The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Larry Izamoje

  • Don’t expect much difference from Europe this season – Izamoje

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    With the European league season underway, the Chairman Brilla FM, Dr. Larry Izamoje has predicted that there will not be much difference to what happened last season in the various leagues across Europe this term.

    He made this known to The Nation at the National Stadium, Lagos. According to him, it will be a straight fight between Manchester City and Liverpool, as Juventus, with the inclusion of new signing Cristiano Ronaldo, is expected to go a step better than they did last year.

    He said “We may not see too many changes in the European Leagues, except in Germany, because Boateng is dissatisfied in Bayern, and they have offloaded some key players.  In England, Liverpool should be able to keep their top four places like they did last season. I expect a straight fight for the trophy between Manchester City and Liverpool.

    In Spain, it will still be the normal contest between Barcelona and Real Madrid, but I see Atletico Madrid coming into contention. It is good Cristiano Ronaldo is now in Juventus, I want to believe that the Old Lady will solidify what they did last season, with the inclusion of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

    Izamoje, heaping praises on Godwin Dudu-Orumen for his success in the 2018 Cowbell Football Academy Summer Camp, called on government and private bodies to create more academies for other sports, so that kids that will make Nigeria proud in future can also be groomed as it is done annually in the Cowbell Summer Camp.

    Read Also: Izamoje joins call for FIFA reforms

    “If you don’t show them the way early, they intend to miss it later in life. It is said in the UK that if you never held the tennis racket between the ages of 1-7, you may never become a Wimbledon champion. All the stars we know today started early, George Weah is a good example. That is why the efforts of Godwin Dudu-Orumen is commendable in grooming young ones who can later on become future football stars in Nigeria and beyond. This also brings joy to families and help the country stand in the committee if sports.

    “This is commendable, but we find out that many emerging academies are dedicated to football, it will be nice to also have those for other sports like boxing, swimming, table tennis, athletics, badminton and the rest.

    The camp runs annually for three weeks and is sponsored by Cowbell milk, the flagship brand of Promasidor Nigeria Limited. Young football talents between 4 and 18 years of age are usually invited to participate in the camp in different parts of Lagos and beyond.

  • Brila FM endorses Airtel touching lives 3

    Brila FM endorses Airtel touching lives 3

    • Urges Nigerians to support Airtel in its bid to change lives positively.

    Chairman and CEO of Brila FM, Dr. Larry Izamoje, has announced the station’s commitment to promoting
    Nigeria’s leading Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative Airtel Touching Lives.
    Izamoje, who made this declaration at the launch of Airtel Touching Lives season 3 in Lagos recently gave examples of top footballers whose lives were changed as a result of giving.

    He cited popular sport icons like Christano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and even, Nigeria’s Kanu Nwankwo and Austin Jay Jay Okocha who are playing their own part in giving back to society.

    “The philosopher, Socrates, said an unexamined life is not worth living. Airtel is not just doing business but also examining the society and this is commendable because we need people to look at lives that must be helped. Airtel has gone over and beyond its core duty through this initiative Airtel Touching Lives.

    “To support this commendable feat, Brila FM will partner with Airtel to promote Airtel Touching Lives in the media space,” Dr Izamoje said.

    Izamoje congratulated the MD & CEO and staff of Airtel for this laudable project and encouraged the telco to continue doing all it takes to make a positive impact in the society. He charged Nigerians to support Airtel in their bid to touch more lives thus making Nigeria a better place.

    Speaking at the event, the MD & CEO, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, thanked the Chairman & CEO of Brila FM.

    He said: “We are immensely grateful to the media especially Brila FM who has chosen to help us tell a successful story of Airtel Touching Lives season 3”.

    Still speaking on the initiative, Ogunsanya said that following the remarkable impact and successes recorded in the first and second seasons of its revolutionary CSR intervention, Airtel is motivated to kick-start the third Season of Airtel Touching Lives.

    “At Airtel, we believe that to be a great company we must be good company, and we are very much committed to earning our social license – the love and acceptance of the various communities and people we serve,” Ogunsnaya said.

    Airtel Touching Lives has been able to offer practical relief, succour, hope, opportunities and credible platforms to liberate and empower the underprivileged, disadvantaged and hard to reach persons in the society. Its previous seasons has seen the telco come to the aid of individuals, families and communities with various pressing issues that demanded immediate solution.

    With the launch of Airtel Touching Lives season 3, well-meaning individuals are encouraged to nominate persons, families or communities by calling or texting using the short code 367.

    Nominations can also be sent to airteltouchinglives@ng.airtel.com as well as Airtel stores nationwide.

    More information on nominations can be found on www.airteltouchinglives.com.

  • Larry Izamoje’s daughter set to wed

    The Lagos social scene is abuzz with the news of a wedding shindig that could shake the Centre of Excellence to its foundation. Preparations are in top gear at the residence of Brila FM boss, Larry Izamoje, as his first daughter, Phoebe, gets set to walk down the aisle with her fiancé Damilola Asolo.

    The wedding ceremony will take place at the popular Lagos Event Centre, The Lekki Coliseum, located at Lekki Phase 1‎. The event is scheduled for April 16 and will parade the crème de la crème of the Nigerian social circle. Larry Izamoje is the owner of Nigeria’s first sports radio station, Brila FM, which first hit the airwaves in 2002.

  • Glo CAF AWARDS FALLOUT: Izamoje charges CAF to educate coaches

    As Nigerians continue to react to the final outcome of Thursday’s Glo CAF awards, Chairman/CEO Brila Group, Larry Izamoje has charged the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to educate national team coaches and technical advisers on the criteria before turning in votes for the Africa Footballer of the Year.

    Reacting after the awards ceremony, the ace broadcaster called on continent’s soccer body to educate future voters on the processes and procedures.

    “CAF must educate coaches, technical advisers what it really takes to vote because the award is called Africa Footballer of the Year and on its website, CAF stated that the award is for the player who has impacted African football the most.

    “As such, it is not about what you do in the colours of your foreign clubsides but what you have helped Africa achieved.

    “Africa had the Nation’s Cup and Mikel Obi helped Nigeria win it,” Izamoje told Lagos-based Brila FM.

  • ‘Defamation’: Izamoje sues COSON for N5.5b

    A Popular sports broadcaster and entrepreneur, Larry Izamoje, has filed a suit at the High Court of Lagos State, Igbosere, against the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) for alleged deflation.

    The ace sports broadcaster and Chief Executive Officer of Brila FM is demanding N5.5 billion for the damage the organisation has allegedly done to his reputation.

    In a statement yesterday in Lagos, Izamoje said: “For releasing, publishing and circulating a statement on its website, twitter and facebook pages that I deem libellous, slanderous and defamatory, a N5.5 billion law suit has been filed against the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON).

    “The suit was filed at the High Court of Lagos State, Igbosere, by my solicitor, Dr Charles Mekwunye. I am seeking redress and claiming damages for COSON’s widely circulated and published statement that appeared online between October 16-26, 2013 in which the body said I am one of those who caused the death in penury of many late Nigerian musicians.

    COSON named Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson, who died in 1969; Celestine Ukwu, who died in 1977; Sonny Okosun, Christy Essien Igbokwe, Bala Miller, Oliver De Coque and Chief Osita Osadebe, among others. It listed me as a broadcaster of unauthorised music and said I have made massive advertising revenue and profit from the works of the musicians.

    I was in primary one when Rex Lawson died and in secondary school (Class 4) when Celestine Ukwu passed on! It is trite law that a natural person cannot broadcast.

    “I have been and remain a sports presenter. While I remember the listed musicians for their accomplishments, I was never their great fan. My business interest has been and remains sports, not the works of Nigerian musicians. I did not cause and have not caused any musician to die in penury. COSON must prove advertising bookings and revenue addressed to and paid to Larry Izamoje for music.

    “Indeed, COSON rebuffed all attempts by my solicitor to have them retract the story which other websites, local and international, also published.

    “I am not aware COSON equally listed and made statements about the chief executives of other broadcast houses in their earlier publications and, therefore, see their release, which was so widely circulated and published, as a deliberate and calculated attempt to undermine my integrity, dwarf all I have achieved in sports business and turn the families of the deceased musicians against me.

    “The Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and the Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria (IBAN) are opposing the arbitrary and unilateral imposition, by COSON, of royalty fees on broadcast stations.”