The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ban

  • Enyeama risks ban

    Enyeama risks ban

    Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Disciplinary Committee, Barrister Christopher Green, has revealed that Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, could be banned from appearing for the national team in future.

    The NFF announced on June 20 that Enyeama has been summoned before its disciplinary committee on Tuesday, June 23.

    Enyeama was queried by the NFF for comments relating to safety and security in Kaduna, venue of Nigeria’s first 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against Chad.

    The LOSC Lille goalkeeper failed to reply the query and has now been asked to appear before the disciplinary committee tomorrow.

    Speaking exclusively to supersport.com, chairman of the committee, Green has now revealed that failure to appear before the committee could result in a ban, for Enyeama, from turning out for the Super Eagles in future.

    “Yes, that (recommending that Enyeama is stopped from playing for Nigeria) is an option but right now, I would rather wait until after the meeting on Tuesday,” he said.

    The NFF’s disciplinary committee chief also took the time to address the fine of $5,000 USD slammed on midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi.

    Onazi was punished after receiving a straight red card in the game against Chad for scuffling with Les Sao’s Massama Asselmo in the 81st minute.

    The SS Lazio man claimed afterwards that he was elbowed by Asselmo but Green was not impressed.

    “Would Onazi have done that if he was playing at his club? The truth is some of our players don’t show the required amount of discipline when they play for the national team.

    “These things will no longer be condoned because without discipline, nothing positive can be achieved,” he said.

  • Govt may ban fertiliser imports

    The Federal Government is drafting a legislation to ban the importation of fertiliser, Planning Minister Abubakar Olarenwaju Sulaiman has said.

    He said a ban was necessary to protect local producers.

    Sulaiman spoke during a visit to Super Phosphate Fertiliser and Chemicals Ltd in Kaduna.

    He said the ban would also include any product which the economy has the capability to produce to reverse the adverse effects of cheap foreign imports on the local manufacturing industry.

    Sulaiman said: “We need to stop importation of products that we can produce in Nigeria, including fertiliser.

    “A policy statement is coming out in a few weeks to address this. What we can produce in Nigeria, we must not import.”

    Sulaiman also reiterated the government’s commitment to revamp the power sector, saying, “Government is doing everything right to make sure that the power sector works better and more efficiently for Nigerians to enjoy.

    The idea of privatisation is in the best interest of Nigerians.”

  • Fed Govt mulls ban on porn websites

    Fed Govt mulls ban on porn websites

    The National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), says the Federal Government is planning to introduce a law that will ban and block all porn websites in the country.

    He stated this at the closing ceremony of a three-day workshop on use of social media organised for Islamic preachers, Imams and youths in Kaduna yesterday.

    The workshop, which was organised by the national body of Izalatil Bid’a Wa’iqamatis Sunna (JIBWIS), aimed at correcting anomalies in the use of social media.

    Dasuki, who was represented by the Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Kabiru Turaki, said: “Government is planning to ban and block websites that inculcate negative attitudes in our children, but we need a law to support such move.

    “Because without a law, people can go to court and claim infringement on their rights.”

    While urging preachers to avoid use of unguided utterances against leaders, Dasuki said that preachers were not politicians, but they must play politics.

    In his remarks, Kaduna State Governor Muktar Yero stressed the need for credible people to join politics to contribute their quota toward sanitising the system.

    He cautioned people against the use of social media negatively to blackmail others.

  • ‘Ban on roadblocks in force’

    The Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba, has said the order banning the setting up of police roadblocks was still in force.

    A statement yesterday by the Force spokesman, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said the IGP re-issued a directive to commands and formations to that effect.

    “The IGP warned that semblances of police roadblocks and permanent checkpoints reportedly re-emerging in some parts of the country, especially in the Southeast, Southsouth and Southwest should be dismantled.

    “The IGP, who described the trend as a serious violation of subsisting order on roadblocks, warned that severe sanctions await any command, formation or personnel, which violates the order,” the statement added.

  • Danagogo: FIFA will not ban Nigeria

    Danagogo: FIFA will not ban Nigeria

    Nigeria’s Sports Minister and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Tammy Danagogo has expressed hope that world’s football governing body, FIFA, will not ban Nigeria as he urged them to wade into the internal wrangling in the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF).

    Danagogo expressed his confidence during a breakfast television programme, Good morning Nigeria on the Nigeria Television Authority(NTA) in Abuja yesterday.

    He said  FIFA should know that what is happening in the NFF is an internal wrangling among football stakeholders  who are angling to take control of the football house.

    “I am aware that FIFA does not ban countries over internal wrangling among stakeholders. What I expect FIFA to do is to listen to both sides in the dispute and fashion out a peaceful resolution of the crisis,” he said.

    According to the sports minister, “It is also not fair for FIFA to ban a country over the actions of individuals. If they feel that an individual has gone against their statutes, such individual should be singled out and sanctioned and not the entire country.”

    He added that he is also aware that FIFA or football federations ban some of their members for offences against the football statutes and expects that the same thing should apply in the present case of the NFF.

    “I don’t expect FIFA to ban Nigeria because we are in contact with them and have explained the position of things as they affect  the current crisis.

    “We expect that they would carefully look into the matter after listening to both sides and seek a peaceful resolution. If they say the way out is for another election to be held, we would ensure that it is done for peace to return to our football.”

    Meanwhile, Danagogo appeared before the House of Representatives committee on sports yesterday in a closed door session, after failing to appear before the committee on Monday.

  • Alleged Anti board Activities: NFF ban Green, Yusuf Ahmed

    Alleged Anti board Activities: NFF ban Green, Yusuf Ahmed

    • Yaya Kwande to be investigated

    The NFF executive committee have suspended two of their members, Chris Green and Yusuf Ahmed, while another exco, Sulaiman Yahaya-Kwande is to be probed.

    These decisions were taken after an executive committee meeting in Abuja yesterday.

    Yusuf Ahmed was suspended for a year for “glaring anti-board activities, including facilitating and participating in an unauthorised gathering in Abuja, as well as a case of forgery to unilaterally alter the decision of the Executive Committee on tenure of management staff”.

    Green was handed a six-month suspension also for anti-board activities and giving media interviews that tended to put the NFF and Nigeria football in bad light.

    Their bans are to be ratified by the general assembly.

    The case against Yahaya-Kwande is to be further investigated.

    Only recently, the executive committee also purportedly impeached president Aminu Maigari.

  • Double contract: Abwo faces ban in Poland

    Double contract: Abwo faces ban in Poland

    Former Flying  Eagles midfielder David Abwo is in hot water with his Polish fourth division club, LZS Piotrówka, who have threatened to take him to court for not honoring contractual obligations.

    Despite having an existing contract with LZS Piotrówka, Abwo sensationally turned up in Turkey this week to pen a two – year deal with I Lig newcomers Giresunspor.

    Przegladsportowy.pl is reporting that Abwo had no choice but to sign for the Polish basement side as he wanted to extend and legalize his stay in the Eastern European country after his contract with Zaglebie Lubin was not extended following their demotion.

    Now, without telling his new employer, he suddenly flew to Turkey to pen a deal with 2 Lig champions Giresunspor.

    “We managed to get all the papers allowing Abwo remain in Poland. The player signed an agreement with Piotrówka.

    “He then flew to Turkey without our permission. If necessary, we do not rule out legal consequences,” Ireneusz Strychacz, the president of LZS Piotrówka, said.

    Abwo was rated among the top ten players in Poland in the early part of the second half of the season, after scoring four goals in three consecutive games between February and March.

  • GAZA CONFLICT: UEFA ban Ejide’s club from ‘home’ games

    GAZA CONFLICT: UEFA ban Ejide’s club from ‘home’ games

    Super Eagles goalkeeper Austin Ejide and his teammates at Hapoel Beer Sheva, have been asked to play their home games in the Champions League qualifiers outside Israel.

    UEFA have decided that no games in its competitions can be played in Israel due to the current security situation in the country.

    UEFA’s emergency committee met on Wednesday, and determined that fixtures cannot be played in Israel for the time being.

    Israeli clubs involved in forthcoming fixtures have been requested to propose alternative venues outside of Israel’s territory for their home legs in the Champions League and Europa League, UEFA said.

    It means Maccabi Tel-Aviv will have to play their forthcoming Champions League qualifier against FC Santa Coloma of Andorra outside of Israel.

    Hapoel Beer Sheva, Hapoel Kiryat Shmona and Hapoel Tel-Aviv are playing in the qualifying stages of the Europa League.

    The committee also decided that because of ongoing political turmoil, Russian and Ukrainian teams will be prevented from facing each other until further notice.

    The decision means FC Zenit and Dnipro cannot be drawn together when the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round draw is made today.

  • Nigerians shocked, disappointed after FIFA ban

    Nigerians have expressed shock and disappointment following the ban imposed by FIFA on the country as a result of government’s interference in the running of football there.

    Nigeria has been suspended from international football after the Sports Minister Tammy Danagogo appointed a civil servant to run the country’s football following a court ruling which restrained the elected executive committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) from office.

    The country will be barred from taking part in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada if the ban is not lifted by July 15.

    The country’s U-17 team, who are the defending world champions, are also in danger of missing out on the African Junior Championship next year in Niger Republic as they are due to play a qualifying match on July 20 in DR Congo.

    Former Nigeria coach Christian Chukwu expressed disappointment over the ban by FIFA and feared for the future of the game in the country.

    “I am sad to hear that FIFA have banned us. From all indications, if things are not done according to FIFA, we will miss out of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, our U-20 girls won’t play in Canada and lots more. Our football will suffer a lot as this can only take us backwards,” Chukwu said.

    Former Nigeria skipper Mutiu Adepoju said he was shocked by the country’s suspension.

    “FIFA have banned us? I am short of words, I don’t know what to say right now. I am short of words,” Adepoju said.

    Former Lobi Stars and Akwa United coach Justin Tenger said it was a shame that we have to be told to do the right thing by FIFA.

    He said: “This is the saddest thing ever to happen to Nigerian football. Where are we heading to now?

    “It’s too bad for another body to put our house in order for us, when we should organise ourselves better instead of what we are now witnessing.”

    A football stakeholder, Aminu Kurfi demanded for the resignation of the country’s Sports Minister Danagogo for his poor handling of the crisis that has rocked the country’s football.

    “We talked to top officials that we are doomed, but they refused to heed our sincere warning and this is where we now find ourselves,” he lamented.

    “The minister, a qualified lawyer, was misguided by those who ought to know better. He should quit on account of his poor handling of this matter.”

    He added: “This was always a witch hunt and now the government has to rescind its decision and revert to status quo.”

  • I never asked FIFA to ban Matuidi — Onazi

    I never asked FIFA to ban Matuidi — Onazi

    Super Eagles midfielder Eddy Onazi has said he never asked  FIFA to ban France international Blaise Matuidi for injuring him when both countries met in the second round of the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

    “I never granted any interview calling for FIFA to sanction Blaise Matuidi. I was unfortunate to be at the wrong end. It could have been him,” the former My People FC starlet said on his official Twitter page.

    The Nigeria international also revealed that he did not suffer any fracture but only sprained his ankle, and he has confirmed as much through the same medium.

    “Contrary to what you have read, I didn’t suffer any fracture. Fortunately, it was a sprain,”  Onazi added.

    The central midfielder is reportedly on the radar of teams in England, and is available for a transfer fee in the region of eight million Euros.