Anambra to use Bill Gates money to build 10 hospitals

Anambra State government said yesterday that it would use the money it won from being the best state in the coverage of immunization programme in the South-East to build 10 maternities in the rural parts of the state. Governor Peter Obi, who made the disclosure during the flag-off of the National Obstetric Fistula Repair Programme at the Anambra State University Teaching Hospital, Awka, said the state had matched the $US1 million monetary award with N120 million for the project. The governor also flagged-off the fumigation exercise against mosquitoes in the state, explaining that the exercise was part of the state government’s programme towards elimination of malaria. He called on the people of the state to corporate with those carrying out the fumigation exercise since it was for their own good. Obi also flagged-off the construction of a hostel block at the teaching hospital to house medical students

‘Lagosians can hold govt to its promises’

Lagos State Government says it has introduced a reform that gives residents of the state an insight into government’s programmes such that they can hold it accountable as regards its programmes within a specific period. The government added that it was against this backdrop that it was making the residents to be aware of its programmes. Permanent Secretary, Public Service Office, Mr. Lekan Akodu, said this on Thursday during a press conference on 2013 Public Service Week in Alausa, Ikeja. Akodu said since all government officials had clearly defined job roles against which their performances would be assessed, they had therefore keyed into the perception that governance must be open, timely, effective and efficient. He said, “The government is also making the public aware of its programmes through publications, ministerial press briefings, every 100 days scorecard by Governor Babatunde Fashola and of course through the Public Service Week. “All these are designed to let the public measure government performance against its promises and hold government to its declaration, where necessary.” Akodu said the Public Service Week was to appreciate the productive efforts of public servants towards service delivery. He added that the theme, ‘The Nigerian Public Service in the Age of Open Government: Giving Voice to the Citizen’, was meant to place the citizens at the centre of public servants consideration for service delivery. He said the event, which is expected to last seven days from June 17, would feature health day, award, lecture, prayer and fitness walk.

Bishops hold prayer vigil outside Mandela hospital

A dozen South African bishops on Friday held a prayer vigil outside the hospital where former president Nelson Mandela has spent a week receiving treatment for a lung infection. The clerics, sporting flowing purple robes and white collars and representing a variety of denominations, stood hand-in-hand to say prayers for Mandela, who is said to be improving but still in a serious condition. “Thank you (God) for the speedy recovery of Dr Nelson Mandela,” said Bishop Abraham Sibiya of the Christ Centred Church Episcopal Soshanguve, to chants of “amen”. After a visit to the hospital late Thursday, President Jacob Zuma said the health of the country’s first black president “continues to improve but his condition remains serious.” The hospital is under lockdown and entry is restricted to Mandela’s close family and those cleared to have business inside the hospital. Sibiya told AFP that church leaders had come out in response to Zuma’s call to pray for the 94-year-old hero of the struggle against white-minority rule. Zuma’s spokesman Mac Maharaj said he had no update on Mandela’s condition when contacted by AFP early Friday. Mandela was admitted to hospital in the capital Pretoria in the early hours of Saturday for a pulmonary condition that has plagued him for years. It is his fourth hospital stay since December, leading to a growing acceptance that the much-loved father of the “Rainbow Nation” may be nearing the end of his life. Despite the more positive assessment of Mandela’s condition, concerns continue to grow and Zuma has asked the nation to pray for him. “So we came to pray that God will heal former president Mandela and also we came to pray for the family that God will strengthen them at this difficult time and give them strength to face each and every day they go through,” Sibiya told AFP. Members of Mandela’s family, known for frequent internal feuding, have been visiting him regularly in a public display of unity. On Friday morning his daughter Zenani, who is South Africa’s ambassador to Argentina, visited him, as did some grandchildren and great grandchildren. Mandela has a long history of lung problems since being diagnosed with early-stage tuberculosis in 1988 during his 27 years in prison at the hands of the apartheid regime. Experts say that infection makes him vulnerable to recurrent lung infections.

Ex-gov Fayose escapes assassination

Former governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose narrowly escaped death along Tuesday night on Ado Ekiti – Afao road when his car was shot at by unknown gunmen. Fayose is one of the leading Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, aspirants warming up for next year’s governorship election in the state. This was contained in a statement by Ayo Fayose Campaign Organisation, AFCO, and signed by the Campaign Director General, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi

According to the statement, the former governor was trailed by the suspected assassins at about 9 p.m. in a white Hilux van with green number plate at a point close to Fayose Housing Estate. Fayose’s driver, according to the statement, noticed that a vehicle was trailing them and immediately alerted his boss who was the only one with him in the car. The statement reads in part: “The driver immediately increased the car’s speed and when the driver of the Hilux vehicle saw that they could not catch up with Fayose’s car, they were said to have released four shots towards the ex-governor’s vehicle. “Seeing that Fayose had arrived Afao, his home-town, the Hilux van turned back. “Earlier that day, Fayose received a call from somebody who called himself ‘Solar’ telling him that he (Solar) was a life waster and that Fayose should expect a tough time ahead of 2014 election, but the former governor took the message for granted.” The AFCO DG, therefore, called on the police to take appropriate action before the state is turned into a theatre of war. The police image maker in the state, Mr. Victor Babayemi, however, said he was yet to be officially briefed on the allegation.

Tukur, Wamakko in a war of words

The crises in the Peoples Democratic Party are getting messier as its leadership and the suspended Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko, have gone for each other’s jugulars. Wamakko first threw the salvo at PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, on Wednesday night by accusing him (Tukur) of incompetence and running the party as his personal business. “He (Tukur) has been running the PDP as a personal business from his private home,” he told his supporters on his arrival from a foreign trip in Sokoto. The governor, who had earlier called on President Goodluck Jonathan to relieve Tukur of his job, also wants the same treatment meted out to the President’s Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak. Wamakko said, “As far as I am concerned, Tukur and Gulak should be sacked because they are not competent to hold their positions.” But Tukur, who did not take the governor’s vituperation lightly, fired back on Thursday, saying he (Wamakko) lacked the “moral fibre to remain in office.” His Special Assistant on Media, Oliver Okpala, who spoke for him, said “When he insults an elderly man like Tukur because he is a governor, then we don’t think he has the moral fibre to remain in office because as a governor he should live by example.” Okpala claimed that the PDP leadership was aware of the alleged romance between Wamakko and leaders of the yet-to-registered All Progressives Congress. He said, “If he has any agenda to leave the PDP, it is within his constitutional right and he is free, but as long as he remains within the PDP, he must align himself with discipline. “He should not stay in the party and be encouraging insubordination and indiscipline. The leadership of the party under Tukur has regards for party discipline and will never waver.” On the claim that Wamakko described the PDP chairman as a political prostitute, Okpala said it was wrong for him to have done so. The chairman’s Special Assistant called on Wamakko to learn from another suspended governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, who he said had not abused anyone. Okpala said, “For him to say Tukur is a political prostitute does not portray him as a true son. He should express a true sense of respect and discipline because of his position as a governor. “The example he is showing now does not portray him as someone who has respect for seniority and properly constituted authority like the position of chairman of the PDP and the NWC.” On the call for Tukur’s removal, Okpala said that as a father to every member of the PDP , Tukur had taken the call with calm. He said no one should see Tukur’s and PDP leadership’s determination to bring discipline to the party as a personal vendetta. “When there is no discipline, there will be anarchy and when anarchy sets in, there will be retrogression,” he added. Okpala also took on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mallam Aminu Tambuwal, who described Wamakko’s suspension as illegal. Arguing that Tambuwal was free to support his state governor, Okpala said, “The speaker, as a party man, should toe the line of political discipline and comportment. “Tukur, as a father, will always look after his children who are party members and be able to caution them and bring them to order whenever they engage in acts that are subversive to the corporate existence and image of the PDP as a political entity and the largest political movement in Africa.” In his own reaction, Gulak said the call by Wamakko for his removal showed that he (governor) was ignorant of the party’s workings. Gulak told one of our correspondents, that if Wammako had belonged to the PDP from inception, he would have known that its members were bound by rules and regulations. He said if the governor called for his removal because he was suspended from the PDP, he ought to know that as a presidential aide, his responsibilities did not include the running of the party. Gulak said, “If Wammako made that statement because he was suspended from the party, he should know that the PDP has hierarchy as well as rules and regulations that all members, no matter their positions, are expected to obey failing which they will be sanctioned. “Rather than saying that the PDP chairman is not competent, the governor should search himself and identify his shortcomings and accept them. “For me, I have nothing to do with his suspension. I am not a member of the party’s NWC. I am a presidential aide, he does not seem to understand that the Presidency has nothing to do with the running of the party. “Wammako’s utterances are misplaced and based on ignorance. May be because he did not belong to the PDP from inception because he came from the ANPP and so he does not understand the workings of the party.” Speaking with one of our correspondents earlier, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the party was not against the rally held by Wamakko’s supporters to welcome him.

Ojukwu was right on confederacy in 1966 – Prof Oluyemi Fagbohun

As Aregbesola, Sagay, others proffer solution on how to make LGs functional LAGOS—ONE thought dominated the comments of discussants on how to make local councils in Nigeria effective at a forum in Lagos Tuesday: There is so much rot in the councils and decisive actions are needed to make them deliver democracy dividends. However, the discussants were divided on how to ensure effective governance at the grassroots. While some asked the National Assembly to remove the Local Councils as a tier of government and tie them to the states in line with the dictates of classical federalism, others said the councils should be allowed to operate as currently enshrined in the 1999 constitution. Odumegwu Ojukwu Among those who proffered solutions to the decay in the councils were Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; legal icon, Professor Itse Sagay, SAN; Professor Francis Oluyemi Fagbohun; and Mr. Onyekachi Ubani (Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Ikeja branch). This came as Prof Fagbohun, who chaired the event, said that late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu was right when he called and fought for confederacy in 1966 but people misunderstood him and branded him a rebel. According to him, events in the country indicate that “we are returning to confederation. Nigeria has concepts which you can’t find anywhere in the world. Our federalism is homegrown. What we have is not a federal system. We started on a wrong note. The federating units did not come together and agreed to unite. That is the basis of our problems. “Nigeria is an artificial creation. Before independence, we had true federalism. The East was even operating three tiers of government and it worked. After the 1976 local government reforms, the councils have never remained the same. Even the establishment of the Joint Account Committee has become a problem in most states.” Aregbesola on his part, attributed his inability to conduct council polls in Osun State to pending litigations, assuring that once the legal fisticuffs were resolved he would hold the polls. They spoke at the second edition of the National Public Discourse organised by CMC Connect in association with O’Ken Ventures, at MUSON Centre, Lagos. It was themed: “Local Government Authority: How Autonomous?” The governor attributed the rot in the councils to military introduction of unitary system of government, designation of councils as a tier of government, over-concentration of power at the centre to the detriment of the federating units, creation of federation account and allocation of funds to other tiers of government. Citing the examples of United States of America, India, Brazil, Switzerland and Australia among others, he said countries operating a federal system of government have two tiers of government – the centre and the federating units (states) arguing that it is an aberration to make councils a tier of government. He picked holes in the allocation of 51 per cent of revenue to the Federal Government with the 36 states getting 26 per cent. “The Federal Government is too distant from the people. What is the Federal Government doing with its 51 per cent allocation? It is impossible for the government at the centre to present itself to the people in the grassroots. “The introduction of garrison federalism made it a rule that everything (revenue) must come to the Federal Government and ensured straight jacket garrison command of allocation of funds to the local governments. Which other federation outside Nigeria allocates revenue from the Federal Government to other tiers? Government exists to generate income. Any government that cannot generate income is not worthy of its existence.” To make councils functional, he said the states should be allowed to create and fund councils as they deem fit without input from the National Assembly as currently obtains; the country should be restructured with power devolved to the federating units because defective federalism is responsible for the widespread poverty in the country and without allocation only a few states and local councils would survive. Speaking in like manner, Sagay said the question of autonomy for councils in a federal setting was an aberration. His words: “What we have in Nigeria is an aberration. It is unheard of for local government to be listed in the constitution. The local government is totally and completely an agent of the state government for development. What should happen is that every state should decide how many local governments it wants and fund them by itself. “The Federal Government should not fund local governments. Why should we have a federation account? Why do we all share from one account and say we are a federation? Why must we have the same system of government in all the councils? States should be able to decide the form of local government system they want whether parliamentary or presidential… “Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo recognized in 1947 that the only way we (Nigeria) can be together is through federalism. We should be thinking of how to reduce the stifling control of the centre. Nigeria has to practice a federal system of government. What we have now is a semi-unitary system. The Federal Government should be thinking of how to convert the zones into powerful regions and leaving the centre with a few responsibilities because the Federal Government is the weakest government in the country. “If we follow the correct principles of federalism and allow power to devolve to the federating units we will get it right. The regions funded the Federal Government in the past and kept 50 per cent of their revenue. Today the Federal Government strips states of their resources. The Federal Government has no resources. All they have is Abuja and Abuja has nothing. If it is not Niger Delta oil or Lagos VAT, it is Customs duties. Not up to five per cent of Federal Government resources come from the Federal Government.”

FG hints of anti-smoking law in offices

Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said the Federal Government is working on a legislation against smoking in public offices. The minister stated this at a briefing in Abuja on Thursday. The minister said there would soon be a strong law against smoking in public offices, saying those who did not like it should consider relocating from the country. Chukwu said, “One of the best ways of tackling health issues, especially as they relate to health, is prevention, and one of the steps is by curtailing smoking. “There is a strong law on smoking that is coming. If you do not like it, leave Nigeria.” The minister, who said, there were enough public and private hospitals in the country to take care of over 99 per cent of the health needs of citizens, added that the one per cent that went abroad were mainly those who did so out of choice. He also acknowledged that there were unscrupulous elements in the sector who aided the foreign hospitals by issuing unnecessary referrals. He said, “As far as health care is concerned, there is no country in the world that has everything. Less than one per cent of Nigerians actually have the need to go abroad for treatment. For the majority, what they need is available in Nigeria. You do not have to go abroad, but if you like to be swindled, it is up to you.”

Agony of a 21-month old baby losing both eyes, Needs N100,000 for surgery

When baby Favour Adam-Umoh was born 21 months ago into the Family of Mr. and Mrs. Blessing Adams, Favour appeared normal as a growing baby and there was nothing unpleasant about her health, particularly her eyes to raise any suspicion that something was remarkably wrong with her sight. But six months later, the signs began to manifest. The state of her health then may have spured her parents to name her Favour – a gift bestowed as a token of goodwill, kind regard, love by God.

Baby Favour…needs help But, today, Favour is struck with a strange eye disease which medical doctors at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, confirmed to be congenital glaucoma. Presently, Favour with bulging of the right eye which is now affecting the left eye, further medical examination revealed that the baby has cancer of the eye. According to her doctors, if there is no urgent medical intervention, poor Favour will lose her both eyes. The parents have been going from pillar to post, looking for solution but all efforts to help baby Favour have proved abortive. All the way from Onitsha, her mother, Blessing Adam came to Lagos recently in search of a miracle that could help transform the condition of her baby girl. The 28-year-old mother was advised to seek further solution in a faith based institution by a friend. So, she went to the TB Joshua’s Synagogue church of all nations in Lagos. According to her, “I went to TB Joshua’s church on Wednesday and waited patiently for me to be called upon but all expectations failed. “Unfortunately, it was not the time for cancer patients. So, I left and went back the following day. Again, my baby’s name was not called. So, I felt bad and left because I did not want my baby to die. “I was in a bus when a good Samaritan man saw the condition of the baby and advised that I should go to Vanguard that I must surely get help. “I am a petty trader and my husband drives a hired Keke Marwa. We both live in Onitsha but we are a native of Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State. “I did not know anywhere in Lagos but with the help of the man, I was able to locate Vanguard premises”, she added. Narrating the sorry tales of her baby’s health, she said, “Favour started scratching her eyes when she was six months old. “At first, I never envisaged it was a serious issue. So, I did not take her to the hospital immediately, but took her to nearby Chemist shop and the man advised that, I should apply eye drops and give her some Vitamin C syrup which I did. “Unfortunately, there was no changes in her as the day goes by, so, I stopped the eye drops and the drug. Then, I sought help elsewhere. I then started going from one church to another just to get help. “A pastor told me that it was a spiritual problem and that it can only be tackled with prayers. So, I started going from one church to another. And since the incident, I had gone to seven different churches but all efforts were to no avail. “After a while, my husband advised that I should take her to University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and there I was told that her eyes were already damaged and it will be removed. “The doctor said, an operation will be carried out on the girl but I do not know the cost of the operation. I was scared because I did not want my baby’s eyes to be removed, so I left. “Although, the doctor said removing the eyes will help save the life of the baby but I do not agree that her eyes should be removed. “Before taking her to University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, I had gone to Guinness hospital, Onitsha where I was given some drugs. But, there was no changes. I was then given a letter to go to Nnewi for laboratory test. “Unfortunately, we are financially incapacitated so, I could not go for the laboratory test as quickly as possible as prescribed. But, when we finally went, it was also discovered that she is having cancer of the eye. Since, the incident, the baby has been passing through severe pain. She cannot sleep at night. I only carry her on my back everyday and night. She cries so much such that she hardly sleep at night. Her siblings, a boy and a girl are presently at Onitsha”, she lamented. Asked, if there was any history of eye problem in her family, she said, “My mother-in-law has eye problem. My husband told me it was witchcraft that caused her eye problem. When Saturday Vanguard contacted Namdi Azikwe University Teaching hospital on the issue, Professor Onyekwe who is in charge of the case, disclosed to this reporter that an ‘Filteration surgeryof the eye’ will have to be carried out urgently to stop the enlargement of the cancer. He stated that the surgery which will take place at Guiness Eye centre, Nnewi, Anambra state will cost the sum of N100,000. Right now, the mother is calling on well meaning Nigerians to help baby Favour stay alive. Her account name is: Ini Adam-Umoh, account number: 2044779539 UBA. Her mother, Blessing Adam can be reached on 07083188829 and 07033996463.

Court awards N4m against police for shooting subsidy protesters

A Lagos High Court, Ikeja on Friday awarded N4m as compensation to four protesters who were shot by the dismissed Divisional Police Officer of Pencinema, Segun Fabunmi, during the protest against subsidy removal in January 2012. Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile, in her judgment, awarded the total sum of N4m damages against the police and Fabunmi for “recklessly shooting and inflicting bodily injury” on the protesters.

Arnold Schwarzenegger to start ‘Terminator 5′ shooting in January

The 65-year-old actor is to reprise his most iconic role as the killer Cyberdyne cyborg for the first time since 2003′s ‘Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines’ and filming will begin at the start of 2014. During an appearance at the 21st Century Financial Education Summit in Australia, Schwarzenegger is reported to have said: “I’m very happy that the studios want me to be in ‘Terminator 5′ and to star as The Terminator, which we start shooting in January.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger & 2face Patrick Lussier and Laeta Kalogridis – a friend of ‘Terminator’ creator James Cameron – have been hired to write the script for the sequel, while Paramount has been in talks to distribute the movie. Schwarzenegger did not make an appearance in 2009′s fourth instalment ‘Terminator Salvation’ because he was working as the Governor of California at the time. However, his character – referred to as the T-800 Model 101 in the film – did feature briefly with a likeness of the actor’s face created with CGI and mapped over Austrian-born bodybuilder-and-actor Roland Kickinger, who portrayed the cyborg on screen. ‘The Terminator’ was first brought to screens by Cameron in 1984 and the sequel ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’ – also directed by Cameron – was released in 1991 and was a huge box office success.

Tonto Dike speaks on her fall at Iyanya’s London concert

Controversial actress turned singer Tonto Dike strutted onto the stage to perform at Iyanya’s Kukere Concert on the 9th of June 2013 in London only to hit the floor moments later. It’s her most famous fall and it got social media buzzing at once. Tonto Dike has found it imperative to clear the air concerning this fall following rumours she may have been ‘drunk’ or ‘ high’ or both before hitting the stage. She tells Nollywood Movies Sky329 that her dress was the chief culprit followed by her shoes and then the ‘slippery’ floor.

*Tonto rising after her sudden fall “It was a big…well not a big fall and I managed it well. I fell because I had this very long dress, and this very high shoe and a slippery ground, and because I wasn’t supposed to dance at my first coming out (sic). I had another outfit I could put on to really perform if I wanted to; it was my choice but I just came on and they played the song and I just had to dance and I slipped. I made it fun really, I got up and danced, I didn’t want to disappoint anybody especially myself. When I went back stage, I was dancing my head off. I couldn’t go back on stage because Iyanya was on stage and it was about closing. It was all his time. Nobody went back on stage after him. I wish I went back to dance again and not fall that time. Watch the video of her fall here

Jiah Khan's boyfriend arrested after Bollywood actress commits suicide

The son of a Bollywood couple has been arrested on suspicion of abetting the suicide of his girlfriend, actress Jiah Khan, police said. Suraj Pancholi was arrested late Monday, Officer D. Deokar said. Deokar confirmed Khan, 25, committed suicide at her home in Mumbai last week. A letter she wrote alleges that Pancholi cheated on her, physically abused her and forced her to have an abortion. Police authenticated the letter was from Khan, and Indian media have published it. Pancholi's parents are Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab. Neither they nor their son has spoken about the allegations. Khan began her career in the 2007 Hindi film "Nishabd," in which she portrayed a teenager in love with her best friend's father, played by Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan. She had also performed with other top stars, including Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar

Exclusive: 'Dynamite' daughter plays detective, hunts down dad's killer 26 years later

Years ago, Joselyn Martinez, who once wanted to be a prosecutor, began searching for her father's killer on social media but came up with nothing. Her luck changed in 2008 when a free promotional search on Background.com turned up Santos, whose trail had grown cold since he fled to the Dominican Republic. An actress with the silky voice of an angel showed the doggedness of a seasoned detective, tracking down the man accused of shooting her hardworking father to death 26 years ago. Brown-eyed beauty Joselyn Martinez’s tenacity led to the arrest in Miami Thursday afternoon of Justo Santos — who had been on the lam since the 1986 slaying, as first reported in the Daily News. He mistakenly thought he had gotten away with murder. The 36-year-old songstress said it took her about eight years and a mere $280 paid to Internet background-check sites to crack the cold case. “Knowing the person my father was, I couldn’t live with myself if (Santos) stayed free,” Martinez, of the Bronx, told the Daily News Monday. “I need to see him in New York to know this has really happened.” Cops busted Santos Thursday in Miami, where the 5-foot-6 fugitive had been living in plain sight and working as the manager of a janitorial company. He confessed to the killing and waived extradition, a police source said. It was Joselyn — named after her father, Jose — who handed detectives at the 34th Precinct stationhouse Santos’ address and phone number that she unearthed from the Internet. “She was dynamite. She did a great job of finding this guy. She basically solved the case,” a law enforcement source told The News. NYPD detectives are expected to travel to Florida later this week to haul Santos, 43, back to New York to face justice. “I want to see New York State versus this criminal in court,” said Joselyn, a recording artist and star of the upcoming Web series “Wives in the Heights.” Joselyn’s mother, Idalia Martinez, said she always believed her daughter, who was the apple of her father’s eye, would find the killer. “I’m super proud of my daughter. I always knew she would find him because of her love for her father and her intelligence,” the mother said “I have enormous satisfaction that after 26 years this has become a reality,” she said. “The time has come for the truth. Why did he do it?” On Nov. 22, 1986, Santos, then 16, and two pals entered Jose Martinez’s restaurant, Dominican Express, on Dyckman St. in Inwood, looking for trouble instead of the carne frita the restaurant was known for. “They started harassing my mother and asking her sexual things, disgusting things,” said Joselyn, who was just 9 when her dad died. Rushing to his wife’s defense, Jose Martinez, 41, who immigrated to New York from the Dominican Republic, booted the menacing teens from the business. The argument spilled onto the sidewalk and witnesses told cops Santos pulled a pistol and shot the restaurateur in cold blood in front of his wife. Idalia Martinez said she put her bleeding husband in a cab and rushed him to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia, where he died. “I woke up the next morning and was told my father was killed,” Joselyn recalled. “We were destroyed.” Cops immediately identified Santos as the shooter. But before they could nab him, he bolted to the Dominican Republic and his trail went ice cold. “I remember his picture on the wanted posters. He was smiling. It was all over Dyckman St.,” Joselyn said. “My mom told me to never forget his name. She’d tell me, ‘You have to know who did this to your family.’ ” After graduating from high school, Joselyn enrolled in New York University, majoring in pre-law and political science. “I wanted to become a prosecutor in college. But then I decided to do what I really wanted to. How could I prosecute other cases when my father’s was unsolved?” said Joselyn. Ten years ago, on the anniversary of her father’s slaying, Joselyn paid detectives at the 34th Precinct in Washington Heights a visit. “I went to the police station,” she said. “I said, ‘I want to know what happened.’ ” The discussion got her thinking: “I started to ask myself, ‘What if I find him? What if I try?’ ” In 2006, she searched Myspace.com for Santos’ name, but came up with nothing. She later searched Facebook, again with no results. Then in 2008, she signed up for a free promotional search on Background.com, and right off the bat Santos’ name popped up. Encouraged by the results, Joselyn paid $70 fees to Background.com and similar sites, including USA-Peopleseach.com, Peoplelookup.com and Intelius.com. “They all had it. They had his address. They had his phone number,” Joselyn said. “He must have thought it was all over, that he had gotten away with it.” She took the information to the 34th Precinct, where it was given to Detective Robert Dewhurst of the cold case squad. “I can’t take all the credit. The 34th Precinct and the cold case squad did all the work,” Joselyn said. Detectives called her Friday to give her the good news. “I was silent. I was quiet. I was in shock. Like now,” she said. “I believe it, but I don’t believe it.”

Kate Upton rubs shoulders with GOP politicians at 21st birthday bash

Kate Upton rang in her 21st birthday this week and a bevy of D.C. lawmakers were among the unlikely guests at her bash. Congressman Kevin McCarthy, GOP whip in the House, boasted about partying it up with the sexy birthday girl, posting a photo of himself with Kate and her uncle, his congressional colleague Rep. Fred Upton. Though most noted for filling out a bikini, the model was more demurely attired in a sleeveless black dress that covered her eye-catching cleavage. "With Congressman Fred Upton and his niece, Kate. We are celebrating Kate's 21st Birthday." The location of the high profile fete wasn't disclosed. The Sports Illustrated cover girl expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the b-day love. "My friends and family are the best!! Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes," she tweeted. McCarthy is a close ally of Upton's uncle, who is a Republican from Michigan. Upton, a 14-term congressman, told FOX News in 2012 that his glamorous niece was a "great gal." "Her dad, my brother, we live in the same town. We do a lot of stuff together ... we're all proud of Kate."

Neymar: It will be an honour to face Cristiano Ronaldo

New Barcelona signing Neymar says he is already relishing the chance to come up against Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo. The 21-year-old hailed the ability of the Bernabeu star and said he hopes to come out on top when his new side do battle with their Clasico rivals next season. The forward will join the newly-crowned Liga champions this summer and the Brazil international also claimed his religious beliefs helped him to decide on making the switch to Spain. “Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player," Neymar told reporters. "He is skillful and it will be an honour to face him. Hopefully I can win. “I talked to God to give me wisdom and directed me the right way, so I chose Barcelona. “I chose to join Barcelona because it was a wish that came out of my heart. Change is always difficult, but I hope to be able to adapt as soon as possible." Madrid were amongst a number of sides who were also chasing Neymar's signature until his transfer from Santos to Camp Nou was officially confirmed last week.

Man spent 15 years with pencil in his head

A scan of the 24-year-old's head revealed a 4-inch pencil lodged from his sinus to his pharynx that injured his right eye socket. BERLIN — German doctors say a man spent 15 years with a pencil in his head following a childhood accident. Aachen University Hospital says the 24-year-old man from Afghanistan sought help in 2011 after suffering for years from headaches, constant colds and worsening vision in one eye. A scan showed that a 4-inch pencil was lodged from his sinus to his pharynx and had injured his right eye socket. The unnamed man said he didn’t know how the pencil got there but recalled that he once fell badly as a child. The German doctors removed the pencil and say the man has recovered. Hospital spokesman Mathias Brandstaedter said Wednesday the case was presented for the first time at a medical conference this week.

Toyin Adegbola detained for 10 days by police

Ibadan-based actress, Toyin Adegbola, has opened up on her ordeal when she was incarcerated by police after a friend crushed a pedestrian with her car describing it as the most challenging experience of her life. She made this disclosure when she was recently hosted by Odua TV Channel. She said police detained her for 10 days at Iyaganku Police Station. She was only released after thorough investigation has been carried out: “That was a trying period for me. I was not only arrested but detained for 10 days. It took intervention of well-meaning Nigerians and thorough investigation before I was released,” the actress said. The event, which started with Red Carpet also witnessed an influx of stars including Shitta Bay, Orisabunmi, Lanko and Nike Peller, who serenaded the audience before the MC ushered in Toyin Adegbola, who was surprised at the depth of the documentary Odua TV put together on her. Toyin who disclosed that her hobby is dancing gave a brief history of how she started her career and the high and low points of it. Her face lit up when she disclosed that the happiest day of her life was the graduation of two of her children from one of the best universities in the world: “I was so happy that day; it was the happiest day of my life. To see them graduate from one of the best universities in the world was emotional for me because since my husband died 13 years ago I’ve been playing the role of father and mother to the kids. So to see them gradate was very gratifying, I was happy.”

Judgement on Rape of ex-corps member to be made on june 4: Monarch to know fate

The traditional ruler of Ilowa in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun state, Oba Adebukola Alli, who is on trial before a High Court in Osogbo for alleged rape of a former Youth Corps member, Miss Helen Okpara, will know his fate on June 4 as the court delivers judgment in the case. During the nearly two years trial, the health of the monarch, who had been remanded in prison custody, deteriorated and on two occasions, he travelled abroad for medical treatment. The embattled traditional ruler of an Ijesha-speaking community, in the eastern part of the state had on one occasion, slumped inside the court during proceedings. Despite the weighty allegation leveled against the monarch, his subjects still admire him and have vowed to ensure that he continues to rule the town. A 23-year-old former member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who served in his domain, Helen Okpara, had alleged that the Oba had unlawful carnal knowledge of her. Although the monarch denied the allegation, Okpara in her evidence, gave a blow-by-blow account of how she was allegedly raped inside the private residence of the traditional ruler in Osogbo. Her words: “The monarch came over me and I panicked and ran into a toilet where he struggled with my clothes and pulled it off. He collected my clothes and said he would soak them in water. He came inside the room, switched off the light, and struggled with me on the bed; and that was how he raped me. I kept shouting but the Oba told me that nobody would hear me. And after, I noticed that something was dropping from my private part.” Narrating her ordeal in the hands of the royal father in one of the court sittings, Okpara said: “I was engaged by the monarch to distribute forms for a computer training he organized. After distributing the training form to the participants, I told the Oba that we were through for the day and he said I should wait, that he was going to drop me off on the way to my house. So, I waited for him and he drove me in his car but when we got to the front of my house, he said I would have to follow him to Osogbo for registration of the forms, because the state government was expecting the forms.” She stated further: “I told the monarch that it was late and that I couldn’t make it to Osogbo but he promised to bring me back to the village no matter how late. When we got to his house in Osogbo, he didn’t mention anything about the registration of the forms, so I told him I wanted to leave but he said it was already late and that he couldn’t risk driving at night. “I told the Oba to drop me in front of a police station, that I would find my way home, but he refused. Instead, he went inside a room and came out with a bundle of N200 notes and threw it at me, saying that I should collect it, because he was impressed with my performance at the computer-training centre. But I told him I didn’t need his money.” According to Okpara, Oba Alli went in with the money and when he returned, he had undressed, adding: “When I told him I was leaving, he said I wasn’t going back that night and that he had tried many ways to get at me but I always turned down his advances. He threatened to harm me that night.” However, the monarch in his defense, told the court that he had sexual intercourse with Okpara on several occasions before the one that landed him in trouble. He said: “Helen is my girl friend and both of us have been enjoying ourselves without any problem. I don’t know why she decided to turn things against me.” At the last hearing of the case, E.A Gbadegesin, counsel to the monarch, said that he had filed a written address on the matter which had been confirmed by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the state Ministry of Justice. Gbadegesin urged the court to discharge the accused monarch and dismiss the claims of the prosecution. But leading other counsels from the state Ministry of Justice, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr. Dapo Adeniji, said he had proof that the monarch committed the offence and urged the court to expedite action on the judgment. Consequently, the trial Judge, Mr Justice Oyejide Falola, fixed Tuesday, June 4, for judgment. From BAMIGBOLA GBOLAGUNTE, Osogbo

Barcelona to sign Neymar

Real Madrid offered Santos more money but the Brazil international, 21, has chosen to jump the Sao Paulo ship to join Camp Nou on a five-year deal Barcelona have secured a deal to sign Santos starlet Neymar for an estimated €28 million on Saturday. The Brazil international will join Camp Nou on a five-year contract having rejected overtures from Real Madrid - who are believed to have offered the Sao Paulo club €7m more than the Blaugrana to no avail. The forward will earn a base amount of €7m-per-year at Camp Nou which, although is less than he was being offered by the Santiago Bernabeu side, will see him earn extra due to an agreement with international sports brand Nike. Neymar has been on the radar of numerous top European clubs for a couple of years, having shone in South America and earned plaudits including a Ballon d'Or nomination for the 2013 edition. The Selecao starlet has been tentatively linked with the likes of Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain but by far the favourites to snap up the 21-year-old were La Liga giants Barca - whose increasing interest Goal revealed in April - and Madrid. The new Primera Division champions, Barca, have beaten their arch-rivals to the signing of Neymar, though, and will see the attacker join this summer ahead of the 2013-14 season. As part of the deal, the Catalunya club will play the Brazilian in two friendlies - valued each at €2 million - in the near future, with one on each continent. The Brazilian will join other South Americans on Camp Nou turf including the likes of Lionel Messi, Alexis Sanchez, Javier Mascherano and national team-mates Dani Alves and Adriano. Neymar has said in the past that he wanted to wait to move to Europe until after World Cup 2014 but, due to his contract running out next year, Santos' hand has been forced in order to make money from the player they have nurtured.

Fresh oil spill hit Bayelsa communities, pollutes Taylor Creek

Communities in the downstream of the Taylor creek traversing Bayelsa communities in Yenagoa local government area have been hit by a fresh oil spill from a Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) facility. The latest incident, it was learnt, occurred from a spill site three hours after it was clamped by SPDC personnel. A source told Vanguard, “about three hours after Shell clamped and left, the clamped spot re-erupted resulting in the massive spill we are now witnessing.” It was gathered that the latest spill, which occurred at Shell site at Biseni has impacted the Taylor Creek which serves JK4, Betterland, Ikarama and Kalaba communities. Though the cause of the initial spills had been a subject of disagreement between the company and the community folks, while the locals were convinced that some of the spill points were traceable to equipment failure the company blamed sabotage for the spills. Environment Rights Action team led by Comrade Alagoa Morris who visited the area to monitor the spill on receiving distress call from JK4, Betterland, Ikarama and Kalaba in relation to the crude oil slick noticed on the Taylor Creek were reportedly arrested by soldiers at the spill site. They were however release after about 30 minutes of alleged intimidation by the arms bearing soldiers. “I was surprised when Shell used the JTF to intimidate me and my colleagues, including the driver of the hired taxi and a member of the family that own the land when the spill happened. They should allow us do our legitimate job while they do theirs. “We were on a public road and not on Shell’s facility. I wonder why we should be harassed like that at gun point,” Morris, ERA Field Officer in Bayelsa told Vanguard. But when contacted, the SPDC which expressed concern over the spate of spills in the Biseni blamed the latest incident on sabotage. The SPDC through its Spokesman, Precious Okolobo said the spill was caused by unknown persons who tampered with a previously clamped flow line adding that this year alone between April 9 and 29, five spills all caused by sabotage had been recorded in the area. He said, ”SPDC is worried by the recent increase in the spate of spills in the Biseni area, caused by oil theft and sabotage of flowlines. Between 9 and 29th April this year, we recorded five spills all caused by sabotage. Joint Investigation Visits comprising NOSDRA, DPR, the community, SPDC and security agencies discovered that the spills were caused by hacksaw cuts to the flowlines. Cleanup of residual impacted area is planned for later in the year. “Yesterday, (22 May) it was observed that unknown persons had tampered with a previously clamped flowline resulting in a spill. A Joint Investigation Visit is planned for the site. SPDC is very concerned about these sabotage spills because of the negative impact on the people and the environment. “In 2011, SPDC set up a website www.shellnigeria.com/spills that captures all spills, sabotage and operational, and information on all the incidents under reference are fully listed there. This is the only such website in Nigeria, and we believe the initiative brings a new level of transparency in spills reporting in the Niger Delta.” Source- Vanguard News

NASA Says Recently Discovered Planets Are Most Earth-Like Yet

Researchers have discovered what’s being considered the most Earth-like planets ever, orbiting in that rare Goldilocks Zone of their parent stars. If scientists are correct, and data from NASA’s Kepler mission is on the money, these three planets, located 1,200 and 2,700 light years from Earth, respectively, could contain liquid water, and maybe even life. We’ve seen a lot of reports recently describing Earth-like planets quietly idling way out there in the great abyss. Right now, scientists believe there are thousands out there, just waiting to be discovered. The three recently discovered planets, known as Kepler-62f, Kepler-62e and Kepler-69c, are just the latest researchers consider to be in that so-called habitable zone. According to Dimitar Sasselov, who recounted the discovery in the latest issue of Science, described what the environment might be like on these distant Earths. “Kepler-62e probably has a very cloudy sky and is warm and humid all the way to the polar regions,” Sasselov said. “Kepler-62f would be cooler, but still potentially life-friendly.” The two planets, which coexist in a five-planet system, are not only noteworthy because of their distance to their parent star, but because of their size as well. Smaller planets (such as Mars) are typically more rocky, io9 explained, and less gaseous. Both 62f and 62e are roughly the same size as Earth. “The discovery of these rocky planets in the habitable zone brings us a bit closer to finding a place like home,” said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA. “It is only a matter of time before we know if the galaxy is home to a multitude of planets like Earth, or if we a rarity.” Considering everything we’ve discovered over the past few months alone, it seems unlikely Earth is all that rare, especially given the size of the universe. But, who knows, maybe Earth is that rare. It really makes you appreciate what we humans have going here. SOURCE IO9

Breaking News-Gunmen kill father, son & Almajiri in Borno

BY NDAHI MARAMA, MAIDUGURI- Vanguard Newspaper Despite the emergency rule and the deployment of over 3000 Joint Taks Force troops in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, some gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram sect yesterday shot dead provision store dealer, Mr. Bitrus Kwaji and his son (name witheld), while one child suspected to be Almajiri was killed by a stray bullet in Chescon area of Federal low cost of the metropolis. Our Correspondent gathered that the gunmen who ambushed the dealer at his residence around 6:30pm, successfully executed their mission and fled without being arrested. A Neighbour and resident of the slain provision dealer who does not want his name mention in the print for security reasons told our Correspondent that “the gunmen upon arriving at the residence of Mr. Bitrus asked one Almajiri boy to enter the house and told the provision dealer to come out as some people/customers were outside and wanted to buy things from the store, upon responding to the call, Mr. Bitrus, his son and the Almajiri boy were coming out to attend to their customers, not knowing that the people came for a different mission” He said, as they approaches the store located at the frontage of the house, the gunmen opened fire and killed them including the boy they sent to call Mr. Bitrus. Due to the total GSM network black out in Borno, the JTF Spokesman’s number, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa and the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jubrin could not be reached for confirmation as at the time of going to press.

Confirmed: Jim Iyke, Nadia Buari now dating!

After weeks of denial, Nollywood bad boy, Jim Iyke and fair complexioned Ghollywood screen goddess, Nadia Buari have confirmed they are both dating. Helplessly love struck Nadia tweeted Love birds: Jim & Nadia There comes a point in ur life wen u realise who really matters, who never did and who always will. I named him Skittles, he calls me space. It took just a heart beat after and Jim Iyke tweeted his She calls me Skittles. I named her space, D gift of laughter, companionship n trust is incomparable. BFF. Love is a f***ink beautiful thang! The smoke of romance rumour between these two sparked fully into flame when they were both seen together at several engagements before, during and after the controversial Jim Iyke Unscripted episode involving ex-fiance Keturah Hamilton who had issued a statement calling the episode a fake! Jim Iyke and Nadia were together at the Ghana Music Awards and paparazzi couldn’t get enough of them. They’ve both since gone underground to let the news cool off a bit.

Kim Kardashian reacts to pregnancy curves: 'How the f--k did I get like this?

The expectant reality star initially had trouble embracing her changing body. Kim Kardashian wasn't always in love with her pregnancy curves. The expectant reality star, 32, bluntly asks "how the f--k did I get like this?" in a new promo for season 8 of "Keeping up with the Kardashians." Well, Kim, we all know how you got like that. Kardashian will welcome a baby with her beau Kanye West in July, in the middle of the new season of the hit reality show, which chronicles her pregnancy over the past few months. E! Kardashian says she had to accept that she was having a different pregnancy from her sister Kourtney. In another shot, Kardashian incredulously stares at her round belly while trying on lingerie. "It was really hard for me to accept that the body changes, and I was having a different kind of pregnancy than Kourtney did," she told US Weekly in April. "She made it look really easy, but ever since the baby started to kick, I've really embraced it. Now I love being pregnant!" E! Kardashian and Kanye West are expecting their baby in July, coinciding with the new season of the new mom's hit reality show. The E! starlet has faced harsh criticism for her fashion choices and weight gain during her pregnancy, and several celebrities have rushed to her defense. British singer Cheryl Cole, actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Khloe Kardashian-Odom are among those sounding off in defense of Kardashian's changing body. "I can only imagine how tough it is to be heavily pregnant and feeling extremely vulnerable on top of some of the daily criticism you take!" Cole wrote. "I admire your tenacity and send you my best wishes with the rest of your pregnancy."

12-year-old hangs herself and leaves note saying she was cyberbullied at school where 70% of kids say they feel unsafe

The devastated parents of Gabrielle Molina said the 12-year-old girl had been tormented by schoolyard bullies for months — and the abuse may be the reason she hanged herself in her Queens home. The tragic tween’s older sister Georgia, 15, found the girl’s body about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in their shared bedroom at their Queens Village house, their sobbing mother Glenda Molina said Thursday. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly confirmed Thursday that Gabby left a suicide note that talked about being bullied. Cops are investigating whether Gabrielle was a victim of online harassment as well as face-to-face abuse. Pals of hers said Gabby got into a fistfight with another girl that was videotaped and posted on YouTube. They also said she had a history of cutting herself and had recently broken up with a boyfriend. “There was information in the suicide note concerning cyber bullying,” Kelly said. “Detectives have taken two computers from the home and they will shortly be analyzed. It's a terrible tragedy.” Gabby’s fellow students at Jean Nuzzi Intermediate School 109 in Queens sent the messages currently under investigation, Kelly said. The girl’s distraught mother said Gabby, a seventh-grader, usually drove to school with a friend’s uncle, but didn’t come downstairs as usual Wednesday morning. “Her sister went to school. The door was locked, but that's not unusual for her privacy,” said Glenda Molina. Gabby’s grandparents knocked on her bedroom door periodically throughout the day but assumed she was sleeping when she didn’t respond. When Georgia got home from school, she forced the door open with her grandmother behind her, and found her younger sister hanging there. “I wasn’t there. I was at work when I got the call. My sister-in-law said, ‘Come quick! Gabby is ...’” said the grief-stricken mother, who couldn’t finish the sentence. Howard Simmons/ New York Daily News Gabrielle Molina, 12, of Queens Village was found hanged at her 220th St. home (above) Wednesday afternoon. Police are investigating the role cyberbullying may have had in the case. Molina, a nurse’s aide, rushed home but it was too late to save her youngest child. She and her husband, George Molina, also have a 21-year-old son, a family member told the Daily News. The parents knew Gabby had been having some trouble with bullies at school, including the fistfight earlier this spring. But the full extent of what she endured came to light only after her suicide. “They called her a slut and a whore. All this she wrote in her journal. I just found out. I didn't touch her journal before (the suicide). That's personal,” the mother said. “Her sister knew. She said, ‘Mom, she asked me to keep it secret,’” Molina said. RELATED: BULLY PUNISHED WITH WEARING THRIFT STORE CLOTHES The mom said she learned about the bullying in conjunction with the fistfight. “I asked how she was. She's very honest, she told me, ‘I got into a fight.’ I asked her: Did you tell the teacher? She said, 'Yes,’” the mother said. “That's when I found out she was being bullied. The girl in the fight, she was a friend. She had come here to work on projects with Gabby. That was her classmate,” she said. A boy took video of the fight and posted it on YouTube, Molina said. It was called “Gabby’s Fight.” According to Gabby’s family, a teacher from IS 109 called the house after the fight and set up an appointment for the family to meet with the guidance counselor and dean. The teacher reported the YouTube video to the school, Molina said, but it wasn’t immediately removed from the Internet. The school guidance counselor was sympathetic to Gabrielle's plight, the mother added, and the two girls who fought made up the next day. Bruce Cotler for New York Daily News Jean Nuzzi Intermediate School in Queens where Molina was a student.. Gabby’s distraught dad was at a loss to explain what happened to his science-loving, ambitious child, who had wanted to join the U.S. Air Force and then study law, he said. “She had a 96 average in a special class. I don't know what happened,” said George Molina. “A classmate in one of her classes kept telling her she was a slut, she's a whore. I don't know why they kept telling that to my daughter,” the girl's father said. “She told me, 'Daddy, I got bullied,’" he said. A friend of Gabby’s said the pretty, dark-haired girl had a compulsive cutting habit — and kids teased her about it and about her recent split with a boyfriend. Her parents refused to comment on the allegation that Gabby had a history of self-harm. “(Gabby) said that she wanted to move schools because she felt uncomfortable. People wanted to jump her and people bothered her,” said schoolmate Samantha Martin, 12. The bullying occurred online and at school, Samantha said. The guidance counselor had been trying to help, she added. “They gave (Gabby) a notebook to write in,”said the 12-year-old. RELATED: BULLIED MIDDLE SCHOOLER HANGS HERSELF “She used to cut herself. People knew she was cutting herself,” Samantha said. Part of the angst stemmed from problems in the Molina household, the girl said. Marc A. Hermann/for New York Daily News Gabrielle Molina, 12, of Queens Village was found hanged at her home Wednesday afternoon. Police are investigating the role cyberbullying have had in the case. “They had a lot of problems. They fought a lot,” she said. Still, she said, Gabrielle outwardly kept a positive attitude most of the time. “She was always happy. She was smart. She liked science,” Samantha said. Other classmates said they were unaware of Gabrielle’s internal strife — although some students said her sister had posted a photo of her cut arms on Instagram. Photos on that account have since been removed. “I never saw (the picture). She seemed so happy. I can't believe she would do this. I'm very surprised,” said one seventh-grader who declined to give her name. “If something was happening, she should have spoke up.” Police are interviewing Gabrielle’s friends and relatives to learn more about her suicide. Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said he’d spoken with Gabrielle's family and offered his condolences. “Any child that takes his life or her life is something that deeply concerns me and hurts me as a parent and not just as a chancellor,” Walcott told the Daily News. “Bullying is something that I feel very strongly about. We are always looking at new ways to work on the issue.” Walcott plans to visit IS 109 Friday, he said. Education officials have refused to comment on allegations of bullying among IS 109 students, citing a police investigation. But the junior high has a history of harassment back to at least 2010, according to the city's annual school surveys of students and parents. IS 109 earned a “C” for its school environment in the city's 2012 progress reports, when 80% of students said there was bullying at the school and just 70% of kids reported that they felt safe in school hallways and bathrooms. In 2011, 84% of kids reported that students threaten or bully other students at school, and in 2010, 78% reported bullying at the school. IS 109 Principal Karleen Adam Comrie declined to comment. Staffers have established a crisis team at the school to offer counseling for students and staff. bchapman@nydailynews.com Author: JOSEPH STEPANSKY, VERA CHINESE, TOM TRACY, BEN CHAPMAN, GINGER ADAMS OTIS

Is Mourinho’s star beginning to fade?

“Football needs him. His contribution to football has been huge, not only for the titles, but also for the way of playing and his quality as a person. The manner in which he celebrated those titles is also important.” – Manuel Pellegrini “What I like the most about him is his way of conducting himself off the pitch, he’s a person whose behaviour can teach you some very valuable things for your own personal life.” – Pepe Mel “I admire what he has done. He’s a young coach with an important impact on the present, and we have to thank him for all that we saw from his team, because I’m convinced it’s the best team we’ve ever seen.” – Diego Simeone Mourinho Mourinho “His departure is a huge loss because his presence has made this sport shine. What he has done is unforgettable.” – Marcelo Bielsa These four tributes came from some of the most respected managers currently plying their trade in Spain. The subject? Not Jose Mourinho, who Real Madrid President Florentino Perez has confirmed will leave the Spanish giants at the end of the season, but Pep Guardiola, following his decision to leave Barcelona at the end of the 2011/12 season. Such eulogies for Mourinho could yet emerge from the Spanish football fraternity, but don’t bet on it. Since arriving in Spain, Mourinho has scratched, bit and insulted his way to the top – and back down – in an effort to conquer all in his path, but in the end, has he really been successful? On the face of it, a La Liga title with an historic points total, a Copa del Rey win and, on a lesser note, a Spanish Supercup suggests yes, but Mourinho must be judged by his own standards, and those are exceptionally high. After all, this is a man who was made the highest paid manager in football when he joined Real Madrid in 2010, the first ‘Galactico manager’, if you will. At the time, it seemed like a logical decision. Key to Mourinho’s brand was his transposability; put him in any league, with any team (that can afford him) and he guarantees success. Mou arrived at Madrid having just won the Champions League, his second with two different teams in two different countries. Clearly, this was the man to bring Madrid their long coveted decima – 10th European Cup – to end the ‘hegemony’ of Barcelona, and it was only a matter of Florentino Perez paying up. Why wouldn’t he? It couldn’t possibly go wrong. It has. Despite the Madrid President’s attempts to suggest otherwise at his press conference yesterday, this isn’t a happy, mutual separation, but a messy divorce with plenty of collateral damage, the culmination of months of deterioration in their relationship. Most notably, Mourinho has failed in his primary objective, to win the Champions League, falling at the same hurdle on three occasions. The most recent came after a 4-1 drubbing against Dortmund, a side who barely scraped past Malaga in the previous round. The Andalucians are a team Mourinho had once claimed was beneath him. Mourinho’s supporters claim that getting Madrid the semi-final stage on three occasions is a dramatic improvement on the effort Manuel Pellegrini made before him, a last 16 knockout against Lyon. Yet it’s worth remembering that not only did Mourinho inherent the core of a team that racked up an astonishing 96 points in La Liga under Pellegrini, a then record for Real Madrid, but he was also given a degree of control that the Chilean could only dream of during his time at the Bernabeu, and a huge initial backing from the Madrid media to boot. Despite this, the Portuguese coach failed to achieve a key goal not only for the club, but for himself. The target wasn’t only Madrid’s , but a personal one for Mourinho, to become the first manager to win three European Cups in three separate nations. Yet in three years his knockout round scalps included Lyon, Tottenham, CSKA Moscow, APOEL and Galatasaray, with Manchester United being the only former winners he managed to eliminate. By his ‘special’ standards, it simply wasn’t special enough. Not by the standards of the most successful team in European Cup history, either. Then there’s the notion that Mourinho broke Barcelona’s hegemony. Cast your eye over Barcelona’s trophy haul during Mourinho’s time at Madrid and it suggests otherwise: two Spanish Supercups, two La Liga titles, one Champions League and one Copa del Rey. Mourinho’s on the other hand reads as one Copa del Rey, one La Liga title and one Spanish Supercup. This year there has been no trophy. He may have disrupted the hegemony momentarily, but it certainly hasn’t been broken. There is also the sense that Mourinho has stopped being fun. While he was once viewed as mischievous, in Madrid he has largely come across as spiteful, a stark contrast to the man that has come to be his foil in recent years. If Guardiola’s Barcelona will be remembered not only for the beautiful football he masterminded, but for the way he conducted himself, as evidenced by the quotes from Pepe Mel and Manuel Pellegrini above, then Mourinho’s Madrid will perhaps be most remembered for his list of discrepancies. To name but a few, his reading from a piece of paper containing a list of 13 ‘errors’ committed by referee Clos Gomez after his side lost to Sevilla, wild accusations that Barcelona’s success was a consequence of their relationship with UNICEF, claims that he would never coach a team like Malaga as Manuel Pellegrini did, his refusal to turn up at the UEFA Ballon d’Or Gala in 2012 and, above all, his thumb in the eye of Tito Vilanova, followed by claims that he didn’t know who the Barcelona coach was in the first place. As erratic as Mourinho’s behaviour can seem at times, in the past it ultimately meant little when it was backed up by unmatched success. The logic was clear: buy into my methods, warts and all, and I’ll bring you the honours you’ve been dreaming of. At Porto, he overachieved by winning two continental competitions, at Chelsea he delivered the league titles necessary to put them on the map as a genuine force in English football, while at Inter he brought home the European Cup that the club and Moratti family have coveted since 1965. The objectives changed, the teams too, but the success was remarkable. So what if he ruffled a few feathers along the way? ‘It’s all part of the plan’, as the Joker said. This time it’s different, however. This time, Mourinho leaves a beaten man, not a victor, a fundamental shift from his previous departures. His move to Chelsea is the most vital of his recent career, arriving at a pivotal stage for the Mourinho brand. The emergence of young coaches that marry success and beautiful football, with impeccable off-field conduct like Pep Guardiola and, more recently, Jurgen Klopp, has some observers wondering if football is beginning to move on from Jose Mourinho. At the turn of the year, Jorge Mendes put out ‘feelers’ to clubs like Manchester United and City, anticipating Mourinho’s departure this summer, and the response wasn’t to his liking. People at the very top are beginning to look at the Madrid coach, weigh up the pros and the cons, and decide ‘no thanks’, the potential rewards are not worth the long-term damage. And so it seems that the manager who has run out of options must return to the club that has run out of managers to hire. Failure at Chelsea would be disastrous for his image at this pivotal stage. Given the resources at his disposal and the upheaval at Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium, that doesn’t look likely. Then again, it didn’t look likely at Madrid either; his arrival in the Spanish capital was met with widespread assumption that the was on the plane with him. The standards at Chelsea have changed in his absence, too. Roman Abramovich has now tasted Champions League success, and will want more. Should Mourinho reach a third European Cup semi-final with the Blues (following defeats to Liverpool in 2005 and 2007), but ultimately fail to progress to the final, do we expect Abramovich to reach for the axe like Perez, or preach contentedness with what is an admirable feat for most managers? History suggests the former rather than the latter. The ball is now in Mourinho’s court to prove them wrong, but doubts now justifiably exist over just how special he really is these days. Your move, Mou.

Jonathan condemns terror attack in Britain

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed shock at the terrorist attack and killing of a British soldier, Drummer Lee Rigby of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in the Woolwich area of London, United Kingdom. In a statement by Dr. Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to the President(Media and Publicity) Jonathan conveyed his condolence to British Prime Minister David Cameron and the British people over, what he described as “senseless and barbaric act.” The President noted that a terrorist attack anywhere is an attack on the way of life of all free nations and must be collectively condemned by all persons irrespective of race, ethnicity or religion. “It is in this spirit that the Nigerian government is partnering with the British Government, as well as all other stakeholder sovereigns to stand up to and fight terrorism and extremism in whatever guise or pretense it chooses to present itself.” The statement added that, “President Jonathan recognizes that each environment presents its own unique challenges and peculiarities and actions taken by affected nations may differ, yet the resolve to confront and defeat this threat should never be in doubt.” “Nigerians are collectively resolute about the need to protect the freedoms that define our existence and inter-relationships at home and overseas. Our recent past tells us that when we pull together, this common enemy and threat will eventually be defeated.”