World Tallest Man Dies At Age 44

By Arowolo Timothy.

Leonid Stadnyk, believed to be the world's tallest man at 8ft 4 inches has died. He was just 44. The peasant farmer from the Ukrainian village of Podoliantsy, died on Sunday August 24th from a brain haemorrhage after health problems.

In his last interview, Leonid, who wears a talked about how his height was a curse, why he refused to be measured by the Guinness Book of World Records and also why he refused to get married

"To me, my height is a curse, a punishment from God, not something to celebrate. What sin I have committed, I do not know. All my life I have dreamed of being just like everyone else. I don't want or need the fame that this would bring so I have no desire to be in this Guinness book.

"I never got married because I don't want to inflict my problems on a wife. I think it would not be fair on her" he said.

At one point, his condition, called giganticism, left him growing at the rate of roughly a foot every 3 years.

His feet measured 18 inches in length
while his palms were more than a foot in diameter

My Vision For The Youth Of This Nation

by Oseni Damilare

The truth remains that a nation that does not take care of her youth will meet doom or disaster this is one of many nations (Nigeria) Where leaders will dwindle the youths and go Scott free because no one cares for the youths but there is a saying "we are the leaders of tomorrow". My vision foe the youths are:

Nigeria is immensely endowed with natural resources but as a citizen I see nothing, I am a citizen that can't beat my chest that indeed am a citizen of Nigeria all because of the dwindling of natural resources. First i think agriculture should be brought back to Nigeria as a main stay of her economy, before petroleum was first founded in 1956, Agriculture was our main source of income then we had agriculture as a main stay of economy, we could find raw materials like cocoa, timber e.t.c but when petroleum was founded the glory we had was the shadow of the past. I will love to make both agriculture and petroleum at an equilibrium standard.

   I will love to see throughouness to the educational sector. As at 2012, When the government release  the budget for the year The  education sector was given a small or minute percent to run the system. As a saying goes "education is the best legacy" education has a major role to play in the life of youths in our country today because most things we do involve our knowledge i will love to give free education to the masses, subsidies school fee that everyone can afford to attain knowledge because a wise man once said "if you think education is expensive try ignorance" but not in the case of some state owned universities. Also if you open the gate of school you will shut the gate of a prison yard.

LASU FEES REVERSAL

by Babalola Seyi

Though it gives hope to potential lasuites but it is an action that ought to have been taken from a governor that tags himself as a progressive, yet refuses the poor access to university education.

Was he not the person that instituted a panel in 2011 to probe the incessant crisis in lasu? Where has he been all these years that he now considers it as expedient. Did he consider how frustrated people that had no second chance like me when he “instigated” a 750 percent hike in tuition as ‘part of measures to ensure quality? Did they even take any feasibility study on the impact of the likely hike on students before hiking fees?

The truth is that the BRF Babatunde Raji Fashola led government is becoming jiltery of the PDP threat to their firm grip on power and finds it expedient to block the apparent loophole in its educational policy to prevent PDP from cashing in on this situation. Though some may argue that the protest by the fearless fighter who has a well founded democratic philosophy, Comrade Nurudeen Yusuf (Optimist) led Lasusu could have triggered the latest reversal but the Akeem Durojaiye led Lasusu also protested the fee hike in 2011 but it fell on deaf ears.

To me it is a belated action that ought to have been taken into consideration three years ago.

Can Arsenal Complete Their Fifth Signing?

by Owoyemi Khaleel

Despite news of Arsenal almost clinching the signing of Greek international defender, Kostas Manolas, Goal reports that the Gunners could still miss out on the player. The report says that though the bandied £8m fee has been accepted by the player’s Greek club, Olympiacos, and his medicals done at Arsenal, the struggle lies in the agreement over personal terms between the Emirates club and the 23-year-old. While the report fails to give more details on exactly how much the player and his agents are holding out for and what Arsenal has offered him so far, it said that both parties are far apart in the negotiations.

Earlier this summer, the Greek media refuted claims that the player had already done his medicals ahead of a move to London after and claimed Arsenal though in talks with Olympiacos,  has not reached an agreement in transfer fees for the player as the Greek giants held out for £12m, while Arsenal were willing to offer £8m. Speculations then got more intense, when the player was left out of Olympiacos’ first league match of the season against Niki Volou. But now, this report says theGunners are on the verge of losing the player to another suitor outside the Italian giants, Juventus and Napoli, initially struggling with Arsenal for his signature, Roma. Roma has reportedly identified the player as a quality and potential replacement for Mehdi Benatia.

Since the departure of Thomas Vermaelen to Barcelona, Arsene Wenger had since identified the backline as one in his team that is short in numbers, as only 6 senior team defenders are left in the club. Other than the central defensive pairing of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, the left full back duo of Kieran Gibbs, who by the way is now injured, and Nacho Monreal; including new recruits Calum Chambers and Mathieu Debuchy, no other senior team defender is inherent. So, when news broke of Arsenal’s interest and almost capture of the goal scoring defender, many Arsenal fans viewed it a step in the right direction, considering that Johan Djourou, who could have earned the central defensive back-up role has made his move permanent to Hamburg, where he had a loan spell last season. Also, Carl Jenkinson, who was a Bacary Sagna back-up, has gone on a loan move to Sam Alladyce’s West Ham United this summer.

This news portends a serious setback for the North London side, which looks to secure a place in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday against Besiktas at the Emirates in the second leg tie. With less than a week to the close of the summer transfer window, a new hunt for a quality defender is a serious time waster. Arsenal would hope to go through the whole of September and probably the whole of the year with just 6 senior team defenders, out of which one of them, Kieran Gibbs is injury prone.

It would be a shame if Arsenal loses out on this fine young defender, as he’s been touted among pundits as not only a quality back-up to the defensive duo of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny but also a major competitor for the top choice slot at the back.

Fayose Donates 10,000 Helmets To Okada Riders.

by Moses Adeyemi.

Ekiti state Governor-elect, Mr. Ayo Fayose, at the weekend commenced distribution of 10,000  helmets to commercial motorcyclists to protect them from injury.

Fayose who expressed avowed commitment towards alleviating  the plight of the commercial motorcyclists, said his incoming administration would  give priority to their welfare.

Addressing the riders who converged at his GRA, Onigaari Political gathering venue, in Ado-Ekiti, said: “I don’t want to drive you from the roads because of your contribution to the transport development of the state.”

The governor-elect told the bike riders that he would not want to drive them out of the roads as alternative had not been put in place by the outgoing Kayode Fayemi-led administration.

“And true to our promise, even before swearing-in, your safety is important and I’ve decided to do this out of my personal volition to assist you and to ensure that you are duly protected,” he stated.

He expressed worries on the alarming unemployment rate in the country adding that  driving commercial motorcyclists from roads could lead to unexpected increase in social problems in the society.

The governor-elect also charged the cyclists to be law abiding citizens and refrain from any acts capable of working against traffic rules and regulations.

The commercial cyclists who spoke through Omoyajowo Ayodele thanked the governor-elect for the gesture and expressed their association’s support for him towards moving the state forward.

They however requested the governor-elect to create a“Department” that would be overseeing their plight on assuming office.

EBOLA OUTBREAK: WHOSE FAULT?

by Ogundimu Omolabake

Until the entry of Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian Ebola victim, into Nigeria, most Nigerians who rely on the local media to educate them about the news of the wider world did not know about the existence of Ebola, the everyday Nigerian person knew next to nothing about Ebola, its symptoms, ways of detecting it and preventing it or the contagious rate of the virus. The death of Patrick in Lagos, Africa's most populous city, had health workers scrambling to trace those who may have been exposed to him across West Africa, including flight attendants and fellow passengers and with the help of the unprepared Nigerian government they sought to curtail the spread of the virus and educate Nigerians about the deadly virus.

The risk of contracting Ebola is considered low because it requires direct contact with bodily fluids or secretions such as urine, blood, sweat or saliva, experts say. Patients are contagious only once the disease has progressed to the point they show symptoms, according to World Health Organization (WHO). And the most vulnerable are health care workers and relatives who come in much closer contact with the sick. Most Nigerians didn't know this in the early days of the detection of the virus and they made false assumptions and passed wrong information about the virus believing that Ebola could be spread like flu through casual contact or breathing in the same air and some even devised homemade remedies; such as bathing with and drinking hot water and salt to reduce their susceptibility to the disease, others refused to shake hands, hug or engage in any sort of body contact with people around them.

Patrick Sawyer died after becoming noticeably ill on a flight from Liberia, where the worst ever outbreak of Ebola is gathering pace, to the city of Lagos in Nigeria. His case sparked alarm across the globe because he was able to board an international flight while carrying the incurable disease, potentially infecting other passengers who could fly across the world in a nightmare scenario for health experts.

Questions have being raised over whether the Liberian government could have prevented the entry of Ebola into Nigeria, if they had knowledge of Patrick Sawyer's condition they could have seized his international passport to prevent the further spread of the Ebola outside the borders of their country. Some see their negligence as a mischievous attempt to spread the virus to Nigeria and believe that the Nigerian government should take sanction against them.

The Nigerian government have also being blamed based on their level of unpreparedness for the entry of the deadly virus into the country. Ebola had first being detected in the 90's but came into Nigeria june, 2014 and it had caused almost a thousand deaths in countries including Liberia and Sierra Leone. Prior to the entry of Ebola into the country, the Nigerian government didn't make any move to educate its citizens and prepare its health sector for an emergency situation despite the presence of the deadly virus in West Africa.         

Presently the front page of Nigerian newspapers are filled with different stories on Ebola while the television I'd filled with campaign after campaign to educate Nigerians and separate myths from facts. If all this had being done prior to the entry of the virus into the country maybe it would have gone a long way in preventing casualties. The media's efforts to educate and sensitize the nation can easily be dismissed as 'Campaign after election'.

Nigerians has been banned from entering countries because of this deadly virus, what is required now is that government focus seriously on the disease instead the government has chosen this time to fire up to 16,000 doctors. The government needs to upgrade its public enlightenment and education programme about Ebola disease as many ignorant Nigerians have killed themselves quicker than the virus itself as they scramble for salt-water bath and drinking “remedy”. The government should not only provide laboratory and testing facilities for people who have contacted this virus but should also equip the place properly both with doctor and quarantines, and also reduce the spread of disease by encouraging Nigerian citizen to always sanitize themselves and report to hospitals if symptoms of this virus shows rather than hide it to avoid stigmatization.

The government should also curtail the information dissemination of the local media as most information disseminated by them has only heightened the fear about this Ebola outbreak.

An Exclusive Interview With Usman Aiya.

by Odutola Oluwaseyifunmi

In an interview with  a local laundry man who has never use washing machine and used a charcoal iron for ironing, speaks about his passion for washing peoples cloth and ironing them for the past years.

Can we meet you sir?

My name is USMAN AIYA, am from Kaduna state. I am married with 2 kids

How long have you been doing this job?

5 years ago

Has it always been your dream in doing this job or did you find yourself doing it?

My passion has always been in shoe cobbling, to make shoe for people but when I got to Lagos I changed my mind to another business which is laundry because I love washing cloths and ironing

How did you start?

It has been God all this while, I don’t have advertisement anywhere and people have been patronizing me and for the past years have been doing this job I have never used a washing machine and I have never had any cause for any customer to complain about my job despite my small place

Do you do home services? 

Yes. I don’t only render services to the people within my community, but also in other places such as Ebuta Metta, Masha Kilo, Lagos island to do home service. Doing home services pays more because I charge more money than people bringing the cloth for me at home.

What is your advice for Nigerian?

There is no limitation to any business. I urge all Nigerians to endeavor in effort toward maintaining their talent, for which we are known African have talent.  

Accommodation Is Too Expensive At Ojuelegba Campus - AASOC Students

by Damilare Obansere

The Adebola Adegunwa School Of Communications students at Ojuelegba campus have cried out on the high cost of accommodation in the community.

The students which have just been transferred to Ojuelegba campus which is an external campus of Lagos State University for the School Of Communication have criticized the high cost of accommodation in Ojuelegba. There have been reports that renting an apartment ranges from two hundred thousand naira to two hundred and fifty thousand naira which is equivalent to the amount they paid as school fees when they gained admission into 100 level.

Although things where much easier at the Ojo campus which was where they had their 100 level and 200 level respectively, before moving to Ojuelegba campus which is the main campus. Although the high level of development in Surulere could be a major contributing factor to the high cost of house rent.

Many students have to come from their homes or contribute money among their peers which could range from five to six people in other to make the rent affordable for everyone. Some students who manage to come from home have also complained bitterly about the high cost of transportation. According to the assistant hoc of 300 level, adeyemi moses sewanu who said’’ I come from home everyday and I live in badagry and I spent 1000 naira just to come to school everyday in which I get home very late at night.

Nightmares As Power Outage Worsens.

By obansere Damilare

Several households are in endless nightmares and corporate outfits are grating their teeth as electricity supply ebbs to an embarrassing level. As the development unfolds about two month after the new private investors took over the un-blinded forms of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) doubt that the right choices were made to exist in the minds of those who believe in the maxim that memory shows the day.

The noise of other associated health hazards and financial implications of depending on generators for power supply for 24 hours are unbearable. In a city like Lagos, Nigeria, the issue of power outrage has provoked demonstrations by youths who choose small-scale businesses have been shutdown. These youth had once carried placards with various inscriptions against the poor services of the Lagos Electricity Distribution company saying, ‘‘No power, no bill’’.

The issuance of the ‘‘crazy’’ electricity bills as people would say, is another major problem. One  issue is the regulation of power and it takes another to be the electrical bills. It became known that every month without power supply by either the defunct PHCN or its successor companies, has been perennial and unnerving to customers nationwide.

The minister of power, Chinedu Nebu, at first attempted to nationalize the supply slump by attributing it to recurrent gas pipeline vandalism, reduction of water levels at hydro-electricity power plants, sabotage from disengaged PHCN workers and lack of funds to invest in the power sector by the  new owners. But their excuses failed to persuade  public anxiety.

Professor Adetokunbo Sofoluwe lives on at UNILAG.

By Oseni Damilare.


Walking towards the senate building at the university of Lagos, one can not but notice the garden park built to immortalize the great don mathematician and computer scientists. The 10th v.c of the institution, according to Oseni Damilola a 400l student of accounting said "professor Adetokunbo lived and died in unilag".

The don was born on April 15, 1950, he studied computer science and graduated with a second class upper division honours in special mathematics in June 1973, from the university of Lagos. He started his teaching career as a graduate assistant at the same university and rose through the cadres to hold important institutional appointment.
Apart from being a two- time acting head of department of computer science, he rose through all thorns to be the 10th V.C of the nations first choice university in January 31st 2010. It is to the credit of the erudite scholar the school experienced speed and efficiency with which programmes at both the undergraduate and graduate classes were pursued and accomplished. He brought a lot of dynamic changed.
He was a good team player, he carried everyone along, his colleague, members of the governing council and students there was no preferential treatment. Sarah Johnson a 300l student of mass communication said " he was not the I know all V.C".
His death came has a shock and was not expected he was the first V.C who died in office. It was a sorrowful experience because he was loved by all. Two years after his death a status was raised to immortalize the son and great achiever. ADIEU PROFESSOR ADETOKUNBO SOFOLUWE.

What's in the Bag - Marc Warren

On a testing Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort layout in Aalborg, Marc Warren used accuracy into the greens and a silky touch with the putter to take the title at the Inaugural Made in Denmark.

The Scot hit a shade over 70 per cent of the greens in regulation during the four rounds in Scandinavia, ranking third for the week, while his Putts per GIR was equally impressive, finishing fifth for 72 holes with an average of 1.691.

That kind of form with the flat stick has been one of the foundations of Warren’s game all season, with the 33 year old Glaswegian now 12th on the Putts per GIR for the year so far. The key seemed to be a marked improvement in his accuracy into the putting surfaces, where he is currently ranked 66th for the year with an average of 68.2 per cent.

As for the rest of the Scotsman’s statistics from Denmark, his numbers were consistent if not spectacular, on a course that rewarded accurate play. From the tee he ranked 50th for the week, hitting just over half of the fairways, while his distance saw him come in at 27th, averaging 284.8 yards.

His sand play left a little to be desired, getting up and down just a quarter of the time when he found the often tricky bunkers around the greens, but it did not matter too much.

The numbers that will please Warren most though, is that the Scot is now 20th on The Race to Dubai, thanks to his third European Tour title.

by:adewuyi ismail akanbi

Transfer latest - August 2014

The summer transfer window is open until 23:00 BST on Monday, 1 September.

To read the day's transfer rumours, visit our gossip column.
Biggest British signing so far: Alexis Sanchez - Barcelona to Arsenal for about £35m.
Busiest clubs this summer: Blackpool and Crawley Town have signed 17 players.
Busiest Premier League clubs: Newcastle have signed nine players.

18 AUGUST

Peter Brezovan [Brighton - Portsmouth] Free
Janoi Donacien [Aston Villa - Tranmere] Loan
Billy Kee [Burton - Scunthorpe] Undisclosed
Edu Oriol [AEL Limassol - Blackpool] Free
Danny Rose [Barnsley - Bury] Undisclosed

16 AUGUST

Damia Abella [Osasuna - Middlesbrough] Free
Alberto Moreno [Sevilla - Liverpool] £12m
Victor Moses [Chelsea - Stoke] Loan
Nile Ranger [Unattached - Blackpool]

15 AUGUST

Nicklas Bendtner [Arsenal - Wolfsburg] Free
Stephen Bywater [Millwall - Gillingham] Loan
Graham Cummins [Preston - Exeter] Free
Christian Doidge [Camarthen - Dagenham] Undisclosed
Dino Fazlic [Unattached - Fulham] Free
Lee Hollis [Motherwell - Hearts] Free
Jay McEveley [Swindon - Sheffield United] Free
Sean Morrison [Reading - Cardiff] Undisclosed
Michael Ngoo [Liverpool - Kilmarnock] Free
David Noble [Rotherham - Oldham] Free
Jota [Celta Vigo - Brentford] Undisclosed
Mark O'Brien [Derby County - Motherwell] Loan
Anthony Pilkington [Norwich - Cardiff] £1m
Danny Rose [Barnsley - Bury] Loan
Diafra Sakho [FC Metz - West Ham] Undisclosed
Conor Sammon [Derby - Ipswich] Loan
Carlos Sanchez [Elche - Aston Villa] Undisclosed
Joao Carlos Teixeira [Liverpool - Brighton] Loan
Jon Toral [Arsenal - Brentford] Loan
Iain Turner [Barnsley - Sheffield United] Free
Stephen Ward [Wolves - Burnley] Undisclosed
Francois Zoko [Stevenage - Blackpool] Free

14 AUGUST

Will Buckley [Brighton - Sunderland] Undisclosed
Javi Garcia [Manchester City - Zenit St Petersburg] £13m
Florin Gardos [Steaua Bucharest - Southampton] £6m (reported)
Martin Kelly [Liverpool - Crystal Palace] Undisclosed
Tom Kennedy [Barnsley - Rochdale] Free
Shane Long [Hull - Southampton] £12m (reported)
Henrik Ojamaa [Legia Warsaw - Motherwell] Loan
Jamie Ness [Stoke City - Crewe] Loan
Paul Taylor [Ipswich - Rotherham] Loan
Robert Tesche [Hamburg - Nottingham Forest] Free
Sam Whittall [Wolves - Cambridge] Free

13 AUGUST

Christian Atsu [Chelsea - Everton] Loan
Mason Bennett [Derby - Bradford] Loan
Jacob Butterfield [Middlesbrough - Huddersfield] Swap
Adam Clayton [Huddersfield - Middlesbrough] Swap
Liam Coogans [Airdrie - Huddersfield] Undisclosed
Liam Cooper [Chesterfield - Leeds] Undisclosed
Stephen Dawson [Barnsley - Rochdale] Free
Alex Jakubiak [Watford - Oxford] Loan
Diego Lopez [Real Madrid - AC Milan] Undisclosed
Billy Sharp [Southampton - Leeds] Undisclosed
DeAndre Yedlin [Seattle - Tottenham] Undisclosed *

12 AUGUST

Jason Denayer [Manchester City - Celtic] Loan
Joel Dielna [Vannes - Blackpool] Free
Anthony Forde [Wolves - Walsall] Undisclosed
Greg Leigh [Manchester City - Crewe] Loan
Jeffrey Rentmeister [Westerlo - Blackpool] Undisclosed

11 AUGUST

Shola Ameobi [Newcastle - Gaziantep BB] Free
David Davis [Wolves - Birmingham] Undisclosed
Anton Ferdinand [Antalyaspor - Reading] Free
Juan Carlos Garcia [Wigan - CD Tenerife] Loan
Angelo Henriquez [Manchester United - Dinamo Zagreb] Loan
Eliaquim Mangala [FC Porto - Manchester City] £32m
Joe Mason [Cardiff City - Bolton Wanderers] Loan
Jordan Mustoe [Wigan - Accrington Stanley] Free
Daniel Seaborne [Coventry - Partick Thistle] Free
Aleksander Tonev [Aston Villa - Celtic] Loan

10 AUGUST

Ibrahim Afellay [Barcelona - Olympiakos] Loan
Thomas Vermaelen [Arsenal - Barcelona] £15m

9 AUGUST

James Alabi [Stoke - Accrington] Loan
Aaron Amadi-Holloway [Newport - Wycombe] Free
Connor Calcutt [Berkhamsted - Stevenage] Undisclosed
Chris Chantler [Carlisle - Kilmarnock] Free
Karl Darlow [Nottingham Forest - Newcastle] Undisclosed *
Chico Flores [Swansea - Lekhwiya SC] Undisclosed
Fraser Forster [Celtic - Southampton] £10m
Jamaal Lascelles [Nottingham Forest - Newcastle] Undisclosed *
Leroy Lita [Swansea - Barnsley] Free
Alfie Mawson [Brentford - Wycombe] Loan
Stevie May [St Johnstone - Sheffield Wednesday] Undisclosed
Gary Medel [Cardiff - Inter Milan] £10m
Jerome Okimo [Wealdstone - Stevenage] Undisclosed
Maarten Stekelenburg [Fulham - Monaco] Loan

8 AUGUST

Romuald Boco [Plymouth - Chesterfield] Free
Ryan Brobbel [Middlesbrough - Hartlepool] Loan
Gerardo Bruna [Blackpool - Tranmere] Free
Aly Cissokho [Valencia - Aston Villa] Undisclosed
Billy Clifford [Chelsea - Walsall] Free
George Elokobi [Wolves - Oldham] Free
Matt Hill [Sheffield United - Tranmere] Free
Daniel Johnson [Aston Villa - Chesterfield] Loan
Matthew Kennedy [Everton - Hibernian] Loan
Jay Lynch [Bolton - Accrington] Free
Jamie Mackie [Nottingham Forest - Reading] Loan
Tommy Miller [Bury - Hartlepool] Free
Filipe Morais [Stevenage - Bradford] Free
Adam Morgan [Yeovil - St Johnstone] Loan
Andrea Orlandi [Brighton - Blackpool] Free
James Poole [Hartlepool - Bury] Free
Pepe Reina [Liverpool - Bayern Munich] Undisclosed
Christopher Routis [Servette - Bradford] Free
Brad Smith [Liverpool - Swindon] Loan
Euan Smith [Hibernian - Kilmarnock] Free
Jordan Turnbull [Southampton - Swindon] Loan
Michael Woods [Harrogate - Hartlepool] Free
Bruno Zuculini [Racing Club - Manchester City] Undisclosed

7 AUGUST

Tom Adeyemi [Birmingham - Cardiff] Undisclosed
El-Hadji Ba [Sunderland - Bastia] Loan
Charles Banya [Fulham - Crawley] Free
Adam Barrett [Gillingham - AFC Wimbledon] Loan
Andre Boucaud [Notts County - Dagenham & Redbridge] Free
Adam Campbell [Newcastle - Fleetwood] Loan
Simon Cox [Nottingham Forest - Reading] Undisclosed
Stephen Dobbie [Crystal Palace - Fleetwood] Loan
Stephen Elliott [unattached - Carlisle]
Simon Gillett [Nottingham Forest - Yeovil] Free
Gary Jones [Bradford - Notts County] Free
Marko Marosi [Wigan - Doncaster] Free
George Moncur [West Ham - Colchester] Loan
Elliot Parish [Bristol City - Blackpool] Free
Nick Proschwitz [Hull - Brentford] Free
Tommy Smith [Cardiff - Brentford] Free
Santiago Vergini [Estudiantes - Sunderland] Loan

6 AUGUST

Michail Antonio [Sheffield Wednesday - Nottingham Forest] £1.5m
Britt Assombalonga [Peterborough - Nottingham Forest] £5.5m
Samir Carruthers [Aston Villa - MK Dons] Undisclosed
Uros Celcer [Parma - Ross County] Free
Conor Coady [Liverpool - Huddersfield] Undisclosed
Mauricio Isla [Juventus - QPR] Loan
Dejan Kelhar [Red Star Belgrade - Sheffield Wednesday] Free
Filip Kiss [Cardiff - Ross County] Loan
Frank Lampard [New York City - Manchester City] Loan
John Lundstram [Everton - Blackpool] Loan
Omar Mascarell [Real Madrid - Derby] Loan
Javier Manquillo [Atletico Madrid - Liverpool] Loan
Ishmael Miller [Nottingham Forest - Blackpool] Free
Kenneth Omeruo [Chelsea - Middlesbrough] Loan
Dani Osvaldo [Southampton - Inter Milan] Loan
Paul Robinson [Millwall - Portsmouth] Loan
Ruben Rochina [Blackburn - Granada] Undisclosed
Saphir Taider [Inter Milan - Southampton] Loan
Joe Thompson [Tranmere - Bury] Free
Elliott Whitehouse [Sheffield United - Notts County] Free
Joe Widdowson [Northampton - Bury] Free

5 AUGUST

Nicky Ajose [Peterborough - Leeds] Undisclosed
Cian Bolger [Bolton - Southend] Undisclosed
Jordan Archer [Tottenham - Northampton] Loan
Jason Davidson [Heracles - West Brom] Undisclosed
Issaga Diallo [Kaposvari RFC - Cambridge] Free
Cristian Gamboa [Rosenborg - West Brom] Undisclosed
Isaac Layne [Billericay - Southend] Undisclosed
Joe Lewis [Cardiff - Blackpool] Loan
Antonio Luna [Aston Villa - Verona] Loan
Connor Martin [Rochdale - Accrington] Free
Jordon Mutch [Cardiff - QPR] £6m
Gary O'Neil [QPR - Norwich] Free
Jack Rodwell [Manchester City - Sunderland] £10m
Mo Shariff [QPR - Bradford] Non-contract
Rob Taylor [Port Vale - Mansfield] Free
Matt Urwin [Blackburn - Bradford] Non-contract
Ben Williams [Hibernian - Bradford] Non-contract
Ricky van Wolfswinkel [Norwich - St Etienne] Loan

4 AUGUST

Benik Afobe [Arsenal - MK Dons] Loan
Zan Benedicic [AC Milan - Leeds] Loan
Leon Best [Blackburn - Derby] Loan
Roy Carroll [Olympiakos - Notts County] Free
Shaquile Coulthirst [Tottenham - Southend] Loan
Michael Higdon [NEC Nijmegen - Sheffield United] Undisclosed
Mads Ibenfeldt [Unattached - Southend] Undisclosed
Clayton McDonald [Grimsby - Tranmere] Free
Shaquille McDonald [York - Derby] Free
Josh McQuoid [Bournemouth - Coventry] Loan
Carlton Morris [Norwich - Oxford] Loan
Gianni Munari [Parma - Watford] Loan
Anthony O'Connor [Blackburn - Plymouth] Loan
George Porter [Rochdale - Dagenham & Redbridge] Free
Luke Simpson [Oldham - Accrington] Free

3 AUGUST

Facundo Ferreyra [Shakhtar Donetsk - Newcastle] Loan
Robert Koren [Hull - Melbourne City] Free
Keylor Navas [Levante - Real Madrid] £7.9m (reported)
Joan Oriol [Osasuna - Blackpool] Free
Oriol Romeu [Chelsea - Stuttgart] Loan

2 AUGUST

Eric Dier [Sporting Lisbon - Tottenham] £4m
Brendan Galloway [MK Dons - Everton] Undisclosed
Paul Mullin [Huddersfield - Morecambe] Free
Mathieu Valbuena [Marseille - Dynamo Moscow] £6m (reported)

1 AUGUST

Javier Acuna [Watford - Olimpia Asuncion] Undisclosed
Nikolay Bodurov [Litex Lovech - Fulham] Undisclosed
Matthew Briggs [Fulham - Millwall] Free
Reice Charles-Cook [Bury - Coventry] Free
Stephen Crainey [Wigan - Fleetwood] Free
Donervon Daniels [West Brom - Blackpool] Loan
Iago Falque [Tottenham - Genoa] Undisclosed
Jonathan Forte [Southampton - Oldham] Free
Brede Hangeland [Fulham - Crystal Palace] Free
Darius Henderson [Nottingham Forest - Leyton Orient] Free
Shaquille McDonald [York - Derby] Free
Emilio Nsue [Real Mallorca - Middlesbrough] Undisclosed
Daniel O'Shaughnessy [FC Metz - Brentford] Free
Jed Steer [Aston Villa - Doncaster] Loan
John Swift [Chelsea - Rotherham] Loan
Reece Wabara [Manchester City - Doncaster] Free
* Loaned back to original club

Roger Federer beats David Ferrer to claim Cincinnati title

World number three Roger Federer won his sixth Cincinnati title with a hard-fought three-sets victory over David Ferrer at the Western & Southern Open.

The 33-year-old Swiss won 6-3 1-6 6-2 and has now beaten the 32-year-old Spaniard in all 16 of their matches.

But he was made to work by Ferrer, who was close to handing him his first love set since the 2008 French Open final.

"I've played some good tennis here over the years, so it's really nice to come back and win it again," Federer said.

"The whole tournament was really good for me."

It was the former world number one's first Masters title since 2012, when he also won in Cincinnati.

However, Federer admitted that he had considered not playing in the event after losing in the final in Toronto against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga a week earlier.

"I had to try to back up a tough week from last week, I didn't think it was possible," he said. "I was considering not playing.

"But in practise I felt like I was recovering quickly so I gave it to a go. I played with less pressure."

Federer first broke his opponent eight games into the match and saved four break points on his own serve to take the set 6-3.

World number six Ferrer struggled to hold serve in the first game of the second set - saving five break points - but then stunned the Swiss with a triple break to take the set 6-1.

The third set went with serve until Federer broke in the fourth game to regain momentum at 3-1 up and the 17-time Grand Slam champion took control from there on in to claim his 80th career title.

Restore Teaching of History in Schools

Restore Teaching of History in Schools

BY:babalola seyi emmanuel

One of the greatest mistakes ever made by our education planners is the removal of history as a subject from the secondary education curriculum. Today, our children grow up without understanding the various components of their country and how those components evolved.

They are unable to appreciate the various cultures in their country because they have been denied formal access to information about their past. Even in those "uncivilised" days of oral tradition, our forefathers ensured that their children were taught family history because it was believed that a child had to know who he was be able to fit into the society.

Our so-called modern civilisation has made us redefine our world view to reflect where we are going rather than where we are coming from. It is as if our society suddenly dropped into Planet Earth - no past, no trajectory, just a bolt from out of the blue.

Without a sound understanding of the past, we would find it difficult to fathom how the present challenges evolved and how we might be able to devise solutions to them. History is also a conveyor of a society's mores and values. How are our children supposed to internalise the values of integrity, tolerance and hard work which are celebrated in the history of our various peoples but which are totally lacking in our public service today?

Some may argue that the past is fixed and that nobody can change what has gone before. While that is true, it is also correct to say that the knowledge of what went before can inform decisions on how to conduct our affairs today in order not to make the same mistakes that had been made in times past. Those who fail to learn from history are bound to repeat its errors.

Ask any primary or secondary school child today about the Kanem Borno Empire, the Oyo Empire, Nupe Kingdom, Oba Ovonramwen, King Jaja, the Hausa states or the republican Igbo societies and he or she is likely to go blank.

The only stories that get embedded in the psyche of our children these days are stories of graft, terrorism, armed robbery and treachery in high places. Because we have done away with history, our children have been denied the benefit of making contact with the authentic heroes of our culture. They now have to look abroad for inspiration.

Mercifully it is not too late to make amends. The strident voice of our past is still ringing in the ears of those who care to listen.

We must restore the teaching of history in our school curriculum. Our children must understand where they are coming from so that they can know where they are going.

- See more at: http://www.nigeriadailynews.com/education/38601-restore-teaching-of-history-in-schools.html#sthash.pgQsdRPD.dpuf

‘I was jobless after university, now look at me’

Like many university graduates, after completing his first degree programme, his efforts to get a white collar job were fruitless.

Oneonu Nnamd, 27, a 2008 graduate, is now comfortable as a successful furniture maker in Abuja.

Unlike in public job, he is not only the Managing Director of his outfit, he also doubles as the Chief Executive Officer, the accountant, the cashier and the company secretary.

Today, he sees white collar jobs as waste of time, since he earns more than a university graduate and he is an employer, while contributing to the Nigerian economy, in a way.

“After my service year, I started furniture business with initial capital of N40,000 which was the little money I was able to save but today, I know how much I am counting,” he said joyously.

Mr. Nnamd whose business is currently flourishing in Kugbo village of Abuja said: “Furniture making is a very lucrative business. When I ventured into furniture making two years ago, my plan was to be in it for some time and quit as soon as I get a while collar job but as time goes on I discovered that I am earning more than a graduate so I decided to stay put,” he said.

He told Daily Trust that they travel as far as Calabar, Ekiti and the boarder between Ghana and Nigeria to get the materials they are using and that they use Abora , Masony , Mahogany, Cida and Thicks wood that are of good quality.

According to him, “the business is good but it would have been better if the government ban the importation of furniture items. If that is done, small business would strive than what it is now. Our Nigerian products are better than foreign one because, after importing them from overseas, they would call us to come and amend them in their homes.

“There is high patronage at Kugbo furniture here. I sold an average of four to five beds in a day when there is market and each bed costs N45, 000. At the end of the month after deducting all the expense incurred in the course of production including monthly salary for my four employees, I make an average profit of N100, 000 which some graduates may not earn.

“Finance is the major challenge we are facing in this business because we need money to buy modern equipment. At least, one needs about N1.5 million to get the needed equipment for this work and because we don’t have modern equipment, we use manual labour to produce these items on display. What our people are importing from overseas are here in Nigeria and their patronage will improve our local industry. We can do better than this if we have modern equipment.”

He said he had not approached any of the micro finance and other banks because of the collateral security they usually demanded for and he would only go and seek for loan when he has collateral security.

We want the government to stop the importation of furniture into the country and provide enabling environment for small businesses to strive and also enable operators of the small scale business to access loan at both micro finance and other banks, he said.

Chibuzor Okoro, who also has a workshop at Kugbo said, he started as an apprentice before opening his own workshop.

“After learning the work, I started my own workshop. My first profit was N11, 000. So from there, the business keeps improving and now there is no month I would not realize at least N40, 000 profit.

Meanwhile, the Welfare Secretary of the Association of Kugbo Funiture, Livinus Ezeibe, has called on the government to give them permanent site and assist them in the area of finance so that they can get the necessary tools for their Job.

“When they introduced micro finance bank, we approached them for loan but we don’t have the collateral security they demanded. We depend on the little profits that we realize from the sales of our products.

“Also, they should stop the importation of furniture items so that small scale business can grow in the country. We are creating jobs here because every furniture maker has apprentices and about two or three employees feeding from them. So if the government can assist us, we can employ more than that.

“We are not being harassed by the government but we are paying levy to the Abuja Municipal Area Council. We carry our business without hindrance,” he said.

by:seyi babalola emmanuel

Transfer latest - August 2014

The summer transfer window is open until 23:00 BST on Monday, 1 September.

Biggest British signing so far: Alexis Sanchez - Barcelona to Arsenal for about £35m.

Busiest clubs this summer: Blackpool and Crawley Town have signed 17 players.

Busiest Premier League clubs: Newcastle have signed nine players.

18 AUGUST

Peter Brezovan [Brighton - Portsmouth] Free

Billy Kee [Burton - Scunthorpe] Undisclosed

Edu Oriol [AEL Limassol - Blackpool] Free

Danny Rose [Barnsley - Bury] Undisclosed

16 AUGUST

Damia Abella [Osasuna - Middlesbrough] Free

Alberto Moreno [Sevilla - Liverpool] £12m

Victor Moses [Chelsea - Stoke] Loan

Nile Ranger [Unattached - Blackpool]

15 AUGUST

Nicklas Bendtner [Arsenal - Wolfsburg] Free

Stephen Bywater [Millwall - Gillingham] Loan

Graham Cummins [Preston - Exeter] Free

Christian Doidge [Camarthen - Dagenham] Undisclosed

Dino Fazlic [Unattached - Fulham] Free

Lee Hollis [Motherwell - Hearts] Free

Jay McEveley [Swindon - Sheffield United] Free

Sean Morrison [Reading - Cardiff] Undisclosed

Michael Ngoo [Liverpool - Kilmarnock] Free

David Noble [Rotherham - Oldham] Free

Jota [Celta Vigo - Brentford] Undisclosed

Mark O'Brien [Derby County - Motherwell] Loan

Anthony Pilkington [Norwich - Cardiff] £1m

Danny Rose [Barnsley - Bury] Loan

Diafra Sakho [FC Metz - West Ham] Undisclosed

Conor Sammon [Derby - Ipswich] Loan

Carlos Sanchez [Elche - Aston Villa] Undisclosed

Joao Carlos Teixeira [Liverpool - Brighton] Loan

Jon Toral [Arsenal - Brentford] Loan

Iain Turner [Barnsley - Sheffield United] Free

Stephen Ward [Wolves - Burnley] Undisclosed

Francois Zoko [Stevenage - Blackpool] Free

14 AUGUST

Will Buckley [Brighton - Sunderland] Undisclosed

Javi Garcia [Manchester City - Zenit St Petersburg] £13m

Florin Gardos [Steaua Bucharest - Southampton] £6m (reported)

Martin Kelly [Liverpool - Crystal Palace] Undisclosed

Tom Kennedy [Barnsley - Rochdale] Free

Shane Long [Hull - Southampton] £12m (reported)

Henrik Ojamaa [Legia Warsaw - Motherwell] Loan

Jamie Ness [Stoke City - Crewe] Loan

Paul Taylor [Ipswich - Rotherham] Loan

Robert Tesche [Hamburg - Nottingham Forest] Free

Sam Whittall [Wolves - Cambridge] Free

13 AUGUST

Christian Atsu [Chelsea - Everton] Loan

Mason Bennett [Derby - Bradford] Loan

Jacob Butterfield [Middlesbrough - Huddersfield] Swap

Adam Clayton [Huddersfield - Middlesbrough] Swap

Liam Coogans [Airdrie - Huddersfield] Undisclosed

Liam Cooper [Chesterfield - Leeds] Undisclosed

Stephen Dawson [Barnsley - Rochdale] Free

Alex Jakubiak [Watford - Oxford] Loan

Diego Lopez [Real Madrid - AC Milan] Undisclosed

Billy Sharp [Southampton - Leeds] Undisclosed

DeAndre Yedlin [Seattle - Tottenham] Undisclosed *

12 AUGUST

Jason Denayer [Manchester City - Celtic] Loan

Joel Dielna [Vannes - Blackpool] Free

Anthony Forde [Wolves - Walsall] Undisclosed

Greg Leigh [Manchester City - Crewe] Loan

Jeffrey Rentmeister [Westerlo - Blackpool] Undisclosed

11 AUGUST

Shola Ameobi [Newcastle - Gaziantep BB] Free

David Davis [Wolves - Birmingham] Undisclosed

Anton Ferdinand [Antalyaspor - Reading] Free

Juan Carlos Garcia [Wigan - CD Tenerife] Loan

Angelo Henriquez [Manchester United - Dinamo Zagreb] Loan

Eliaquim Mangala [FC Porto - Manchester City] £32m

Joe Mason [Cardiff City - Bolton Wanderers] Loan

Jordan Mustoe [Wigan - Accrington Stanley] Free

Daniel Seaborne [Coventry - Partick Thistle] Free

Aleksander Tonev [Aston Villa - Celtic] Loan

10 AUGUST

Ibrahim Afellay [Barcelona - Olympiakos] Loan

Thomas Vermaelen [Arsenal - Barcelona] £15m

9 AUGUST

James Alabi [Stoke - Accrington] Loan

Aaron Amadi-Holloway [Newport - Wycombe] Free

Connor Calcutt  [Berkhamsted - Stevenage] Undisclosed

Chris Chantler [Carlisle - Kilmarnock] Free

Karl Darlow [Nottingham Forest - Newcastle] Undisclosed *

Chico Flores [Swansea - Lekhwiya SC] Undisclosed

Fraser Forster [Celtic - Southampton] £10m

Jamaal Lascelles [Nottingham Forest - Newcastle] Undisclosed *

Leroy Lita [Swansea - Barnsley] Free

Alfie Mawson [Brentford - Wycombe] Loan

Stevie May [St Johnstone - Sheffield Wednesday] Undisclosed

Gary Medel [Cardiff - Inter Milan] £10m

Jerome Okimo  [Wealdstone - Stevenage] Undisclosed

Maarten Stekelenburg [Fulham - Monaco] Loan

8 AUGUST

Romuald Boco [Plymouth - Chesterfield] Free

Ryan Brobbel [Middlesbrough - Hartlepool] Loan

Gerardo Bruna [Blackpool - Tranmere] Free

Aly Cissokho [Valencia - Aston Villa] Undisclosed

Billy Clifford [Chelsea - Walsall] Free

George Elokobi [Wolves - Oldham] Free

Matt Hill [Sheffield United - Tranmere] Free

Daniel Johnson [Aston Villa - Chesterfield] Loan

Matthew Kennedy [Everton - Hibernian] Loan

Jay Lynch [Bolton - Accrington] Free

Jamie Mackie [Nottingham Forest - Reading] Loan

Tommy Miller [Bury - Hartlepool] Free

Filipe Morais [Stevenage - Bradford] Free

Adam Morgan [Yeovil - St Johnstone] Loan

Andrea Orlandi [Brighton - Blackpool] Free

James Poole [Hartlepool - Bury] Free

Pepe Reina [Liverpool - Bayern Munich] Undisclosed

Christopher Routis [Servette - Bradford] Free

Brad Smith [Liverpool - Swindon] Loan

Euan Smith [Hibernian - Kilmarnock] Free

Jordan Turnbull [Southampton - Swindon] Loan

Michael Woods [Harrogate - Hartlepool] Free

Bruno Zuculini [Racing Club - Manchester City] Undisclosed

7 AUGUST

Tom Adeyemi [Birmingham - Cardiff] Undisclosed

El-Hadji Ba [Sunderland - Bastia] Loan

Charles Banya [Fulham - Crawley] Free

Adam Barrett [Gillingham - AFC Wimbledon] Loan

Andre Boucaud [Notts County - Dagenham & Redbridge] Free

Adam Campbell [Newcastle - Fleetwood] Loan

Simon Cox [Nottingham Forest - Reading] Undisclosed

Stephen Dobbie [Crystal Palace - Fleetwood] Loan

Stephen Elliott [unattached - Carlisle]

Simon Gillett [Nottingham Forest - Yeovil] Free

Gary Jones [Bradford - Notts County] Free

Marko Marosi [Wigan - Doncaster] Free

George Moncur [West Ham - Colchester] Loan

Elliot Parish [Bristol City - Blackpool] Free

Nick Proschwitz [Hull - Brentford] Free

Tommy Smith [Cardiff - Brentford] Free

Santiago Vergini [Estudiantes - Sunderland] Loan

6 AUGUST

Michail Antonio [Sheffield Wednesday - Nottingham Forest] £1.5m

Britt Assombalonga [Peterborough - Nottingham Forest] £5.5m

Samir Carruthers [Aston Villa - MK Dons] Undisclosed

Uros Celcer [Parma - Ross County] Free

Conor Coady [Liverpool - Huddersfield] Undisclosed

Mauricio Isla [Juventus - QPR] Loan

Dejan Kelhar [Red Star Belgrade - Sheffield Wednesday] Free

Filip Kiss [Cardiff - Ross County] Loan

Frank Lampard [New York City - Manchester City] Loan

John Lundstram [Everton - Blackpool] Loan

Omar Mascarell [Real Madrid - Derby] Loan

Javier Manquillo [Atletico Madrid - Liverpool] Loan

Ishmael Miller [Nottingham Forest - Blackpool] Free

Kenneth Omeruo [Chelsea - Middlesbrough] Loan

Dani Osvaldo [Southampton - Inter Milan] Loan

Paul Robinson [Millwall - Portsmouth] Loan

Ruben Rochina [Blackburn - Granada] Undisclosed

Saphir Taider [Inter Milan - Southampton] Loan

Joe Thompson [Tranmere - Bury] Free

Elliott Whitehouse [Sheffield United - Notts County] Free

Joe Widdowson [Northampton - Bury] Free

5 AUGUST

Nicky Ajose [Peterborough - Leeds] Undisclosed

Cian Bolger [Bolton - Southend] Undisclosed

Jordan Archer [Tottenham - Northampton] Loan

Jason Davidson [Heracles - West Brom] Undisclosed

Issaga Diallo [Kaposvari RFC - Cambridge] Free

Cristian Gamboa [Rosenborg - West Brom] Undisclosed

Isaac Layne [Billericay - Southend] Undisclosed

Joe Lewis [Cardiff - Blackpool] Loan

Antonio Luna [Aston Villa - Verona] Loan

Connor Martin [Rochdale - Accrington] Free

Jordon Mutch [Cardiff - QPR] £6m

Gary O'Neil [QPR - Norwich] Free

Jack Rodwell [Manchester City - Sunderland] £10m

Mo Shariff [QPR - Bradford] Non-contract

Rob Taylor [Port Vale - Mansfield] Free

Matt Urwin [Blackburn - Bradford] Non-contract

Ben Williams [Hibernian - Bradford] Non-contract

Ricky van Wolfswinkel [Norwich - St Etienne] Loan

4 AUGUST

Benik Afobe [Arsenal - MK Dons] Loan

Zan Benedicic [AC Milan - Leeds] Loan

Leon Best [Blackburn - Derby] Loan

Roy Carroll [Olympiakos - Notts County] Free

Shaquile Coulthirst [Tottenham - Southend] Loan

Michael Higdon [NEC Nijmegen - Sheffield United] Undisclosed

Mads Ibenfeldt [Unattached - Southend] Undisclosed

Clayton McDonald [Grimsby - Tranmere] Free

Shaquille McDonald [York - Derby] Free

Josh McQuoid [Bournemouth - Coventry] Loan

Carlton Morris [Norwich - Oxford] Loan

Gianni Munari  [Parma - Watford] Loan

Anthony O'Connor [Blackburn - Plymouth] Loan

George Porter [Rochdale - Dagenham & Redbridge] Free

Luke Simpson [Oldham - Accrington] Free

3 AUGUST

Facundo Ferreyra [Shakhtar Donetsk - Newcastle] Loan

Robert Koren [Hull - Melbourne City] Free

Keylor Navas [Levante - Real Madrid] £7.9m (reported)

Joan Oriol [Osasuna - Blackpool] Free

Oriol Romeu [Chelsea - Stuttgart] Loan

2 AUGUST

Eric Dier [Sporting Lisbon - Tottenham] £4m

Brendan Galloway [MK Dons - Everton] Undisclosed

Paul Mullin [Huddersfield - Morecambe] Free

Mathieu Valbuena [Marseille - Dynamo Moscow] £6m (reported)

1 AUGUST

Javier Acuna  [Watford - Olimpia Asuncion] Undisclosed

Nikolay Bodurov [Litex Lovech - Fulham] Undisclosed

Matthew Briggs [Fulham - Millwall] Free

Reice Charles-Cook [Bury - Coventry] Free

Stephen Crainey [Wigan - Fleetwood] Free

Donervon Daniels [West Brom - Blackpool] Loan

Iago Falque [Tottenham - Genoa] Undisclosed

Jonathan Forte [Southampton - Oldham] Free

Brede Hangeland [Fulham - Crystal Palace] Free

Darius Henderson [Nottingham Forest - Leyton Orient] Free

Shaquille McDonald [York - Derby] Free

Emilio Nsue [Real Mallorca - Middlesbrough] Undisclosed

Daniel O'Shaughnessy [FC Metz - Brentford] Free

Jed Steer [Aston Villa - Doncaster] Loan

John Swift [Chelsea - Rotherham] Loan

Reece Wabara [Manchester City - Doncaster] Free