Dino Melaye, a disgrace to the Senate - Tinubu

Vanguard, THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016 — 47
Pogba, Man U agree terms over
£100m move
JUVENTUS legend,
Gianluca Zambrotta,
has urged the Bianconeri
to cash in on
£100million Paul Pogba,
amid reports the
midfielder has agreed a
£208,000-a-week deal
with Manchester
United.
Jose Mourinho is
desperate for the
Frenchman to follow
Eric Bailly, Zlatan
Ibrahimovic and
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
through the Old Trafford
door.
And the move is
edging ever closer, with
Spanish daily MARCA’s
claims Pogba has agreed
personal terms.
Juve hero, Gianluca
Zambrotta, is in no doubt
as to what the club
should do.
The 2006 World Cup
winner insists the Italian
champions should sell
Pogba and spend the
proceeds on “other
champions” — just as
they did when Real
Madrid broke the world
record transfer fee to
sign Zinedine Zidane
from Turin in 2001.
Speaking to Goal, he
said: “I remember when
I was playing with
Juventus and Zinedine
Zidane was there.
“They sold him to Real
Madrid for a record fee
and with this money they
bought [Gianluigi]
Buffon, [Lilian] Thuram
and [Pavel] Nedved.
“So, even if Juventus
have to sell Pogba, they
could buy other
champions.”
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resolution arising from
the motion brought
before the floor under
matters of urgent public
importance sponsored
by Danburam Nuhu
(APC-Kano), decried the
non provision of funds to
Team Nigeria to begin
preparations ahead of
the Games scheduled to
kick off from August 5.
He expressed concern
that athletes were not in
camp few days to the
commencement of the
Games, lamenting that
late preparation
hampered the country’s
performance in previous
competitions.
He stated that since
there was budgetary
provision to enable the
country participate in
•Mikel
Team Nigeria
the Olympics, funds
should be released to
enable athletes compete
favourably, adding that
the immediate release of
funds to commence
preparations will
promote winning spirit
of the team
According to him,
“The fund required to
participate in the
Olympics was captured
in the 2016
Appropriation, which
was passed by the House
in March and signed
into law since May 2016
yet not released to the
Ministry of Sports.
“This kind of
preparation and 11th
hour release of funds
usually mars the
performance of Team
Nigeria.”
Eagles
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Algeria, Cameroon
and Nigeria in Group B.
However, Shinde says
the players must just
believe in their abilities
and give their best.
“Yes it is a group of
death but we shouldn’t
have mental blocks
otherwise we will defeat
ourselves. Zambia
should not be the
underdogs in this
group,” Shinde said
“We should ensure
that we collect maximum
points in all our home
games. Our home
ground must be a
slaughter house.
“Equally the players
should learn to put in
their best. We can say all
these things but what
about the commitment
from the players.
“I hope these boys can
come to the party and
realise they are carrying
the nation’s banner,
“Let’s galvanise
ourselves. With proper
team selection and good
preparations we can
compete.”
Meanwhile it is not
clear yet whether coach
George Lwandamina
will lead the team during
the qualifiers as the
chase for a new coach is
underway.
On the other hand, excoach
Patrice Beaumelle
turned down an offer
from the Football
Association of Zambia to
return to the country.
Philippe Troussier and
Dario Bonetti are some
of the names linked to
the coaching job to
replace Lwandamina.
Sports betting: FG, states proffer
solution on double taxation
THE issue of double
taxation in the
Nigerian sports betting
industry may soon be
resolved as federal and
states representatives
have agreed to proffer a
solution to the lingering
problem.
Operators of sports
betting companies in the
country last month in
Lagos lamented the issue
of double taxation by the
Federal Government and
states at a summit
organised by the
Association of Nigerian
Bookmakers, saying it was
killing the industry.
Akin Alabi, founder of
NairaBet.com and Acting
Galatasaray boss loses interest in Mikel
G ALATASARAY
have cooled their
interest in Chelsea’s
defensive midfielder John
Obi Mikel.
The daily Turkish
newspaper AMK have
stated that Galatasaray boss
Jan Olde Riekerink has
instructed the board to look
at other options as Mikel
does not fit into his plans
for season ahead.
This is despite The
Nigerian international
winning the Champions
League, Europa League,
two Premier League titles,
four FA Cups and two
League Cups for Chelsea.
The experienced
midfielder has also had
interest from Galatasaray
but reportedly turned
down a £110k-a-week
offer from the Lion’s back
in January.
Nigeria Cup: Organising committee
plans big for 20th edition
By Chinwe Okeke
AS preparations for
the 20th Nigeria
Cup gathers momentum,
Chairman of the
organizing committee,
Bayo Alli has said that
this year’s edition will
be a special one even as
he appealed to well
meaning Nigerians,
members of Ikoyi club
and especially corporate
organizations for
support.
Speaking in a chat with
newsmen during the
week, Alli said the
appeal became
necessary so as to
enable the organizers
raise needed fund to
execute the programmes
already earmarked for
the event.
While saying this
year’s edition will be
unique, he added that
the organizing
committee has promised
value for all members of
the club, sponsors and
corporate Nigeria. “A
Nigerianized Nigeria
Cup is what we will see
come October 1st”, he
said.
The Express states that
Chelsea want £7.7 million
on Mikel if he is to leave
over the summer transfer
market. The 29-year-old
has just a year remaining
on his contract and Antonio
Conte has yet to make a
decision on his future.
Continues from BP
Dallas Cowboys
sports.
The NFL franchise is
valued at $4billion
(£3billion).
La Liga duo Real
Madrid ($3.6bn) and
Barcelona ($3.5bn) are
second and third
respectively while the
New York Yankees
($3.4bn), at No.4, are
the most valuable
baseball team.
Manchester United,
who complete the top
five, are the highest
Continues from BP
provisionally given the
responsibility ahead of
Bangladesh’s playoff
matches for the Asian
Cup qualifiers.
Saintfiet, who has
coached Togo, Malawi,
Yemen, Ethiopia,
Zimbabwe and Namibia,
confirmed the news of
his taking over the
coaching duties to the
reporters and went to
attend the practice
session of his new
apprentices.
“When we sent him a
draft of the contract, he
was on the plane. We
included some of our
observations in the
Chairman, ANB, said
operators were in
dilemma over whom to
pay taxes.
“Each state says they
are in charge of gaming
and betting and the
National Lottery
Regulatory Commission
says they are the ones in
charge. So who do we
pay to? Do we pay twice?
And that is not even
talking about the
company taxes that we
pay. So, it’s strangling our
businesses coupled with
forex issues. So we need
to be sure who we pay to,”
Alabi said at the summit.
But there appears to be
light at the end of the
tunnel after the summit.
Precious Puanoni, a
Special Assistant to the
Director General,
National Lottery
Regulatory Commission,
said the body was ready
to collaborate with the
state to resolve the issue.
He expressed optimism
that the National
Assembly would “do the
needful” in amending the
lottery act to tackle the
problem.
Saintfiet
ranking English team.
Arsenal (No.23),
Manchester City (28),
Chelsea (36) and
Liverpool (41) also make
the list.
The world’s most
valuable basketball
franchise, say Forbes, is
the New York Knicks
($3bn).
In total, 27 NFL
franchise feature in the
list. There rest of the top
50 is comprised of teams
from European football
(eight), NBA (eight) and
MLB (seven).
agreement. He told us
he had sent it to his
lawyer.
“The official signing is
yet to be done. But
everything has been
finalised verbally. There
are some legal terms
here, which he has to
see…Hopefully, a deal
can be struck in threefour
days.
“We have seen that he
has been short-listed for
Nigeria coaching job.
We will take a decision
according to the
situation if he gets the
job. But now we are
employing him for three
months,” Nabil said