BABA TO JOIN CHELSEA $33m DEAL

Augsburg manager Stefan Reuter confirmed Saturday that Ghana's Abdul Rahman Baba is poised to join English champions Chelsea with the deal set to net the Germans up to 30 million euros ($33m).

BORNO STATE DEPUTY GOVERNOR DEAD

The Borno Government on Saturday announced the
death of its Deputy Governor, Alhaji Zannah Umar
Mustapha
Alhaji Usman Shuwa, the Secretary to the
State Government, announced the death in
a statement signed in Maiduguri.
“It is with deep sense of utter shock and
disbelief but with complete submission to
the will of the Almighty Allah that the
Borno Government hereby announces the
passing away of Alhaji Zannah Umar
Mustapha, the Deputy Governor.
“He died in his sleep this morning
(Saturday) in Yola, Adamawa, where he
was to represent Borno Government at
the convocation ceremony of Modibbo
Adama University of Science and
Technology, Yola.
“He was also scheduled to follow up on his
earlier visit to Yola, in connection with the
welfare of Borno citizens internally
displaced as a result of the Boko Haram
insurgency.
“His remains would be brought to
Maiduguri for funeral at the Government
House, Maiduguri, at 4p.m. Saturday, Aug.
15, the statement read.
It also quoted Gov. Kashim Shettima of
Borno as expressing his heart felt
condolence to the family of the Deputy
Governor and the entire people of Borno
for the irreparable loss.
Shettima appealed for prayers for the
repose of the soul of the late Deputy
Governor.

US EXPERTS TO TRAIN NIGERIA FAMERS

The United States of America will assist as well as train Nigerian farmers in the next agricultural planting season.This is part of the dividends being recorded after President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to the US, Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman said.Already, the 2015 planting has been completed and Nigerian farmers will await the tutelage of US professional farmers to improve on the already thriving sector.He warned that the dividend from the four-day working visit might not be immediately visible as most were long term, however, the short terms ones were already pouring in and others will keep coming progressively.“It is not like going to the market and coming back and saying how much did you sell? There are long-term things. When we came back we talked about the things that are immediate, the low hanging fruits that we could have and the ones that could take time,” he said.During the National Peace Committee meeting which held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja last week, the President “talked about America coming to assist us in farming next season, it is late for this year but by next year they are going to send some experts who will help Nigerian farmers.“So, things like that will keep coming. It is not something that you will just put in a basket immediately. The yield will come in progressively,” according to Adesina.He said the agenda of security, assistance in terms of armament, instructions and intelligence, “will keep dropping; it is not as if it will be gotten in one fell swoop.”The administration of President Goodluck Jonathan had from 2011 focused on the agricultural sector as one of its mainstay, in the quest to boost food production and ensure self-sufficiency in agricultural practices in the country. This yielded a 70 percent growth in food production.The production of rice and cassava received more attention as even the output of Nigerian rice farmers was over 2.8 million metric tons of rice paddy. This had also culminated in the introduction of a dry season farming.Buhari’s government has now listed agriculture as one of its main source to boost the economy in the midst of dwindling oil prices. Oil prices have continued to fall between an all time high of $68 to $50 per barrel.Only recently Buhari had, while receiving the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Kanayo Nwanze, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the time had come for Nigerians to do more than pay mere lip service to agriculture, as crude oil and gas exports would no longer be sufficient as the country’s major revenue earner.“It’s time to go back to the land. We must face the reality that the petroleum we had depended on for so long will no longer suffice. We campaigned heavily on agriculture, and we are ready to assist as many as want to go into agricultural ventures,” the president had said.

TERRENCE HOWARD IN TIRES AS HE TESTIFIES AGAINST WIFE

Terrence Howard broke down on the stand yesterday when he testified he signed a settlement agreement with his wife because she threatened to release medical information that would make it impossible for him to ever work in Hollywood again.Howard was referring to a conversation he taped when Michelle Ghent was on the phone threatening to telling various people he had an STD.He also testified he felt pressure to sign the settlement agreement, giving her an unusually large sum of money and also because she threatened to release a sex tape featuring him and another woman.According to TMZ reports, Howard blew his nose as he fought back tears on the stand, taking deep breaths as he testified.He also testified that his wife was always jealous about his scenes with other women on TV especially the make out scene with Jennifer Hudson in the movie-Winnie Mandela. He said she flew into a rage and threw food at him while they were in South Africa.He also testified that they were no longer sexually compatible once he tried becoming a Jehovah's witness and applied bible principles to his sex life.He's trying to undo the settlement, giving her $5,800 a month in spousal support and a chunk of his "Empire" earnings, on grounds he signed the doc under extreme duress.