Chelsea brace up for Barca onslaught

Chelsea are bracing for a Barcelona onslaught here on Tuesday as the wounded Catalans bid to recover from domestic disappointment by reaching their third Champions League final in four seasons.

The holders – stunned 1-0 by Chelsea in last week’s semi-final first leg – completed a week to forget on Saturday when a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid at Camp Nou effectively handed the domestic title to their bitter rivals.

Chelsea will hope to exploit any lingering hangover from Saturday’s traumatic reverse to Real as they attempt to avenge their agonising elimination to Barca at the same stage three years ago.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola refused to hit the panic button after his side’s loss to Real, expressing confidence that his players would be able to raise themselves again for the visit of Chelsea.

“We’ll see on Tuesday if these two defeats have affected us, we have to rest now and then pick oursleves up and see if we can find a way to beat such a physical side as Chelsea,” Guardiola said.

Chelsea, too, are unlikely to lose sight of the fact that they were comprehensively outplayed for much of the first leg.

Interim Chelsea coach Roberto Di Matteo is under no illusions about the scale of the task in front of his side.

Enyeama still Eagles’ best – Shorunmu

Super Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama will still keep his top spot in the national team despite not having regular playing time at his French club, Lille, Eagles goalkeepers’ trainer Ike Shorunmu has said.

Shorunmu is worried that the former Enyimba shot stopper is yet to make his mark with the French club but maintains Enyeama’s quality is not in doubt.

The goalkeeper has not featured in a league game since joining the team from Hapoel Tel Aviv last year. He has been limited to only cup games.

“At the moment, we have to rely on Enyeama, Austin Ejide and Chigozie Agbim because they are our best choices,” Shorunmu said.

“The challenge Enyeama faces at his club is temporary. His move to Lille is not a bad one but if we say he should leave because of playing time where will he go? There’s no assurance that he will get another top club and become the number one if he leaves Lille.

Subsidy probe: I am not moved by impeachment threats — Tambuwal

Ahead of the debate on the oil subsidy report holding on Tuesday (today), the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, on Monday, said that he was not bothered by threats of impeachment over the probe. 

The report, which was submitted to the House last Tuesday, elicited public outrage, because it uncovered a N1.7tn fraud in the fuel subsidy fund.

A national newspaper (not The PUNCH), on Sunday, reported that  some oil firms and government officials were plotting to sponsor Tambuwal’s impeachment because he and other principal officers of the House refused to influence the report of the House committee which uncovered fraud in the management of the fuel subsidy.

Tambuwal, who spoke in Abuja through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Imam Imam, said that he was focused on transparent leadership even as the House described the impeachment plot as laughable.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Publicity, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, on Sunday, said there was no reason to have Tambuwal removed.

In an interview with journalists in Abuja, the speaker’s spokesman said Tambuwal was “unfazed by the stories about impeachment or no impeachment.”

According to him, the speaker is very focused on transparent leadership and self-less service which he promised Nigerians when he was elected.

He said that Tambuwal’s determination and vision as encapsulated in his legislative agenda were well on course.

Source 

N536m scam: EFCC probes NECO Registrar, quizzes two bankers

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has commenced investigation into the alleged corruption levelled against the Registrar of the National Examinations Council, Prof. Promise Okpala.

Although the details of his offence were still sketchy, sources in the EFCC informed The PUNCH  that the NECO Registrar allegedly transferred about N536,150,850 belonging to the examination body to a private account said to be owned by the Head of NECO’s Computer Unit in Minna, Niger State, Mr. Tayo Odukoya.

Two members of staff of a first generation bank involved in the deal were on Monday quizzed by the anti-graft operatives and they were said to have made useful statements “that would give the EFCC a lead in its investigation”.

“The NECO Registrar is under investigation and he will soon be invited for questioning. Two bank workers appeared today (Monday) and they have made some comments to our team of investigators,” the source said.

The investigation was also said to have been sequel to the recent protest by the chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, Mr. Abdulrasheed Rabana, over a threat to his life.

Our correspondent learnt that Rabana held a  meeting with the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqqayat Rufai on Monday over the petition.

A Lagos-based magazine had in its March 26, 2012 edition detailed how the Registrar used a private company  owned by Odukoya to siphon millions of naira  belonging to NECO.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission was also reported to have claimed that NECO was operating 18 illegal bank accounts.

Source 

I shifted my wedding for Champions League final – Osaze

West Brom striker Osaze Odemwingie has fixed his wedding for June 2, two weeks after the UEFA Champions League.

Odemwingie and his fiancée, Sarah, had initially fixed the wedding for May 19, the date of the Champions League final and one week after the close of the Premier League, but his would-be father-in-law insisted he would not attend if Manchester City survived to the end of the competition.

“We wanted to get married the week after the season ends but when we fixed the date, Manchester City were still in the Champions League and Sarah’s dad, Mike, who is a big fan, said he’s never coming if they’re in the final, which is on that Saturday,” Odemwingie told guardian.co.uk.

“When he was saying it, we were laughing at the table. And then Sarah looked at me and said: ‘He’s not joking.’ I was still laughing and she said: ‘I’m serious.’ So because of him we had to have it two weeks later. It was too late to change when Manchester City went out of the Champions League. And Sarah has something in her head that once a date is fixed, it has to be done then. So we left it.”

Driving licence: Motorists flay arrest by FRSC, VIO

Motorists in Lagos on Monday lamented the incessant arrests by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps and Vehicle Inspection Officers  for allegedly possessing expired driving licences.

The National Assembly had in February suspended the issuance of new driving licences and new number plates.

Some affected motorists in  interviews  noted that the incessant arrests had forced many of them to abandon their vehicles at home.

A civil servant, Mr. Iniebong Akpan, whose driving licence had expired, said  whenever he risked taking his car out, he would have to “grease palms to be able to return home with it.”

“I don’t know why I am always unfortunate to fall a victim of the expired drivers’ licence which I have had to pay dearly for.

“I have on many occasions tried to get a new one but to no avail, because of the suspension of the issuance of new ones by the National Assembly.”

Two commercial bus operators, Mr. Tajudeen Akomolafe and Mr. Innocent Isiato, said since the incessant arrests could be frustrating, they had also been bribing their way through as their vehicles had been impounded over the issue.

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