Fashola: Oduah’s armoured cars ‘ll buy 51 patrol vehicles

Lagos State governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has said that the two armoured cars bought at the cost of N255 million for the Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah, will purchase 51 patrol vehicles for the Nigerian Police.

The governor said this at the 7th annual Town Hall Meeting on Security, themed: ‘Sustaining Local Responding To Rising National Security Challenges,’ held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

“It is sad to know that the Federal Government that allocate three patrol vehicles for one state police command of 370, 000 police men, is unable to resolve how N255 million was used to purchase 2 saloon vehicles for one officer. It is a very grave irony.

“The cost of average vehicle needed to patrol the state is just N5 million. And with such fund, we will have put at least 51 patrol vehicles on the road, patrolling the streets of Lagos.”

Oshiomhole apologises over comments toWidow

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo on Friday apologised for the comments he made to a widow in Benin during an inspection tour on Mission Road, in the state capital, a fortnight ago.

Oshiomhole said that he now regretted the comments which had become the subject of discourse in the social media.

The Governor, however, noted that he made the comments in anger.

Oshiomhole's apology was made when the leadership of the Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), paid him a courtesy visit in Benin.

He noted that though the challenge of modern times had bestowed on the shoulders of some women and single mothers the status of bread winners of their homes, such should not be used as an excuse to flout the laws.

The Governor urged the Muslim women leaders to use their offices to propagate the essence of healthy living among children and women in the nation and the need to maintain proper sanitary conditions in their neighbourhoods.

Oshiomhole lamented that the challenge of widowhood had also exposed children to different temptations, adding that there was the need for society to be careful, to avoid unwittingly creating more problems for the nation.

Lebanese found guilty of terrorism in Nigeria

Abuja - Tahal Roda, a Lebanese has been found guilty of terrorism by a Federal High Court in Abuja, reports Premium Times

 The Department of State Security Services, SSS charged Roda alongside Mustapha Fawaz and Abdullah Thani to court for terrorist activities bordering on illegal importation of firearms.

The Lebanese were also accused of being members of Hezbollah, the Lebanon based group considered a terrorist organisation by the United States.

The court, however, freed  Fawaz and Thani of the charged.

Fawaz is a co-owner of one of Abuja’s largest supermarkets, Amigo Supermarket, and Wonderland Amusement Park, also in Abuja.

Read more at Premium Times

Why You Shouldn't Be Working Out Every Day

The best athletes in the world are committed to a training program that enhances their physical skills. However, working out every day often doesn't necessarily always lead to better results. It's just as important to give your body time to recover as it is to perform intense training sessions. That's right...taking days off can actually improve your results.

Here are five reasons why you shouldn't necessarily be working out every day.

Replenish Energy Stores

Your body uses adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to power muscle contractions. During weight training, the most readily available source of this energy is muscle glycogen. This source is finite, so it must be replenished before another training session. If you work out on low energy stores, you will notice decreased performance, because your muscles will be used as a source of energy and begin to break down. (Learn how muscles work.)

Repair Muscle Fibers

A proper training program is designed to stress your muscles, which is the only way to stimulate gains. However, this stress causes damage to muscle fibers. The process of repairing this damage and rebuilding muscle tissue after a workout is actually when muscles get bigger and stronger.

Alleviate Muscle Soreness

Any time you challenge your muscles in a new way or increase your workout intensity, you will encounter sore muscles. Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which occurs between 24 to 72 hours after a workout, can feel anywhere from mildly discomforting to nearly debilitating. DOMS is caused be microscopic tears in the connective tissue surrounding muscles. It will resolve itself, but it is a sign that your muscles need time to rest. (Alleviate muscle soreness with a foam roller.)

Avoid Overtraining

Athletes who train too frequently run the risk of overtraining, causing stress, exhaustion, fatigue, irritability, decreased performance and even injury. Your body transitions from a state of muscle building to muscle break down. In this case, too much of a good thing turns into a bad thing. (Learn more about overtraining.)

What to Do

Maximizing your training program is simple—you need to schedule recovery into your training.

As a general rule, allow a muscle group to rest for 48 hours before reworking it. For example, if you work your legs on a Monday, don't rework them again until Wednesday.

To create an efficient schedule, stick to a split-routine plan. This commonly involves splitting your routines into upper- and lower-body days, but you can get more specific if you want.

One final note: instead of working out every day, you need to actually plan days to allow your body to rest, even if you aren't reworking the same muscle groups. Plan a mid-week rest day, and then one or two days off on the weekend to allow your body to fully recover. Ideally, you should only work out between three and five days per week.

Stack.com

5 Ways to Stay Young and Fit

Unfortunately, staying active is a lifestyle that we as a population have grown out of. But you can regain this commitment by following these five rules.

Break a sweat every day

Challenge yourself every day to participate in a physical activity that causes you to get out of breath or sweat. To change your body, you must train outside of your comfort zone. If you like your body the way it is, then don't stress it. But if you want to build strength, get a six-pack or lose fat, then work hard.

When exercising, you should not be able to carry on a conversation with your buddy. (Don't get me started on people reading a magazine on the treadmill.) Next time you're at the gym:

• Increase your weights
• Hit the incline on your treadmill or run hills
• Add a plyometrics workout
• Combine strength training with various rounds of conditioning; for example, perform a Overhead Shoulder Press, then sprint on a treadmill at nine mph on a six-inch incline for 30 seconds. Rest for 90 seconds and repeat four times.

Go back to grade school

You did it all when you were younger: jumped rope, climbed trees, went bike riding and ran sprints around the playground. You couldn't sit still long enough to stay at a desk or computer like you do now.

Become more active. Go for a walk or jog in the morning before starting your day. Join a group fitness class, recreational league, swim club, ski or bowling team.

Use what you have

Look around and take a quick inventory of what's available to exercise with. Do you have a bike, rope, old tires to flip, chains to pull, balls to throw, boxes to jump on or paint cans to carry? If you have some of this stuff and a creative mind, you can put together a great workout. You don't need a expensive gym membership to look expensive. (Got a rope? Five Reasons to Go Back to Basics With the Jump Rope.)

Eat clean

By eating as clean as you can, you'll automatically avoid foods loaded with sugar, trans fat, and saturated fat. Eat foods that display a variety of colors more frequently, and keep everything in moderation. Plan time to go to the grocery store so you are not rushed. Also, plan your weekly meals ahead of time. (See What's Fake and What's Real? The Ultimate Food Survival Guide and No, Really—Don't Shop When You're Hungry: A Study.)

Rest as hard as you work

There's a fine line between the amount of work you do and the rest that you allow yourself. Rest can take the form of physical rest, or, for most of us, mental rest. Exercising, deep breathing, and vacations will take care of your mental rest. If you feel physically exhausted, try switching up your workout routine or take a week off. You will come back fresh and ready to do more. 

Stack.com

Why I resigned as SURE-P chairman – Dr Christopher Kolade

The Chairman of Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, Dr Christopher Kolade, yesterday, explained why he resigned from the agency, saying it had nothing to do with the allegation of the missing N500 billion SURE-P fund.

Kolade, who made the clarification in an interactive forum with newsmen in Abuja, noted that he threw in the towel on health grounds.

He said: “I am now old and I need to wind down some activities that take some of my energy. By next month, I will be 81, so you don’t blame me for not having youthful energy at the age of 81.”

Kolade explained that in his resignation letter to President Goodluck Jonathan dated September 25, there was never any allegation on ground to warrant his forceful withdrawal as the chairman of the committee.

Dr Christopher Kolade

The resignation letter dated September 25 and entitled “Withdrawal from Chairmanship of the SURE-P Committee” read: “I wish to inform you, respectfully, of my decision to resign from the position of Chairman of the SURE-P Committee.

“My desire is that the resignation should take effect as soon as Mr. President names a new chairman, but not later than the end of November 2013.

“Mr. President, it has been a worthwhile experience for me to serve as chairman since the inauguration of the committee in February 2012.

“However, as I approach my 81st birthday, I wish to retire from the more time and energy consuming parts of my responsibilities and activities, one of which is the SURE-P Committee chairmanship.

“Mr. President, please accept my sincere thanks and appreciation for the opportunity to serve in the position of chairman as well as my prayers for good progress and success for Nigeria in the years ahead.”

Kolade further explained that the subsidy money was shared among the three tiers of government, with the Federal Government taking 41 per cent, 54 per cent went to state and local governments, while the remaining five per cent is to be used for ecological project.

He said the 41 per cent of the money that belonged to the Federal Government is N300 billion, and that the committee had accounted for it before the Senate committee.

According to him, the alleged missing N500 billion was shared by the state and local governments, and that, those that were spreading the rumour were aware of it.

Vangaurd

Ryan Giggs keen to play on after 40

The Welshman has spent his whole career at Old Trafford, making 953 club appearances since making his debut against Everton in 1991.
"I'm lucky that I have been at one club, where I am surrounded by good players and a good manager," he said.

"It can be hard sometimes but I am still enjoying it. As long as that is the case I will carry on."

He added: "I still want to do well in every game, want to win trophies and my focus needs to be on that."

Giggs, who has won as many league titles as Arsenal (13), is out of contract at the end of the season and although he has also taken on coaching duties he wants to continue to play for as long as possible.

Should Giggs be offered, and sign, a new one-year contract it would take his stay at United to 24 years and could see him reach the landmark of 1,000 appearances for the Red Devils.

"If I'd moved from club to club I'd be finished by now," he added, as is the case with fellow'Class of 92'  members David Beckham, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt.

He has also outlasted Gary Neville and Paul Scholes who both retired after spending their entire careers at Old Trafford.

"I look after myself and try to train every day in order to make myself available for selection," added Giggs.

BBC

ASUU strike: Students seek divine intervention

 Students of Ekiti State origin in tertiary institutions embarked on marathon prayers to seek divine intervention in the five- month old strike by the members of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, ASUU.

The students, who were drawn from the various institutions of higher learning converged at Lady Jibowu Hall, Ekiti Government House where they held the prayer session

The session had in attendance, the state’s Deputy Governor, Professor Modupe Adelabu and some clerics. Adelabu in  her remarks cautioned the students against taking to the streets and engaging in illegal acts that could lead to violence and  disruption of peace in the state.

She noted that they did the right thing by taking their petition to God. She said it was unfortunate that both parties to the dispute – ASUU and the Federal Government  – had remained adamant despite interventions from well-meaning Nigerians.

The number two citizen of the state urged the students not to relent in their regular prayer for divine intervention, saying that the death of Prof Festus Iyayi, a frontline ASUU member in an auto-crash along the Abuja-Lokoja Road introduced another twist to the lingering dispute.

Mrs Adelabu, who expressed the hope that the prayers of the students would yield the desired result in a matter of days, counseled the undergraduates against engaging in activities that could jeopardize their future.

Mrs Adelabu regretted that  the situation which keeps them at home in the past few months was not their own making and that their teachers did not deliberately embark on the strike to put the students’ future at stake.

According to her, the lecturers were only pressing for their rights and other logistics that will improve the facilities in the nation’s citadel of leaning and to make them world standard.

Advising the students to engage themselves in profitable ventures, she also urged them not to completely abandon their studies but constantly review their lecture notes in preparation for the re-opening of the varsities.

Pastor John Aladete in his sermon at the prayer session urged the students not to be daunted by their present predicament as a result of the protracted ASUU strike.

The cleric charged them to be hopeful with an assurance that God will be with them irrespective of the present development. He said God has designed their generation to bring the desired change needed by the country.

The students were later led into series of prayer sessions by some clerics including the Government House Chaplain, Rev. Fr. Anthony Famuagun, Pastor Tunde Akinola of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youths, Pastor Mike Awopetu and Special Assistant to the Governor on Student Affairs, Mr
Adeoye Aribasoye.

Vangaurd

Man sells left TESTICLE for $35,000 to buy his dream sports car

This man is selling his left testicle for $35,000 (£21,400) to scientific research so he can afford his dream sports car.

MARK PARISI

Mark Parisi revealed the shocking decision on US TV show The Doctors and said it was so he could finally own a Nissan 370.

And while most men would cringe at the very thought, Mr Parisi seemed completely at ease with his decision.

Women in the audience looked disgusted when he admitted his plans, with most of them holding their hands up to their mouth in shock.

One of the show's hosts asked if he argued for a higher fee, but Mr Parisi confirmed it was a straight out offer which he accepted.

Another host joked at the end: "It’s a Nissan for your left one."

MIRROR

FOOTBALL LOVERS; THE FIFA RANKINGS PROCEDURE

I've heard arguments back and forth about the fairness or otherwise of the FIFA rankings, so i did some research and came up with this;  

The basic logic of these calculations is simple: any team that does well in world football wins points which enable it to climb the world ranking.

A team’s total number of points over a four-year period is determined by adding:

·   the average number of points gained from matches during the past 12 months;
and

·   the average number of points gained from matches older than 12 months (depreciates yearly).

Calculation of points for a single match

The number of points that can be won in a match depends on the following factors:

•      Was the match won or drawn? (M)

•      How important was the match (ranging from a friendly match to a FIFA World Cup™ match)? (I)

•      How strong was the opposing team in terms of ranking position and the confederation to which they belong? (T and C)

These factors are brought together in the following formula to ascertain the total number of points (P).

P = M x I x T x C

The following criteria apply to the calculation of points:

M:        Points for match result

Teams gain 3 points for a victory, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a defeat. In a penalty shoot-out, the winning team gains 2 points and the losing team gains 1 point.

I:           Importance of match

      Friendly match (including small competitions):                                                    I = 1.0

      FIFA World Cup™ qualifier or confederation-level qualifier:                             I = 2.5

      Confederation-level final competition or FIFA Confederations Cup:                I = 3.0

      FIFA World Cup™ final competition:                                                                    I = 4.0

T:         Strength of opposing team

      The strength of the opponents is based on the formula: 200 – the ranking position of the opponents
As an exception to this formula, the team at the top of the ranking is always assigned the value 200 and the teams ranked 150^th and below are assigned a minimum value of 50. The ranking position is taken from the opponents’ ranking in the most recently published FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.

C:            Strength of confederation

When calculating matches between teams from different confederations, the mean value of the confederations to which the two competing teams belong is used. The strength of a confederation is calculated on the basis of the number of victories by that confederation at the last three FIFA World Cup™ competitions (see following page). Their values are as follows:

UEFA/CONMEBOL             1.00                             CONCACAF     0.88
AFC/CAF                             0.86                             OFC                   0.85

FIFA.COM

NASU plans strike

Non academic employees in the universities are warming up for industrial action as a fall out of the resolution of the ASUU strike.
They took the decision during the delegates conference in Owerri under the banner of the Non Academic Staff Union ((NASU). The communique was signed by Deputy President/Chairman of the Universities Trade Group, Comrade Sunday Adeyemi and the Deputy General Secretary, Comrade F.J Ajayi.
The union said it would go on strike the moment a negative action is directed at its members outside the original agreement reached in the 2009 Federal Government NASU agreement.
NASU also expressed worry that its 2009 agreement with the Federal Government was due for review since June, 2012, noting that the non-implementation of the full content of the FG/University based Union 2009 agreement is a political strategy aimed at mitigating early review of the agreement.
The Union urged President Goodluck Jonathan to put necessary machinery in motion to commence the upward review of the agreement within the next three months.

The Nation

Threat is empty basket - ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday described the Federal Government’s threat to sack lecturers as an “empty basket” that could not hold water.

The union said it was vindicated that the government was not committed to implementing any resolutions it reached with the union.

The union said the threat would fail, adding that Nigerian public universities needed 60,000 lecturers owing to the government’s failure to employ.

ASUU said the government was wasting the time of Nigerians and youths by failing to perfect the resolutions and get the strike suspended.

The union said it had reasons to be wary, following the government’s failure to honour its promises to the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), resident doctors and health workers who have suspended their strikes.

To ASUU, the threat is an insult to the sense and sensibilities of Nigerians who were waiting on the government for positive reaction.

ASUU National Treasurer Dr Ademola Aremu said that the threat confirmed the fears that the government cannot be trusted.

Click source for more details: The Nation