'I can bring winning mentality to Stoke City' – Ex-Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi

The African champion will be playing in England for the third time in his career

Former Chelsea midfielder Mikel John Obi has stated he can impact a winning mentality onto Stoke City after joining the club on Monday.

The 33-year-old Nigerian has been a free agent since his contract with Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor was terminated in March which is believed to be due to speaking out against the club for going on with league fixtures in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mikel is looking to get down to immediate business in Staffordshire and wants the Potters to win on a consistent basis. Stoke finished the 2019-20 Championship season in 15th place, eight points clear of the relegation zone.

 

“I can bring that winning mentality into this team,” he said on the official Stoke City YouTube Channel.

“There is always a way to win, we need to find that way. That mentality needs to come into the team, it’s all about winning week in, week out, and that’s something I’ve done all my life at Chelsea and if I can bring that experience and winning mentality here, I’d be very happy.”

 

Mikel also admits he shares the same ambition as Stoke which is a return to the Premier League which they last played in during the 2017-18 season when they went down with Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion.

“I’m excited. I’ve been talking with the club for a week, talking to the manager trying to know exactly what the ambition of the club is and also my ambition what I want to do as a player. My ambition and the club’s ambition seem to be pretty much the same,” he continued.

“I’m excited to see where we can go with this partnership, I’m here to help the club, get promoted, I think this club belongs to the Premier League, that’s where it should be.

“I’ve spoken to a few clubs, but after speaking to the manager, he told me what he wants and the ambition is something I want, I still want to win, achieve something and after talking to the manager I decided this is the right place for me to continue my career.”

Stoke makes it the second Championship club Mikel would play for having been with Middlesbrough between January and May 2019 and was dubbed the “African Zidane” by the supporters. He believes his experience at the Riverside and his understanding of the Championship will make him prepared at Stoke.

“It was good, it was a lovely time at Middlesbrough. It was a good place for me to go and experience the Championship and that experience is what I’ll bring here. Now I know the game a little bit more, now I kind of know what to expect which is something I’m looking forward to,” Mikel said.

“I’ve always known it’s a difficult game [against Championship teams] it’s never an easy game, they are very physical, they never stop running and that’s something I knew before going to Boro and that’s exactly what I experienced and what I’m quite ready for.”

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Mikel - who has also previously played for Lyn Oslo and Tianjin TEDA, asserts he can get his fitness up to speed having not played a competitive game in nearly five months.

“I’ve got like three to four weeks before the season starts, you don’t quite know where you will be, but I’ve been doing things right for the past five to six months at home trying to train, go to the gym, do bits here and there,” he said.

“It’s going to take a while but with my ambition and my goal of knowing where I want to be before the season starts, I should be there.”

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STAY AWAY FROM INDIAN GARRI,NAFDAC WARNED NIGERIANS

The National Agency for Food and drug Administration, NAFDAC, has begun investigations into the alleged importation of “Indian garri” in the country, even as Nigerians have been cautioned against consumption of the product. Indian gari Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, who spoke on the development in a statement on his twitter handle, entitled On imported garri, Pt 1 – NAFDAC, said 26 of the 500 mg packets of the product, were seized after regulatory officials visited the supermarket at Ikoyi on Monday, February 20, 2017. Also alerting Nigerians about the development, the Acting Director General of NAFDAC, Mrs Yetunde Oni, urged Nigerians to stay away from the product because its consumption portended health hazards, as the agency was yet to certify it fit for consumption. Oni, who spoke in Ilorin at a one-day zonal campaign on current regulatory issues in the safe use of drugs, animal feeds, pesticides and chemicals, said preliminary investigation had revealed that the product was actually made in Ghana, and not India as some reports earlier claimed, adding that it was packaged in the UK.

NNPC Driver Takes Company's Vehicle To Show Off At Lover's House, Gets it Stolen

A bus driver of NNPC in Lagos state has ran into trouble after he took company bus to his lovers house to flex and the bus got stolen by robbers.
The driver, Wasiu Aliyu was arraigned on Monday on two counts of stealing in an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court.

The father of two who hails from Ilorin, Kwara state woke up at his lover’s house on Assfood Street, Oriola, Alapere, Lagos only to discover that a Toyota Hiace which is worth N23m had been stolen.

Aliyu informed the police that he had been driving the stolen bus for over three years, and had no hand in the stealing.

He said, “ At about 8pm on January 21, I went to my girlfriend’s house in Oriola to pass the night. A man came to wake me up around 4am that he saw some boys inside the bus.

“Before I got to where the bus was, they had left with it. It was a mistake that I parked the bus on the street because there is no security there.”

A police prosecutor, Inspector Benedict Aigbokhan, who brought Mr. Aliyu before the court, said he had allegedly committed an offence, which contravenes sections 285 (1) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Mr Aliyu pleaded not guilty and elected summary trial.

The presiding magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Akokhia, admitted him to bail in the sum of N1m with two sureties in like sum while the case was adjourned till April 18, 2017 for mention.

Stop blaming Jonathan, fulfill your promises Bishop Oyedepo tells Buhari”

Founder of Living Faith Church worldwide,a.k.a Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo has  described the socio-economic challenges in the nation as those borne out of systemic failure.

According to him, the Muhammadu Buhari’s administratiin had no point blaming any political party or individual for the current travails Nigeria is facing .

He said “The present administration should be more sensitive to issues that affect ordinary people, because things had not been working well.”

Oyedepo who is also  Chancellor of Landmark University, Omu Aran, Kwara state,  urged the Buhari administration to be  more sensitive to issues that affect ordinary nigerians saying that things have not been working well.

The clergyman cum academician spoke with journalists in Omu Aran at the fifth founder’s day celebration of the private university he estaablished in Omu Aran,his country home.
According to him,”Our problem is a systemic problem not political or leadership problem and we must find solution to it. Nigeria will not go down the drain, we will proffer solution to it.”

He noted that,”Where we are today is not where we should be. The effect of the forex has a lot to do with small scale industries and that is where the bulk of Nigeria employment is.”

“Anybody can make mistakes but if people in the authority are not sensitive to the cry of the people, we would keep making more mistakes. My understanding is that it is never late to be right. If a decision is made and we discovered it is not right we should do an informed review.” he added.

Oyedepo also said, “What am saying is that things have not been working and we are all aware of it. There is no point pointing accusing finger. Each individuals in the country also have a lot to play to recover the dignity of our nation”.

He however stressed that, “The challenges have been with us for many years, it didn’t just happen now. Government should be sensitive on issue that affect everybody.”
“We have been fighting over the issue of power for many decades now. Government should have its priority. They should itemise the fundamentals that can move Nigeria forward and commit to it. “He added.
He noted that,”We don’t have to have the resources, if we have the platform for investors to come in because they are more in touch with the issues.”

“Look at the present fuel problem. It used to be black market but now we have black stations and they have the right to sell at any price because they are private marketers but the government still need to come out and take a decision on it”.

Oyedepo also said, “Solution should not be only thinking, we should go beyond thinking to reasoning, logical, rational and analytical reasoning by identifying the issues and proffer possible way out of the problem.

“Nigeria problems is all about cost effective solution that will come out of sound reasoning. Remember the people in government are from us. So, we are all in government since they are not foreigners. So each one of us has a role to play. Private bodies should be allowed in all other areas of the country just like we have in the education sector. “He stressed.

He further said that,”Nigerians need to take responsibility of our challenges and find solutions to them because we have nowhere else to go. We should not sit down and cast blames.”

“We have to be committed in finding the solution and stop the blame game even though government has a major role to play, each one of us also has roles to play. People will not listen to a critique but a consult who are thinking value addition taught. We learn from other nations efforts in solving problems.”he added

Stop Complaining About Crude Price, Jonathan Left You $30bn - Obasanjo Tells Buhari

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that the global oil price as at the time he became president was much lower than it is now, hence the need for the current administration to still find a breakthrough in making economic advances.

 

Speaking during an exclusive interview with an Online platform, Frisky Larr, former President Olusegun Obasanjo said he met a worse situation in the global price of crude oil when he took power in 1999, but made the best of it.

 

He however reminded Buhari that unlike his administration that met a paltry $3.7 billion in the coffers, Goodluck Jonathan left behind a whooping $30 billion.

 

He was quoted as saying, "When I assumed office in 1999, I inherited $3.7 billion in reserve, while Buhari met $30 billion, almost 10 times of what I met then, and the price of oil then was $9. When it got to $20, I was dancing. 

"I know the price is down now and with time, it will jump up again. What Buhari is doing currently is preparing ground for Nigeria to take advantage when it goes up again."

 

 

Premier League striker Dieumerci Mbokani caught up in Brussels terror attacks

NORWICH striker Dieumerci Mbokani was caught up in the horrendous terror attacks on Brussels on Tuesday morning.
The Congolese forward, 30, was at Zavaentem Airport in the Belgian city at the time of the attacks.

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At least 28 people have been killed and dozens injured following a series of explosions this morning.
So far, 15 are thought to have been killed and 55 injured after a rush hour blast at a metro station in Maalbeek close to EU buildings.
Another 13 are said to have been confirmed dead and 35 injured following an attack on Brussels Zaventem airport — where Mbokaki was — at around 8am on Tuesday.
However, Alex Neil’s Canaries have released a statement on their website stating that Mbokani is unharmed yet shaken by the events.

Dieumerci Mbokani is currently on loan at Carrow Road from Dinamo Kiev Getty Images

The statement read: “Norwich City Football Club can confirm Dieumerci Mbokani was at Zaventem Airport in Brussels at the time of this morning’s terror attacks.
“The on-loan Dinamo Kiev striker was unharmed but shaken by the tragic events at the airport, in which a number of people were killed or injured.
“The club is in constant dialogue with Dieumerci, who has now returned home to be with his family.
“The thoughts of everyone at Norwich City are with the victims of the atrocities in Belgium today and their relatives.
“There will be no further statements from the Club or Dieumerci Mbokani at this time.”

Kaduna: El-Rufai Denies Cancellation of Easter Celebration

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has denied rumours going around that the government has cancelled Easter holidays in the state.

"Good Friday and Easter Monday are established public holidays, they are mandatory and are declared by the Federal Government. Pupils and students in Kaduna State will go on Easter Holiday and Good Friday and Easter Monday," he said on Social Media.

"It is falsehood and baseless blackmail to suggest that schools must end the second term before Easter. The school term is not a religious issue. The tendency to place a religious hue on everything is irresponsible”, he said.



The Governor said: “Pupils in Kaduna State will have their Easter break on the prescribed public holidays and return to school to conclude the second term”.

Kaduna State will not curtail its school term to 10 weeks. Education cannot be abridged to appease prejudice.