FIFA bans Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini from football for eight years

Sepp Blatter and the longtime Fifa president’s one-time heir apparent, Michel Platini, have been banned from football for eight years, ending the career of the former and definitively derailing the vaulting ambitions of the latter.

The Fifa ethics committee, chaired by the German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, has ruled that both men should be banned despite their protestations that they did nothing wrong when Blatter paid the Uefa president 2m Swiss francs (£1.35m) in 2011, nine years after both men claimed it was originally due.


Fifa was thrown into crisis in May when Swiss police raided the five-star Baur au Lac hotel and nine senior football officials were indicted in the US on charges including money laundering and racketeering. Last month, a further indictment followed against a further 16 individuals.

Under huge pressure, Blatter agreed to stand down in June a few days after being re-elected for a fifth term as president. Platini quickly emerged as the favourite to succeed him, much to the public chagrin of his one-time mentor.

Blatter appeared personally before the ethics committee on Thursday, protesting his innocence in a letter to all 209 Fifa members in which he likened the process to the Spanish inquisition. Platini refused to appear in person, with his lawyers conducting the nine-hour hearing before Eckert and three other judges. But the Frenchman railed against the ethics committee’s provisional 90-day suspension and complained of ulterior political motives to force him out of the race to succeed Blatter.

Neither man has been able to provide a written contract for the payment, however, or definitively explain away why it was eventually paid in 2011, a few weeks before the presidential election at a time when Blatter was facing a challenge from Mohamed bin Hammam, the Qatari who himself was ultimately banned over bribery claims. Blatter and Platini said the payment related to a period between 1998 and 2002 when the Frenchman acted as a special adviser to the Swiss. Platini has claimed Blatter told him at the time that Fifa could not afford to pay him, despite the governing body making £78m over that four-year cycle, and did not want to break its wage structure.

Both Blatter and Platini have said they believed their verbal contract was legal under Swiss law. However, Swiss law places a five-year time limit on such payments. The fact that the payments did not feature in Fifa’s accounts was believed to form part of the case against them.

In addition to the alleged corruption, the charges are based on four other potential breaches: mismanagement, conflict of interest, false accounting and noncooperation with the ethics committee. Switzerland’s attorney general is also investigating whether the 2m Swiss francs constitutes what is termed a “disloyal payment”.

Blatter has been interviewed as part of a criminal investigation against him and Platini spoken to as “someone between a witness and an accused person” under Swiss law.

The 79-year-old Blatter, who over 18 years as Fifa president and 22 before that as a senior executive had become synonymous with its culture of patronage and perks as football’s commercial income boomed, has cut a disconsolate figure in recent weeks since being provisionally suspended for 90 days.

“This is not justice. I put these people into the office, where they are now in the ethics committee and they don’t even have the courage to listen to the secretary general, Platini or me,” he said in one of many interviews he has given over the period, during which he has variously railed at the US investigators, Uefa and the British media.

Since being levered into position by the late Adidas executive Horst Dassler and João Havelange, his predecessor as president, Blatter survived a series of scandals and corruption storms. But, barring a successful appeal to the court of arbitration for sport, his long career in football is now over.

Platini’s fall from grace has been swifter still. In the wake of Blatter’s demise, the Uefa president was the most powerful man in football and swiftly emerged as the strong favourite to succeed him despite questions over his support for Qatar’s successful 2022 World Cup bid and his formerly close links to Blatter.

But the former world footballer of the year, who expected to attend this summer’s European Championship in France as Fifa president, now faces being cast from the sport that made him at the age of 60.

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Femi Fani-Kayode accuses APC thugs of murder and the kidnappings in Bayelsa

Former Aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode accused APC thugs of murder and the kidnappings in Bayelsa.

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N1.4trn fine: FG calls MTN’s bluff, says Dec 31 deadline stays

The Federal Government, yesterday, said it would neither be cowed nor threatened by MTN’s court action against the N1.4trn fine which was later reduced to N780 billion, insisting that the telecommunications company risks another fine if it fails to pay on deadline.

Minister of Communications, Mr Adebayo Shittu, made the statement yesterday in reaction to the suit instituted by the telecom operator at a Lagos High Court, weekend.


The minister, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Victor Oluwadamilare, however, admitted that MTN had the right to seek court’s interpretation if it feels unsatisfied with the action of the regulator but made it clear that nothing would stop the government from imposing additional fine on the operator, at the expiration of the deadline.

According to the minister, “it is the right of MTN to approach the court but there was an infraction, which MTN admitted to have committed before it pleaded for leniency that led to the reduction of the fine from N1.4 trillion to N780 billion and the subsequent December 31, 2015 deadline to pay.

“If it has decided to go to court, it is still within the ambit of the law. I will not intervene, since they have gone to court, we will allow the court to decide if it is right for MTN to commit those infractions and breach the laws of the land.”

He, however, said that “it is unwise for MTN to go to court after the Federal Government had magnanimously reduced the fine. It will surely be fined for violating the rule at the expiration of the deadline, should it fail to pay the initial fine.”

Why we are in court —MTN

Meanwhile, MTN, yesterday, also insisted that its action was induced by commitment and belief in the long term sustainability of its business.

According to the company’s Human Resources & Corporate Services Executive, Amina Oyagbola, “the N780 billion fine has potentially dire consequences for the company, its employees, partners, stakeholders as well as the entire Nigerian telecommunications industry.

Being a significant contributor in Nigeria, MTN has an obligation to protect the interests of its ecosystem of millions of Nigerians who are directly and indirectly affected by its business operations and continuity.

According to Oyagbola, “the decision to seek judicial determination was reached after careful consideration of all factors, including extensive attempts at a sustainable resolution. It is important to state that seeking judicial determination was a last resort. We hold the Nigerian Government, its national objectives, laws and regulations in the highest regard.”

She, however, added that notwithstanding the action, the company will continue to engage with the Nigerian authorities in an effort to reach an amicable resolution in the interest of all stakeholders.

The NCC sanctioned MTN for refusing to remove over 5.1 million unregistered telephone subscribers from its network.

The regulator fined the telecoms operator N1.04 trillion, but later reduced it by 25 per cent after the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari, amid pressure and negotiations from the company’s parent body in South Africa.

The NCC also reviewed the deadline from November 16 to December 31, 2015.

Ahead of that date, the MTN Group, last Thursday, said in a statement from Johannesburg, South Africa, that it was taking legal action over the matter and subsequently filed the suit at the weekend, lining up about six Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs.

According to the firm, since its previous advice to its shareholders on December 4, 2015 that all factors relating to the sanctions were thoroughly and carefully considered, including a review of the circumstances that led to the fine and subsequent reduction by NCC, there were enough grounds upon which to challenge the fine in court.

Claiming to act on legal advice, MTN queried the manner the fine was imposed, describing it as “not in accordance with the NCC’s powers

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NERC increases electricity tarrifs

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has finally released the new power tariff regime, in which it outlined the various rates of increase in energy charges for consumers across the country. 

It also announced the removal fixed electricity charges for all classes of electricity consumers and noted that power users would only pay for what they consume.


About two weeks ago, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, revealed that electricity tariffs would increase and urged consumers to comply with respect to paying their bills, as he promised that the sector would record considerable improvement thereafter.


Confirming the tariffs increase on Monday, NERC stated that henceforth, from the next billing period, power distribution companies would no longer charge their customers monthly fixed charges. 

Fixed charge is that component of the tariff that commits electricity consumers to paying an approved amount of money not minding whether electricity is consumed during the billing period.

Outlining the rates of increase in tariffs for various customer classes in selected locations across the country, NERC said, “For instance, residential customer classification (R2) in Abuja Electricity Distribution Company will no longer pay N702 fixed charge every month. Their energy charge will increase by N9.60.

“Also, residential customers (R2 customers) in Eko and Ikeja electricity distribution areas will no longer pay N750 fixed charges. They will be getting N10 and N8 increase respectively in their energy charges. Similarly, the burden of N800 and N750 fixed charges would be lifted off the shoulders of Kaduna and Benin electricity consumers. These consumers will see an increase of N11.05 and N9.26 respectively in their energy charges.”

This comes less than a week after the House of Representatives asked NERC to stop plans to increase electricity tarrifs.

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Dasukigate: The Sun newspaper returns N9million it got from ex-NSA, Sambo Dasuki

The management of The Sun newspaper issued the statement below, Sunday, to announce its return of the N9million it received from the office of the National Security Adviser “as compensation for the seizure of its newspapers and stop­page of circulation during the Good­luck Jonathan administration in June 2014.”

It said the the N9million cheque had since been returned to the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN, for onward passage to the office of the National Security Adviser.
NPAN and N120 million compensation: Our position 1

In deference to public outcry and the need to protect its corporate integrity, the Management of The Sun Publishing Limited has re­turned the N9 million received from the Presidency through the Newspa­per Proprietors Association of Nige­ria (NPAN) as compensation for the seizure of its newspapers and stop­page of circulation during the Good­luck Jonathan administration in June 2014.
In a statement issued yesterday and signed by its Managing Director/Editor-in- Chief, Mr. Eric Osagie, The Sun said it took the decision following the controversies, which the payment of the compensation had generated and the need to come clean on the matter.

The statement reads further: “The Man­agement of The Sun Publishing Limited has considered the public outcry and diverse controversies generated among media hous­es, the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and the public over the N120 million paid by the Goodluck Jonathan administration as compensation to newspa­per companies for the unlawful seizure of their newspapers and stoppage of circulation by armed soldiers in several cities across the country in June 2014.
Having reviewed the situation, we wish to state as follows:


After the unlawful action of the military, to which The Sun lost millions of naira, we had signified the intention to commence liti­gation against the Federal Government along with other affected newspaper companies.

2. However, at the level of the NPAN, which The Sun is a member, a de­cision was collectively taken to accept the Presi­dency’s offer of peace­ful settlement in place of litigation in the interest of peace and national se­curity.

We were later in­formed of the payment of N120 million compensa­tion out of which the sum of N9 million was paid to The Sun Management by the NPAN.

At the time the com­pensation was paid, we had no inkling whatso­ever under which expen­diture sub-head in the Presidency the fund was sourced and that it was al­legedly part of the funds meant for the purchase of arms.

As a very responsible newspaper organization, which places premium on ethics, individual and cor­porate integrity, we are certainly embarrassed by the turn of events and the unfortunate insinuation of involvement in the illegal sharing of the nation’s commonwealth and the feasting on the blood of soldiers fighting the war against insurgency.

We believe strongly in our corporate integrity and principles of fairness and social justice, which have driven our business considerations over the years.

In the light of the foregoing, we have re­turned the cheque of N9 million to the NPAN for onward transmission to the source through which it came.We have seen that the good intention not to seek redress in court has seem­ingly backfired.

We have also given notice to our lawyers to immediately commence the process in court to redress the huge loss suffered through the actions of the military.

We assure our teem­ing readers of our commitment to serving them faithfully and conscientiously by upholding the time-tested principles of fair business ethics, eq­uity and social justice.

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Tension building up in the South-East following the continued detention of Radio Biafra boss, Nnamdi Kanu

Tension is building up in the South-East and parts of South-South geopolitical zones following the continued detention of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and Director Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, who was, last Wednesday, discharged and acquitted by a Magistrate’s Court in Abuja of the treason preferred on him by the Department of State Security Services, DSS.

It will be recalled that Justice Ademola Adeniyi of a Federal High Court, also in Abuja, had, last Thursday, ordered Kanu’s immediate release from DSS detention.

Nnamdi was arrested on October 17, by DSS operatives, shortly after he arrived Nigeria from his base in the United Kingdom, which prompted over one month protests after he was arraigned secretly at Wuse 2 Magistrate’s Court presided over by Justice Shuiabu, who granted him bail on October 19.

Meanwhile, the youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo had warned that the continued detention of the leader Nnamdi Kanu by the DDS, against court order, could spell doom for Nigeria.

The youth group under the banner of Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC, expressed shock that four days after the Federal High Court, Abuja gave ordered Kanu’s unconditional release, the DSS had continued to hold him.

Similarly, reactions have continued to trail last Thursday’s shooting and killing of five members of IPOB by the Joint Task Force, compromising Army and Navy stationed at the Bridge-head area of the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State, who were jubilating the court order for the release of Kanu.

Among those who had so far reacted to the incident include the leader of Biafra Independence Movement, BIM, Chief Ralph Uwazuruike; the Ogirishi of Igboland, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, and other human rights groups.

The leader of Movement for the Actualization of the State of Biafra, MASSOB, Uchenna Madu, has accused the DSS of deliberately continuing to detain Nnamdi Kanu against two court rulings ordering the security agency to release their leader unconditionally.

“The continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu by DSS after both Magistrate, Federal High courts have discharged and acquitted him of all the frivolous charges against him shows that Nigerian judiciary is not independent. The independency of the three arms of government is a complete sham, which portrays Nigeria as an undemocratic state.

“It is a sign of frustration on Nigeria because of Nnamdi Kanu, agitators for Biafra represents the very truth Nigeria knows but always avoids to identify with it. I know Nnamdi Kanu. He is a real Biafran, who can never succumb to intimidation, deviate or compromise.

“His illegal detention will worsen the already battered image of Nigeria. MAASOB will never relent in identifying with Nnamdi Kanu. We shall continue to press for his release with every legitimate action supported, backed by internationally recongised law, decrees and charters. MASSOB must maintain our non-violent stance, although we have found out that the DSS wants to re-arraign him on fresh trumped-up charges which we will resist,” MASSOB leader warned.

The Youth Wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in a statement by its National President of OYC, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, condemned the attitude of the DSS over the detained Biafra activist.

“Nigeria is sitting on tenterhook; the looming danger of renewed protests by Kanu’s followers, sympathisers and Biafra agitators is capable of consuming Nigeria and should be avoided. For us, Ohanaeze Youth Council, we are pleading with the Federal Government to, as a matter of sacrifice for the unity of Nigeria, release Nnamdi Kanu.

“This call has become necessary because it will be extremely difficult for us to continue to calm his followers and sympathizers whose see his detention as a provocation. We know how much effort it took us to prevail on IPOB and MASSOB members to stop their protests before the court ruling, and we don’t know what to tell them again as Kanu is still in detention four days after he was discharge by a court of competent jurisdiction.

“President Muhammadu Buhari should help save the country from unnecessary tension by prevailing on the DSS to release Kanu since the courts have discharged and acquitted him.”
OYC also called on the international community to intervene and save Nigeria from plunging into another avoidable civil disturbance instead of coming with aids to refugee camps.

The youth group appealed to Buhari, to prevail on the DSS to free the detained IPOB leader in the interest of peace.

Ohanaeze, also appealed to Biafra agitators and Igbo youths to remain calm as efforts were being intensified to secure freedom for Kanu.

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Army/Shiite clash: Army buries victims to hide massacre toll

Nigerian Army

Wednesday’s allegation comes as human rights advocates and the United States called for an investigation following the army’s raid on Nigerian Shiites in which hundreds of people were reportedly killed and Shiite leader Ibraheem Zakzaky suffered four bullet wounds.


The military said it acted after Shiites tried to assassinate Nigeria’s army chief. Army spokesman Col. Sani Usman did not immediately respond to an email late Wednesday requesting comment on the burial charges.

Details of the weekend violence in Zaria have been slow to emerge because the three attacked areas of the northern town have been on lockdown with no one allowed to enter or leave.
Shiite spokesman Ibrahim Musa said soldiers took the bodies from the mortuary of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital and buried them in mass graves on Wednesday. His statement did not explain how he got the information.

“The Nigerian army has desecrated our dead,” Musa said. “We hereby demand the location of the mass burial, and the interrogation of those who ordered the operation.”

Human rights groups say as many as 1,000 people may have been killed.

“The United States calls on the government of Nigeria to quickly, credibly, and transparently investigate these events in Zaria and hold to account any individuals found to have committed crimes,” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.
“It is essential that all sides refrain from actions that further destabilize the situation,” U.S. Ambassador James Entwhistle added.

Amnesty International said in a statement late Tuesday that the shooting of members of the Shiite group in Zaria “must be urgently investigated … and anyone found responsible for unlawful killings must be brought to justice.”

“Whilst the final death toll is unclear, there is no doubt that there has been a substantial loss of life at the hands of the military,” said M.K. Ibrahim, director of Amnesty International, Nigeria.

But the Shiite movement, which has millions of followers in Nigeria, rejected the investigative panel it said has been set up following a visit to Zaria on Tuesday by Interior Minister Abdulrahman Dambazau.
Musa said it has no confidence in a panel led by the area police commander because he is junior in rank to the alleged perpetrators of the killings.

It said Dambazau, a retired general, did not even bother to visit wounded victims in the hospital.

The bloodshed was yet another blow to Africa’s most populous nation, already beset by a 6-year-old insurgency waged by Boko Haram, a violent Islamic group which is at odds with the Shiites and others who oppose its extremist vision.

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Reasons why we sacked Jose Mourinho — Chelsea

Chelsea Football Club, has issued a statement on the sack of Jose Mourinho, noting that he will always be warmly welcomed back to Stamford Bridge

Read statement below:

Chelsea Football Club and Jose Mourinho have today parted company by mutual consent.

All at Chelsea thank Jose for his immense contribution since he returned as manager in the summer of 2013.

His three league titles, FA Cup, Community Shield and three League Cup wins over two spells make him the most successful manager in our 110-year history. But both Jose and the board agreed results have not been good enough this season and believe it is in the best interests of both parties to go our separate ways.

The club wishes to make clear Jose leaves us on good terms and will always remain a much-loved, respected and significant figure at Chelsea. His legacy at Stamford Bridge and in England has long been guaranteed and he will always be warmly welcomed back to Stamford Bridge.

The club’s focus is now on ensuring our talented squad reaches its potential.

There will be no further comment until a new appointment is made.

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N1.4trn fine: MTN refuses to pay, challenges NCC in court

South African telecoms giant MTN said Thursday it would launch a court challenge against the $3.9 billion fine that Nigeria has ordered it to pay by December 31 for failing to disconnect unregistered users.



MTN, in a statement to shareholders today, said it decided to take this route after exhausting all other options to have the fine reduced.

MTN said that “All factors having a bearing on the matter have been thoroughly and carefully considered, including a review of the circumstances leading to the fine and the subsequent letters received from the NCC.”

“MTN Nigeria, acting on legal advice, has resolved that the manner of the imposition of the fine and the quantum thereof is not in accordance with the NCC’s powers under the Nigerian Communications Act and therefore there are valid grounds upon which to challenge the fine.”

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Most Nigerian women unaware of breast cancer symptoms – Experts

A professor of Oncology and Radiation at the College of Medicine, University Of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Ifeoma Okoye, has said that a major reason why many women died from breast cancer in the past died, in spite of access to treatment, is late presentation of their cases at the hospital.

Okoye explains that the majority of the cases of breast cancer in the country are often detected at a later stage when recovery is impossible.

She attributes this trend to poor awareness and education on the part of the women, resulting in failure to recognise the signs and symptoms of the disease at an early stage


For instance, a recent survey by a non-governmental association, Sebeccly Cancer Care and Support Centre, in various communities in Nigeria using several case studies scored Nigerian women low on their knowledge of breast cancer prevention and awareness efforts.

A 2012 survey showed that more than 80 per cent of Nigerian women were not aware of the symptoms of breast and cervical cancer.

The experts blame poor incorporation of breast health and screening into maternal health services for the widespread ignorance among Nigerian women.

Okoye says, “There is a need to re-invigorate the public’s basic knowledge on breast cancer. They must know that this is a disease that you can prevent and survive if it is detected early. When a woman comes at an advanced stage, survival is 98 per cent. Why? The cancer has already spread to other vital organs of the body, including the chest, liver and the kidney.

“At this stage, the only treatment we can give is palliative aimed at reducing the pain and prolonging lives. It is not curative.

“If we had detected the lump or tumour 10 years before it became cancerous and took it out through surgery, the patient has helped us to prevent a maternal death; to keep a family from falling apart because most of the time, the survival of a child and a family depends on the woman.”

Okoye explains that breast lumps can by removed with minimal invasive surgery or through the laser technique when detected earlier, such that the breasts will still remain intact after treatment.

Losing one’s breast to cancer is a very traumatic experience for any woman. The breast, no doubt, is the true essence of a woman. It gives her form and any woman should do everything to keep it healthy and in good shape by preventing breast cancer.

Cancer starts when cells begin to grow out of control. Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancerous and can spread to other parts of the body.

Breast cancer is a malignant tumour that starts in the cells of the breast. The disease occurs almost entirely in women, but men can get it, too.

Sadly, breast cancer is killing more women, irrespective of age, right now. Interestingly, it is also the type of cancer that has the highest rate of survival. But for that to happen, it depends on the woman.

Oncologists (cancer care specialists) note that the diagnosis of breast cancer starts with the patient who is observant and able to take action when necessary.

Okoye recommends that women of all ages should examine their breast every month and report unusual changes to a doctor for medical examination.

She states, “It is important for every woman to perform self-breast examination on herself every month. If you notice anything that is odd, especially a lump that hurts, you need to see the doctor.

“If it is painless, you should also see the doctor. There are painless lumps that are also cancerous. Early detection starts in your youth.

“Breast cancer is no longer a disease of the old. We have seen young women with breast cancer before. That is why every mother should teach their female children how to do self-breast examination.”

Okoye adds that eating healthy foods and avoiding a diet that could predispose one to cancer is another preventive strategy, “Cancer is preventable if we are mindful of what we eat,”

Also, a nutritionist, Mr. Paul Nnanna, says that one can reduce one’s risk of breast cancer and other forms of cancer by adopting a good diet.

Nnanna notes that the quantity of water one consumes can either predispose or reduce ones risk of getting cancer.

According to Nnanna, poor water intake causes the body cells to lose 56 per cent of water and increases the accumulation of waste, which cannot be passed out since there is no water in the body.

He states that a situation where acidic waste is not excreted from the body, it is likely to encourage the growth of cancer tumours in the body.

Nnanna adds, “Acid is responsible for 80 per cent of diseases, such as cancer and drinking enough water will prevent accumulation of waste in the body. Water should be taken adequately in order to build the immune system to become resistant to cancer.

“A diet free of sugary drink, processed foods, such as biscuits and pastries; white sugar, white flour, white rice and white salt would help reduce chances of getting the diseases. Eat food as naturally as possible, drink lots of water and avoid stripping nutrients contained in food by overcooking them.”

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