The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Why I lost 2007 governorshipelection – Ajimobi

    Why I lost 2007 governorshipelection – Ajimobi

    Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi , has explained the reason behind his defeat in the 2007 governorship election in the state.

    Ajimobi lost that year’s election to the People’s Democratic Party’s candidate, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala.

    He spoke on Sunday at the 31st Holy Ghost Convention with the theme: “Divine Favour” organized by the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, presided over by Bishop Wale Oke.

    The programme took place at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.

    Giving reasons for his defeat in the elections, the governor said:” When I was praying up and down, fasting fervently, I still lost that election and I was furious and angry and even lost my faith in God. But unknown to me, God did not allow me to win the election because it is not yet my time and He was clearing off the bad eggs that will not allow me to perform in government.

    “It was after God had removed the bad ones that He allowed me to become the governor of Oyo State. Then Pastor Enoch Adeboye and some other men of God had prayed for me. When I went to Pastor Adeboye he asked God to forgive me and allow my dreams to come into fruition, so after a year, God answered my prayer. All the peace and progress that had been recorded within my two years in office would not have occurred if I had won the election in 2007.”

     

  • PDP will resolve its internal disagreements – Jonathan

    PDP will resolve its internal disagreements – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan has assured Nigerians that the current political impasse in the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will soon become history as efforts are being intensified by elders to resolve it.

    Jonathan gave the assurance at a post convention dinner of the party held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential villa on Monday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and some governors staged a walkout at the Special PDP Convention held on August 31 in Abuja.

    They later announced the formation of a new PDP during a news conference at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

    Jonathan, however, described the walkout of the aggrieved PDP members as a ‘’minor disagreement.”

    “Everybody knows what happened on Saturday. In families we disagree. These are minor disagreements that can be resolved.’’

    He, therefore, called on the dissenting party members to embrace dialogue as ‘’no other party can face PDP.”

    According to him, without PDP, there will be no democracy in Nigeria.

    ‘’The party is intact and will remain intact. We will continue to show leadership and do everything possible to ensure that the party grows stronger.

    “We will do our best to keep PDP one and Nigeria one,” he said.

    The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT), PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, called on those interested in contesting for elective posts in 2015 general elections to declare their intention.

    He said the call had become necessary in view of the need for the party apparatus to prepare adequately for the exercise.

    “We must be ready for the journey. By the end of September we would not be able to tell anybody that the time is not right; we will be able to tell them where we are going through.

    ‘’It is good that we tell our people where we are going and how the journey will be like,” he said.

     

  • Centenarian twin Olukoga – Ogunde dies

    Centenarian twin Olukoga – Ogunde dies

    One of the centenarian twins who celebrated their 100 years birthday on Saturday, March 16, 2013, Mrs. Emily Kehinde Olukoga-Ogunde is dead.

    In a statement issued by his only child, Mr. Kunle Olukoga, the centenarian died last Thursday at around 9am while having a nap, after her breakfast.

    She is survived by her son, grand children, great grand children and her twin sister, Mrs. Esther Taiwo Olukoya, who has remained inconsolable after the news was broken to her. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

    The twins celebrated their centenary birthday at their country home in Okun – Owa. They are sisters of the late traditional ruler, Oba Aderibigbe Martins, the Olugbani of Okun Owa and both are choristers at Saint Barnabas Church, Okun Owa.

    They were traders, but Kehinde, one of the wives of the late Chief Hubert Ogunde, also assisted the husband in the theatre business working at the background. At the Holy Communion service conducted by Venerable Oguntoye who was so enthusiastic that for the first time in his 30 years of evangelical work he was conducting a birthday service for not just a centenarian but for centenarian twins, the twins displayed their singing prowess, causing their guests to burst into a frenetic explosion of joy.

    The twins still have a complete dentition and Kehinde sprout on her feet when a delegation of Ogunde’s children sang some of Ogunde’s songs.

    They were born exactly on March 13, 1913 at Okun Owa, Ijebu’ Ogun State. Guiness book of records stated that the first set of twins to clock 100 years are, Edith Ritchie and Evelyn Middleton from Aberdeenshire in Scotland. Now 103 years, they are 39 days older than the second oldest twins in the world but first identical twins in the universe, Mrs. Charlotte Eisgrou and Mrs. Ann Primarck, who were born when King Edward V11 was still on the British throne.

    The Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who visited them two days after the birthday celebration, honoured them and presented them with gifts. He also ensured that the Ministry of Women Affairs in Ogun State, visit them regularly to monitor their welfare.

     

  • WCQ: Mido wants Nigeria, Egypt pairing

    WCQ: Mido wants Nigeria, Egypt pairing

    Former Egyptian International, Ahmed Hossam Mido, is hoping that his country’s team is drawn against Nigeria in next month’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff.

    Egypt and Nigeria have both qualified for the last stage of the World Cup African zone qualifiers along with eight other teams.

    “I hope the draw gives us Nigeria. This will be very good for our national team because Nigeria has a good team and the country players are very skilled. They keep improving since they won the last AFCON and it’s better for us to play against them and get tested. They play real fast flowing football and that in the long run will only make Egypt better and will make our mission at the end easier,” Mido told supersport.com.

    “I don’t want Ghana or Ivory Coast. They are not suitable for us this time nor is Algeria because of all the tension and outside drama between the two North African teams in football, “the former Tottenham player added.

    Wael Gomaa seems to be on the same page adding, “I don’t want easy teams because Egypt plays her best games against only the tough teams.”

    “All the players have the big dream to reach the World Cup and we are ready to play with any team – big or small,” the 38 year- old concluded.

     

  • Eto’o quits international football

    Eto’o quits international football

    Cameroon captain Samuel Eto’o has announced his retirement from international football.

    French sports daily L’Equipe reports that the four-time African player of the year winner has quit the Indomitable Lions citing personal reasons.

    Eto’o reportedly quit after Cameroon’s 1-0 home win over Libya in Sunday’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Yaoundé.

    MTNFootball .com reports that the striker played in that match before he was substituted on the hour mark by Jacques Zoua.

    Meanwhile, Eto’o had trained very little the week preceding the game and his presence in the starting line-up was only confirmed few hours before kick-off.

    While Cameroon’s officials said the striker had a cold, close sources disclosed that Eto’o and coach Volker Finke clashed over the starting line-up, with the player allegedly demanding the inclusion of veteran keeper Carlos Kameni and forward Achille Webo.

    Finke reportedly refused to please the player and a top official had to convince Eto’o to participate in the crucial match.

     

     

  • China’s school blast kills two

    An explosion outside a school in southern China has killed at least two people and injured several others, state media say.

    At least 10 of the 17 people reported injured at the primary school in Guilin, Guangxi province, were school children, police say.

    Witnesses told Xinhua news agency they saw a three-wheeled vehicle pull up to the school before the explosion.

    The cause of the explosion remains unclear.

    “First, the motorcycle caught on fire and then it exploded with a huge sound that could be heard from far, far away,” a witness told Xinhua news agency.

    Those injured in the explosion at the Baijie primary school were taken to hospital, the news agency added.

    The school has now been closed and the police are investigating the incident.

    In recent years, China has seen a number of knife attacks in primary schools.

    As a result, many schools and kindergartens have significantly tightened security measures, BBC says.

     

  • 2 soldiers, 2 others die in auto crashes in Niger

    Four persons, two Soldiers and two civilians lost their lives in two separate auto crashes along Mokwa-Bida Road on Friday and Sunday respectively in Niger State.

    The first accident claimed the lives of the two Soldiers when a Trailer at about 7:30 pm on Friday hit a New Bussa bound Army Hilux pick-up at Labojin village, about 43 kilometres from Mokwa town. Two other Soldiers in the vehicle were injured.

    Eye witness said the victims, the driver and the soldier beside him on the front seats died on the spot while the prompt arrival of officials of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to the accident spot and the efforts of the villagers helped in the evacuation of the injured to Mokwa General Hospital for treatment.

    The impact of the accident was so sever that it took hours to remove the corpses of the victims from the wreckage.

    The driver of the trailer was arrested by villagers and  handed  over to the police.

    Also Sunday  morning in Mokwa town along same road an head on collision between a petrol tanker and a truck conveying water melon led to the death of two people.

    The driver of the Mitshbush truck carrying the water melon and the owner of the consignment lost their lives.

    Confirming the two accidents, FRSC Sector Commander for Mokwa Sector, Mr Adedoyin Adeyinka in a telephone chat said that the Friday accident involved military personnel and a trailer. According to him, “We spend hours trying to separate the corpses of the two soldiers from the mangled vehicle while the injured officers were rushed to Mokwa General Hopsital and their are responding to treatment.

    “The second accident, an head on collision took place today (Sunday September 8,2013) involving a water melon truck and  a petrol tanker. The truck driver and the person beside him  died on the spot and their corpses were conveyed to Mokwa General Hospital,”

    “We have a hectic time to trying to stop people from scooping the fuel at the accident to avoid further lost of lives, with the help of the police”, he said.

    Adeyinka then advised motorists to exercise caution and restrain while plying the route, owing to the bad state of the road, in the interest of their families and loved one.

  • ‘New PDP’ does not exist , says presidential aide

    The Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak has said  that there is only one Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in existence in the country under the Chairmanship of Bamanga Tukur.
    Some members of the Nigeria Police Force on Saturday sealed off the ‘New PDP’ Secretariat in Maitama, Abuja, while Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and armed policemen have remained on standby at the Secretariat to ward off any intruder.
    The new group, under the Chairmanship of the Abubakar Baraje, broke off from the main PDP during the 2013 Special Convention of the party last month in Abuja.
    Speaking with The Nation on telephone o on the sealing of the ‘New PDP’ Secretariat, Gulak insisted that the only PDP Secretariat is at Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.
    On the questions that the Police’s action is anti democratic principles and will work against on-going peace process, he said: “There is no new PDP. There is only one PDP and that is all I know. And the Secretariat is at Wadata Plaza and the Chairman is Bamanga Tukur.”
    Justice Elvis Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on Friday ordered the two parties to maintain the status quo as he fixed September 12 for the hearing of the motion on notice.
    To resolve the crisis, elders of the party including ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, ex-military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida, the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih and two former national chairmen of the party-Chief Barnabas Gemade and Dr.Ahmadu Ali met with the two factions in Abuja on Friday.
  • Chrisantus: I love looking simple and stylish

    Chrisantus: I love looking simple and stylish

    Style, they say, is the man.

    In fact, Lexa Doig, Canadian TV and movie actress weighed in on the question of style and men, saying:”Men with style are great because they have a sense of self.”

    She may probably have had the likes of Nigerian Unión Deportiva Las Palmas’ striker, Macauley Chrisantus, in mind after he spoke glowingly about his penchant for simple and stylish clothes.

    Chrisantus has really come of age after representing Nigeria at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea where he emerged as the tournament’s top scorer with seven goals and was awarded the adidas Silver Ball as the second Most Valuable Player.

    He immediately joined German club, Hamburg, in 2007 from Abuja FC. In 2009, he was loaned to Karlsruhe SC where he later spent three seasons before berthing at Spanish Segunda side based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – in the autonomous community of Canary Islands.

    But when it comes to what-to-wear and how-to-wear matter, Chrisantus is indeed his own man as he hinted in this frank conversation with The Nation Sport & Style.

    “I have a sense of dressing that is typical of the Europeans; simple and stylish,” he said. “I love simple dressing and appearing cute and responsible.

    “I am not used to flashy things because appearing flashy does not mean you are a man of style.

    I just love looking good as simple as possible and every other thing is immaterial.”

    Being a man of style of course could warrant an undue attention from the opposite sex, but Chrisantus stated that he knows how to keep things in proper shape, adding that being single is not a liberty to be loose

    “Yes, I agree with you that ladies like a guy that dresses well but I don’t get carried away with that,” he said with a sense of finality. “I treat everybody equally, whether you are a man or a woman is not necessary.

    “When you come to a country like Spain thinking it is their female fans that would thrill you to play, that means you are not ready.  I’m taking a cue from star players like David Beckham who is one of the handsome footballers.

    “Yet, he is not carried away despite the fact that he is considered one of the most stylish men all over the world. So why should I be carried away because ladies appreciate what I wear?’’

    Chrisantus’ career may not have blossomed as widely expected soon after his goals led Nigeria to her third FIFA Under-17 World Cup crown six years ago, but he is upbeat that there is light around the tunnel as he speaks on sundry issues. Excerpts…

    German adventure after U-17 World Cup

    I have never regretted any decisions I have made in my life. Instead, I will give God the glory for always being there in the time of trouble. A footballer’s career is up and down, the up maybe much more than the down side but the ultimate thing is to keep the faith and be focussed about my dream and aspirations. And that has really worked well for me. I was actually in good form when I moved to Hamburg but things changed when I got there. Yes, I have conquered so many problems and I’m now mature in handling the challenges of life

    My injury setback

    There is no way you could run from injury except you are not ready to play the game. It can happen anytime; it can be tougher than expected but the secret to conquer is to remain confident about your dreams and always think about it. I had some many dreams when I moved to Germany but I couldn’t realise much because it was a challenging phase for me. But thank God, I was able to conquer before I left. I can say injury slowed me down, but in other ways it has made me stronger because I am still much very ready to hit my world.

    Sunshine in Spain

    Like in Germany, Spain is another lovely country to live. I enjoyed virtually everything in Germany when it comes to football facilities and life off the pitch. It’s also great here in Spain. I don’t go beyond my boundary. In my club, everybody loves to see me, we relate as if I have been there for years and that is the way football should be. So life is good for me in Spain and I hope to keep making wave.

    Between Germany and Spain

    I think German life is easier than Spanish but they are both lovely places to play irrespective of anything. In Germany, you get everything easier and the language is easy to communicate but as a newcomer here in Spain, I’m still in the learning process.

    Twelve goals in first season

    I think I settled well by scoring such amount of goals in my first season. Going by my form that time, I had every reason to score close to at least 20 goals; but I think I missed some games due to rotational policy at the club, but generally it was a perfect season for me. Apart from my personal ability, I think much had to do with my team mates who made the passes for me to score. You can now see why I said it’s been lovely for me here.

    La Liga play-off agony

    I will describe that scenario as ill-luck. We played a good game and dominated the game but at the end our opponents were very fortunate. And that was the most interesting part of football. People say the best team won in such cases. It was a painful one for the entire team but personally I still see it as another challenge, maybe we need to work harder next time. But it was a big lesson, despite that I scored in the last play off, I felt like crying. But what can I do than to look up to the next opportunity.

    Goals still counting…

    I don’t want to set a goal target for myself but I want to keep scoring. I started the season with a goal and I intend to build more in my confidence to score as many as possible this season.

    La Liga, my big dream

    I can play anywhere in the top leagues. I have live in Germany and I succeeded with their life, so I can live comfortable anywhere I find myself. I may not know where I will be playing next but God has done everything perfectly. You can’t go beyond what your creator has done for you. Everything is still about destiny, but prayer works than power. I wish to play in La Liga either with Palmas or any other big team. I have what it takes to play there; I am looking forward to such big dream soon. There are offers in La Liga and other leagues. The God that I’m serving is at work. There are offers in La Liga but how concrete are they? I will not speak more than that but my future is with God and which would be sorted out before next summer.

    Super Eagles beckon

    I don’t need to blow my trumpet before the coach knows that I am ripe enough for a shirt in the Super Eagles. The coach doesn’t need to invite me by my past performance or media hype, I will request for my own invitation to the coach and NFF with my performance. That is the only way I want to be in the Super Eagles. I have been tipped for greatness by the people of my country and I still owe a big debt to live up to their expectations. I am getting closer to the national team but only God knows the time.

     

    The hype of being Rashid Yekini

    As I said before, I don’t need hype; I want my game to speak for me. To the blessed memory of the great Rashid Yekini, I have said it times without number that the new Rashid will be a player that has a career in the Super Eagles. You can’t start comparing me with Rashid who played for the Super Eagles. And the truth of the matter is that Rashid was Rashid; the new one is not yet discovered or born. So, I am not.

     

    Life off the pitch

     

    I always like to stay with my friends if I don’t go to training or matches. And I still spend some time on my fitness. I spent lots of time in the gym to build more on my fitness and look trim when need be. I always examine my fitness rate almost every day. Apart from that, I listen to music and also read my Bible a lot.

     

     

    PROFILE

    Macauley Chrisantus

    Full name            Macauley Chrisantus

    Date of birth      20 August 1990 (age 23)

    Place of birth     Abuja, Nigeria

    Height   1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)

    Playing position  Striker

    Current club       Las Palmas

    Youth career

    2007 to Hearts of Abuja

    2007–2008           Hamburger SV

    Senior career*

    Years     Team     Apps†

    2008       Hamburger SV II

    2008–2012           Hamburger SV

    2011–2012: FSV Frankfurt

    2012–    Las Palmas

    National team‡

    2007       Nigeria U17

  • Babangida eyes big signing for Taraba FC

    Taraba FC Chairman, Tijani Babangida, is hoping to reinforce his team with some more experienced Nigerian Premier league players before the kick-off of the new season.
    The former Ajax Amsterdam wing wizard who had fulfilled his mandate by promoting Taraba FC to the Nigerian Premier League believes that with four or five more experienced players , the team will settle well in the top league and plead to the government to back the team for more successful campaigns.
    “When you have the opportunity to compete in the big league, all you need to focus on is to settle well and try to remain in the league for another season. Our focus again now is to sustain the momentum in the top league so that we can dream of more ambitious campaign,” said Babangida.
    “I think signing more experienced players at various positions will be more ideal to our dreams. We have bigger dreams but only motivation and diligence can really help us. I believe if we are really motivated, we will remain in the league because there are no ways we will not be playing better. FC Taraba will be a team to learn in the premier league.”
    Taraba FC have clinched promotion to the Nigeria Premier League with a hard-fought 1 – 0 victory over the already promoted Giwa FC on the final day of the National League.