Neymar Faces El Clasico Suspension For Clapping After Red Card

Neymar could miss the Clasico against Real Madrid later this month after the Barcelona forward sarcastically applauded the fourth official after being sent off against Malaga.

The Brazilian was sent off for picking up a second yellow card as his side were beaten 2-0 at La Rosaleda on Saturday, slipping three points behind Real Madrid, who had drawn 1-1 at Atletico Madrid earlier in the day.

A dismissal for two yellow cards only earns a one-game suspension, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano included Neymar’s petty reaction to the fourth official in his postgame report.

That could add up to three games to Neymar’s ban, though even one additional game would be enough for him to miss the April 23 clash at the Bernabeu.

The postgame report said: “The player Neymar Da Silva Santos J, after being sent off, when he was entering the tunnel, and [sarcastically] applauded the fourth official.”

Barca’s next outing in La Liga is against Real Sociedad at Camp Nou and Neymar will definitely miss that game, with the trip to the Bernabeu to face Real Madrid the following week.

Osasuna are then due at Camp Nou before the Catalan derby at Espanyol, and both are games which Neymar could also miss if he is given a four-game ban.

Neymar, who replaced his boots in the first 10 minutes of Barca’s last two games — something Luis Enrique had said on Friday was down to comfort, not marketing — was booked for fiddling with his footwear to delay a Malaga free kick in the first half.

A late challenge on Diego Llorente in the second half then earned him a second yellow card, leaving Barcelona with 10 men for the final 25 minutes.

Malaga already led at that point through former Barca youngster Sandro Ramirez and they completed a memorable night when Jony fired home from inside the area in the final minute.

The dismissal was Neymar’s first in his four seasons with Barcelona, and he became the first Barca player to be sent off in La Liga since Oct. 25, 2015.

He saw red three times with Santos before moving to Barcelona, and was last dismissed with Brazil at the 2015 Copa America in an incident which earned him a four-game suspension from CONMEBOL.

JAMB ELIGIBILITY CANDIDATE REGISTRATION USING REMIT MODE.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board says that eligible candidates for its 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination can now purchase the pin for registration using the Remita mode.

The board said on Sunday the development came on the heels of the reported challenges the candidates faced in an attempt to acquire the pins from NIPOST and the designated banks.

The Head of Information of JAMB, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said the board had noted the many headaches of prospective candidates from various parts of the country, including Lagos.

He said that candidates had lamented the difficulties involved in obtaining the pins from designated banks on the payment of N5,500 and the subsequent hassles in getting registered.

The registration of candidates for the examination started on March 20.

The candidates had described the process as cumbersome and frustrating as they have to queue as early as 2 or 3 a.m. in some cases in banks just to acquire pins.

They had also said that often times, they spent the entire day waiting endlessly without results as the bank officials tell them that they could not access the site for the pins.

They also said the development normally warranted them to spend almost an entire week trying and that even when they succeeded, they start facing the task of registration at overcrowded centres.

According to Benjamin, candidates are advised not to panic as every eligible candidate desirous of registering will do so before the closing date of April 19.

“We appreciate the fact that the sales of the UTME for 2017 which is hitherto set to last for six has been reduced to one month.

“This was done in the interest of the candidates as it was to ensure that the challenges candidates are going through are resolved.

“To further cushion the effect of these challenges, we have decided to bring the Remitta mode on board.

“Candidates can now purchase the pin for registration from the comfort of their homes.

“So, aside the banks and NIPOST, candidates can now purchase the pins through Remita,’’ Benjamin said in a statement.

The statement explained why the board banned cyber cafes from registering candidates for the examination, noting that activities in the cafes damaged records and statistics of candidates.

“In as much as we want to be inclusive, we cannot look the other way while students’ records and national statistics are mutilated.

“Ours is an examination, so we cannot be guided by primordial consideration over quality and standard,’’ it said.

According to the statement, most problems associated with candidates’ registration such as wrong spellings of names, wrongful placement of passport photograph and others emanates from the business centres at registration points.

“Don’t forget, it is virtually impossible to regulate the activities of these business centres as their mode of operations did not provide necessary details about them.

“These problems created by cafes make information gathering, processing and administration of examination cumbersome as records and data of candidates are distorted.

“The accreditation centres are on the board’s website for easy identification cohesion and smooth operation,’’ it explained.

He added that the board would continue to expand the frontiers and channels of the sales of the pins in virtually all the banks, with a view to bringing the services to the door step of every Nigerian child desirous of qualitative tertiary education.

According to the statement, examination is a serious business and it cannot be left open the way some people want it to be.

“We again urge Nigerians particularly anxious candidates not to fall prey to unsuspecting and dubious individuals who parade themselves as agents of JAMB with the intention to defraud them.

“The board’s e-brochures and syllabus are on the CD to be given out to candidates and it is free and available as a guide to candidates to have a hitch-free registration exercise,’’ the statement said.

(NAN)

Reamadrid pressurized Barcelona with huge winning.

Real Madrid increased the pressure on Barcelona in LaLiga’s title race with a battling victory over Copa del Rey finalists Alaves.
Karim Benzema, Isco and Nacho scored as an understrength Real Madrid added late gloss in a 3-0 win over Alaves at Santiago Bernabeu to pile the pressure on Barcelona in LaLiga’s title race.
In-form Benzema linked up with Dani Carvajal to score his fourth goal in as many league games just after the half-hour mark, making it 50 matches in a row in which Madrid have netted.
Alaves wasted numerous good chances for an equaliser in the second half and it looked like the Madrid striker’s goal would ultimately prove to be the winner.

What Antonio Conte Said About Victor Moses After Chelsea Defeat.

Chelsea Manager Antonio Conte on Saturday maintained that Nigeria’s Victor Moses is an integral part of the team.

He said this after Chelsea lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace at the Stamford Bridge. Moses missed out due to an injury. Pedro filled in for him at right wingback.

According to Conte, “Victor Moses is an important player because he’s having a great season, but Pedro played very well in that wing-back position.”.

“As wingers, they are very offensive and that showed we wanted to play our football. Pedro had a very good game,” he added.

The loss leaves Chelsea 7 point on top of the league after their title rivals Tottenham won 2-0 at Burnley.

Nigeria's and the One China Policy, By Mohammed Jamu Yusuf.

Nigeria should not allow Taiwan’s obstinacy to reintegrate fully into China to obliterate the many gains derivable from its excellent ties with China. On a lighter note, however, how would Nigeria feel if China attempts to recognise the defunct Biafra that pushed for secession in the late 60s?

In January this year, the Muhammadu Buhari headed Federal Government of Nigeria made a significant diplomatic shift. The minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama informed the world that Nigeria would no longer recognise Taiwan as a country and commit to the One China policy. This was concretised in a Memorandum of Understanding the Nigerian government entered into with the government of People’s Republic of China. This development was further prompted by the visit of the Chinese Foreign minister, Wang Yi to Nigeria.

The One China policy implies that Taiwan is absolutely part of China and that only a single country called China exists in the world. Accordingly, that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal authority undertaking the government business of the country. Nigeria’s support of the One China policy means a backing to engender China’s national unification.
To underpin this new diplomatic move, Onyeama made two instructive policy statements. One, that Nigeria had withdrawn all diplomatic relations with Taiwan as a country. Two, that the Taiwanese office in Abuja would be shut down and relocated to Lagos as soon as possible.

He captured the government’s new position rather succinctly during a press briefing thus: “Taiwan will stop enjoying any privileges because it is not a country that is recognised under international law.” “Chinese Government does not oppose trading with Taiwan as long as there is no formal contact with the government that will suggest recognition of Taiwan as sovereign country.”

He said the step being taken was to right the wrong that no one could specifically say how it came about. Onyeama is right. This is so because the Nigerian government headed by Yakubu Gowon established diplomatic ties with China in 1971 when it severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan on account of the One China policy. But twenty years later, in 1991, Taiwan returned to Lagos in a seemingly indiscreet fashion and established a Trade and Cultural Office. The office was relocated to Abuja in 2001 and commenced operations as a quasi-embassy in 2013. How Taiwan re-established its presence in Nigeria after its diplomatic ties were disconnected remains a big puzzle to many.

The new move by the government, if implemented, would potentially eclipse Taiwan’s seeming diplomatic presence in Nigeria and essentially correct the diplomatic anomalies. Not a few Nigerians have commended this diplomatic modification which they believe is consistent with the Buhari’s government change mantra. This is more so because the fresh move is supported by international law resulting in the wide-ranging recognition accorded the One China policy thrust by other nations, including the advanced democracies.

In international affairs, a country usually defines its ties with other nations based on interests, mutual benefits, comparative advantage and other factors that favour the country. Accordingly, if China is placed side by side with Taiwan in bilateral relationships with Nigeria, Nigeria stands to benefit more from China than Taiwan.

Similar to Buhari, Donald Trump, who also rode on a change mantra to emerge as the 45th president of the United States earlier in the year has decided to tow the same line. Shortly after assumption of office, he stated his commitment to the One China policy, and has accordingly taken steps to cement it through the bilateral meeting planned to hold in Florida, United States between him and the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping.

But shockingly and worryingly enough, more than two months after the agreement the Federal Government reached with China over the One China policy, the matter has remained as mere rhetoric and has been evidently unmatched with action. The Taiwanese office in Abuja, which the Federal Government directed its personnel to shut down and be relocated to Lagos, is still operating at full capacity. Although the minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Onyeama reacted that the government would investigate the veracity of the media report that the Taiwanese chancery still has full presence in Abuja, the matter intrinsically questions the government’s diplomatic and political will to enforce its policy directives.

Besides, the situation has the propensity to have a far-reaching negative impact on the good bilateral relationship existing between Nigeria and China. In international affairs, a country usually defines its ties with other nations based on interests, mutual benefits, comparative advantage and other factors that favour the country. Accordingly, if China is placed side by side with Taiwan in bilateral relationships with Nigeria, Nigeria stands to benefit more from China than Taiwan.

The reasons are not far-fetched. Apart from being more technologically advanced than Taiwan, China is the second largest economy in the world. It commands a big market for Nigeria’s oil exports and has demonstrated high commitment towards supporting the Buhari-led government in its infrastructural development drive. This makes it imperative for the Federal Government to deepen its diplomatic ties with China by implementing all the agreed provisions of the One China Policy.

Given the failure of the West to assist Nigeria out of its infrastructural development challenges, the country should plausibly and strategically turn to China for a veritable bail-out. Nigeria should not allow Taiwan’s obstinacy to reintegrate fully into China to obliterate the many gains derivable from its excellent ties with China. On a lighter note, however, how would Nigeria feel if China attempts to recognise the defunct Biafra that pushed for secession in the late 60s? This is indeed food for thought!

DEFINITION OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

Political science focuses on the theory and practice of government and politics at the local, state, national, and international levels. We are dedicated to developing understandings of institutions, practices, and relations that constitute public life and modes of inquiry that promote citizenship.

Some of the major subfields are described below.

Political Theory

Political theory is concerned mainly with the foundations of political community and institutions. It focuses on human nature and the moral purposes of political association. To clarify these concepts, political theorists draw on enduring political writings from ancient Greece to the present and on various writings by moral philosophers. Political theory also focuses on empirical research into the way political institutions function in practice. Here political theorists subject beliefs about political life found in important political writings to re-examination in the light of ongoing human behavior. In either case, political theory seeks to ultimately deepen political thinking and to spur citizens to responsible and creative political action.

POL S 201, Introduction to Political Theory, provides students with an overview of the main lines of thought in political theory. Advanced courses focus on given concepts, topics, and thought in political theorizing.

Comparative Politics

Comparative politics is a broad field with a variety of approaches and goals. Some scholars and researchers compare contemporary political systems in order to judge which types best provide particular values: order, equality, freedom, or economic security and well-being for their citizens. Others suggest that the main purpose of comparative politics is to provide an understanding of how and why different societies develop different kinds of political institutions. Still others use comparative politics as a way of discovering general laws and theories that will explain human political behavior and its variability.

Comparative politics courses are of two basic types. One offers comparisons of a particular set of problems or institutions in a number of different countries. The second type offers in-depth analyses of the basic political institutions and processes of a single country or group of countries in a world region.

Most students will want to begin their study of comparative politics with the Introduction to Comparative Politics (POL S 204), which combines the two main approaches by including comparative discussions of particular problems, issues, processes, and institutions in a wide variety of political settings as well as in-depth readings and lectures on some of the major countries in the contemporary world.

International Relations

The field of international relations is concerned with developing an understanding of why states and non-state international actors, like the United Nations and multinational corporations, interact as they do. International relations is a diverse field both in terms of what kinds of behavior are studied and how they are studied. International conflict, particularly war, continues to be an important focus of the field. Why do wars start? Who wins and why? How can wars be prevented? What is the role of international law and organizations? As the world has become more interdependent, scholars have become more aware of the importance of international economic activity. As a result, scholars are analyzing world trade, communications, development, foreign investment, and international finance. How states make foreign policy decisions is another important area of study. National security policy, nuclear deterrence, arms control and defense spending decisions are typical examples of foreign policy decisions.

POL S 203, International Relations, introduces the student to International politics. This is the foundation for a wide variety of offerings at the 300 and 400 levels, such as American foreign policy, global environmental politics, international political economy, and international conflict.

Political Methodology

The subfield of political methodology is concerned with the philosophical bases of political science, social science, empirical research design and analysis, and practical field research experience.

Courses in the political methodology field cover philosophical issues regarding the possibility of a science of politics, the similarities and differences between political science and other social sciences, alternative modes of explanation, and the truth of knowledge claims. They also examine the formulation of experimental and non-experimental research designs for making causal inferences about political processes and behavior and explore the. use of statistics, mathematics and computers for the analysis of political data generated by such research designs. Students are also provided an opportunity to conduct individual and group research projects through seminars. The political methodology faculty have current research and teaching interests in such diverse topics as mass media, feminist theory, language politics, political economy, rational choice theory, and public policy.