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Infertility Is Not A Stigma: 'Merck More than a Mother' campaign launches in Nigeria

Merck More than a Mother campaign launched in Nigeria was championed by the country’s first lady, Her Excellency Mrs. Aisha Buhari. The launch held in Abuja, Nigeria is in partnership with Senate Commission on Health; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and Future Assured organization.
Merck More than a Mother continues its commitment to break stigma around infertility and empower infertile women by improving access to information, education, healthcare and change of culture and mind-set to de-stigmatize infertility.

Her Excellency Mrs. Buhari pledged her support and the support of Nigerian Governors’ wives in the implementation of Merck More than a Mother’s activities in Nigeria focusing on eliminating infertility stigma and creating awareness and providing information and education on causes of infertility; facilitating access to healthcare; and economic and social empowerment of infertile women.
The Nigerian women leaders also supported the empowering of infertile women who form a vulnerable part of the population. Infertile women in Nigeria and many other African countries who can no longer be treated have been empowered socially and economically to lead independent and happier lives through Empowering Berna initiative. Empowering Berna is part of Merck More than a Mother campaign.

Helen Phillip, a Nigerian woman from the North shared her story of suffering from infertility stigma and expressed her gratitude to the support Merck more than a Mother provided her through establishing new business so that she can become an independent productive member in her community.
“In Nigeria we have been advocating for the end of harmful traditional practices including the stigmatization of women which is prevalent all over the country. Women have not been coming out openly because they are traumatized. With this campaign we will encourage them to speak out and we pledge our support and collaboration,” said Hon. Aisha Alhassan, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development.

Merck More than a Mother campaign is a great initiative to break the stigma around infertility and to empower an unprivileged category of women in Africa, women who suffer infertility. Infertile women have been neglected, mistreated and discriminated because they cannot bear a child, yet 50% of infertility is due to male factors. We can together improve access to education, information, awareness, health care and change of mind-set and culture to stop these women’s suffering,” said Dr. Rasha Kelej, Chief Social Officer, Merck Healthcare.

Prof. Isaac Adewole Hon. Minister of Health emphasized: “We are responsible for policy at the Ministry level and this is where we can make a difference in improving access to fertility care in Nigeria. We will work through training institutions we are responsible for to strengthen fertility management by making it a sub-specialty. We will also as a Ministry work with private sector, the Senate and the National Assembly to improve governance and quality of care to provide standards to protect infertile men and women seeking treatment.”
 
Merck More than a Mother was first implemented in Kenya in 2015 followed by Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire, Central African Republic and Nigeria.
Watch Nigeria’s infertile women sharing their stories of social suffering of infertility stigma and their transformation after the economic and social empowerment provided by Merck more than a Mother through Empowering Berna project:

John Terry pays glowing tribute to Mikel

Chelsea legend, John Terry has has penned a tribute to John Mikel Obi, who joined Chinese side, Tianjin Teda last week on a £140,000-a-week deal after failing to feature under Chelsea’s new boss, Antonio Conte.

Mikel left Chelsea having won eight major domestic honours and two European trophies, as well as tasting global success last summer by winning bronze in the Olympic Games. Terry spoke of his admiration for ‘great friend’ Mikel and picked out a favourite performance from his ex-team-mate.
Speaking ahead of the Blues’ 4-1 victory over Peterborough in the FA Cup, the former England International said, “On Friday, we said goodbye to John Mikel Obi after more than 10 years with us in which we won everything – two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League,”
“He has been a big part of this club’s success over the past decade and put in some great performances, none more so than in Munich, where he was immense. I want to say on a personal level, that he was a great friend and a great player. I wish you well “Old Boy”.
Love ya.”

La Liga Weekend: Zizou's Unbeaten Army, Pique's conspiracy theory and more.

By: Olawale Adigun
 
ZIZOU’S UNBEATEN ARMY
This was supposed to be a job too big for him. How was he supposed to cope with the high demands of Florentino Perez ?  How was he going to deal with the ego of Cristiano Ronaldo, was he ready for Barcelona? Can he even retain the Champions League ?
These were questions posed when Frenchman , Zinedine Zidane was appointed as Real Madrid manager, but, 55 games later, Zizou has shut his critics with results, performances and trophies. Infact, Zidane has won more trophies than he has lost games (lost 2, but won the Uefa Champions League, Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup).
Real Madrid produced another effective performance against Granada to make it 39 games unbeaten, equaling Barcelona’s record of 2015/2016 under Luis Enrique. All through Zizou’s reign as manager till date, some sections of the media have still questioned Zidane’s ability as a manager and gradually he’s winning them over, same way he’s won over his players. Managing Cristiano Ronaldo has not been an easy feat, but the 1998 World Cup winner has done that effectively, kept him out of the last laliga game of 2016, same as the first game of the new year but restored him back at the weekend against Granada. Although, Ronaldo’s position on this rotational policy is not publicly known, one feels that CR7 is cool with it.
Anyone who feels Zidane is still lucky, would need a brain MRI because the results don’t lie. Real are four points clear at the top and five clear of Barcelona and guess what, the World champions still have a game to spare. Players like James Rodriguez and Isco might be discontent with the game time they are getting but Zidane still offers them a chance to fight for their place, but to be objective, when everyone is fit, its difficult for James and Isco to break through. And if everyone remains fit, Real Madrid would be on their way to the second Liga title in nine years.
 
PIQUE’S CONSPIRACY THEORY
Gerard Pique remains a divisive figure in Spain, at political and at football levels and the reasons are not far fetched. The Catalonian has always advocated for Catalonian independence from Spain, this makes him an easy target especially when he plays against teams based in the capital, Madrid. Pique speaks three languages, can form opinion, arguments that are purely non-football, very intelligent, seen as a future Barca president.
But Pique has to stop being a cry-baby and focus on getting Barcelona’s flailing title charge back on track. At the Ceramico, (Villareal over the weekend re-christened El Madrigal to El Ceramico) Villareal couldn’t hold on to Nicola Sansone’s goal and Lionel Messi’s magical freekick (30th of his career) in the 90th minute rescued a point for Barcelona.
After the game, Gerard Pique was seen pointing fingers at Laliga Chief, Javier Tebas shouting “Did you see that, yes You, you, you !” . Pique was obviously furious with referee Ignacio Igliesas who failed to spot Bruno’s handball in the area but Shakira’s boyfriend has to realize that whatever campaign is on to stop Barca from retaining the title only exists in his head. Real have won the title once in 8 years, its been his Catalan club dominating everybody.  Villareal could have also had a penalty of theirs and it was still Pique who would have been the culprit.
Pique has to realize that creating a siege mentality wont work in Barcelona’s favour, they have enough problems to deal with, problems Luis Enrique’s future, Neymar’s form, Ivan Rakitic’s on and off involvement with the team and the general air of vulnerability on the pitch .
Five points behind Real is worse, but if Zidane’s charges beat Valencia (game at hand) that makes it eight, even a Clasico victory won’t solve any problem. There’s also the case of Sevilla who are a point and place above Barca. Maybe its time to focus more on the Copa and the Champions League.
 
RESULT IS KING FOR ATLETI
2016 ended with plenty questions rather than answers for Diego Simeone, but he will be happy with Atleti’s start to 2017, a comprehensive result away from home in the Cup and another away win at Ipurua where Eibar threatened fire and brimstone with nothing to show for it at the end.
Saul Niguez and Antoine Griezmann got the goals (it was Grizzy’s first Liga goal in 10 games). The performance wasn’t up there but Simeone would take the result  as it puts them in touching distance between them and Barcelona and Sevilla. Winning the title shouldn’t be in the discussion for now but staying touch with the top 3.

Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Micheal Owen, others present as Ronaldo presents 4th Ballon d'Or trophy!


 
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Ballon D’Or trophy presentation at the Bernabeu on Saturday was not only witnessed by club officials, colleagues and fans, the ceremony which took place ahead of their clash with Granada was also witnessed by past football heavyweights. Brazilian football legend,  Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Kopa, Michael Owen and current manager  Zinedine Zidane were there to pay tribute to the Portuguese talisman.


The 31 year-old also watched a video message by ex Real Madrid men, Kaka and Fabio Cannavaro.

Give me Liberty or Give me Death|By: Fani-Kayode

For those that are troubled, that are grieving, that are suffering, that are deeply concerned and that are in a state of utter despondency and despair about what is happening in our country today and what the future holds, keep hope alive and hear this loud and clear.
Many years from now history will record that it was not the tyranny and bondage of President Muhammadu Buhari, his minions and his government or the curse and affliction of Boko Haram, the Fulani militias and herdsmen or the almighty Caliphate that the oppressed people of Nigeria were up against.
These people are not the enemy. They are merely the representatives, the low-level foot soldiers and the primitive enforcers of a greater satanic power that has sought to use them to create chaos in our nation, to subjugate our people in perpetuity, to establish a sacrificial blood bank, to wipe out our faith, to rob us of our identity and to corrupt and destroy our destiny and cherished values.
What we are up against are the forces that inspire, encourage, control, nurture, fund and guide them.They include the unadulterated evil of the wahhabi and salafist doctrines and philosophies espoused and propagated by the Royal House of Saud in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Illuminati agenda of the shape-shifting reptilian forces and Luciferian entities that put President Barack Obama in power in the United States of America 8 years ago and that attempted to ensure a Hilary Clinton Presidency at the end of 2016.
The entire challenge is essentially an existential struggle between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. The fight is raging in both the spiritual and physical realms. The currency is blood and the prizes are the precious and eternal souls of men and the control of the entire world and its enormous resources.
The good news is that our adversaries never saw President-elect Donald J. Trump coming. They wrote him off right from the start and dismissed his aspiration with scorn and contempt. Little did they know that he was God’s ace in the spades, or to put it in an even more appropriate manner, God’s “trump” card.
And it worked beautifully. The whole world and the forces from hell that control it were shell-shocked. They still are. Yet thankfully there is nothing they can do about it. They forgot that He uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wisdom of the wise.
With Trump in the White House, guided, protected, led, fortified and driven by the love, power, mercy and grace of the Living God that put him there, the world will be a better and safer place after his swearing in on January 20th 2016.  It may take some time but after that day the dark and lonely winter ice of wickedness and witchcraft will begin to melt and the summer sun of blessings, prosperity, joy and peace will begin to rise.
After that day the oppressed people of the southern and Middle Belt zones of Nigeria will have a friend in the White House. And as time goes by they will be given the opportunity to tell their story to the world, to break their chains of servitude, to shatter their yoke of slavery and to free themselves from the hideous mental prison of fear, tyranny and bondage that they have been subjected to over the last 56 years by their internal colonial masters.
After that day their mortal bodies and sacred flesh will no longer be cut to pieces and carved up like Peking diced duck or barbecued spare ribs in state-sponsored pogroms and acts of merciless genocide without any consequences.
Their precious blood will no longer be used as a free-flowing blood bank for the devil and his monstrous demons to drink from and quench their frenzied thirst.
After that day they will no longer buy and eat the charmed and jinxed cow meat that they have been sold and fed by the apprentices and sorcerers of their secret adversaries for the last 56 years.
After that day they will no longer feed on the Caliphs sweet cow meat which, over the years, has enchanted their spirits, locked up their souls, incapacitated their thinking faculties, broken their will, taken away their courage, destroyed their manhood, bound up their ability to reason, turned them into zombies and reduced them to a pitiful and shameful degree of impotence, cowardice, stoicism and docility.
Finally, after that date, their women and children will no longer be regarded as nothing but fair game, easy sport, expendable chattel and the spoils of war to be enslaved, shared, violated, raped and enjoyed by their collective oppressors and conquerors.  All this will come to pass sooner than later because freedom beckons and its trumpet call is loud and clear.  Sooner than later Pharaoh shall die and we shall leave Egypt, enter Goshen, part the Red sea and cross over to the Promise Land.
It is just a matter of time. In the next few years our country will either be peacefully and equitably restructured according to the will of the people and the counsel of God or she will be violently broken into two or more pieces.
The mass murder and ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands of religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle Belt and the core north over the last 56 years cannot stop it.
The slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Igbos and the barbaric acts of genocide perpetuated against millions of Biafrans over the last 56 years cannot stop it.
The subjugation, dehumanization, humiliation and outright robbing and pillaging of the people of the Niger Delta area and the southern minorities over the last 56 years cannot stop it.
The castration, demystification, pacification, infiltration and indoctrination of the people of the south-west over the last 56 years cannot stop it.
The consistent and relentless persecution, incarceration, torture and extra-judicial murder of key opposition figures and those that are perceived as being the enemies of our President and his government cannot stop it.
The cowardly disposition, shameful collaboration, willful collusion and resounding silence of our nations ruling elite, political leaders, academics, intellectuals, traditional rulers, human rights activists, businessmen, industrialists, artists, writers, poets, actors, entertainers, entrepreneurs, cultural custodians and political commentators cannot stop it.
Nothing can stand in the way of this new wave and no mortal can successfully resist it.
It cannot be stopped, delayed, intercepted or aborted because it has been decreed and ordained by the Ancient of Days and the Lord of Hosts.
Locking up Colonel Sambo Dasuki, Sheik Ibrahim El Zak Zaky, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu or any of the other thousands of political prisoners and prisoners of war in underground dungeons and dingy dark cells for months and years on end cannot stop it.  Bringing them up before the courts on trumped-up, contrived, malicious, spurious and baseless charges cannot stop it.  Telling the nations young that they dare not aspire and the political opposition that they dare not dissent cannot stop it.
Nothing can stop it because it is written in the wind and it has been pronounced and spoken into existence by the oracles of the Living God.  The unleashing of fear and terror and the inflicting of violence, carnage, brutality and barbarity on innocent and defenseless men, women and children by the Armed Forces and security agencies cannot stop it.  The conspiratorial silence, submissive acquiescence and covert collusion of our nations media cannot stop it. As a matter of fact nothing, no force on earth or in hell, can stop it.
For the voiceless, oppressed, cheated, marginalized and afflicted people of Nigeria the bells of freedom are ringing and it is either liberty or death.  And today I speak for those millions as I dare to proclaim, just like the great American patriot Patrick Henry once dared to proclaim in his famous speech to the Virginia Convention 291 years ago whilst calling for armed resistance against the British colonialists:

‘We love each other’. Diego Costa dismisses feud with Pedro

Diego Costa has dismissed reports of a lingering beef between him and his colleague Pedro during Tottenham loss. The pair had a long argument during the game which took place at the White Lane and that moment did not go unnoticed. Explaining what went down during the seeming bust-up, Costa said they were discussing about their different wavelengths in that counter attack

The Spaniard told IB Times  “Nothing happened. We have a great understanding with each other. When you have a trusted relationship and intimacy with a teammate it is normal for these things to happen.

“It was just a moment during the game, and that’s it. It was nothing. I told him: ‘You have to get in there, why didn’t you go?’ He said ‘I went’ and I said he didn’t. That’s it. Pedro is my brother and we love each other.”

"We were admiring his boots". Aguero recalls his first meeting with Messi.

Argentinian forward, Sergio Aguero has recalled his first meeting with fellow compatriot, Lionel Messi. Speaking to Fifa.com, the Manchester City forward said, “We were having lunch with the national U-20 team. Lionel was sitting next to me. All my team-mates were talking about the boots he’d brought from the USA, and I just couldn’t work out how he’d got hold of them. Who was this kid? I asked him his name and he said: ‘Lionel, Lionel Messi,’ but I had no idea who he was.
He continued, “I was just trying to work out how he’d managed to get those boots. Then one of my team-mates said to me: ‘You don’t know who he is? It’s Messi, the kid from Barcelona’. That’s when I realised who he was. I tell you one thing, though: he knew who I was!”
Messi has been nominated for the Best FIFA Men’s Player of 2016 alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann. Tipping his friend to scoop the gong, Aguero said, “He’s ahead of the rest, including the other nominees… And I’m not just saying that because he’s my friend. I train with him and I see it with my own eyes. He does things I don’t see anyone else doing. He’s the best there is.”
Source

Iwobi, Iheanacho pick GLO/CAF Awards. See Full List Of Winners!

Nigeria internationals,  Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Iwobi were named Most promising talent and African youth player of the year respectively at the 2016 edition of the GLO-CAF Awards which took place at Abuja, Nigeria yesterday January 5, 2017.  Riyad Mahrez was named the winner of the 2016 Glo-CAF African Player of the Year award. The Algerian  beat Gabon striker and last year’s winner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to second place, while Senegal’s Saido Mane finished third.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS
African Player of the Year
Riyad MAHREZ (Algeria & Leicester City)
African Player of the Year – Based in Africa
Denis ONYANGO (Uganda & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Women’s Player of the Year
Asisat OSHOALA (Nigeria & Arsenal Ladies)
Most Promising Talent
Kelechi IHEANACHO (Nigeria & Manchester City)
Youth Player of the Year
Alex IWOBI (Nigeria and Arsenal)
Coach of the Year
Pitso MOSIMANE (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Club of the Year
Mamelodi Sundowns
National Team of the Year
Uganda
Women’s National Team of the Year
Nigeria
Referee of the Year
Bakary Papa GASSAMA
Football Leader of the Year
Manuel LOPES NASCIMENTO, President of Guinea Bissau Football Federation
Legend Award
Laurent POKOU, Former player of Cote d’Ivoire
Emilienne MBANGO, Former player of Cameroon








Meanwhile in a very disappointing twist, no Nigerian made made CAF’s Africa Best 11.

Mikel becomes Nigeria's highest paid player again, pens emotional goodbye to Chelsea

Done Deal!
Nigeria International has confirmed his exit from Chelsea FC in an emotional letter which he penned few hours ago. The ace midfielder who joined The Blues in 2006 is joining Chinese club Tianjin TEDA n a £140,000 weekly deal. has become Nigeria’s highest paid player once again as he will earn £140,000 weekly at Tianjin TEDA in China.
In his 10 years at Stamford Bridge, the 29 year old made 374 appearances, won 2 Premier League titles, 4 FA cups, 2 League Cups, 1 Community Shield cup, 1 Europa League cup and 1 Champions League cup.

Marco Silva unveiled as Hull City new manager

2 days after showing Mike Phelan the exit door, Hull City have unveiled Marco Silva as their new manager.
The club’s vice-chairman, Ehab Allam said: “Marco is a young coach who has impressed us with his philosophy and football style.
“He has a great track record and we feel this is a bold and exciting appointment in our aim to retain the club’s Premier League status.
“Marco will be bringing in his own back-room team who have all played their part in his recent success.
“We are already working hard with Marco and his team to deliver some key additions to our squad during this transfer window.”

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