Police has confirmed that 71 people died and 124 injured in the Abuja motor park explosion. The Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, confirmed the figures on Monday afternoon. According to him, 16 luxury buses and 24 other vehicles were affected by the explosion. Most of the victims were passengers and vehicle owners trapped at the blast scene. But the figures could be higher, as Mba added that security agencies were still collating casualty figures at the time of filing this report.
Tag: Mba
-
Mba vows to succed at Bastia
Nigeria midfielder Sunday Mba has sets his sights on playing at the World Cup after making his debut for struggling French Ligue 2 side CA Bastia in their 3-0 home loss to Niort on Friday.
The 25-year-old, who scored the winning goal for the Super Eagles at the Africa Cup of Nations in February last year, endured a frustrating time while seeking a move away from his native Nigeria.
After almost a year of negotiations Mba completed his switch from Warri Wolves to the Corsican outfit in December.
“It was a very frustrating time after the Nations Cup, training hard but not getting the chance to play competitively,” he told BBC Sport.
“I feel so much relieved now knowing everything has been sorted out and despite a lot of catching up to do.
“Hopefully now I can get back on track and get my career going again and just be happy to be playing.”
Mba has been criticised by local media and fans for rejecting the chance to represent Nigeria at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) to sign for a struggling French side.
CA Bastia are bottom of the Ligue 2 table with only nine points from 19 matches and they could be relegated at the end of the season.
“I know what is at stake here and that the club could go down but I’m prepared to give my best to help them stay up,” said Mba.
“It’s a challenge for which I’m prepared for and no matter what decision you make in life people are going to find a way to criticise you.
“My immediate target is to start playing as soon as possible and to make important contributions that will help our league position.”
He also added that he desperately wants regular football to boost his chances of playing at the World Cup in Brazil.
“My dream is to play in the World Cup with Nigeria and to fulfil that desire I have to keep playing and regain my confidence,” he added.
“Playing here will help me to stay in a good shape psychologically, mentally and physically to prepare and fight a World Cup place.”
As well as scoring the only goal of the Nations Cup final against Burkina Faso, Mba also grabbed the winner in Nigeria’s 2-1 quarter-final win over Ivory Coast in South Africa.
-
Keshi stunned by Mba transfer saga
Head coach of the Nigeria national team, Stephen Keshi has exclusively told supersport.com that he was hurt over accusations that he tried to ruin the career of midfielder, Sunday Mba.
It was reported in some sections of the media that Keshi allegedly tried to scuttle Mba’s move to the French club by asking for a percentage of the midfielder’s transfer fee to CA Bastia.
Keshi has now revealed that he was extremely pained at the accusations explaining that “there was no iota of truth about such reports.”
“I was shocked when I first heard I was demanding for money over the transfer of Mba. There was no truth about such reports. I never did anything yet they claimed I was demanding for half of the transfer fee,” he said.
Quizzed on why he did not seek redress over his reputation being dragged in the mud, Keshi said it wasn’t necessary.
“No, no, no. It wasn’t necessary (to sue). Truth will always come to light.
“I am a father to the boys (Super Eagles players). I will help them to grow.
“ However, I never get involved when they discuss contract issues with their clubs,” he said.
Mba completed his switch to CA Bastia on January 1 but has yet to make his competitive debut for Les Noirs.
-
Mba seals CA Bastia deal
rench Ligue 2 strugglers CA Bastia have finally signed Nigeria international Sunday Mba on a free transfer.
Mba, 25, is their first signing for the January transfer window.
The player cancelled his contract with Warri Wolves and CA Bastia did not have to pay the Nigerian club for the transfer. It is believed Mba pocketed a hefty sign-on fee.
One of the stars of the 2013 AFCON, Mba had tried to sign for the Corsican side last transfer window, but an inability to fulfil the player’s wage requirements at that time meant that the Mba was forced to wait until the New Year.
The club, who have also signed defender Clement Fabre on loan, will be counting on Mba to help them make up the difference in the second half of the season to secure their second-tier position once again.
CA Bastia are rock bottom in the French second tier with a miserly nine points from 18 matches, six points adrift of second from bottom Nimes.
FC Metz lead the standings with 39 points.
-
NFF backs Mba’s move to Bastia
• Denies plan to hire fitness trainer for Eagles
Obviously bereft of options, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) may have given tacit backing to Sunday Mba’s purported move to French side,Bastia barely two weeks to the Eagles first match at the third edition of CHAN holding in South Africa.
The Eagles CHAN camp was thrown into pensive mood on Thursday after news emanated that the 2013 Nations Cup hero would travel to France to tie up contractual agreements with Bastia,leaving coach Stephen Keshi with what appears like a depleted team.
With the earlier departure of another key member of the Home Eagles, Godfrey Obaobona to Turkey last summer, many thought that the NFF should have prevailed on the Warri Wolves star to put the country first but an NFF executive committee member, Emeka Inyama has shed more light on why the federation was left with little or no option on the transfer.
Inyama,who is also the chairman of the NFF’s media sub committe, told SportingLife on phone that Mba’s issue was a delicate one which reqiured an approach that would not jeorpardise his career and that’s why the football house decided not to discourage him from seeking the proverbial greener pastures.
Inyama said if the NFF had insisted Mba goes to CHAN with the Eagles,the January transfer window would have closed by the time the tournament ends and that means he would have to wait till June next year for another transfer window to actualise his dream of playing in Europe.
“We took the player’s future into consideration because I don’t think it’s fair to insist he plays in CHAN when has an opportunity to make progress in Europe. Besides,if he misses this January transfer window, the next time he may have the chance to get a transfer would be around June next year,”Inyama,who is equally the chairman of newly promoted Premier League side, Abia Warriors said.
“Moreover, nobody prays for injury,what if Mba goes to CHAN and gets injured.What happens to him? Obviously, he may never forgive anybody who stood between his move to Bastia.Therefore, it was a wise decision to allow him go to further his career.”
He also admitted that much as Keshi would have wanted his best players to be on the flight to South Africa, he really has no other option than to use the players that are available now.
“Yes, Keshi has faced several hurdles while preparing this team for CHAN but the reality is that he has to use the players that are in camp for this tournament.The NFF would not stand in the way of any player that wants to move outside the country to further his career as long as such moves follow due proceedure.”
Inyama also debunked speculations that went viral earlier this week about the NFF planning to hire a fitness trainer for the Super Eagles and other national teams.
“Keshi is in charge of the Super Eagles and to the best of our knowledge he has not requested for the services of any fitness trainer. It is the figment of the imagination of anybody who is peddling such rumour.The issue of a fitness trainer is not in the agenda of the NFF whether now or in the future,”Inyama said.
-
New Country Director for UNDP in Nigeria
Dr. Pa Lamin Beyai has resumed as the new Country Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Office in Abuja, Nigeria.
Beyai, a Gambian replaces Ms. Ade Mamonyane Lekoetje, who completed her tour of duty in Nigeria in August.
Dr. Beyai comes to UNDP Nigeria with a experience spanning 25 years in private and public sectors – at national and international levels.
Until his new posting, he was the Economic Advisor and Lead, Inclusive Growth Cluster, in the UNDP Country Office, Ghana.
Beyai holds a PhD in Economics, with a focus on Health Economics from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London; a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom, and a BSc in Economics from the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He is married and has four children.
-
Niger unveils book scheme
Niger State is set to unveil a mobile book distribution outlet tagged: the MBA Book Hawker Scheme.
The scheme, which is part of moves by the government to reinvigorate the reading culture, will be commissioned during the annual literary festival tagged: Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (MBA) Literary Colloquium.
It holds next Tuesday in Minna, the state’s capital.
The Director, Niger State Book Development Agency, Mohammed Dzukogi, said the scheme would provide easy access to books and improve political awareness among residents.
He added that the scheme will feature a modern bookshop and library where books would be conveyed to various destinations in the state by branded tricycles bearing the name of the scheme MBA Book Hawker Scheme.
Both projects will be commissioned during the literary feast, which will be attended by literary scholars and writers from within and outside the country.
Guests expected include Professor David Mungoshi of the University of Zimbabwe and Professor Kofi Anyidoho of the University of Ghana and external consultant for 2013 NLNG Literary Prize.
Dzukogi said: “The proliferation of books would increase the chances of faster cognitive intellectual capacity of the citizenry and by extension promotion of ideas for scientific and artistic imagination and creation especially amongst the younger generation.
“The government is set to provide for a better society. The scheme is a departure from people volunteering to go to books stores to buy books.
“We are taking the books to them in their neighbourhood, thereby taking away the burden of going to book stores.”
-
Mba warns!
Malawi mind game won’t distract Eagles
Super Eagles midfielder, Sunday Mba believes the Eagles are focused for Saturday’s 2014 World Cup qualifying match against Flames of Malawi at the U.J Esuene Stadium, Calabar.
Mba told SportingLife during Wednesday’s press interaction at the team’s Transcop Hotel base that squad members are not bothered about their opponents’ antics ahead of clash.
‘‘The Malawi game is big and we are ready for it. We are here to work hard and get qualification for the final round which is the next match that will take us to Brazil 2014. ‘’ I know every country we always do everything to unsettle us.
‘’I believe playing against Africa Champions like Nigeria is a big thing to them and they may want to use anything to distract us but I want to tell you that we are not here for that. We are here to win and keep our qualification tickets alive. Malawi might be talking tough but their mind game won’t distract Eagles,’’ Mba cautioned.
-
Mba snubbed ‘slave deal’ – Wolves
Nigeria international Sunday Mba did not sign with French second division side CA Bastia because they offered him a “slave deal”.
Top Warri Wolves officials told MTNFootball.com that they were forced to pull the plug on Mba’s move to Europe at the last minute after they went through a contract that they claimed was not favourable to the player.
But those behind the Bastia deal have also countered quickly, saying Wolves officials were all about the cash they will make and not the player’s career.
“This deal was not favourable to Mba because among other things it stipulated that should he be injured for four months, the deal will be terminated,” said top Wolves chief Amaju Pinnick, who made available to MTNFootball.com a translated copy of the contract proposed by Bastia.
“The contract also put the player’s yearly salary at 100,000 Euros, which is not up to what he earns at Warri Wolves. Added to all these was the clause that should the club be relegated, the contract will also be terminated. Is Mba a magician? So, if he is playing alongside 10 bad players and the team go down, he should take the responsibility?”
Wolves were also not comfortable that the 250,000 Euros transfer fee agreed for the player will be paid in several tranches right up to 2015.
However, one of those behind the attempt to get the player signed by CA Bastia told MTNFootball.com Wolves officials blocked the player from getting “the best deal ever”.
“Cash was the problem. They wanted all the cash and this was not possible especially with the financial regulations now in place in Europe,” argued the London-based agent.
“This was to have been a stepping stone for Mba, because they needed a player in his role and by January we are very sure he would have moved to a bigger club. Wolves also got a generous 80per cent sell-on clause for the player and while other clubs demanded he come for trials, this club did not.”
-
Belgrade targets Mba, Ogude
According to influential Serbian sports website, sportal.rs, Red Star Belgrade is in the market for reinforcement in midfield and has beamed its searchlight on two Nigerian internationals – Enugu Rangers’ Sunday Mba and Fegor Ogude of Vålerenga.
Sports Director of the 1991 European champions, Zoran Stojadinovic hopes to conclude the signing of one of the two players before the end of August.
After February’s African Cup of Nations, Sunday Mba, 24 , was linked with FC Karpaty (Ukraine) and Romania big spenders CFR Cluj but the ownership tussle between Enugu Rangers and Warri Wolves threw the spanner in the works.
On the other hand, this summer, Fegor Ogude has been courted by Real Betis and Sporting Lisbon.
However, according to the player’s agent Atta Aneke, none of the clubs have backed up their interest with an official bid to Vålerenga.
Last month, Red Star launched a bid of 200,000 euros for another Nigeria international Azubuike Egwuekwe.
But it was well short of the center back’s valuation of around 350,000 euros, so Warri Wolves turned down their proposal.