Archive for May, 2013
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"Saudi Ambassador in a meeting with head of FG delegation, Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal in effort to resolve the hajj imbroglio" SA on Media to the Speaker has posted... [details soon]
National News
From COBHAM NSA, Abuja --
Trouble times for the embattled Director General of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Aruma Oteh may not be over soon as staff of the commission yesterday embarked on another round of strike to protest against her alleged high-handedness.
According to the protesting workers, the bone of contention in this latest round of face-off is the query issued to leaders of the staff union by the Oteh-led management.
For them, present air of uneasiness enveloping the Commission would not easily wear off if Ms Oteh fails to meet their demands within two weeks of allowing breadth of fresh air and due process to prevail.
Chanting slogans such as “Oteh must go!!!” “We no go gree!”; the protesting workers, who abandoned their duty posts early to march round the premises, described the SEC boss as making the Commission unfriendly for staff productivity since her return to office.
With numerous placa...
National News
From JOSHUA I. EGBODO, Abuja --
THE House of Representatives is set to investigate the persistent rise in cases of human trafficking in the country. To this end, the House yesterday mandated its Joint Committee on Human Rights, Youth Development, Interior, Women Affairs, Justice and to investigate the phenomenon.
Chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights, Beni Lar had in a motion, drew attention of the House to the rising cases human trafficking in spite of the creation of a body to check the evil, saying the House should dig into activities of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP).
In her lead debate on the motion, Lar noted that Nigeria was downgraded from tier one to tier two status by the department of state of the US’ 2012 trafficking in persons report, adding that human trafficking had caused untold hardship to many persons and families in the country.
She argued that the gover...
Sports
Flamingoes head coach, Peter Dedevbo, has called for calm after his side’s whitewash of hosts, Azerbaijan at the Fifa Under17 Women’s World Cup.
Nigeria’s Flamingoes defeated their Azerbaijani counterparts 11-0 lastTuesday.
But Dedevbo does not want the routing of the hosts to “get into our heads” as they prepare to face Colombia in their last group game on Saturday.
“When we arrived Azerbaijan for the tournament, I told my girls not to underrate any team. This can be seen in the way we approached each team and today’s (Tuesday’s) match.
“I thank God and my girls for the victory, but we will not let this get into our heads. We will continue to apply the same approach to every game,” said the Nigerian trainer after his side’s win over Azerbaijan.
This is the second time the Flamingoes have beaten the host nation of a Fifa tourney. In Trinidad and Tobago two years ago, it ended 2-1 in favour of Flamingoes.
T...
Sports
From UBA IBRAHIM, Kaduna --
[caption id="attachment_1926" align="alignright" width="235"] Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN (right) taking a five metres lap with the Torch of Unity shortly after receiving it from the Vice President, Architect ch Namadi Sambo as the Host of the next Festival during the flag-off of the movement of the Torch of Unity for the 18th National Sports Festival “Eko 2012” at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday, September 25, 2012. With him is the Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.[/caption]
Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna State will receive the ‘Torch of Unity’ today at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House to signal the official countdown to the forthcoming 18th National Sports Festival tagged ‘Eko 2012’ slated for November 27 through December 9 in Lagos this year.
New Nigerian Sports learnt that those to accompany the...
Sports
From IGNATIUS OKPARA, Enugu --
A FIFA-licensed player agent, Kester Ezuma has declared that for the Nigerian Premier League to command more respect, proper packaging, players’ welfare and a lot more still need to be done.
Speaking to sports writers in Enugu recently, the youthful agent stated that “our league system needs a lot of improvement in all ramifications as players, technical officials and club manager sneed to come to terms with modern trends in the organization of league.
“The league body really needs to come to terms with modern trend in organizing league football in the country. We need to be steadfast with the implementation of the rules as well as have a football calendar that will stand the test of time. We don’t need to be postponing league games because one of our clubs is involved in certain international competition.
“All we need is to be pro-active and build into our calendar dates of internationa...
Sports
From IGNATIUS OKPARA, Enugu --
FEW days to the second leg of the last round of qualifiers for next year’s African Cup of Nations in South Africa, a FIFA- licensed players agent, Kester Ezuma, has expressed confidence in the nation’s head coach, Stephen Keshi to lead the Super Eagles safely to the ‘Promised Land’.
In an interview the Swiss-based, Infinite International Sports Academy chief executive stressed that coach Stephen Keshi was on the right track to qualification with the right blend of home-based stars and foreign-based stars in his re-building process for the senior national team.
The former Coal City Babes FC, ITF FC of Jos player in his playing days said “I strongly believe that Keshi is doing the right thing for our football. Within a shot space of time he has been able to turn things around in the Super Eagles where we can now boast of players from our domestic league jostling for positions with their for...
Sports
From RAMSAY UGELE, Abuja --
Super Eagles team list for the crucial Nations Cup qualifier final leg released on Tuesday has received knocks from former Assistant Secretary General (Technical) of the NFF, Coach James Peters, as he poured cold water on the invitation of Chelsea boy, John Mikel Obi and Lazio of Italy young sensation Onazi Ogenyi.
According to the former technical chieftain, Stephen Keshi should have concluded his Nations Cup qualification campaign before inviting the duo for the real tournament, as inviting them now will affect the tactical profile the team is already working itself into.
“Well, Mikel Obi no doubt is one of our best foreign-based, but if you ask me, he has no business in that team for now on account of the level of cohesion already achieved with those he (Keshi) had been prosecuting the qualification with.
His inclusion at this point technically will affect the play philosophy and speed...
Sports
From RAMSAY UGELE, Abuja --
Coach James Peters who was Assistant Coach to the Eagles class of 1984 has rubbished claims by former Algerian player Mohammed Shuoaib that Nigeria and Algeria played an accord game to ease out the Black Stars of Ghana in the Nations Cup that was hosted by Cote d’Ivoire.
Peters who was assisting Chief Adegboye Onigbinde who was the chief coach then told newsmen at the Glass House yesterday that both teams, Nigeria and Algeria knew what was at stake so they had to charge the players to brace up.
“It was a tournament, the current Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi was the captain and one of our defence stalwarts and playing against a highly mobile and attacking Algerian national team marshalled by the great Rabah Madjer, so we tactically resolved to play for a draw as a worse result, but if the winning goal comes why not,’’ adding that they on the bench never asked the players to play accord game.
...
Politics
By BAYO AKAMO --
FOR the duo of Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the immediate past Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin, things seem to have fallen apart considering the on going verbal war between them. To many political observers, the political romance between Folarin and Ajibola despite not being in the same political parties could best be said to be short lived considering the commitment of the former to the emergence of the latter as the governor of Oyo state, particularly at the tail end of his declaration as the overall winner of the April 21 governorship election.
It is on record that Senator Folarin like many other non Action Congress of Nigeria political bigwigs in the state that stood solidly behind Ajimobi in the crucial leg of the ‘’Akala must go’’ at all cost days were compensated with juicy slots in the present cabinet of Ajimobi, with Senator Folarin being compensated with his own share of ...