Yes, it was indeed a red card.....

From the CC SPORTS DESK

It was another great game yesterday at Old Trafford between two giants of European football, Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Please watch the video here and the replays will clearly show that Nani's red card was indeed justified as it was dangerous play, regardless of the player's "intent" (whatever that means by the way).

Madrid was the more positive and tactically superior team over the two legs and thoroughly deserved the victory.

"I actually think he's made the right call," Keane said on ITV. "Whatever people are getting upset about it -- anytime I was sent off in my career, I always thought 'Did I give the referee a chance to send me off?' And if the answer was 'yeah' then it was out of your hands. And I think the referee's actually made the right call. And everyone's upset about it and they're slightly unlucky, but it's dangerous play. Whether he meant it or not is irrelevant."

Northern Nigeria Islamic leader calls for amnesty for war criminals and perpetrators of genocide

Sultan of Sokoto - Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar III

By ADEDEJI O. ADEGOKE - CC

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar III, himself a former soldier and head of a presidential security unit that guarded former military dictator General Ibrahim Babangida in the late 1980s, has sensationally called on President Goodluck Jonathan to grand unconditional amnesty to members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect.

Abubakar spoke before an Islamic group in Kaduna, a city on the fault line between the north and Nigeria's largely Christian south that has seen thousands killed in recent years in fighting between the two faiths. The sultan said that while conversations should continue among Muslims about how to encourage peace, President Goodluck Jonathan should consider offering a peace deal to stop the fighting.

"We want to use this opportunity to call on the government — especially Mr. President — to see how he can declare total amnesty to all combatants without thinking twice," he said. "If the amnesty is declared, the majority of those young men who have been running would come out and embrace that amnesty."

Though Abubakar did not speak in specifics, others have suggested offering an amnesty deal in lines with one previously given to militants in Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta in 2009. That deal offered cash payments and job training to fighters in return for them giving up their weapons and halting attacks on foreign oil companies. The sultan is the highest ranking official so far to endorse such a plan for Islamic extremists, many of whom fight as part of Boko Haram and its splinter groups.

The 2009 amnesty deal, however, did not stop attacks in the delta, nor halt the rapidly growing theft of crude oil from pipelines there that has caused serious environmental damage. The militants there also attacked the commodity that fills the nation's coffers while typically not killing civilians. Meanwhile, Boko Haram is blamed for killing at least 792 people last year alone, according to an Associated Press count, and its attacks occur hundreds of miles away from the nearest oil well.

Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram's leader, has dismissed previous offers for a peace deal and recently threatened the life of a man who claimed to be a group leader negotiating for one. The group is fighting to free its imprisoned members and install an Islamic government over Nigeria, a multi-ethnic nation of more than 160 million people.

Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege," has conducted its guerrilla fight across Nigeria's north over the last two years. The group's command-and-control structure remains unclear, though it appears to have sparked several splinter groups. The Sultan's call may also give credence to the claim by most political and intelligence experts in Nigeria that the northern ruling class is actually the back-bone behind Boko Haram and the continued murder of innocent civilians in the north, who just happen to be of a different faith and ethnicity.

A group of men claiming to belong to Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of seven French tourists from northern Cameroon late February — a first for the group. Meanwhile, a Boko Haram splinter group known as Ansaru has claimed the recent kidnappings in northern Nigeria of seven foreigners — a British citizen, a Greek, an Italian, three Lebanese and one Filipino — all employees of a Lebanese construction company called Setraco.

Despite the deployment of more soldiers and police to northern Nigeria, the central government has been unable to stop the killings. Meanwhile, human rights groups and local citizens blame both Boko Haram and security forces for committing violent atrocities against the local civilian population, fueling rage in the region. This could however not be further from the truth as these so-called human rights groups seem to either be unable to fully understand the complex nature of the problem or choose not to.

On Monday night, witnesses say suspected Boko Haram fighters attacked Gwoza, a village in northeastern Borno state about 135 kilometers (80 miles) from the state capital Maiduguri. Gwoza resident Umaru Yahuza said the fighting targeted a bank and the police station in the village and that gunfire lasted throughout much of the night. Yahuza said residents awoke to find corpses in the streets.

The Nigerian government must not give in to the unrealistic demands of liberal human rights groups and other individuals or groups (foreign or domestic), who have a hidden agenda, one which is not and will never be in the best interest of the country.

President Goodluck Jonathan must stand firm as the civilized world is watching.

Real get the best of Barça again in the latest El Clásico installment

From the CC SATURDAY SPORTS DESK

An under-strength Real Madrid beat Barcelona for a second time to finish a great week ahead of their much-anticipated Champions League return leg with Manchester United on Tuesday.

Barcelona put out an almost identical side to the one that lost on Tuesday, with the exception of Cesc Fàbregas and the injured Xavi Hernandez, who made way for Thiago Alcantara and David Villa.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Özil, Sami Khedira and Xabi Alonso were all absent from the starting XI for the club's second Clásico in five days, as goals from Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos gave them a third win against Barça from six matches this season.

Despite Madrid having the weaker side out, they were the first to draw blood after six minutes. Morata picked the ball up on the left wing, beat a placid Dani Alves and delivered a low ball across the box which Benzema tapped in from just a few yards out at the far post to give Madrid the lead.

Barça sought an immediate response but created few chances despite having more possession. 

They were however level on 17 minutes through none other than the irrepressible Lionel Messi.

It was Messi's 39th goal of the current La Liga season and his 18th in a Clasico, drawing him level with fellow Argentine Alfredo Di Stefano as the player to score the most goals in this legendary fixture.

Madrid then sought to regain the lead as Ronaldo headed a free-kick by Modric just over the bar.

Real's pressure soon paid off when Luka Modric sent in a corner and Sergio Ramos rose above the Barca defence to head the ball into the back of the net in the 81st minute. 

That was all the scoring to be had as Madrid once again got one over their bitter rivals in a span of just 5 days.

Madrid's win has cut the gap between them and their adversaries to 13 points after another morale boosting victory over the Catalans at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Bill Clinton, much like Obama administration, wrong to 'justify' Boko Haram's heinous acts of terrorism against the Nigerian people

By DAVID K. SODEINDE - CC

Recently, former U.S. President and rather frequent visitor to Nigeria (at the behest of the rich and powerful), Bill Clinton, waded  into the ongoing unrest in the northern part of the West African behemoth, where Islamic extremists, namely the notorious Boko Haram sect, continue to wreck havoc on the social and economic climate there.

Much like President Barack Obama recently stated as well, President Clinton, while speaking at the annual ThisDay awards ceremony in the Southwestern city of Abeokuta, blamed the continued unrest and acts of terrorism on the "extreme poverty" in Northern Nigeria.

While one would ordinarily not blame Mr. Clinton for this rather simplistic assertion, it would however have been more prudent for the former president, much like the current occupant of the White House, to at least attempt to better understand the intricacies and nuances of the Nigerian political climate, from a historical perspective, before making statements that have absolutely no iota of truth attached to them.

For close to 53 years of Nigeria's existence as a sovereign nation, the northern oligarchy, with the overt as well as subtle acquiescence of the Nigerian Military, has presided over the affairs of that nation for approximately four decades. During that period, the northern power structure through the military, has imposed the most corrupt and tyrannical leadership on the people of Nigeria.

A roll call of these afore-mentioned kleptocrats and dictators would include the likes of retired Generals such as Muhammadu Buhari (who is actually suspected of being the master-mind behind Boko Haram), Ibrahim Babangida (he essentially treated the national treasury as his personal bank account and was a renowned drug baron) and Sani Abacha (the ruthless dictator that murdered the winner of the freest and most democratic elections in the history of Nigeria, Moshood K. Abiola), just to name a few. Combined, these three northern kleptocrats alone, ruled over Nigeria for longer than any one or combination of southern leaders have ever presided over the affairs of that West African country.

The question then becomes this. With so much wealth and power in the hands of the northern oligarchy in Nigeria for close to 40 years of Nigeria's 53 as a sovereign nation, what exactly did this people do for the northern masses?

The answer to that is a simple one, absolutely nothing! Instead, while southern governors and administrators embarked on education and other society-building initiatives, geared towards lifting up the masses in their domain (mostly the southwest), the northern leaders preferred to engage in the politics of entitlement, laced with religious and ethnic bigotry.

The last time Nigeria had a southern president, the northern governors and their allies decided to impose the strictest of Islamic tenets on their people - Sharia. What was and is still ironic as well as unfortunate about this is that the law only seems to apply to the underprivileged and disadvantaged masses of the north, while their leaders wallow in the abundance of stolen wealth and egregious ostentation.

It would be prudent for Western leaders to at least do their due diligence and have a more polished understanding of events, rather than inject undue propaganda into sensitive matters affecting sovereign nations..... unless of course they have a hidden agenda.

Barack Obama’s "new approach" and it's potential risks

UNITED States (U.S.) President Barack Obama’s first term was marked by complaints from his liberal base that he had been too conciliatory toward Republicans. And now, with his second inauguration just around the corner, analysts are asserting that Obama is acting as if he believes he has a big mandate for his next term and hence what they termed his "new combative approach" to governance.

The latest indication to this was his decision to defy a concerted campaign against his choice for defence secretary. Moreso, the Democratic president, re-elected in November, unveiled a more combative approach during the end-of-year “fiscal cliff” taxes and spending drama, exploiting disarray in Republican ranks that underscored Washington’s legislative dysfunction. Obama also showed a “get-tough” strategy in his determination to pursue gun control after last year’s massacre of school children by a gunman in Newtown, Connecticut.

According to analysts in a report by Reuters, Obama’s recent actions reflect the growing confidence of a president who, without the need ever to seek re-election, now feels freer to stand up to a new Congress.

However, some critics said Obama now runs the risk of overreaching when he should instead be building Republican bridges to resolve the next looming budget confrontation.

Obama’s latest assertive move came on Monday when he nominated Chuck Hagel as defence secretary, setting up a Senate confirmation battle with critics who have attacked the former Republican senator’s record on Israel and Iran. His refusal to bow to Hagel’s opponents, including pro-Israel groups, neoconservatives figures and some of Hagel’s own Republican colleagues, signalled that the president would not allow a top Cabinet candidate to be derailed again.

Last month, Susan Rice, Obama’s U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, dropped out of consideration for secretary of state after taking heavy criticism from some Republican lawmakers over her account of the September attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya that killed the American ambassador.

With Hagel’s recent nomination for the post of Defense Secretary, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham – one of Rice’s critics – called it an “in-your-face” nomination by Obama.

A former Obama aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said this was an opportunity to lay down a clear second-term marker - “no more Mr. Nice Guy, no more pushovers” – as a message to political friends and foes alike.

“This is clearly a president who feels somewhat unencumbered by electoral politics, thinks he has political capital to spend, and is not wasting any time about it,” said Costas Panagopoulos, a political scientist at Fordham University in New York.

The White House is confident that Hagel can weather the storm and win confirmation in the Democratic-led Senate since presidential picks for senior security posts are rarely denied.

But Republican strategist, John Feehery, said Obama was taking a gamble that could backfire, especially in light of resistance from some of the president’s fellow Democrats to Hagel, a maverick moderate Republican. He bonded with Obama in the Senate over their mutual opposition to the Iraq war.

“The president is betting a big percentage of his chips,” Feehery said. “Presidents do tend to over-read their mandates sometimes. The question is whether that’s the case now.”

Hagel’s nomination is coming on the heels of a New Year’s Day deal that averted economic calamity when lawmakers agreed to prevent huge tax hikes and government spending cuts.

The agreement handed a victory to Obama, who had promised before the election to address budget woes in part by raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans. His Republican antagonists were forced to vote against a core tenet of their anti-tax conservative faith.

Obama and Congress must agree by the end of March on increasing the $16.4 trillion U.S. debt ceiling, the fate of $85 billion in delayed automatic spending cuts and passage of a bill to fund the government after a temporary measure expires.

Obama has vowed not to negotiate over the debt ceiling, demanding that Congress raise it without drama. His aides have made clear they believe the U.S. public would blame Republicans – not Obama – if the nation is forced into a debt default that he has said would be “catastrophic” for the world economy.

“This is overreach — hubris — for sure,” Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, said of Obama’s refusal to negotiate.

Obama’s tough talk on the next round of fiscal hurdles could also limit his ability to push forward on other legislative priorities such as immigration reform and gun control.

The shooting rampage at a Connecticut elementary school put gun control high on Obama’s second-term agenda. He appears to be determined to take advantage of a public backlash against gun violence.

The White House is weighing a far broader approach than just reinstating a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, The Washington Post recently reported.

A working group led by Vice President Joe Biden is seriously considering measures that would require universal background checks for gun buyers and track the movement and sale of weapons through a national database, the newspaper said.

Obama promised in an end-of-year interview with NBC to put his “full weight” behind a package of gun control measures this year, and he signaled a willingness to take on the National Rifle Association gun lobby despite the political risks.

The president is also calculating that he may finally be able to make good on his promise to achieve comprehensive immigration reform. He hopes to capitalise on sentiment within the Republican Party that it must reach out to Latinos who voted heavily for Obama after tough comments on illegal immigration by Republicans.

Obama also is showing signs he will take a hardline on issues of war and peace. He meets Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the White House this week and is expected to press for immunity from prosecution as a condition for allowing even a relatively small contingent of U.S. troops to stay behind in Afghanistan after the 2014 drawdown.

Nigeria's key player doubtful for game against Catalonia XI on Wednesday

A fan of the Super Eagles of Nigeria

Real Betis midfielder Nosa Igiebor is doubtful for Wednesday’s Africa Nations Cup warm-up game against Catalonia. The Eagles managers were yet to hear from the player in Faro, Portugal today as the team prepared for Tuesday flight.

“We are still waiting words from Nosa at the moment, so we cannot say he will be in Catalonia or Faro for the game,” a team official said.

However, Celtic’s Rabiu Ibrahim is expected to link up with the rest of the squad when the team arrive in Spain early on Tuesday.

Ibrahim was expected to have arrived in Faro earlier, but delays in his flight schedule meant he was advised to join the team in Spain instead of travelling to Portugal, where the team are camping for the African competition.

Ibrahim and Villarreal striker Ikechukwu Uche will be the last two players to join up with the Eagles before the game.

Wednesday’s match against Catalonia selected that is managed by Dutch legend Johann Cryuff will be played at the home of La Liga side Espanyol starting at 9pm Nigerian time.

While the Eagles are training to beat the rest of Africa, the Catalonians are making strong political statement with the game.

Catalonia matches gather together every year more people than any other European team for just a friendly match. And right now Catalonia is living a very special social and political moment. The new Catalan government, with the support of the main parties has just announced that 2014 is the year when a referendum for independence will be held.

A vast majority of Catalonia’s population (over 2 million votes) supports the new Government goal and, according to last election votes and recent polls, most citizens wish to become a new European and independent state. The Spanish state strongly opposes to the referendum but Catalans seem very determined to do it.”

Barcelona stars, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Victor Valdés, Sergio Busquets, Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué are expected to feature for Catalonia.

Nigeria's Super Eagles will return to their training camp in Portugal after the game, from where they will leave for South Africa to take part in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

Nigeria launches African version of Monopoly

The first African city edition of the famous board game Monopoly has been launched in Lagos.

The Nigerian metropolis is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.

The board's layout was unveiled at an event in Lagos City Hall, with the manmade Banana Island named as the upmarket equivalent of Mayfair in the London edition.

Makoko, the slum on stilts over the city's lagoon, is the cheapest property for sale on the Lagos board.

Nimi Akinkugbe, the head of Bestman Games which is producing the Lagos edition, told Nigeria's Guardian newspaper ahead of the launch that suggestions for the Mayfair spot were "a hot topic".

Banana Island, which got the coveted position, is an artificially created island where the very wealthy reside.

Some properties on the island sell for about $8m - and it would cost about $150,000 a year to rent a flat there, he says.

The Nigerian Stock Exchange, Murtala Muhammed International Airport and several hotels are other properties on the board.

Many of the squares are sponsored by banks and shopping centres and even the Lagos state government appears, while some major landmarks like Tinubu Square, the New Afrika Shrine nightclub, Third Mainland Bridge and the National Theatre have been left out, our correspondent says.

Other aspects of the game have been tailored for Lagos, like the "Go To Jail" cards, which read: "Go to jail. Go directly to Kirikiri jail," referring to the city's maximum security prison.

One of the Chance cards issuing a fine quotes a phrase regularly used by police officers: "Park! Park! For reckless driving pay a fine... and register for retraining."

Another reads: "For attempting to bribe a law enforcement agent, pay a fine."

Some of the new traffic laws introduced by the Lagos state government, and the punishments for various offences, have also been included in the game.

"You've been caught driving against traffic. Report for psychiatric evaluation," one card reads.

The Monopoly game was developed in the US, originally based on streets in Atlantic City. A London version of the game was produced in 1935.

"Lagos is the first African city to have its Monopoly. Two countries in Africa have theirs, Morocco and South Africa. But there's no city that has its own customized edition," Ms Akinkugbe told the Guardian.

The coming mobile wave as Dell's profits slump by close to 50% on weak sales

Are tablets a threat to the survival of the PC?

Computer-maker Dell has seen its quarterly profit fall by almost 50% after it was hit by falling sales to both consumers and large companies.

The PC maker made a net profit of $475M in July to September, compared with $893M a year earlier.

Dell's consumer revenues fell 23% to $2.5B, while those from sales to big corporations declined by 8% to $4.2B.

The company, the world's third-largest maker of personal computers, saw overall revenues dip 11%.

Despite the poor results, Dell said it was more confident about the October to December period, which includes Christmas sales.

It expects group-wide revenues to rise by as much as 5% in the last three months of the year, despite the continuing "challenging" global economic environment.

It is also struggling to compete with Asian rivals such as Lenovo and is focusing on selling products and services to businesses rather than individuals.

But the state of the economy means that many customers are delaying making big purchases.

"It's not clear what's going to cause them to increase their spending in the short term, given the uncertainty in the economy," said Dell's chief financial officer Brian Gladden.

But he added that the launch of Windows 8 was improving demand in the consumer market.

How much that leads ultimately to improved sales, remains to be seen.

Congratulations Mr. President, but there is still much work to do

President Barack Obama

Once again, the world witnessed as the United States of America showed the way, with another peaceful and dignified transition of power (albeit an organic one as the president was re-elected to a second four-year term), a common feature and staple of the American system of government - the "world's oldest" and most stable democracy.

Save for the 2000 elections, the fall out of which was the unfortunate "division of the country", the United States has always been a beacon of hope and the lighthouse on a hill, in a world where most leaders, even in some so-called western democracies (Italy for one with Silvio Berlusconi) seem unable and unwilling to relinquish political power.

The American people have spoken and while there are those who may still disagree with some of the president's policies (this writer included), it is incumbent upon us all, to pray for the president and support the efforts of the administration to steer the American economy back on the right path.

It is inconceivable that the gridlock we witnessed over the last four years, will once again rear its ugly head. Congress and the Executive branch of government, must find a way to reach meaningful compromise on the germaine issues of the day.

Absent of that compromise, the American people will grow even more frustrated and increasingly cynical of government; a mind set our leaders can least afford to be entrenched in the psyche of an otherwise patient and dutiful citizenry.

The president must not repeat the same mistakes he made the last time either, when he said "I won, I don't have to take your ideas" to the Republican leadership after his 2008 election victory.

There is no such thing as a mandate from the American people, where these last elections are concerned. Instead, the White House and Congress must understand that the American people expect them to do the people's business.

The president must continue to reach out to "reasonable" members Congress on the other side, while Congress must accord the Executive branch its due respect and work with the president, much like Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.

Once again, congratulations to the president and here is hoping he is more concerned about cementing a truly lasting legacy that will forever shape the future of America and indeed the world, for good.

Good luck to you sir.... you will be needing lots of it!  

A time for reflection and solitude....

As the U.S. prepares to vote for the next President of the United States, one is made aware of the need for true reflection and solitude, yes the kind of reflective solitude that can lead to true self-awareness.

One is forced to ask the question, isn't America just plain sick and tired of the same games every four years? No matter how you spin it, a duck is a duck, if it quacks and swims like one.

We all watched almost exactly four years ago when a young and impressionable man with a unique background, captured the imagination of this great country and made us all dream again.

After the nightmarish Presidency that was George Bush's (I doubt most would disagree with me on this), America was ready for a fresh start, or so we thought.

Four years on, we are once again back singing the song of revival and restoration, as if hope never appeared beyond the horizon. We had hoped and dared to dream and in that state of sublime inspiration, we thought we had indeed found our bearings.

But alas, the "compass" failed us once again and failed us it did on all fronts; morally and every-otherwise.

This time, we must think as Americans and I mean really think and reflect on exactly where this great nation is headed.

These elections are bigger than Barack Obama, Mitt Romney and all the candidates combined. They are about something much bigger than even us; yes, something that much larger and of such critical magnitude, that we must indeed get it right this time.

If we don't and once again just go through the motions of an electioneering campaign, we may live to regret it.... both literally and vicariously through our children and future descendants.

It is that important.

© 2012 Boye Coker. All Rights Reserved.