The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ADDIS ABABA

  • CAF Executives meet  today in Addis Ababa 

    CAF Executives meet  today in Addis Ababa 

    Ahead of its 46th  Ordinary General Assembly , the Confederation of African Football (CAF)  will hold its Executive Committee  meeting  today in Addis Ababa, .

    The Executive Committee meeting which  will be chaired by CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe, will start at 10h30 local time (8:30am Nigerian time).

    Read Also: NFF confirms Eguavoen for Super Eagles

    The  46th  Ordinary General Assembly which will also take place in the Ethiopian capital tomorrow  will start at  10h00 local time (8:00 am Nigerian time).

  • ITTF Tourney: Nigeria, Egypt dominate team event in Addis Ababa

    ITTF Tourney: Nigeria, Egypt dominate team event in Addis Ababa

    Nigeria and Egypt emerged victorious in the team events at the 2024 ITTF Africa Championships, held in Addis Ababa yesterday.

    In the men’s event, with Egypt absent, Nigeria faced Algeria in a thrilling final. Omotayo battled Sami Kherouf in a suspenseful match, but Kherouf secured a 3-2 victory, giving Algeria a 1-0 lead. Milhane Jellouli then faced Quadri Aruna, who levelled the score for Nigeria with a 3-1 win. Matthew Kuti showcased his dominance by defeating Maheidine Bella 3-0, putting Nigeria ahead 2-1. In the decisive match, Aruna overcame Kherouf, sealing Nigeria’s 3-1 triumph and crowning them the new African champions.

    Read Also: NFF faults  Libya’s poor treatment claims before Uyo showdown 

    In the women’s event, Egypt continued their dominance. The trio of Hana Goda, Yousra Helmy, and Mariam Alhodaby defeated Nigeria’s Ajoke Ojomu, Fatimo Bello, and Hope Udoaka. Goda started strong with a 3-0 win over Ojomu. Bello initially led 2-0 against Helmy, but Helmy made a remarkable comeback to win 3-2. Alhodaby completed the sweep with a commanding 3-0 victory over Udoaka, securing Egypt’s 3-0 win.

  • Nigerian dies in Ethiopian prison

    A Nigerian inmate at the Kaliti Prisons in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has died after suffering an undisclosed ailment. The deceased, identified as Odemu Efe, hailed from Warri, Delta State.

    The Nation gathered that Efe was among the about 150 inmates of Nigerian descent at the prison. It was also learnt that they are being detained on allegations of possession of hard drugs and money laundering.

    The Nation gathered that several inmates have fallen ill due to malnourishment as they are allegedly fed once a day with rice without sauce, all year round.

    The deceased, according to a source, died on July 13 because of poor medication after he took ill. The source added that efforts to draw the attention of Nigerian officials to his deteriorating condition failed.

    A concerned Nigerian, Miss Chika Nwachukwu, accused Nigerian officials of not showing concern about the welfare of the inmates, noting that there was lack of commitment on the part of the home government to facilitate their repatriation even when the Ethiopian authorities are willing to release the inmates.

    She said: “As we speak, some inmates are very sick and they are not getting good medication. Nobody knows whether they will survive since Odemu died in a similar condition.

    “The Federal Government should please activate the relevant ministries and agencies to bring succour to these citizens languishing in foreign land by bringing them back home. Most of them are ready to pay any cost incurred in the process, and also ready to face trial at home for the alleged offences for which they are being detained.”

    Miss Nwachukwu appealed to chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, to mobilise stakeholders in the region to free the inmates, claiming that over eighty percent of them are from the Southeast.

    According to the source, the governments of other African countries, including Kenya, Sudan, Eritrea, whose citizens were also trapped in the Kaliti prisons, activated their foreign missions in Ethiopia to set their nationals free.

     

  • ECA’s 2020 conference to focus on industrialisation

    The 53rd session of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) scheduled to hold next year in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will focus on industrialisation.

    ECA in a statement earlier in the week, said the conference, with the theme: ‘The Future of Africa: Industrialisation in the Digital Era’, would hold from March 18-24, 2020.

    The commission said the theme was in recognition of the continent’s desire to industrialise and create jobs for the millions of its populace, the youth, in particular.

    The commission stated that although, the fourth industrial revolution presents challenges for countries in Africa, it also offers an opportunity for boosting competitiveness and industrial leapfrogging, which cannot be missed.

    ECA said to reduce poverty and catch up with other countries, policymakers and businesses in Africa need to adapt to and innovate within the new digital climate.

    “The digital economy is transforming value chains, skills development, production and trade globally. Although, the fourth industrial revolution may not yet be in immediate sight for Africa, these changes will have major implications for competitiveness and industrialisation efforts across Africa,” the body stated.

    According to the statement, the ministers will discuss how African policymakers can position themselves to effectively assess both the opportunities and challenges that the digital economy presents, to enable nations to industrialise and prosper in the digital era.

    According to ECA, advancements in digital technology offer tools for countries in Africa to leapfrog in traditional industries, including manufacturing.

    The body listed other sectors and activities that are crucial to industrial development to include logistics, agriculture, communications, services, green growth and smart cities.

    It stressed that without investments and capacity-building in these new technologies, many countries in Africa may fall further behind the technology frontier.

    The ECA explained that the fourth industrial revolution must be responded to with new policies. “Both national and continental level strategies for industrial development will need to adapt to the new digital reality.

    “This is in order to position countries in Africa to innovate and to catch up with the digital era in a manner that is consistent with the principle of leaving no one behind.

    ”Positioning countries will require the development of comprehensive digital industrialisation strategies, investments in digital infrastructure and skills, innovation and technology transfer initiatives, and appropriate regulatory frameworks for the digital economy,” it said.

    The ECA also stated that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers a platform for African governments to establish institutional arrangements for cooperation on the digital economy, and provisions to support digital capacities and industrialisation and connect African businesses.

    It added that in that context, the body in partnership with the African Union Commission is promoting the establishment of a common African technical standard for digital identification platforms.

    ECA added that it is so because the benefits of the digital economy are accessible in different African countries and regions.

    The body said the CoM 2020 theme would raise awareness among African ministers on the need to ensure that digitalisation strategies are integrated into policy and planning frameworks for industrialisation.

     

  • AfCFTA: Nigeria shouldn’t lead from behind

    A lawyer and multilateral diplomat Dr Babafemi Badejo, who consults for the African Union (AU), writes on why Nigeria should sign the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

    At the end of a consultative meeting in Dakar, I flew straight back to Addis Ababa on June 26 to participate in the Third United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN ECA)-led consultative meeting on the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

    The theme was: Africa Regional Trade Forum 2019: Implementing the AfCFTA for a prosperous Africa: A Focus on the Pharmaceutical Industry.

    The meeting had leaders from the private sector, including formidable young entrepreneurial women, some political leaders, international civil servants, and of course international men and women of ideas from variegated backgrounds.

    The keynote address was given by Ali Mufuruki, Tanzanian and Chairman of Infotech Investment Group as well as Deputy Chairman of Afro Champions.

    The keynote speaker, among other things, noted that Africa remains the only possibility for growth in the pharmaceutical industry as the other continents are already saturated.

    He suggested that CFTA has a potential of over $200 billion for Africa by way of meeting growing health needs. However, he was worried that African bureaucrats are limited in thoughts to plan for e.g, 2050.

    Ms. Mesenbet Shenkute, Ethiopian and President of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who had been President of a Bank led the discussion on women taking advantage of the CFTA.

    I was pleased with two African women entrepreneurs, Ms. Njoki Kariuki from Kenya and Ms. Patricia Mathivha, from South Africa and MD, Vida Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd, South Africa, who shared views on how they are succeeding in business.

    Njoki is making money out of the production of sanitary pads for young women as Patricia is waxing strong in the pharmaceuticals industry. They did not think of themselves as less than men and were not seeking unequal skewed treatments in their favour especially on finance.

    They are competing like men do. Finding the banks not helpful, Njoki approached her family members and laid out her business plan and received support. This approach, she had learnt from Richard Bronson’s writings.

    No doubt, women face many cultural impediments. In many African countries, they are culturally and/or constitutionally prevented from owning land – a major means of collateral. But my position is that these archaic cultures must be nationally rebelled against and made a thing of the past.

    We must not overload the CFTA by making issues like this one of the problems for it to tackle.

    On a positive note, an ECA official spoke about a one billion dollar fund to help women entrepreneurs in improving and realising a level playing field. This fund is almost ready to roll and I guess Ms. Ngone Diop of the ECA can help answer on further enquiries.

    It is mute to continue to stress that Africans are not trading among themselves. The reasons are also obvious. The external orientation that former colonial powers had in place have been maintained. Forget that they tend to appear to want it otherwise. They actually benefit at the expense of Africa.

    Does this mean we should eternally hold former colonial powers responsible? My answer is a resounding no. We should wonder about what is wrong with the leadership that we have who have failed woefully to wean the continent from modern day structures of enslavement. The responsibility is ours.

    If a populous country like Nigeria produces less than 10 per cent of what it consumes, and failing in areas where it has comparative advantage but would rather import, then Nigerians must face their clueless leaders who have only perfected stealing and not investing same as in some African countries, but keeping them outside in the vaults of other countries.

    Low levels of production of what Africans need make the push for intra-Africa trade a dream until we wake up and push against external and internal interests hampering the move forward.

    AfCFTA will come to nought if it is not implemented as a development agenda for Africa. But the issue is whether the current leadership of Africa is able to move Africa forward. That 52 African countries have signed and 25 parliaments have ratified is not enough.

    There must be clear national strategies by a different crop of development oriented leaders who are ready to differentiate the interests of Africa from those of the so called “development partners”, who are happy to maintain neo-colonial arrangements that betters their myopic interests.

    Other issues like the necessity for peace and security were highlighted. After all, we were meeting in the horn where conflicts continue to rage. It was suggested that hope could be placed on diplomacy and such efforts as the AU-UN led dream of collecting all small arms in Africa by 2020 which has been tagged as silencing the guns.

    While I agree with ameliorating some of the non-tariff trade barriers, I would strongly suggest that a lot more is required. Corruption has to be strongly countered. A corrupt Africa cannot implement rules of origin that takes care of the interest of Africa.

    An Africa that lacks the needed monitoring and sanctioning capacity cannot make the AfCFTA benefit Africa.

    In such a porous state of affairs, multinationals will bring their products and stamp them as African products with the acquiescence of corrupt officials. And that is why I repeat my call on UN ECA to schedule a meeting on addressing the challenges of corruption to AfCFTA.

    That Nigeria has not signed the agreement is a sign of weakness in spite of whatever the President may be saying. Nigeria should not be leading from behind. It should boldly be inside and seek to rectify the problems. As the Liberians say: “cucujumuku”, you are not inside, you don’t know.

    To offer the Nigerian labour and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria as the reason the President, at the last minute, aborted the trip to sign a document that Nigeria had been at the forefront of negotiating, is weak.

    Stronger interests than those of the nation must have stopped the President at the last minute. He already sent an advance team to the place of signing – Kigali, and he halted his visit.

    We as Nigerians, from experience, know that the current President hardly bothers about the cries of Nigerians. With an AfCFTA assessment report in hand, one hopes that the President of Nigeria will no longer continue to be shaking on signing. He must boldly hold the bull by the horns and join other leaders to ensure that AfCFTA benefits Africa.

  • Our flight experiences, by passengers on Ethiopian Airlines aircraft

    Two passengers – former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Director General of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Ambassador Ayo Olukani – have recounted their experiences aboard an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 777-300 that flew into inclement weather preparatory to landing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, on May 29.

    They were among the 394 passengers and crew members aboard the aircraft, which took off from Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, en route Lagos.

    Obasanjo and Olukani were returning from Addis Ababa, where they attended a stakeholders’ meeting on Continental Trade and Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA).

    The meeting ended on May 28 in the Ethiopian capital.

    They said the pilots of the aircraft followed standard operating procedures and precautionary measures in the circumstance that led to final approach of the aircraft by smoothly pulling up and subsequently lining up with the runway for a second approach.

    Obasanjo, who had been erroneously reported by his aide not to be on flight, said there was nothing unusual about the flight.

    Speaking to an online platform, the former President said he was unperturbed about the development.

    He said: “I was on the Ethiopian Airline. Rain just came down heavily. The pilot thought he could land; and he landed. He touched down. But I think he took a swift decision that he had to take off again.

    “So, he took off. If he did not, I think he probably would have overrun the runway. He then apologised and said he would try to land again. He tried again, and we landed safely. And we all clapped.”

    On his reaction while the pilot initiated the safety precautionary steps, Obasanjo said: “One man, who was next to me, said: ‘Oga, you no worry?’ I said: ‘If I worry, what should I do? If you are on a plane and you have a situation like this, why should you worry?’ So, I left everything in the hands of God.”

    The former military leader and President said the pilot first landed the plane at 12:20 p.m. before the incident but finally landed safely on return at 12:30 p.m.

    Read Also: Boeing sued over Ethiopian Airlines crash

    “He touched the ground. Then he took off and apologised and landed again at about 12.30 p.m. We spent just about 10 minutes in the air before we landed again,” he said.

    Olukani said: “I thank you all for your calls and messages concerning the flight from Addis Ababa, where I had gone to represent NACCIMA at the African Union/United Nations stakeholders’ dialogue on the African Continental Free Trade Area.

    “My phone has been ringing off the hook. All I can say is that the whole event about flight ET 901 was simply sensationalised and exaggerated, probably because former Obasanjo was on that flight.

    “And it was not as bad as they are painting it. Aborted landings and second approach are normal in aviation in such weather conditions with pouring rain.

    “The captain simply followed standard operating procedures and precautionary measures in the circumstances on the final approach.

    “He pulled up smoothly and it was a steady climb; thereafter, he lined up with the runway for a second approach. And we had what in aviation circle is known as XTD: Excellent Touch Down. Former President Obasanjo and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have also responded to correct the story. I thank you all, all the same.”

    Also, aviation experts have cautioned against sensational reporting, saying missed flight approach by any aircraft pilot does not amount to escaping an air crash.

     

  • PEN dedicates poetry festival to memory of Adesanmi

    PEN International, Nigerian Centre, otherwise called PEN Nigeria, has dedicated a special Poetry Festival in memory of Canadian-based Nigerian scholar Prof Pius Adesanmi involved in the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash last Sunday few minutes after take-off in Addis Ababa.

    The author of Naija No Dey Carry Last (2015), a volume of satirical essays, is a poet, essayist, satirist, literary critic. With the theme, “What Poetry Is, What Poetry Is Not”, the festival, is part of its activities marking this year’s World Poetry Day on Thursday, March 21.

    It will hold at Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Noforija, Epe. “It would be another golden opportunity for members of the creative community to showcase their creativity and their products, including publications.  Authors who wish to donate books and other publications or materials for distribution to participants, particularly students, at the event are enjoined contact the President or any other member of the Executive Council,” the President, PEN Nigeria, Folu Agoi, stated.

    The festival has as guest poet, Reginald Chiedu (RC) Ofodile, who is lawyer, actor, compere, and internationally acclaimed novelist, playwright, poet, and essayist. Other guests include Tunji Sotimirin, Kayode Steve Adaramoye, Busola Kolade, and Ralph Akintan-Ralph.

    Its highlights include: poetry performances by individuals and groups, poetic presentations by members of the community (pupils and staff – teaching and non-teaching), poetry recitation in indigenous language (mother tongue poetry), presentations by seasoned poets and authors lecture and interactive session on the event’s theme.

  • Ethiopian Airline crash: NIA commiserates with families of victims

    The Nigerian Insurers’ Association (NIA) has commiserated with the family members of the Nigerians who died in the Ethiopian Airline plane crash of March 10.

    The Chairman of the association, Mr Tope Smart, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday.

    NAN reports that the flight ET302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi in Kenya crashed about six minutes after take-off, killing all 149 passengers and eight crew members on board.

    Smart said: “The Nigerian victims were identified as a popular Nigerian-born Canadian professor and writer, Pius Adesanmi, and Ambassador Abiodun Bashua, a former Joint Special Representative for the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, Sudan.

    “The Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where Adesanmi was a lecturer had said that the contributions of Adesnami to Carleton are immeasurable and he remained scholar and teacher of the highest calibre who left a deep imprint on Carleton.”

    He said that Nigeria as country had lost great intellectuals, who made the country proud in advanced countries like Canada.

    “The effect of the loss of these gems is invaluable.

    “We pray that there won’t be a repeat of such occurrence, as it remains a colossal loss to the entire nation also.

    “Also on board of the flight were 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight Chinese, eight Italians, eight Americans, and seven people each from France and United Kingdom and seven crew members, among others,” he stated.

    NAN

  • BREAKING: Pius Adesanmi, Bashau among victims of Ethiopian crash

    Two Nigerians are confirmed to be among the 157 passengers and crew that died in the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi that crashed today.

    They are Professor Pius Adesanmi, who was carrying a Canadian passport.

    The popular columnist and activist teaches at Carlton University in Canada.

    The second person is Ambassador Abiodun Bashua of  the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    He was carrying a UN passport.

    The late Bashua was former UN and AU Deputy Joint Special Representative in Darfur, Sudan.

  • Policing league venues

    Soccer crazy nations measure the game growth by the number of home-grown players in their national teams. The authorities of the game, FIFA, recognise the importance of this point and have instituted several incentives to drive the game’s development globally. FIFA, in its wisdom, provided funds for less developed nations to embrace the game and bridge the gap between them and others. The cash is to improve on the facilities for the game to thrive in the 211 affiliate countries.

    In his historic address at the 32nd Ordinary Assembly of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last weekend, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “Africa is a continent that has always been very close to my heart. I have fond memories of watching the FIFA World Cup 1982 in Spain, when Cameroon quite seriously challenged my home team, Italy, and when Algeria defeated West Germany before West Germany made it to the final against Italy, who won the competition.

    “Football fans around the world were convinced that the African teams would soon reach the level of the best European teams. I’m sad to say that almost 40 years later, African teams haven’t been able to make this shift, and to reach the final stages of a FIFA World Cup, despite their impressive performances during the FIFA World Cups 2002 and 2010, and more recently the World Cup in Russia. This situation must change because of the great passion your continent has for football. Quite simply put, Africa lives football!

    “I believe that just as Africa gives so much of its passion and positivity to football, football can give back to Africa and help the continent’s people in key areas: economic growth, education, gender mainstreaming, integration and football governance.’’

    Sadly, our football chieftains who gloat around the country over their feats as match commissioners in FIFA and CAF competitions have not been able to implement the objective of using the domestic game as the nursery for the Golden Eaglets (through clubs’ feeder teams), Flying Eagles, Olympic Eagles, CHAN Eagles and Super Eagles. It suits them more to woo Nigeria-born lads in Europe and the Diaspora than to supervise the local game to produce more stars like we had in the past.

    To underscore the importance FIFA attaches to the local game, Enyimba FC and Ifeanyi Ubah FC goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa brought into the coffers of both clubs $237, 720 (N86 million) following the Super Eagles exit from the group stage as they failed to make it out of the group containing eventual finalist Croatia, familiar foes Argentina and debutants Iceland. Imagine if any Nigerian club had up to five home-based players in the Eagles for the World Cup? Simply multiply N43 million by five (N215 million from FIFA). Good money? Sure, but do our football organisers think this way?

    According to a FIFA report, Enyimba and Ifeanyi Ubah split the money $118, 860 (N43 million). FIFA shared 209 million Euros (N85 billion) to 416 clubs, with the day rate for 736 players at the Mundial set at $8, 530. Did Ifeanyi Ubah and Enyimba FCs pay Ezenwa up to N43 million during his stay with them? Not possible. Yet these administrators don’t see the essence of making match venues violence-free for massive attendance, culminating in improved earnings from the stadium’s turnstiles’.

    In fact, the responsibility for preventing violence at match venues rests squarely on the shoulders of clubs’ chairmen and management teams who empower miscreants to control vital units of the stadium. Clubs’ roughnecks man the gates; they also supervise the sale of match tickets, hence it is difficult for any team to declare what it earned from gate takings. In other climes, with less than 15 minutes to the end of matches, the public announcer in the stadium announces the number of fans who watched the game.

    Of course, knowing how much was realised is easy based on what was sold and at which of the entrances.

    Hooligans and urchins handle sensitive areas hence, no mechanism is in place to checkmate their activities. And the clubs’ chairmen are happy with it because the criminals take percentages from gates where their activities are not supervised. Is anyone surprised that with this setting, it is easy to pummel the referees – the exit gates are manned by hoodlums who won’t open the gates until the assignment is completed.

    I watched a game last year at the Agege Stadium, Lagos. I saw how yoyos rushed to nearby shops to pick up bottles, which they converted into weapons. Everyone ran for dear lives, including the organisers. The stadium manager did the wise thing by closing the main entrance; otherwise, the carnage would have been more devastating. What happened at Agege is the norm in most Nigerian stadia because the club owners shirk their responsibilities.

    In Europe, fans misbehave, a classical example being the bottle of beer thrown at PSG’s former Manchester United player, Di Maria, in Tuesday’s Champions League game at Old Trafford. In between PSG’s goals, a bottle was thrown at Di Maria who responded with humour. Di Maria pretended to take a swig from the glass bottle before discarding it. He then made his point with his feet by claiming a second assist of the night to set up Mbappe for goal No 2.

    But that bottle-throwing irritant would be caught and punished. Such big stadia have CCTVs which help spot unruly fans. Even Di Maria will be punished for his comments after the incident. Such control mechanisms further secure the premises, making it absolutely impossible for fans to misbehave.

    I have deliberately highlighted the key areas that militate against providing adequate security at match venues, orchestrated by the club owners and their management teams.

    To avert deaths, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) should immediately prioritise manning of match venues before, during and after matches, through special squads. The IGP can place temporary police stations inside the stadium with Black Marias stationed to house hooligans when they are caught.

    Growing up in Benin City, fans behaved when mobile policemen were deployed at critical matches. These MOPOL units were very efficient as they came hours before the games to man strategic positions. There were empty vans where those who misbehaved were locked up and taken away to be prosecuted. Hardly was there any violence at matches where the MOPOL took charge in Benin City. There was also Col. Gbolahan Mustapha (rtd) who marshalled operations within and outside the stadium. This system worked despite the notoriety of the fans at Ogbe Stadium, which had the luxury of hosting four teams at the time.

    The best form of security is the referee doing his job without fear or favour. The structure of the stadia exposes referees to attacks. Perhaps, the League Board can instruct the clubs to create new entrances and exits for the match officials in such a way that their lives are safe.

    This idea of away teams having to remain inside the stadium till late in the night after matches is unacceptable just as it is barbaric. There won’t be any need to watch games, if winners must be the home side. The organisers should get live broadcast partners to beam matches. Such initiative can be bankrolled by a blue-chip company which will utilise the marketing windows available in such packages – only if the league organisers know their onions.

    The scams surrounding the league are shameful. Pundits are worried that nobody knows what the league is worth. Organisers can’t tell us how much they have realised from inter and intra club transfers of players? This is the biggest revenue earner for most lucrative leagues in the world. Contracts between clubs and their players are worthless. In fact, a popular league team’s owners were shocked to hear that players they paid monthly weren’t theirs and couldn’t earn revenue from any of them being scouted by European clubs.

    Our club owners lack ideas to fund the development of their teams. When Chelsea lost scandalously 6-0 to Manchester City, one fan threw his season’s ticket away. It was found by a steward who would track the fan and appease him. I have brought this incident forward to ask if our clubs have season tickets for fans. None; yet one of the biggest revenue earners for European clubs is the sale of season tickets (gold, silver and bronze cards with varying figures depending on the fans’ pockets).

    The club owners can’t be worried that their matches are not live because the absence of television covers their tracks when their fans cause mayhem which would have been captured during live telecasts. Revenue from television right is mind-boggling, with most European clubs eager to have their games on television, knowing the financial implications. Here, club owners are comfortable with getting government money, which is cheap and, most times, need not be unaccounted for.

    With such lawlessness, it is easy to appreciate why the league totters and the administrators bask in mundane things, such as being CAF and FIFA eggheads. One is, however, emboldened by Infantino’s pronouncement at the 32nd Ordinary Assembly of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last weekend, which could flush out the usurpers in our system.

    The FIFA boss said: “We cannot afford for this beautiful game of ours to be poisoned by corruption. We have a mission to protect the integrity of our sport, and FIFA reiterates its willingness to work with all of you to root corruption out of African football  by partnering with the African Union. We would also have the ability to share our expertise on matters like stadium construction and security across Africa, ensuring that stadia are properly constructed and equipped following best practice, ensuring safety of venues and fans attending sports competitions.”

    I hope our football chieftains will read this address.