Federal Government also budgeted N91.8billion for land reforms and food security, focusing on agriculture and water resources, N67billion for security and N77.2billion on the Niger Delta.
Key projects that would be funded by the 2009 budget includes:

Mambilla Hydro-electric power generation project for which N3.5billion was budgeted, N21.5billion for other Generation projects (including N6.5billion for the completion of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company’s NIPP projects), N32billion for Transmission projects, and N19.25billion for Distribution projects.

Also, the Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline received N903.9million, while the Calabar-Umuahia-Ajaokuta Gas Pipeline got N6.7billion and the Ajaokuta-Abuja-Kano pipeline received N10.3billion.
Equally, N10.7billion was budgeted for access roads to 6 NNPC refineries and ports while N56.86billion was voted for highway construction and rehabilitation.
The sum of N4.3billion was voted for the construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge at Onitsha and N3.6billion for the Guto-Bagana bridge across the River Benue.

The President also announced a vote of N12.4billion for the completion of the Ajaokuta-Warri railway line to the Delta Steel Jetty while N8.3billion was devoted for the modernization of locomotives, coaches and wagons, and N8.4billion for the dredging of the lower River Niger.
The health sector projects include, a N6.5billion on HIV/AIDS response, N3billion on Midwifery services scheme and N7.7billion Maternity and Children’s health while N6billion will go for Polio eradication.
The new ministry of the Niger Delta will invest N28.4billion in the East-West road to improve accessibility to the region while N92.8billion will be spent on projects to improve and restore the environment.

The President also voted N18.6billion on other projects in the Niger Delta particularly the establishment of two sophisticated skills acquisition centres to help the youths from the region to acquire skills relevant to the energy and petrochemicals industry.

Agriculture and water resources also received priority attention as N4.6billion was voted for the development of livestock development infrastructure, N15billion on the supply of fertilizer, N6.5billion on tractor service PPP schemes, N9.2billion on the construction and rehabilitation of dams, and N11.6billion on water supply and sanitation.

According to the President, the philosophy and thrust of the 2009 budget is on "delivering on the promises of the 7 point agenda of the administration by enhancing investment in critical physical infrastructure and human capital development, implementing socio-economic reforms and consolidating democracy."

The President said, the 2009 budget "is to give priority to the completion of ongoing projects, which will quickly deliver tangible results in service delivery. Accordingly, rather than embarking on new projects, this administration has opted to devote more resources to completing existing projects and discharging outstanding obligations from the 2007 and 2008 fiscal years. We will continue to ensure that all new projects are well articulated, properly costed, and sensibly prioritized, taking into account available resources and the implementation capacity of the MDAs."

"We must continue to improve national security and enhance the ability of the law-enforcement agencies to discharge their functions. As a responsible and people-centred government, we must continue to abide by the rule of law, promote transparency and accountability in governance, and relentlessly pursue our efforts to combat corruption. By remaining true to our vision, we will create a more prosperous and secure future for all the citizens of this nation," said the President.

The President also announced that the 2009 N1.09trillion deficit will be financed by outstanding signature bonuses, proceeds of ongoing privatisation, the recall of $200million from the Nigerian Trust Fund of the African Development Bank (ADB), any unspent balances from 2008 budget, domestic borrowing and a naira denominated international bond issue of US$500million.

According to the President, year-on-year headline inflation has exceeded single digit projections remaining at 14.7 per cent in October 2008 while core inflation remained in a single digit at 7.9 per cent. He blamed this on rising global cost of food and energy. " Our efforts to manage inflation will continue to build on increasing coordination between monetary and fiscal policy, and our emphasis on fiscal discipline and prudence in macroeconomic management."

On the global financial crises, the President said that Nigeria "is not immune to the challenges in the global financial markets arising from the acute contraction of credit and liquidity in the international financial markets. However, we have moved to protect the integrity of our nation’s financial markets and system by introducing several measures to strengthen our financial sector and restore investor confidence."
Unlike in the past, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and most ministers were not present at the budget presentation that was witnessed by Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa and Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State.

Van Persie accepts goal was offside

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has conceded he was ‘a little bit offside‘ for his equaliser at Chelsea on Sunday.

The Dutchman strayed into an offside position before scoring the first of two goals in a vital turnaround against the Blues.

Van Persie, though, has pointed to a clash between the two London clubs when he had a seemingly onside goal ruled out.

He said in the Evening Standard, “I scored a goal against Chelsea (in a 2-0 home defeat in December 2005). I was onside, but the referee gave it offside and it didn‘t count.

‘This time was maybe a little bit offside, but it counted and that‘s all that matters.”

Meanwhile, Van Persie’s strike partner, Emmanuel Adebayor, has hailed the importance of the scalp that hauled them to within seven points of the leaders.

The Togo forward said, “It is a very big win because we went through a lot of difficult moments and people wrote us off in the Premier League. Now this is a message that we have sent out.

“We believe in ourselves, we can do something. Forget about what happened - we are always together. We always believed we can do something and these are the kind of results we can show again.

“Now everyone can see we have kept our title dreams alive and the more important thing now is to keep going.”

Mikel laments Arsenal defeat

Chelsea midfielder, Mikel Obi, on Sunday said his team’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in their Premier League match in London was painful but not enough to stop the Blues from winning the title.

Speaking with our correspondent after the match, the Super Eagles star said the Gunners won because they took their chances in the encounter, lamenting his team’s poor performance.

He said, “Football can be funny. We did our best but Arsenal got the goals and that was it. We are going to fight back and work hard to ensure we win the league this time because we have a good team that can achieve that for Chelsea.

“We still have many games to play and it is obvious plenty of drama awaits all the title contenders as we move on.”

Chelsea manager, Felipe Scolari, was forced to replace Mikel with Florent Malouda with 20 minutes to go in a bid to force an equaliser.

The Blues, who had not been beaten at home in the league for 86 games before its 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on October 26, have now lost two of their last four Premier League ties at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea was the only side in English professional football not to have conceded a second-half goal in a league game this season before Robin van Persie’s brace helped Arsenal beat its London rival on Sunday.

Decline deepens as market loses N189bn

Activities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange continued on a low note on Monday as market indices, declined further at the end of the first trading day of the month.

Specifically, the market capitalisation of the 302 listed equities, which had closed at N7.306tn on Friday, dropped by N180bn or 2.5 per cent to close at N7.126tn.

Similarly, the All-Share Index of the NSE slid by 811.4 basis points, or 2.5 per cent to close at 32,214.35, down from 33,025.75 on Friday.

Market analysts, however, attributed the persistent decline to profit-taking activities of investors.

According to them, the trend may continue well into the early part of 2009, as investors may want to cash in on their investments to meet up with responsibilities and year end celebrations.

Only 10 companies recorded price appreciations on Monday, with May and Baker Plc leading the chart by gaining 36 kobo to close at N7.50 per share.

Skye Bank Plc and Sterling Bank Plc followed, adding 17 kobo and 15 kobo, to close at N7.98 and N3.24 respectively.

On the other hand, major blue-chip stocks recorded significant losses in their share prices.

Conoil Plc led the losers’ chart with a loss of N4.73 to close at N89.90 per share.

Guinness Nigeria Plc lost N4.69 to close at N89.23 per share while the shares of Oando Plc and UACN Plc dropped by N3.94 and N1.47 to close at N75.05 and N30.03 respectively.

The banking sub-sector maintained its dominance on the activity chart as it accounted for 48 per cent of total volume traded on Monday.

Activity in the sub-sector was boosted by trading in the shares of United Bank for Africa Plc and Diamond Bank Plc, which represented 33 per cent of turnover.

The insurance sub-sector followed on the activity chart, trading 62,193 million shares, valued at N55.716m in 520 deals. It accounted for 31 per cent of volume.

Trading in the shares of Investment and Allied Assurance Plc drove the sub-sector’s volume, accounting for 70 per cent of turnover.

In all, investors staked N1.637tn on 201.119 million shares, in 7,012 transactions, compared with 294.985 million equities, valued at N2.612bn, exchanged on Friday in 8,142 deals

Etisalat unveils missed calls notification for subscribers

Nigeria’s newest mobile telecommunications company, Etisalat, has unveiled a feature on its pre-paid product, the Easy Starter, that allows subscribers on the network know any caller who tried to reach them even when they were not immediately available or while their phone was switched off.

The Missed Calls Notification feature is available to all subscribers on the Etisalat network at no cost. The firm said by allowing subscribers to be notified on attempts made to reach them on their phones even when a phone number was unreachable for whatever reason, it was helping to promote better businesses and personal relationships.

The feature notifies subscribers about those that tried to reach them, even when out of coverage area or when they switched off their phones, immediately they turn their phones back on or get back into an area where there is coverage. This implies that all attempts to reach a subscriber on the Etisalat network are registered and a subscriber is notified whenever this is necessary.

The firm said notification is sent as an SMS and includes the number(s) that tried to reach them, the date that the attempts were made, the time the number(s) called them and the number of times the number(s) tried to reach them.

This is a first in Nigeria’s telecommunications market and Etisalat said it was a default service on its network and did not require the subscriber to take any action to activate it.

Speaking about the feature, the Vice-President Marketing, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Wael Ammar, said that the feature was unique in the Nigerian market and was in line with Etisalat’s sincere desire to get Nigerians talking a lot more. He added that there was no charge attached to the service.

Visafone deploys Microsoft retail solution with Netspex

Visafone Communications Limited has signed an agreement with Netspex Limited to deploy 300 Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System licences to the former’s shops and kiosks.

Netspex, a Microsoft certified partner, is a leading provider of hospitality and retail solutions in Nigeria.

Explaining the benefits of the pact, the Managing Director, Netspex, Mr. Ohimai Unuigboje said, “Our recent signing with Visafone Communications is a landmark deal for us not only because we have been selected to deliver this cutting edge Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System to Visafone, but also because this solution will provide the company an opportunity to deliver superior customer service.”

The Chief Operating Officer, Visafone, Mr. Vinod Shah, whose firm now has almost two million subscribers nationwide, said the software to be deployed by Netspex would help in customer service delivery.

He said, “We are happy to sign this agreement with Netspex Limited to deploy Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System to our shops and kiosks. Microsoft is the leading software company in the world and they have a record of having software solutions that meet customer needs and that are also adaptable, and so, it was a natural and easy choice to deploy the solution to our shops and kiosks. We are also happy to partner with Netspex Limited, which is a leader in this area.”

Speaking further on the agreement, Unuigboje explained that Visafone needed a robust retail solution, which was scalable and, which had the capacity to address operational and reporting needs in the key areas of operation - warehousing, store operations and head quarters operations.

They required a solution that would simplify the processes of capturing retail information involving both stock and non-stock items. The solution should also be able to manage customers from a global and local perspective in order to understand customer buying and travel patterns in order to enable them deliver superior customer service.”

Obama names Clinton as Secretary of State

United States President-elect, Barack Obama, has nominated his former rival, Hillary Clinton, as his Secretary of state.

Obama described the former First Lady as a woman of ”tremendous stature” who had his ”complete confidence.”

Clinton lost out to Obama when the two contested a bitterly fought race for the Democratic Party presidential nomination.

At a news conference in Chicago on Monday, Obama also announced nominations for other key National Security team posts.

Obama said the time had come for a ”new dawn of American leadership to overcome the challenges of the 21st century, and to seize the opportunities embedded in those challenges.”

Obama said Robert Gates would remain as defence secretary, while retired Marine Gen. James Jones was named as White House national security adviser.

Former Justice Department official, Eric Holder, was nominated as attorney general and Arizona Governor, Janet Napolitano, as secretary of homeland security.

Obama‘s foreign policy team under Hillary Clinton will reassure the more hawkish elements in the US, but might disappoint those who wanted a more radical shift, says BBC News website world affairs correspondent, Paul Reynolds.

Obama said of Clinton, ”She‘s an American of tremendous stature who will have my complete confidence, who knows many of the world‘s leaders, who will command respect in every capital, and who will clearly have the ability to advance our interests around the world.”

”Hillary‘s appointment is a sign to friend and foe of the seriousness of my commitment to renew American diplomacy and restore our alliances,” said Obama.

Although the two repeatedly clashed during the nomination race, Clinton went on to campaign for Obama as he took on Republican John McCain in the race for the White House.

Former president Bill Clinton had cleared the way for his wife‘s appointment by reaching a complicated agreement on his financial arrangements, reports said.

The BBC said there had been fears her nomination could falter over the appearance of conflicts of interest between her husband‘s charitable foundation and lucrative speechmaking schedule.

Clinton has agreed to release the list of donors to his foundation by the end of the year, officials overseeing the presidential transition said.

He has also agreed to submit future engagements, speeches and sources of income to the State Department and the White House and to take a more behind-the-scenes role in the daily running of his foundation, sources said.

Clinton pledged to give the job ”her all.”

“The American people have demanded not just a new direction at home, but a new effort to renew America‘s standing in the world as a force for positive change,” she said.

The current secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, praised Clinton as an ”inspiration” who would ”bring enormous energy and intellect” to the role.

”And most important I know her to be somebody who has what you need most in this job: which is a deep love of the United States of America.”

Announcing his team, Obama said, ”The national security challenges we face are just as great and just as urgent as our economic crisis.”

Announcing that Robert Gates would remain in his job, Obama said he would be given ”a new mission” to ”responsibly” end the war in Iraq.

”We will also ensure that we have the strategy - and resources - to succeed against al Qaeda and the Taleban,” said Obama.

Selecting Gates - who was appointed by President George W. Bush two years ago - allows Obama to honour a promise to name at least one Republican cabinet member.

The BBC‘s Justin Webb in Washington reported that the re-appointment of Gates was a sign of pragmatism that would please those who had urged Obama to be cautious, but could also upset those who had wanted a clean break from the previous administration.

Gates said he was ”deeply honoured” to be asked to continue and that he did so with ”a profound sense of personal responsibility, to and for our men and women in uniform and their families”.

Retired General James Jones - a former top commander of NATO and US forces in Europe - was nominated as national security adviser.

He served in the Bush administration as a Middle East adviser.

Jennifer Hudson's Brother-in-Law Arrested for Family Murders

Jennifer Hudson's estranged brother-in-law has just gone from "person of interest" to prime suspect in the slayings of her mother, brother and nephew.

Chicago police today arrested William Balfour for the Oct. 24 shooting deaths that ripped the Dreamgirls star's family apart.

Chicago police detectives went to the Illinois' Stateville Correctional Center, where Balfour has been detained since two days after the murders. The 27-year-old was transferred into police custody at 2:45 local time.

“He is awaiting formal charges for three counts of murder,” a police department spokesman told E! News. “There likely will be a press conference once there are formal charges against him.”

Defense attorney Joshua Kutnick told reporters outside the police station that his client has maintained his innocence.

"He vehemently denies that he is guilty in this case," Kutnick said. "Any evidence pointing to Mr. Balfour is not even thin. It is very, very weak."

Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and 29-year-old brother, Jason Hudson, were found shot to death in the family's Chicago home. Seven-year-old Julian King, the son of Hudson's sister, Julia, was reported missing and found dead from a gunshot wound to the head three days later in an abandoned SUV.

Police said that Julian was likely taken alive from the house and then killed in the vehicle. Hudson was called upon to identify the bodies of all three.

Balfour was deemed a "person of interest" in the case almost immediately after the murders transfixed the nation. But he was jailed on an unrelated charges of parole violation stemming from a 1999 attempted-murder conviction, for which he spent seven years in prison. He was released in 2006.

At a hearing last month, the Illinois Prisoner Review Board decided to keep him locked up after hearing evidence that he appeared in places where drugs were sold and, according to his girlfriend, being in possession of a gun matching the description of the Hudson murder weapon.

The suspect's mother, Michelle Davis-Balfour, told reporters tonight that the authorities didn't have a case.

"If they found gun powder on his hands, you got a case," she said. "If they found a gun on him, he had a case. If they found a fingerprint on the truck that he did this, you got a case— but they don't have nothing."

Hudson's publicist, Lisa Kasteler, had no comment Monday.

Yar’Adua stops inauguration of Plateau LG chairmen

There were indications in Abuja on Monday that President Umaru Yar’Adua had directed Governor Jonah Jang to stop the inauguration of the newly elected Local Government Chairmen and councillors in Plateau State.

A source in the Presidency told one of our correspondents that Yar’Adua informed Jang through the telephone that the inauguration could lead to another round of violence in the state.

He said, “On learning that the governor was planning to inaugurate the new councils today (Monday), the President telephoned him on Sunday evening to express his displeasure at such a move which could further inflame passion in the state.

“The President was highly incensed that the governor could contemplate inaugurating the councils in the face of the current development when tension was still high and people still counting their huge losses. The President told the governor to shelve the idea.”

It was learnt that Yar’Adua, who sent the minister supervising the Ministry of Health, Alhaji Hassan Lawal, to assess the Jos mayhem, also expressed displeasure that the state government had not done much in the supply of relief materials to the displaced persons.

“The President on Monday directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Yayale, under whose purview the National Emergency Management Agency operates, to ensure that efforts were made to provide relief materials for the displaced people,” our source said.

He added that Yar’Adua, at a meeting with security chiefs in Abuja on Monday, also directed that efforts should be made to ensure that the crisis did not spread to other states in the country.

It was learnt that President’s directive was informed by reports of rising tension in some states, including those in the South-East geo-political zone where reprisal attacks had been experienced in the past.

Just as our source made the disclosure, more families sought refuge in army and police barracks in Onitsha, Anambra State, as tension built up in the city over the Jos violence.

Sokoto Road, Headbridge, Haruna Street and other parts of the commercial city with high population of Northerners looked deserted when our correspondent in Awka visited on Monday.

The state Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, said through his Chief press Secretary, Mr. Mike Udah, that proactive measures had been taken to protect lives and property in the state.

Obi added that his administration had placed all the security agencies in the state on the alert.

Trouble broke out in Jos on Friday over the conduct of LG elections in the state. More than 300 people were reported killed and hundreds wounded in the two-day violence.

Also on Monday, the Deputy Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Alhaji Hassan Baba, narrowly escaped being lynched at the Jos Central Mosque by some displaced people.

Baba, who accompanied the Speaker of the House Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole and Lawan to the mosque, was accused by the displaced persons of abandoning them.

Our correspondent in Jos reported that Bankole saved the day as Baba had to cling to his hand before being moved to a safe place.

Before the incident, tension had heightened outside the mosque as the over 4,000 displaced persons refused the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Richard Chime, entry.

Chime, who also accompanied Bankole and Lawal to the mosque, then made frantic calls for security operatives to be dispatched to the scene.

A few minutes later, some operatives arrived in Armoured Personnel Carriers to bring the situation under the control.

A soldier told our correspondent that but for their quick response, there would have been another round of fracas in the troubled city.

But after the tension was doused, a mild drama occurred when a member of the House of Representative, Alhaji Samaila Mohammed, began to read an address on behalf of the victims.

As Muhammed, who is also one of those that took refuge in the mosque, was about to blame the state government for the crisis, Bankole, apparently sensing danger, quickly snatched the script and microphone from him and interjected.

He told the displaced persons that he was sent by his colleagues in the National Assembly to see things for themselves.

The Speaker said, ”We are from the National Assembly to see things for ourselves. We have visited the governor and he has told us his own side of the story.

“We need all of you now than any time because what you do in the next one hour can either save life or take away life. The difference between you and the people out there is that you are the leaders. Whether you like it or not, you must put your emotions into your pockets.

“You have lost property, sisters, wives, children or whatever, but they are not worth more than losing Prophet Mohammed. We will make sure that the people who did this are properly dealt with. You must allow us to do it.

“Because that is the job you have given us as elected representatives, you cannot do it yourself. You must be patient to allow us to investigate properly with facts and figures. I beg you, we beg you to do just this for us.”

Bankole reminded them that as good Muslims, they must pray, especially now that Arafat, the hallmark of the Muslim pilgrimage, was only six days away.

In his comment, Lawal assured the displaced persons, including a former Minister of State for Information and Communications, Mr. Dasuki Nakande, that the Federal Government would send relief materials to them.

He said that he was sent by the President to ascertain the level of destruction and the assistance they would need.

He had visited the injured at the Jos University Teaching Hospital on Sunday and the premises of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Rikkos where reprisal attacks were recorded on Saturday.

Meanwhile, normalcy has started to return to many parts of the city. But movements are still being restricted, especially in the vulnerable areas.

However, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Gen. Yusuf Bomoi, said on Monday that corps members serving in Jos were among the over 200 people officially confirmed killed in the two-day mayhem that began on Friday.

He gave their names as Leke Akande, 23; Tola Odusola, 20; and Ibukun Oluwatosin Akinjogbin, 23.

Bomoi, who addressed batches A, B and C of the NYSC members currently in camp at the Zang Secondary Commercial School, Bukuru, assured them of safety.

He said as a precautionary measure, the batch C members would be allowed to go back to their respective homes.

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Arsene Wenger Hails Fantastic Arsenal Win

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admitted he was delighted to watch his side come from behind to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game the Gunners' boss admitted he was relieved to bounce back after two consecutive defeats. He said: “We are very happy because we are in a period in the Premier League when we had lost two games and to come here and win is fantastic for the team.”

A Johann Djourou own goal opened the scoring before Robin van Persie hit a brace to secure all three points, and Wenger praised the character of his side.

“We have beaten Man United, we have beaten Chelsea away and I believe that shows we have potential, we have character, fantastic character in this side,” explained the Frenchman, “We now have to be humble and come back tomorrow and work hard.”

Arsenal’s equaliser looked to be offside, yet in true Wenger-style he admitted he had not seen the incident.

“I do not want to score offside goals but I did not see that frankly,” he said before adding, “It can sometimes go for you, sometimes go against you.”

Whilst Chelsea had their fair share of possession they failed to test Manual Almunia and the Arsenal boss admitted they did not pose much of a threat. He said: “We felt the only goal we conceded we scored. We scored all the goals today. I felt we had chances, they had very little chances.”

The win moves Arsenal back into fourth place, seven points behind the Blues and Wenger confessed he felt his side fully deserved the win.

“We had the quality in the second half I think we were on top,” he said before concluding, “We had a bad period in the Premier League. We were 1-0 down and we still won the game there is no better test of character.”

JOS MAYHEM Army takes over • 400 dead, Plateau govt confirms 200 • Tension pervades city • Abia, Anambra calm

The Nigerian Army on Sunday took over security in Jos, the Plateau State capital, two days after riots broke out in the city.
Chief of Army Staff, General Abdulrahman Dambazza, on Sunday personally led fully armed troops to take over security in the Plataeu State capital where hundreds have lost their lives since riots broke out in the city on Friday.

The police had earlier dispatched an Assistant Inspector General of Police, Mr. Richard Chime, to assist in quelling the riots, but when security reports became alarming, Dambazzau had to be moved to Jos.

The announcement last Friday of the results of the local council polls result, which sparked the riots did not help matters as tempers rose to the highest level and the situation would have gone out of hand, but for the intervention of the soldiers.

Dambazza arrived the tin city on Saturday and personally supervised the deployment of soldiers to hot spots around the state early Sunday morning, amidst sounds of sporadic gunshots. He also led his men in patrolling the streets of the troubled state capital. He also visited displaced persons and assured them of relief materials.

Soldiers mounted checkpoints in parts of the city and patrolled the streets in jeeps and on foot. Passers-by were ordered to raise up their hands while passing even as the soldiers continued to enforce the dusk to dawn curfew imposed on the city by the state government.
Army spokesman, Brig. General Emeka Onwamaegbu told AFP on Sunday that the crisis was gradually abating.

"The situation is gradually returning to normal. There’s not been any cases this morning," he said.
About 400 people are believed to have lost their lives in the mayhem, even as property worth hundreds of millions has been razed.
Plateau State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Nuhu Gagara, told journalists on Sunday that hoodlums from neighbouring states unleashed fresh mayhem on the city at the weekend after Friday’s carnage had been successfully curtailed. He maintained that the riots and the subsequent destruction were pre planned as the elections had been concluded before some hoodlums decided to unleash mayhem on the state.

He expressed the state government’s regrets on the crisis and said a search and rescue committee put in place by the government was already working to locate the dead and the injured.
Contrary to reports that nearly 400 souls might have perished in the crisis, the commissioner said about 200 people died.

At the town’s Central Mosque, the Aid Group of the Ja’amatu Nasril Islam was preparing mass burial for the victims whose identities could not be ascertained.
Murtala Sani Hashim, who registered the dead as they were brought to the mosque, told Reuters on Sunday that 367 bodies had been brought in so far.
The Red Cross said about 7,000 people have fled their homes and had taken refuge in government buildings, army barracks and religious homes.

A spokesman for the Imam at the Jos Central Mosque, Samaila Abdullahi Mohammed, accused the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state of fuelling the crisis.
"The PDP provided an all Christian ticket. They started the trouble because they couldn’t win," he observed. He accused policemen and troops deployed to quell the riots of "heavy-handed tactics." "As far as we are concerned, we have stopped the violence, but the police have not," he further said.
Meanwhile, the Abia State government has been appealing to people in the state to remain calm following the destruction in Jos. In a message continuously run on electronic media in the state since the Jos crisis commenced, the government urged the people not to embark on reprisal killings following the situation in the Plateau State capital.

Also in Anambra State, the situation remained calm on Sunday even as the government appealed to the people not to embark on violent attacks over the Jos crisis.
At the Vatican on Sunday, Catholic Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, prayed for the victims of the Jos mayhem. He urged the world to express horror and disapproval at the senseless violence.
Executive Director of the Christian Foundation for Social Justice and Equity, (CFSJES), Mr. Joseph Sangosanya, described the situation as "genocide."

The CFSJES director said the state government mismanaged the whole situation because it allegedly ignored security reports about in-flow of people into Jos.
Sangosanya dismissed as untrue, the assertion by the commissioner for information that there was no security reports, stressing that "the letters written by the civil society to the security agencies that they should beef up security in Jos and its environs were ignored by the government.
"The information system by all the government agencies was not properly managed. Late deployment of soldiers contributed to the mass killings, which we see as genocide and the process of the election itself, which was not credible, led to the mayhem.

"And we see the aggressors as the few individuals who want to perpetuate their expansionist tendencies and we ask that the government should immediately set up a judicial commission of inquiry to unravel the immediate and remote cause(s) of the carnage and those arrested should be charged to court immediately.

The CFSJES director called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, release all the past reports of all the commissions of inquiry into the Jos crises.
He urged the state government to arrest those indicted by those past reports no matter how highly placed so that it could serve as a deterrent.

Killer baby mixture: NAFDAC seals chemical company, insists two died in UCH

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has sealed a chemical company, Tranxell Limited, Ilasamaja, Lagos, over the alleged contaminated baby teething mixture, My Pikin.

Investigations by our correspondent on Thursday showed that the action followed an alleged claim by the producer of the teething mixture, Barewa Pharmaceuticals Limited, that its chemicals were supplied by Tranxell.

The closure of the company came as NAFDAC insisted that two children died at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, after allegedly taking the mixture.

It was gathered that three officials of Tranxell were arrested and taken to the NAFDAC office at Oshodi, Lagos. They were later transferred to the Ikoyi office of the agency for interrogation.

An official of the agency, who pleaded anonymity said, “We have not said that they were guilty. We just want them to answer some questions on the supply of chemicals to Barewa Pharmaceutical Company.”

NAFDAC also took on the UCH on Thursday, saying its insistence that no child died in the hospital after taking the drug was misleading and false.

The agency made available to THE PUNCH the report of the investigation of the children‘s death at the hospital. The report was signed by the Head of South-West Zone, NAFDAC, Mrs. O.A.Osibanjo.

In the report, NAFDAC said that it received a telephone call on November 24 on the death of children at UCH.

“The zonal head (South-West) was directed to immediately investigate a report of deaths of some children at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, after being administered with My Pikin Syrup,” it said.

The agency stated that its officials, including the zonal head, a pharmacist, S.O.Adeyemi and Miss B.O.Fareo visited UCH on November 24.

It claimed that its official discussed with the UCH‘s Chief Medical Director, Prof. A.O.Ilesanmi; the Head of Pharmacy Department, Mrs. M.Oderinde; an assistant pharmacist, M.I.Irabor; an officer of the manufacturing unit, one Isola; a member of Pharmacovigilance Committee, Prince Osiyemi; an official of the Main Pharmacy Store, Mrs. Nwanko; a consultant paediatrician, Dr. A.O.Asinobi and Dr. Ademola of the Pediatric Department.

According to the agency, initially, the hospital management claimed ignorance of any report from the Pediatric Department.

”However, while the team was still discussing with the chief pharmacists, two doctors interrupted to make an official report on the death of some children referred to UCH,” it said.

NAFDAC stated that the doctors said that in the last two weeks, seven pediatric patients within the ages of one and three years old were referred to UCH from LUTH and two other hospitals in Lagos.

It added, “Seven toddlers had renal failure linked to administration of My Pikin teething mixture. Two of the seven toddlers died while on admission in UCH, Ibadan. The remaining four were taken back to Lagos by their parents against medical advice. One of the four toddlers died on the way back to Lagos.”

The agency claimed that the UCH doctors told its team that the seventh toddler was brought dead from Lagos on November 23.

“Samples of the drug products were not available in UCH hence no details description of the drug could be given,” it said.

NAFDAC said that its team recommended that further investigations should be carried out in Lagos since the patients were referred to UCH from there.

The Public Relations Officer of the UCH, Mr. Kunle Atinwore, had in an interview with our correspondent on Wednesday said, “I wonder why the agency‘s Director-General (Prof. Dora Akunyili) was insisting that two children died in the UCH after being administered with teething mixture.”

Akunyili had at a news conference in Lagos on Tuesday said that 25 children died after consuming the drug. But on Thursday she said in a statement that three more children had died at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, thus bringing the toll to 28 nationwide.

However, the figure differs from the 29 which the Lagos State Government said on Wednesday died in the state alone.

Akunyili, who also confirmed the closure of the chemical company on Thursday , explained that the contamination of the teething mixture was caused by addition of a chemical diethylene glycol, which is harmful to the kidney.

Diethylene glycol is a chemical used for freezing. It is very harmful to kidneys. According to the NAFDAC D-G, propylene glycol is used by pharmaceutical companies in the manufacturing of syrups.

Meanwhile, the Action Congress has called for an immediate probe into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the children.

It said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that the conflicting claims by NAFDAC, teaching hospitals and the manufacturer of the drug made its call imperative.

Hulk Can't Be Restrained, Ex Still Trying to Milk Him

Hulk Hogan's estranged wife thinks he isn't giving her enough, while her new beau thinks the wrestling star is dishing out way too much.

Less than a week after Linda Hogan's boyfriend's request for a restraining order against Hogan was denied, the former Hogan Knows Best matriarch publicly stated that she thinks the $40,000-per-month in support she's receiving is a "drop in the bucket" compared to what her hulking hubby earned over the course of their marriage.

And she's heading to court to ask for an additional $400,000, according to documents filed Nov. 21.

"It is all relative. That is what people don't understand. You can't compare what Linda gets to your own income of 50K a year, you have to compare it to Hulk's one time income of 12 to 16 million a year and the lifestyle that comes with it. That puts it into perspective," Linda's publicist, Gary Smith, said in a statement Tuesday.

Well, in that case...

Assault: Uzoma fails to appear before naval panel - Says she’s being frustrated

The lady recently assaulted by naval ratings attached to Rear Admiral Harry Arogundade, Miss Uzoma Okere, has accused the board of enquiry set up by the authorities of the Nigerian Navy to investigate the alleged assault of frustrating her efforts to testify before the panel.She made the allegation following the claim by a source, who is a member of the four-man board, that Uzoma had shunned all entreaties to appear before the panel to state her side of the November 3 incident in Lagos.

The source had told our correspondent on Monday that efforts made by the board headed by the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sylvester Umosen, to convince the lady to appear before the panel had proved abortive.

But Uzoma, in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Monday, said it was not true that she declined to appear before the board.

Uzoma said she made desperate attempts to appear before the panel on three occasions, adding that her efforts were frustrated by the panel.

According to her, she was on her way to a venue in Victoria Island on the first appointed date before she was called that the venue had been shifted to another location in Apapa, adding that it was difficult for her to face Apapa on that day.

Uzoma explained further that she was indisposed on the next appointed date, adding that the board failed to turn up at the chamber of her lawyer in Onikan, Lagos, as agreed upon last Friday.

She said, ”It is not correct that I refused to appear before the panel. I was on my way to Victoria Island on the first date the panel asked me to come before they called again that they had moved to Apapa and I could not find my way to Apapa again that day. I was ill on the second appointment. But they later called me to pick a venue convenient for me.

”I picked my lawyer‘s chamber in Onikan and we agreed to meet there on Friday. (November 21) But they (naval board) did not come. All of us, including my lawyer, waited till evening before we dispersed. So it cannot be true that I did not want to appear before the panel.”

The panel was set up by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Isiah Ibrahim, on the order of the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike, to probe the incident and ascertain the culpability of the naval personnel.

The board of enquiry began sitting in Lagos on Monday, November 17.

Camara seals victory for Latics

Henri Camara finally gave the JJB Stadium reason to cheer as his first Premier League goal in almost two years catapulted Wigan out of the relegation zone and condemned in-form Everton to a 1-0 defeat.The Senegal international striker replaced the ineffectual Olivier Kapo at half-time and needed just six minutes to rifle home a clinical low shot after a delightful piece of skill from Antonio Valencia.

It proved enough to give Steve Bruce's men only their second home league win of the season and their first since beating Manchester City 2-1 almost two months ago.

Moreover, it was the perfect fillip for Bruce after recent results raised fears of his side being dragged into a relegation dogfight.

The Latics are not out of trouble yet but this thoroughly deserved victory, in which midfielder Lee Cattermole was outstanding, was heartening for Bruce and no-one was happier than goal-hero Camara at the final whistle.

The nomadic forward, 31, spent last season on loan at West Ham but failed to score a single goal in a nightmare campaign.

Camara returned to the JJB Stadium in the summer and, having scored three times in the Carling Cup earlier this season, he finally found the net in the top flight for the first time since scoring against Middlesbrough for Wigan in December 2006.

Everton had made the short trip to Wigan unbeaten in five games but, after a bright start, they faded badly - and the defeat means none of the league's top 10 were able to produce a win over this latest round of fixtures.

Yet during the early exchanges, David Moyes' men looked full of confidence and Yakubu and Louis Saha again dovetailed to good effect.

Indeed the Toffees - backed by a huge travelling army of supporters - looked like they were the team playing at home in the opening quarter.

Tim Cahill spurned an opportunity in the fifth minute when he headed Mikel Arteta's corner wastefully over the crossbar from eight yards out.

Yakubu then showed some delightful footwork and a neat turn of pace to engineer the space to drive a low shot into the heart of the Wigan defence, but Paul Scharner was alert to the danger and cleared for a corner.

In the 14th minute, Everton crafted possibly the best move of the first half when the lively Yakubu broke clear down the left flank and delivered an inch-perfect cross into Saha's feet.

The France striker strode forward and rifled a low, first-time shot goalwards from around 16 yards - but his effort drew a fine one-handed save from Chris Kirkland.

In the 34th minute Emile Heskey used his aerial strength to flick a high ball into Valencia's path on the right side of Everton's six-yard box.

The Ecuadorian clipped a teasing cross across the face of goal and Wilson Palacios stopped to head goalwards but contrived only to send the ball over the bar from little more than four yards out.

Wigan went close twice within the space of a minute on the stroke of half-time whistle when Howard palmed away Cattermole's curling shot from 14 yards, then produced an even better save to repel Scharner's close-range header.

Bruce's decision to replace the ineffectual Kapo with Camara proved inspired.

The Senegal forward was clearly up for it and was the quickest to react when Valencia's individual skill handed him a goal on a plate six minutes after the restart.

Valencia showed a neat touch to control a long punt upfield on the right-hand side of Everton's 18-yard box.

He then drove at Joleon Lescott, slipping the ball between the England defender's legs with a cheeky nutmeg before spotting Camara lurking at the far post.

Valencia slid a vicious low cross across the face of goal and there was Camara to rifle the ball home in predatory fashion.

Bruce celebrated with a punch of the air pitchside and Camara blew kisses to the jubilant Latics supporters.

Wigan could have made the game safe in the 71st minute when Valencia broke clear and hit a powerful shot from 14 yards which Howard could only parry.

Three minutes later, Cahill attempted to tuck away a loose ball from 14 yards but Scharner blocked his effort.

Cahill had a golden chance to earn a point in injury-time - but he shot over the bar and victory was Wigan's.

MTN PROJECT FAME UPDATE

There were tears, heartbreak and an out pouring of love, as this week’s contestant left the MTN Project Fame West Africa Academy, and this was just from the faculty and judges. The fans, friends, and viewers had all of that and more as the Academy lost the two students with the lowest audience votes on the night. Composition eviction was all that was on the books as the 7 final students of MTN Project Fame West Africa Academy went on the stage to sing for survival as the show hit the 8th week. The students waxed, molded and some even did remixes as they looked to sell their special compositions to the public, judges and faculty, and special guest judge, OJB Jezerel was not immune to the charms of the students as he complimented them unendingly on their foresight and their extraordinary performances. In the audience were mother’s, brothers, sisters and in Kojo’s case, his pastor Pastor Solomon Oware. The day unfortunately had to come to a close and the tally was drawn to show which 5 students had the highest audience votes and which two will have to go home, the results were as follows:
Nii, Bisola, Annette, Praise and Iyanya.

The 2 with the least audience votes were: Kojo and Onyeamaechi, and the audience felt the impact, as the students cried and hugged in goodbye, we all know that this is the beginning of new and exciting things for them.

Is Prison Break Ending?

Could Fox be shutting the doors on Prison Break—without any plan for future escape?
The Hollywood Reporter says the series might be coming to an end, because word is there might be two more episodes this seaon, which could be an attempt to wrap up storylines and send Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell on their merry way.
So what is the real story? Is Prison Break really on the way out?
We've checked in with the network, the studio and inside sources for exactly where things stand...

AWC: E’Guinea can’t stop Falcons – Okolo

Recuperating Super Falcons star, Vera Okolo, has charged the senior women national team to go out for a win against host Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday (today) in the semifinal of the ongoing Africa Women‘s Championship.

Despite a shaky start to their campaign that resulted in draws against Ghana and Tunisia, the Falcons, five-time winners of the AWC, secured a ticket to the semifinals after beating South Africa 1-0 in their last group game on Saturday.

Okolo said, “We cannot judge the team by its performance in its first two matches. Some people had written them off before they beat South Africa to qualify for the semifinals. I believe the players have learnt their lesson and have found their rhythm after their first win of the tournament.

“As for the Equatorial Guineans, the Falcons need to be serous. We played against them two years ago. Even when we were two goals down, we came back to beat them 4-2, so we know them. They can’t stop the Falcons. They are no threat at all.”

Okolo dismissed the fear that the Falcons would need to contend with the home fans, saying the players were prepared for the challenge.

“Which crowd do they have in Equatorial Guinea? The Falcons have played at the World Cup and Olympics competitions which have the largest crowds. How can they be scared of the fans in Malabo? The whole country can come to the stadium; there is no problem about that. The Falcons will still win,” she stressed.

The match will start at 2pm (Nigerian time).

Equatorial Guinea won its Group A matches to proceed to the last four as the only country with a 100 per cent record.

The Lioness of Cameroun will play Bayana Bayana of South Africa who topped Group B with six points in the other semifinal game at 5pm (Nigerian time).

Don’t judge Amodu by Colombia defeat – Lawal

Amid criticisms of the Super Eagles for the defeat to Colombia in a friendly game in the early hours of Thursday in Cali, versatile former Holland-based midfielder, Garba Lawal, has moved to save coach Shaibu Amodu from further bashing.

Amodu has come under intense criticisms since the poor showing against the Colombians, losing 1-0 in the encounter dominated by the South Americans.

Speaking with our correspondent on the telephone on Monday, Lawal, who was a prominent member of the Atlanta ‘96 Olympic Games gold-winning Under-23 team, insisted that neither Amodu nor the players deserved the criticisms they had been subjected to since the defeat, appealing to Nigerians not to lose faith in the team.

The former senior national team star said, ”The problem with Nigerians is that they want to win every match. In football, this is not possible. There’s no team in the world that has won all its matches.

“The game against Colombia was only a friendly. It has not only afforded the coach an opportunity to assess the young players he featured, but also the old players.

“I did not expect the team to beat Colombia, given the situation Amodu found himself before the encounter.Some of the players he relied on withdrew from the game and you don’t expect him to force them.

“The result will help us plan for the World Cup qualifiers and I think Amodu has learnt one or two things from the defeat to Colombia. It means we have to take every match in the qualifiers seriously.”

Lawal called on the players no longer interested in playing for the national team to quit honourably rather than making excuses to avoid featuring in certain matches.