CAF Suspension: We Stand By Our Captain Austin Oladapo-Anyansi

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July 29, 2021

Two time African champions Enyimba International F.C of Aba has risen in stout defence of Captain Austin Oladapo who was recently suspended for twelve months by Confederation of African Football CAF over doping alleged doping offense.

In a statement signed by veteran administrator, NFF Board Member and club chairman Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu and made available to LN247.News,the people’s elephant said Captain Oladapo is a thoroughbred professional who strongly upholds and abides by the club’s high standard at all times.

According to the letter from CAF to Enyimba on the issue, Oladapo’s urine sample, taken after the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final first leg against Pyramids FC on May 16, 2021, tested positive for the banned substance Prednisolone.

Chief Anyansi in the statement,said Enyimba as a club, maintains strict code of conduct that shows zero tolerance to hard drugs or any banned substance hence there has never been any record of a positive doping test for any of our players, either in the domestic or international competitions.

He said the club will appeal the suspension order on Oladapo.

Here is a full text of the Chief Anyansi’s satatement

Club Statement on Austin Oladapo Doping Case

We received a letter from the Confederation of African Football informing us that our player, Austin Oladapo, has been suspended for twelve months for failing a doping test.

According to the letter, as well as previous correspondences on the issue, Oladapo’s urine sample, taken after the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final first leg against Pyramids FC on May 16, 2021, tested positive for the banned substance Prednisolone.

While we have been given the option to appeal the decision, it is pertinent to first clarify that as a club, we have a strict code of conduct that shows zero tolerance to hard drugs or any banned substance. That is why there had never been any record of a positive doping test for any of our players, either in the domestic or international competitions.

It is also important to state that the player in question is a true professional who strongly upholds and has always abided by the high standards of our club; and it was for this reason, alongside his exceptional leadership on and off the pitch, that he was chosen as captain of our team.

We are therefore convinced that a player who over his four years with us has shown such an exemplary level of moral and professional discipline could not have knowingly taken the said substance.

Also worthy of note is the fact the player has had a clean doping record having been subjected to tests on previous occasions in CAF Competitions – CARA Brazzaville vs Enyimba (2018) and the 2018 CHAN in Morocco. On both occasions, the tests returned negative.

As we already pointed out in our communication to CAF, Oladapo, before the game against Pyramids, had been on preventive covid-specific treatment after being diagnosed with malaria with bronchitis. It was indicated in his medical report, which was also attached to our letter to CAF, that “some of the treatments given in this regard are steroidal and could reveal prednisolone in his tribe sample test.”

Although we have not been made aware of the percentage of the substance concentration in his urine, we believe that any trace of it would have resulted from the prescribed medication.

In following this matter, Enyimba FC will consider all available options, but will in the meantime continue to stand with and defend our star midfielder who, over the years, has shown exceptional discipline and character worthy of our revered captain’s armband.

Felix Anyansi Agwu,

Chairman, Enyimba FC.

Legendary Singer Bright Chimezie Celebrates Son’s Graduation From Law School

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Koko Lawrence

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July 29, 2021

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Legendary Nigerian singer, Bright Chimezie, is ecstatic at the moment as one of his sons has graduated from law school.

Taking to social media, the veteran singer wrote, “Today I celebrate my son, confidant, friend and legal adviser, Barrister Chukwudi B. Chimezie Esq. LLB; as he is being sworn in as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the 29th of July, 2021. Son, you dreamt, prayed and worked for it and God finally crowned your efforts. Keep dreaming and the sky will definitely be your starting point. To God be the glory.”

The veteran singer was born on October 1, 1960, and hails from Abia State. His music style became known as Zigima Sound — a genre which became popular in the Eastern part of Nigeria in the early 1980s.

The genre is a mix of traditional Nigerian music and Igbo highlife infused with chanted vocals. Bright Chimezie used it to revolutionise the musical structure in Nigeria with lyrics that focused on the social issues of the country in a rather funny way.

He made songs like ‘Ube Nwanne’, ‘because of English’, ‘African style’, among others. His album, Respect Africa, brought him to the limelight as he used these songs to ridicule problems in society.

Chimezie is also known for his dance steps, popularly known as legwork. His stylish way of mixing excellent steps and a warning chant gave him the title ‘the duke of African music’.

40-Year-Old Slice Of Prince Charles, Diana’s Wedding Cake To Be Auctioned

By

Koko Lawrence

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July 29, 2021

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The large slice of cake icing and marzipan base from one of the 23 official wedding cakes features a sugared onlay of the Royal coat-of-arms coloured in gold, red, blue, and silver.

It was given to Moyra Smith, a member of the Queen Mother’s household at Clarence House, who preserved the topping with cling film.

She kept it in an old floral cake tin and taped a handmade label to the lid, reading: “Handle with Care – Prince Charles & Princess Diane’s (sic) Wedding Cake” which she signed and dated 29/7/81.

Mrs Smith’s family sold the cake in 2008 to a collector, but it has come up for auction once again, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer’s wedding.

Chris Albury, auctioneer and senior valuer at Dominic Winter Auctioneers in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, said: “It appears to be in exactly the same good condition as when originally sold, but we advise against eating it.”

It is expected to fetch between £300 and £500 when it goes under the hammer along with an order of service, ceremonial details and a royal wedding breakfast programme.

The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer took place on Wednesday 29 July 1981[1] at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, United Kingdom.

Their marriage was widely billed as a “fairytale wedding” and the “wedding of the century”. It was watched by an estimated global TV audience of 750 million people.

Events were held around the Commonwealth to mark the wedding. Many street parties were held throughout the United Kingdom to celebrate the occasion. The couple separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996 after fifteen years of marriage.

Nigeria To Increase Education Budget Up To 100% By 2025

By

Precious Obazee

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July 29, 2021

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President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to increase the budget for the education sector in Nigeria by as much as 50 percent over the next two years.

The president made the commitment in a document titled, ‘Heads of State Call to Action on Education Financing’ ahead of the global education summit, signed as a form of commitment at the on-going summit in London, United Kingdom.

The Nigerian president also joined the president of the republic of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta to reaffirm the commitment to improve learning outcomes in both countries.

President Buhari stated that this would be done by ensuring equitable access to quality and inclusive education for all our citizens, with particular emphasis on the girl child while calling for solidarity in building a more secure and prosperous future for children.

The summit which is being co-hosted by the prime minister of UK Boris Johnson and the president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta seeks to give opportunity for leaders to make 5-year pledges that will help transform education systems in up to 90 countries and territories across the world.

Kenyan Wildlife Authorities Capture Lion In Residential Area

By

Zoe Maven

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July 28, 2021

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Kenyan wildlife authorities say they have captured a lion that had wandered into a residential area in a town south of the capital Nairobi.

The Kenya Wildlife Service said on its Twitter account that a sub-adult male lion was spotted stuck between a concrete wall and iron sheets in Ongata Rongai area.

The body said members of the public alerted them of the lion’s presence in the morning, prompting the authority to send rangers and veterinarians to the site.

It added that the lion was successfully darted, immobilised and safely transferred to the (KWS) veterinary facility for observation collaring before being released back to the park

Videos posted on the KWS Twitter account showed its personnel wrapping the tranquilised lion in a canvas sheet and loading it onto a vehicle to be moved away from the residential area.

Human settlements have long been encroaching on the Nairobi National Park, Africa’s only game reserve within a capital city.

The park has been fenced in on three sides as towns grow around it.

Outside its unfenced southern side, there is a favoured refuge for breeding lions. Animals often pass through to make their way to larger parks beyond.

There are about 2,000 lions left in the whole of Kenya.

Conservationists say a new road and railway passing through the park were affecting animal behaviour and leading more big cats to try to escape in search of quieter hunting grounds.

U.S., Russia Hold Nuclear Talks In Geneva After Summit Push

By

Zoe Maven

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July 28, 2021

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Senior U.S. and Russian officials on Wednesday restarted talks on easing tensions between the world’s largest nuclear weapons powers and agreed to reconvene in September after informal consultations, according to the State Department.

TASS news agency cited Ryabkov as saying he was satisfied with the consultations and that the United States showed readiness for a constructive dialogue at the talks.

Armed with mandates from their leaders, it was the first time in nearly a year that the sides had held so-called strategic stability talks amid frictions over a range of issues, including arms control.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose countries hold 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons, agreed in June to launch a bilateral dialogue on strategic stability to “lay the groundwork for future arms control and risk reduction measures.

After informal consultations to determine topics for expert working groups in the next round, the two sides agreed to reconvene in late September, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

Calling the discussions professional and substantive, he said the U.S. side discussed its policy priorities, the current international security environment, the prospects for new nuclear arms control and the format for further talks.

The decision to meet again showed the sides understand the need to resolve arms control disputes, a senior State Department official said, that have seen an end to several Cold War-era treaties, including one that limited intermediate-range missiles.

S.Africa Approves 1,495 Military Personnel To Help Mozambique

By

Zoe Maven

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July 28, 2021

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the use of 1,495 members of the military to help neighbour Mozambique fight an Islamic State-linked insurgency.

The use of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comes after southern African regional bloc SADC last month approved the deployment of troops to Mozambique to combat a conflict which began in 2017 and has killed thousands.

Ramaphosa said the SANDF personnel would be used between July 15 and Oct. 15 at an expected cost of 984 million rand ($66.3 million), according to a letter sent to the speaker of parliament.

In the letter, Ramaphosa referred specifically to authorising the employment of SANDF members and did not spell out how many of those would be soldiers deployed on Mozambican soil.

The conflict in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province has displaced hundreds of thousands and brought a natural gas project led by French energy company Total Energies to a grinding halt.

At the time SADC nations authorised the deployment of the bloc’s standby force, they did not say how many troops would be involved.

Ramaphosa’s letter said South Africa’s military would help Mozambique combat “acts of terrorism and violent extremists that affected the area of Cabo Delgado”.

U.S. Imposes Sanctions On Syrian Prisons, Officials

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Zoe Maven

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July 28, 2021

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The U.S. Treasury Department says it has imposed sanctions on eight Syrian prisons run by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s intelligence apparatus and five senior officials who control the sites, where human rights abuses have taken place.

The Treasury Department also put sanctions on Syrian armed group Ahrar al-Sharqiya, which operates in northern Syria, for abuses against civilians, as well as on two of the group’s leaders, it said in a statement.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Director Andrea Gacki said the designations promote accountability for abuses committed against the Syrian people and deny rogue actors access to the international financial system.

She said the action demonstrates the United States’ strong commitment to targeting human rights abuses in Syria, regardless of the perpetrator.”

The prisons “have been sites of human rights abuses against political prisoners and other detainees,” the statement said. It accused Ahrar al-Sharqiya of numerous crimes against civilians, especially Syrian Kurds, “including unlawful killings, abductions, torture, and seizures of private property.”

In a separate statement, the Treasury said it had imposed sanctions on one Turkey-based al Qaeda financial facilitator for materially assisting the militant group as well as one Syria-based terrorist fundraiser and recruiter for providing material support to Hay’et Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a militant group previously sanctioned under U.S. counter-terrorism authorities.

Brazil’s Bolsonaro Shuffles Cabinet, Recreates Labor Ministry

By

Zoe Maven

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July 28, 2021

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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro appointed center-right Senator Ciro Nogueira as his chief of staff on Wednesday to shore up waning political support in Congress, and recreated the labor ministry to deal with record unemployment.

Nogueira, a leader of the Progressives Party (PP) to which lower house speaker Arthur Lira also belongs, will be Bolsonaro’s closest aide and minister, replacing a retired general.

His appointment is expected to improving the far-right president’s relations with Congress, where there have been dozens of requests for his impeachment as his popularity drops during the world’s second-deadliest COVID-19 outbreak.

A Senate investigation has uncovered potential irregularities in the government’s purchase of COVID-19 vaccines needed to fight a pandemic whose gravity Bolsonaro has minimized despite the deaths of more than 550,000 Brazilians.

Bolsonaro also appointed Onyx Lorenzoni to head a new Ministry of Labor and Social Security tasked with tackling record unemployment exacerbated by the pandemic. Brazil’s jobless rate was at a historic high of 14.7% in April.

The labor ministry, dating back to 1930, was dissolved by Bolsonaro on his fist day in office on Jan. 1, 2019, as he sought to reduce the size of the state’s involvement in the economy under free-market Economy Minster Paulo Guedes.

Lorenzoni will be responsible for labor policies aimed at generating employment and supporting workers, according to a decree issued by Bolsonaro recreating the ministry.

Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin To Nudge Ties With Vietnam

By

Zoe Maven

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July 28, 2021

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U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will on Thursday look to nudge forward security ties with Vietnam that have been slowly deepening as both countries watch China’s activities in the South China Sea with growing alarm.

Despite growing military relations, over four decades after the Vietnam War ended in 1975, President Joe Biden’s administration has said there are limits to the relationship until Hanoi makes progress on human rights.

Vietnam has emerged as the most vocal opponent of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and has received U.S. military hardware, including coastguard cutters.

Greg Poling, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies said Vietnam wants to know that the U.S. is going to remain engaged militarily, it’s going to continue its presence in the South China Sea.

Also, Lieutenant General Vu Chien Thang, director of the Defense Ministry’s Foreign Relations Department, said the two sides would discuss the coronavirus and measures to enhance maritime law enforcement capability.

Austin will meet his counterpart along with Vietnam’s president and prime minister.

Poling said there was a limit to how fast and far the Vietnamese were comfortable with deepening ties.

Experts say there are lingering concerns in Vietnam about Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, withdrawing from the Trans Pacific Partnership trade pact in 2017.