Barcelona appoint Martino as new head coach

The Blaugrana have moved swiftly to replace Tito Vilanova following his exit on health grounds by naming the Argentine as his replacement for the next two seasons

 

Barcelona have confirmed they have appointed Gerardo Martino as the club's new head coach on a two-year deal. The Camp Nou side were rocked by the departure of Tito Vilanova last week after he resigned from his position as a result of his need to undergo further treatment in his recovery from a cancer relapse. A number of names, including Celta Vigo boss Luis Enrique, had since been linked with the vacant post, but the former Newell's Old Boys coach emerged the stand-out candidate after he was given vocal backing from Lionel Messi. "Barcelona have reached an agreement to sign Gerardo Martino as the new first team coach for the next two seasons," a Barca statement reads. "The agreement is still pending the drafting and signing of his contract. The schedule for his trip to Barcelona, signature of his contract and official presentation will be announced in the next few hours." Martino, 50, has never coached in Europe, but was named South American Coach of the Year in 2007 for his work with the Paraguay national team, before winning the league title with Newell's last season and reaching the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores. 'Tata' Martino becomes the fourth Argentine coach in Barcelona's history after Roque Olsen, Helenio Herrera and Cesar Luis Menotti.

Arsenal prepare €40m Suarez bid

Arsene Wenger's main focus has now switched to the controversial Liverpool forward, as the Gunners continue to struggle to agree a fee with Real Madrid for Gonzalo Higuain

 

Arsenal are preparing a €40.7 million offer for wantaway Liverpool striker Luis Suarez. The Gunners will make a concerted push to sign the Uruguay international after contacting the Merseyside club last week about his availability. There were reports on Monday that Arsenal had made a €34.9m bid for Suarez but the the north London outfit are ready to pay up to €40.7m for the Reds attacker. It is understood that Arsene Wenger has switched his main focus to capturing Suarez because Arsenal are still struggling to agree a fee with Real Madrid for Gonzalo Higuain. The Gunners do not anticipate making any signings before they depart for their pre-season tour of Asia on Thursday, but they are actively trying recruit a marquee striker. Suarez is regarded by Wenger as an upgrade on Higuain, who came close to joining Arsenal at the end of last week after they made an improved offer of €26.9m. However, Madrid are holding out for €29.7m for the Argentine, and, although Arsenal's interest in Higuain is still alive and a deal has not been ruled out, Wenger has decided to explore other elite options. With the biggest transfer kitty in Arsenal's history available to him this summer, the Frenchman sanctioned the shock move for Suarez last week. The Gunners' enquiry was met with a 'hands-off' warning by Liverpool, who are fighting to hold on to a player who has spoken frequently this summer of his interest in a move, most specifically to Real Madrid. Arsenal will now make a concerted push for Suarez after learning from the Uruguayan's camp that he is interested in a move to the Emirates as he pursues his ambition of playing Champions League football next season. In an interview given to the Uruguayan radio station Sport 890 on Tuesday, Suarez claimed that "two or three clubs" want to sign him and that he values interest from Arsenal. He laughed off reported interest from Chelsea but admitted he is prepared to interrupt a holiday in his native Uruguay should a potential transfer develop. "Are there any concrete options? No, so far there hasn't been any. There are two or three clubs who I think are willing and the club knows that. "I have to present myself on the July 21 with Liverpool for their tour of Australia but no one knows what could happen. I've already said what I have to say, and initially I have to be there on July 21 but maybe a phone call one day can change all your plans. "For now everything is going well. I am very calm but initially I am meant to present myself on July 21 but, like I said, no one knows what can happen." There is understood to be a clause in Suarez’s contract that allows him to ask for permission to speak to other clubs if they make a €46.5m offer. However, Liverpool are believed to want €58m for their prize asset. Intriguingly, Suarez’s stance on wishing to leave England has appeared to have softened in the wake of the interest from Arsenal and the absence of an official move from Madrid. "I have to value that; despite everything that's happened, [English] clubs still value players for what they can do on the field," he said. "That makes me think that I can come back and do well over there. It's good that the English clubs still want me." Wenger plans to use a warchest of up to €116m to make at least two marquee signings this summer, most likely in the striker and central midfield positions.

Napoli agree €37m fee with Real Madrid for Higuain

The Serie A club are negotiating personal terms with the Argentine's camp after settling a price with the Spanish giants, who had priced Arsenal out of a move

 

Napoli have agreed a €37 million fee with Real Madrid for Gonzalo Higuain. The Serie A club have had a fresh bid for the Argentine accepted by the Spanish club and Napoli are now trying to convince the player to move to the San Paolo. Personal terms are yet to be agreed, with Higuain's insistence on retaining his image rights providing a something of a stumbling block. Higuain has two years remaining on a Nike deal worth around €1.8m per year but Napoli would prefer to take control of his image rights and pay him a more lucrative salary. The forward earns a relatively modest €75,000-a-week at Madrid and Napoli are believed to have offered him a deal in line with the €116,000-a-week starting salary he had agreed with Arsenal. The Gunners had agreed personal terms with Higuain but a transfer to the Emirates Stadium stalled because Madrid were holding out for a bigger offer than the €27m submitted by the Londoners. Arsene Wenger subsequently switched his attention to capturing Luis Suarez from Liverpool after learning the Uruguayan was interested in a move to the Emirates. Wenger is still believed to be monitoring Higuain’s situation but plans to bring him to Arsenal are on the backburner as the Frenchman attempts to land Suarez for £40m-plus in a deal that would smash the club transfer record. Arsenal will not attempt to match Napoli's bid but could come back into the running for Higuain's signature if he rejects a move to the Serie A club. New manager Rafael Benitez targeted Higuain for the vacant senior centre-forward role in the team after selling Edinson Cavani for €63m to Paris Saint-Germain last week. Although Madrid have claimed Higuain is not for sale, it is understood the Spanish club are now ready to offload the forward, who has spent six years at the Santiago Bernabeu. 

Husband Demands Refund Of N80k Bride Price

A husband, Zaiyanu Muhammad of Ibadan Street in Kaduna, has urged the Magajin Gari Sharia Court to recover the N80,000 bride price and other expenses he paid before he married Saliha Abdulsalam. He told the court that the request became necessary because Saliha left the matrimonial home two weeks after marrying him. “I married Saliha on January 13 but she came to my house on January 27.” According to him, when he married Saliha, her parents pleaded with him to give them time to prepare dowry for her before moving into the matrimonial home. “But in spite of the N80,000 I gave her, she came to my house with nothing,” said Mohammed. Muhammad added that he had not seen Saliha since then until they met in the court on July 22. “Since she is not interested in the marriage, she should return my bride price. I used every possible means to see her back in my house but to no avail.” Saliha, however, denied the allegation. She told the court that two days into their marriage, Muhammad told her mother that he was not interested in the marriage any longer. “He asked me to leave his house, which I did and left for Giwa Local Government Area in Kaduna state and later to Abuja,” she said. According to Saliha, she is ready to go back to his house “because I still love him.” The Khadi, Ibrahim Mohammed, said they should go and settle their differences since Saliha had agreed to return to the complainant’s house. Mohammed adjourned the case till 1 August for report of settlement or continuation of hearing.

School Guard Rapes Student Inside Classroom

A civil engineering graduate from Delta State University, Abraka in Delta State, southsouth Nigeria, who lost his job and was newly employed as a security guard in a private school at Ijegun area of Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, has been remanded in prison custody for allegedly raping a student of the school inside the school premises. It was alleged that the 30-year old security guard, Emeka  Nwabunwane, lured the 18-year old student (name withheld)  to a classroom in the school and raped her when she went to the school to attend a tutorial class in preparation for her Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board, JAMB, examination. The girl told P.M.NEWS how she was raped by the Delta-State born suspect; an incident which she claimed has affected her physical and mental wellbeing. She said when she entered the school premises on the day of the incident, Nwabunwane called her and she went to meet him in the classroom because she knew him as one of the security guards in the school and thought he wanted to discuss an issue with her. She alleged that immediately she entered the classroom, he locked the door and pulled off his trousers and started to beat her into submission. She said when she tried to resist him, he tore her pants, threw her on the floor and started to rape her. She said in the process, the suspect tore her private part and she started bleeding profusely. The victim said she raised an alarm inside the classroom, but nobody came to rescue her.

The girl said it was after he had raped her and she ran outside naked and started scraeming for help that the residents of the area came to her rescue. The girl said by then she was bleeding profusely and when some of the residents saw the blood, they immediately caught Nwabunwane and handed him over to the police at Isheri Oshun Division. The victim said she was still in shock and always gets frightened whenever she remembers how she was raped by the suspect. She said since the incident happened, she has been having severe pains in her private part and going to hospital for treatment. Nwabnwane admitted that he took the girl to the classroom and attempted to have sex with her but stopped when he discovered that she was menstruating. The suspect claimed that it was when he left the girl that she ran out and started shouting for help and claiming that he raped her. The security guard who was reportedly working in a private company before he was sacked and got the security job at the school, explained that when the incident happened, he made several attempts to settle the matter with the family of the victim. The suspect said before they could finalise the settlement, he was brought to court. He said he has learnt his lesson and was praying that the matter will be settled amicably. When the suspect was arraigned in court, he pleaded not guilty. The prosecutor, Mr Adeleye Adeleke, objected to his bail on the ground that the offence he committed was a serious offence that attracts life imprisonment. He therefore argued that the suspect may likely jump bail to escape justice. However, the presiding Magistrate, Mr. P. E. Nwaka granted the suspect bail in the sum of N150,000 with three sureties in like sum. The court also ordered that the sureties must have evidence of  tax payment for three years. The matter was adjourned till 21 October while the suspect was remanded in prison custody pending when he will fulfill his bail conditions.

List Of Senators Who Voted In Favour To Legalize Underage Marriage In Nigeria

We now know how senators voted on the constitution amendment bill which caused an uproar in the senate on Tuesday.

The part up for ammendment relates to persons qualifies to renounce Nigerian citizenship. The constitution in Section 29 says anyone of age can do so. Section 29(4) (b) says that ” any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.” It means that even a child if married can be seen to be of full age and as such can renounce citizenship. The committee proposed that that provision be deleted. When it was put to vote, 2/3 of members present voted for it which meant it was deleted. 2 Senator Yerima had kicked and mobilised his fellow Muslims in the Senate which was threatening to cause confusion. Despite the senate president, David Mark insisting that it could no longer be revisited as it had been voted upon, Yerima continued his objection. Due to the sensitive nature, Mark had to call for another vote. At this point the Senators who were in favour of this clause could no longer muster 2/3 of the votes that will retain Section 29, Clause 4 (b). Senators still voted 60 votes to 35 votes for the clause to be deleted, but it did not satisfy the 2/3 requirement and so, according to the senate version, “any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.” Thanks to Sen. Babafemi Ojudu (Ekiti Central, ACN), we have the full list of the senators who voted NO) The senators who voted NO, that are those who did not want the clause deleted, include the following:

1. Sen. Abdulmumin M. Hassan (Jigawa South West, PDP)
2. Sen. Abdullahi Danladi (Jigawa North West, PDP)
3. Sen. Adamu Abdullahi (Nasarawa West, PDP)
4. Sen. Ahmed Barata (Adamawa South, PDP)
5. Sen. Akinyelure Ayo (Ondo Central, Labour Party)
6. Sen. Alkali Saidu A. (Gombe North, PDP)
7. Sen. Bagudu Abubakar A. (Kebbi Central, PDP)
8. Sen. Dahiru Umaru (Sokoto South, PDP)
9. Sen. Galaudu Isa (Kebbi North, PDP)
10. Sen. Garba Gamawa (Bauchi North, PDP)
11. Sen. Danjuma Goje Mohammed (Gombe Central, PDP)
12. Sen. Gobir Ibrahim (Sokoto East, PDP)
13. Sen. Gumba Adamu Ibrahim (Bauchi South, PDP)
14. Sen. Hadi Sirika (Katsina North, CPC)
15. Sen. Ibrahim Bukar Abba (Yobe East, ANPP)
16. Sen. Jajere Alkali (Yobe South, ANPP)
17. Sen. Jibrilla Mohammed (Adamawa North, PDP)
18. Sen. Kabiru Gaya (Kano South, ANPP)
19. Sen. Lafiagi Mohammed (Kwara North, PDP)
20. Sen. Lawan Ahmad (Yobe North, ANPP)
21. Sen. Maccido Mohammed (Sokoto North, PDP)
22. Sen. Musa Ibrahim (Niger North, CPC)
23. Sen. Ndume Mohammed Ali (Borno South, PDP)
24. Sen. Sadiq A. Yaradua (Katsina Central, CPC)
25. Sen. Saleh Mohammed (Kaduna Central, CPC)
26. Sen. Tukur Bello (Adamawa Central, PDP)
27. Sen. Ugbesia Odion (Edo Central, PDP)
28. Sen. Umar Abubakar (Taraba Central, PDP)
29. Sen. Usman Abdulaziz (Jigawa North East, PDP)
30. Sen. Ya’au Sahabi (Zamfara North, PDP)
31. Sen. Zannah Ahmed (Borno Central, PDP)
32. Sen. Ahmad Rufai Sani (Zamfara West, ANPP)
33. Sen. Ahmad Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central, PDP)
34. Sen. Bello Hayatu Gwano (Kano North, PDP)
35. Sen. Ibrahim Abu (Katsina South, CPC)

Some senators did not register to vote, while some abstained. 

After the second voting, Yerima tried to get up to thank the Senate Present and his colleagues in an attempt to claim victory, he was shouted down and booed.

Here are the photos of the list:

Activists Blames Patience Jonathan’s Mother’s Death On Jonathan’s Failure In Governance

A human rights lawyer based in Port Harcourt, Ken Atswete, has blamed the poor state of the East/West road for the death of the mother of Patience, the wife President Goodluck Jonathan.  He said despite the strident cries that this major road that links the oil rich Niger Delta is in a deplorable condition, it is taking the Federal Government so long to fix the road. “Governor Amaechi was publicly abused by Godsday Orubube last year for crying out that the Federal Government has neglected the road. He was vilified for speaking out,” Atswete said, adding that President Jonathan’s failure in governance has led to the death of his mother-in-law, Charity. Reacting this morning, after news of the President’s wife’s mother went viral, Atswete noted that President Jonathan flies from Port Harcourt Airport to Yenagoa by helicopter to avoid the bad road. He said that for over two years commuters have preferred to take the Omagwa International Airport-Elele-  Omerelu road close to the Imo State boundary dualised by Governor Amaechi’s administration, to avoid East/West road, which has become a death trap. No official statement has been released on the death of the First Lady’s mother as the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and Mrs Ibim Semenitari, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, are out of the country.