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Tag: OBUH

  • Obuh: I stand for good governance in Delta

    Obuh: I stand for good governance in Delta

    Delta State Peoples Democratic Party  (PDP) governorship aspirant Sir Felix Obuh spoke with  Southsouth Regional Editor SOLA O’ NEIL on his chances at the primaries.

    How do you rate your chances in the PDP primaries, considering that there are 18 aspirants?

    For me, I will say the more the merrier. But, the essential ingredient is what each of us is bringing to the table. What are you offering to the people? What are your antecedents? What do people perceive you to be? I believe that each and every one of us has to answer to our names. How much of you do the people know? I think I stand a very good chance. The people of Delta State know me in and out of public service; whether in the political class, the civil services or whatever. They know me enough and they know what I stand for – good governance, diligence and service to the people. I believe that I have a very great chance of emerging as the candidate of the the PDP on December 8 (today).

    There is a perceived gang-up of other aspirants against your quest to become governor of Delta State. What’s your reaction to this?

    It is very unfortunate because I thought everybody was going to market himself, rather than going about castigating other people and building animosity in a community that is supposed to be peaceful and united. Notwithstanding the fact that it may appear negative on the part of those who conceived it, for me they have succeeded in making me more popular and giving me publicity that I did not pay for. But, ironically, they were not able to raise even one issue against my suitability for the office I am seeking. For me, that is good enough. I am fully qualified and ready to run the race. They did not say I am not qualified. I understand what Delta State is and I know what the people require and I know what it is to run a good government that can deliver service; they did not deny that.

    Are you worried by the implication of this negative campaign?

    I would be worried if the allegation levelled against me is serious or significant. They have not said anything that can be damaging to me. Indeed, they raised allegations about certain leaders trying to take possession of the state, as if to say they are condemning those leaders. Unfortunately, those are the people who have been in government, benefitted and are still benefiting from the same leaders they indicted in that publication. I believe that they just did it momentarily because they thought they have something unifying them, but in the course of time, as has already been proven, they will begin to find out that they have great differences between them as candidates, than with me as another candidate in the race.

    Delta State PDP has a history of acrimonious primaries that usually lead to defeated aspirants defecting to other parties. Are you worried about this?

    I have decided to build my tent within the PDP and for me that is where I will remain. Anybody who believes that he has something to offer to the people of Delta State on the platform of the PDP should be bold enough to run the primaries and if he loses let him donate whatever idea he has to the candidate that emerges, so that we can build a strong and vibrant state of our dream. You don’t need to run somewhere else as if you are desperate for power. When you believe in the party, you should be sufficiently patriotic to give whatever idea you have to whoever emerges. I will not encourage defection and I will seriously discourage anybody who wants to do that. But if they wish to go, whoever will emerge will emerge. For me, if God blesses me with the ticket of the PDP, let them go elsewhere to combine forces, but I intend to carry everybody along.

    Will you make overtures to your opponents to remain in the party?

    I have always said that nobody is a champion. I have always said that we should stay within the party and build a strong and vibrant political party so that we can continue to win elections. There is enough ground for everybody to contribute one way or the other; there is no Mr Know-all in any field. What I think we can always do to be on top in Delta State is for us to bring to the table all our talents, all our ideas; what we need and what we have to contribute to the growth of the state so that we can harness them for the betterment of our society. We do not need to dissipate our energy.

    After the screening, we are into the last stretch of the primaries campaign, what is your position with the delegates? Are you satisfied with the delegates list?

    A couple of weeks ago, we had the election for delegates and since then we have been trying to reach out to delegates that have been so elected. The process of canvassing for support/votes is a continuous one. We know that there are a good number of them (delegate) that believe in us. We are not giving up on anybody; we are accessing and trying to approach anybody who has been elected as delegate to make them understand why they should give us their votes. We are doing our best to win over as many of them as possible and we are doing that by trying to spell out to them what our philosophy is for government and what our position is in the PDP.

  • OBUH THREATENS TO WALK-AWAY FROM RANGERS

    OBUH THREATENS TO WALK-AWAY FROM RANGERS

    Rangers coach John Obuh has threatened to resign if “unnecessary interference” in his job by the management does not stop.

    Obuh, who was practically held hostage for over an hour after Tuesday evening training session by members of the management team led by the General Manager, Paul Chibuzor, told AfricanFootball.com he was being pushed to the wall by some unguarded utterances of some highly placed members of the management team.

    “I must state categorically that I am highly disappointed by the actions of Christian Chukwu, Innocent Obiokwo and Innocent Abana over my output in the team,” Obuh said.

    “How could Chukwu say that I don’t have the  tactics in prosecuting my matches because we lost a game out of seven? It exhibits sabotage from such highly placed members of the team, especially as we prepare for a tough encounter against Heartland.”

    He further stated, “If such actions from such people are not checked, I might just be forced to throw in the towel and have my peace and respect.

    “Let Chukwu, Obiokwo and Abana come and handle the team. They are not too old to coach Rangers.”

    The current uproar in the side is not unconnected with media reports that the former Nigeria U20 handler has indicated interest in helping the Super Eagles out of the current precarious situation they find themselves in the qualifying tournament for next year’s AFCON.

  • Obuh Backs Keshi

    Obuh Backs Keshi

    Former Nigeria Under- 17 and 20 Coach John Obuh has jumped to the defence of Stephen Keshi’s tactics after the Super Eagles shock 3-2 loss to Congo in Calabar.

    The Enugu Rangers gaffer admitted the loss is a setback but insists Keshi’s coaching ability should not be judged on the game.

    “I accept the loss is hard to take but faulting Keshi’s tactics is way over the board,sometimes there is little a coach can do when players fail to turn up in game,” he told SL10.ng.

    “It’s easy for fans to crucify a coach after such defeat at home, but judging Keshi, who brought Nigeria football out of the wilderness it found herself by a game is harsh, very harsh”

    However, Obuh insisted the coaching crew and the boys will have no chance but to respond in their next game against South Africa to win back public trust and support.

  • Obuh confident in Rangers ability to do well

    Obuh confident in Rangers ability to do well

    Enugu Rangers coach, John Obuh has declared that the team will not go on relegation at the end of the season.

    Obuh told FCNaija.com from Enugu that there is no way the club will go down because they have capable players that can lift the team in the remaining matches of the season.

    Rangers are presently in the 16th position on the league table with 31 points.

    “I laugh when I hear people say Rangers might be relegated. All I want to say that the team will remain in the Premier League next season.

    “When you watch our matches in recent times, we have really improved and I know that in our subsequent matches, we will churn out good results that will help us move up on the league table.

    “I am confident that the club will maintain their position on the elite division and our supporters should not panic because all is well with the team,” Obuh said.

    Rangers Captain, Cyril Oriaku revealed that the players are not even thinking of relegation.

    “All we know that is that we are going to finish on a high this season. We have about 13 matches to go and I am optimistic that we can still get some good results especially in our away matches.

  • Obuh rues Heartland defeat

    Obuh rues Heartland defeat

    Enugu Rangers head coach, John Obuh has described  his side’s defeat at Heartland as the worst in the 2013/14 Glo Premier League season.

    An own goal from the Flying Antelopes Senegalese defender, Ousmane Pape Sane in the 12th minute and a perfect header off Jolly Osas’ corner kick by attacking midfielder, Julius Ubido unsettled Rangers and handed Heartland the three points in Wednesday’s match day 12 duel at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri.

    Obuh said his side’s defensive error coupled with a lackluster performance upfront caused the side the defeat at oriental neighbours, Heartland.

    “Quite unfortunate, we went down in this game at Heartland without actually offering any challenge, I think I’m being deceived by the players.

    “This is our worst performance in the 12-week old Nigeria Premier League, defensive error was clearly responsible for the first goal.

    “We played the whole game without creating even a single chance at goal, it’s quite unfortunate and it’s a strong signal that something decisive has to be done immediately.

    “Of course, we’ll bring in changes in all the departments of the game for us to have a chance of doing well and stamping our feet in the league,” said the former Flying Eagles and Sharks coach to supersport.com.

    The Coal City side’s next encounter will be against newcomers, Crown FC at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.

    The defeat at Heartland has left Enugu Rangers’ total points at 14 from a possible 36 in the 12-week-old Nigeria top flight.

  • Beating Pillars is not negotiable — Obuh

    Beating Pillars is not negotiable — Obuh

    Rangers International FC Technical Adviser, John Obuh has said that his side cannot afford to lose their week three Globacom League game against Kano Pillars today.

    The former Flying Eagles coach feels his team were unfortunate to lose away to Enyimba FC in Aba on Sunday, but admits they must win in similar circumstances if they are to challenge for the title this season.

    The former Sharks FC of Port-Harcourt manager told SportingLife that getting a point in the game won’t be appreciable to him and his team.

    “Unfortunately, we lost our first game which I think we should have got something out of. So, we can’t afford to lose our second game in a row. Besides, we can’t afford to draw against Kano Pillars,” Obuh told SportingLife.

    He continued: “It is not a world Cup that you can say this or that but we’ve ensured that all necessary things expected of us have been done. All arrangements have been perfected and we are ready for the game. The players have been motivated in all ramifications and they all know that they need to deliver. The prompt payment of their allowances and match bonuses has been promised while other incentives can also follow after the victory on Saturday.”

    The former Kwara United gaffer also told SportingLife that there won’t be any friction between himself and Coach Okey Emordi of Pillars, who is a former Rangers coach, today.

    “Emordi has left Rangers for Pillars and I left one place to join Rangers too. His (Emordi) presence won’t make any impact during the game because the match is not between Emordi and I. The players are the main actors and they will be the ones to do battle,” Obuh said.

  • Call Obuh to order

    The League Management Company (LMC), which runs the Globacom Premier League, matches must protect the brand, if it hopes to attract more sponsors to the domestic game. Most times, willing corporate bodies sit on the fence to watch and evaluate the trends in the Globacom Premier League before making any form of commitment.

    Therefore, the LMC must be proactive to comments by those who try to bring the game to disrepute by their words or behavior. Sanctions must be immediate on those found culpable. Where the referees don’t record such comments or conducts like they often do, the LMC could on the strength of comments in the media invite those culpable to explain why they should not be punished.

    In cases of media reports, the LCM can invite a reporter to substantiate his or her claims. Where the media can provide recorded voices of players, coaches and officials bringing opium to the game, then sanctions should be handed out to deter others.

    Indeed, the only way the LMC can reduce – if not eliminate – these unwholesome conducts by coaches, players and officials is for the broadcast right holder, Supersports, to show us all the matches in delayed broadcast. It is not enough for Supersports to show matches live. Supersports should also show recorded matches and get credible people (former referees, ex-coaches, renowned journalists and ex-international players) across the strata of the game to express their views on the controversial aspects of the matches.

    For instance, Enugu Rangers technical adviser John Obuh pilloried the referees who handled Sunday’s Globacom Premier League cracker against Enyimba in Aba. Curiously, Rangers lost 2-1 with all the goals scored by Enyimba players. Even the goal recorded for Rangers was an own goal by an Enyimba player.

    The question then for Obuh would be if Rangers scored a disallowed goal. But those who know how some unscrupulous referees manipulate games say that he or she could use the whistle to kill off potential goal-bound moves.

    In some cases, such a referee could ignore crunchy tackles on the visitors or intimidate the visiting side’s players out of their wits with yellow cards. These are mere allegations, which can be thrown into the trash bin with visuals on television from the match venues.

    I saw the three goals scored in the Enyimba/Rangers game in Aba during the SuperSports’ Monday night show on television and none of them was fraudulent. Supersports need to have daily progammes dedicated to the Globacom Premier League where all the week’s matches are shown. Fans should be allowed to express their views on talking points of the league, like we see daily on Supersports from the Barclays English Premier League.

    This fans’ forum will set the agenda for us. Such candid views would help the LMC know the problems plaguing the league, particularly why attendance at venues is poor. Fans who like what they see at home weekly may be moved to watch the Globacom Premier League matches anytime the teams they admire visit the towns where they reside.

    The ripple effects of some of these unsubstantiated allegations rest with the fact that fans wouldn’t want to come to see the games because the results, in their view are pre-determined.

    Aside, the gestures from these complaining coaches, players and officials trigger violence from the spectators, who are divided along the two teams. Of course, the visiting teams go home with unsavoury tales of what happened in the first game. These sad tales set the stage for vengeance in the return match.

    If we must get the fans to watch the Globacom Premier League matches, then untoward tendencies as highlighted with the actions of the coaches, players, officials and referees must the reduced.

    We must create the right environment for the games to be played. The essence of sponsorship of the domestic league will be lost if there are no spectators at the stands. In other climes, the fans are the 12th player. The noise from the stands gives their players the energy to fight on.

    The domestic league is the cradle of our football. No one should desecrate it. If the matches are free of violence, scouts from Europe, the Americas and the Diaspora would storm the venues to see our players strut their trade. Most of the players that made their marks at the senior level played the game here.

    For this season, Enugu Rangers are the cash cows for all the teams anytime they parade Ejike Uzoenyi. Fans will storm any stadium where Rangers is playing to touch Uzoenyi. They would want to see him live.

    In Aba last Sunday, the fans held him hostage, not essentially for his role in Rangers 1-2 loss to Enyimba. But for his sterling outing for the home-based Super Eagles at the CHAN tournament held in South Africa early this year. The irony of Aba fans’ mob of Uzoenyi is that he was rejected by Enyimba. Besides, he played for Rangers last and didn’t get this mob action from the appreciative fans. That is what Uzoenyi will face in any city in Nigeria, if he plays for Rangers. Uzoenyi was Nigeria’s best player in CHAN and rightly deserves all the accolades from Nigerians. He brought us joy. He united us with his dazzling performance. And there cannot be a better way to say thank you than for the fans to throng the stadium for his autographs and pictures which they will treasure for life. Imagine if Enyimba paraded Austin Okocha or Nwankwo Kanu? The Aba stadium would have recorded a stampede.

    The LMC must do everything within its power to bring the fans back to the stadium. And it would start by getting the clubs to make the venue safe. With many fans comes higher earnings from the gates. I’m sure that any club that brings Flavour to thrill the fans before matches, for instance, would record a capacity-filled stadium, if the next artiste is Tuface Idibia. Sports and entertainment can mix to lure the fans to the stadium. Clubs must offer the fans something to lure them back. The period between 1.30pm and 4 pm when the game begins will be meaningful to the fans if they can dance to their favourite music. With such top notch musicians at the venues miming (before you ask me how we would remove their equipment), the stadium will be jam-packed. The clubs will earn more from the gates and the players, coaches and officials will be happy. The increase in the players’, coaches’ and officials’ emoluments will enhance performance. The Nigerian game will be better for it.

    My problem with most club managements is that they are lickspittles of the government in states. Most times, they are excited with being board members of clubs because they feel it is an avenue to “chop.” They don’t think. They feed themselves fat, leaving the real actors being owed salaries for up to two years.

    We need to improvethe financial status of our clubs, if we must compel Nigerians to identify with it. I cringe when Nigerians pride themselves as financial members of foreign clubs. I really don’t blame them because our local clubs are more or else casinos for governors’ lackeys, which is regrettable. But we cannot surrender the clubs to these lickspittles. Hence, one is pleading with the LMC to create a platform where players’ inter and intra club movements are documented for us to evaluate them at the end of each season.

    The general impression being created by those who run our local clubs is that they are drainpipes. They would peddle all the influence they can muster to retain their jobs, if asked to quit for others.

    In Europe, transfers serve as money spinners for clubs with the culture of grooming talents for the richer clubs to poach. Most governors who sponsor soccer teams would be shocked to hear how the clubs get from transferring players to Europe. Not many of these state government clubs have domiciliary accounts, yet they have transferred players to Europe. So, how did money change hands between the Nigerian clubs and their European counterparts for the players to change teams? Herein lies the biggest scandals of our football. But who will bell the cat? Until governors, through their commissioners for sports, compel club administrators to account for the cash given to them, the rot in the domestic league will remain.

  • Obuh, Rangers disagree over contract

    Obuh, Rangers disagree over contract

    • Ex-Flying Eagles coach threatens to join Akwa 

    Coach John Obuh and Enugu Rangers have disagreed over the duration of the contract the ex-Flying Eagles handler has been given.

    A close associate of Obuh stated that the coach is already worried that he has not seen the contract papers for the job that he was given after the resignation of Okey Emordi at the end of the season.

    “Let me tell you that the coach is highly disturbed due to the fact that the contract papers for his deal are still to get to him,” a source disclosed.

    “He is even more worried based on reports in some medium that he has put pen to paper for a one year deal which is not true. In fact, coach told me that he will not sign any contract that is less than two years.”

    Our source further stated, “Coach has been approached by some officials of Akwa United, but he has his heart for Rangers.

    “However, if the terms of the contract do not favour him, he will have to weigh the option of joining Akwa United who have tabled a far better offer.”

    Some members of Rangers’ management team had on Monday presented Obuh as their new technical adviser with the mandate to end the club’s three decades without any trophy with general manager Paul Chibuzor promising to give the former Flying Eagles coach all the support he needs to deliver.

  • Obuh’s resignation accepted

    Obuh’s resignation accepted

    The resignation of John Obuh as coach of Nigeria U20 team has been accepted, officials have said.

    “We have accepted the resignation of John Obuh, but he is not the only one going,” said chairman of the technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chris Green.

    “We have relieved all members of the technical crew of their jobs.”

    Obuh quit as coach of the Flying Eagles after the team crashed out to Uruguay in the Round of 16 clash at the recent FIFA U20 World Cup in Turkey.

    He has been in charge of the U20s since he led the U-17 team to reach the final of the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which Nigeria hosted.

    The former Kwara United handler led Nigeria to win the 2011 African Youth Championship in South Africa and also reach the last eight of the 2011 World Cup in Colombia.

    He also guided the team to finish third at this year’s AYC in Algeria.

    Meanwhile, Green told MTNFootball.com his committee will meet next week to appoint coaches to the various female national teams.

    “We will be meeting next week to constitute the technical crew of the Super Falcons and all the female national teams,” he announced.

  • FCT FA boss says Obuh’s decision to quit in order

    FCT FA boss says Obuh’s decision to quit in order

    Alhaji Musa Talle, Chairman, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Football Association (FA), on Tuesday said Flying Eagles Coach, John Obuh, made the right decision by resigning after the U-20 World Cup.

    Talle told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the coach had an agreement with the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) to take the team to at least the semi-final of the competition, which was not met.

    It would be recalled that Nigerian Under-20 team were ousted from the World Cup in Turkey after they lost 2-1 to Uruguay in the quarter-finals.

    He called on other coaches to emulate what Obuh did, adding that: `if you did not meet up with the terms and conditions given, it is better to resign honourably than being sacked”.

    According to him, even though the coach does not want to resign, the NFA will definitely remove him, so it is better he resigned honourably than being embarrassed.

    “What he did was right; I feel that was the best decision because he did not fulfil his part of the agreement. I call on other coaches to do the same, once an agreement is breached and the condition for taking the job not met, it is better to resign honourably than being removed,’’ he said.

    Talle said that lack of good performance by the players was the coach’s failure, as he had the duty of adopting better ways of improving the team’s performance.

    “You are the one to select the players and if you do not select the players that will perform, it is your fault. For the fact that you have accepted the terms and conditions given to you, the success and failure goes to you. Whatever effort the NFA puts in during and after the competition is not recognised. The credit is always given to the coach,” he added.

    Talle urged the NFA to employ a new coach to continue from where Obuh stopped, adding that the association should not wait till when there were competitions.