The Nation Newspaper

Tag: wary

  • ‘Be wary of miracle centres’

    Abia State Commissioner for Education Prof. Ikechi Mgboji has advised parents and guardians to be wary of sending their children and wards to schools indulging in examination malpractices.

    He gave the advice yesterday in Aba during an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    Mgboji spoke against the backdrop of closure of  St. John’s Secondary School, Umunkere in Obingwa Local Government, which was identified by West African Examinations Council (WAEC) as ‘a miracle centre’’ noted for promoting  examination malpractices.

    He urged parents to send their children to schools where they would learn and defend their certificates.

    The commissioner decried the ugly trend whereby parents deliberately sent their children to schools, which engaged in malpractices.

    He vowed that the government would shut any school found promoting examination fraud, noting that parents and teachers colluded to perpetrate examination malpractices.

    “When we talk about examination malpractices, it is something that implicates parents and society.

    “You are right because it is a systemic problem. It is sad that parents even go as far as paying extra money to have their children in such schools.

    “There is this undue emphasis on paper qualification, which pushes people to do anything to get it. It is wrong and counter-productive,’’ Mgboji said.

    He said St. John Secondary School was closed because it indulged in examination malpractices.

    “We received a report from WAEC; the documents are there that the school is a ‘miracle centre’ and I felt the time to act was long overdue.

    “The school will not be the last we are descending on. Our action should be a warning to those who have allowed their schools to be used as centres for examination malpractices.

    “Once we receive credible reports, we will not fail to act.

    “Security agencies have been drafted to the school to ensure compliance. Any disobedience will attract severe sanctions,’’ the commissioner said.

  • CHAN Eagles wary of Burkina Faso

    CHAN Eagles wary of Burkina Faso

    Nigeria are aware of the threat posed by visiting Burkina Faso in this weekend’s CHAN qualifier after Les Etalons shocked highly favoured Nigeria U-23s in last month’s All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville.

    Burkina Faso stunned Samson Siasia’s Dream Team VI 3-1 to qualify for the final of the All Africa Games in Brazzaville.

    “We are aware of how Burkina Faso shocked our Olympic team at the All Africa Games and so we know we cannot take them lightly. We know for instance that they have been training in Morocco and have played a number of test matches and so they will be very prepared against us,” said Eagles spokesman Toyin Ibitoye.”

    The home-based Eagles have played a number of test games including a 6-1 spanking of Blessed Academy of Port Harcourt.

    Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh will not be on the bench today after he took ill after the friendlies against DR Congo and Cameroon in Belgium. His assistants, Jean Francois Losciuto and Salisu Yusuf, will be in charge of the team for the first leg as a result.

    Injury has ruled out Enyimba defensive midfielder Razak Aliyu and Paul Onobi from Sunshine Stars. Warri Wolves striker Gbolahan Salami will lead the Eagles today and he said the target is victory.

    “This will be our first competitive match as a team together and I am looking forward to it. I am confident we will do well and the aim is to win convincingly so that the second leg will be easier,” said Salami, who has scored 14 goals in the Nigeria league this season.

    Salami, who featured at last year’s CHAN in South Africa where Nigeria finished third, also dismissed media reports he has been ruled out of the match on account of a groin complaint.

    Other players to look out for are Sharks defender Chima Akas, FC Taraba midfielder Usman Mohammed and Abia Warriors central defender Austin Oboroakpo, who have all been capped at full international level by Nigeria.

    The winners of this match-up over the two legs will advance to the final tournament in Rwanda in January.

  • Media should be wary of Omisore

    Media should be wary of Omisore

    SIR: While it is generally agreed that no medium exists without its own bias, the greater truth is that the media is a public trust and its hallmark is integrity established by truth. When a medium publishes falsehood, either deliberately or inadvertently, it undermines the basis of its credibility.

    This is the trap that the defeated candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyiola Omisore, set for the media before, during and after the August 9, governorship election in Osun State.

    Omisore asked for the removal of the State Resident Electoral Commission, Ambassador Rufus Akeju, alleging that Akeju is a card-carrying member of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) which later metamorphosed into the All Progressives Congress (APC).  He did not offer any evidence. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Akeju’s employer, asked him to substantiate his claim, since he who asserts must prove. Almost four years down the line, he is yet to come up with anything. The media, regrettably, has been amplifying this false allegation for him.

    Again, he has been fulminating that INEC conducted the 2011 general election against a subsisting court order. He trumpeted this lie with a demonic frenzy, regrettably with the help of the media.

    The truth however is that the PDP went to court asking for an interlocutory injunction preventing Akeju from conducting the 2011 election. INEC agreed and was preparing to replace Akeju when PDP went back to the same court and asked for a ‘stay of execution’.

    The judge, Babs Kuewumi, was scandalised. He told them that their demand defied logic since it’s the loser that asks for an injunction, not the winner, who should be savouring the fruits of his victory. He then granted the stay of execution of the injunction he had earlier granted.

    It is inconceivable that Omisore will now turn round to accuse INEC of flouting court order. The media reported this falsehood with reckless abandon, without cross-checking the facts.

    Then again, the media on September 2, were awash with an interesting news item – a report that INEC had suspended two Electoral Officers (EO) for Obokun and Osogbo Local Governments. The report gleefully and recklessly claimed they were suspended for helping APC to rig the August 9, governorship election in Osun State.

    The next day INEC came out to rebut the story. INEC was categorical in denying that the two EOs were suspended for helping APC rig the election. Indeed, the EO for Obokun was suspended for diverting election materials and arrested by the police while doing so. What INEC did not mention was that the news actually broke on the eve of the election, how vigilant youths in Otan-Ile had apprehended the EO while taking the materials to the residence of a PDP chief in Ilase, and how he was released by police to a PDP national officer from the state.

    The second EO for Osogbo was actually suspended following the petition written against him for attempting to manipulate the election against APC. He hid the accreditation tags of APC party agents and did not release them until after accreditation had taken place. He also hid form EC8C in a waste bin and caused the delay in compiling the result for Osogbo until about 2.00 am the next day.

    How then could the two EOs have rigged for APC? Interestingly, the same media had reported these events when they occurred. All they needed to do was crosscheck with their own record.

    The irony is that each time the public read a report in the media that is patently false, instead of Omisore, it is the media that gets discredited. Believability is the media’s daily bread and once it is lost, nothing is left.

    Omisore is a mere bird of passage, he should not be allowed to destroy the media that have been built over time with the sweat and blood of our patriots and heroes of the profession.

     

    • Tunji Ayandele,

     Osogbo, Osun State

     

  • Uruguay wary of Nigeria

    Uruguay wary of Nigeria

    AS Roma striker and Uruguay Under 20 National Team star Nicolas Lopez has commented on the second – round clash with the Flying Eagles.

    After the 4 – 0 hammering of Uzbekistan on Saturday, the South Americans finished second in Group F.

    ”Now we will play Nigeria. They will be a tough opponent because they run a lot and have good shape, but we have qualities to be able to succeed,” Lopez said.

    Delighted with the victory over Uzbekistan, head coach Juan Verzeri is now targeting Flying Eagles’ scalp to qualify for the last eight of the tourney.

    Juan Verzeri said: ”We got the first big goal, which was to overcome the group stage, and now we are mentalising for the next game which is essential to reach the quarterfinals.

    ”Nigeria will be very hard because they are a very physical team and takes us a few days ahead of us resting, but we are confident.”

    Nigeria and Uruguay will lock horns tomorrow at the Türk Telekom Arena, Istanbul.

  • El Kanemi wary of Wikki Tourists

    El Kanemi wary of Wikki Tourists

    The Team Manager of El Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri, Baba Ali Ajayi says his side will not take Wikki Tourists of Bauchi for granted in their Match Day Two of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) on Wednesday.

    El-Kanemi started their league campaign on a high on Sunday last week by securing a vital away point and held Nasarawa United to a goalless draw in Lafia, while Wikki Tourists were beaten 1-0 at home by Kano Pillars.

    Ajayi told SportingLife that Wikki Tourists’ home defeats will compel them to get something from the game and that said: “We are really preparing for the game against Wikki Tourists because we don’t want to take chances. They lost at home last week against Kano Pillars and they will want to come out for this one and get something out of it to please their fans. But we are fully ready and we won’t take them for granted.”

    He said the players had been paid their match bonus on return to Maiduguri after the match.

    “There is no other way to motivate players than to take their welfare seriously. Apart from the fact that we paid them 50% of their signing-on fee before Nasarawa United game, we ensured that we paid their match bonus too to motivate them to do more,” he concluded.

  • Keshi wary of Spanish team

    Keshi wary of Spanish team

    SUPER EAGLES Head Coach Stephen Keshi has expressed fears over the ability of his team to subdue the Catalonian National team in a friendly encounter slated for Spain on Wednesday next week.

    Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, the Big boss said his fears are hinged on the unfavourable weather condition in Europe at this period. Quoting his words, the former International said “I am afraid the chilly weather in Europe will have a serious effect on my players, but minus that, we are going to give a good account of our selves. We would give them a good match. But don’t forget it is a friendly match, the result does not matter, but the character of the game, and performance of each of the players. We are going to play other friendly matches in Faro, Portugal, to enable us perfect all our tactics” he said.

    Since the restoration of democracy in the 1970s, the Catalonia national team has regularly played international friendly matches. They subsequently put together a string of successful results against great economic countries like Bulgaria, Nigeria, Yugoslavia, Lithuania and Chile. On May 5, 2002 Catalonia hosted Brazil in a warm up friendly game before the official 2002 FIFA World Cup. Brazil, who went on to win the official competition, beat Catalonia 3–1. In 2004 Brazil returned for a second friendly game and this time won 5–2 in the Camp Nou, where some months later Argentina defeated Catalonia 3–0. The last friendly matches have been against great economic countries like Paraguay, Costa Rica, Basque Country, Argentina and Colombia.

    On 2 November 2009, it was announced that Dutch legend and former Barcelona manager Johan Cruyff will be the new coach of Catalonia.

    On 22 December 2009, they played a friendly against Argentina, which ended in a Catalonia win, 4–2 at Camp Nou.

    On 28 December 2010, Catalonia played another friendly against Honduras winning 4–0 at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys

  • Osaze: Teams wary of Baggies

    Osaze: Teams wary of Baggies

    SUPER Eagles West Brom forward, Osaze Peter Odemwingie feels other teams have become more cautious when playing the Baggies after their impressive start to the season.

    Albion were third in the Premier League after their 4-2 victory at Sunderland, but are winless in four games since.

    “They’ve seen we have quality and pace. I’ve noticed people play more careful against us now,” he told BBC WM.

    “It becomes a bit more difficult but that’s when you need to show character and belief that we are growing.”

    The Nigeria international added: “We have been doing well this season, and we’ve had a bad three weeks, but hopefully we can score goals again.”

    West Brom’s slight dip in form has seen them slip to seventh in the table, but despite faltering they still remain only two points off third-placed Chelsea.

    However next month they face the prospect of being be without Odemwingie, who could travel to South Africa for the Africa Cup of Nations.

    But the 31-year-old believes that the West Brom squad can push on in his absence.

    “I want to be going there in the new year with West Brom high in the table which would help me emotionally,” Odemwingie said.

    “Of course I will miss a couple of weeks of action here, but I believe we have a squad that can hold on to the good start we have had.”

  • 2013 Africa Cup of Nations: Keshi wary of opponents

    2013 Africa Cup of Nations: Keshi wary of opponents

    Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has stressed there are no minnows in Nigeria’s group for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

    Keshi’s side have been drawn in the tournament’s Group C, which comprises Zambia, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia.

    Despite being favoured to top the group, Keshi says that his team will treat their rivals with equal respect.

    “I don’t think there is any weak side amongst the teams that have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa,” Keshi told Goal.com.

    “If you have qualified, that means the team merits it. So any group that you find yourself in you just have to do what you have to do to survive in the group.

    “There is no cheap group and I really don’t think there is a big group either. All teams that qualified are there on equal strength until otherwise proved during the course of the competition.

    “The most important thing is how you prepare your team as the mentality of the players and their attitude is the key to success in the competition.”

    Nigerian players are currently enjoying a rich vein of form for clubs across Europe and, while pleased with that news, Keshi is anticipating some tough decisions when selecting his squad for the biennial tournament.

    “I think the fine form of my players in Europe is quite heart-warming news most especially coming at a time we are planning our final preparations for the 2013 Nations Cup in South Africa,” he said. “It is good for a coach to have multiple choices that he can pick from.

    “This is what I want so it is a good thing for us. But we have a number of attackers we need to take along to the Nations Cup. We surely cannot take everybody there because we have other departments to consider like the midfield, the defence and even the goalkeeping area.

    “We have a stipulated number of players that we can actually take to the competition, so we will see.

    “Whoever we think is ready that will not only play the game but also help in engendering team spirit and also help the team to achieve the result we crave for will be invited.”

  • Emenike wary of stubborn Liberia

    Emenike wary of stubborn Liberia

    Spartak Moscow of Russia’s striker,Emmanuel Emenike has cautioned Nigerians to be wary of the antics of the Lone Star and not get carried away with the first leg advantage. SPORTINGLIFE’S TUNDE LIADI spoke with him in Calabar.

    You have been in awesome form in the UEFA Champions League with your Russian club, Spartak Moscow, what is responsible for such awesome display?

    It was okay and I have been trying my best but I won’t say we were pleased with the two results we have got thus far. I scored two goals against Celtic and played well too against Barcelona but the fact that we lost those matches despite putting all that we got made us unhappy. They were really crazy games for us.

    You played in the first leg in Monrovia and have seen the way they played, where lies their threat ahead of the return leg?

    The main thing is that we need to be very careful. We need to go out and work and play hard because if we start undermining these guys they may come out and surprise us and so we need to be very careful and work very hard in the pitch on Saturday.

    Does that mean that victory songs should not start yet?

    Yes! We just have to go out there and give our best. We should not say that we are already in South Africa when the game has not been played. We have to play well.

    About a year ago you were in that team that failed to qualify Nigeria for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations after the surprise draw against Guinea. What lessons have we learnt from that episode?

    It was a crazy one at that moment. I was devastated and my head was virtually down. I think this time we are going to make it because it is my dream to play at the Africa Cup of Nations. It is our time and nobody can stop us.