The Nation Newspaper

Tag: face

  • Nigeria face Senegal in AYC final

    Nigeria face Senegal in AYC final

    Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will confront Junior Teranga Lions of Senegal in the final of the Africa Youth Championship holding in Senegal on Sunday.

    Senegal picked the ticket following its 2-1 win of Mali in Thursday’s second semi-final clash at the Stade Leopard Sedar Senghor in Dakar.

    Incidentally it was Mali’s Diallo who struck first in the second minute but the goal was levelled two minutes later by Musa Kone. Kone added the second in the 80th minute.

    This will be the second meeting of both teams in this competition as they clashed in the opening round with Nigeria winning 3-1.

  • Obiano and changing face of Anambra

    SIR: The end may have come for the dismal look cities of Awka and Onitsha. Both cities suffered near total neglect in the past, and were almost given up for abandoned. Neither the administrative status of Awka nor the commercial strength of Onitsha could earn them gubernatorial attention. Past governments seemed obsessed with other aspects of governance to bother with their rustic state. An out of humour critic of those administrations once called Awka a bucolic town, mismanaged by a line of do-nothing governors who wished to change its looks by standing still.

    The decrepit infrastructure was not helped by the fractious nature of her politics. Needless to retell the dreary story here, but suffice it to say that it conspired with the failed infrastructure to rob the state a measure of respect in the comity of other states. It is important to mention that the lacuna in infrastructural development was not because the state could not stump up bills in transforming itself, but more for the lack of vision and political will by past governments to do so. The poor state of infrastructure inevitably encumbered development in other areas. In time, the condition conduced to criminal activities rather than stave it. The burgeoning commercial activities of Onitsha very easily exposed her to tidal surges in criminality. Awka, the state capital, held no better promise as it lacked the enablers for transformation and stifled growth in social interaction. Both repelled rather than attracted visitors. Investors whose activities should have given impetus to genuine development, nibbled at the thought of coming to the state. Those who did refused to take up residence in it. Perhaps only fly-by-night contractors and wheeler-dealer business men could brave the odds. To that extent, even a particular class of her citizens prefers to work in Awka from the comfort of either Enugu or Asaba.

    The Obiano government has, since debouching on the political stage, kept its nose to the grindstone to change the old order. Today Awka, the state capital, billows in dust of reconstruction. The decrepit infrastructure is now caving in to the menacing strides of the contractor’s bulldozers. By the time the dust settles, three flyovers at Arroma, Kwatta, and Amawbia bypass would stand firm to mark Awka distinctly out. This is a precursor to building an entirely new capital city in the ancient smithy town. The huge constructions (the flyovers), though a prerogative of the federal government, when completed, will achieve two things. First, it will decongest the town and allow for free flow of traffic that is fast forming a tailback at these junctions. Secondly, it will enliven Awka and make it attractive for residents. No longer will the state capital be passed unnoticed as was earlier the case. Already a body (Awka Capital Development Authority) has been constituted and charged with drawing up a befitting capital for the state. It was also instructed to be as eclectic as possible in harnessing ideas in order to give the state one of the best. Nothing could be more compensatory, given the wasted years.

    It may not be presumptuous to say that before four years of this administration Awka, and indeed the state, will be greatly transformed.

     

    • Ejike Anyaduba

    Abatete, Anambra State

  • Lobi Stars face selection headache

    Lobi Stars face selection headache

    •Ihuarulam set for debut

    Lobi Stars Team Manager, Barnabas Imenger has admitted that the team is facing selection problem ahead of today’s Week 26 Glo Premier League clash against El Kanemi.

    Imenger told SportingLife that  his players are fit for the game, stressing that all the players on the injury list are fit.

    He said Uche Ihuarulam, who joined the team during the mid-transfer season with injury, will make his league debut for the club today. Ismaila Tunde and John Colin are also available for selection.

    The Markurdi-based side currently occupy ninth position on the log with 37 points in 25 matches played so far.

    “All the players are fit and ready for the El Kanemi game. They are in top form. We know what to do. All our injured players are back and the competition for position is farce now. Ihuarulam is back and he is going to start against El Kanemi. We have selection problem but we know what to do. What is important is the three points in today’s game,” Imenger told SportingLife.

    Meanwhile, players and officials of El-Kanemi of Maiduguri arrived in Katsina-Ala on Monday for their match against Lobi stars.

    The Team Coordinator Jonathan Sunday said the players and officials have been motivated for the match, adding that the match is not a do die.

    “We are going to play Lobi Stars just the way we have been playing other matches. I want to inform both fans of Lobi and El-Kanemi are one family,” Sunday said.

  • CAF Confederation Cup: Wolves face CA Bizertin after ousting Union Douala

    CAF Confederation Cup: Wolves face CA Bizertin after ousting Union Douala

    Warri Wolves will face CA Bizertin of Tunisia in the second round of the CAF Confederation Cup after they eliminated Cameroon’s Union Douala.

    Wolves drew 1-1 with Union Douala at home Saturday to advance to the next round of the competition 4-3 on aggregate after they won the first leg 3-2 in Cameroon.

    Musa Najare, who scored in Cameroon, tucked away the match winner from the penalty spot on 55 minutes after Etebo Oghenekaro was brought down inside the box.

    Visiting Union Douala drew level in the 90th minute also through a penalty converted by Djan Tchan Christian.

    The first half at the Warri City Stadium was evenly balanced as both sides went at each other.

  • Bayelsa Utd face How Mine in second round

    Bayelsa Utd face How Mine in second round

    Bayelsa United will face Zimbabwean side, How Mine FC after the Bulawayo club eliminated St. Michel United of the Seychelles 6-0 on aggregate.

    Head coach of United, Richard Bubagha reflected on Saturday’s win against Kondzo and also looked ahead to the tie against How Mine when approached by supersport.com.

    “The win (on Saturday against Kondzo) was not easy because we had to fight hard and dig deep.

    “Now we have qualified, we have to do our home work against the team we will meet next,” he said.

    Bayelsa United will travel to the 20,000 capacity Luveve Stadium, Bulawayo for the first leg of the second round tie on the weekend of March 21 and 23 before welcoming the Southern Africans to Sapele for the return fixture on the weekend of March 20 and 30.

    The Yenagoa side reached the semifinals of the Confederation Cup in their only appearance in the competition in 2009.

  • CAF EXCLUSIVE: Rangers face axe over Daniel’s eligibility

    CAF EXCLUSIVE: Rangers face axe over Daniel’s eligibility

    Enugu Rangers’ clumsy transfer policy this season may have finally caught up with them following revelations that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has stepped up its investigation of Emmanuel Daniel’s eligibility for the CAF Confederation Cup.

    The CAF has written to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) requesting Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) of Ibadan to confirm if goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel was indeed released to the Flying Antelopes at the expiration of his contract with the Oluyole Warriors in accordance with the rules governing the players’ registration for the competition, failure of which may signal the end of Rangers in the CAF Confederation Cup.

    In a letter dated 22nd June 2013 addressed to the Secretary General of the NFF, Mr. Amadu Musa, tagged Urgent and Important, and a copy of which was exclusively obtained by SportingLife, CAF Secretary-General, Mr. Hitcham El Amrani requested the NFF to furnish it with full clarification on Emmanuel Daniel’s status.

    According to the letter from the CAF secretariat in Cairo, the continent soccer ruling body had written to the NFF following protest received from Club Sportif (CS) Sfaxien of Tunisia on the eligibility of Emmanuel Daniel who featured for Rangers during match no 90 of the CAF Confederation Cup in Tunis to confirm the status of the player. Rangers beat CS Sfaxien 1-0 aggregate to qualify to the group stage of the competition.

    It was gathered that contrary to the rules and regulations of players transfer in NFF and CAF, the NFF confirmed Emmanuel Daniel as a player of Rangers and even backed it up with documents.

    The NFF, however, met a brick wall when CAF wrote another letter requesting for a letter or document showing that 3SC has actually released Emmanuel Daniel as claimed by NFF.

    The letter reads in part, “Reference is made to our letter dated June 9th 2013, in reference to the above and following the documents received from NFF June 13th 2013 concerning the protest received from CSS of Tunisia about the qualification of the player Daniel Emmanuel of Rangers during match no 90: CSS vs Rangers in the frame of the 2nd 1/8th final of the Confederation Cup CC 2013

    “You are kindly requested to ask the Club Shooting Stars Club to provide CAF with a full clarification concerning the former status of Mr. Emmanuel Daniel with Shooting Stars and to confirm the exact length of the contract made with him(i.e. from the moment he joined them till he left them and moved to Enugu Rangers)”

    CAF stated that while it received documents on the registration of Daniel as a Rangers player there was none that include the release of the player by Shooting Stars to Rangers in accordance with normal transfer policy.

    “The reason we are asking this important information is that, while the documents received from NFF were clearly understood, please note that in your documentation there was never any mention of an agreement reached between Enugu Rangers and Shooting Stars, and we did not receive also any correspondence (s) from Shooting Stars that indeed they released their player after expiration of the contract from January to December 31st 2012”.

    “Please respond to the request by June 25, 2013 at the latest in order to provide us with any further supporting documents. However, failure to provide the said documents will not prevent CAF from submitting the case of the said player to the competent committee for final decision.” the letter concluded.

    El Amrani confirmed that the matter will be dealt with in accordance with the CAF rules and regulation of the Competition referring to Article 25 and 26 guiding the conduct of the competition. When contacted, Shooting Stars officials declined comment but confirmed that they actually received a letter from CAF through the NFF.

    The club has however in recent time maintained that Emmanuel Daniel remains their player and he will still rejoin the Ibadan-based club. The club confirmed that they have written twice in the past to both the League Management Committee (LMC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on the illegal way Rangers acquired Emmanuel Daniel while also protesting the illegal way he was registered by the LMC.

    With the latest development it is almost sure that Rangers will be thrown out of the CAF Confederation Cup if found guilty meaning all they would have wasted time and money prosecuting this competition.

    The matter is not expected to end that way as several clubs against whom Rangers fielded Emmanuel Daniel may also protest his eligibility, meaning that the Flying Antelopes will forfeit all the points.

    Rangers have been locked in several transfer battles this season including the case of Chigoze Agbim and Sunday Mba involving the club and Warri Wolves.

    All efforts to reach the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) before going to press for their reaction proved abortive.

    CAF, however, in response to an E-mail sent to the Secretary-General, Hicham El Amrani confirmed receiving a protest from CSS of Tunisia and the two letters subsequently written to the NFF on the subject matter.

    The CAF decision will no doubt go a long way in resolving the transfer logjam especially with the NFF and LMC silent on the issue.

  • 44 UniUyo students face murder charge

    Forty-four students have been charged with murder and arson, following the June 12 protest which rocked the University of Uyo (UniUyo), Akwa Ibom State.

    The students were brought to court by the police in eight Hilux Pick-Up vans amid tight security.

    The students appeared before Magistrate Lawrence Udonwa on a five-count charge of arson and murder.

    Magistrate Udonwa held that since the case involved murder and arson, the police should not have brought the suspects to his court.

    He held that the law upon which the police acted was obsolete and out-dated.

    The magistrate, however,  ordered that the case be transferred to the High Court in Uyo.

    The parents of most of the students were in the court. Most of them accused the police of not arresting the real perpetrators of the crime.

    One of the mothers of the suspects told The Nation that her son was arrested while packing his luggage to leave the hostel.

    The June 12 peaceful protest turned violent when police applied minimum force to end the riot.

    The police threw several tear-gas canisters and shot sporadically to disperse the rioters.

    A 200-level Zoology student, Kingsley Umoette, died.

    After Umoette’s death, property worth millions of naira were destroyed by the protesting students.

    Besides the school properties destroyed, individual properties were not spared.

    The students and the police have been trading words over what led to the death.

    A member of the Students’ Union Government, who pleaded not to be named, said a security agent shot the student.

    He said the killing angered the students who set ablaze the Vice Chancellor’s Office, Deputy Vice Chancellor’s Office (Academic) and Records Office.

    Twelve vehicles, some of them owned by the university, were destroyed.

    But the police said they could not explain what killed Umoette because his body was brought from the campus to the road where the police stood by the students during the protest.

    Police spokesman Etim Dickson said: “You know we cannot enter the campus; we have to be outside.

    “It was the protesting students who brought the body to us on the road and it was collected from them.

    “The mother of the deceased has come to us. She made a statement. The cause of the death we don’t know yet.

    “What killed the boy from inside the school we don’t know?

    “Also, about 45 other students coming from various institutions were arrested. Some of them came from Bida Polytechnic and we also have some from Madonna University.

    “They only dropped the body on the road because they said they wanted to carry the body to the Government House and we told them ‘no; it is not their duty and we collected the body from them.”

  • Spidery legs beneath bold face

    RECALL last week’s speech on my speculation of a university lecturer as the new Managing Director of the apex film agency, the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC). The prediction happens to be just correct. And what we thought could just be a fiction to play around with, like in Nollywood flicks, is indeed a reality- the bitter reality of possibilities outside decorum that has been tagged the Nigerian factor the selfish reality of mankind, that makes a religious person pray and fast for divine favour; unmerited favour, which by extension is reaping where one did not sow.

    Dr. Danjuma Wurim Dadu, has resumed office as honcho of NFC, ordering a full media coverage for his arrival. Of course he got all of that and perhaps more. Who dared to stop him? Even if he was not ‘appointed’ by God, he was not disappointed by the ‘ogas at the top’ whose words are law. He got a letter for his new appointment from the office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF). It does not matter whether the Minister of Information, under whose ministry the film industry is tucked, likes the idea or not. I hear Labaran Maku didn’t like the idea, but this is a matter of interest for the Presidency. Dadu resumes, and if he developed spidery legs, knowing his new appointment has been largely criticized, it did not show in his battle-ready face.

    I’d actually thought that the filmmakers would take consolation in the fact that, George Lucas, a revered name in the film industry today and creator of Star Wars movies started out as a race-car driver, and others like him. I thought they would consider the creativity endowed in human beings and wouldn’t rule out Danjuma completely. I thought they would try to ‘manage’ the new helmsman and help him to ‘cope’ with his new assignment, as long as he has technocrats in the agency, but they insist the law must be followed. They say that the Film Act stipulates that only a practitioner is eligible to head the film corporation.

    Hmmmm. I don’t know how many people know about this Act. If this is true, then this appointment is an ‘act in error’. If the new NFC man got here only by earning a PhD and teaching a Building Course at the university for two years, then the law has been slapped in the face. Whoever reminded the Nollywood stakeholders of this Act is the reason a new agitation is brewing.

    I read the early protest sent by some Nollywood filmmakers and nothing about the Act was mentioned. Government, be it military or civilian hardly go back on their words and you don’t make them do that by expressing mere sentiment. That was what the earlier petition was all about. Now, somebody is trying to ‘exhume’ Efere Ozako from the grave to help fight this anomaly. But is there anything to fight? If so, is it going to be fought by the same Nollywood people who are divided over little things?

    On a serious note, government cannot make a caricature of this process. Oga Dadu must have been a quiet film practitioner, and we all may just be crying wolf where there is none. It is not impossible that between the time he graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and 2010 when he became a lecturer in the same school, he could have been practicing film. Don’t you think?

    But should it turn out that those unknown years about the new man were not for film or television business, the filmmakers can go to court as some of them are already planning, but as we all know, judgment is slow. Would we rather he continues to deliver the much he can by learning in the process or for his position to be dragged into a litigation that will unsettle the agency for God-knows how long.

    However, if like I stated here last week, we choose to be beaten by the choice of ‘ogas at the top’, we can only hope and pray, that Oga Dadu will turn out to be that unassuming messiah that the film industry needs, irrespective of his inexplicable transition from ‘building’ profession to the art, business and politics of filmmaking. One of the prayer points must also be that God should make him a fast and smart learner, a listening leader and charismatic person, who will be good at steering the ship of existing technocrats.

  • The changing face of the Southsouth creeks

    The changing face of the Southsouth creeks

    In executing its mandate, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has continued to deliver on projects to states under its purview. These projects range from roads to hospitals and ultra-modern hostels for higher institutions.

    Some of these projects were inspected recently by the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on NDDC in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Imo, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.

    The Senate toured Abia, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, the House visited the other five states.

    Touring five states in four days was hectic for the lawmakers, but they took it in their strides. Their Chairman Nicholas Mutu said their findings after inspecting the projects were revealing. “We now appreciate the need to commit more funds to the rapid development of the oil-rich region. What we have seen convinces us that the NDDC is making tremendous impact on the lives of the people. We will, therefore, urge the Federal Government to give the commission the financial muscle to be able to handle more big ticket projects,” Mutu said.

    He said the Niger Delta terrain was a big challenge to development agencies, noting that this made it difficult and expensive to execute projects in the region. He added that the long rainy season in the area affects the delivery time for projects. “We commend the NDDC for working against these odds and still delivering on its mandate of fast-tracking the development of the Niger Delta. In the light of this, we call on the Federal Government to encourage the commission by releasing the over N500 billion it is owing in outstanding statutory allocations to it,” he said.

    At the site of some of the projects, poor funding dominated discussions among the lawmakers. For Chief Barry Mpigi, representing Tai/Eleme Federal Constituency in Rivers State, the funding problem goes beyond the outstanding arrears of N500 billion. He advocated the swift passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to provide another source of funding for the development of oil-producing communities.

    The lawmakers inspected nine road projects including the 23.7kilometre Owaza-Etche-Igwuruta Road and the 18.9 kilometre Erema Ring Road in Ogba/Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area of the state. They also visited the Koko-Ugheaye-Escravos Road, which will link Delta to Ondo State, with six bridges; the 28-kilometre Patani-Angoloma Road in Delta State and the Sampou-Odoni Road in Bayelsa State.

    In Imo State, they inspected the 17-kilometre Ishinweke-Onicha River Road in Ihite Ubuma Local Government Area and the 18-kilometre Obokofia internal roads in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area. But the project that caught their attention was the Imo State University hostel, which was being painted. They, however, expressed displeasure with the handling of a similar project at the University of Benin in Edo State. The lawmakers were disappointed with what they saw and they told the contractor to sit up or face sanctions. They sought to know from NDDC Managing Director Dr Christian Oboh why the contractor was not living up to expectations. He told the lawmakers that he did not understand why the contractor failed to deliver on agreed milestones after he had been mobilised.

    Oboh said the project was one of those placed on fast-track by the commission to ensure that they were completed as quickly as possible, adding that some other projects on priority list had been completed and would be commissioned soon.

    One of such projects is the Ewohime-Onicha Ugbo-Abudu Road linking Delta and Edo states. The lawmakers who drove on the road and bridge were satisfied with the quality of job done. Oboh was delighted that an indigenous contractor, Inter Bau, could put up a Grade A performance.

    Another project that will be ready for commissioning soon is the Iko-Atabrikang-Opolom-Iwuo Achang road with a 600-metre bridge across the Qua Iboe River. The project links Iwuo Achang mainland to Okoroutip, a community of 13 villages, bringing civilisation to the riverine areas which were hitherto forgotten. It is the longest bridge being built by an indigenous contractor, Viche Nigeria Ltd, in the region.

    The project was also inspected by the Senate Committee. The committee chair, Senator James Manager, said: “We, the Senators are happy and we have seen that the communities around here are happy too. This is a landmark project and it is unique.”

    The committee inspected the Specialist and Orthopaedic Hospital being built by the NDDC in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. Justifying the need for the hospital, Oboh said: “The people need to be healthy to savour the benefits of good roads and bridges,” adding that it comprised orthopaedic and cardiovascular units. He said the project would be replicated in Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Delta states. “We want to reverse the trend of medical tourism in the Niger Delta. We want our people to begin to get their medical treatment from our specialist hospitals, instead of travelling overseas for their healthcare needs,” he said. And in his characteristic manner, Senator Manager intoned: “To God be the glory”, in appreciation of what the lawmakers saw.

  • Flying Eagles face Esperance, Tunisia U-20

    Flying Eagles face Esperance, Tunisia U-20

    Nigeria’s Flying Eagles will step up their preparations for the 2013 AYC with a series of matches against Esperance and Tunisia U20s.

    The African champions will face their Tunisia counterparts on Thursday at the Esperance training ground by 8pm. They will then battle Esperance on Sunday, March 3, by 3.30pm also at the same venue.

    There are also plans for the Flying Eagles to engage Esperance U20 and Club Africain before they depart for Algeria on March 14.

    Incidentally, Flying Eagles Group B opponents Gabon are also due in Tunisia for a training camp prior to the AYC. They will also play against Esperance as well as the Tunisia U20s.

    Meanwhile, team co-ordinator Chika Nwankwo has praised the facilities at the Esperance training ground where the Flying Eagles will train and also play their test matches.

    “It’s a top-class facility. It’s just 25 minutes drive from our hotel,” disclosed Nwankwo after they inspected the training ground Sunday morning.