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France qualified for the World Cup in large part because of an uncalled hand ball by Thierry Henry last November.

So it was a bit
rich to see Henry, the aging French striker, imploring the referee to
call a hand ball against an opponent with the minutes ticking down on
France’s opening game, against Uruguay.

But there would be
no blown whistle this time either after Henry’s short-range shot
ricocheted off Mauricio Victorino’s right arm – held tightly by
Victorino’s side – in front of the Uruguay goal. There would be no
penalty kick for France and no goals at all in a 0-0 tie that was
hardly a bore but not nearly a match for the end-to-end spectacle of
the day’s other game in Group A between South Africa and Mexico.

The commonality was
the soundtrack: with the South African horns, the vuvuzelas, providing
a constant drone inside Cape Town’s new seaside stadium at Green Point.

“It’s frustrating
not to win,” France coach Raymond Domenech said. “We were not quite
precise and serene enough with our finishing, and they defended well.”

But even without
goals – and both the Frenchman Sidney Govou and the Uruguayan star
Diego Forlan had fine chances – there was still plenty of news. It has
been an extended, unsettled phase for the French team, which reached
the final in the 2006 World Cup in Germany but has struggled to
reproduce that sort of form in the four-year interim.

On Friday, Domenech
juggled his lineup, leaving midfielder Florent Malouda on the bench and
abandoning the attack-minded 4-3-3 formation that he had used in
preparatory matches. Instead, Domenech reverted to a 4-2-3-1 formation,
with Nicolas Anelka the lone striker and Jeremy Toulalan and the
surprise pick Abou Diaby playing defensive midfield positions in front
of France’s back four.

Diaby, a tall and
physical presence who can also dribble through traffic, looked very
much like he belonged, particularly in the first half, even though he
had not started a match for France since 2007.

What added intrigue
to the lineup shift was a report in the French news media that Domenech
and Malouda had clashed in a training session Thursday because Malouda
had been too aggressive during drills, putting his teammates at risk.
Domenech and Malouda, who came on as a substitute in the 75th minute,
denied those reports.

“Sometimes,
depending on the opponent, I make choices rather than others,” Domenech
said. “No player is sure to play the whole World Cup until the end.
It’s tiring, draining and you have to rotate. I started tonight.”

Domenech has
gradually become an unpopular figure in France and will be replaced
after the tournament by Laurent Blanc, one of the stars of the 1998
team that won the Cup in France.

Part, if only part,
of Domenech’s image problem has been results. France failed to advance
out of the first round at the 2008 European Championships. And in order
to qualify here, it needed that hand ball from Henry that led directly
to its late and decisive goal against Ireland.

The Irish have not
forgotten. Domenech fielded a question from an Irish reporter Thursday
about whether the French deserved to be here (the answer was “oui”).

And among those in
the capacity crowd of 64,100 on Friday were Kevin Daly and a group of
young Irishmen dressed in green and carrying a large poster that read
“Team 33”: a reference to early suggestions from soccer officials that
Ireland just might get to be the 33d team in the World Cup after the
injustice of its elimination.

That never materialised.

“We bought our
tickets a year and a half ago, and obviously we hoped that Ireland
would be here, but when we ended up with France tickets, we thought
obviously that it was a great chance to protest,” said Daly, a
26-year-old from Ennis who works for a public relations firm in Dublin.

Henry’s career has
hardly flourished recently. He played sparingly late in the season for
his talent-packed Spanish club team, Barcelona, which explains in part
why, at 32, he is no longer in his national team’s starting lineup.
Instead, he is considering a late-career move to the Red Bulls of Major
League Soccer.

But Henry remains
an icon in France, and he is the first French player to compete in four
World Cups. On Friday, he received a loud ovation from the South
African and French fans when he loped into the game in the 72nd minute
as a replacement for Anelka. Nine minutes later, France had a man
advantage after Uruguay’s Nicolas Lodeiro was sent off after receiving
a second yellow card from the Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura. But
though Henry and France applied plenty of pressure after Lodeiro was
sent off in the 81st minute, down the stretch, there would be no goal
and no hand ball either. An Irish reporter asked the French players
afterward if that might not have been a form of justice.

“Why are you
talking about this again?” asked the French captain Patrice Evra. “It’s
finished now. I think that’s the past, the past. We are here.”

So are the other three teams in Group A. For now, they all have one point.

© 2010 New York Times News Service

I am not old enough
to remember the magical days of Clockwork Oranje, when the Dutch
national side dazzled planet football with their awesome combination of
skillful passing and dynamic movement. It was dubbed “total football”
for good reason. The Netherlands lost back-to-back World Cup finals in
1974 and 1978, and that heartbreak has not been forgotten by a nation
who has constantly flattered to deceive in FIFA’s showpiece event. Now,
however, they have all the ingredients necessary to come out on top.

In my opinion, this
is an extremely balanced side. Arjen Robben’s impact has been keenly
anticipated, and even though the Bayern Munich winger’s chances of
beating injury to take part now look slim, there are so many weapons in
his team’s arsenal. Robin van Persie should be raring to go following a
season where he rarely played for Arsenal. Wesley Sneijder must be on
cloud nine following a historic treble with Inter for whom he was
instrumental. And let us not forget the influential Mark van Bommel who
sets the tone in the centre of the park. Defensively, they have plenty
of talent as well. John Heitinga and Joris Mathijsen have formed a
solid partnership in the centre of defence.

One final word
about the coach. Bert van Marwijk has been able to nurse some big egos
in the squad and convince his players to work hard for each other. Do
not forget the Netherlands have not lost since September of 2008 and
that momentum will help them immensely in South Africa.

Overachievers – Serbia and Uruguay

Not many people
have talked about either of these sides leading up to the World Cup,
but I believe they will turn some heads and can both make the
quarterfinals. Let’s start with Serbia. They have the right mix of
experience and youth in a squad which offers veteran coach Radomir
Antic plenty of options. Their defence is led by tough tackler Nemanja
Vidic, and their midfield is marshalled by Champions League winner
Dejan Stankovic. Add giant striker Nikola Zigic, and speedy winger
Milos Krasic to the mix, and you have a very dangerous team.

Uruguay will also
surprise a lot of football fans. They have enough quality to navigate
pass an unpredictable first round group and can reach the last eight of
the competition. With experienced coach Oscar Tabarez calling the
shots, and Diego Forlan firing in the goals, this is a team that cannot
be underestimated. La Celeste’s defence will be tough to beat. Diego
Lugano is a lion back there, and their wing-backs Diego Godin and Jorge
Fucile are extremely versatile.

Underachievers – Germany and Italy

They have seven
World Cup titles between them, but both Germany and Italy will be going
home early in 2010. Without Michael Ballack, Joachim Low’s side will
struggle to assert themselves in the competition and won’t get past the
quarterfinals. All of their strikers had poor seasons, and I just don’t
see too many exciting players in their line-up. As always, they will be
solid in defence, but will find it difficult to hit the back of the net.

As far as the
defending champions are concerned, the Italians could be heading home
after the round of 16. They are old, slow and predictable. With
midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo struggling for fitness, the Azzuri will
miss a playmaker who can make a difference. Defender Fabio Cannavaro is
past his best, and the same can be said for most of the players in
their starting line-up.

Other notables – Argentina, Spain and England

Argentina will lose
in the final to the Netherlands after beating Spain in the semifinals.
The defending Euro 2008 champions could still win it all but they have
had too many injury problems leading up to the World Cup. I can’t see
their top players staying in top shape and top form throughout the
tournament. As far as England are concerned, they will lose to the
Netherlands in the semifinals, which would still be a good result for
Fabio Capello’s men.

Player of the tournament – Lionel Messi

After scoring a
whopping 47 goals in 53 games in all competitions for Barcelona, Messi
will light the tournament on fire. He has been criticized for his poor
scoring record with Argentina (only four goals in qualifying) but that
will change in South Africa. Diego Maradona will use him in a more
central role, and little Leo will shine like never before in his
nation’s legendary number 10 shirt.

Top scorer – David Villa

One of the
deadliest strikers in the game today, Villa will benefit from playing
with assist master Xavi and he will score at least six goals in the
competition. With Fernando Torres struggling for fitness, the new
Barcelona signing will lead the Spain attack and celebrate plenty of
goals in South Africa.

The
Central Bank of Nigeria recently issued a 76-page “Prudential
Guidelines for Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria”. Effective May 1 2010,
the guidelines are a key part of the apex bank’s efforts at
strengthening the financial services industry, in the wake of several
shortcomings that have come to light since the global financial and
economic crisis set in. On one measure, the CBN has made a good first
of this goal. The document replaced by the new rulebook,

“Prudential
Guidelines for Licensed Banks”, was only 10 pages thick. So, in terms
of sheer reading effort, the new guidelines do call for considerable
expenditure. Beyond its heft, though, the new guidelines include
provisions on other dimensions of the industry’s operations (risk
management, corporate governance, anti-money laundering, etc.) that
were not even alluded to previously.

One could quibble
at the fact that a number of the additions to the new-look prudential
guidelines are a re-hash of policies the CBN has enunciated of late in
respect of its concern to ensure that banks in the country are properly
run, i.e. in the interest of depositors’ funds. Besides, if the
assignment of ensuring the safety of depositors’ funds and the
stability of the financial system is constructed narrowly enough, then
the main task for prudential regulation is to set proper limits on the
risk appetites of deposit-taking institutions. And this, the old rules
did with some success. So what new things have the new guidelines put
in place?

Basically, the new
guidelines recognise two loan loss provisioning regimes, where before,
there was just one. The “Other Loans” category essentially replicates
the provisions of the old guidelines, with 90 days remaining the
cut-off period for recognising facilities with unpaid principal and/or
interest. However, the new guidelines ease financing conditions for
specialised lending purposes.

Outstanding
obligations are now expressed as proportions of the amounts due, and
the loan-loss recognition periods have been considerably extended. In
this sense, the CBN has only acted to recognise the peculiar life cycle
of the project types that fall under its specialised lending category –
project, object, SME, agriculture, and mortgage financing. All of these
have long gestation periods between when investments are made, and when
they begin to earn revenue, with which they may rightfully meet their
loan commitments. Incidentally, these are also sectors in which the
country has the greatest need, and whose successful financing could
have the greatest multiplier effect on the economy.

That said, I’m not
quite sure the apex bank intended an additional outcome of the new
prudential rules. It would seem that risk managers in the industry had
hoped to obtain some gain from the new guidelines. This would have
happened, if for instance, the apex bank had extended the period for
recognising loan losses across all risk asset classes. Then, a number
of current provisions done in the spirit of the tougher old rules may
have been written back in aid of banks profits. Given the many comfort
arrangements that the CBN has put in place to help banks’ balance
sheets, and the fact that the industry still labours from a liquidity
glut, this was a fair hope. But it turns out that “specialised loans”
are a small portion of the industry’s current loan portfolio. So, the
hoped for gains from extending the period for recognising impaired
loans would be a lot smaller.

Nonetheless, would
these easier terms, not boost the flow of credit to these sectors of
the economy? A re-balancing of credit in favour of project financing
would be consistent with the economy’s need for new investment in
infrastructure, while better mortgage and agriculture financing should
ultimately address needs that are peculiar to the more vulnerable
segments of the economy. Still, it helps to consider why banks have not
felt a need thus far to put their monies in these very useful sectors
of the economy. When a market fails for the provision of any good or
service, it is often because the neighbourhood effects arising from
investing in the provision of such service or good are too dispersed to
generate useful returns for the investing entity, or that too large a
portion of the externalities arising from the investment are negative.

In this case, we
should worry about two things. A legal and infrastructure environment
that remains unhelpful to business, and the banks’ capacity to lend to
these sectors.

Certificate of
Occupancy alias C of O is a title document issued by the authorised
government signifying its consent to ownership of land by the occupant
of the land. C of O is not only the recognised/ accepted title
document. Deed of Assignment, Deed of Transfer and Purchase Receipts
Agreement are recognised title documents upon registration.

Every instrument
affecting land must be registered with the Registrar of Title. An
instrument is any document affecting land whereby one part confers,
transfer, limits, charges or extinguished in favour of another party
any right or title to, or interest in land, and includes a certificate
of purchase and power of attorney under which any instrument may be
executed, but does not include a Will.

An instrument duly
registered with the Land’s Registry becomes a public document and
searches can be made at all reasonable times in the register book in
which upon an application, a certified true copy can be obtained.

Registration constitutes notice to the whole world of the title or interest the registered instrument conveys.

A prospective
creditor or purchaser of a property must be prudent to avoid buying a
law suit. It connotes that a reasonable creditor or purchaser must
conduct a search at the Land Registry. A search at the Land Registry
should be propped up with further investigation that should include
site inspection. Apart from the searches at Land Registry, it is
advisable to conduct search at the Surveyor General’s Office to
ascertain the status of the property.

However in practice
these days, there are indications that Title documents are cloned
(forged) and used as collateral without the owner’s consent. It has
become the trade of chronic debtor to use cloned title documents as
collateral. An unsuspecting creditor will accept a cloned Title
documents assuming the presenter to be the owner and later encounter
problem either at investigation stage or enforcement stage. These
chronic debtors have even stepped up their game by ensuring that cloned
documents are reduplicated and substituted for the original at Land’s
Registry; please do not ask me how! We conducted a search on a property
lately and the search report confirmed the presenter as the owner. Our
further investigation at the Surveyor General’s office showed
inconsistency. We decided to follow the information we received at the
Surveyor General’s Office that later revealed the search report and
Title document from Land Registry was cloned.

While I am not
pointing fingers, Title documents owners must ensure the safe custody
of their legal documents at all times. These documents when in the
hands of wrong persons can be used to the detriments of its owners.
Owners of Title documents should, once in a while, conduct searches
too! This will save any unforeseeable embarrassment in future.

I implore the Lands Directorate to please investigate the incessant cloning of Title documents and ensure its extinction.

By midnight
tomorrow, the seven-day ultimatum which a group of ten lawmakers in the
House of Representatives gave the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole to resign
would have elapsed.

The ultimatum was
yet another of several plots to dethrone the Speaker by his colleagues
since 2008. Describing themselves as “Progressive Members” of the
House, the representatives told the Speaker to resign or risk being
disgraced out of the office for alleged high-handedness,

corruption and
ineptitude, among other things. They also claimed they have
incriminating documents with which they will nail Mr Bankole if he
fails to heed their advise. But so far, there are no indications that
Mr Bankole is packing his belongings or getting ready to leave.
Similarly, there are no signs that the “warring” progressive members
are planning to extend the ultimatum.

Rather, both
parties are reaching out for new and deadlier weapons to prosecute the
impending battle at the expiration of the ultimatum or, better still,
on June 22 when the House reconvenes from its two week recess. The
young Speaker, reports say, has been holding meetings with loyalists
and aides on how to contain the fresh threat to his office.

It will be one of
the miracles of the new millennium if Mr Bankole agrees to throw in the
towel. Such decisions are not common in this part of the world.
Resignation from office is alien to us. Therefore, the so-called
progressives may be daydreaming if they think that Mr Bankole (though
educated in the climes where leaders resign over such allegations) will
go just like that. The 41-year-old Speaker is enjoying the fame and
wealth that come with that office and it might not matter to him if he
is delivering democracy dividend to his people or not.

Now to the ten
lawmakers: There is a common thread that holds these men together. They
are aggrieved over the reshuffling of committees in the House. Even if
they don’t want to admit that, Nigerians know. Nigerians know that this
struggle is not about bettering their (Nigerians) welfare.

Nigerians know it
is selfish. Yes, they all lost out in the various committee
reconstitutions undertaken by Mr Bankole since 2008.

Independence
Ogunewe, for instance, lost his chairmanship of Aviation Committee and
later that of Cooperation and Integration in Africa.

His constant
battles to regain any of them for close to two years now have not
yielded any fruit. Ehiogie West-Idahosa has been battling to regain his
headship of the Committee on Interior in the last two years. Dino
Melaye lost his Information Committee chairmanship post and all efforts
to retrieve it have proved abortive. Asita Honourable has just lost his
number two seat in the Committee on Anti-Corruption. The others are
equally angry because they have found no place in the committees.

And so, it is
normal that they protest. We have seen that in the past. Close watchers
of the National Assembly in the past 11 years know that two major
things threaten the jobs of presiding officers, whether in the Senate
or in the House. They are issues relating to reshuffling of committees
and lawmakers’ welfare. It is as simple as that. It is not about the
passage or non-passage of bills that will improve the living standard
of Nigerians.

Incidentally, Mr
Bankole, whose head is the most sought after in the country at the
moment, has touched on the two. His refusal to accede to the demand to
increase their allowances to N42 million from N27 million each is an
“offence”. Secondly, in reconstituting some committees two weeks ago,
he sacked some leaders and may still sack some more. It is like
touching the tail of a python.

Long on emotion

Incidentally, the
men asking Mr Bankole to leave office are not long distance runners.
Only last year, Messrs Melaye and West-Idahosa gathered a few lawmakers
to demand the resignation of the House leader, Tunde Akogun; Deputy
leader, Baba Shehu Agaie and the Chief Whip, Emeka Ihedioha for
allegedly pocketing monies they were given to organize some events in
the House.

At some point, Mr
Melaye told newsmen that a total of 241 members had signed up for Mr
Ihedioha’s removal. But on the day the House reconvened, Mr Melaye ate
his word. Even when Mr Ihedioha came by order dealing with privileges,
none of the 241 legislators, including Mr West-Idahosa could speak up.
In fact, Mr Melaye apologized for inducing tension in the House.
Exactly, one year after, the lawmaker is at it again.

Mr Ogunewe and
Solomon Awhinawhi, alongside five of their colleagues, floated a group
known as Transparency Group about two years ago to canvass the exit of
Mr Bankole for his alleged involvement in the N2.3 billion car scam.
Apart from addressing a press conference once, where they made their
demand publicly, there was no concerted action by the group to take
their struggle to the next level.

So, if we go by their antecedent, it is almost certain that this
fresh battle to oust Mr Bankole will fail. But then, maybe they can do
that by the grace of their external sponsors who we hear are bent on
seeing the back of the Speaker whose popularity is reportedly waning by
the day.

The calm and coolly
articulate man once dubbed ‘No Drama Obama’ chose some surprising
profanity this week to demonstrate a different side of his personality.

Facing criticism
that he hasn’t been involved or emotional enough about the oil leak
that is now the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, President
Barack Obama insisted that he’s working closely with experts on a very
particular goal.

“We talk to these
folks because they potentially have the best answers,” he told our
colleagues at NBC News, “so I know whose ass to kick.” Obama may be
angry the same way that millions of Americans are. An oil-rig accident
that started out bad – with the deaths of 11 workers – has gotten much
worse. It’s become a national catastrophe and media obsession that’s
dragged on for nearly two months.

Polls suggest it’s also now a political problem for the president and that may be a factor in his show of anger as well.

After the
infamously slow emergency effort that followed Hurricane Katrina in
2005, an ABC News/Washington Post poll that found 62 per cent of
respondents thought poorly of the Bush administration’s response.

The same poll now
finds that even more Americans – 69 per cent – have a negative opinion
of the Obama administration’s work since the spill.

There may be something larger happening too.

Americans felt optimistic when they elected Obama president more than a year and a half ago.

Now, under the
pressure of a still sluggish economy and stubbornly high unemployment,
Americans tell pollsters they are angry about the state of the country.
Is it a coincidence that the president’s own persona is beginning to
reflect that?

Obama is not
turning into a ranting populist railing against the oil industry. But
America’s sour mood is being darkened further by the oil coming ashore
on its south coast.

The president clearly doesn’t want to look too cheerful about the challenge.