The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Weekly Review: Important stories you might have missed this week

    This week heralded the Eid-el-Kabir celebration for Muslim faithfuls across the world and also some other interesting news stories.

    It’s possible that you may have missed some of our most interesting stories from this week. To make sure you’re up-to-date, we take a moment every week to bring you important stories.

    Buhari’s pledge to the poor, Obaseki and Oshiomhole’s truce, Ganduje battle with Emir Sanusi continues, suspension of SIPRPP chairman, Okoi Obono-Obla and other controversial news dominated the political discourse this week.

    The Nation brings you a brief round-up of the major stories this week. Alao Abiodun Reports.

    Buhari pledges to fight for poor Nigerians

    buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Daura, Katsina State, said he will use his second term in office to improve the lives of Nigerians by paying close attention to the poor and those on the lower rungs of society.

    Addressing leaders of various communities from five local government areas of Daura Emirate, who paid him a visit as part of Eid El-Kabir celebration, the president said he is convinced that majority of Nigerians understand who he is and his mission, on account of which they returned him for a second term in office with larger margin of votes than 2015.

    “You know how much I laboured to get here. I ran three times in the past. The fourth time, God used technology to do it for me. The fifth time I ran (February 23, 2019), I went to all the states of the federation. The turnout of crowds was overwhelming.

    “Truly, the people know and understand my mission. This is what the votes showed. The administration will dwell on our campaign issues — security, economy and corruption. We will fight for the poor,” the president said.

    He emphasized the important place of agriculture under his administration, promising to appoint a minister who is knowledgeable and will know how to promote interest and investment in the sector.

    Boy, 15, stages own kidnap, arrested

    A 15-year-old boy allegedly staged his own kidnap. He demanded N500,000 as ransom.

    The minor, who was paraded in Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Thursday, told reporters that he initiated the plan with his friends, to enable him buy clothes and celebrate his graduation.

    “I was the one who initiated the plan and not my friends. I wanted my father to give me money for clothes and to also celebrate my graduation,” he said.

    Briefing reporters on the arrest of the minor, Police Commissioner Isaac Akinmoyede said five persons were arrested in a case of criminal conspiracy and kidnapping, including the victim, who stage-managed his own kidnap.

    He said the father of the victim, Mr. Jerry Vichi, on July 19 reported at ‘A’ Division, Jos that his son, working as an apprentice at a motor vehicle electrical wiring shop, did not return after the day’s job.

    The police commissioner said the suspect’s father reported that he received a phone call from a hidden number informing him that his son had been kidnapped and taken away from Jos.

    Edo crisis: Obaseki, Oshiomhole meet

    Governor of Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki, and his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole appears to have set aside the alleged rift between them as both men met on Monday in the latter’s village, Iyanmoh near Auchi area of the state.

    Recall that Obaseki had in a Catholic mass to mark the 80th birthday of former APC national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, said things will soon return to normalcy in the state as he and his predecessor do not have any fundamental issues.

    Speaking to journalists after the closed-door meeting, which lasted for about an hour, Oshiomhole said the meeting was not unusual as he was in constant touch with Obaseki.

    The APC chairman said, “It is not an unusual visit; the meeting afforded me the opportunity to meet with my brother and with people I have worked with.”

    Obaseki also noted that the visit was to celebrate the Islamic holiday with his former boss.

    Ganduje continues battle with Emir Sanusi

    This week, Abdullahi Ganduje, Governor of Kano State, ordered some district heads in the state not to attend Kano Durbar.

    A durbar is a festival that holds during eid el Kabir and eid el Fitri celebrations. It begins with prayers, followed by a parade of the emir and his entourage on horses.

    In a statement signed by Abba Anwar, chief press secretary to the governor, Ganduje asked them to celebrate the festivity in their respective emirates, saying “against some calls circulating in the social media, that all district heads were directed to attend Hawan Daushe at Kano emir’s palace, the Kano State government has directed all Hakimai to attend Hawan Daushe at their respective emirates.

    Buhari suspends SIPRPP chairman, Okoi Obono-Obla

    President Muhammadu Buhari has suspended the chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Okoi Obono-Obla,

    This is to allow for investigations into cases of alleged falsification of records and financial impropriety against him.

    A letter addressed to him through the secretary to the government of the federation, says the suspension would be in place until the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission concludes its probe.

    His trouble was linked to an investigation by the anti-graft agency, ICPC, which found that he had falsified his WAEC result to enrol at the University of Jos, where he studied law in the 1980s. He also attended the Nigerian Law school on the back of the fake high school records.

    The findings of the ICPC also corroborated a previous inquiry by the House of Representatives in 2018. A House committee that investigated Mr Obono-Obla’s WAEC documents found that it was fake and asked Mr Buhari to remove him from office.

    The lawmakers also said Mr Obono-Obla’s university degree and law school certificate should be withdrawn and he should be handed over to federal authorities for prosecution.

    Another matter that worried administration officials was the growing claims that Mr Obono-Obla had used his office to enrich himself. The House also reached similar conclusions in its December 2018 report.

    Mr Obono-Obla has strongly denied all allegations of certificate forgery or corruption, saying he was a victim of vindictive powerful interests who are offended by his anti-corruption fight.

    El-Zakzaky arrives Nigeria, DSS takes him into custody

    The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, has back arrived Nigeria from India.

    Mr El-Zakzaky’s flight arrived the Abuja airport on Friday.

    He was promptly whisked away by security operatives, believed to be officials of the SSS.

    The Shiite cleric has been in the custody of the SSS since his arrest in December 2015 following a massacre of over 300 IMN members by soldiers in Kaduna, for blocking a road.

    He travelled to India following an Abuja court order that he be allowed to receive treatment there.

    He claimed, upon arriving in India, that the Nigerian government working with the Indian government frustrated him from getting adequate treatment.

    Similarly, the Nigerian government has denied the accusations and said the Shiite cleric had ulterior motives for his actions in India.

    However, Hostilities resumed on Friday between the Federal Government and the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) moments after officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) took the leader of the sect, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat, back into custody.

    4.7 million have participated in NYSC since inception — DG

    The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) says more than 4.6 million graduates have participated in the scheme since inception in 1973.

    The director-general of the scheme, Shuaibu Ibrahim, said this on Thursday in Abuja while giving the scheme’s scorecard.

    Mr Ibrahim said the scheme has achieved so much in fostering unity and contributing to national development over the years.

    He said the educational development of the country has also been positively impacted by the presence of corps members as teachers in schools.

    “Since inception, 4,664,804 Nigerians have participated in the NYSC scheme. The scheme has done a lot to foster unity and integration through the policy of posting of corps members to other states than their state of origin,” he said.

    “Educational development of the country has been positively impacted through the posting of corps members to schools.

    PDP BoT chair okays RUGA

    The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Walid Jibrin, has urged Nigerians to embrace the establishment of Rural Grazing Areas (RUGA) programme of the Federal Government.

    Mr Jibrin told journalists at his Nasarawa country home on Tuesday in Nasarawa State that the proposed settlement policy for herdsmen would promote peace and security in the country.

    He also explained that the programme would boost food security and improve the health and standard of living in rural communities.

    Mr Jibrin, who is also the Sarkin (leader) of Fulani in Nasarawa State, commended the federal government for introducing the RUGA programme in the country considering its importance.

  • Jonathan salutes Babangida at 78

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.), as a courageous leader who devoted his time and strength to upholding the glory and honour of Nigeria.

    Jonathan stated this in a goodwill message issued on Friday in Yenagoa by his Media Adviser, Mr Ikechukwu Eze, on the occasion of Babangida’s 78th birthday.

    He said that the former military president contributed immensely to the physical and economic development of the country.

    Read Also: Jonathan: APC can’t win in Bayelsa

    “I am delighted to join your family and other well-wishers to celebrate with you on the occasion of your 78th birthday.

    “You are a courageous leader who has committed his time and strength to defending the honour and glory of Nigeria.

    “As a military president, you contributed immensely to the physical and economic development of our nation.

    “As you celebrate, I pray that God Almighty will keep you in perfect peace and bless you with divine health,” he said.

    The former president prayed God to grant Babangida more glorious years on earth.

  •  Don urges S’West govs to improve region’s security

    The Director, Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, Professor Tajudeen Akanji on Friday called on the governors of the South West region to declare state of emergency on security in order to restore peace in the region.

    Akanji who was the guest speaker at the 4th Surveyor Lasisi Lasupo Ali Annual Lecture which was held in Ibadan, indicated that the drivers of insecurity include globalization which he said has broken down trade barriers between nations, expansion and integration of economies as well as people.

    At the event were the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin who was represented by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Muhammed Fadeyi; Chairman of the occasion, Mr Adelodun Olaiya; National President of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Surveyor Alabo Charles; and Chairman, Oyo State branch of NIS, Surveyor Aderemi Femi Kobiowu among other guests.

    Akanji while speaking called on the Nigerian government to reorganize its security and military formations, introduce state policing and as well address the poverty and unemployment in the country.

    Read Also: I’ll fight insecurity to standstill, Buhari vows

    He blamed the high rate of crime in Nigeria to a number of factors including the state’s incapacity to forecast and address early warning signals on insecurity.

    Akanji also reiterated the need for the governments in the southwest of Nigeria to declare a state of emergency as a measure to restore peace and security to the region.

    The 2019 edition of Surveyor L. L. Ali Annual Lecture titled: ‘Emerging Security Threats, State Stability and Economic Development of South Western Nigeria.

    Akanji explained that, Most of the challenges we face are results of governance deficit.

    The don noted that globalization, information technology, erosion of state sovereignty and ever increasing youth population with no meaningful engagement and transnational criminal networks and regional environment which allows crimes and criminality to permeate from one aspect of a region to another.

    The don said despite its benefits, the globalization has its own attendant vulnerabilities which include shocks, disruptions and uncertainties which if happen anywhere, will affect everybody everywhere.

  • Kaduna governorship election tribunal to adopt written addresses Aug 19

    The Kaduna State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal will resume sitting on Aug. 19, to begin adoption of written addresses by all parties in the petition instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The Secretary to the tribunal, Mrs Hafsat Suleiman, disclosed this in a telephone interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Kaduna.

    “The State and National Assembly and, the Governorship Election Petition Tribunals are resuming on Monday, Aug. 19.

    Read Also: Ex-governors in political wilderness after 2019 elections

    “The State and National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal will resume to open fresh hearing on petition number two which was brought by a House of Representatives candidate in the Feb. 16 elections.

    “It was sequel to an Appeal Court ruling on a motion of one of the parties.

    “While the governorship tribunal is resuming for the adoption of addresses by the petitioners and the three respondents,” Suleiman said.

  • OGSG partners NSCDC on human capital development

    Human Capacity Development has been described as an important part of nation building, as it helps in the development of citizens through the acquisition of innovative ideas and development of new skills for improved society.

    Ogun State Deputy Governor, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele, made this known during a visit by the management team of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), led by its newly deployed State Commander, Mr. Hammed Abodunrin, at her office in Oke – Mosan, Abeokuta.

    Salako-Oyedele, an engineer, said the state had been a force to reckon with in human capacity development in Nigeria, assuring that government would continue to improve the welfare of citizenry as well as ensure their protection at all times.

    Read Also: Police rescue three kidnap victims in Ogun

    “I’m sure we can work together and incorporate the services  you can offer to the members of the public and the state at large on different training programmes,” she stated.

    On security, the deputy governor said, the present administration was passionate at ensuring the security of the state was guaranteed for improved economic growth, noting that plans were at advanced stage to reinvigorate the Security Trust Fund, to make sure all security agencies are well equipped to carry out their work.

    “Be assured that you have a governor who would ensure the security of lives and property, peaceful coexistence of individuals and government are guaranteed,” she assured.

    Earlier, the NSCDC boss, Commandant Hammed Abodunrin said the purpose of their visit was to intimate the deputy governor on the mandate of the corps, which bordered on research management, public safety, protection of national assets and building capacity, amongst others.

  • Police parade inspector’s killers, 116 criminals in Kano

    Kano Commissioner of Police Ahmed Illyasu has confirmed the arrest of suspected gunmen, including the ring leader, who brutally killed a police Inspector at his residence in Sabuwar Gandu, Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano state last Thursday.

    Illyasu, who paraded 116 suspected criminals for various offences, said intelligence report led to the arrest of the suspected killers of the police man, adding that investigation has already commenced to ascertain the real cause of the murder.

    However, a resident who does not want his name on print told reporters in Kano: “At about 2 a.m. Thursday, unidentified hoodlums invaded the inspector’s house armed with dangerous weapons.

    “They matcheted him severally. During the onslaught, his wife raised alarm, which drew the attention of the neighbours who rushed in order to rescue him.

    “On realizing that they might be caught red-handed, they all fled and left him in his own pool of blood.

    “His neighbours attempted taking him to the hospital but he died in the house due to lack of vehicle to instantly convey him to a nearby hospital for treatment.”

    Read Also: Police parade suspected killers of two Catholic priests in Enugu

    Illyasu added that a woman identified as Fadila Mohammed Suraju of Sabuwar Gandu Quarters has been apprehended in connection with the kidnap of eight-year old Aisha Sani, who was kidnapped, killed and thrown into a well.

    According to him, 16 kidnapping suspects were also arrested, while two kidnap victims were rescued by the police.

    He said 34 thugs (Yandaba) found to be in possession of dangerous weapons and illicit drugs were arrested at various locations across the state in an operation during and after the Sallah festivities.

    “Five suspected fraudsters/scammers on land matters were arrested. N400, 000 and four motor vehicles were recovered from them. Five suspects were arrested for counterfeiting local and foreign currencies.”

    He added that nine armed robbery suspects as well as 51 suspects were also arrested at different criminal hideouts where large quantities of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and other intoxicating substances were recovered from them.

    He further stated that one suspect was tracked and arrested at his hideout in Warawa Local Government Area after stabbing someone to death.

    Items recovered from the suspects include 12 locally-made guns, N1.1 million cash, 15 military camouflage and 10 boots, 24 handsets, four solar batteries, 53 knives, 10 wraps of N1000 counterfeit notes, 25 bags of dry leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp, eight vehicles, three motorcycles and a laptop, among others.

    CP Illyasu noted: “The Puff-Adder Operation which is achieving tremendous result in Kano will be sustained throughout the state, until all non-repentant criminal elements are arrested and brought before the law.

    “We appreciate the good people of the state and law abiding members of the public for their cooperation during the just concluded serene, peaceful and successful Sallah celebrations.”

  • Ex-governors in political wilderness after 2019 polls

    The 2019 elections have come and gone. So also is the nomination of candidates for ministerial slots in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet. But it has been different strokes for different folks with respect to the political class. While many are savouring the joy of victory, others are writhing in the agony of defeat. The latter is particularly the case with former governors who either lost their re-election bids or lost their bids to move to the Senate after spending their mandatory two terms. Below are some of the former governors who may have to remain in political wilderness in the next few years because they were also not lucky enough to secure places in the new Buhari cabinet.

    Akinwunmi Ambode

    His is a classic instance of the instability of human conditions. Until late last year when words filtered out that former Lagos State governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, had stepped on the banana peel, the conclusion of every pundit was that he was good for a second term as governor, based on the physical structures he had built in the state.

    But all that changed with the news that some influential members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state were not happy with the manner he handled the matter of refuse disposal and the alleged poor treatment he meted out to them. The reality of the issue, which began like a piece of unfounded rumour, dawned on his admirers when the party conducted its governorship primaries on October 2 last year and the incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, emerged as the party’s flag bearer for the 2019 governorship election.

    With the party’s ticket lost and Sanwo-Olu emerging victorious at the governorship poll, the grapevine began to buzz with the rumour that President Muhammadu Buhari was considering Ambode as a replacement for the governor of Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele, whose tenure was drawing to a close. The rumour became stronger when Ambode successfully brought President Buhari to Lagos in April for the commissioning of some of his administration’s projects. But any hope of Ambode becoming the governor of the apex bank vanished like vapour when President Buhari announced the renewal of Emefiele’s tenure as CBN governor on May 2.

    With the dream of Ambode becoming the governor of Central Bank also gone, members of his political camp hinged their hope on his appointment into Buhari’s cabinet as Nigerians waited with bated breath for the release of the President’s ministerial list. Admirers of the former governor just could not contemplate the possibility of Ambode not making the list after the initial disappointments, particularly with the ministerial slots increased from the usual 36 to 42. It turned out a huge shock, however, that the list was released without Ambode’s name on it.

    Thus the former governor was edged out of a second term, denied the chance to become the governor of the Central Bank and skipped on Buhari’s list of ministers. The question on the lips of his admirers now is where does he go from here?

    Abiola Ajimobi

    If he had his way, Senator Abiola Ajimobi would by now be wearing the tag of the senator representing Oyo South after two terms as Oyo State governor. That, however, was not to be as Ajimobi who contested the senatorial district’s election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was defeated by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Kola Balogun.

    It was one of the shocking outcomes of the 2019 general elections that a sitting governor who had spent eight years in office could not muster the needed influence to win election into the same Senate seat he had occupied before he became governor. His undoing, many people believed, was his face-off with the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, whose chiefs Ajimobi upgraded to Obas in a move interpreted by many as a deliberate ploy to whittle down the power and influence of the monarch.

    The move appeared not to have gone down well with many prominent sons and daughters of Ibadan who saw it as a direct invitation to anarchy in the traditional set up of Africa’s second largest city. The PDP in the state did not only make a political capital of the anger the move provoked in the city to win the governorship election, it also saw the candidate of the opposition party winning the senatorial election at Ajimobi’s expense.

    Many admirers of the former governor who had thought that President Muhammadu Buhari would compensate him with a ministerial appointment were disappointed to see that his name was conspicuously missing from the list. But Ajimobi himself has said that reclaiming his senatorial mandate through the courts is more important to him than a ministerial appointment. While his admirers are hoping for a positive outcome of the legal battle, Ajimobi will remain in political wilderness until the deed is done.

    Abdulaziz Yari

    Former Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Yari’s case was that of a beautiful dream on the verge of reality truncated by a gang of brutal misadventures. He had contested election into the Senate during the 2019 National Assembly elections and won by a wide margin, only for the Supreme Court to declare his election and those of other candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state void.

    In the unprecedented judicial pronouncement, the apex court awarded the governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections held in the state to the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because the primaries that produced the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who actually won the highest number of votes at the polls, were deemed a nullity.

    The Supreme Court decision affected Governor Yari who had earlier been declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the Zamfara West Senatorial election. Yari had polled 153,626 votes while Lawal Hassan of the PDP scored 69,293 votes. But with the apex court’s ruling, Hassan took over as the senator-elect for Zamfara West Senatorial District.

    The development has since truncated Yari’s dream of joining the upper chamber of the National Assembly while he also missed out on President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial list.

    Muhammed Abubakar

    For the immediate past governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar, the recent governorship election in the state ended in a triple loss. Abubakar did not only lose the first round of the governorship election in the state, he also lost the supplementary election while his bid to secure victory through the courts also ended in a loss.

    The governor, who sought re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had been defeated by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bala Mohammed, who polled 469,512 votes in the March 9 election against his own 465,453 votes.

    Abubakar had got a reprieve from the ruling of a federal high court in Abuja which granted his request for suspension of the collation of the remaining results. But that could only delay the reality for a short spell as the court later struck out the governor’s application with the result that in the results that were later announced, the PDP candidate polled 6,376 votes while the governor followed closely with 5,117 votes.

    Abubakar had ridden on the back of the Buhari tsunami that swept through the north during the 2015 elections to become the governor of the state, but he was said to have fallen out with many of the state’s stakeholders soon after he assumed office. Many APC stalwarts in the state were also believed to have worked against his re-election because they were aggrieved by the process through which Abubakar emerged as the party’s flag bearer. His failure to pay the pensions and gratuities of retired civil servants in the state was also believed to have contributed to his failure at the poll.

    Unfortunately, he was not one of the APC members nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari for ministerial appointment, leaving his supporters to wonder what is next for the former Bauchi governor.

    Abdulfatah Ahmed

    Before the 2019 elections, the immediate past governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, had his sight set on the Senate seat for Kwara South. Long before the elections, Ahmed’s senatorial election had received the blessings of his political godfather and former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, but the loss of a supplementary election in Ahmed’s own Ekiti/Oke Ero/Isin/Irepodun federal constituency by the PDP candidate he backed as governor changed the equation.

    The defeat, coming at the height of intense political rivalry between the Saraki-led PDP and former Information Minister Lai Muhammed-led APC in the state, naturally moved Saraki to high dudgeon. Enraged by the defeat of Ahmed’s candidate in the supplementary election and fearing that Ahmed himself might not have the clout to win the senatorial election against the rampaging political machinery of the APC in the state, Saraki withdrew the former governor’s senatorial ticket and gave it to a candidate he felt could win the election and save him and PDP further embarrassment.

    Although Ahmed said the decision to withdraw his senatorial ticket had nothing to do with the loss of the by-election, its import is that Ahmed, who was already on the verge of completing his second term as governor, could not retire into the Senate as he had planned to. That coupled with the fact that he has a very little chance of being offered a federal appointment means he is in for a long spell in political wilderness.

    Jibrila Bindow

    Given the manner the All Progressives Congress (APC) swept the polls in Adamawa State in the 2015 general elections, not many people would imagine that the then governor, Jibrila Bindow, would lose his re-election bid in 2019. But by time the 2019 governorship election ended, Bindow was roundly defeated by Umar Fintiri, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    His major undoing, analysts believed, was his concentration of efforts on urban renewal while the rural populace accused the governor of abandoning them as their farm produce were regularly destroyed by criminals. This coupled with Fintiri’s popularity and the internal wrangling within the APC in the state spelt doom for Bindow and APC in the state.

    Signs of trouble had emerged a few days to the governorship election when 10 political parties who had earlier entered into a pact with Bindow announced the withdrawal of their support for his re-election bid.

    The governorship candidates of the 10 political parties under the auspices of New Generation Governorship Forum (NGGF) told reporters in Yola that they were withdrawing their support for Bindow over his failure to work with their advice and ensure good governance in the state.

    At the end of the election, which had to go into a rerun, Fintiri got 9,081 votes to raise his 367,471 in the main election to 375,552, while Bindow could only get 1,391 in the rerun to raise his initial 334,995 votes to 336,386.

    Ibrahim Dankwambo

    After two terms in office as the governor of Gombe State, having won the elections on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ibrahim Dankwambo sought to push his luck further in the 2019 elections for a seat in the Senate to represent Gombe North. His ambition was, however, halted by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Saidu Alkali.

    The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost in four of the local government areas in the senatorial district in the National Assembly elections conducted on February 23, with Alkali scoring 152,546 votes while Dankwambo garnered 88,016.

    Dankwambo was first elected Gombe governor in 2011 and won re-election in 2015. He contested in the primary election for the PDP’s presidential ticket in 2018 but finished in the fifth position as Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the PDP in the last presidential election clinched the ticket.

    With his fine run of form halted by Alkali, Dankwambo is guaranteed a place in political wilderness in the next few years.

  • Letter to Gernot Rohr

    Gernot Rohr’s mien puts you off at first contact, although his wiry look suggests that he thinks round the clock about his job. Rohr isn’t scared to talk about his job. He listens and waits to answer questions, showing his depth and willingness to improve on his work ethics.

    He comes across as a man who is determined to meet his targets, except those set for him by his employers, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), given the potential of our players. NFF’s mandate to Rohr showed gross misunderstanding of the brand that they had.

    Otherwise, how do you task Rohr with a semi-final mandate at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, where 99 per cent (Only goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa plays in the domestic league) of his boys play in Europe. The argument that Nigeria had missed the last two editions is laughable and can the likened to doubting the predatory instincts of the lion simply because it had been ill. Nigeria, given the abundance of talents in the country’s 774 Local government areas should win the continent’s biggest soccer diadem in default – it should be our birthright.

    The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations is over with Nigeria belittling herself with a bronze medal, largely because we make our players look like they are indispensable. Little wonder they are easily provoked and ready to upset the applecart for lucre. They pour odium on the country over things they dare not do in their European clubs. The best way to stop this show of shame is for both the NFF and Rohr to drop the ringleaders. Besides, those who have spent close to six years in the team should be eased off, if we are sincere in our quest to excel at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

    It isn’t enough to bask in the fact that Nigeria fields the youngest set of players at competitions, like Rohr always says. It will be worth celebrating, if these young lads qualify Nigeria for the Qatar 2022 World Cup final. Such a feat will open new vistas for the players and persuade foreign scouts to visit Nigeria in search for budding talents. The invasion of the country with foreigners will elicit good business deals which will invariably rub off on the quality of our domestic leagues and competitions.

    The spiral effects of attending big soccer tournaments have been lost on us because our mentality of perpetually rebuilding our teams after every failed adventure. Winners of tournaments are built from generations (at least two) of previous appearances), hence the fluidity in their games. The growth pattern is such that engages the good players in their age grade teams when a vacuum exists. This transition is possible because coaches at the age grade levels are integrated into the senior from when the country’s playing style evolves.

    Nobody can fault this NFF board in terms of getting quality matches for the Super Eagles. Unlike in the past when such Grade A games are played mostly on the pages of the newspapers, this new NFF get their friendly games confirmed by the opponents to throw into the dustbin any thoughts of it being fake news.

    The September 10 international friendly between Nigeria and Ukraine in Dnipro is a superb test for the Eagles since the Ukrainians are presently ranked 25th in the world unlike Nigeria which is 33rd. Yet, this game provides the best test for our goalkeepers comprising Francis Uzoho (Anorthosis Famagusta, Cyprus); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Heartland FC) and Emil Maduka Okoye (Fortuna Dusseldorf, Germany). Not a few Nigerians have celebrated the exit of Daniel Akpeyi, with a few others pleading that he shouldn’t return to the team, if the coach knows his onions.

    This latter group are not raising the alarm over nothing since we have this tendency of unearthing forgotten stars under the guise of trying to tap from their experience. I always ask when the younger ones will garner such experience when they are benched by older but ageing stars?

    I can’t fault Rohr’s preference for Emil Maduka Okoye (Fortuna Dusseldorf, Germany) because we watch him weekly where he has distinguished himself in matches. I wish we had a more vibrant domestic league administered by people who can be challenged to ensure that Super Eagles is populated by home-grown players by 2022, not those who remember the league exists, only when the season begins.

    Goalkeeping has been Eagles’ bane. Rohr needs to recruit a renowned goalkeeper’s trainer to drill those invited, although his Nigerian assistants were goalkeepers for the same team. Clemens Westerhof did that for the Eagles and it worked perfectly. It is laughable that our goalkeepers at the Africa Cup of Nations set a defensive wall, yet they stood behind it, leaving sufficient gap for the strikers to score the goals. If Rohr feels comfortable with his assistants, then he should insist on inviting only those who play regularly in Europe.

    One of the problematic areas of the Eagles at the 32nd africa Cup of Nations was its defence. Our defenders were slow to react to passes and lacked the pace to outrun the strikers. I thought Rohr would address this problem. Yet, Rohr re-invited Leon Balogun for the September 10 international game against Ukraine, even as he hasn’t played a game for Brighton this season. The coach invited the same defenders, giving the impression that they are indispensable.

    These defenders wouldn’t feel challenged to improve, if they are selected regularly. What beats most pundits hollow about Rohr’s choices, is that he has repeatedly stated that he will overhaul the team’s defence. Is this how he wants to do it? Rohr’s employers should remind him that he should develop the domestic game, which can only happen if he lives with us. He can’t be defining his job schedule when we know that the bulk of players he is banking on began their game here. They would never have played for Nigeria, if the coaches who discovered them relied entirely on foreign-based players.

    Rohr insulted our sensibilities by sticking with these leaking defence comprising of Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Tyronne Ebuehi (FC Benfica, Portugal); Chidozie Awaziem (FC Porto, Portugal); William Ekong (Udinese FC, Italy); Leon Balogun (Brighton & Hove Albion, England); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Rotherham United, England). Only Ajayi and Collins are playing active soccer, while the others are either torn between getting new clubs and training for the new season.

    No prize for predicting that Ukraine will beat Nigeria. It’s the reason Rohr should take risk on some of the good defenders in the domestic game. The argument that it is always difficult to get them entry visas is weak since these logistic details should be embedded in the contract signing documents for such international friendly games. It is true that our foreign legion can easily storm Dnipro in Ukraine. But it doesn’t foreclose the need to impress it on countries willing to pay against Nigeria to consider our domestic league players. I would rather home-based players accompany the team to Ukraine than the litany of Agbada-wearing administrators who have not added value to the game’s growth. The time to plan for the Qatar 2022 World Cup is now, using the qualifiers for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the Mundial.

    No changes in the midfield except for Joe Aribo  who plays for Glasgow Rangers in Scotland. I’ve my reservation for his choice even though I’m not a coach. The Scottish isn’t competitive. the only plus here is that they are in this year’s UEFA Champions League. Only Rohr can explain Aribo’s choice because not many of us watch the Scottish league. I sincerely hope that his choice is spot-on.

    The midfielders picked such as Alexander Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Stoke City FC, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England) and Joe Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland) are good. My worry is the placement of Iheanacho as a midfielder. Coaches who have worked with Iheanacho have identified him as the straight-jacket central striker, who cannot function elsewhere but as the traditional number 9. Perhaps, Rohr has something in Iheanacho which others haven’t. But it is important that he plays in the position he trains weekly for his club. The trio of Ndidi, Iwobi and Etebo did well in Egypt. But Rohr needs bigger players in that department, although our smaller ones are good battlers for the ball. My other worry will be their predictable style, which many countries can exploit. We need better players to give them good competition and increase our options during matches.

    At the Africa Cup of Nations, Eagles struggled with high balls and couldn’t handle situation in between the defence and the midfield. It accounted for the free kicks taken against them. Perhaps, Rohr needs a defensive midfielder to literally sit in front of the two central defenders to plug the holes created by ball dropped behind the midfielders.

    Rohr has picked  strikers who on their day could win matches for the country provided they get good passes released to them early from the midfield.

    Forwards such as Ahmed Musa (Al Nassar FC, Saudi Arabia); Victor Osimhen (Lille OSC, France); Moses Simon (Levante FC, Spain); Henry Onyekuru (AS Monaco, France); Samuel Kalu (Girondins Bordeaux, France); Paul Onuachu (FC Midtjyland, Denmark) and Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain) are coaches’ best bets to wreak havoc on any opposition. They are good runners, dribble well but their last touch on the ball, most times are faulty.

    Rohr would need to place more emphasis on how our boys redouble their efforts when they get towards the opposition’s defence. Only enterprising teams can outrun closely knit defences. Such tact to unlock such defences come with a  lot practice coupled with the resilience of the attackers. Our players should be taught how to be selfless and give the players in the best positions to score the goal the ball. goals count in matches not missed chances.

    Beating Ukraine in Dnipro is achievable but will require a lot of tact and zeal to win by our players, because they are a very  good team.

  • Group urges Niger to place priority on education

    A group of youths in Niger State has asked the state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello to place high priority on education and move from talking into taking action by providing necessary political will to tackle all the raising challenges against the education sector in the state.

    The Youths also pointed out the need for total overhauling of the education sector by the Niger state Government considering the high rate of out-of-school children in the state.

    ONE Champion in Niger State, Justina Asishana in collaboration with the Convener, Niger Accountability Group, Mathew Oladele made this call in a joint press statement commemorating the 2019 International Youth Day with the theme, ‘Transforming Education’.

    Read Also: Ganduje plans basic education summit

    “There is an urgent need for total overhauling of the education sector in the state considering the growing trend in youth unemployment, poor education infrastructures, high rate of out-of-school children and other pressing challenges facing educational sector in the state.

    “The Governor, in his second term, should take education as high priority; the government should move from talking and swing into action by providing necessary political will to tackle all the raising challenges against education sector is the state.

  • Buhari congratulates female basketball team, D’Tigress

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the national female basketball team, D’Tigress, who beat Mali, 79-58, Friday night to qualify for the final of FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2019 going in Dakar, Senegal.

    President Buhari assured the team, reputed to be the best female national basketball team in Africa, of “100 per cent support’’ by the government and people of Nigeria.

    Read Also: Buhari congratulates new UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

    The President, in a statement by the Special Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, also urged the team to rise to the occasion and make the nation proud.

    “Our best wishes to D’Tigress. Win the trophy and conquer the continent one more time,’’ he said.