Ball From Maradona’s ‘Hand Of God’ Match Expected To Fetch At Least $2.8m At Auction

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October 13, 2022

A resident stands near a mural depicting the famous “Hand of God” goal by former Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona, in light of the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup at the Agua Santa neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro May 21, 2010.

The football that was at the feet – and hand – of Diego Maradona as he shocked the world with acts of both brazen gamesmanship and breathtaking skill in Mexico 36 years ago has been put up for auction and is expected to sell for at least 2.5 million pounds ($2.8 million).

The ball in question is from the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England, in which Maradona scored six minutes into the second half by sneakily punching the ball over England goalkeeper Peter Shilton into the net, a goal he said afterwards had been helped by the “Hand of God”

Just four minutes later he dribbled from his own half past a number of England players to score a sublime second that regularly tops polls as the greatest goal in World Cup history.

The ball is being sold by Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the match.

“This ball is part of international football history – it feels like the right time to be sharing it with the world,” Bin Nasser said. “I hope the buyer is in a position to put it on display or share it with the public in some other way.”

The auction will be conducted by auctioneers Graham Budd and will take place on Nov. 16, with bidders able to register and bid online from Oct. 28.

The shirt worn by Maradona in the same match was sold for 7.14 million pounds earlier this year.

Maradona, regarded as one of the world’s best ever footballers, died n November, 2020 aged 60.

India 2022: Gusau Charges Flamingos To Go For Three Points Against New Zealand

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Emenike Agu

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October 13, 2022

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President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau on Thursday challenged the U17 Girls, Flamingos to put their defeat to Germany behind them and go all out for three points when they take the pitch against their New Zealand counterparts tomorrow afternoon at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in India.

Africa’s best team took the lead against European champions Germany on Tuesday but fell to two second half goals that has rendered their remaining encounters in the group phase, against New Zealand and Chile, must-win.

“I spoke to the girls after the match against Germany to cheer them up, and I have spoken to them and their officials today for them to appreciate the enormity of the task before them, because the NFF and indeed, all Nigerians, want them to proceed to the knock-out stages. They must work hard at converting their opportunities. They must play to their strengths and do the best they can to emasculate the opposition.

“A good win against New Zealand will be a great confidence-booster for the team going into the crunch encounter with Chile on Monday.”

New Zealand will not be easy meat, as the girls from Down Under took the bronze medals at the 2018 World Cup finals in Uruguay – the only finals Nigeria have missed in the history of the tournament.

Incidentally, New Zealand hosted the very first edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, 28^th October – 16 November 2008. It is a long way from those finals, when hosts New Zealand exited the competition at group stage after losses to Canada and Denmark, and a win over Colombia.

Nigeria’s Flamingos suffered similar fate, after a 2-1 win over South Korea and 1-0 loss to England in Wellington, and a 2-2 draw with Brazil in Christchurch.

Following their 1-2 defeat by Germany and New Zealand’s 1-3 loss to Chile, the Zealanders presently prop up the group B. Nigeria is third, but could go to second place ahead of the final matches of the pool if they overpower New Zealand by two goals and Germany overcome Chile in the second match at the same Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

The encounter between Nigeria and New Zealand will kick off at 4.30pm India time (12.30pm Nigeria time).

Oyo partners WHO, UNICEF, NPHCDA to Vaccinate Children against Measles

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Cleopatra Okohai

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October 13, 2022

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The Oyo State Government, in partnership with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the World Health Organisation, and the United Nations Children Fund, will on October 20 begin measles vaccination for children between nine months and five years.

The Executive Secretary, Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Muyideen Olatunji, disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Ibadan.

Olatunji, represented by Dr. Johnson Osoko, the board’s Director of Public Health, said the vaccination exercise was aimed at eradicating measles across the state and the nation as a whole.

According to him, the measles vaccination is an injection, unlike the polio vaccination, which is administered orally.

“We are still recording outbreaks of preventable diseases such as measles and this call for mass vaccination campaign, so as to eradicate it.

“The measles vaccination exercise will integrate other vaccines such as Polio, and Vitamin ‘A’ supplement, among others.

Read Also: Monkeypox cases soars to 481 -NCDC

“This idea of including other health interventions to the vaccination exercise is strategically programmed in line with the state government’s drive to ensure qualitative healthcare delivery to people at the grassroots,” he explained.

The executive secretary assured the state residents that the vaccines to be administered were completely safe.

He implored parents and guardians to ensure that they bring out their children and wards who are eligible for the vaccination.

Olatunji enjoined the media to give the exercise accurate and effective coverage, saying the role of the media in health care delivery couldn’t be over-emphasized

Also, Dr. Adeyemi Adewole, the Programme Manager, Oyo State Emergency and Routine Coordination Centre, said that officials for the mass measles vaccination campaign have been trained.

Adewole, however, said the officials would be working under adequate supervision to avoid any mistakes, assuring parents and guardians not to nurse any fear or skepticism during the exercise.

He added that the vaccination exercise would be carried out at fixed posts, while mobile points would be allowed for better coverage.

In their separate goodwill messages, representatives of NPHCDA, Mrs. Adijah Ajao; UNICEF, Mr. Samuel Olatunji, and WHO, Dr. Bukola Alawale, unanimously called for synergy to ensure reduction in infant mortality and morbidity rate in the state.

Alawale said that measles was highly contagious, but could be prevented through the administering of vaccines.

She said the WHO would leverage the integrated campaign vaccination to reduce mortality and mobility among children.

Also, the UNICEF representative urged the media to ensure that their reports of the vaccination exercise are verified and reflect the truth about the exercise.

Sanwo-Olu Launches Health Insurance Scheme For Nollywood Veterans

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Koko Lawrence

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October 13, 2022

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The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has launched a health insurance scheme for veteran Nollywood actors and filmmakers.

He made the disclosure when he hosted some of the veterans to a dinner on Monday night.

This was contained in a statement shared by the governor on his official social media page on Tuesday.

Some veterans present at the dinner include Idowu Philips aka Iya Rainbow, Adebayo Salami aka Oga Bello, and a host of others.

The statement read, “I hosted veteran Nollywood filmmakers to a dinner on Monday night in appreciation of their contributions to the growth of the industry.

“I used the opportunity to institute a health insurance scheme for them to ensure they are well covered for adequate medical care.

“We realise that this industry is one of the highest employers of labour. The veterans and practitioners have continued to provide succour and a means of livelihood to a lot of citizens. More importantly, they give freshness to our lives through their stories.

“The health insurance scheme is part of our interventions to assist them with access to health care in public health facilities.

“This scheme will be specially categorised for professionals in the film business and those who have shaped our society with their craft.”

Queen Elizabeth’s Life Features In New Comic Book

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Koko Lawrence

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October 13, 2022

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The life of Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, is celebrated in a new comic book by TidalWave Comics, covering her public and private life, big events, family scandals, and crises.

The queen died on Sept. 8 aged 96 and was laid to rest alongside her beloved husband Prince Philip on Sept. 19 after a day in which Britain and the world paid her a final farewell, in a dazzling show of pomp and ceremony.

The 30-page glossy, part of the publisher’s “Tribute” series, starts with the royal beekeeper notifying the palace hive of the queen’s death, a centuries-old tradition rooted in superstition about honey production.

“I wanted to start small – the legend of the bees – and end large – the funeral viewed by millions worldwide,” co-writer Michael Frizell said in a statement. “That was a fitting way to depict her 70-year reign.”

Among the 2,000 congregation at Westminster Abbey, where monarchs have been married, buried and crowned over the last 1,000 years, were some 500 presidents, prime ministers, foreign royal family members and dignitaries.

The book, released on Wednesday, is available digitally and in hard and soft covers.

Some Understanding Reached, Grounds Shifted Says ASUU

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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October 12, 2022

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, University of Calabar, Branch on Wednesday disclosed that some understanding have been reached, while some shifting of grounds have been made but only National Executive Council, NEC, will convey the resolutions.

Addressing newsmen shortly after its Congress at the International Conference centre, Chairman ASUU, UNICAL, Dr Edor John also cautioned that the Federal government should focus on tackling the issues bedeviling ASUU adding that there was no need trying to divide them by registering other bodies or Union with a view of breaking their ranks.

Edor said : ” We can’t give you full details of what briefings transpired in Congress, because it is a process that we will collate and analyse at NEC in Abuja on Thursday.

“But is is a process arising from the intervention of the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila to see if there can be an amicable and “Speedy” resolution .

“Some understanding have been reached , some shifting of grounds have been made , so we need to process these at the various organs of the Union and the final resolutions will be taken at NEC when we meet on Thursday,” he said.

Speaking further , he said that the branch cannot suspend the strike stressing that only NEC has the power to do so while maintaining that no governmental official should be
think of dividing ASUU anymore.

Edor urged the Federal government to jettison the idea of proscribing ASUU stressing that the University of Calabar does not have any member of the Congress of Nigerian University Academics,CONUA, and doesn’t know of any.

Exchange Rate for USD to NGN – Wednesday, October 12, 2022

By

Angel Gimalo

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October 12, 2022

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See the chart for the Nigerian Naira rate today compared to the Dollar.

1 USD = 439.004 NGN
1 Dollars = 439.004 Nigerian Naira
The USDNGN rate as of 12 Oct 2022 at 10:15 PM

Girls Child Education: Niger’s First Lady Seeks Urgent Intervention

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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October 12, 2022

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The Wife of the Niger state Governor, Amina Abubakar Bello, has charged policy makers and governments at all levels to urgently intervene and formulate policies to accommodate girl child education.

Amina who stated this in her message to mark the international world day for girl child education urged state governments across the country to allow their voices to be heard as well as to be inclusive in governance.

She reiterated her resolve to continue to advocate and raise awareness about eliminating those obstacles that hold back the girl child from achieving their full potentials.

The Governor’s wife in a statement by her spokesperson Rabi Sarki Bello Say’s “Girls have globally proven over time that when allowed access to education,skill acquisition and opportunities will not only be agents of change but positive role models in the society”

She further added that there is a need for governments to lay emphasis on investing in the future of the girl child’s capacity and potentials, by providing them with a conducive environment for education and learning, so as to better identify and explore their full potentials.

The Governor’s wife, however, urged parents to accept the need for allowing the girl child to acquire education in order to make them better citizens who can contribute to the socio-economic stability of the family and by extension their various communities.

Electricity Commission Builds Classrooms For Vulnerable CommunitiesIn Kogi

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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October 12, 2022

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Nigeria’s Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission, HYPPADEC, is currently building 30 blocks of classrooms in 10 vulnerable Communities across kogi state in North-Central Nigeria.

Kogi State Coordinator, Joan Oguche, announced this during a working visit to the education ministry, where she seeks for inter-agency collaboration to enhance the operations of the commission in the state.

The co-ordinator says the Projects are located in ten local government Areas (LGAs), where the commission provides interventions in educational infrastructure.

According to Oguche, the interventions were part of the mandate of the commission as an intervention agency of the federal government of Nigeria, to reduce the infrastructure deficit in the Hydroelectric Power producing areas.

kogi state is among the Hydroelectric power producing states in the north-central region with vast water resources for generating hydropower.

The Hydroelectric power producing states provide Hydroelectric power to the national electricity grid.

The state Coordinator disclosed that the block of 3 classrooms in each of the benefiting local government Areas consists of offices and restrooms to give comfort to the pupils and teachers.

She says the task of providing Community access to social services requires partnership.

Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Wemi Ojo Jones appreciated the Commission for its Initiative, which he noted brings more federal government projects to the state.

Castello di Polgeto: 600-Year-Old Castle Listed For Sale In Italy

By

Angel Gimalo

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October 12, 2022

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Castello di Polgeto is one of the best hidden secrets in Umbria.It was built in 1399 on the site of a fortified post dating back to the 12th century.

The total floor area (excluding walls) is 2,100 square meters.There are 13 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms.

Heated infinity pool 15 x 4 meters, walled tennis court, tree house, Mature formal gardens and 52 Hectares of woodland and arable land.

The first and the second floor contain the Library, Living room, dinning hall, kitchen and children area.

The other two floors are dedicated to bedrooms, some with living area attached and all with private bathroom.

Castello di Polgeto comes with 54 hectares of land, garden, swimming pool and tennis court.