DasukiGate: We won’t provide sureties for Metuh –Jalo

According to a report credited to Punch Newspaper, the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has said that it will not provide sureties for its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh.

The party said since Metuh was being prosecuted for offences that have nothing to do with it, its embattled spokesperson should look for those who would stand as sureties for him.

Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Alhaji Abdullahi Jalo, told our correspondent in an interview on Friday in Abuja that it would be wrong for anyone to be expecting the party to provide sureties for Metuh when the party did not benefit from the money he allegedly collected from the former National Security Adviser, Lt Col. Sabo Dasuki (retd.).

Metuh is facing charges for allegedly collecting N400m from Dasuki, an offence the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission described as money laundering.

Though Metuh said he actually collected the money, he said it was for a job he did for former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Metuh has, however, remained silent on the type of job he allegedly did for the former President.

He is also being prosecuted by the EFCC for allegedly tearing the statement he made to the commission while under interrogation.

The PDP spokesperson has denied both offences, and he is currently being remanded in Kuje Prisons, Abuja, by two different courts pending the time he would meet the bail conditions.

There were anxieties on how he would meet the conditions in order to ease his release from the prisons.

Jalo, however, said the party would not be involved in the search for the sureties.

He said, “Metuh didn’t represent the party in the alleged crimes he’s being prosecuted. The party didn’t benefit from the alleged crime.

“So, he is going to look for sureties himself. We won’t be involved. He would carry his own cross alone, without the party being involved.”

However, the National Legal Adviser of the party, Mr. Victor Kwon, said friends and associates Metuh were “doing everything possible to get the sureties” as demanded by the courts.

Louis van Gaal tells press to mind their business

A report in Friday's Daily Mirror claimed all immediate transfer plans have been put on hold at Old Trafford amid uncertainty over the Manchester United manager's future.

Van Gaal has 18 months to run on his contract and United have flatly denied meeting Pep Guardiola to discuss the position.

And the Dutchman, whose relationship with the media became increasingly strained during an eight-match winless run late last year, was in no mood to discuss his plans as he attended his weekly press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League game at home to Southampton.

"I don't think that the press have to help me with my decisions," he said.

"First they have sacked me and now they are interfering with my future. I don't think I have to answer this question."

Asked whether speculation over his future might affect United's squad, he said: "Until now, I haven't seen that.

"I have a relationship with the players and that's the most important thing. What is happening in the media is a different world. Not everything that the media is writing, I'm sorry to say, is true."

Uefa will not hold a presidential election until Michel Platini's appeal against his eight-year ban

The Uefa president, 60, was suspended by Fifa's ethics committee in December along with its president Sepp Blatter.

They were found guilty of breaches surrounding a "disloyal payment" made to Platini, but the Frenchman has appealed to Fifa's appeals committee.

Platini has withdrawn from February's Fifa presidential election.

A statement from European governing body Uefa said: "The Uefa executive committee decided there will be no Uefa presidential election scheduled until the sports justice appeal bodies, including potentially the Court of Arbitration for Sport, have taken a decision regarding Michel Platini's suspension.

"We hope his name is cleared and that he can return to the European football family as quickly as possible."

With BBC

Tyga spotted with a pretty young woman but wasn't Kylie Jenner

PREMIERE/JAVILES/FAMEFLYNET

SPW / BRIAN PRAHL / SPLASH NEWS/SPW / BRIAN PRAHL / SPLASH NEWS

While Tyga was out with a new girl, Kylie Jenner hit a West Hollywood hot spot with friends.

Tyga, the rapper and sometimes boyfriend of Kylie Jenner, has been seen around L.A. with an unknown lady.

The pretty girl with gray-dyed hair, whom some reports named as Val Mercado, bears a resemblance to Jenner.

Rumors continue to swirl as to whether the rapper and reality star are together. He was spotted with the young woman shopping in Beverly Hills on Thursday.

Jenner was close by and the same night  and hit The Nice Guy in West Hollywood with some pals.

Jenner, 18, and Tyga, 26, were last seen together holding hands during a date to the movies last week.

That was on the heels of a 14-year-old aspiring singer who accused Tyga of sending her inappropriate messages.

And there was the Brazilian model Annalu Cardoso who alleged that she had slept with Tyga when Jenner was out of town.     



With daily news

Coca Cola secret reveals

Those are two of over 100 drinks that Coca-Cola produces in Africa, many tailored to local taste according to CNN.

The approach in each city may differ, but the company's strategy is the same everywhere: a Coke product should always be within reach.

"It is very important that as a business we really ensure that we continue to be relevant to consumers and customers," Nathan Kalumbu, President Coca-Cola Eurasia & Africa Group, told CNN.

Across the continent, Coke has about 3,000 small distribution centers.

"These micro distribution centers are normally run by individuals who live in the community, they employ local people and they distribute to local retailers. It is a very good system that allows us to be able to reach consumers that would otherwise be difficult in reaching because of infrastructural challenges."

Hilda Macharia, a local Coca cola distributor, explains how the business has evolved over the years: "I started with 6,000 cases 5 years ago. This month I'm doing 32,000 cases. The pushcarts could no longer sustain the demand and the mechanization has really helped... because I'm able to get to the far end of my market in time."

Coca-Cola's CEO, Muhtar Kent, spoke with CNN's Zain Asher at the company's global headquarters in Atlanta, to discuss Coke's growth in Africa.

"The rate of growth in Africa is higher than that of Western markets and other parts of the world, so it'll continue to become a larger and larger part of our revenue," he said.

Coca-Cola now has 145 bottling plants in Africa and employs over 70,000 people, and it's one of the largest private employers in the continent.

"Last decade we invested about $5.5 billion in total in Africa. This decade we're earmarked to invest about 17 billion. So we're one of the largest investors on the whole in Africa."

And what about the growth of Pepsi, which is trying to up its game especially with operations in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya?

"We welcome competition. We think that competition is a benefit to everyone. It makes us operate better, it's a better environment for the company, it's a better environment for the consumer."