Infinitiser delivers Glo’s 26m subscribers free to postpaid customers

If benefits including few minutes free calls to selected numbers and a couple of free credits after reaching some loyalty threshold, which some operators in recent times allow their subscribers, have so much become part of their telephone lives, Second National Operator, Globacom, may be recreating the per second billing feat with its recent Infinitiser postpaid customers service
To many subscribers who witnessed the launch of the service in Lagos, last week, it was so amazing to see the network hand its 26 million subscribers over, for free, to a section of its customers to interact with.
More so, when the Postpaid telecom landscape in Nigeria shows lots of confusion and complications, leading the customers to pay costly tariff and only enjoy additional features with additional charge.
It was not surprising to see smiles in the faces of some post-paid subscribers who were at the venue of the launch, immediately details of the service were unveiled. Called Glo Infinitiser, Globacom said this product is conceived to offer subscribers the full range of Glo voice, data and business offerings with the convenience of a single monthly bill.  It said the product will eliminate the inconvenience of recharging different voice and data accounts within the month.
In fact, Globacom’s Head of Corporate Sales, Kamaldeen Shonibare,   explained that the product was the first of its kind, developed to enable post-paid subscribers to make absolutely free calls to 26 million subscribers on the Glo network once the beneficiary pays the monthly subscription fee of N5,000.  This is also in addition to a monthly 1GB data bundle.
For him, it was the biggest post-paid product offering ever in Nigeria. “Infinitiser gives a golden opportunity to achieve more, enables you to talk endlessly with loved ones and business associates. It helps you to close your deal and get fulfillment. It mitigates the difference between day and night because you can make free calls on it twenty four hour a day and seven days a week”.
According to him, the product is targeted at existing and potential pre and post paid customers.  He explained that the new product also offers free 1GB of data monthly along with the free calls. Calls to other networks will be at the low rate of 25k per second, on-net SMS at N4 per message and international calls at the rate of N9 per minute to 7 destinations namely, US, UK landline, Canada, India, China, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Shonibare however added that the product is of super Closed User Group (CUG) which will appeal to business customers, high net-worth individuals, business owners and senior managers within the corporate, SME and Public sectors,
From his explanation, subscribers currently on the post paid tariff are eligible to migrate to the new Infinitiser, while individuals who currently spend more than N5,000 to recharge their pre-paid lines monthly also stand to benefit by moving to the Infinitiser post paid platform.
To join Infinitiser on the post-paid platform, new subscribers and those already on pre-paid will need to formally apply and fill subscriber agreement forms, make monthly N5,000 deposit, before their lines are activated.
High point of the product, according to  Mr. Sheriff Kolapo of Glo’s Marketing Department is that even though Glo Infinitiser targets High valued customers with substantial value for their money, it has no complications or hidden charges. It gives the biggest value for postpaid customers in the history of postpaid business in Nigeria.

Winners emerge in Airtel ‘Bid, Get’ Service

Lagos - The first set of winners have emerged in the on-going Airtel Bid and Get service, recently introduced to telecoms consumers across all networks.
The winners are Vincent Okafor, a 22 year old student of Electrical Engineering in the University of Benin, 30 years old banker, Olabode Uthman Otukoya and Port Harcourt-based Christabel Agara, a 22 year-old business developer.
The trio successfully bid for and won Blackberry Z10, Samsung 3D TV as well as ipad mini and iphone5 respectively. They have since been presented with the bidding items.
The bidding service, first ever in the country, is a direct reverse of the traditional bidding concept which recognizes the highest bid for any advertised item, by placing premium on the bid with the most unique and lowest monetary value for any of the range of items put up during the period of the bidding.
Airtel’s Bid and Get service is a unique addition to the company’s rich line of exciting, pocket-friendly value propositions that offer a unique service experience to customers on the network.
In a congratulatory message to the winners, Airtel Nigeria’s Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, Deepak Srivastava, said “the emergence of the winners attests to the level of trust reposed on the network by Nigerians and indicates the credibility of the service. I urge customers to take advantage of the offer and enrich their lives”.
Airtel’s Bid and Get service is open to customers on both pre and post-paid plans. The range of items available for auction includes communication devices and house-hold appliances among others.
To register for Airtel Bid and Get, a customer is to send the word “BID’ to the short code 3210 free of charge, and thereafter participate in the bid by sending the bid amount to the 3210, at N10 for every bid SMS.
The bidder whose bid is the lowest and unique at the end of the bidding cycle is declared the successful bidder and consequently qualifies to buy the product on offer for N100.
On receipt of SMS informing a participant of winning a particular bid auction, the successful bidder is to send the word “WIN” to “3211” and thereafter, would be presented with his winning at the nearest Airtel office.

Infinitiser delivers Glo’s 26m subscribers free to postpaid customers

If benefits including few minutes free calls to selected numbers and a couple of free credits after reaching some loyalty threshold, which some operators in recent times allow their subscribers, have so much become part of their telephone lives, Second National Operator, Globacom, may be recreating the per second billing feat with its recent Infinitiser postpaid customers service
To many subscribers who witnessed the launch of the service in Lagos, last week, it was so amazing to see the network hand its 26 million subscribers over, for free, to a section of its customers to interact with.
More so, when the Postpaid telecom landscape in Nigeria shows lots of confusion and complications, leading the customers to pay costly tariff and only enjoy additional features with additional charge.
It was not surprising to see smiles in the faces of some post-paid subscribers who were at the venue of the launch, immediately details of the service were unveiled. Called Glo Infinitiser, Globacom said this product is conceived to offer subscribers the full range of Glo voice, data and business offerings with the convenience of a single monthly bill.  It said the product will eliminate the inconvenience of recharging different voice and data accounts within the month.
In fact, Globacom’s Head of Corporate Sales, Kamaldeen Shonibare,   explained that the product was the first of its kind, developed to enable post-paid subscribers to make absolutely free calls to 26 million subscribers on the Glo network once the beneficiary pays the monthly subscription fee of N5,000.  This is also in addition to a monthly 1GB data bundle.
For him, it was the biggest post-paid product offering ever in Nigeria. “Infinitiser gives a golden opportunity to achieve more, enables you to talk endlessly with loved ones and business associates. It helps you to close your deal and get fulfillment. It mitigates the difference between day and night because you can make free calls on it twenty four hour a day and seven days a week”.
According to him, the product is targeted at existing and potential pre and post paid customers.  He explained that the new product also offers free 1GB of data monthly along with the free calls. Calls to other networks will be at the low rate of 25k per second, on-net SMS at N4 per message and international calls at the rate of N9 per minute to 7 destinations namely, US, UK landline, Canada, India, China, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Shonibare however added that the product is of super Closed User Group (CUG) which will appeal to business customers, high net-worth individuals, business owners and senior managers within the corporate, SME and Public sectors,
From his explanation, subscribers currently on the post paid tariff are eligible to migrate to the new Infinitiser, while individuals who currently spend more than N5,000 to recharge their pre-paid lines monthly also stand to benefit by moving to the Infinitiser post paid platform.
To join Infinitiser on the post-paid platform, new subscribers and those already on pre-paid will need to formally apply and fill subscriber agreement forms, make monthly N5,000 deposit, before their lines are activated.
High point of the product, according to  Mr. Sheriff Kolapo of Glo’s Marketing Department is that even though Glo Infinitiser targets High valued customers with substantial value for their money, it has no complications or hidden charges. It gives the biggest value for postpaid customers in the history of postpaid business in Nigeria.

Davido announces dates for European tour

Davido attends the MTV AllStars concert in Lagos. Photo: BHM

After releasing his latest video, ‘One of a Kind’ the HNK boss is set to go on a 8-city tour which begins on Saturday June 8, 2013 in Vienna, Austria and ends on June 30 in Prague.
The pop star who recently renewed his deal with MTN confirmed the upcoming tour through several tweets calling for fans to expect him in their cities.

Europe tour GOBE!8 OPERA VIENNA14 NOXX ANTWERP15 DNA AMSTERDAM16 GLAM TURIN21 CALIFORNIA MALAGA28 SALON WILSON PARIS30 LUCERNA PRAGUE

June 2, 2013 8:24 PM via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@iam_Davido

Davido

According to information available to NET, Davido who received two nominations at the 2013 Nigerian Entertainment Awards (NEA) for ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Best Pop/R&B Artiste’ is also planning an African tour come July 2013.
See tour dates and venues below:
8th June: Vienna Austria – Opera Club
14th June: Antwerp, Belgium – Noxx Club Straatsburgdork Nookai 3-2031
15th June: Holland Amsterdam – DNA Club
16th June: Turin, Italy – Khaltorious Glam Club
21st June: Malaga, Spain – California Club
23rd June: Parma, Italy
28th & 29th June: Paris, France
30th June: Prague, Czech Republic – Lucerna Music Bar

Jose Mourinho Chelsea most adored manager returns signing a 4-year deal

Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. Photo: Facebook

The English Premiership just got exciting again! Jose Mourinho has returned to London as Chelsea FC manager on a four-year deal.

Mourinho who just ended his job at Real Madrid succeeds Rafael Benitez who left at the end of the season to join Napoli following his six-month interim at Stamford Bridge.

‘I am delighted to welcome Jose back to Chelsea. His continued success, drive and ambition made him the outstanding candidate. It is our aim to keep the club moving forward to achieve greater success in the future and Jose is our number one choice as we believe he is the right manager to do just that’, Ron Gourlay, Chelsea chief executive said, welcoming the 50-year-old back to the club.

Before leaving Chelsea in 2007, Mourinho won for Chelsea the premiere league twice, the FA Cup once, the League Cup twice and the Community Shield Cup once.

JJC Skillz involved in car accident

In what could have turned out to be a tragic incident, producer and singer, JJC aka Mr Skillz made it out of a nearly fatal accident.
The accident happened today, Tuesday, June 4, 2013 in Ogba area of Lagos as a reckless trailer driver ran into Skillz’s Nissan Altima.
NET gathered that the producer and his friend who was inside the car with him at the time were unhurt but the left side of the back door was badly damaged.
Skillz whose real name is Abdul Rasheed Bello is mostly popular for his song, ’We are Africans’, featuring the late DaGrin and a host of other African stars in several remixes.

Japan 1st team to reach 2014 World Cup

Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2014 World Cup on Tuesday after a stoppage-time penalty by Keisuke Honda secured a 1-1 draw with Australia.
Tommy Oar had given Australia a 1-0 lead in the 82nd minute but a handball by Matthew McKay in extra time set up the penalty for Honda, who beat Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer with left-footed shot to the top corner. Japan needed at least a point to clinch a spot in next year’s World Cup in Brazil from Group B in Asian qualifying.
Both teams had great scoring chances in the first half, but Schwarzer got his right hand up to block Shinji Kagawa’s shot from close range. Later, Brett Holman fed a through ball to Robbie Kruse who fired a right-footed shot that Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima knocked down with an outstretched arm.

Incredible health benefits that comes with moderate alcohol consumption.

Apart from helping you keep warm during cold conditions and help to overcome shyness in social gathering, there are also a handful of benefits that comes with moderate alcohol consumption.

Now before you rush to the next bar and start drinking your life away and hoping to live longer, remember and have it imprinted on your mind that moderation is the key to alcohol’s benefits. . That means one drink a day on average for women and two drinks a day for men. Beyond that, you are on your own. Remember MODERATION.

Good for Your Heart

Red wine has long been considered the elixir of heart health. Moderate intake of any alcoholic beverages can cut your risk of heart disease by up to 40 percent, according to a review of more than 100 prospective studies from the Harvard School of Public Health. Drinking 12 grams of alcohol or less than one standard drink per day is associated with a decrease in the risk of stroke
Much of alcohol’s benefit to heart health has to do with its ability to raise good (HDL) cholesterol, lower bad (LDL) cholesterol, and reduce blood problems that can lead to clogged arteries (and the heart attacks they cause).

Reduce Fat

When regularly consumed in moderation, alcohol can actually help fight fat. A 2010 study published in The Archives of Internal Medicine found that women who had one or two drinks a day were less likely to gain weight than those who shunned the sauce.
Researchers believe that the bodies of long-term moderate drinkers somehow adapt to metabolize alcohol differently than those who concentrate their cocktails into the occasional big night out. Plus, women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol tend to eat less food, particularly carbohydrates, according to Lu Wang, lead researcher on the study and an instructor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Alcoholic beverages and wine especially, are credited with increasing “good,” HDL cholesterol levels. HDL helps clean the body by removing LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol

Reduce Risk of Diabetes

A 2005 report published in Diabetes Care found that moderate amounts of alcohol—up to a drink a day for women, up to two drinks a day for men—reduces risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 30 percent.
Alcohol increases levels of a hormone that improves insulin sensitivity. In other words, it makes it easier for your body to process glucose and use it as energy. This helps reduce the amount of sugar in the bloodstream and ultimately reduces risk for developing diabetes.
Got a smile on your face already?

Boost Brainpower

Remember that guy that says alcohol helps him improve him understand better when he reads and you thought he just needed an excuse to drink? Well you were wrong.
One study found that people who drank and ate during a problem solving test performed better than their sober counterparts. The study was necessarily limited, and alcohol can certainly have detrimental effects on brain functions when consumed in excess.
Researchers from Loyola University found that moderate drinkers were 23 percent less likely to develop cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and other forms of dementia compared to non-drinkers.
Researchers hypothesize that since moderate drinking raises good cholesterol, it can improve blood flow to the brain. Alcohol could also “toughen” brain cells by stressing them a little, preparing them to cope with major stresses later in life that could cause dementia. Also, ethanol helps the neurons in the brain resist wear and tear that can lead to Alzheimer’s and dementia later in life

Fight Malaria!

Did someone mention Alomo? Considering that malaria is a going concern for the Nigerians, the tonic (in gin and tonics) has historically been used to treat malarial infections. Tonic contains quinine, an alkaloid that also has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Much more effective solutions have been developed, but quinine (and tonic water) can still help in a pinch before proper medication can be administered.

What constitutes one drink?

What doctors usually consider a drink is basically a medium glass of wine, a 1.5 oz shot of spirits, or a can or bottle of beer. All of those have roughly similar amounts of pure alcohol in them.

On a Final Note

Consumed in moderation, alcohol can have positive effects on cholesterol and blood sugar. But those rewards are quickly reversed if you overindulge.
And this article is not supposed to make you start drinking alcohol, if you do not drink alcohol, do not start. We also do not recommend that pregnant women and people below the age of 18 should consume alcohol.

Falana pleads for the reformation of Nigeria prisons

Abuja -  Human right lawyer, Femi Falana, on Tuesday in Abuja, called for a revolutionary approach toward sanitising the prison system in the country.
Falana made the call at the ongoing Centenary Law Summit with the theme “Law and Society: 100 Years of Legal Development in Nigeria’’.
The Nigerian Institute for Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) organised the summit in collaboration with the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Falana said that Nigerian prisons needed an overhaul and decried the irregularities in the prison system.
He alleged that some lawyers were engaged in practices that subjected only the poor to punishment.
“The situation in Nigeria calls for a revolutionary approach and not a reform. We have a prison system where the poor are taken to jail regularly.
“The rich, however, have access to good lawyers that  frustrate trials so that they will not go to jail and where they go to jail they go into plea bargain for soft landing,’’ he said.
He urged NIALS to ensure the implementation of resolutions reached at the end of the summit, saying: “Nigerians are fond of holding seminars and workshops and wait till another seminar without implementation’’.
On his part, Mr OCJ Okocha, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), called for a full practice of the federal system of government, which gave states some level of power to execute certain projects.
Okocha,  a former NBA President, also called for the establishment of the divisions of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal in the states in order to make adjudication of cases faster and easier.
“The exclusive list is too wide and some of the things should be designated to states.
“A division of the Federal High Court should be in all states of the federation. The Court of Appeal should also have divisions in all the states,’’ he said. (NAN)

American tourist gang-raped in northern India

An American tourist was gang-raped by a group of men in a hill resort in northern India, police said on Tuesday, in what is the latest in a series of rapes .
The attack has once again thrown the spotlight on women’s safety in India.
The woman was picked up by three men in a truck late on Monday while hitch-hiking back to her guest house in the
town of Manali in Himachal Pradesh state, police said.
Three men have been arrested in connection with the alleged attack,
Himachal Pradesh police chief B. Kamal Kumar told Reuters Television in the state capital Shimla.
The woman told police her attackers took her to an isolated area and raped her.
The woman was taken to a local hospital for preliminary tests before being taken back to her guest house, said a
local police inspector, who declined to be identified.
“We are in contact with authorities but due to issues of privacy we have no further comment,’’ Peter Vrooman, spokesman for the U.S. embassy in New Delhi, said in an email.
In March, a Swiss tourist was gang-raped while on a camping trip in a forest in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. In
the same month, a British woman jumped out of her hotel balcony in Uttar Pradesh state to escape a possible sexual assault.
Sex crimes are common in India.
The National Crime Records Bureau says more than 24,200 rapes were reported in India in 2011 one every 20 minutes.
The capital, New Delhi, has the highest number of sex crimes among major cities, with a rape reported on average every 18 hours, according to police figures.
Police are investigating the alleged rape of a 21-year-old Irish woman working as a volunteer with a non-governmental organisation in West Bengal at the weekend.
“Women should observe stringent security precautions, including avoiding use of public transport after dark without
the company of known and trustworthy companions,’’ according to a U.S. State Department travel advisory for India.
The gang rape of a 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist on a bus on Dec. 16 in New Delhi, brought thousands of people onto the streets in protest and clashes with police for days to demand better law enforcement to fight gender crimes. (Reuters/NAN)

Nigeria to generate 7,000 megawatts of electricity by 2014 – NERC

Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr Sam Amadi, on Monday in Abuja assured Nigerians of increased electricity generation from 5,000 to 7,000 megawatts by 2014.
Amadi who gave the assurance during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said the increase was to meet the yearnings of Nigerians.
“By our projection, we will get up to 10,000 megawatts by first quarter of 2014, but the commission prefers to expect a much lower figure, which is 7,000.
“This is because, with what is on ground and the activities which are going on, we would have done well based on the expectations in the market,’’ he said.
Amadi also said Nigerians would soon have access to a variety of renewable sources of power, other than hydro-power generation.
“We are going to have solar and other forms of renewable power sources, because the county is making investment towards that.
“Currently, there are private firms that are licensed for solar.
“So, we believe that in the next couple of years, we should have a mixture of power source from solar, gas, hydro, wind and all that,’’ he said.(NAN)

It’s North’s turn to preside over NGF (Yuguda)

Gov Yuguda

The crisis plaguing the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, took a different dimension Tuesday with the Bauchi State Governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, claiming that it was the turn of the north to head the  the forum.
Yuguda, who spoke exclusively to Vanguard, maintained that it was therefore wrong for the disputed election to have been held in the first place, when the 19 northern governors had earlier decided on a consensus candidate.

“You can see that the need for election did not arise in the first place given the fact that we the governors of the north, who are in the majority, had chosen a consensus candidate before the election,” Yuguda said.
“Why could the northern governors agree to go for voting when we knew we had the majority and had selected our chairman by consensus?”he asked.
The governor, who defended his decision not to be part of the Northern Governors’ Forum until further notice, specifically challenged his Niger State counterpart and chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, to address the nation on the agreement reached by the forum on the candidature of Governor David Jang before the controversial vote.
According to Yuguda, it was Aliyu, who presided over the meeting that ordered him and his Katsina state counterpart, Ibrahim Shema, to stand down for Jang.
Yuguda made it clear that while he was not angry with the Niger State Governor, he should however summon the courage to explain to Nigerians what roles he played that culminated in the emergence of Jang as the consensus candidate of the forum.
“My only request is for the Chief Servant of Niger State to address the nation on what was agreed by all of us at the meeting of the northern governors after which, we proceeded to present our position to the chairman of the People’s Democratic Party Governors Forum on May 24.
“If he( Aliyu) tells the world that we decided on on presenting Governor Jang for adoption and not for election, then I will return to the Northern Governors Forum.
“But if that is not done, I will never be part of the forum for the remaining two years of my governorship. I cannot continue to part of an association that takes a decision they cannot come out to defend.
“Look, let me tell you, I am not into politics to betray and deceive people because I am not ready to go to hell,” the governor explained.
“If northern governors forum or the Nigerian governors forum cannot tell the simple truth, then my membership is not worth it,” he added, claiming that his decision to opt of the group is personal and not influenced by any individual or group.
He revealed that he had earlier been nominated as a consensus candidate from the north for the NGF election at a meeting hosted by the Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam in Abuja but had to stand down when the majority decided in favour of Jang.
On the allegation that he had been planted by the Presidency to destabilise the Northern Governors Forum and weaken Babangida Aliyu’s position, Yuguda denied ever being contacted by jonathan or his aide to carry out such a devious task.
While pleading with Nigerians to leave Jonathan out of the NGF politics, the governor stated that the President was not involved in the crisis of the forum.
He said,”In 2011, Jonathan won over 25 percent of the total votes cast in 33 states of the Federation. At that time the President did not use any Northern governor to cause trouble. Now, what is the sense in planting Isa Yuguda to destabilise the Northern Governors Forum?he asked.
“Any person making such wild and unverified allegation should have his head examined by a psychiatrist,” the governor said.

Centre for rape victims underway in Lagos

LAGOS—Respite is on the way for victims of rape and all forms of sexual assault in Nigeria as a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, SARC, will soon take off at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH.
The centre, first of its kind in Nigeria, is being set up by the Partnership for Justice, PFJ, supported by Justice for All Programme, JAP; Department of International Development, DFID, in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
It is aimed at providing comprehensive and quality services to victims of sexual violence in a compassionate and caring manner, free of charge.
Already, 30 doctors and nurses drawn from various government-owned health institutions in the state are undergoing a two-week training workshop facilitated by a forensic expert, Dr. Sarah Redvers, from St. Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Managing Partner, FFJ, Mrs. Itoro Eze-Anaba, told Vanguard, that the centre would provide free medical, psycho-social and follow-up support services to rape victims and sexual assault.
She said: “The centre is going to provide pregnancy tests, initial medical services like possible HIV tests, which will be done with the consent of the victim and all information will be kept confidential and private.”
Eze-Anaba lamented that generally, victims of sexual violence found it difficult to report due to inability to pay for cost of treatments and lack of awareness.
She said: “We are going to install a system that will provide disaggregated data so that we will be able to say how many rape victims there are in Lagos State and how many came from Ikorodu, Yaba, and so on.”
etc and among all these areas, what age group of people are more prone as victims or even as perpetrators. What social class or religion. All those aggregation will be provided at the same time.”
She further listed some of the challenges faced by victims to include; lack of specialized attention, cost of treatment and undue delay in receiving medical attention discourages victims from going to government hospitals.
She said: “SARC will provide psychosocial and counseling support, assessment and information on options available, assistance in planning their next steps, follow up case management support as requested.”
Some of the free services to be offered by SARC include; medical examination and treatment for illness and injuries caused by assault, counseling to help cope with emotional and psychological effects of rape, help reporting the incident to police, information on the legal system if a person wants to take case to court and referral to other agencies
On her part, UK- based Forensic expert, Dr. Sarah Redvers, who has managed victims for over seven years, explained that the training would help the doctors and nurses to work in the centre be able to offer quality medical support and counseling and forensic documentation of their examinations.

Neymar transfer cost Barca 57 million – club

Neymar

BARCELONA (AFP) – Barcelona vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu said on Monday the signing of Brazilian international Neymar has cost the club 57 million euros ($74m, £48.7m).
The 21-year-old was officially paraded as a Barca player at the Camp Nou earlier on Monday after the club reached an agreement with his old club Santos and the player himself last month.
And Bartomeu ended speculation about how much the Spanish champions had paid for Neymar, although he refused to specify how much each of the parties involved in the deal had received individually on confidentiality grounds.

As well as Santos, investment companies DIS and Teisa who owned part of the player’s economic rights were bought by Barca.
“Barcelona have all the sporting and economic rights of the player,” he told a press conference.
“This operation, at a cost of 57 million euros, has been done without intermediaries or agents just with the four companies involved.”
Of the 57 million, Barca had already paid 10 last year in anticipation of sealing the deal for around 40 million euros in total.
However, Bartomeu admitted the late interest shown by rivals Real Madrid and another club had made the deal more expensive.
“The operation has been made more expensive due to the interest of other clubs that interfered in the signing of Neymar.
“It was forseen that Neymar would arrive in 2014. To bring the move forward we have had to pay this 17 million euros more.”
Bartomeu also confirmed as part of the deal Barca will play two friendlies against Santos, with one taking place at the Camp Nou and the other in Brazil, whilst the player’s buyout clause will be 190 million euros.
The player himself meanwhile reflected on what he described as a “dream” move.
“I am realising my lifelong dream, the dream to play with players that I have admired my whole life,” he said.
And he believes that rather than finding it difficult to fit in, playing alongside the likes of World Player of the Year Lionel Messi should be a blessing.
“It is an honour to play alongside the best player in the world in Leo Messi. It should be easier to play alongside him because he is the best.”
The Brazilian also said that whilst he was flattered by the interest shown in him by Madrid, there was never any doubt that he would end up in the Catalan capital.
“Real Madrid is a great club and I respect them, but I chose Barca because my heart was with Barca and I am here today.
“My family and I have never been moved by money, for me happiness is very important and I am happy at Barca.”
And he is confident that his style of play will be easily transferable to the more physically demanding game in Europe.
“Adapting will be difficult, but I think I will adapt quickly. I have already had experience in the national team where things are different.
“I am going to play my type of football. I hope that everything will go well and that I can bring much joy to the fans from the first minute.
“I know that at Barca I am going to learn and evolve a lot.”
The club’s sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta also hailed the signing of the Brazilian prodigy and echoed Neymar’s words that there would be no problem fitting he and Messi into the same system.
“Neymar has a style that fits perfectly into ours,” he said.
“It is never a problem to have too much talent or too many good players.”

Martinez set for Everton as Wigan agree deal

LONDON(AFP) – Roberto Martinez is set to be appointed as Everton’s new manager after Wigan chairman Dave Whelan on Monday claimed he had agreed a compensation deal with the Premier League club.
Martinez was Everton’s top choice to succeed David Moyes at Goodison Park after leading Wigan to a shock FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
The 39-year-old confirmed he wanted to leave Wigan following the Latics’ relegation from the Premier League earlier this month and Whelan has granted his wish after negotiating compensation of around £1.5 million.
“Bill Kenwright (Everton chairman) and myself have agreed a deal,” Whelan told BBC Sport on Monday.
Martinez, who had snubbed approaches from Liverpool and Aston Villa over the last two years, is now expected to be confirmed as Everton boss later this week.
Martinez had already held talks with Everton with Whelan’s permission, but the compensation agreement means he is also free to discuss contract terms.
“He’d spoken to Everton because I gave them permission,” Whelan said.
“When he came back he told me it had gone very well and he was probably in the last two or three on the list.
“Then the chairman rang me and discussed the compensation deal with me, and we agreed that this evening.”
Although the Spaniard failed to keep Wigan in the top-flight this season, he is still regarded as one of the brightest young managers in England.
He had managed to keep Wigan competitive in the Premier League despite their status as one of the division’s minnows, avoiding relegation three times before this season’s drop, while also playing attractive football and showing a keen eye for a bargain buy.
Those qualities appear to have persuaded Kenwright to choose Martinez ahead of other leading candidates such as Porto boss Vitor Pereira and Red Bull Salzburg general manager Ralf Rangnick.
Martinez, who joined Wigan from Swansea in 2009, will be expected to build on the fine work of Moyes, whose impressive 11-year reign at Goodison convinced Manchester United to hire him as Alex Ferguson’s successor.
“After leaving Wigan, I think Everton is the next stop of Roberto before he goes to the very, very top,” Whelan said.
“Everton is run very similarly to Wigan, it’s a family-run club, a friendly club with a great bunch of supporters. They’re a bigger club than Wigan and it’s a super club.
“If he goes I will wish him nothing but the very best of luck.”
Meanwhile, Milton Keynes Dons boss Karl Robinson and Martinez’s Wigan assistant Graeme Jones have been linked with the soon to be vacant manager’s job at the DW Stadium.
“We’ve got about 30 people who’ve applied for the job and I’ve not been able to interview one of them because of this agreement over the compensation, I didn’t want to jeopardise that,” Whelan added.
“In football there are always some good managers without a position. We’ve had some very good people apply for the job. I’m sure there are half a dozen top-class managers amongst them.”

property worth millions of naira burnt in Abuja

ABUJA — Property worth millions of naira were gutted by fire in Durumi-1 in the Federal Capital Territory,  FCT, Abuja, Monday. About six houses were affected.
According to an eye witness, Joshua Paul, the fire started around midnight  and was allegedly caused by power surge. He said, however, that no live was lost in the incident.
Paul said: “I wasn’t here when the fire started. I was just passing by so I saw people trying to put out the fire. I saw smoke so I decided to come by and see what happened so I saw people putting out fire and packing things out of the houses, which made me to immediately call the Federal Fire Service.
“The fire had been burning for more than one hour before the arrival of the firemen. Over four houses were affected.”
Meanwhile, one of the victims, Mr. Clement Ihuoma, a student of the National Open University, Abuja said the houses affected were about six was grateful to God to have been able to recover his credentials.
And in Kano eighty-two stores were,Monday, destroyed by fire near the Kasuwar Rimi Market in Kano metropolis.
Alhaji Kassim Musa, spokesman of the State Fire Service disclosed this to NAN in an interview in Kano.
According to him, the cause of the early morning fire is still being investigated.
He said the stalls affected were outside the market, adding that the damage was reduced by the quick response of the fire service.
“The large number was recorded because the security men did not invite firemen on time.
“It was only when it became obvious that they could not contain the inferno that our men were called in at 4:55 am this morning,” he said.
Musa appealed to members of the public to always call on the appropriate authority on time in cases of fire disasters to minimise damage.
He also called on food vendors to stop indiscriminate cooking and security guards to be more alert to their responsibilities among other measures to check fire disaster.

Eagles flying marathon a worry ahead of Kenya clash

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Travel-weary African champions Nigeria are away to Kenya Wednesday in a 2014 World Cup qualifier they dare not lose.
The Super Eagles go into the matchday four fixture level on points and goal difference in Group F with Malawi and top of the table only because they have scored more goals.
Namibia,who are away to Malawi at the same time, have three points and Kenya two in a mini-league where goals have been a scarce commodity.
Only seven have been scored in six matches with Nigeria averaging just one a game when edging Namibia and drawing with Malawi and Kenya.
While a home win over the Namibian Brave Warriors and an away draw with the Malawian Flames were satisfactory results, the home draw with the Kenyan Harambee Stars was not.
And it could have been even worse for the new African Cup of Nations title holders as Nnamdi Oduamadi equalised deep in stoppage time to salvage a point.
Now Kenya have home advantage at the Moi International Sports Centre and are raring to have another crack at a country they have never beaten in the Kenyan capital.
Nigerian preparations have been far from ideal and they will have clocked about 22,000 air miles by the time they land in Kenya just 24 hours before the big match.
The Super Eagles drew 2-2 with Mexico last Friday in Texan city Houston and returned to a training camp before flying to Nairobi via Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
“It will definitely have an effect,” said coach Stephen Keshi of the travel arrangements. “We may not have time for a proper practice session in Kenya.
“We need every training session that can be arranged because we must a correct a few problems that cropped up during the match against Mexico.
“The game against Kenya will resemble a cup final. It is never easy to win away in Africa and we have to prove worthy champions in Kenya this week and next week in Namibia.”
Keshi said midfielders John Ogu and Ogenyi Onazi and striker Ideye Brown took knocks against Mexico, but he expected the Europe-based trio to be available.
Kenya may have struggled at home against Nigeria in the past,but there was no inferiority complex from Oman-based Jamal Mohammed after a training session.
“If we defeat Nigeria no one can stop us and the team can start thinking realistically about the World Cup in Brazil next year,’ the midfielder told reporters.
Mohammed admitted the absence of goalkeeper Arnold Origi and striker and skipper Dennis Oliech through suspensions was a double blow to the Harambee Stars.