Idle Asset! PSG To Offload Sergio Ramos Who Pocketed At Least £4m In Wages, But No Match Yet

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November 2, 2021

Paris Saint Germain are reportedly refusing to rule out the possibility that they could rescin Sergio Ramos mega-money contract and let him walk away from the club for nothing as his injury nightmare continues.

The Spanish defender moved to PSG on a lucrative free transfer in the summer but is yet to make his debut due to a calf problem that he initially suffered three months ago.

Ramos’ last appearance came in Real Madrid colours during their Champions League semi-final second leg defeat at Chelsea on May 5.

Although reports of Ramos’s salary vary wildly, even conservative estimates of £13million per season (£250,000 per week) would mean that he has already pocketed £4m without playing a single game since signing in July.

However, given his salary at Real Madrid was north of £300,000 per week, it is likely that he has pocketed an even larger sum for sitting in the stands at the Parc des Princes.

His lack of availability is frustrating PSG chiefs and reports in France say they are considering the prospect of tearing up his contract.

French media claimed PSG would be willing to let him walk away from the club if his fitness problems continue to hinder his chances of selection.

It’s reported that the club feel they made a mistake signing the 35-year-old and are now contemplating their next move.

However, they would need to reach an agreement with Ramos first before they can tear up his contract.

‘The trust that some placed in the defender at the time of his signing, or even after his calf injury a few weeks later, is no longer unshakable today,’ reads the report in Le Parisien.

Ramos signed a two-year contract with PSG in the summer and it was hoped he could help the French side win the Champions League title that continues to elude their Qatari owners.

PSG were aggressive in the transfer market, bringing in Ramos, Lionel Messi and Georginio Wijnaldum on free transfers as well as splashing out on the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma and Achraf Hakimi.’

They released a statement last week announcing that Ramos would be ‘considered’ for a return to training imminently.

It read: ‘The evolution of Sergio Ramos’ recovery program, co-ordinated by the medical staff, is progressing very well.

‘Continuous resumption with the group may be considered in the course of next week.’

Ramos was also recently criticised by French newspaper L’Equipe when they published a video mocking Ramos’ fitness woes and described him as a ‘ghost’.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side busy an important month as they bid to strengthen their grip on the Ligue 1 title race and qualify from a difficult Champions League group.

They face RB Leipzig on Wednesday night before domestic games against Bordeaux and Nantes are sandwiched between a mouth-watering trip to Manchester City.

National Union of Ghana Students, SIC Collaborate to Insure Tertiary Students

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Precious Obazee

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November 2, 2021

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National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) in collaboration with the SIC Insurance Plc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for an insurance package for tertiary students in the country dubbed ‘SIC Campus Secure’.

The new insurance package will ensure students who are registered members of NUGS are given financial solutions when they face critical challenges during their entire period of tertiary education.

The policy has been designed to provide coverage for eventualities such as accident that leads to injuries and may result in permanent disability or death and assurances in terms of school fees, accommodation/hostel fees and pocket allowance.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the General Manager of Operations at SIC Insurance Plc, Faris Attrickie, noted that SIC Insurance as a leader in insurance business deemed it necessary to partner NUGS to provide an insurance solution to absorb the critical needs of students at the tertiary level.

The Managing Director of SIC Insurance Plc., Stephen Oduro, in his address underscored the timely nature of the ‘SIC Campus Secure’ policy.

President of NUGS, Emmanuel Boakye Yiadom who represented the student body to sign the MoU was optimistic the policy had come at the opportune time to salvage students from the unexpected challenges they face at the tertiary level.

World Cup Qualifiers: Rohr Drops Awoniyi, Invites Ighalo After Two-Year Absence

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Emenike Agu

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November 2, 2021

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Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, has recalled Odion Ighalo, more than two years after the Saudi Arabia-based striker retired from international football.

Rohr named Ighalo in his 24-man squad for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Liberia and Cape Verde later this month.

Ighalo called it quits with the Eagles July 2019 after emerging top scorer with five goals at the African Cup of Nations in Egypt, where the Eagles ended in third-place.

Ever since, Rohr had continually stated his desire to have Ighalo back in the team to lead his attack.

President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, gave the hint that Ighalo might make a return to the national team on October 25.

In a post on his Instagram page, Pinnick said he had appealed to Ighalo to make a U-turn and reconsider his international retirement.

“I had a long conversation with Odion Ighalo, personally I believe we need experience in our attack to combine with our energetically youthful (Victor) Osimhen, (Paul) Onuachu, Kelechi (Iheanacho) et al. Odion’s (Ighalo) body language is very positive. We are also in touch with his agents and club,” Pinnick said..

The NFF boss’ comment sparked a debate online, with many insisting the 32-year-old’s time with the national team was over.

There was, however no place for Taiwo Awoniyi, who made his international debut in the 1-0 shock loss to Central African Republic in Lagos last month.

Awoniyi is the highest scoring Nigeria player in Europe’s top five leagues with seven goals in 10 league games.

Bordeaux’s Samuel Kalu is also a shock exclusion from the squad.

Also missing out from the last round of qualifiers is Glasgow Rangers’ Calvin Bassey, who failed to make his international debut in the qualifiers last month, after he was handed his maiden international call-up.

Samuel Chukwueze, who just returned after he was injured in May, also makes a return to the team, while Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi, who missed the double-header against CAR due to injuries, reunite with their teammates.

Other regulars including captain and Nigeria’s most-capped player Ahmed Musa, William Troost-Ekong, Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheancho and Leon Balogun are in the squad.

Ghana Poised To Enhance Access To Quality Education

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Precious Obazee

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November 2, 2021

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The Ministry of Education in Ghana will soon roll out policies and programmes to enhance access to quality education in the country.

The ministry is also poised to transform Ghana’s educational setting into an Information Communication Technology (ICT) world.

Director, General Administration, Ministry of Education, Catherine Appiah-Pinkrah, said this at the 50th anniversary celebration of higher education for the blind by the Ghana Blind Union (GBU) in Accra.

She said as part of their mandate, the ministry is working on a number of policies that will help with the evolutionary level it was at now.

Appiah-Pinkrah noted that the Ministry in collaboration with its partners were working to ensure that every child in the country went to school in an environment that enhanced conducive teaching and learning.

She indicated that there was going to be an initiative which would ensure that every child got screened on his or her first day at school for the detection of any impending health issues.

Furthermore, the Director of General Administration of the Ministry stated that while regions with special needs schools would be improved, other regions with no special needs schools would be provided with such facilities to give equal access and quality education to all and sundry.

NAFDAC Shuts Down Water Factories

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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November 2, 2021

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has revealed that the agency sealed off 27 packaged water companies over unsatisfactory Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), with over 2000 others registered within eight months.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who spoke through her representative and Director, Public Affairs, NAFDAC, Dr. Jimoh Abubakar, warned producers of packaged water in the country against compromising standards as it would not hesitate to seal the factory.

Abubakar, tasked producers of packaged water to be conscious of the enabling law on production of package water to avoid being on the wrong side of the law.

Adeyeye, spoke at the National Convention of the Association for Table Water Producers of Nigeria, ATWAP, with a theme:” Developing a packaged water industry as a catalyst to economic growth and a greener economic in Nigeria” held in Abuja.

“Between January and August, 2021, we have over 2,153 water manufacturing outlets that have registered in Nigeria. Also, between January and August this year, we have shut down 27 companies, packaged water industries that are not compliant. They are under seal, they have been sealed off and they will have to comply with good manufacturing practices before they are reopened,” the agency’s boss said.

NAFDAC explained that its action sealing off the companies for poor standard was part of its efforts towards sustaining good hygiene in the packaged water industry and for a greener environment.

She spoke on the mandate of the agency in ensuring safe packaged water in the country, thus: “We set the guidelines and also point out the way forward in terms of good manufacturing practices. But it is for them, after obtaining the NADFAC registration, to go back and do what is right. We are here to partner with them and also show some solidarity so that they can continue to do what is right because NAFDAC as a regulatory agency, we are friends of the industry, so we need to close that gap.”

Expert urges authorities to enact Policies to prevent Breast, Cervical Cancer

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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November 2, 2021

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Medical Director, Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Dr Femi Olaleye calls on government at all levels to enact policy, that will prevent cancers of the breast and cervix

He made the call during the free screening for breast and cervical cancers for female journalists in Lagos.

At the screening, which was organised by the Foundation in collaboration with Stanbic IBTC Bank in commemoration of the Global Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Dr Olayeye said that “cervical cancer was the number three highest killer of women, after breast and lump cancers, hence, the need to address such medical challenge.”

There is a policy that supported the screening of all women in Europe, hence, the death resulting from cervical cancer remained minimal in the area. he stated,

”Every woman in England gets a letter to come and do cervical screening test. Every woman has a General Practitioner (GP) and every GP has a list of women.

The medical practitioner said that factually, all cervical cancers were caused by a virus called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and women contact it only through sex.

He said that the use of condom during sex does not prevent the transmission of this virus, as it could be found not just on the penis but around the genitals.

Dr Olayeye further stated that, cervical cancer could be prevented by regular screening and vaccination, adding that the vaccination had been recommended for women and girls from 10 years.

On breast cancer, the expert said that every female with a pair of breast stands a risk of contacting it and men could also develop breast cancer but it was rare. He went on to say, breast cancer can be hereditary and can be caused by unhealthy lifestyle habits such as smoking, poor diet, excess intake of alcohol and overweight.

Dr. Olaleye stated that statistics have shown that people of colour had a higher risk of breast and prostrate cancers, compared to Caucasians.

However, Dr. Olaleye urged women to engage in regular self-breast examination, as this might help an early detection of any abnormality he added “this will aid ones chances of survival, if quickly and medically attended to.” He also called on women to do mammogram from time to time to ascertain if there was lump in the breast and if the lump was cancerous.

According to him, 80 per cent of lumps found in women’s breasts during mammogram are not cancerous.

Dr. Olaleye also emphasized the need for continuous awareness creation as this will enable people and women especially to have information and can get medical attention promptly.

Today In History – Nov. 2 – 1949 – The Netherlands Recognizes Its Former Colony Indonesia As Sovereign State

By

Angel Gimalo

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November 2, 2021

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1637 Trial begins for Anne Hutchinson, who will be exiled as a result and become a founder of Rhode Island. She had led religious meetings in her home and advocated a covenant of grace.

1875 Verney Cameroon reaches Benguela in Angola, from Africa’s east coast, 1st European to cross equatorial Africa.

1917 Balfour Declaration proclaims support for a Jewish state in Palestine.

1930 Coronation of Ras Tafari Makonnen as Haile Selassie I, 225th Emperor of Ethiopian Solmonic Dynasty.

1949 The Netherlands recognizes its former colony Indonesia as a sovereign state.

1966 The Cuban Adjustment Act comes into force, allowing 123,000 Cubans opportunity to apply for permanent residence in the US.

TODAY’S HISTORICAL EVENTS

TODAY IN FILM & TV

1936 At 3pm the BBC begins the world’s first regular high-definition TV broadcast service from specially constructed studios at Alexandra Palace, North London.

2020 Baby Shark by Pinkfong becomes the most-watched video on YouTube with over 7.04 billion views.

TODAY IN MUSIC

1983 “Thriller” single released worldwide by Michael Jackson.

TODAY IN SPORT

2016 Baseball World Series: Chicago Cubs beat Cleveland Indians, 8-7 in Game 7 at Progressive Field, Cleveland; first Cubs’ title in 108 years; MVP: Chicago utility Ben Zobrist.

DO YOU KNOW THIS FACT ABOUT TODAY? DID YOU KNOW?

Cheerleading begins in the United States as Johnny Campbell leads the crowd cheering on the football team at the University of Minnesota, On this day in 1898.

WOULD YOU BELIEVE THIS FACT ABOUT TODAY? WOULD YOU BELIEVE?

The “Great Emu War” begins: Australian soldiers armed with Lewis Guns sought to cull the Emu population over crop destruction in Campion district, Western Australia, on this day in 1932.

Ogun State Govt vows to improve Health Services

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Olasunbo Okoromi

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November 2, 2021

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Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state has vowed not to go back on his efforts at improving the quality of health care services at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu.

He made this known while unveiling an Eye Centre donated to the Hospital by the Kensington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation.

Abiodun said that, the government had made giant strides in delivering quality services, which were evident across the health facilities in the state.

The governor who was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, described the KAAF Eye Center as conducive and equipped standard facilities that would provide Ogun residents with qualitative Ophthalmic services.

He said, “We are happy that this project has come to fruition today. Our government continues to make landmark achievements in the health sector through collaboration with well-meaning individuals, development partners, and the private sector.

Abiodun said the realization of the Eye Center was a consequence of the health sector’s innovative financing, which he disclosed was one of the strategies deployed to ensure that common people have accessible and quality eye care services.

The Chairman, OOUTH Board, Dr. Taiwo Hassan, said the eye unit of the institution had fallen behind in terms of international standards, saying the enabling environment for public-private partnerships created by the Dapo-Abiodun Administration has changed the narrative.

The donor, Sir Kensington Adebutu, who was represented by Kola Oyefeso, said the investment was borne out of the need to provide standard eye care facility in the state for the benefit of mankind.

Leaving toothpaste on teeth after brushing not beneficial –Dentist

By

Cleopatra Okohai

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November 2, 2021

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A dental care specialist, Dr. Adebola O. Ehizele has said that there is no need not to rinse the mouth after brushing with toothpaste.

Ehizele stated that the notion that leaving a remnant of toothpaste on the teeth after brushing offers great benefit was wrong, noting that the mouth should be rinsed with water after brushing the teeth.

According to the Acting Head of the Department, School of Dentistry, University of Benin, leaving fluoride on the surface of the teeth is not beneficial in any way to the teeth.

Ehizele, a dentist explained that applying toothpaste with fluoride on the teeth is rather used as a therapy in treating some cases of dental ailments, adding that only a dental care expert would know when this is necessary.

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in many foods and water. Fluoride also helps to prevent tooth decay by making the tooth more resistant to acid attacks from plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth. It also reverses early decay.

However, speaking in an interview Ehizele who is also a periodontist said, “If what you are using the toothpaste for is just to clean the teeth, that is your daily routine oral hygiene, rinse it out.

“You don’t need to leave toothpaste on your teeth. The fluoride in our environment is good enough for what you want but if you have a softened enamel, you need to see a dentist to fill it up, just leaving fluoride on the surface of the teeth will not be beneficial. Fluoride can be found in your salt, milk, and water.

“You don’t need to leave fluoride in your mouth, it is not necessary. Even if you leave fluoride until tomorrow, you still need to work on the underlying condition you have. But if it is just normal oral hygiene, just rinse after brushing.”

Ehizele also noted that there can be an overdose of fluoride called fluorosis, especially in children.

To curb the overdose, she cautioned against filling the toothbrush with paste stating that a pea-sized quantity is ideal for children. “You don’t need to cover up the whole toothbrush,” she said.

Ehizele added that applying toothpaste containing fluoride and other necessary components is a therapy prescribed by dentists to patients who have a tooth condition.

“Some toothpaste doesn’t have only fluoride they also have some irons that would be used to block tubules so if that is what you are using, the dentist would ask you to apply and leave it on the surface but if it is just the normal daily toothpaste for brushing, you just need to brush and rinse out because there are other sources of fluoride,” she said.

Rivers Angels, Set To Replicate Nigeria’s Dominance At Maiden CAF Women’s Championship

By

Emenike Agu

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November 2, 2021

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Founded as Larry Angels in 1986 by a women’s football lover, Lawrence Ezeh, Rivers Angels was renamed by then Rivers state governor’s first lady Eniye Patience Abbe after a takeover in 1991.

Since its establishment, Rivers Angels has been producing some of the most iconic players in the history of Africa women’s football and has been a fertile recruiting ground for the dominant Super Falcons, with record nine titles.

From Uche Eucharia [first coach and player to win Women’s AFCON] to Chioma Ajunwa, [pioneer captain and Nigeria gold medalist] and Perpetua Nkwocha to Asisat Oshoala [combined eight-time winners of Africa Women’s Player of the Year], the club have a back catalogue of stars that is scarcely believable.

“It has been a household name in Nigeria as far back as 1987 and I was the one who helped restructure the club with the help of Larry Ezeh,” Ajunwa, who is the first Nigerian and first black African woman to win gold at the 1996 Olympic, told CAFOnline.com.

“I was the one who went into the villages to pick the players who played during my eight years with the club. Then, Rivers Angels have had the luck of having good, zealous, determined players. Against all odds, the players were playing with great passion and focus on winning which is why the team is a household name.

“Since the government took over the club, they have taken proper care of the team which is why they have continued to excel. I think various governments and firms should emulate Rivers state government to help the women’s game grow in leaps and bounds.”

Since 2010, Rivers Angels have won the Nigerian Women’s Premier League six times, Women’s Federation Cup record eight times and Women’s Super Cup once – all under the tutelage of Edwin Okon.

“It’s not an easy job handling a women’s team, let alone being champions of the Nigerian league several times and the Federation Cup,” the 51-year-old tactician told CAFOnline.com.

“So many big players have passage through this big club, if we have 60 players abroad, I think about 40 of them has passaged through the club. I’m also happy with the privilege to handle the club. It takes a lot of sacrifice and discipline to achieve this.”

With 15 domestic titles in Nigerian football, the winning mentality imbibed by the players is a major secret, according to Okon.

“When you get to Rivers Angels as a new player, the first thing we make you understand is that this is where we change your mentality from a girl to a woman,” he opened up.

“We believe that the orientation will make a girl child, who wants to make podium success can go all the way to achieve it. It is not an easy task but we make them understand that our philosophy is win and players develop the mindset of a champion.”

The Jewels of Rivers will slug it out with Vihiga Queens of Kenya, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, ASFAR of Morocco in Group B and the tactician is upbeat about conquering the continent again.

“I think the club is a very big team. Going to Egypt, it is a big championship and we look forward to bringing home the trophy,” the 2014 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations winner with Nigeria continued.

“Our target is the title as we’ve prepared well for the tournament. My calculation and focus are on winning the trophy. I have made the players understand the burden of the challenge on us.

“The whole country and our sponsor (Rivers State government) are behind us. To whom much is given, much is expected, we are not just going there (Egypt) to make the number as participants. Our winning mentality is high and we won’t disappoint everyone.”

Rivers will open their campaign against Moroccan champions at the Al Salam Stadium on November 6, 2021 before a meeting with Sundowns three days later and final group showdown with Vihiga on November 12.