www. bountifullink.blogspot.com

Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach believes IBF, IBO, WBA heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs) has packed on too much muscle for his own good When Joshua made his pro debut in October of 2013, he weighed 230-pounds and he’s been as low as 229. Joshua is back on March 31, at Principality in Cardiff, Wales. That night, he will collide with WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker (24-0, 18 KOs) in a unification fight. If Joshua prevails, he would be in line for a mega-fight with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs). In order to overcome the challenge of Wilder, Roach believes Joshua would have to shed off some of that muscle mass before their  anticipated showdown takes place. “I think that’s a great fight. Joshua is a really great fighter. He asked me if I could train him one time and I hope that  comes true  one day. I think he’s in good hands. The thing about him right now, is that I think he’s working too much on the weight lifting and

Israeli Holocaust survivors are pleading with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel his plan to forcefully expel tens of thousands of African migrants, citing their own experiences as outcasts. “We, who know precisely what it’s like to be refugees, to be homeless and bereft of a state that preserves and protects us from violence and suffering, cannot comprehend how a Jewish government can expel refugees and asylum seekers to a journey of suffering, torment and death,” the 36 signatories wrote in an open letter published in English by Haaretz newspaper on Friday. The appeal came on the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On January 3, Netanyahu announced implementation of a plan to deport about 38,000 migrants who entered Israel illegally, mainly Eritreans and Sudanese, and gave them until the end of March to leave voluntarily or face jail and eventual expulsion by force. He defended his decision at the weekly cabinet meeting last Sunday, denying that

IN spite of the optimism expressed by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele about the possibility of reduction in the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) before July, Chief Executive of Afrinvest Securities Limited, Ayodeji Ebo says a rate cut will be unlikely as this would undermine foreign exchange inflow and stability in the foreign exchange market. Ebo  made this assertion while speaking at  the Finance Correspondents Association of Nigeria (FICAN) Economic Outlook with theme: ‘Nigeria Economy and Financial Market Outlook: 2017 Review and 2018 Outlook’ held at the FICAN Centre, Lagos. The CBN Governor  had on Wednesday said the apex bank may begin a gradual rate cut by the end of the first half of the year as inflation continues to decline. Inflation which had risen to almost 19 per cent last year January had maintained a steady decline standing at 15.37 in December. Speaking at the Ebo stated that a cut in rate would impact rates at the money market caus

Billionaire investor George Soros launched a scathing attack on tech giants at the Davos summit on Thursday, calling them monopolies that could be manipulated by authoritarians to subvert democracy. During an annual dinner he hosts at the World Economic Forum, held this week in the Swiss alpine resort, Soros turned his sights on a host of subjects including US President Donald Trump and the speculation frenzy surrounding the bitcoin cryptocurrency. But much of the Hungarian-born financier’s ire was reserved for the tech giants of Silicon Valley who, he argued, needed to be more strictly regulated. “Facebook and Google effectively control over half of all internet advertising revenue, ” the 87-year-old told diners during a speech. “They claim that they are merely distributors of information. The fact that they are near-monopoly distributors makes them public utilities and should subject them to more stringent regulations, aimed at preserving competition, innovation, and fair and open

The Management of Yaba College of Technology says it is dialoguing with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to resolve a disagreement delaying take-off of the college’s radio station. Dr Charles Oni, Director, Public Relations Unit, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos. He said that the conflict borders on the use of the licence in both campuses of the college at Yaba and Epe, for which the college duly applied. “We have an area of conflict with NBC. Initially, when we applied for the licence, it was intended for both campuses. “But now, NBC is saying otherwise. We are trying to sort it out,’’ Oni said. According to him, the management has completed a new digitalised studio for the radio station and will begin test transmission soon. He said that the fully digitalised radio studio, with state-of-the-art gadgets, was built and funded by the college. Oni said that the radio station would be used to train students in the no

Mr Segun Oladitan, the Chairman of Osun Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) on Saturday said the low turnout at some polling units at the ongoing local government election was due to some misinformation by oppositions Oladitan while speaking with newsmen at the OSIEC Secretariat in Osogbo said he was surprised at the reports of low turnout in some polling stations. He blamed the low turnout to some misinformation being spread by those opposing the election in the state. He said described the oppositions as “mischief makers’’ saying they had been going around to tell the people that election would not hold. Oladitan said it was falsehood from the distracters who claimed there was a court order restricting OSIEC from conducting the election. He expressed delight however that new information reaching him indicated that the electorate were now turning out to vote. Oladitan said the commission did a lot of sensitisation about the election, which resulted in larg

Ordinarily this letter should have been addressed to the National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus. But am not doing so because my message or appeal is for every member of PDP, particularly those who wish the party well. Let me begin by recalling that this same time in 2015, which was also shortly after the National Convention of the PDP, I was inspired to write an article titled “Will PDP survive 2015?”. The kernel of my submission then was that PDP manifestly lacked internal democracy and that it was difficult, if not impossible, for it to give what it did not have. I mentioned that a political party seeking power to rule Nigeria democratically, but could not practice the same democratic principle internally, was bound to fail,because the citizens will be hard put to trust it with democratic governance. Impunity and imposition were the order of the day in PDP at that time. And did PDP survive 2015. Of course not. With the crushing defeat it got in the 2015 elections, no one c

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, has commended the ruling All Progressive Congress APC, on its far reaching recommendations on the issue of the proposed restructuring of the country. Dickson said that the recommendations had further strengthened the agitations for true federalism and resource control in the Niger Delta. While calling on the APC to be sincere with the implementation of the recommendations, Dickson said restructuring Nigeria would calm frayed nerves and strengthen the nation’s unity. However, the Governor called on the leadership of the APC to ensure implementation of the recommendations of its committee on restructuring before the conduct of the 2019 General elections. According to him, implementing the report before 2019 general elections was the true test of the sincerity of the APC on the recommendations. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, quoted the governor as having made th

The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has promised to ensure salary increase for officers and men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). Adeosun made the promise at the celebration of International Customs Day at the Customs Command and Staff College Gwagwalada, FCT on Friday in Abuja. The theme of the event was “A secure business environment for economic development’’. The minister was represented by the Ministry’s Director of Finance, Mrs Oladudumi Biosola. Adeosun urged officers of the NCS to put in more efforts to rise above target in revenue drive. She said that security of trade environment was central for business to proper, adding that security aspect of Customs role was as important as its revenue role. “The theme of this year Customs day coincides with the current ease of doing business initiative of the Federal Government. “We understand that the initiative is already yielding dividends based on the fact that we have improved by 24 points in the World Ba

With the letter from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, advising President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek reelection causing political uproar in the polity  ace-comedian and UN ambassador,  I Go Dye,  has written  his own letter to the President, equally advising him to leave now , especially as the ovation is still  loud for him. I Go Dye who spoke to E-daily, on his combustible letter said he had actually planned to release his own letter before the OBJ’s since last December, but the Yuletide activities and preparation for the burial of his late PA held him up . In his usual version of not mincing words and not minding whose horse is gored,  the humour merchant pours out his heart in his letter to the President, charging him to be a hero rather than a villain in the history books of the nation. Francis-Agoda AKA I Go Dye The letter reads in part, “A passionate appeal to Excellency,President Muhammadu Buhari,not to contest the 2019 Presidential elections  and a clarion call to all t

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday departed Abuja for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to participate at the 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU). Newsmen report that the president left the Presidential Villa, Abuja, via the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport for Addis Ababa two hours after observing the weekly Friday’s Juma’at prayer. The President alongside with hundreds of other Muslim faithful performed the two Raka’at Juma’at prayer at the Aso Rock Mosque. Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, had on Jan. 25, in a statement disclosed that the highlight of the President’s engagements during the visit would be his statements under the historic theme for the AU Summit, namely: “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation.” “This is the first time in the 54-year history of the AU that anti-corruption will be made a

stakeholder in Imo state, Mr. Livinus Okwara, said Thursday, that the Igbo should support President Mohammadu Buhari for 2019 general election, adding that after Buhari the Southeast zone will produce the next President.He was reacting to a statement by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, where he called on Buhari not to contest for re-election in 2019. Okwara said: “Seriously, our people should be wary of this man. I don’t even know the type of animosity he holds against us. I want to tell you that Obasanjo is not concerned about the progress of Nigeria; all he is doing is to continue his grip on the affairs of Nigeria. “The ruling All Progressive Congress, is the surest and fastest way to getting the presidency of Igbo extraction, as anything outside this could truncate the dream of an Igbo man presiding over the affairs of the country in 2023. “Since the advent of democracy, Nigeria has been grappling with multifarious challenges and wondered why Buhari would be

It was another season of celebration of  African film makers as stakeholders gathered in far away Dubai for a three day conference tagged CABSAT, a conference and exhibition event highlighting broadcast, satellite and creative media. The event which was quite fruitful provided the exhibitors the chance to present their expertise and talent and connect with a wide variety of people. One of the greatest outcomes was the introduction of the dedicated camera by Canon, one of the major stakeholders in the film making industry. The organisation which commended the exploits of African film makers as a way of addressing some of the challenges in the industry unveiled specially dedicated cameras for the army of young vibrant film makers in Africa. The annual three day event with the theme,  the future of film making industry in Africa  which was attended by all the major global, regional & local technology and content service providers featured perfor-mances, exhibition of the late

BARELY 24 hours after former President Olusegun Obasanjo advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019, the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting was flooded with the campaign fez caps with the inscription, “Continuity ’19: Muhammadu Buhari/Osinbajo”. The South West Campaign Coordinator and Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, who reportedly was behind the production of the caps handed them over in a ‘Ghana-must-go” bag to the officers of the Cabinet Office at the Council Chamber to distribute to the ministers in attendance. Shittu who is aspiring to contest the governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State wore his own cap, while his other colleagues in the cabinet were expected to put on theirs. The Minister who is having a running battles with his state governor, Abiola Ajimobi is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that President Buhari is re-elected.

Domestic airlines operating in Nigeria recorded 30,214 cases of delayed flights between January and December 2017, according to figures released by the Consumer Protection Department of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). A document issued by the department and obtained by newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos shows that 48,319 flights were operated by eight airlines during the period under review. According to the document, 872 flights were cancelled for various reasons by the airlines. It said the airlines in operation were Aero Contractors, Arik Air, Air Peace, Azman Air, Dana Air, First Nation, Med-View and Overland. The document said Air Peace, which operated 14,312 flights, topped the chart of delayed flights with 8,336 and only 149 cancelled flights. It added that Arik Air followed with 6,709 delayed flights and 498 cancellations, out of its 10,840 flight operations. According to the document, Dana Air operated 6,838 flights with 4,386 cases of delayed flights and 16 cancellati

NEWSLETTERS SEARCH SWITCH TO DESKTOP     ×  India is gathering the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Regional Cooperation (ASEAN) for a summit on Thursday to promote maritime security in a region dominated by China, officials and diplomats said. India has been pursuing an "Act East" policy of developing political and economic ties with Southeast Asia, but its efforts have been tentative and far trail China, whose trade with ASEAN was more than six times India's in 2016-17 at $470 million. China has also expanded its presence in South Asia, building ports and power plants in countries around India's periphery, such as Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and spurring New Delhi to seek new allies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited the leaders of all ten ASEAN nations to join him in the Republic Day celebrations on Friday in the biggest ever gathering of foreign leaders at the parade that showcases military might and cultural diversity. Th

As outrage  and anger  continue to trail the reported ‘shithole’ remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump’s, the Organisation for the Advancement of Nigerians (OAN) has lent its voice to correct his wrong perception about Nigerians in the U.S. The group joined other African groups and individuals to denounce the recent disparaging statements and pronouncements attributed to Trump about Africa, El Salvador and Haiti. Trump reportedly used ‘shithole’ countries to refer to Africans and other immigrants countries in the U.S. at his meeting with members of the Senate at the White House recently. The Nigerian society group, however, stated categorically that Africans, and Nigerians in particular, were resilient, hard-working, and productive members of the U.S. society who constantly contributed at the local, state, and national levels. It noted that Trump might have erroneously made references to Nigerians during his campaign but had since his ascendancy to the presidency, be

ORGANISED Labour yesterday, yesterday warned that the latest  unemployment report released by the  National Bureau of Statistics, NBS,  showing that 7.53 million out of Nigeria’s labour force of 85.08 million were unemployed, was a threat to national development. Specifically, organized labour speaking through the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, and a member of the National Executive Council, NEC, of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr. Issa Aremu, contended that the report once again, confirmed the crisis of governance and underdevelopment in Nigeria. According to him: “If we have such army of underemployed, the crisis of unemployment has assumed tragic proportions in forms of various mass crimes as restless youths swell the ranks of kidnappers and insurgent.   All tiers of government must rise to promote development through re-Industrialization, uninterrupted electricity supply and war against which make th

Ekiti State Governor, Chief Ayodele Fayose has described ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter to President Muhammadu Buhari as belated and self-serving. According to a press statement by his Chief Press Secretary issued in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, Fayose said, ” It is a face-saving letter after Obasanjo, who led the cabals that imposed Buhari, had seen that Nigerians have turned back from following the president. “Damning as the Obasanjo letter was and although it makes some sense, the writer is not deserving of the letter. “Obasanjo is not the right person to write that letter” Fayose insisted “He was the leader of those who deceived Nigerians and lied to the international community to support Buhari. “Nigerians have already made up their minds to show Buhari the exit next year with or without Obasanjo’s self-serving letter “So Obasanjo should not take the credit. He should not reap where he has not sown. “Nevertheless, President Buhari should heed ex-Presi

Russia’s Culture Ministry has withdrawn permission for the satirical film “The Death of Stalin” to be shown in theatres, state media reported on Tuesday, two days before the film was supposed to premiere in the country. Death of Stalin’ “The film, by Scottish director Armando Iannucci, has been banned for ideological reasons as it contains material prohibited by Russian legislation,’’ it reported, without disclosing what material was disputed. Russian officials and cultural figures had slammed the film’s pending release as disgraceful ahead of next week’s 75th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, a critical victory for the Soviet Union in World War II. Soviet head of state Josef Stalin, condemned by his successor as responsible for a series of murderous purges and repressions, is widely revered in modern Russia as the nation’s victorious leader during World War II. According to nationwide survey results released by Russia’s largest pollster, the state-run Russian Publ

Arsenal fans are convinced Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will take Thierry Henry’s legendary No.14 shirt.Henry wore the jersey during his stunning career in north London. Theo Walcott has donned the shirt in recent years but couldn’t live up to his predecessor. Aubameyang He was sold to Everton earlier this month and Gunners fans think potential new signing Aubameyang could now be destined to take hold of the No.14. That’s after pal  Henrikh Mkhitaryan was handed the No.7 shirt  left vacant by Alexis Sanchez’s move to Manchester United. “14 is for Auba” one fan confidently wrote on Twitter. Another wrote: “Aubame14ang incoming.”  A third fan posted on the social network: “So @Aubameyang7 is 14.” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger earlier confirmed that a deal for Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is under discussion. Asked if he was confident of completing a deal for Aubameyang, Wenger said: “Confident or not confident, I don’t know “You never know how close you are. “This