The Nation Newspaper

Tag: hopes

  • Our pains and hopes

    On Monday September 26, I was at the Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola to declare a conference on Post-Conflict Peace Building and Reconstruction in the Lake Chad Basin open. The keynote Speaker was former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar. The Chief of Army Staff General Buratai was also present at the occasion.

    As I sat there listening to General Abdulsalami reel out harrowing statistics of lives wasted, property losses and infrastructure callously destroyed, I dropped a tear or two. But I had to put up a brave face because of my leadership role. But I am human. These statistics may be abstract to some people but they represent real tragedy for those of us directly affected.

    The figures were indeed frightening. Over 200,000 people killed, 2.4 million displaced living as refugees in other countries or IDPs in their country. Over 2000 abducted majority being female, several orphans created, 18,117 houses decapitated, 350 bridges blown, 22,099 schools, 1,205 public buildings and over 1,000 Worship Centres destroyed.

    These may just be numbers to some people. But to us they represent real people, friends, relations, associates and people we knew all our lives. It was two years ago that the marauding invaders took over my hometown of Mubi and renamed it “Madinatual-Islam”. During their unfortunate occupation of the town, people I had known all my life were killed. People I grew up with disappeared. Businesses I know including our family businesses were destroyed.

    As a Senator of the Federal Republic at that time, I saw development interventions brought to my constituency wantonly and callously destroyed. I saw men, women and children relocating from familiar environments to uncertainties. These tragedies are enough to push anyone to nostalgia. I nearly snapped on the high table. I felt all the anger and despair that pervaded the period of our occupation.

    The pains were real at that time and in retrospect, they are still real. But we are hopeful. Hopeful that there are now several voices calling for Peace Building and Reconstruction in a region bedeviled by Poverty and Social inequalities. Hopeful that we have a definite programme in place for Social and Physical Reconstruction. Hopeful that we have a President that believes in rebuilding our region. Hopeful that we have a gallant military that is committed and professional enough to degrade the insurgent and reclaim back our territory.

    Above all we are hopeful because our people have shown sufficient trust in us by voting for us massively to assume the leadership of the state; thus giving us an opportunity to play a leading role in the peace building and reconstruction process.

    Are we doing that? Certainly yes. Even at the risk of being a little bit immodest. We make bold to say we have truly taken some bold steps in the areas of peace-building and reconstruction. We have made tremendous efforts in physical reconstruction of our destroyed and dilapidated infrastructure. We have taken concrete steps to construct roads, rehabilitate destroyed schools, revamp our hospitals and indeed re-engineer productive activities in Agriculture and mining.

    In the area of peace building and social reconstruction, we have committed ourselves to building bridges of peace and unity within our state and among our people. We have designed policies and programmes that take a holistic view of social strife within our communities. It must be noted that we have other flash points in our state occasioned by communal clashes and the after-effects of natural disasters. We have those happenings into consideration as well.

    We have built enduring structures for peace and social harmony within our communities. Most people do not understand the anonymity of the task of ensuring social harmony in our state. Adamawa State has on record a total of 87 ethnic groups, each distinct in language and cultures.

    The two major religions of Islam and Christianity are almost balanced. In the Nigerian parlance, we will be said to have all the ingredients of social strife. But we have mercifully limited such occurrences and the magic is simple. We are building a system anchored on fairness and justice believing that peace is not just the absence of strife, but the presence of social justice. For us, “unity in diversity” is not just a slogan but an essential ingredient of governance.

    As we get out of the horrors of Boko Haram insurgency and it’s social effects on our communities, we must begin to appreciate the enormity of the challenges of peace building, social and physical reconstruction.

    We therefore support and appreciate the renewed focus on peace building and reconstruction in our region. We are indeed hopeful believing that from the ashes of our traumatic experiences a more prosperous society may emerge.

    We want to assure the Federal Government, our gallant fighting forces and the international community that our government is committed to partner in any efforts aimed at ensuring peaceful coexistence, engendering the economic wellbeing of our people and creating a conducive environment for productive engagement. This is our commitment and it is our resolve.

     

    • Senator Jibrilla (Bindow) is Governor of Adamawa State.

     

  • Emeteole hopes for El-Kanemi win against Sharks

    Emeteole hopes for El-Kanemi win against Sharks

    El-Kanemi Warriors FC head coach, Kelechi Emeteole has expressed hope of continuing with the team’s unbeaten momentum by picking maximum points when they host Sharks FC on Sunday in a Glo Premier League match day 32 fixture in Katsina.

    The Warriors have enjoyed a two-match unbeaten run including battling to a 1-1 draw last weekend against relegation-haunted FC Taraba in Jalingo.

    Emeteole popularly called ‘Caterpillar,’ told www.npfl.ng that the Borno state team must come up with their big game attitude if they are to win at home against a Sharks side battling relegation. He added that teams in the lower rung of the league are dangerous and very difficult to play as they come fighting for whatever they can get without fear or favour.

    ‘Caterpillar,’ who joined El-Kanemi two months ago on a rescue mission, said the team have what it takes to retain their Glo Premier League status considering the way they have gradually climbed away from the relegation zone despite an attitude of wilting away when playing teams in the lower half of the table only to rise to the occasion when faced with big teams.

    “Our match against Sharks of Port-Harcourt is another crucial match, forget the fact that they are in the struggling line. We don’t want to lose points because we don’t want to allow any team to overtake us.

    “I don’t think we would take them for granted, teams like these are very difficult to beat. Looking at the way we outplayed Enyimba in our last home game we ought not to be where we are. I’m hopeful that we would get a good result. I would work with what I have to ensure that we get the required result,” he said.

    Commenting on the draw against FC Taraba, Emeteole said: “We managed to get a point in our match against FC Taraba but I was still not happy because we did not play up to our expectation. We were giving away the ball and doing things very casually. Every department was faulty, the defence was relaxed, the attack were not biting, we would work on the whole team and put them on their toes.

    “I’m happy that Lobi Stars also drew their last match because they are the team closest to us. If they had won, they would have moved above us. But still we retained our position and if we continue picking results like this, we would survive relegation.”

  • Eweje sure of Shooting Stars hopes

    Eweje sure of Shooting Stars hopes

    Shooting Stars attacking midfielder Oladele Eweje has stated he is confident of the club’s survival in the domestic top flight.

    The Ibadan-based side, who are currently lying 19th on the log with just 4 points after 5 games in the Nigeria Professional Football League, are hoping to remain in the league next season after a poor start to this year’s campaign.

    The “Oluyole Warriors”, as they are popularly called by their fans, have been in good form in the last three matches – winning one, drawing one and losing one.

    Eweje believes they can survive in the league and rise to where they actually belong.

    “Looking at the League table, it is not stable. We have 33 games to go and everyone can go to relegation. So we are taking match after match and working very hard to stay in the league. And looking at the way things are going for us now I am confident we will survive in the league,” Eweje told SL10.

    “We are not looking at just fighting relegation, but our focus is on finishing at the top half at the end of the season.”

    The box-to-box midfielder was an integral member of the Shooting Stars team that gained promotion back to the top flight.

  • FIFA U-20 World Cup:Ezeh hopes to do better

    FIFA U-20 World Cup:Ezeh hopes to do better

    Flying Eagles forward Chidera Ezeh has said he is hoping to have a better World Cup when Nigeria participates at this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.

    The 17-year old had a rather underwhelming outing at the recently ended Africa Youth Championship, which Nigeria won in Senegal, and the youngster said he is hoping to do better in New Zealand.

    “The African championship was good because we won it but maybe I didn’t play up to my best,” he said. “But even if that the coaches encouraged me and I had to listen to them and not what other people were saying.

    “But I want to do better at the World Cup; better than I did in Senegal.”

    The FC Porto youngster also explained why he had such an underwhelming outing in Senegal.

    “I wasn’t feeling very well when we went to that championship but because we had suffered some injuries, I had to go and maybe it affected me a bit.

    “The good thing is we won the tournament and I am happy about that and I am now looking forward to the World Cup and I hope I can do better there,” he stated.

    Nigeria will play in group E of the U-20 World Cup, and will face Hungary, North Korea and Brazil.

  • Senators, Reps: Season of dashed hopes

    Senators, Reps: Season of dashed hopes

    Many senators and House of Representatives members will not return to the National Assembly when a new session is inuaugurated in June because they failed in their renomination bids. Others are running for governor. A few of them have also decided to step down honourably. MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE reports

    No condition is permanent. Many members of the National Assembly will not return to the chambers when a new legislative session is inaugurated in June.

    Some of them failed to secure their parties’ nomination after the primaries. The lawmakers fall into various categories. There are those who sought for governorship tickets in their states and lost out. A few of them were enjoined not to contest to pave way for others who have similar ambition. There are also those who failed to secure  tickets because they were swept off by intrigues. Some could not  meet the expectation of their constituencies. These lawmakers may not play a prominent role in shaping the destiny of the country this year and beyond.

     

    Odion Ugbesia

    Ugbesia is the Senate Vice Chairman, Committee on Commerce. He will not return to the House in 2015. The Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain represents Edo Central Senatorial District. He lost the PDP ticket to Mr. Clifford Ordia who polled 141 votes, while he got 62 votes. The political science graduate of the University of Illinois, United States of America and former lecturer at the University of Benin is one of the prominent faces that will be missing in the 8th Assembly. The incumbency factor failed to work in his favour for his third term bid.

    Similarly, Patrick Ikhariale and Friday Itulah of the PDP and members of the House of Representatives failed to pick their party nomination at the primaries. The lawmakers would be absent at the lower and upper chambers of the National Assembly when a fresh session commences.

     

    Uche Chukwumerije

    Senator Chukwumerije’s fourth term ambition in Abia North  District failed to scale through at the party primary. He was defeated by Hon. Mao Ohuabunwa, his kinsmen, who accused him of poor representation.  The former Minister of Information in the last lap of the General Ibrahim Babangida’s administration was elected to the Senate in 2003.

    The PDP chieftain would be remembered for his strong opposition to the third term agenda of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. This pitched him against the PDP leadership and he defected to the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) in 2006 to secure his seat. He later returned to the PDP.

     

    Victor Ndoma-Egba

    Ndoma-Egba was elected to the Senate in the 5th National Assembly to represent the Cross River Central  District. The Majority Leader of the House will not feature in the 8th Assembly because he was defeated at the primary by Hon. John Enoh.

    Ndoma-Egba had rejected the December 7 shadow polls, saying it fell short of expectation. He said the exercise was fundamentally poor and fatally flawed. He noted that the poll did not conform to the rules and regulations of the party guiding the exercise.

    He said the violence witnessed during the conduct of the primary supported his claim that it should be voided. He said militants were imported from outside the state to disrupt the process.

    Another Cross River State lawmaker, Senator Bassey Otu failed to pick the PDP ticket for Cross River North. He lost to Chief Gershom Bassey, who shelved his governorship ambition due to the zoning of the ticket to the Cross River North. A House of Representatives member, Dr. Rose Oko  would be replacing Senator Ben Ayade, who is the PDP governorship.

     

    Ita Enang

    Enang, Chairman Senate Committee on Rule and Business, will not be at the National Assembly next year. He represents the Uyo Senatorial District. The Senator lost the PDP ticket to Obong Albert at the primary in Akwa Ibom State.

    Enang got only five votes, while Albert won the ticket with 346 votes. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 and later contested for the Senate 2011.

     

    Ayogu Eze

    Eze represents Enugu North Senatorial District. He was elected to the Senate on the PDP platform in 2007. He had served as commissioner and special adviser in the state before moving to the National Assembly.

    He refused to seek for a ticket to return to the house, but opted for the governorship position. But, the PDP ticket went to Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who is the preferred candidate of the Governor Sullivan Chime.

    Eze’s camp had a parallel primary, but the chime camp is likely to carry the day. As part of the deal to bring peace to the crisis-ridden chapter, Chime had to shelve his ambition to go to the Senate to pave way for incumbent Senator Ike Ekweremadu to retain his seat.

    The fallout of all this is that Eze will not be returning to the House.

     

    Domingo Obende

    Obende of the All Progressives Congress (APC) represents Edo North Senatorial District. He lost the ticket to Francis Alimekhena who polled 831 at the primary. Prof. Julius Ihonvbere came very close to the winner with 815 votes, while Obende trailed far behind with 198 votes.

    The public administration graduate of the University of Benin is reputed for his anti-gay stance at the National Assembly. He sponsored the same sex prohibition bill which attracted interest both in Nigeria and at the international community. He was elected to the House in 2011.

     

    Ganiyu Solomon

    The APC lawmaker opted for the Lagos State governorship position which was won by Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, former Lagos State Accountant General. Therefore, the Senate Minority Whip has no chances of returning to the 8th assembly, as the slot has been taken by Hon. Olamilekan Adeola of the House of Representatives, who won the APC primary.

    Solomon took over the Lagos West  District from Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi in 2007. He was Chairman of Committees on Work, Sports, Rule and Business, Integration and Cooperation and Capital Market.

    The University of Lagos political science graduate has pledged to work for his party’s success across the board in the forthcoming election.

     

    Abike Dabiri-Erewa

    The chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity House of Representatives, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa is in the category of the lawmakers who stepped aside to give others a chance. Dabiri-Erewa, who is representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, said having served 12 years as a lawmaker, it was necessary to give others the opportunity to contribute their quota to their fatherland. The APC lawmaker said she would devout her time to the success of the party in the  elections and thereafter. The House will miss her robust contribution to lawmaking in the National Assembly.

     

    Victor Lar

    He was elected into the National Assembly to represent Plateau South  District. The senator, a Tarok from Langtang, was a former member of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) when he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1999. He later switched allegiance to the PDP.

    He would be remembered for his opposition to the third term agenda of Chief Obasanjo. He had escaped assassination when four gun men attempted to kill him.

     

    Nkechi Nwaogu

    Nwaogu who represents Abia Central is not recontesting. Her position had been taken over by the Abia State Governor Theodore Orji. She was elected to the National Assembly in 2003. The card-carrying member of the PDP was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institution.

    She was at the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007 and is just completing her second term at the Senate. She was one of the contestants for the Abia State PDP governorship primary that produced Dr. Victor Ikpeazu.

     

    Kabiru Gaya

    Senator Kabiru Kaya, who represents Kano South  District on the platform of the APC, is equally not among those seeking to return to the incoming National Assembly. He opted out of the race to seek the APC governorship ticket for his state. But, he lost the ticket to Deputy Governor Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, who triumphed at the primary.

    Gaya was governor of Kano between 1992 and 1993. He will be rounding off his second term at the National Assembly. He has served in the committee on Gas, Local and Foreign Debts States and Local Government.  He had also served at the Upstream Resources and Works.

    He sponsored several bills.

     

    Saidu Alkali

    Senator Saidu Alkali does not also stand a chance of returning to the House. He represents Gombe North Senatorial District on the platform of the APC. He was a member of the PDP until recently, when he defected to the opposition party. He stepped down for former Speaker House of Representatives Hon. Usman Nafada who picked the APC ticket for the constituency.

     

    Aminu Tambuwal

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives has secured the APC ticket to contest the governorship of Sokoto State. Another lawmaker from the state, Senator Umar Dahiru Tambuwal, representing Sokoto South will not be in the House when fresh mandate begins after the election. Umar Tambuwal was one of those who contested against Aminu Tambuwal for the APC ticket.

     

    Paulinus Nwagu

    The Senator represents the Ebonyi Central Senatorial District at the House. He contested the PDP governorship primary of the state, but lost. He was in the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2011 before moving to the Senate.

    The political science graduate served in various committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate. He was the Chairman Committee of Police Affairs of the Senate.

     

    Alloysius Etuk,

    Helen Esuene

    Senators Etuk and Esuene, both of the PDP, are not like to be seen at the National Assembly after the forthcoming election. They lost their tickets to Governor Godswill Akpabio and Effiong Nelson respectively in Akwa Ibom State. The two serving senators in the state will be missing at the National Assembly.

    Senator Esuene contested the PDP governorship ticket. She was Minister of State for Health between 2005 and 2006. Later, she became Minister of Environment. She was elected into the Senate in 2011.

     

    Ifeanyi Okowa

    Senator Okowa has secured the PDP governorship ticket for Delta State. Therefore, he will not be at the House when the new assembly commences. He was chairman of the Ika North Local Government Area and coordinator of the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) before joining the PDP in 1998.

    He became senator in 2011 representing Delta North when he took over from Senator Patrick Osakwe. The one-time Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Delta State had equally served as Commissioner for Water Resources Development in the state.

     

    Chris Anyanwu

    Senator Anyanwu will not be at the National Assembly to represent Imo East Senatorial District. She contested for the PDP governorship ticket in the state, but lost.

    She was the only female contestant at the PDP primary; she vied for the ticket with 21 other contestants. The journalist/publisher was elected to the senate in 2007. She served on the committees on Women, Youth, States and Local Government, Millennium Development Goals, Health, Environment, Defence and Army.

    She contested for the same seat on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2011.

     

    Babafemi Ojodu

    Senator Ojodu from Ekiti Central opted out of the race. His position has been taken by Ambassador Gbenga Olofin, who will contest the election. He was voted to office in 2011. His impact at the National Assembly underscored the contribution the journalist had made to lawmaking in the country.

     

    Ibrahim Musa

    Senator Musa represents Niger North on the platform of the APC. He has no chances of returning to the National Assembly; he voluntarily opted out of the race to contest for the governorship position against Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello. But, he lost the governorship ticket.

    Senator Shem Nuhu Zagbayi, also of the PDP, is not among those aspiring to go back to the senate. He voluntarily gave up his slot to allow Governor Babangida Aliyu to contest for the seat.

    In Kebbi State, the three PDP senators, Isa Galaudi (Kebbi North), Mohammad Magoro(Kebbi South) and Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi Central) are also not in the parliamentary race. They opted for the governorship ticket. Bagudu defected to the APC where he got the party ticket.

     

    Hussein Mudashiru

    Mudashiru lost the APC ticket of the Osun West to Senator Isiaka Adeleke. The former was elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 to represent Oshodi-Isolo, in Lagos State, on the platform of the Alliance For Democracy. In 2011, he moved to the upper chamber where he succeeded Adeleke to represent Osun West. He will not be around when the 8th assembly takes off.

     

    Ahmed Barata

    Senator Barata and Bello Tukur are also not in contention to return to the senate, because they failed to secure the tickets of their party, the PDP, to contest the senatorial election. The duo, who hail from Adamawa, lost at the party primary, which took place at Abuja, as directed by the party National Working Committee (NWC). The senators will bow out after serving their current term. Meanwhile, Senator Abubakar Sadiq Yar’Adua, who represents Katsina Central on the platform of the PDP, opted for the governorship seat, which he could not secure.

  • Garba hopes for a good AYC

    Garba hopes for a good AYC

    The coach of Flying Eagles, Manu Garba has expressed confidence that his team will be successful at the 2015 Africa Youth Championship, Senegal 2015, even as his team is drawn in a tough group that has hosts Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire and Congo.

    “Our group seems to be tougher than the other group which has Ghana, Mali, Zambia and South Africa, but I believe we will qualify to the semi-finals along with Cote d’Ivoire,” said Manu.

    “But this is not to say that all the eight teams are not good enough to win the competition and so we will expect no favours from any of them.

    “There will be no easy groups or matches. We therefore have to prepare very well and be motivated to achieve our targets.”

    The Flying Eagles class of 2015 are built around the country’s U17 team who won the FIFA U17 World Cup last year in the United Arab Emirates.

    Last year, they suffered defeats at the hands of African U17 champions Cote d’Ivoire at the U17 championship in Morocco.

    However, Manu has insisted they will not be seeking revenge when both teams clash again in Senegal.

    “We are not driven to avenge the loss in Morocco because this will be a different competition and we will have two different teams from the ones from last year,” he argued.

    “We respect Cote d’Ivoire because they have a great footballing culture, but we hope to beat any team we come up against.”

    The African Youth Championship will be played between March 8 and 22.

    The Flying Eagles have won a record six AYC titles with their last triumph being in 2011. They finished third last year in Algeria.

    The semi-finalists will qualify to represent Africa at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.

  • Obasi hopes to seal a deal

    Obasi hopes to seal a deal

    Deportivo de La Coruna hopeful and Nigeria youth – teamer Chigozie Obasi has given an overview of his first ten days of practicing with the La Liga newcomers.

    Sunday will make it two weeks since he departed the shores of the country to resume training with the Brancoazuis, with the hope of signing a pre – contract with them in the coming days.

    In a telephone conversation with allnigeriasoccer.com on Thursday afternoon, Obasi said: “Training is good, everything is okay. I have not missed a single training since I started training with Deportivo de La Coruna last week Monday.

    “I am training with the Reserve Team. I have been involved in a friendly with them and hope to play again this weekend in our next friendly. My teammates have been nice to me; everybody has been good to me.”

    His teammate in the 2013 Golden Eaglets setup, Isaac Success, is also in Spain training with Granada, and both players will meet again this weekend to take stock of their activities.

    “Since I came to Spain, I always speak on phone with Isaac Success. I will go and see him and Uche Agbo on Sunday. I miss them a lot, so I have to see them.”

    Obasi made two appearances for the Golden Eaglets at the FIFA Under17s held in United Arab Emirates towards the end of last year.

  • Five bright hopes to cheer up a dismal summer for English sport

    Sportsmail’s  Laura Williamson picks her five English athletes to watch at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

    1. REBECCA DOWNIE

    AGE: 22

    EVENT: GYMNASTICS

    The European uneven bars champion designs her own leotards and will be anxious to perform after missing competing at London 2012 through injury.

    2. NATASHA JONAS

    AGE: 30

    EVENT: BOXING

    The first British woman to box at an Olympics has moved down to lightweight but will be hoping to go one better than her European silver in Romania earlier this year.

    3. AMBER HILL

    AGE: 16

    EVENT: SHOOTING

    The teenager became the youngest ever winner of a World Cup event when she claimed victory in

    the skeet in Mexico last year, aged only 15. She already has her own range of pink shotgun cartridges.

    4. CHARLIE GRICE

    AGE: 20

    EVENT: ATHLETICS

    The British 1500m champion is coached by Jon Bigg, the husband of former world and Olympic champion Sally Gunnell, and has already set a new personal best this season. He hails from Brighton – just like a certain Steve Ovett.

    5. SIOBHAN-MARIE O’CONNOR

    AGRE: 18

    EVENT: SWIMMING

    The teenager from Bath has already smashed the English 200m individual medal record this year and is ranked second in the world in the event.

  • Minister hopes for swift resolution of crisis

    Minister hopes for swift resolution of crisis

    AFTER the Plateau State High Court in Jos, which granted the injunction that restrained the Aminu Maigari-led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) board and congress from controlling the affairs of Nigerian football sat yesterday, Nigeria’s sports minister Tammy Danagogo says he hopes the crisis engulfing Nigerian football will soon be over.

    Nigeria is already suspended from any international football activity by world football governing body, FIFA ‘on account of government interference.’

    The court on July 2, granted an injunction in respect of a suit filed by Ebiakpo Rumson-Baribote, owner of Nembe City Football Club in the Nigerian Premier League which placed the NFF president, Maigari, his executive board, and members of the NFF congress as defendants and restrained them from running the affairs of football in the country.

    A congress was called in the aftermath of the court order, which purportedly dissolved the Magari-led NFF board and confirmed Lawrence Katken as the acting General Secretary following his appointment by the sports minister, which FIFA deemed as ‘government interference.’

    But Danagogo, a doctor of law, says he is hopeful the crisis will be resolved after the court hearing. “I am very hopeful that these issues will be sorted as soon as possible, we sincerely hope all of these will be gone soon,” he said.

    Danagogo has come under criticism from some Nigerians, who faulted his swift appointment of a sole administrator for Nigerian football, with some accusing him of fuelling the crisis, but an aide to the minister told SL10 that: “The minister cannot been seen to disobey a court order, that will be him being in contempt of court. The court order compelled him to appoint the most senior civil servant in the NFF as sole administrator on an acting capacity, and that’s exactly what he did.”

    Meanwhile, a member of the NFF congress, who is also a defendant in the suit, Magaji Kapaka says it is very possible for the issues to be resolved and for FIFA to lift the suspension on Nigeria if the case is withdrawn.

    “It all depends on the plaintiff, if the case is withdrawn or discontinued, and the NFF board and congress is reinstated, then we can have the suspension lifted.”

    “It is quite unfortunate that we have to go through this again, I hope it is resolved soon, but it all depends on the plaintiff,” Kapaka stated.

    FIFA has already warned that if the board and congress of the Nigeria Football Federation is not reinstated by the 15th of July, the national women’s U-20 team will be disqualified from the FIFA women’s U-20 World Cup in Canada which starts on August 5.

  • New Pope, new hopes and expectations

    New Pope, new hopes and expectations

    Argentina  in recent times has been widely known for the Falklands War   with  Britain and before that  for the debt default crisis of 2001 that almost collapsed the global financial system. On  a happier note  though Argentina is  respected   widely as the nation that gave the world soccer happiness – as the country that produced first Diego Maradona  and  now  Lionel Messi   of Barcelona.   Just last week the magic of Lionel Messi  put paid to   Italy‘s  AC Milan’s dream at the UEFA Champions League with a masterful display by the magical Argentine, Messi. Yet,   the  biggest  global news this last week  was the election of an Argentine by the Conclave of Cardinals  in  Rome  as the    new Pope  Francis and successor  to Benedict XVI, the first  Pope Emeritus in 600  years.

    However,  it was not only in Rome that an historic change  of guard or a unique event was taking place. Similar events in terms of magnitude and importance took place in China where  the Chinese Communist Party confirmed the new  President   Xi Jinping  as  president of the biggest nation on earth in terms of population; and in Kenya where  a new president Uhuru  Kenyatta was elected in spite of a case pending against   him  before the International Criminal Court at  the Hague.  Also  in Afghanistan President Hamid  Karzai rattled American nerves by lumping both ally and enemy together when he accused both the US military and the Taliban  of exacerbating the state of insecurity in his  nation on the eve of the departure  of US troops from Afghanistan next year .Similarly in Nigeria the Nigerian president gave  a State Pardon to his former  boss  who was jailed for embezzlement of public funds  and dashed  all  hopes of successfully fighting corruption in Africa’s biggest  black nation.    In essence then, from the speedy   and fruitful   Conclave in Rome, to the murder and mayhem on  the streets  of Kabul,  to the smooth transition in Beijing   and Nairobi; as well as the horror  created in Abuja, change  and transition underpin  the events and personalities on display in my analysis this week .I  will illustrate  my  observations in this regard with deductions which I think will be apparent to the discerning eye in all these situations.

    Again,  let us go back to Rome for the election of  Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario  Bergoglio   of Bueno Aires aged 76 as the new Pope  Francis. To  me this is a very  smooth  transition as some say  the  new Pope was second to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger at the last Conclave in 2005  that saw the emergence  of Ratzinger  as the next Pope  Benedict XVI. Which simply means that the Conclave decided that the no 2  should take over where the no 1 has stepped down. Which really should be expected  of a College  of Cardinals which is no more that a gathering of conservative minds,  very suspicious of any drastic change especially after the rude awakening from the fact that it is possible for a pope  to resign, something that  had not happened for a long time.

    However, it is in the choice of an Argentine that I want to dilate on,  in the light  of what Argentina represents in the comity of nations – in essence its sovereign reputation. First,   in global finance Argentina represents  something of  a way ward child,  and most finance houses hold their breath doing business with that nation because of the threat of debt default. Indeed  an Argentine ship was seized in Ghana  of recent on account of the debt default saga   that  happened  at  the start  of the millennium. In  politics  however  Argentina  is a  highly  legalistic nation in that it has brought to book all past military  leaders who staged coups and toppled   democratically elected governments to gain power.

    These  included past military generals like Viola  and  Videla  as well as Galtieri  who was jailed for taking Argentina to the Falklands war without proper preparation leading to a disgraceful defeat by Margaret Thatcher’s Britain. So  Pope Francis ascension to the papacy in Rome is a  boon and a great boost to the ego and pride of Argentina  as a Latino nation and to Argentines generally. I wonder  how Britain or Britons will  feel about the emergence of an Argentine  Pope given  the two nations well known truculence  over the  tiny Falklands  Islands. I  also cannot resist  chuckling at what Argentina’s former colonial lord, Spain,  now in austerity chaos  and distress that has caused Spaniards to take to the streets in riot, do  now that they have to pray to an Argentine Pope at mass. Really,   the emergence of a Pope  from the slums and dirty streets of Buenos Aires, after the highly intellectual Benedict XVI  shows  God is not sleeping after  all;  and that even the poor masses of the world have  their hope in high places  as their champion and  past traveler in the bitter  experience of  crass poverty now occupies the high and exalted seat of St Peter in the Basilica  in Rome.

    Similarly  in Beijing  the Chinese leadership  gave the western world a  lesson in orderly transfer of power from one generation to the other albeit in  a 10 – yearly mode. This is in spite of the fact of the skepticism of those in the west who call  the Chinese leaders despots with scant regard  for human rights. Yet  the Chinese are the largest creditors of the US in that they hold the largest chunk of US treasuries  in the world. The situation has been compared to cold war ideological war between the US  and the former US SR when  mutual deterrence or  annihilation  was the name of the game. Only  that this time the game between China and the US  has been called  the financial mutual deterrence or  annihilation war because one can not do without the other in terms of trade and global business and as such they must cultivate themselves in the interest  of   global peace  and  stability. Instead  of scoffing at the democratic credentials of Chinese leaders,  the west is better advised learn something from the slow but sure progress and order in China under their leadership.

    Kenya’s  successful  election has shown that democracy is maturing in that part of the world as the people spoke and showed that democracy in local display can be immune to international pressure and clamoring. Uhuru Kenyatta has been elected and there has been no violence as happened last time around. Although Rahoula Odinga has threatened to go to court he should let sleeping dogs lie  and allow peace in Kenya. This is because Kenya’s CJ is known to be close to Odinga and his verdict will not be respected or acceptable if he overturns the voters verdict. A  word is enough for the wise.

    President Hamid  Karzai’s outburst against both the US forces in Afghanistan and  his enemy the Taliban as birds of the same  feather, also is a fine example  of ingratitude in high places. But for the Americans Karzai  would  have been  ousted out  of power   long ago  in Afghanistan  by the Taliban. Now  for him to say that  both his enemy and ally are  prolonging the war is extremely strange  and nasty. Anyway  that seems to be the fashion that US allies  in the region reward the Americans after taking their money to help snuff out terrorists in the region. Just last week the President of Pakistan an ally of the US met with the President of Iran to sign agreement on the building of an oil  pipeline between the two nations. This is after the US has spent millions on Pakistan to fight terrorists that all parties in the region know are funded by Iran, an implacable enemy of the US.

    Lastly  in giving state  pardon to former  Governor Alamieyesiagha, to whom he was a deputy governor President Goodluck Jonathan  carried cronyism and impunity to  new heights in the fight against corruption  in Nigeria . Undoubtedly the cancer of corruption is a major hiatus  facing the Nigerian nation state . But  at least the government can avoid embarrassing itself  by not bringing opprobrium on itself in enacting a pardon which after all is just an act of mercy. It  leaves a bitter taste in the mouth to discuss  this pardon  which  is an  avoidable embarrassment to Nigerians  not only at home but in the diaspora. We  know that it is within the president’s power and that of the Council of State to do what has been done. We  also know that the saying is true that to whom much is given much is expected. This was one pardon too many and is a real pity for Nigeria’s  sovereign reputation.