The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Champions

  • The champions

    As the people of Ekiti State were waking up on Sunday to the news that Kayode Fayemi has won the previous day’s election hotly contested against the protégé of the incumbent state governor, the garrulous Ayo Fayose, football enthusiasts around the world were getting feverish about the finals of the Russia 2018 World Cup between France and Croatia.

    Last week, I had predicted here that the winner of the duel between France and Belgium in the first semi-finals will win the world cup and I was excited that my prediction happened as France beat Croatia 4-2 in the finals to lift the most prestigious football cup in the world. Perhaps, it will be fairer to say France and Africa won the cup considering the number of players from Africa that played for France in the tournament.

    Interestingly, the loser of the tougher first semi-final, Belgium, also bested England 2-0 for the third place. As admitted by the coach of England, Belgium was a better team and they deserved to win. France, the champion, played a tactical game, giving away little by way of entertainment, while relying on the counter-attack championed by the Young Player of the tournament, Kylian Mbappe and Griezman to do the damage. Just as they did to Belgium, they conceded more minutes of play to their final opponent Croatia, while their opponents conceded more goals.

    The winners and losers in the one month fiesta deserve praise for participating in the world football. Of course, to qualify to play in the World Cup finals is a big achievement and as I hoped for last week, our football association must start the preparation for Qatar 2022 right away. To concentrate, the budding crisis in the nation’s football federation should be resolved immediately more so to avoid possible FIFA’s backlash.

    In Ekiti State, winning or losing, last weekend’s election, was treated as a matter of life and death for the gladiators. All through the campaign, it was projected as a contest between Fayemi and Fayose. Interestingly, ruling Ekiti has turned a kind of relay between Fayemi and Fayose, with each taking and handing over to the other, albeit acrimoniously. The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Eleka, is considered inconsequential, without Fayose.

    While the election was reportedly peaceful, many are worried that the state was over-militarised for the election. Just as in the 2014 election which Fayose won on the back of the incumbent party then in power, Fayemi is seen as riding on the back of the incumbent party to win last week’s election. So, while the PDP is crying foul about the disproportionate use of security forces by the federal government in the recent election, they should recall that Fayemi and his party where browbeaten in 2014, by the federal power then controlled by PDP.

    So, in a sense, Ekiti State has become a sort of guinea-pig, for the use of federal power to win state elections if the allegations are true. Such a state of affairs should worry all Nigerians. While as partisans we may be happy that our party has won, we must also pause to ask ourselves whether we are making progress in our democratic journey. Why should we run election like a war? More so, when we remember that people who go to war, think of winning at all costs, and of booties.

    I guess many who are disenchanted with the way our country is going would agree that those who govern us substantially treat the resources of the country as war booty, whether at the local, state or federal levels of government. Sadly, many of the gladiators see election as a war to gain a vantage position to plunder the country. That explains why despite the huge resources we have gained from oil exploitation over the years; our country is still so very backward.

    Over the weekend, I heard two stories that gave me more cause for concern. The first story is that in Harvard University, our dear country Nigeria is a case study for a failed country. According to the source, our country is considered to have met all the indices for a failed country. Agreeably, that is substantially correct, but the real worry is that our leaders go on acting as if all well. Perhaps, they know that the nation has failed, but they just pretend. Such knowledge, may explain the huge number of security men that were deployed for the Ekiti State election.

    The second story was about the ease of doing business in Ghana. The story is that a foreign investor wanted to invest in any of the countries in West Africa, preferably the country that is first in the ease of doing business. After a study, Ghana came first and a team of professionals made up of 80% Nigerians were deployed to the country to prepare the start up. The interesting story, was that within one week, a land was located, purchased and registered. According to the source, the equivalent of what we call Certificate of Occupancy or Governor’s Consent here, took two days to obtain.

    Furthermore, any attempt to offer any form of gratification to the state actors were always rebuffed with the officials quietly telling them that they are civil servants merely doing their job. The source, also told the story of a friend taking off from a location about 80 kilometres away from his hotel, close to midnight, to pay him a visit. The visitor at about 3 am, called a taxi, and took off again back to base. When he expressed worry about the possibility of an armed robbery attack on the way, he was reminded that he was not in Nigeria were insecurity is the order.

    As the 2019 general election campaigns get underway, the choices appear frightening. As I write, there is nothing to show that those who want to return to power or those who want to wrestle power from the incumbents have any clear agenda to make Nigeria the champion in any area of life. Most of them are jostling to get power just for the sake of it. As is evident, the governments we have elected at the centre since 1999 all came into office, unprepared.  With enormous energy expended to gain primary nomination and even more resources to win the election, winners come into power to plunder, throughout their tenure.

    The patriotic call for the restructuring of the country has been drown in the cacophony of challenges. While the citizens have been reduced to beggarly life, most of the states across the country are so distressed that their chief executives are running from pillar to post for the most basic essence of government- the provision of security. In such state of anomie, surviving becomes the real challenge, not raising champions in a world full of competitors.

  • Cowbellpedia champions woo pupils

    Cowbellpedia champions woo pupils

    • 2018 Competition opens

    Winners of the 2017 edition of the Cowbellpedia Secondary Schools Mathematics TV Quiz show, Munachi Ernest Eze and Jesse Uche-Nwichi have challenged secondary school pupils to put in their best to win the 2018 edition which opened for registration last week.

    The duo was at the Sheraton Hotel, Lagos with the top management of Promasidor Nigeria Limited to announce the opening of the contest.

    They shared their experience winning the competition and how it had helped them.

    Jesse, a pupil of Graceland Secondary School, Port Harcourt, who won the junior category, said the trip to Kenya with his teacher, which was part of his reward, helped him to make up his mind about his future career.

    “I was thinking of software Engineering. That visit to a technology organisation in Kenya encouraged me in it,” he said.

    Munachi, on his part, who won the senior category and also set the record as the first pupil to win both the junior and senior categories of the competition, said the floor was open for any other pupil to achieve what he achieved last year.

    “In 2015, I was a proud national champion of Cowbellpedia and in 2017 I became the champion of champions. Anybody can achieve what I achieved with determination and with the help of God,” said Munachi, a pupil of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja.

    Promasidor Nigeria Limited Managing Director, Mr. Anders Einarsson, said this year’s edition is special because it is 20th anniversary.

    To this end, the company increased the prize money by 100 per cent.  So, the winners of each category will get N2million instead of N1 million.

    The winners will still get their all-expense paid trip to a country in Africa with the new prize money.

    First runners up will now get N1.5million as against N750,000 they won in the past, while the second runners up will get N1million.

    The prize money for the teachers of the top three winners has also changed.  The first will get N500,000; while the second and third will get N400,000 and N300,000.

    Apart from the TV Quiz Show, Einarsson said the competition has also spurned Cowbellpedia Radio (a Mathematics class on radio), Cowbellpedia Mobile App (Mathematics Q&A mobile application) and the Cowbellpedia Compendium – solved questions from past competitions for each category.

    “These platforms have been able to arouse and re-awaken the interest of students in Mathematics at the secondary school level and further reinforced the importance of the subject,” he said.

    Einarsson also said each co-educational school is expected to include two girls as part of their contigent for the competition.

    “This is our own little way of encouraging the girl child to take interest in education especially the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses,” he said.

    Abiodun Ayodeji, Promasidor’s Marketing Manager, said Registration for the stage one of the mathematics competition, which will be a written examination, is ongoing online until February 11, 2018.  The first stage will be written all over the country on February 17, 2018.

    In his remarks, Dr Ikechukwu Anyanwu, Director of Quality Assurance, represented the Registrar of National Examinations Council (NECO), praised Promasidor for the initiative, which he said has been of tremendous benefits to Mathematics education in Nigeria.

     

  • Real Madrid are La Liga champions

    Real Madrid are La Liga champions

    Real Madrid have won their 33rd La Liga title, and their first since the 2011-12 season, after recording a 2-0 win over Malaga in Sunday night’s decisive fixture at La Rosaleda.

    Los Blancos knew that a point would be enough to take the title away from Barcelona, but a defeat would open the door for the Catalan giants to retain the title at the final moment.

    Meanwhile, Barcelona spectacularly came from two goals behind to beat Eibar 4-2 on home soil, Real Madrid’s two-goal victory ultimately saw them finish three points clear at the top of La Liga.

    It took Real Madrid less than two minutes to make the breakthrough with Ronaldo racing onto an excellent through pass from Isco before rounding Carlos Kameni and finding the back of the net.

    Five minutes after the away side had opened the scoring, Barcelona, needing to win to stand any chance of landing the title, fell behind at home to Eibar courtesy of an effort from Takashi Inui.

    Malaga had a half-chance to level the scores in the 12th minute when Jony found space in the final third before striking towards goal, but his effort was always moving away from Keylor Navas’s post. Former Barcelona forward Sandro was next to try his luck, bringing a decent stop from Real Madrid’s Costa Rican goalkeeper.

    Benzema came close to scoring a second for the visitors in what was an open first 20 minutes, but the Frenchman’s close-range effort was deflected wide of the post.

    Sandro thought that he had levelled in the 21st minute when his dipping free kick headed for the top corner, but Navas flew across his goal to make a wonderful save, injuring himself in the process after colliding with the post.

    Neither team really had control of the contest as the first period approached its final 15 minutes, with Sandro threatening for Malaga, and Ronaldo causing problems in a central position down the other end of the field.

    Indeed, Ronaldo came close to sending Real Madrid 2-0 ahead 10 minutes before the break after meeting a cross from Benzema, but the Portuguese could not find a route past Kameni from close range, with the Cameroon international dropping low to deny the forward a second goal.

    Kameni was again called into action late in the first period to keep out a long-range strike from Kroos, but Malaga remained a serious threat down the other end, with Sandro hitting the crossbar in the 38th minute, before Keko headed just wide of the post moments later.

  • Kalu champions Buhari’s agric policy

    Kalu champions Buhari’s agric policy

    President Muhammadu Buhari has found a worthy ally and voice in former governor of Abia State Orji Uzor Kalu. On his 57th birthday, Chief Kalu stepped away from his Abuja mansion, even shunned his comfortable country home, choosing his two hectares farm to eat his birthday cake. At the farm, his aides and well-heeled friends were nowhere in sight, only his farm workers.

    It was just the way the former governor liked it. It was probably also the way Mr President liked it.

    Taking office as president two years ago, the commander-in-chief stressed the need for Nigerians to return to the farm, arguing that for the country to overcome its dependence on crude oil the clear path to follow is agriculture.

    While many Nigerians were still dragging their feet, the former governor and successful businessmen and stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has heeded the President’s call.

    Kalu did not only drive the farm tractor to till the land, he equally joined his farm workers to cut and plant cassava stems in the ridges. He inspected other activities on the farm.

    Spending the day on the farm with their boss was not enough for the farm workers, who also pleaded with him to join them in cutting a beautiful cake they made for him.

    Kalu, who for over 20 years have refused to celebrate his birthday in any form, was filled with emotion seeing the love shown to him by people on his payroll. He obliged them to cut the birthday cake.

    The former governor was later joined on the farm by some of his associates who had gone to his Camp Neya house and on learning that he was at the farm, came over to identify with him.

    Speaking to newsmen after inspecting ongoing work at the farm, Kalu said that he decided to mark his birthday in the farm with his workers as a way of heeding the call by President Buhari for Nigerians to go back to the farm not to only produce enough food for the people, but also to boost the nation’s economy.

    According to Kalu, over the years he had never celebrated his birthday openly but decided to do that this year in the farm to encourage Nigerians to go back to the land.

    He said that time had passed when farming was left only in the hands of peasant farmers who he said lacked both the financial capability and the technical knowhow to produce enough to feed the nation, not to talk of exporting.

    “Time has passed when farming was left in the hands of those with little or no knowledge about farming. I live in Abuja and also have so many businesses across the globe. But because of the seriousness I attach to farming, I decided to come home to farm. The rich and those that have the professional training should join in the campaign in ensuring that there is abundance of food in the country.”

    He disclosed that he would be planting cassava only at his over two hectares farmland at Okafia Igbere while another two hectares of land at Ugwueke would be used to plant palm seedlings.

    Kalu, who has keen interest in taking the youths off the streets through gainful employment, said that he was optimistic that the two farms would also create jobs for many youths in Bende Local Government Area and the state.

    He urged the well-to-do and those with the technical knowhow in the country to heed the call of the President.

     

  • Rivers United are Super Four champions

    Rivers United are Super Four champions

    • The Pride of Rivers pip Flying Antelopes to title

    Rivers United have been crowned the 2016 NPFL Super Four champions after Enugu Rangers and FC Ifeanyiubah could only settle for a draw yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.

    The Pride of Rivers ended the tournament with six points while Enugu Rangers finished with five points but were unbeaten in three matches.

    The Flying Antelopes drew first blood in the 49th minute through Godwin Aguda but the Anambra Warriors equalised in the 67th minute through Wasiu Jimoh, who capitalised on a defensive mix up to level the tie for the Nnewi side.

    The Anambra Warriors made eight changes to their starting 11 with only goalkeeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Stephen Eze and Jimoh Oni surviving the massive purge to the playing personnel used by the Anambra Warriors to face Enugu Rangers in their last match of the NPFL Super Four in Enugu while the Flying Antelopes too named equally a changed side to the one that drew with Wikki Tourists on Friday.

    The Nnewi side lost their opening two matches against Wikki Tourists and Rivers United and in their desperation to avoid a third consecutive loss they recalled most of their players that didn’t travel for the trip to Enugu because they reported late for pre-season.

    Wasiu Jimoh, Tamen Medrano, Kojo Baaah and others made their first starts in the 2016 NPFL Super Four as a result of the purge which also claimed the head coach, Kenichi Yatsuhashi’s job.

    The first half was keenly contested and the newly introduced players made Enugu Rangers sweat for every ball while FC Ifeanyiubah goalkeeper, Ezenwa was more busy making series of point blank saves to deny the Flying Antelopes who needed a win to be crowned the Super Four kings.

  • Wikki still hope to be champions, says Maikaba

    Wikki still hope to be champions, says Maikaba

    Wikki Tourists coach, Abdu Maikaba has insisted his club will still be gunning for the Nigeria league crown despite recent losses pushed them down to fourth on the table.

    “It will be totally out of place for Rivers United to think they could come to Bauchi to pick any points,” said Maikaba.

    “It will be tough to beat Rivers United, but if you wish to be a champion, you must scale the hurdles in front of you. I have told my players that to win the league we must have the attitude of champions.

    “We almost got all three points at Nasarawa United, which would have improved our chances of winning the league for the first time. But all hope is not lost because we can’t afford what happened to us last season to repeat itself,” Maikaba said.

    Last season, Wikki were pipped to continental football by Nasarawa on goals difference after both clubs finished on the same number of points.

    After Rivers United this weekend, they will play away at Shooting Stars before they wrap up their campaign at home to Sunshine Stars.

  • Pupils urged to be ’Goal’ champions

    A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Youth Empowerment Foundation (YEF), has trained teenage girls aged 10-16 on life skills needed to be role models.

    Executive Secretary of the NGO, Mrs Iwalola Akin-Jimoh, said the exercise is a continuous process, called ‘Goal’, where secondary school girls are taught self-confidence, boldness, self-esteem, to shun negativity and mentor their peers.

    She said the trainees are called goal champions after one year of training and are expected to have other peer receivers from their neighbourhoods, schools and the society, whom they are mentoring to be goal champions.

    Mrs Akin-Jimoh spoke during an inspection of the project by its sponsors, Standard Chartered Bank, at Akoka Junior Secondary School.

    She said: “We teach you to be yourself no matter who you are. We have the health sessions that discuss malaria, HIV/AIDS, among others. There is also the ‘Be empowered’ section where they are taught about their environment, sexual abuse, domestic violence; the rights are also taught but in line with the responsibilities of the child. Then there is the money savvy session through which we train the girls to save, invest no matter how little they earn, among others.”

    She described the programme as a corporate social responsibility project of the bank, with a view to exposing teenage girls in developing countries to opportunities to make them useful in life.

    Global head, Public Affairs and Sustainability Unit of the bank, Mr Shastry Vasuki, described the project as an amazing journey that has touched over 60, 000 lives in Africa.

    He said: “We operate in over 70 countries and we want to ensure that we contribute in every community we are. We work with local NGOs to give teenage girls an opportunity through sports and education. We expose them to opportunities of life so that when they go out there, they are useful to themselves and the society. We want them to know that they have tremendous potential and can be as good as any male in the country.”

    Head, corporate affairs, brand and marketing, West Africa, Dayo Aderugbo explained the girls’ transition process from timid to outspoken.

    “When we started, most of them had no sense of confidence. We have taken them through the courses which have boosted their confidence and improved their intelligence. Their parents’ testimonies on the changes in their lives have been pouring in. They even now mentor other girls. We follow them up and we have contact persons in each of their schools and we also engage their parents,” she said.

    The girls also demonstrated team spirit and confidence in a sports competition and at the feedback session of the programme.

     

  • Rangers back on top after holding champions Enyimba

    Rangers back on top after holding champions Enyimba

    Rangers are back on top of the Nigeria league table after they forced a 1-1 draw in the ‘Oriental Derby’ against champions Enyimba.

    Rangers are now top of the table with 48 points from 28 matches, a point ahead of Wikki Tourists, who lost their leadership after they lost 3-0 at Akwa United, also on Sunday.

    Striker Stephen Chukwude gave Enyimba the lead in the 45th minute when he fired home a low, left-footed shot beyond goalkeeper Itodo Akor off an assist by Joseph Osadiaye.

    However, moments later Rangers restored parity through Godwin Aguda with a cut-back from Bobby Clement.

    In other matches, Lobi hammered Warri Wolves 3-0, Plateau upstaged hosts MFM 1-0 and Niger Tornadoes stopped Abia Warriors 2-1.

    IfeanyiUbah extended their unbeaten run to 10 matches after they defeated Kano Pillars 2-1, while the match between Rivers United and Ikorodu United was shifted after the Port Harcourt club were involved in a road accident.

  • Pillars can still be champions – Babaganaru

    Pillars can still be champions – Babaganaru

    Kano Pillars coach, Mohammed Babaganaru has said his team could still be Nigeria league champions after they trounced Lobi Stars 3-0 on Sunday with star midfielder Rabiu Ali, the Man of the Match.

    “The league is still very much open with 11 rounds of matches and I still believe my boys can be champions,” said Babaganaru.

    “Anything could still happen in this league.

    “The fans just have to be more patient and we will make them proud at the end of the season.”

    Pillars are fourth on the league table with 39 points, four points behind leaders, Wikki Tourists.

    Adamu Mohammed opened scoring for Pillars in the second minute, before Rabiu Ali made it 2-0 on 33 minutes and Jamiu Alimi sealed the big home win with his first goal for the club in the 73rd minute.

    Goalkeeper David Obiozor ensured he kept a clean sheet when he stopped a Tony Opotu penalty in the 83rd minute.

    Rabiu Ali dedicated his Man of the Match award to the fans, saying it is a belated Sallah gift to them.

  • Lagos champions ‘green economy’ campaign

    Lagos champions ‘green economy’ campaign

    The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Samuel Adejare, has called for the integration of tree planting and other environmentally-friendly mechanisms into national policy to enhance development.

    He made the call at the third annual forum and seminar of the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARKS) held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Lagos State, on Tuesday.

    Adejare said the seminar was a forum to educate, inform and exchange ideas by the public and policymakers on how best to integrate tree planting into the national economy for sustainable development.

    He said when tree planting is integrated into the national economy, the benefits would be fundamental to militating against the adverse effects of global warming and its attendant climate change impacts. It will also reduce poverty level through job creation and gainful engagement of youths; ensure production of food and other essential goods; ensure sustainability of agricultural production for export; ensure availability of woods, furniture and other allied products; and ensure environmental sustainability and improved socio-cultural value of greening.

    Adejare stressed the state’s commitment to protecting the environment for the present and future generation through its pace setting programmes and actions, including the ‘Operation Green Initiative’, which has been lauded locally and internationally. He encouraged Nigerians to embrace good policy framework as regards tree planting, public awareness campaign and positive attitude toward all the ,state’s greening programmes.

    He noted that despite challenges that may be encountered, regenerating the environment can only be done through collaborative efforts of the government and the private sector.

    In this regard, he called on non-governmental organisations (NGOs), private organisations and government to partner to develop the state through holistic tree planting programmes and creating a green national economy.

    The General Manager of LASPARK, Mrs Abimbola Jijoho-Ogun, said from a recent survey conducted by the agency, Lagos State citizens have called for the planting of more trees in the state.

    Stating the benefits of tree-planting, she said: “It has been long established that trees absorb pollutants in our cities with measurable benefits to people’s health such as reducing asthma levels. Yet, trees also deliver a host of other extra ordinary economic and social benefits as source of foods, medicine and shelter for all.”

    She said more empirical studies have shown that employees are more productive and have greater sense of job satisfaction in an environment adorned with trees. Also, she further said, trees have the potential to increase economic wellbeing of the people with properties and values boosted by their presence.

    Jijoho-Ogun decried the population’s negative attitude to trees, saying fears over safety or disturbances to foundations and properties, which lead to felling of such trees, rather than its integration, were unfounded.

    “The development of the space in which we live and work represents an opportunity for change that may not be repeated for many years. Making the right decision at this pivotal moment can influence peoples’ sense of place, health and wellbeing for generations,” she said.

    The LASPARK boss encouraged Nigerians to think positively about trees and to become advocates for greening and beautiful environment.

    Prof Musiliu Onilude of the department of agriculture, University of Ibadan and Dr Julius Agboola, an environmental scientist, were major speakers at the seminar.