The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Yomi Faparusi: U.S.-based Nigerian to contest for House of Reps

    Yomi Faparusi: U.S.-based Nigerian to contest for House of Reps

    Yomi Faparusi, a Nigerian resident Brentwood, the United States (U.S.) for over 23 years, will be contesting at the upcoming August 1 primaries for the House of Representatives seat in Tennessee as an independent candidate.

    He is competing with Jim Larkin of Mt. Juliet and Bob Titley of Nashville ahead of the upcoming election slated for November 3.

    In a virtual meeting with The Nation, Faparusi expressed his deep commitment to nurturing the next generation, underscoring their crucial role as future societal architects. 

    He sees himself as a voice for Nigerian-Americans, aiming to showcase that Nigerians or African descent can pursue and excel in public office, thereby positively impacting both the nation and the global community. 

    Read Also: Nigeria’ll soon take place in comity of nations — First Lady

    Faparusi envisions a future where Nigerian-American identity is a source of pride once more.

    With a fervor for youth empowerment and entrepreneurship, Faparusi advocates for mentorship as a vital tool in guiding younger generations. 

    He emphasises the importance of sharing wisdom and experiences to steer them away from repeating past mistakes.

    “My name is Dr. ‘Yomi Faparusi aka Fapas and I’m an independent candidate at the primaries coming up on August 1 ahead of the U.S. Senate election for the state of Tennessee. I came to the United States in 1997 on political asylum, influenced by patriotism, the quest for democracy (“June 12”), agitation against Abacha, and dedication to the common man.

    “I moved from my birthplace in Ibadan to the United States and I’ve marked academic and professional achievements. I was raised on the University of Ibadan (UI) campus and earned my Medical Degree before pursuing a Jurist Doctorate (JD) from Widener University School of Law and a PhD in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. With credentials spanning medicine, law, and research, I will bring a multifaceted perspective to my senatorial aspirations.

    “There is no reason why someone has to make the same mistake made by someone older who could give words of wisdom to the youth,” Faparusi remarked. 

  • Senate and shoddy renovation

    Senate and shoddy renovation

    Efforts to renovate the Nigerian Senate’s main chamber produced highly unsatisfactory results, after more than two years, going by the observations of the Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume.

    In March 2021, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) had awarded a contract for the renovation of the National Assembly Complex to an indigenous firm, Visible Construction Nigeria Limited. The cost of the project was N30b.

    When the Senate resumed plenary in its main chamber, on May 7, after over two years of sitting in a temporary hearing room, Ndume was reported saying, “This is not a chamber, it is like a conference room. You will not even know that it is me, Ndume that is speaking, so also when the leader was speaking.

    “This is a serious observation. If you play back the record, you cannot identify Akpabio’s voice, you have to listen hard, but the audio is supposed to be very clear… but right now the chamber is echoing.

    “We need to correct this. We need to change so many things. Like the sitting rows. If you want to stand up, you will have to use tactics or strategy to stand up or sit down.

    “Most importantly, these seats were better. You had where you could put your documents and conveniently make your contributions.”

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    Senate President Godswill Akpabio seemed to be on the same page with Ndume, and blamed the leadership of the 9th Senate under Senator Ahmad Lawan and the FCDA for the unsatisfactory renovation. 

    “This is not our contract,” he explained. “It was a contract that was awarded in the 9th Senate. It is the FCDA that renovated it. If we have a complaint, we have to channel it to the FCDA.”

    It is unclear whether the Senate will make complaints to the FCDA concerning the disappointing renovation. Considering that the project cost was said to have been  N30b, it is surprising that the Senate did not consider an investigation. 

    The negative observations about the renovation are bad for the image of the company that got the contract and the agency that awarded the contract.

    Under normal circumstances, the company and the agency should have a lot of explaining to do. It remains to be seen whether they would be made to account for the observed shoddy renovation. It is not enough to criticise the poor renovation. Those responsible for the unsatisfactory work must be made to answer for it.

  • Implications of cbn’s bank recapitalisation policy(2)

    Implications of cbn’s bank recapitalisation policy(2)

    About 1month ago (12th April 2024), I wrote part 1 of the above topic, adding my voice to the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to recapitalize Nigerian Banks in order to strengthen the Banks, consolidate the sector and rein fence it from present and potential risks and threats

     In today’s episode, I will continue my contributions on the implications of the Banks’ recapitalization policy and potential impacts on Nigeria’s economy, in the short, mid to long terms.

    Support for the achievement of the $1trillion economy

    As a “giant of Africa” and one of the biggest economies on the continent, Nigeria’s balance sheet is not up to $1Trillion. This should not be accepted and therefore I totally agree that we should be audacious in setting our target national economic value, going forward. Therefore, I like the audaciousness and gusto of President Bola Tinubu in this regard, because visions must be audacious for you to make progress. But audacious visions should be driven by the right strategy and the correct sequence of actions to achieve success. So the recapitalization should be part of the strategy, but the Bank recapitalization will be one amongst other pillars of the pillars for success, and without other critical pillars. If we want to deliver a $1 Trillion economy by 2025 we MUST re-activate our production sector, i.e. we need to get power fully onstream – generation, transmission, and distribution, and we need to re-ignite the argic value chain (which is a quick win). Tackling insecurity is also one of the critical pillars that MUST be addressed as a matter of national priority. A banking sector recapitalisation is neither here nor there if we continue to have serious insecurity issues. Therefore, there should be an over-arching strategy and the right sequence of events. Because from a project management perspective, when the mile stoning of the action points is sequenced properly, i.e. when you deal with insecurity, then you will be sure-footed, going forward. If you don’t deal with insecurity, then the drawback is that you may install a power plant asset somewhere in this country and you are at 70% completion, then insecurity will collapse/ destroy it which will lead to what we call “major slippages” in project management, i.e may be one step forward, 5 steps backward. Based on the foregoing, the strategy must be robust and the action planning should be proper with the right sequence of events. Importantly in recruitment and appointments of people that will man key positions, there are “round pegs in round holes”. I advise that Mr. President should consistently appoint people with domestic situational awareness with regards to the political, and socio-political issues of Nigeria. They should also have demonstrable sectoral understanding to domesticate strategies and policies for success – so that we are on point, on time, and impactful.  

    Read Also: Northern Elders reject CBN’s cybersecurity levy, says, it’s illegal, insensitive

     Enablement of an effective credit system

    President Tinubu has stated during his campaigns for Presidency that he will establish a credit-driven economic system for Nigeria. He delivered this promise with the passing into law and the establishment of the Credit Policy and system in Nigeria. So that affordability for essential assets and commodities like education, housing, transportation, etc. can be enabled for citizens. The objective is to in the long term stop the culture of “upfront cash” payment of all essentials of life which is one of the key enablers of corruption in Nigeria.

     I am of the opinion that the Banking reform and recapitalization policy by the CBN will support the achievement of President Tinubu’s vision and mission-critical objective of establishing a credit-driven economy.

     You cannot have an effective credit-driven economy when Nigerian Banks are running double-digit interest credit schemes. Therefore, I expect that in the next set of reforms that will follow the re-capitalization policy, the government (legislative and executive) will take into consideration prudential guidelines and regulations to ensure that interest rates are capped within what I call a reasonable win-win threshold. A situation whereby Nigerian Banks operate like shylocks will never augur well for the economy, because the banks will continue declaring profits in a declining economy whereby the number of multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians will be increasing – that is a misnomer. The growth of our banking industry should be directly proportional to the collective prosperity of Nigerians. Otherwise, the noble intention of the administration of President Bola Tinubu’s intention to run a credit-driven economy will not work with the way the Banks are currently operating – highly transactional and non-strategic

    Enable nigerian banks to undertake big-ticket capital projects

    The bank recapitalization will also boost the liquidity and capacity of Nigerian Banks to be more involved and productive in undertaking what I call the “big ticket” capital projects, especially in supporting the private sector and the Public-Private Sector (PPP) projects for example the AKK Gas pipeline projects, etc., over and beyond their current capacity which is obviously dwindling.

     This is not losing sight of the very important critical informal sector which actually drives 80% of Nigeria’s economy. Therefore, the boost in capacity should also reflect and be evident in the Banks’ support for Nano, Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs). Even though I have stated this is Part 1 of this Column, the importance of supporting the MSMEs and the informal sector of the economy by Nigerian banks cannot be over-emphasized.

     The Nigerian banks are highly operational and transactional, they are numbers-driven in an arithmetic progression for the short term and no long term, i.e. they are not strategic for the mid to long term and because of that there is no value creation, and value innovation in the Banking sector from a socio-economic perspective. That is also why when the “big ticket-US Dollar” capital projects come up, we see the Banks struggling to come up with the interventions even as a syndicate. That is why I am happy that the current CBN leadership decided to consolidate the industry and prepare it for better performance to fully participate and better drive the Nigerian economy. I am very well aware that due to the nature and scope of some of the big-ticket capital projects, they are better supported by International Finance Institutions/ Multilateral organizations, but I would like to see the upscaling of the capacity of our local banks, especially given the fact that even though we have been sliding backward in the last years, we still remain one of the biggest and potentially viable economies in Africa. Therefore, our local Banks that are bragging to have footprints and established presence in the subcontinents or regions across the world should be able to add considerable value to the recovery and growth of Nigeria’s economy – not marginally, but in a geometric progression, such that one of two banks could deliver is not whole at least partly such big-ticket US Dollar projects in areas like Power sectoral reform, Agriculture, Solid Minerals (exploration and processing), etc. We do not want Nigerian Banks to take the back seat when such critical projects are coming onboard and middle-tier portfolio investors will come in and take a large chunk of the pie of the opportunities in our Country will little plow back to our people and their communities., only for them to the announcing high numbers of profitability with little support for the economy at the expense of the citizens of this Country. That trend needs to change.

    Better operational efficiencies and better value for stakeholders

    One of the expectations is that the Banks will be healthier and stronger. The Banks are expected to also deliver better operational efficiencies, values, and dividends for stakeholders.  I would like to hear from the Banks, possibly through the CBN, how they will support the recovery of Nigeria’s economy, not just in words but also in actions.  With break-neck interest rates, the Banks are smiling to the Banks while almost 65% of Nigerians are cringing under socio-economic vagaries and the Banks should not be allowed to play the Ostrich in this situation. Banks are expanding, diversifying, and growing into other Countries Year-on-Year, regardless of how the economy is faring.  This situation is not in tandem with realities.

    How will banks support the Federal Government, going forward, especially with regard to the informal sector sustainability is very important. How are the Banks really giving Bank to Nigeria – which made them, the economy of Nigeria that built them to the extent that they have Branches in the UK, USA, etc? Citizens cannot walk into Banks and get reasonable credit lines for their MSMEs. I hope that the CBN will catalyze support for the informal sector beyond the current marginal and arm’s length support the banks are providing.

     In conclusion, I hope that the Bank’s recapitalisation policy will achieve the desired socio-political objectives for Nigerians.

  • The imperatives of state police

    The imperatives of state police

    By ‘Gbade Ojo

    Undoubtedly, one major glaring absurdity of Nigeria’s convoluting federal architecture is that of over centralization in all ramifications. Globally, there is no other federal state with power so concentrated at the centre as Nigeria. This has led to what students of federalism would regard as ‘federal immobilism’ with the concomitant effect of stress that has given birth to strident calls for both fiscal and political restructuring of the federation.

    It is ludicrous that the octopus federal government was contemplating chewing what it cannot swallow by nursing the idea of community policing in the face of palpable failure of the over centralized Nigeria Police. Now that the security reality on the ground has called for establishment of state police, one is shocked to the marrow that Inspector General of Police (IGP) who is supposed to be the arrow-head of the initiative, prefer the extant system of an octopus police structure under the command of one person called Inspector-General. A country of 120 million population by conservative estimate and land mass that can swallow many countries in Africa coupled with the gargantuan problem of hyper-ethnic instability syndrome in the midst of hundreds of ethnic nationalities where justice do not reign; the idea of state police becomes imperative which no doubt will promote community policing. Despite the benefits of technology and ICT; it is humanly difficult to police 774 local government areas (aside from the numerous local council development areas (LCDAs) all over the country. It is unimaginable for the IGP to ever contemplate being abreast of happenings in Gbada Efon village where I hail from in Ona-Ara Local Government of Ibadan in Oyo State. This is practically impossible. This is why most attacks by hoodlums and bandits are carried out in rural communities to embarrass the government.

    What the country needs for now in the face of an overwhelming security challenges all over the country no doubt is state police, which cannot be achieved by presidential fiat as some are made to believe but rather through careful constitutional amendments.  Presently, Nigeria as a federal state operates a central policing system. Article 2 (section 2) of the 1999 constitution (as amended in 2010) affirms that “Nigeria shall be a federation consisting of states and a Federal Capital Territory”. Article 214, section 2 however stipulates that “there shall be a Police Force for Nigeria”, which shall be known as the Nigerian Police Force, and subject to the provisions of this section, no other police force shall be established for the federation or any part thereof”. The combined effect of these provisions, as our legal luminaries would say is that although the Nigerian constitution recognizes two tiers of power with authorities to make exclusive or concurrent laws on stipulated areas, only one police authority is recognized by law to enforce laws made by both federal and state legislatures! It is perhaps against this background  that the former Attorney General and Minister  of Justice – Abubakar Malami –was critical of the Amotekun , the security initiative in the southwestern states, which no doubt has being copied by other part of the country to combat security challenges.

    Read Also: NESG urges govt to reconsider policy on cybersecurity levy

    It is imperative to note that the provision of central policing has thrown up many challenges in our fledgling democracy, as recently noted by a two-term former governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimbi (of blessed memory) in a perceptive lecture he gave at the University of Ibadan, Department of Political Science that the most fundamental being the unprecedented level of violence and crime in the country. As any international visitor may note, more so that anyone visiting Nigeria for the first time, perusing our national dailies or follow social media will definitely think that the country is in a perpetual state of war with the deluge of crimes and violent cases across the country on a daily basis: Boko Haram insurgency, armed robberies, kidnapping for ransom, mob killings and assassinations with the addition of herdsmen wreaking havocs nationwide.

    At the heart of this security challenges is the structure of our policing. How is the police organized? How are its men recruited? How is the force funded? What is the indoctrination of the force? Who does the force report to? How nimble is the reporting authority? How conversant are they with the culture and language of the communities they police, how familiar are they with the terrain they superintend over? What is the relationship of the police commissioner with the state governor whom he is supposed to serve as the chief security officer of the state? And above all, what is the population size of the police?

    It is often stated that the personnel in Nigeria is now barely over half a million. Whereas, the real number may be far less, the police management is unwilling or unable to give us the exact figure of its membership – so we are all guessing. The fact is that the total numbers of the Police both officer and men vis-à-vis the United Nations (UN) requirement is absurd. It is not a surprise that many Nigerians die daily with avoidable deaths!

    Rather than Nigeria to benefit from the experience of its peer in the international system (federal states) such as the United States of America, Canada, India, Switzerland and the likes, the policing system in Nigeria has no bearing to what it should be in a federal state. For instance, the constitution of the United States allows the federal, state, local and even special districts like universities to perform police functions. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), for instance, investigates inter-state crimes, among others, the state police enforce state laws and even supervise federal elections, city/township police enforce local laws while police authorities of special districts like schools enforce regulations of their jurisdictions. The relationships between all the police services are properly coordinated for the exchange of intelligence and prevention of crimes.

    On comparative basis, the federal government of Australia maintains police forces alongside the federating units. In Republic of Germany made up of the 16 Landers (equivalent of states), German constitution concedes most of police powers to the 16 Landers even though the federal government is also allowed to legislate on the subject. The constitution of Switzerland empowers the federating units to share policing functions with the Federal Government, same for Canada and India. Coming nearer home, Ethiopia operates a federal constitution in which article 52 sub-section 2(g) of its constitution expressly grants each federating states the power ‘to establish and administer a state police force, and to maintain public order and peace within the state’.

    Be that as it is, it is evident from the foregoing that Nigeria’s refusal to reflect the required dynamism of federal architecture in its policing structure is the exception rather than the rule in comparative federal systems. Even in both pre-colonial and immediate post-colonial Nigeria police establishments were highly decentralized and localized. Many of the units that were amalgamated into Nigeria operated diverse system of policing. In the old Oyo Empire, public security was provided by the Eshos. In Igboland, communities enforced societal rules with the use of age groups while the Dongaris were the law-enforcement agents in most of the communities in the areas that became Northern Nigeria. Thus, under colonialism, the colonial power established different police forces across the country until it brought all of them together in April, 1930 to form the Nigeria Police Force, with headquarters in Lagos. However, the Nigeria Police Force existed along with Local Government Police in the Western Region (called Akoda), and the Native Authorities in Northern Nigeria. For instance, the Local Government Police Law 1959 of the Western Region confirmed existing police forces in the region and authorized every local government council with the approval of the Minister of Local Government to establish a police force. Also, Section 105(7) of the 1963 Republican Constitution empowered the regions to establish police authorities at local government and regional levels.

    It is unfortunate that this system was abrogated when the military took over power in 1966. In his maiden broadcast as the Head of State, General Aguiyi Ironsi pronounced that ‘all local government forces and Native Authority Police Forces shall be placed under the overall command of the Inspector General. The police forces of native authorities and local councils were put under the operational control of the Inspector General of Police. The reason for this abrogation was the use of the local police forces to harass, intimidate and oppress political opponents. It is unfortunate that this centralization of police functions has been sustained both in the 1979 and 1999 constitutions.

    •Professor Ojo, teaches Political Science at the University of Ilorin.

  • ‘Ovuleria’ (1942 – 2024)

    ‘Ovuleria’ (1942 – 2024)

    •A great actress bids the stage farewell

    Better known by her stage name, ‘Ovuleria,’ which demonstrated the recognition she enjoyed as an actress, Lizzy Evoeme was, ironically, not always comfortable with the name that highlighted her popularity. She explained in an interview: “Most people who know me don’t know me by any other name except Ovuleria. But to tell you the truth, when people close to me, like family members or intimate friends, called me that name, it sometimes annoyed me. I prefer being identified with my real name. I felt that a fictional name was taking over my real self.”

    Her role as ‘Ovuleria’ in New Masquerade, a must-see TV comedy series shown on the national television network of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, catapulted her into stardom, perhaps beyond her imagination. The show dealt with a variety of subjects, including social problems and the effect of government policies; and promoted unity in diversity and social values.  The cast was variegated, and communicated in Nigerian Pidgin, Standard English and local languages

    She played the role of the “submissive” wife of a “domineering” character called Chief Zebrudaya Okoroigwe Nwogbo. ‘Ovuleria’ was described as “a petty trader and an assertive but obedient woman who never disagreed or argued with her husband’s decision no matter how many others disagreed with him.”

    She played the role impressively. Describing the outcome, she said: “When you go out and people you don’t know and wouldn’t have met in your entire life tell you they appreciate what you did on TV, it gives you fulfillment.”

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    She hailed from Akabo, Imo State, and wanted to be a teacher or a nurse. But she got into acting as a member of a drama group called Ndiche Playhouse in the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, she got the role of ‘Ovuleria,’ which transformed her acting life. It was a measure of her acting talent that she made a name for herself as an actress without formal training.

    According to her, she was among the cast of New Masquerade that visited America, Sierra Leone and Cameroon, apart from visiting many parts of Nigeria. Her earnings from playing the role of ‘Ovuleria’ “went a long way in helping in managing the affairs of my family,” she said, having lost her husband during the Nigerian Civil War (1967 – 1970).

    After the TV series was discontinued, she continued acting, and acted in some movies following the introduction of Nigerian home videos. “I did a few shows… But I can’t remember the shows now,” she said about her post-TV experience.  In 2020, the Creative Industry Group (CIG) gave her an award for her contributions to the entertainment industry.

    Her death on May 5, aged 81, brought back memories of New Masquerade. Times have changed since the series was stopped in the 1990s. There is a new generation of television viewers who were not around when the show was popular. There are far more TV stations these days, and there is intense competition related to content. But these new realities do not necessarily mean that there is no longer room for such a comedy series.

    For instance, in 2022, the return of The Village Headmaster, after a 34-year break, demonstrated what is possible.  Before the break, it was Nigeria’s longest-running TV drama series, shown on the national television network from 1968 to 1988.  The show was revived, and reinvented, through a collaboration between the government-owned NTA and Wale Adenuga Productions (WAP), a private production company.

    She will be remembered for her role as ‘Ovuleria,’ and her professionalism in playing the role. As an actress, she was true to her principles. “If you want to make a name for yourself, make a good name,” she said. 

  • Combating malaria  

    Combating malaria  

    •Nigeria and Africa as a whole must be ready to spend on research and enlightenment

    With 68 million cases of malaria reported annually in the country, and an estimated 194,000 deaths, the claim that Nigeria is responsible for about 30 per cent of the global burden of the disease cannot be controverted. When a country carries this kind of burden, it is imperative for that country to acknowledge and indeed reject such an unenviable record. And this can only be achieved through focused and sustainable actions that would ultimately bring the frightening statistics down.

    Unfortunately, this has not been the case with the claim by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate. According to the minister, Nigeria has not been able to eliminate malaria 70 years since it began implementing programmes to eliminate the disease. This means that the country has been battling malaria before independence in 1960. Pate attributes the country’s failure to tame the scourge to “insufficient focus and commitment.”

    The minister made this known in his opening remarks at the Roundtable Discussion on Rethinking Malaria Elimination in Nigeria, held in Abuja.

    If Nigerians cannot easily recollect any programme designed to fight malaria, they would at least remember the African Summit on Roll Back Malaria in Abuja (popularly known as Abuja Declaration on Roll Back Malaria) launched with fanfare in 2000. Twenty-four years after, we hardly hear of the initiative despite some successes that it recorded; especially by way of improved funding, both from domestic sources and international donors. It has gone the way of many other governments’ initiatives in other sectors.

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    True, in line with the theme of the forum at which the minister spoke, it is time for Nigeria to rethink its programmes and policies on how to eliminate malaria. As the saying goes, you cannot be doing the same thing the same way and expect a different result. If malaria is still as prevalent in the country as it is today despite various governments’ effort to eliminate or at least reduce it to the barest minimum in the last 70 years, then a rethink of what governments have been doing so far without much result is imperative, with a view to giving way to new initiatives that would change the narrative.

    The minister acknowledged this much: “We must reimagine the routine approaches that have so far defined our interventions over the recent years.

    “Nigeria, African countries and the global malaria community must also reinvent approaches to address the constraints that prevent efficient delivery of existing effective key malaria control strategies and forthcoming innovations and tools. Tools for the control of the disease have evolved both in quantity and quality over the years.”

    That reimagining and reinventing of approaches to fighting malaria that the minister talked about must include accepting the simple fact that malaria is a multisectoral problem rather than merely seeing it as a health issue. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. In this wise, we must tackle malaria from the very source. Drainages must continue to flow to prevent water from being stagnant so mosquitoes could take advantage of the stagnant waters. There must be collaboration among the various ministries of health and environment. Contributory factors such as inappropriate dropping of garbage must be checked to prevent blockage of drainages. This implies that environmental laws must be strictly enforced, among several other factors.

    Then, it must dawn on African leaders that malaria is basically an African problem and research efforts on it must be intensified in the region in its quest to change the narrative. There is nothing wrong in Nigeria taking the lead in this regard. But the government must be ready to fund the efforts. Just as it must be ready to intensify enlightenment programmes on prevention rather than cure of the disease. Failure to meet the financial stipulations of the Abuja summit by many countries has to give way to improved funding if we are to witness a drastic reduction in deaths caused by malaria.

  • Dominican Republic 2024: Flamingos off to Bamako

    Dominican Republic 2024: Flamingos off to Bamako

    Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos, would today depart the shores of the country for Bamako, capital of Mali ahead of Saturday’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup African qualification series third round, first leg encounter against their counterparts from Burkina Faso.

    The Nigerian girls have failed to appear in only one edition of the competition (Uruguay 2018) since it was launched in New Zealand in 2008, and are set for a handsome win in the Malian capital to make the return leg in Abuja on 18th  May a formality.

    Despite a 9-1 hammering of their opponents in a preparatory game, Head Coach Bankole Olowookere insisted his girls have to realize there is a difference between training sessions and match situations, and learn to convert all their opportunities during games.

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    Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football has made a change to the fourth official of Saturday’s match at the Stade 26 March in Bamako. Originally, Joselyn Nsabimana was to be the fourth official alongside Burundi compatriots Suavis Iratunga, Fides Bangurambona and Alida Iradukunda who will be referee, assistant 1 and assistant 2 respectively.

    However, CAF has now appointed Teneba Bagayoko from Mali to be the fourth official. Oumou Souleyman Kane from Mauritania and Aya Irene Ahoua from Cote d’Ivoire have been retained as commissioner and referee assessor respectively.

  • Finidi lists three foreign assistants for Eagles

    Finidi lists three foreign assistants for Eagles

    Amokachi to be  second assistant

    Newly appointed Super Eagles coach, Finidi George, has listed three foreigners in a five-man  technical  crew that will include  former Nigeria International  Daniel Amokachi  and current goalkeepers trainer, Abideen Baruwa.   

    George  and  chieftains of the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF)  have been meeting  over the  last few days  to iron out  the final details  of  a contract  for the former Ajax Amsterdam  winger who  was  recently announced as the substantive  manager of the  national team following the departure of Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro after  the silver-medal finish at the  2023 Africa Cup of Nations  in Cote d’Ivoire.

    The issue of  others  that would work with  George has dominated  discussions in sports circles but  sources at the NFF  has now  hinted  that  the 52-year-old coach has  tabled a proposal of five technical crew  with words rife  that a German-Nigerian  has been listed as first assistant  with  Amokachi to be  a second assistant.

    While Baruwa  would maintain his status as  the goalkeepers trainer, there are places for two more  foreign assistants  who would serve as physical trainer and  match analyst respectively.

    Yet, it was gathered  that a one-year contact  will be signed by George  with an extension clause  should  the Super Eagles reach the semi-final stages  of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations(AFCON)  to be hosted in Morocco.

    Read Also: Super Eagles: Finidi fine-tunes list for  South Africa, Benin

    NationSports  gathered that the NFF  is yet at sea on how  funds would be sourced for  the foreign  assistants  with many said  to be worried  that  George  is making things rather  difficult as regards the listing of three foreign assistants.

     But   former Nigeria international  and a member of the Technical & Development Committee of the NFF Dr. Felix Owolabi  insists  that  George is duty-bound to pick his own assistants in order to enjoy a good working environment.

    “ He (George) should be allowed to pick his assistants  because that is the right thing to do,” Owolabi who won the AFCON  with the Green Eagles in 1980  said recently. “ The NFF cannot choose for him;  it has to be the prerogative of the coach to determine  those who are to work with him.”

  • Haruna excited as Abuja’s FWC FC claim NLO1  play-off

    Haruna excited as Abuja’s FWC FC claim NLO1  play-off

    Former Golden Eaglets’ Assistant coach-cum scout, Bunmi Haruna, said he was over the moon after  his

    Family Worship Champions Football Club (FWC FC)  won the Area 3 Centre  of the Nigeria Nationwide League 1(NLO1) group stage.

    In a remarkable display of dominance, the self-styled  ‘the champions who care’ spanked last year’s winner Bussdor FC 4 -0 to remain  unbeaten over nine  league games that included seven wins and two draws  to emerge the winner of the centre with 23 points.

    Brimming with pride for his team’s achievement, Haruna attributed their success to meticulous preparations.

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    “It’s about preparations. The players and the team, I should say, we prepared very well for this, and we’re very happy we got the results,” he remarked. “It’s not an easy feat because all the teams were also well prepared.”

    Expressing his delight at the team’s performance, Haruna highlighted their offensive prowess and defensive solidity.

    ” We scored goals, loads of goals, and, you know, we didn’t concede much. So we’re very happy about the result,” he added. “We’re very happy we topped the group. We started very well, winning 6 straight games and scoring a lot of goals. Then, we drew our next two games before the win against Bussdor.

    “The teams presented us with different challenges and we learned a lot from them,” Haruna  noted.

    FWC FC will face the winner of the Buhari Center in the promotion playoffs on May 29th  in Lafia, the capital city of Nasarawa state.

    FWC FC owned by Family Worship Center, Abuja, is more than just a football club. It is a force for positive change within the Arts and Entertainment industry.

    FWC FC’s mandate is to help youths develop their  God-given football talent and raise them as distinguished leaders through the beautiful game.

  • Olympic flame arrives on French soil for Paris Games

    Olympic flame arrives on French soil for Paris Games

    The Olympic flame   has arrived the  French soil at the port of Marseille on board a 19th  century ship in front of 150,000 spectators for a ceremony that posed a first major test for organisers ahead of the 2024 Paris Games.

    Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Florent Manaudou carried the torch from the deck of the Belem, a three-masted vessel which had transported it from Greece.

    Manaudou passed the torch to Paralympic champion sprinter Nantenin Keita, who handed it to French rapper Jul to light a cauldron.

    As the Belem entered Marseille’s Old Port surrounded by hundreds of small boats, planes from the Patrouille de France display team swooped overhead tracing the Olympic rings in the sky before they returned to paint the red, white and blue of the French flag in the air.

    Fireworks go off as the 19th century sailing ship Belem carrying the Olympic flame enters Marseille’s Old Port

    Fireworks also tore into the sky as the Belem docked after its 12-day voyage from Greece, where the flame was lit in Olympia on April 16.

    Read Also: Aruna, Edem listed for African Cup, Olympics Qualifiers

    The arrival of the flame marks the start of a 12,000-kilometre (7,500-mile) torch relay across France and its far-flung overseas territories.

    Organisers are hoping the first public spectacle of the Games on French soil – just 79 days from an opening ceremony that will take place on the river Seine – will help build excitement after a row about ticket prices and concerns about security.

    “It’s something we’ve been waiting for a very long time,” chief organiser Tony Estanguet said on Monday, referring to the 100 years since Paris last staged the Games. “The Games are coming home.”

    France, which was also the host in 1900, sees itself at the heart of the modern Olympic movement after a French aristocrat, Pierre de Coubertin, revived the idea of the Games as practised by the Greeks until the 4th century BC.

    After the Covid-hit edition in Tokyo in 2021 and the corruption-tainted Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016, the Paris Olympics are seen as an important moment for the sporting extravaganza.