Jonathan says I am strong, makes surprise appearance at London Conference

President Jonathan made a surprised appearance at the Hilton Hotel Parklane London, venue of the conference on investment being coordinated by the Honorary International Investors Conference where his ill health Thursday forced him to stay away.
President Jonathan who arrived at the second floor venue of the event at exactly 9:30, London time was in company of the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Senator Dalhatu Tafida and the Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Nurudeen apologized to members of the council for his inability to attend the conference on Thursday, blaming it on his ill health but added that he was strong enough to be in attendance at fridays’s session.
Dressed in a black stripped traditional South-South attire and bowler hat to match, president Jonathan did not display any sign of weakness as he shook hands with members of the council and he Coordinator, Baroness Lynda Chalker before he took his seat after the national anthem.

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Brazil 2014: No foreign coach for Eagles —NFF

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has ruled out hiring a foreign technical adviser to superintend the current Super Eagles bench led by coach Stephen Keshi, saying it is a distraction that should be avoided outright for now.
Speaking to sportwriters at the Glasshouse on Thursday, the first vice-president of the NFF, Chief Mike Umeh  said the results being chalked up by the current technical crew of the Eagles are enough for any forthright person to look away from such issue. “Why would anybody be thinking of such for now, especially now that Keshi and his team are giving us result? To us at the board level it is a distraction that we will not allow anybody, no matter how highly placed, to impose on us.”

Aero Contractor reportedly changes name to Nigerian Eagle

According to new reports, Aero Contractors, partly owned by the Ibru family has changed its name to Nigerian Eagle, and will most likely be the official national carrier.

Thisday reports that the airline will be unveiled this Sunday as the nation's national carrier by President Goodluck Jonathan on his return from the UK.

"There will not be Aero Contractors anymore. It is now Nigerian Eagle and it will be launched on Sunday by Mr. President. You will not see Aero anymore after the launch of this airline”. Sources told Thisday on Wednesday,

The Federal Government owns 60% stake in the airline.

Selection, my major challenge –Keshi

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has admitted that cutting his huge Super Eagles squad to the final 23-man list for the 2014 World Cup would pose a major challenge to him. The former Nigeria captain believes that the problem will not lie in getting truly talented players for Brazil 2014 but being able to get the best of the talents available to the country.

He said of his ambition, “What is upper most in my mind now is to assemble a very strong side and go beyond the second round we have failed to cross. That would be very great. We sincerely want to make a huge mark in Brazil.

“But there’s surely a big challenge achieving that goal. The major headache now is how to select the very best 23 from the long list available to us. We have worked with a lot of players and very many of them are very good. But we will surely achieve that and take our best for every position. We would have loved to take everybody but the maximum list is 23 and there’s nothing we can do about that.”

Osun monarch strangled before inferno –Residents

Some chiefs and residents of Ilashe Ijesa in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State on Thursday narrated how the monach of the town, Oba Adesina Anibijuwon, was killed by suspected members of Odua People’s Congress, who allegedly strangled him and left his corpse inside his residence which they set ablaze.

Those who recovered his corpse from the building said the charred remains of Anibijuwon were taken to the mortuary at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital in Osogbo by Osun Ambulance Service at around 10.30pm on Wednesday.

The ambulance that conveyed the remains of the monarch was said to have been escorted to the mortuary by armed policemen and some residents. The residents feared that those who killed him might want to seize his corpse.

Some residents who also spoke with our correspondent said the officials of the state fire service, who came to put out the inferno, ran out of water.

President Jonathan falls ill in London

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday became indisposed in far away London where he was scheduled to preside over the meeting of Nigeria’s Honorary International Investors’ Council.

His Special Adviser   on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati,   made this known  in a statement he made available to journalists in Abuja.

Abati said the President, who turned 56 on Wednesday,  had since been examined by competent medical practitioners.

He  added that  Jonathan  was  advised by his doctors to rest for a few days.

Abati neither disclosed the nature of the ailment nor  the duration of the  resting period.   He    assured Nigerians that Jonathan’s medical condition was “nothing serious,”  adding that the medical attention he sought was only “precautionary.”

His  statement reads, “In the course of his ongoing visit to London for a meeting of Nigeria’s Honorary International Investors’ Council, President Goodluck Jonathan became indisposed and could not be present at the opening of the meeting today (on Thursday).

“President Jonathan has since been examined by competent medical practitioners. He has been advised to rest for a few days.

“The Presidency wishes to assure all Nigerians that President Jonathan’s condition is nothing serious and that the medical attention he has sought is only precautionary.”

FG assures Keshi of World Cup support

SUPER Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi will get the required support from the Federal Government to ensure the team’s successful outing at the 2014 World Cup scheduled to take place in Brazil.
 Minister of Sports and chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Bolaji Abdullahi, who gave this assurance at the State House, Abuja after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday, told correspondents that while the coach had proved capable, he would be provided technical assistance should he desire it.
Responding to a question, Abdullahi recalled Keshi’s achievements starting with the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) victory through  the World Cup qualification ticket, noting that the coach has proved his mettle.
 He added: “But of course we will be open to reviewing all options and if Keshi, who we believe has done very good job to put this team together from AFCON up to this time, feels he needs additional technical support, we are going to give it to him.
 “But we believe we are confident he is capable of doing the job and if there are issues, we can always talk about them. But we have confidence in his ability to lead the team to the World Cup.”
 Abdullahi had earlier briefed the Council presided over by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, on the  recent victory of the Nation’s team in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, as well as Eagles’ qualification for the World Cup at the expense of their Ethiopian counterparts, last weekend.