The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Lai Mohammed, Ibikun Awosika attend ‘The Milkmaid’ private screening

    Lai Mohammed, Ibikun Awosika attend ‘The Milkmaid’ private screening

    By Olaitan Ganiu

    Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Lai Mohammed, Ibikun Awosika, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, Basketmouth led dignitaries that attended the private screening of ‘The Milkmaid’ at Terra Kulture, Lagos.

    The film portrays a Fulani milkmaid who confronts religious extremists in rural Sub-saharan Africa in a quest to locate her missing sister, but efforts to recapture her disrupted past prove complicated.

    Milkmaid depicts the natural beauty of Nigeria’s topography such as the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba state while highlighting the richness of the sub-regions colourful Hausa and Fulani cultures.

    The Hausa language-based thriller features talented actors including Anthonieta Kalunta (Aisha), Maryam Booth (Zainab), Gamb Usman Kona (Dangana), Patience Okpala (Hauwa), Nasiru Musa (Mallam Farooq), Abubakar Mohammed (Abu Nasiru), Faruq Usman Kona (Tanko), Umar Magaji (Garba).

    Speaking at the event, the producer and director, Desmond Ovbiagele said he felt a strong obligation as a filmmaker to help give a voice to those, living or dead, who are not in a position to speak for themselves.

  • The Coronavirus diaries (22)

    The Coronavirus diaries (22)

    By Festus Eriye

    Vaccines are increasingly looking like the sliver of light flickering for humanity at the end of a long, dark COVID-19 tunnel.

    In Israel, the rate of new infections is trending downwards after the  country vaccinated approximately 27% of its citizens – about 2.43  million people of its population of nine million. It leads the world in   number of shots administered.

    Theirs is a story that should hearten other countries that the pandemic  can be brought under control in the near future. But if you are  Nigerian, there’s still a way to go before an appreciable percentage of our population gets jabs.

    Not even the most positive projections of Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehinare, give hope. Like most African countries, we are banking on the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Assess Facility (COVAX) – a World Health Organization (WHO)-backed programme, set-up to split a billion doses across 92 low- and middle-income countries.

    But this facility can only take care of 20% of our population of over 200 million people. On Monday, Ehinare announced that an additional 10 million doses are to be supplied as from March.

    As these things go, rollout could actually happen as projected, or more realistically be dragged out to April or May due to factors like logistics and financial capacity.

    So while the poorest countries are yet to get out of the starting blocks, many developed economies are already counting millions of shots administered.

    In the UK over 3.5 million people have received jabs, while new US President Joe Biden has committed his administration to vaccinating 100 million people in his first 100 days in office.

    The lopsided nature of access to the vaccines was addressed Monday by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus when he raised moral questions about countries using their economic clout to corner the bulk of available vaccines.

    He argued that most manufacturers were giving priority to regulatory approval in rich countries, where the profits were the highest. “This could delay COVAX deliveries and create exactly the scenario COVAX was designed to avoid, with hoarding, a chaotic market, an uncoordinated response, and continued social and economic disruption,” he said.

    “More than 39 million doses of vaccine have now been administered in at least 49 higher-income countries. Just 25 doses have been given in one lowest-income country. Not 25 million; not 25 thousand; just 25.”

    But the challenge in Nigeria is as much economic as it is attitude. Not even the deadly second wave has convinced some that the pandemic is real. Two hundred people died in the last four weeks. Active cases rose from 3,000 two months ago to over 20,000 due to new infections.

    Yet prominent deniers like Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, are now morphing into anti-vaxxers stirring up conspiracy theories and encouraging hesitancy.

    At a time when his colleague governors are leading the charge for enhanced local production to make up for the shortfall from external sources, Bello was captured in a viral video denouncing the expected vaccines as killers.

    Speaking before a crowd cheering his every utterance, the governor referenced the Pfizer vaccine disaster in Kano many eons ago. The pharmaceutical company was sued after 11 children died in a clinical trial when the state was hit by a devastating meningitis epidemic in 1996.

    He said: “Vaccines are being produced in less than one year of COVID-19. There is no vaccine yet for HIV, malaria, cancer, headache and for several other diseases that are killing us. They want to use the (COVID-19) vaccines to introduce the disease that will kill you and us. God forbid.”

    “We should draw our minds back to what happened in Kano during the Pfizer polio vaccines that crippled and killed our children. We have learned our lessons.

    “If they say they are taking the vaccines in the public, allow them take their vaccines. Don’t say I said you should not take it but if you want to take it open your eyes before you take the vaccines.”

    Somehow being a governor has transformed Bello into an expert on vaccines.

    Not all Nigerians – especially the rich and powerful – have adopted such a hostile attitude. A couple of weeks back former Vice President Atiku Abubakar received a jab in Dubai. A few days, the very stylish Ebelechukwu Obiano, wife of the Anambra State governor, was seen in a video taking the Moderna vaccine somewhere in the US.

    There no denying that fear has been a by-product of this horrible pandemic that has claimed over two million lives: fear of contracting the virus, fear of what the rushed vaccine can do to your system.

    Still, it takes a certain level of fright for a man to truncate his travels and camp at the airport for fear of catching the virus.

    This week reports emerged of a man of Indian origin found living inside Chicago’s O’Hare international airport for three months, after missing his flight on purpose, because he was too scared of coronavirus to fly home.

    The 36-year-old Aditya Singh arrived in Chicago on a flight from Los Angeles on 19 October last year, and had been living in the airport’s security zone ever since, managing somehow to avoid detection. He was finally arrested last Saturday.

    Lastly, a few days ago Presidential Task Force (PTF) chairman, Boss Mustapha, suggested another national lockdown wasn’t off the table if the level of compliance with COVID-19 protocols remains abysmally low.

    He shouldn’t be too shocked if Nigerians aren’t taking things seriously. They are simply following the government’s example.

    Many are wondering: if this pandemic is so deadly or real, why are schools are reopening over the objections of health professionals and over every scary new statistic?

    Why are the PTF and NCDC preaching social distancing and crowd avoidance when another arm of government is obdurately pressing ahead with the National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment exercise that is generating crowds?

    The minister argues people were given adequate time but forgets the disruptions occasioned by coronavirus and its attendant lockdowns since April last year.

    If his ego permits, he and his team should immediately suspend the exercise, or extend it indefinitely such that people don’t continue their ongoing suicide missions. Dead men don’t need NIN.

  • IVERMECTIN: The wonder anti-COVID-19 drug

    IVERMECTIN: The wonder anti-COVID-19 drug

    By Niyi Akinnaso

    If you are a regular reader of this column, you are most likely to believe that COVID-19 exists, infects, and kills people. But you may not know how devastating it has been for the world population. Specifically, as of 4:00pm on January 19, 2021, it has infected over 96 million and killed over 2 million worldwide. Here in Nigeria, it has infected over 112,000 and killed at least 1,449. Note that these are only reported cases locally and globally.

    Furthermore, if you are still under the impression that there is no cure for COVID-19, then please read further about a cheap drug that has now been found to be very effective against COVID-19, either as a prophylaxis to prevent infection from taking hold or as treatment after infection. The drug is Ivermectin, which is available as a generic drug or under the brand name Stromectol.

    This drug has been around since the 1980s. It was originally used mainly in creams and lotions to treat lice. A tablet form was later produced to treat parasitic infections of the intestinal tract, skin, and eyes. It later became a cure for roundworm infection and second-line treatment for scabies and rosacea, a skin condition that results in redness and causes pus-filled bumps on the face. Finally, it was also found to be a cure for onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, caused by insect vectors, especially black flies, that breed in water.

    What is particularly interesting about this drug is that at least 90 percent of the parasitic infections it was designed to cure were prevalent in Africa. The drug was found to be so effective against these infections that it even eradicated them and related infections. The drug is so cheap that it was even distributed free of charge in many African countries, including Nigeria.

    As the world struggles to find a cure to COVID-19, a group of Australian researchers went to work on Ivermectin, only to discover in various experiments that it inhibited the replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The finding led to more research in human populations. Altogether, at least 27 studies have been conducted in numerous countries, including Argentina, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran, Pakistan, Spain, and the USA.

    The findings show that Ivermectin substantially reduces the risk of death from COVID-19 by between 65% and 92%, depending on the severity of the case before the commencement of Ivermectin medication. Some of the studies show that death even could be completely averted, if the drug was promptly administered in the early stages of infection. Even more importantly, Ivermectin was found to be more effective than monoclonal antibodies and convalescent plasma, both of which are widely used in the treatment of COVID-19 in the United States.

    Similarly, when Ivermectin is used as prophylaxis, it substantially reduces COVID-19 infections, by as much 90% or higher! This puts Ivermectin in the same class or higher than available vaccines. When both are compared, it makes sense to invest in Ivermectin, which costs next to nothing, rather than in vaccines with their prohibitive costs and availability problems.

    Even more worrisome is the efficacy of available vaccines on the Nigerian population, especially since Nigeria was not a participant in any of the test phases of the vaccines. By contrast, many Nigerians have used Ivermectin one way or the other in cream, lotion, or tablet form in the past. Moreover, unlike vaccines, Ivermectin is globally available, low cost, and needs no special shipping or handling. Finally, unlike vaccines, whose tolerance has not been tested on the Nigerian population, Ivermectin is well tolerated.

    Unfortunately, however, the drug has suffered ignoble delay in recognition, especially in the United States, despite its long-standing approval by the Food and Drug Administration (the equivalent of our NAFDAC). There are two major reasons for this delay. One has to do with the conflict between the political and scientific communities in the United States as a result of the obstinacy of the outgoing American President, Donald Trump, and his demonstrated disregard for science and scientists. This is evident, for example, in his handling of COVID-19 and climate change.

    Another reason for the delayed response to Ivermectin is the early huge investment in COVID-19 vaccine by major Western and Asian countries, especially the United States, the UK, and China. Clearly, these investors would like to recoup their capital by selling the vaccines to other countries. As a result, they have remained tone-deaf to pharmaceutical remedies for COVID-19 or at least relegated them to the background.

    Recently, however, on January 14, 2021, the National Institute of Health in the United States approved the inclusion of Ivermectin as an option for use in COVID-19. This followed powerful and convincing presentations by Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC), which detailed the efficacy of Ivermectin in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 to two relevant and powerful Committees in the United States.

    One was the American Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which held a hearing on “Early Outpatient Treatment: An Essential Part of a COVID-19 Solution” on December 8, 2020.  The other was to the National Institute of Health (NIH) Treatment Guidelines Panel on COVID-19 on January 6, 2021.

    Fortunately, there is now a group of researchers in Nigeria, led by Professor Femi Babalola, the Principal Investigator of the IVERCOVID study, whose whose purpose is to conduct a double blind randomized clinical trial to assess not just the efficacy but also the safety of Ivermectin in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in Nigeria. The trial may also be able to provide useful guidelines for the dosage of the drug for prophylaxis and for treatment of COVID-19 as there are no such guidelines at the moment.

    This trial is now very urgent in view of the ongoing spike of infections in the country. It has cleared NAFDAC approval and given a nod by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. It will be a great shame indeed, if the study were to suffer from lack of funding.

    For those, who are already taking the drug in Nigeria, it is best taken on an empty stomach about an hour before food. Finally, patients of asthma and liver condition should consult their doctors before taking it.

  • NIMC mobile App still a cause for worry

    NIMC mobile App still a cause for worry

    The Nigerian Identity Management Commission (NIMC) MOBILE App is supposed to ease access to some of the commission’s services, but as DAMOLA KOLA-DARE found out, it is not yet Uhuru for those wishing to benefit from the App.

    The Federal Government had declared on December 15, 2020, that after December 30, 2020, all SIMs that were not registered with valid NINs on the network of telecommunications companies will be deactivated. The government also ordered the suspension of the registration of new SIM cards by all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in the country. It later extended the December 30, 2020 deadline following widespread opposition against the earlier announcement and gave three weeks extension for subscribers with NIN from December 30, 2020, to January 19, 2021. It also gave six-week extension for subscribers without NIN from December 30, 2020, to February 9, 2021.

    Against this backdrop, Nigerians have been trooping to NIMC offices nationwide to beat the deadline for NIN registration and linking. With the deadly Coronavirus pandemic still hanging on the nation like a pall of darkness, citizens have thrown caution to the wind at registration centres with scant regard for COVID-19 protocols. Thus, Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora stated on Monday, January 11, that the Federal Government may suspend the ongoing National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment. He noted that the exercise may be suspended because of the risk of contracting COVID-19, insisting that the government must ensure Nigerians are always protected.

    He also urged the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to re-order the enrolment process to a large gathering at its centres nationwide.

    The first version of the App (1.90), was released on Google Playstore on July 15, 2019. Reviews dating back to August 2019 reflected unresolved issues, but as of August 15, 2020, there were already more than 10,000 downloads. On the app’s description, it was stated that another update for version 2.0 was   to be released in August 2020.

    However, following complaints about the App, on  August 17, 2020, the NIMC released an official press statement saying: “Our attention has been drawn to several complaints about the NIMC Mobile App. We will like Nigerians to be aware that the App is a novel innovation by the Commission, but it is yet to be officially approved for public consumption.

    “The App is still in the test environment and currently being fine-tuned to give users the best experience with adequate privacy and data security safeguards. Once the test stage is concluded, the Commission will issue a formal statement regarding its usage by our esteemed NIN registered persons.

    “In the same vein, we want to assure Nigerians of the security of their data. The data is securely encrypted both in transit and at rest,” the statement added.

    However, on December 31, 2020, the Technical Assistant (Information Technology) to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Femi Adeluyi, in a statement, said: “The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has approved the development and release of an improved National Identity Number (NIN) slip and a Mobile App.

    This is part of the Federal Government’s policy to improve the process  of obtaining NIN and linking it to SIM, which was sent to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for implementation.”

    He continued: “The highly anticipated Mobile Web Service (MWS) Application, called the NIMC Mobile App, and the improved National Identification Number (NIN) Slip are now available for public use. The App provides a secure channel for all Nigerians and legal residents to easily verify and authenticate their identities on-the-go using smartphones.

    It also enables them to link the NIN to their phone numbers. The development of the App and other tools to support the National Identity Number (NIN) process align with the National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria.

    “The App offers a built-in harmonization process that allows for its use across other government services including the NCC, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Federal Road Safety Commission and National Health Insurance Scheme, to mention a few.”

    The NCC informed that the app has been upgraded and it now includes a module for linking mobile numbers with NIN. On January 3, the NIMC Mobile App returned for download on app stores for both Android and iOS phones.

    The different telcos have also provided means to ease the linking — either through online forms or USSD codes.

    Subscribers react

    Following the announcement that the App had been upgraded, subscribers still experience glitches using it. This reporter also discovered it is still on the blink despite claims of an upgrade. From generating One Time Password (OTP) to the poor network from NIMC server, error in submission and identification among others. According to Peter Frank, the app is supposed to generate NIN and get people registered instead of going through a pretty difficult process of going to crowded registration centres.

    Also expressing his angst, Innocent Azubuko said: “It is so sad to say that though this app was updated two weeks ago, the common bug many persons have been experiencing here, “Oops! Your submission returned an error” have not been resolved. Work should be done on the app capturing new users data properly.”

    For Gilbert Godiva, the App developers should fine-tune it.

    “This app is a complete waste of data, it does not work in any way. After entering my NIN, it keeps saying “your submission returned an error.” The NIN presented returned an error with the message “please check the number and try again.” Please the developers should work on this fast because the government has also given an ultimatum,” he said.

    Another subscriber, Taiwo Adeyemi, said: “I input the correct details, but it displayed a wrong passport. Registration is a bit difficult due to multiple error code, it takes me days to successfully log in. I think the developer should make it possible to change our passport because most people are facing the same issues.”

    For Chuks Okpara the app is an embarrassment to the government.

    He said: “I don’t understand why this app is misbehaving. I entered my NIN no, it showed my phone number, which I still have access to, and asked to send an OTP message. Then an error message appeared. Developers need to work on this as this is more like an embarrassment to the government that we cannot set up apps. It is very appalling.”

    Aliyu Mustapha, while registering his grouse, said: “Here we are again raising unnecessary issues with version 2.0 I input my NIN, my Mobile Number was found, but after choosing ‘I still use this mobile number’ I get an error message saying ‘Oops your submission returned an error. Error: Request failed with status code 401.’ We can’t deploy a simple application that works successfully in 2021 despite spending billions of taxpayers money in the project.”

    On his part, Ologbon Sunny lauded the government for the idea behind the App but wants the various bugs fixed.

    “Though I appreciate the intention of the FG, they should have tested it to be sure that it’s functioning well before launching it. After typing my NIN, it displayed my phone number which I agreed and that’s the much I could do. The developer should revisit the app and fix the bug,” he said.

    According to Owoseni Oluwaseun, the app has not been accessible since he upgraded it.

    He said: “Something needs to be done about it because I have been using it before now. I thought it should be more useful and with better features after upgrading it, but the reverse is the case here. A lot still needs to be done about it.”

    David Ajayi, another subscriber while lauding the app initiative, said: “I appreciate the fact that the NIMC MWS app has been created but the app isn’t working. We are talking about the FG here, if the developers cannot launch an app to function, it tells a lot about the nation’s digitalisation strength.”

    For Nsikak Usoro, the developers should have planned for how to manage huge traffic on the app.

    “User ID & OTP was to come as SMS in 10mins at initial registration, 30mins later the SMS was not delivered. I couldn’t proceed beyond that stage. For a country of about 250m people, the app designers should have anticipated huge traffic and factor in how to manage such at the design stage,” he said.

    Chima Nwabeke said: “I love the concept of having a mobile app to help us reduce the stress of going to those centres for verification. But I’m seriously having issues with the app. It has been showing 401 errors for some time now. Then it allowed me little access to put in my User ID and OTP number. After that, it starts showing me error 401 again. This is not acceptable for a great nation as Nigeria. We can do better.”

    The President, National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS), Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo decried the mobile app for being complicated, noting that it is not working very well. He urged the NIMC to reconfigure app for seamless operation.

    He said: “The App is not working very well. It is complicated. It should be reconfigured. Overcrowding at NIMC offices will make COVID-19 spread. Everyone is at risk of contracting the virus. The Minister of Communications (Pantami) should not be the vector spreading the virus. We are asking for six months extension.”

    A Lagos-based tech expert, Mr. Damilola Adegunwa, said the App developers should address scaling issues on it. He noted that the bugs on the app meant it was not built to cater for millions of subscribers in the country. He urged for rebuilding and addition of more resources to strengthen the app.

    A former President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr Olusola Teniola,

    said any app rolled out for public use should have been thoroughly tested, hence, the NIMC should have tested it for effectiveness to avoid the bugs and issues experienced by subscribers. He urged the government to look into the issue and also called for an extension in the deadline for NIN linking.

    The General Manager, Corporate Affairs of NIMC, Mr Kayode Adegoke said: “The app is working perfectly. There are no issues at present. Then, those having issues had downloaded it before it was launched. Nevertheless, they should uninstall and reinstall the app. The issues will be corrected.”

  • Oluwo urges Southwest to redress wrongs against Awolowo

    Oluwo urges Southwest to redress wrongs against Awolowo

    By Toba Adedeji, Osogbo

    Ahead of 2023 general election, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, on Tuesday urged the Southwest to rectify the wrongs done against the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

    He said the Yoruba supported the ambition of people from other regions other than Chief Awolowo, who was from the Southwest.

    Addressing stakeholders during the launch of Southwest Agenda for Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu (SWAGA 2023) at Aurora Event Centre, Osogbo, Oluwo lamented that it was awful that the Southwest states did not support Chief Awolowo during his time, adding that they resorted to character assassination and cast aspersion on him.

    He said: “SWAGA is my own. We are here today because of a valuable leader. We don’t have any leader in Yoruba land other than Tinubu. We are not going to be ungrateful to our leaders and heroes anymore. We did that to Awolowo.”

  • LAUTECH: Oyo approves N8b payment to Osun

    LAUTECH: Oyo approves N8b payment to Osun

    By Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan

    Oyo State Government has approved the payment of N8billion to Osun State Government as part of the agreement reached for the sole ownership of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho.

    The money, according to the Oyo State Government, is to be paid in four instalments over three years.

    Education, Science and Technology Commissioner Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye, who spoke yesterday at a news briefing after the weekly state Executive Council meeting held at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan, said the amount is the outcome of asset sharing between the two states when the ownership crisis issue was resolved in favour of Oyo State.

    He said: “As a follow up to the agreement reached with the Osun State Government on the issue of sole ownership of LAUTECH, the Executive Council of Oyo State approved the payment of N8billion to Osun State Government and it will be paid over three years.”

  • Oyo robberies drop by 32.24%

    Oyo robberies drop by 32.24%

    By Robert Egbe

    Armed robberies in Oyo State fell from 182 in 2019 to 123 cases last year, a drop of 32.24 per cent, according to a police report

    The report indicated that the state appeared to be on course to record a 40 to 50 per cent decline in the violent crime.

    It attributed the decline in armed robbery to Governor Seyi Makinde’s efforts to secure the state.

    The report identified banditry, mostly kidnapping by invading herders, as the new form of criminality in the state.

    It said 47 herders suspected of attempting a reprisal in Oke-Ogun/Ibarapa, were last week arrested by operatives of the state security outfit, ‘Operation Burst’.

    The document, titled ‘Armed robbery statistics from 2019 to 2020,’ said May recorded the lowest incidents of armed robbery last year with only two cases, followed by June with three.

    The corresponding lowest statistics on record for 2019 were January and October with 10 and 12 cases.

    February, with 18 cases, and January with 16, were the highest on record for the year, while July with 24 and March with 20 were the corresponding highest for 2019.

    The month-by month armed robbery incident numbers for 2019 and 2020 are as follows:

    2019: January 10, February 15, March 20, April 13, May 15, June 19, July 24, August 13, September 10, October 12, November 18 and December 13, making a total of 182.

    2020: January 16, February 18, March 10, April 8, May 2, June 3, July 8, August 13, September 15, October 5, November 10 and December 15, making a total of 123.

    In a statement reacting to the report, the Oyo State Government said it was tackling the banditry menace head-on.

    It vowed to resist any attempt to turn the South/West into another theatre of war.

    It said: “Part of the move by Governor Makinde to tackle this is the operation launched by ‘Amotekun’ penultimate Saturday in the thick forests of Ibarapa East, Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North, as well as Iwajowa Local Government, of kidnappers and bandits.

    “It was in collaboration with some native Fulanis. Some bandits were killed, while others were handed over to the Police

    Read Also: Oyo Governor Makinde, deputy crisis deepens

    “The governor had, in December, raised the alarm about foreign criminals sneaking into Oyo State through Saki, while warning of their potential danger.

    “It is this new form of criminality, which is being tackled, that many are talking about.

    “The agenda is to turn the South/West into another theatre of war and Makinde has vowed to resist that.”

  • Next governor should come from Ekiti South, says group

    Next governor should come from Ekiti South, says group

    By Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Editor

    A group, ‘Equity for Ekiti,’ has advocated for governorship zoning to Ekiti South Senatorial District in next year’s election.

    The group, led by Afolai Akanni, a former House of Assembly member, noted that the zone has not produced a civilian governor since 1999.

    Akanni claimed that the group is made up of members of political parties, including Accord Party, Action Alliance, APGA, APC, and PDP in Ekiti State.

    Rising from its meeting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, the group reiterated its demand for equal distribution of power and positions among the three senatorial districts.

    Members also unanimously resolved that the next governorship candidates of all political parties should come from Ekiti South.

    Akanni said in a statement: “We advise all political parties in Ekiti State to adopt their governorship candidates from Ekiti South, having been marginalised since the creation of Ekiti State 25years ago.”

    Read Also: Kidnapped Ekiti petrol dealer freed

    He said the group is independent of any political party, adding that its aim is to advance the development and progress of Ekiti State for justice, equity and fair play as it prepares for the election.

    Akanni said the group is based on self-agitation and self-sponsorship, stressing that it has no affiliation with any aspirant and political party.

    He added: “We urge all the traditional rulers, religion leaders, opinion leaders and other stakeholders across the 16 local governments of Ekiti State and especially the media practitioners, to, in the interest of equity and Justice, support this objective agitation.”

     

  • Turkish giants Besiktas target Ighalo

    Turkish giants Besiktas target Ighalo

    Our Reporter

     

    It is becoming clearer that Odion Ighalo’s loan spell at Old Trafford won’t be extended beyond the end of January.

    With several speculations about his next club but a return to China doesn’t look certain, while he could be left with a decision between taking one final giant payday and looking to make a mark in a European league.

    Sporx has indicated that Turkish giants Besiktas are hopeful of bringing him to the club, but finances are an issue and they’ll need to reach some kind of agreement over his wages.

    The report actually states that Mario Mandzukic was their main target but they couldn’t offer him enough money, so there will be a similar situation with Ighalo where he’ll need to take a pay cut or his Chinese club will need to cover the bulk of his wages.

    Read Also: Man Utd to dump Ighalo for Cavani

    At this point it sounds like they are only looking to take him on a six month loan deal until the end of the season, while they’ll need to wait until the end of January to secure the signing when his loan spell at United ends.

    Ighalo did have a bright opening at Old Trafford and he scored a couple of nice goals, but he’s barely been used at all this season so it wouldn’t make any sense for United to extend his stay.

    Besiktas are currently tied at the top of the table with Fenerbahce who’ve just added Mesut Ozil to boost their title bid, so it’s clear that they want to add an attacking force of their own to help them regain the league title.

     

     

     

     

  • Ndidi, Tielemans partnership thrills Leicester’s boss

    Ndidi, Tielemans partnership thrills Leicester’s boss

    Our Reporter

     

    Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers is particularly thrilled with the partnership between Wilfred Ndidi and Belgian international Youri Tielemans in the midfield of Leicester City.

    The midfield has given Leicester a substantial base in the middle of the pitch from which to play forwards and attack with menace.

    Rodgers admitted that the manner in which the Ndidi combines with the Belgian in central midfield is particularly useful to the team and Rodgers believes the pair complement one another with their contrasting playing styles.

    “They play different roles,” the 47-year-old said. “This is the beauty of this league, there’s so much diversity in terms of styles you play against and systems too.

    “You have to have flexibility, but those two really complement each other. Wilf had a great game the other night in a high-intensity game with lots of duels, where you’ve got to win your headers, got to be strong, got to be aggressive, got to cover ground. Youri does that too but then [Ndidi] can pass it to Youri and he can play the forward passes.

    “There’s a great combination there between the two. If you can get that in one player, he’s probably worth £150M. They both have their own strengths and they complement each other very well.”