The Nation Newspaper

Tag: tasks

  • Adamu tasks NFF on Eagles’ preparation

    Adamu tasks NFF on Eagles’ preparation

    The former Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr. Amos Adamu, has called on the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to ensure they raise adequate funds for the Super Eagles’ preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

    Adamu, a former CAF and FIFA Executive Committee member, said at the weekend in Lagos that the football federation should go all out to get needed funds to prepare the team well ahead of the challenges of the World Cup, considering the fact that, funds may not be released on time by the federal government due to bureaucratic bottleneck.

    “I know the NFF president, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, is doing very well and that is why the various national soccer teams both male and female have been doing well in all the competitions they competed in.

    “Maigari’s initiatives, effectively combined with the great vision of the federation’s board members, have taken Nigerian football to greater height which must be maintained.”

    The former WAFU president noted that, for the current standard of the country’s football to be maintained, more so when the Eagles will be campaigning as Africa’s champion at the Brazil 2014 World Cup, it is only wise for the leadership of the NFF to go all out to get funds.

    “The Marketing and Sponsorship Committee of the NFF must be put on their toes to source for funds to execute important friendly games that would be beneficial for the Eagles to perform to expectations in Brazil.

    “Maigari and his men should not wait for government to release funds. The organisation of the friendly game against Mexico in March is commendable, but the team would need much more top rated games to achieve the set goal which is to play in the quarter-finals of the World Cup and even beyond. They should go ahead to raise funds from all avenues they know, the banks are also not an exception.

    “If the Eagles are well prepared, then the standard already set by the NFF for Nigerian teams to finish in third place in major championships if they do not win can be actualised.”

    Adamu stated that, the Eagles can go as far as winning the third place at Brazil 2014. “It is not impossible. All teams at the World Cup are there to win, so that of Nigeria won’t be an exception.”

    He commended the home-based Eagles for finishing third at the CHAN Championship in South Africa, and was full of praises for the team’s coach, Stephen Keshi for helping to raise Nigeria’s profile in international football.

    He urged the NFF to continue to give Keshi support.

     

  • Keshi tasks home-based Eagles

    Keshi tasks home-based Eagles

    As the home-based Super Eagles depart for Abuja to Kaduna later on Wednesday, Coach Stephen Keshi has encouraged to beat Ivory Coast and qualify for the African Nations Championship (CHAN).

    The Eagles will play host to their Ivorian counterparts at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on Saturday and Keshi has charged his players to believe in themselves and qualify Nigeria for their maiden appearance at the continental championship.

    Speaking to the team in a chat, the Big Boss expressed his confidence in the players.

    “Let me say I have complete confidence in you and I know you can achieve the feat of defeating Cote D’Ivoire, but you must have belief in yourselves more to achieve the set goal, keshi told the players in a team chat.

    The home-based Super Eagles have never qualified for the tournament whose third edition will be held next year in South Africa, the same place Keshi led Nigeria to win her third AFCON title in February. Eight members of the 23 man squad were part of the team that won the trophy in February.

  • Adesina tasks 3SC to win league

    Adesina tasks 3SC to win league

    Oyo State sports commissioner Dapo Lam Adesina has tasked Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) to win the league and play international football next year.

    “You promised to win the league and make a continental ticket last season, but you failed to accomplish it despite our motivation for you,” Dapo Lam told the players.

    “We must lift a trophy this season because we are tired of staying at home and not travelling to Mozambique or Tunisia and you know what this means.

    “No more Father Christmas because we have been treating you fine since August 2011, when we came on board but you have not repaid us and we are not happy about this. Though you are doing well, that is not enough, you have to turn around the club by ensuring we play international football next year. We have the players to do this.”

    “Win us continental or league and see what we will do for you, that is what we expect from you. If you finish well, we will do what will surprise you, what has never happened in the history of the team, you will receive. I promise you that.”

    Shooting Stars open their 2012/2013 season campaign on Sunday at home to Gombe United.

  • Tasks before Ghanaian President

    THE inauguration yesterday of Mr. John Dramani Mahama as the fourth President of Ghana marked another striking similarity in the Nigeria-Ghana political history. Mahama is the new man of destiny in the West African country of 25million people.

    Ghana is recorded as a country with one of the fastest growing Gross Domestic Product – 14 per cent.

    Ghana has a young population. This has imposed pressure on schools and health facilities. The government is thus expected to maintain standard.

    The country is one of the few giving hope on the African continent. It has held a fifth peaceful and successful election and has a rich history of transfer of power from one major party to another. It is, therefore, seen as a shining example for other African countries, including Nigeria . It blazed the trail in the sub-region with biometric voter registration. This has made the elections more transparent. The seven-member election commission headed by Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan has a reputation for being incorruptible.

    Perhaps the most daunting task for the 54-year-old President is promoting unity in a country fractured by the December 7, 2012 elections. The new president, who contested on the platform of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), managed a narrow victory with 50.7 per cent of the votes to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) 47.74 per cent. While previous elections were similarly fought closely, the opposition has taken its case before the Supreme Court for adjudication.

    This has raised eyebrows as it constitutes a challenge to the legitimacy of the Mahama administration. While the administration has been inaugurated, the court case, whenever it comes up, is bound to call attention to the fact that nothing is settled yet. And, if not determined on time, it could be a source of distraction for the government from which so much is expected.

    There are, however, so many lessons that Nigeria could learn from Ghana. The process of candidate selection is less acrimonious. The internal democratic mechanisms in the political parties have matured over the years. Although the aspiration by wife of former President Jerry Rawlings to pick the NDC ticket heated up the polity for a while, when a congress was held to decide between Atta-Mills and Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, the late president was the clear choice of the party.

    Her attempt to run the race on the platform of a hastily coupled New Democratic Party (NDP) failed when she could not meet the deadline in returning nomination forms. President Mahama who replaced the late Atta-Mills as NDC candidate won the confidence of almost all party members at a Special Delegates Congress held on August 30, last year. The death of Atta-Mills and the elections could not threaten the health of the polity.

    The only contentions were the few challenges encountered at the polling centres. Some of the electronic machines malfunctioned and a resort had to be made to manual voting in some polling units. This, given the returns, raised the hopes of the opposition that, if the court could be persuaded to upturn some of the results, it could replace the NDC in constituting the government.

    Can President Mahama rise up to the challenge of the moment? Is he in position to heal the wounds opened by the election and overcome the post-election challenge posed by the suit instituted by the NPP? Is Mahama sufficiently schooled to lead Ghana on the path of prosperity and sustain the high regards she enjoys in the comity of nations? These are questions to be answered over the next four years.

    However, it must be said that Mahama has the basic qualities to take Ghana to the summit. He was a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2009 when he was inaugurated Atta-Mill’s Vice President. He was, within the period he served in Parliament, a party apparatchik and Minister. He is respected as a welfarist born into a political family, his father having served in the Kwame Nkrumah administration.

    His education, exposure and experience are expected to serve him well in taking Ghana to a new height.

     

  • Cleric tasks youth on education

    Youth have been advised to acquire more skills and education to ensure their independence.

    Pastor Margaret Falodi-Apoese, a United Kingdom-based social worker, gave this advice at an empowerment programme for Makoko youth, organised by ABSMAT and AyoAkins Foundation in Lagos. She urged the youth not be too money-conscious, saying:

    “Nigerian youths are so money-conscious. Everybody wants to get rich by all means. Money is not everything. The love of money is what leads them to crime, which makes their lives to be cut short,” Mrs. Falodi-Apoeso said.

    Government, she said, should set up technical colleges and vocational schools in every local government area where youth and women can acquire vocational skills.

    “If you are skilled and you can’t get a job, you can practice your trade and be independent. Not all of us can get white collar jobs,” she said.

    Mrs. Falodi-Apoeso said she started the empowerment project with her partner in Makoko when she visited the place and saw youth hawking, smoking, and drinking.

    Also speaking on HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, Mr. Semidara Williams of the Community Empowerment and Human Development Initiative said awareness must move to the grassroots.

    “The issue of sex is a day-to-day thing. It doesn’t happen during the celebration period only, especially in a community like Makoko. We have people in this community whose lives revolve around alcohol and sex on a daily basis. That is why we should not wait until celebration period to do sensitisation programmes on HIV/AIDS, as well as the empowerment programmes.”

     

  • Aregbesola tasks engineers on collapsed buildings, roads

    OSUN State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has tasked civil engineers to stem the tide of collapsed building and bad roads in the country.

    Aregbesola challenged the engineers at the reception held at the weekend in Ikeja, Lagos in honour of the Chairman of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Dr. Ezekiel Olajide Adeniji an engineer by the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE).

    The governor was represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Gbenga Adefusoye.

    Aregbesola said: “I must remind my professional colleagues of the state of our profession and its impact on our society, especially on civil engineering. Building continues to collapse and our roads are hardly getting better. We should be professionally challenged and do something to stem the tide.

    “Our civil engineers should be engaged for instance on how to construct enduring roads that will withstand the heavy tropical rains and excessive heat at minimal cost.

    “They should also be concerned about the low quality of job deliveries of some of our public and private works. We must as a professional body make positive impact on our society.”

    Aregbesola described Adeniji as a marketable product of good virtues that the state has to offer the country, nothing that he “is a worthy ambassador of the virtues that we embody in Osun”.

    Saying that the award bestowed on the FERMA chief did not come as a surprise, he added: “Dr. Adeniji is another demonstration of the fact that, in the state of Osun, we do not just pride ourselves as virtuous people, we live and breadth the values”.

    Adeniji expressed happiness and gratitude to God for the honour.

    While acknowledging the friendship and support of Aregbesola, he also promised his continued support and that of FERMA to the development of the institute.

    National Chairman of NICE, Amos Omopeloye, said Adeniji made the civil engineering family proud on his recent appointment as the executive chairman of FERMA.

    He said: “There is a reward and there will always be reward for those who are steadfast in every endeavour they have chosen. Adeniji has paid his dues in the practice of the civil engineering professionally, both locally and internationally to deserve the award bestowed on him.”