₦airaland Forum

Where a governor will be prevented from entering his office

Super Eagles midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi, says he’s
truly living his dream life in the cosy Italian city of
Parma.
Speaking exclusively to The Nation Sports & Style
recently, the Parma FC midfielder reflected on his
career and life in the ancient city and noted that
he’s enjoying every bit of life in the ‘beautiful
city’.
Hear him: “When I got to Lazio I was put in Team
B, so I had to work very hard in training and on
the pitch to achieve lots of strength and stability
in the team. I was desperate for success and
everybody in the team knew. I was quite young
at that time and knew that to command regular
shirt would be tough. I knew the only way to
achieve my dream of first team shirt was to be
committed and dedicated. So when I got the
opportunity I was able to justify the first team
shirt. I was born to play and be great. I love the
club and the cosy life in Lazio. The city is also
beautiful. The fans and the management of the
club are fantastic and I have never regretted my
life in the team because I am already living my
dream.”
Onazi, for many that do not know him too well, is
a ‘promised child’.
Until recently when he became a household name
being sought by Eagles handler, Stephen Keshi,
to hold his midfield alongside Mikel Obi, Onazi was
a youngster in the colours of My People FC; a
youth team put together by televangelist TB
Joshua.
While Onazi was a key player in Nigeria’s recent
Africa Cup of Nations’ victory, this was not the
first time that the 20-year-old has been brought
to public attention. In fact, few players have been
raised and developed with such expectation and
anticipation as Onazi. His progress has long been
a subtle narrative for Nigerians.
Onazi and his compatriot, Sani Emmanuel, were
selected for the Nigerian U17 team before long
and soon earned moves to Europe, and to Italian
giants, Lazio.
Since the transfer, Onazi has flourished, and at
the time of writing this piece has taken his game
to the national level. Onazi, who has identified
Chelsea as an ideal future home, speaks on other
issues. Excerpts:
Flying high with Eagles
I will like to say I have been so fortunate to
maintain my regularity in the national team. It
was not that I am perfect in commanding regular
shirts but I think God has been so helpful to me
not only in Super Eagles but in my career
generally. I came into the national team with
passion and visions and I thank God my dreams
are perfectly coming through.
Patience in career
My career generally has something to do with
time. I endured a lot with prayer and
determination to get to this level of my career. It
took me lots of patience because I have believed
in God’s time, which is the best. During my
endurance, I tried as much to learn a lot of things
in the game and also held my determination to be
a better player. So I would like to say, the awaited
time of God is paving ways to my success at the
moment.
Afcon glory
I was born to be a champion. I will forever be a
living champion because I have been ordained to
live, conquer and be successful. I went to South
Africa with a huge confidence. But I never
disclosed it to anybody. The game of football is
about one philosophy; you must not doubt your
mind, the moment you doubt your faith, it will
definitely shake off. I went to the tournament
with big faith of winning. Even when critics
started kicking against the team, my faith was
intact. I had that belief that Eagles would
conquer in South Africa and it became stronger
when we beat Cote’d’ Ivoire. I see the Ivoirians as
the tournament’s main threat to the Super Eagles
and we handled the game well. That was when
our critics started believing that we could go all
the way to win the trophy.
God-made
When you work in God’s directions and obey his
commandment, you are bound for greatness. I
am God-made because I dedicate everything I
have to him because he has been wonderful to
me at every point of my career. The first thing I
do on waking up is to praise his name before any
other thing. And I always see that effect in my
daily activities because I have put him before
anything.
Making waves in Lazio
When I got to Lazio I was put in Team B, so I had
to work very hard in training and on the pitch to
achieve lots of strength and stability in the team.
I was desperate for success and everybody in the
team knew that. I was quite young at that time
and knew that to command a regular shirt would
be tough. I knew the only way to achieve my
dream of first team shirt was to be committed
and dedicated. So when I got the opportunity I
was able to justify the first team shirt.
I was born to play and be great. I love the club
and the cosy life in Lazio. The city is also
beautiful. The fans and the management of the
club are fantastic and I have never regretted my
life in the team because I am already living my
dream.
Onazi, the midfielder
I improve with every action tasted in Lazio and
that is the magic of my game. I work hard to play
better than my last game. I don’t believe I can’t
do anything my mates are doing. I think it is a
general thing in a footballer’s career; the more
you play, the better you become intelligently.
Consistency has really paid off for me because I
find joy mostly on the pitch especially when I am
doing my job well. However, I am not yet there
because there are many great footballers in the
world today, that is why I am not resting on my
oars. I am taking my game higher, higher and
higher every day. As a midfielder, you must be
dynamic in your style of play and let your team
mates feel your impact either in defending or
offence; so I am putting lots of creativity into my
games.
Positivity
I love living a positive life even in the world of
negativity. I am always positive.
Off the pitch
I play snooker to unwind. I can never get tired of
it. It is another great game that I love with a
passion. I play the game well and my teammates
know I’m really good at it.

Information reaching us indicates that veteran
Nigerian musician, Ras Kimono has welcomed his
fifth child from his wife named Efe. This is the
third child Efe would be giving the reggae star.
The 'Under Pressure' crooner also has two other
children from two other women. As we speak, Ras
Kimono is said to be very happy about the
development.
Efe used to be the singer's manager. She is now
in the United States of America practising
nursing.

TeeJay22: I have received so many calls from hausa people so many times and it all happens that they called the wrong number...... Why do you think they are so fond of it.

u see am talk

nickz: Usain Bolt go Turn Learner.
Any body wey run pass me na mad man

I see u, u make sense

Djangocode: @OP..

You made a lotta sense.. 4 yrs in school doing comp sci is just a waste of time.. If u are into ICT for real, University won't make u a better man as long as naija is concerned.. U can't get any IT job if u follow what they do in naija uni's.. Teaching u pascal and fortran is just trash..

If u need a cert, Reg in NIIT or Afrihub just for the cert sake buh just build urself and do ur thing.. Videos and ebooks abound online.. With ur lappy, u can move mountains..

That's the plain truth..

gbam, u just said the whole truth, I never studied comp sci in sch but I will challenge any comp sci stdnt cos am currently undergoing some It courses

Mpeace :
Big lie. There's nothing like that. Even the NFF knows nothing about this friendly. Secondly, burkina faso dey play south africa that day. So I wonder who fix this match.

u'r wrong, go to livescores.com and confirm

spenca: i think senegal burkina or ethiopia would do

plus algeria

Chanchit: Yes o..! Burkina babes sef would be a very good bargain.

tru talk

JAGARS: I
see Nigeria playing Egypt....
Let's watch out and see, because the playoff is really going to be tough.
the only weaker team here is ethopia because they are going nowhere.
Goodluck to any team dat will be paired with ethopia...

Egypt? Hmmm, my lips are sealed

Chanchit: It would definately be a misfortune for any country to be paired with us. But to avoid trouble, I dnt want Egypt and maybe Senegal, cos Senegal like juju. But I won't mind Ethiopia.

I support you bro, ethiopia, or burkina faso, but am not afraid of senegal sha

I came back from church today, still basking in the euphoria of the eagle's victory over the flames of malawi yesterday, and I was wondering who Nigeria might face among 9 other countries who has qualified for the final playoff.Though I will not chide away from the fact that the super eagles is good enough to match whatever opposition that comes its way, but personally I will like to avoid teams like Egypt and Ivory coast.I have my reasons and am going to point them out.The pharaohs of Egypt who has dominated the africa continent in the africa cup of nation by claiming the most coveted trophy in continent a record of 7 times of which 3 are consecutively,though they missed the last one held in southafrica as they were stoped from qualifying by fellow north african team,algeria, but they bounced back to their impresive form by winning all their 5 world cup qualifying matches and secured playoff qualification even before their last match that will take place today.I respect the pharaohs because of their impresive home record,and their intricacies, apart from the fact that the pharaohs are fast and agile in their mode of play, their greatest strenght lies in the fact that there is great familiarity within their team as most of the crops of players they parade are players who play in their local league and therefore brings stability to their team.For this reasons, I will prefer for the eagles not to be drawed against Egypt in the play offs. On the other hand, I wouldn't want nigeria to face ivory coast in the final play off not because they are better than us as we showed them our superioty when we sent the home with a resounding 2-1 victory in southafrica Afcon 2013 but because I will like the prospect of seeing both countries representing the Africa continents in brazil in 2014 and wouldn't want them paired together.Other teams that have qualified for the playoff include, Ghana,Burkina faso, Algeria, Capeverde,Senegal,ethiopia. Cameroon are expected to qualifier should they get a draw at least against libya today, So who are you expecting to be drawed against the eagles?

Police on guard, no cause for alarm

hernars: LET'S SEE WHO HAS THE MOST SWAG...TELL AN HILARIOUS LIE * JUST BECAUSE I SEND RECHARGE CARD TO OBAMA JONATHAN COME DEY FLASH ME* LETS KIP IT COMING!

all my private jets wey dey with oyedepo, I wan collEect am

Kewt: Nice one @op

thanks

The Nigerian political climate is increasingly
getting tense as the 2015 general elections draw
near. In fact, there are permutations that the
elections may hold by November 2014, if a new
electoral law demands that all polls be concluded
six months before the swearing-in date.
Questions are being asked about the men and
women that will be the major players this time
round. Political parties as well as individuals are
warming up for the great battle ahead. It is time
for political strategising and calculations all aimed
at ensuring victory at the polls. Other Nigerians
cannot help but watch patiently - and curiously
too - as events unfold.
Below are the strong men who will make things
happen in the days ahead:
CHIEF OLUSEGUN OBASANJO
After ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo voluntarily
resigned as Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees
(BoT), a civic reception was organized in his
honour. According to the organisers then,
Obasanjo is an outstanding statesman and an
icon and is being celebrated for his exploits on
the political landscape of Nigeria in the past
50years.
“Having dominated the Nigerian public life in a
way no other person has for the past 50 years,
the symbolism of another retirement is not lost on
us. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has effectively
become the father of the nation, a political oracle
and a living legend whose life is worth
celebrating,” they said.
After leaving office in 2007, he has been
practically responsible for the enthronement of
two subsequent governments and speculations
are rife that he wants to repeat the feat in 2015.
It is also noteworthy that most of the members of
the breakaway faction of the PDP are loyal to
Obasanjo and the import of his absence at last
Saturday’s special convention of the ruling party
was not lost on political observers.
With the current trend, nobody is sure which
direction Obasanjo is heading to, but the choice
he makes will surely make or mar the 2015
election.
GOODLUCK JONATHAN
President Jonathan is probably the chief among
those who will make or mar the 2015 elections. A
lot will depend on what he chooses to do or not to
do concerning 2015. His party, the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), which prides itself on
being “the largest political party in Africa” and
has sworn to hold on to power for 60 years, is
now battling for survival. It has been politically
difficult (though there are a few exceptions) to
defeat an incumbent in Africa, more especially if
the incumbent is desperate and hell-bent on
returning.
MUHAMMADU BUHARI
Former head of state General Muhammadu Buhari
is a household name, although not much was
heard of Buhari until the establishment of the
Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund, PTF, and the end
of the military interregnum that ushered in the
present democratic dispensation in 1999. He
appeared on the Nigerian political landscape
determined and resolute to clinch the No. 1
position again as executive president. A dogged
politician, he has run for the office of the
president of Nigeria for three consecutive times:
2003, 2007, and 2011.
ATIKU ABUBAKAR
Within the Nigerian political landscape, the
Turakin Adamawa and former vice-president,
Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, is like a big masquerade.
Atiku is among those expected to run for
president come 2015. He seems to be calculating
possible advantages from the current crisis
rocking the ruling party. In line with this, he is
currently in a move with seven PDP governors to
possibly float a new party or take control of the
PDP.
A consummate politician, he has the wherewithal
to finance elaborate campaigns.
BOLA AHMED TINUBU
A politician’s politician, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the
Asiwaju of Lagos, can be said to be about the only
politician in Nigeria who has regional control and,
from his base, he is now about to come out and
expand his political tentacles and influence all
over the country.
SENATOR DAVID MARK
The Senate President, Senator David Mark, is
undoubtedly one of the politicians whose roles will
affect the outcome of 2015 election. As the
president of the Nigerian Senate, he enjoys the
loyalty and confidence of the senators whose
support will be sought by almost all candidates
who are interested in winning elections.
Whichever political divide Mark may lean on will
be counting their advantages. Therefore, which
side he may take will go a long way in
determining the outcome of the elections. More
so, if Mark eventually declares interest in
contesting for any office higher than what he is
occupying now, then the sound of the music will
definitely change.
AMINU WAZIRI TAMBUWAL
The Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Aminu Bello Waziri Tambuwal, just like David
Mark, is another force to reckon with. As the
leader of the lower chamber, Tambuwal who also
enjoys the loyalty and the confidence of the
House of Representatives has the potential to
determine where a block of votes will go in the
election.
This is because Tambuwal, in his position, has a
great influence which can play significant role in
determining which camp enjoys the majority, if
not all of the members of the house will give their
support. As far as the outcome of 2015 elections
is concerned, Tambuwal is not a political figure to
disregard.
CHIEF ANTHONY ANENIH
Popularly called “Mr. Fix It” and Jonathan’s right
hand man for now, Tony Anenih is the current
BoT chair of the PDP and one of the deciders of
who gets what in the embattled political
fraternity. Anenih’s doggedness and political
dexterity is legendary. A member of the PDP BoT
had once told a national daily on why the
presidency wanted him at all cost to be the BoT
chair after Obasanjo’s exit. He said that his
antecedent in political organization and
arrangement placed him ahead of other aspirants
then.
With Jonathan almost in the cold, all eyes are on
Anenih now to see how he can keep the party
together and ensure its victory in the 2015
general elections in the face of daunting
challenges facing the party. The leader, as he is
fondly called, is an old war horse. His political
exploits since the Second Republic have remained
unmatchable, although he has not contested for
any elective political office; he has been
instrumental in the emergence of governors and
Presidents of the country at different times.
Having read the handwriting on the wall, he has
been calling for restraints in the ongoing crisis
rocking the party. He served successive
governments at the centre, ranging from the
days of General Ibrahim Babangida to the present
government of President Jonathan. His services
will surely come handy in 2015.
GOVERNOR BABANGIDA ALIYU
Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu is the self-styled
Chief Servant of Niger State. He is a technocrat
cum politician when he was selected as the PDP
gubernatorial candidate in 2007 after the
disqualification of Alhassan Guna. Since then he
has no known political structure until he became
the chairman of the Northern States Governors’
Forum (NSGF), which has since transformed into
a political power bloc.
The role of the NSGF in the Nigerian Governors’
Forum (NGF) festering crisis is an open secret. As
things stand now, he is a member of what is now
known as “New PDP” which plans to upstage the
mainstream party. Despite his recent denial of a
gang-up against the president, it is clear that he
has something up his sleeve as we inch towards
2015.
GOVERNOR SULE LAMIDO
The speculation is that governors Sule Lamido
and Rotimi Amaechi have been endorsed by
Obasanjo to run a joint ticket of presidential and
vice-presidential candidate respectively. This was
after the sighting of a Lamido/Amaechi campaign
vehicle in Kaduna State.
In the meantime, the chairman of the PDP, Jigawa
State, could not resist pledging the state’s
support if Lamido and Amaechi were given the
opportunity to lead the country. “They could bail
it out from the present difficult condition it’s
fallen into,” he said.
Lamido enjoys the overwhelming support of the
people of Jigawa State to whom he signifies
transformation in its entirety. He further has the
support of the state governors of the “new PDP”.
These states are allegedly states with the highest
PDP voters and, with that, he is sure to gather a
whole lot of votes. Besides, he seems to have
secured the support of the wealthy former vice-
president, Atiku Abubakar.
GOVERNOR ROTIMI AMAECHI
Governor Rotimi Amaechi was not always a
politician; he was at first a public relations officer
of Pamo Clinics and Hospitals Limited (1988)
owned by the former governor of Rivers State,
Peter Odili. It was in 1992 that he cut into the
Rivers political scene as the special assistant to
the deputy governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili.
In 1999, he contested and won a seat to become
a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly,
representing Ikwere LGA and was subsequently
elected and re-elected speaker of the House in
2003.
In 2007, Amaechi brought a suit over his party’s
decision to make Celestine Omehia the PDP’s
gubernatorial candidate. Omehia had been
favoured by then Governor Odili. Amaechi won
the suit with the support of the militants and
became Rivers State governor on Oct 26, 2007.
He was re-elected governor in April 2011.
Amaechi is certainly gaining international and
national popularity with the latest intrigues
surrounding his political ambition in recent years.
Speculations are rife that he had used his clout as
chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF)
to foster his vice-presidential ambition. Not once
but twice. Governors play a critical role in the
emergence of presidential candidates. Amaechi’s
position as NGF chairman gives him the strategic
position required to win the backing of critical
stakeholders in the polity.
THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER (NSA)
As in the case of the police, the office of the
National Security Adviser (NSA) is another agency
whose role will be very crucial in deciding the
shape of events during the forthcoming election.
Any security advice from the NSA regarding the
corporate peace and existence of Nigeria
concerning the election or any perceived threat
from any quarter cannot be undermined. Such
security advice may even trigger off any decision
that can be taken by INEC to the effect of
allowing or disallowing any politician to contest
elections.
The NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) is very relevant
here as well as his role as the one who heads the
office that coordinates other security agencies.
His objective stance at all times will be a
parameter to assess his performance in office, the
credibility of the election and Nigeria at large in
the eyes of the world.
IGP AND THE POLICE
The strategic importance of the role of the police
in a crucial national exercise as the 2015
elections cannot be doubted. Even though the
inspector-general of police, Mr Mohammed
Abubakar, is not a politician, his role as the IGP
together with the Nigeria Police Force will
determine the shape of events before and during
the elections.
As the head of the police force, his ability to stand
firm or fall to any side in favour of any contender
who may wish to use the police for a particular
advantage will contribute in determining the
results. For him, the major challenge ahead is to
play according to the rules and to ensure that the
force which he heads does not work in secret or
in the open to favour any candidate. This will earn
the police and Abubakar himself more accolades
than anything short of this. His integrity and that
of the police would be better preserved also.
Needless to say, the credibility or otherwise of the
historic elections lies so much in the hands of
security operatives of which the police is at the
vanguard.
INEC AND JEGA
The Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) and its chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega,
alongside resident electoral commissioners in the
36 states of the federation seem to be the
deciders of where the pendulum swings at the
end of the day, barring judicial interference.
INEC is a making of the law. Under the 1999
Constitution, the independence of INEC as a body
is guaranteed by Section 158(1) which provides
that “the Commission shall not be subject to the
direction or control of any other authority or
person when exercising its powers to appoint and
effect disciplinary control over persons. Also,
according to Section 4 of the INEC Establishment
Decree and Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the
Constitution (15), the commission is saddled with
certain responsibilities in order to achieve
desirable political administration.
The functions include: to register political parties,
organize and supervise all the elections, conduct
registration of eligible voters and compile
authentic voter register, monitor the organization
and operation of the political parties including
their finances, conduct registration of eligible
voters and compile authentic voter register,
constituency delineation, among several others.
But how the electoral umpire and its personnel
will carry out their mandate is a determinant of
what to come in 2015. Given its past notorious
record of outright partiality and reluctance in
some instances to do what is right, INEC can
make or mar the 2015 elections.
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE SERVICES (DSS)
The State Security Service (SSS) is the primary
domestic intelligence agency of Nigeria. It is
primarily responsible for intelligence gathering
within the country and for the protection of senior
government officials, particularly the president
and state governors. It is one of three successor
organisations to the National Security
Organization (NSO) dissolved in 1986. The SSS
operates as a department within the presidency
and is under the control of the national security
adviser. The SSS has come under repeated
criticism from both within Nigeria and without; it
is viewed as an instrument of political repression,
used by whatever government is in power to
harass and intimidate political opponents. SSS
officials maintain that they act constitutionally,
providing needed internal peace and security for
the people of Nigeria. The agency is also known as
the Department of State Services (DSS).
Politicians in power might influence the agency to
compile a fictitious dossier on any politician they
consider a threat, which will tamper with his
integrity, hence his disqualification from
contesting political office.
It is interesting to note that the body’s action and
inaction, depending on what is involved, will go a
long way in determining 2015.
ANTI-GRAFT AGENCIES
The creation of the duo of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the
Independent Corrupt Practices and other related
offences Commission (ICPC) was among the
greatest achievements of ex-president Olusegun
Obasanjo. Their mandates are separately the
same, that is, to combat corruption in whatever
form and at all levels of the country.
Alas! Not a few see these desirable agencies in
this era of corruption as ready tools in the hands
of people in power to hunt their perceived
opponents. A classical case was at the twilight of
Obasanjo’s government in 2007 when the pioneer
EFCC boss, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, was in charge.
He raised a lot of dust on the political scene of the
country when the commission came up with a list
of purportedly corrupt politicians who were
stopped at the eleventh hour from contesting
elections.
The action was believed to be a hatchet job and,
in achieving the objective, it was alleged that
Obasanjo had the active support of the then
attorney-general and minister of justice, Bayo Ojo.
The trio of Obasanjo, Ojo and Ribadu allegedly
treated then INEC chairman Maurice Iwu with
suspicion. He was seen in the circle as being too
close to ex-Adamawa State governor Boni Haruna
and, by implication, close to Obasanjo’s estranged
deputy, Atiku Abubakar.
That action by Ribadu gave the anti-graft
agencies a bad name and many are therefore
sceptical of their real motives whenever it is
election time.
THE JUDICIARY
The Judiciary is widely believed to be the last
beacon of hope for anybody who is aggrieved.
The third estate of the realm is known for
redressing injustice but, unfortunately, politics
has found its way into the sacred temple of
justice and destroyed the very virtue of justice
therein.
An independent judiciary is universally
acknowledged as one of the most defining and
definitive features of a functional democracy.
Many see it as an essential barrier against abuse
of power, authoritarianism and arbitrariness. How
it functions as well as how the various
stakeholders in a democratic experiment
appropriate its interventions and role in the polity
are critical indicators of the health or otherwise of
a democracy.
Some members of the bench have been accused
of trading judgement for money which caused
great brouhaha. Therefore, if the judiciary
compromised its independence at any point, the
result would be as unpleasant as the cases in
Osun and Sokoto states’ post-gubernatorial
elections

E<R>F:
Its funny how a topic reads a million views, but the comments are less than twenty.
And i wonder, if the topic is that eye-catching, leaving a comment shouldn't be that bad - as it encourages the OP either good or ill.

[size=15pt]Below are the three fools of nairaland (NL) : [/size]



1. Someone that comes to Nairaland to get something new.

2. Someone that gets the information and refuses to say a "thank you" , okay, or something nicer.

3. Someone that reads this and refuses to leave a comment.

Prove it to me, that you ain't a fool... I'm waiting!!!

tru talk

A 36-year old Personal Assistant to the former
chairman of Otuoke Community Development
Committee (CDC) in Ogbia Local Government
Area of Bayelsa State has been arrested for
allegedly raping to death an 18 year old girl.
Otuoke is the hometown of Nigeria President
GoodLuck Jonathan.
The suspected rapist was arrested by the
police as he tried to dispose of the corpse in
the early hours of Thursday.
Indigenes and residents of Otuoke told
SaharaReporters that the suspect resides in
an uncompleted building owned by his boss,
the former council chairman.
An eyewitness who pleaded anonymity
alleged that the suspected rapist was
apprehended by an officer of the Nigeria
Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).
"We saw the civil defense officer dragging the
suspect and shouting that he has raped a girl
to death," he said.
According to the source, the suspect claimed
that he met the girl on the ground writhing in
pain and asking for help.
''He told the crowd that he met the girl while
she was on the ground and in pain. He said
the girl told him that she took poison due to
frustration she has been experiencing in her
life."
The Bayelsa Police Command spokesman, Mr.
Alex Akhigbe, confirmed the incident. He said
that the suspect had been transferred to the
State Police Headquarters for further
investigation while the corpse was deposited
at the Kolo General Hospital.

lovetterrison: The Flames of Malawi will be heading to Calabar for Saturday’s crucial World Cup qualifying match against the Super Eagles without the desired morale boosting result they hoped for having suffered a 1-0 defeat in their last tune up game against the Zebras of Botswana on Tuesday.

Botswana’s Jerome Ramatlhakwane scored the lone go six minutes into the second half to hand the hosts the slim win over the Malawians.

Experiment

Volunteer coach Tom Saintfiet tried new combinations among them Foster Namwela and James Sangala at the back while Robert Ng’ambi played as a supporting striker behind Atusaye Nyondo , in his trademark position at Platinum Stars in South Africa where he is scoring a lot of goals.

Flames leave Botswana Wednesday for Ghana where they will proceed to Nigeria on Thursday.

http://www.futaa.com/football/article/malawi-lose-to-botswana-ahead-of-eagles-clash

make nigeria win o, I don put money on top them o

Signs that the crisis engulfing the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) would abate are not in
sight as the party and its splinter group have
started trading words. The National Chairman
of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, described
members of the splinter group, which called
itself the New PDP and led by Alhaji Abubakar
Baraje, as impostors.
Speaking during a press conference in Abuja,
Nigeria's capital, on Wednesday, Tukur in
company with other members of the party's
National Working Committee (NWC)
threatened to declare the seats of members of
the New PDP in the National Assembly vacant.
The New PDP, whose birth was announced on
Saturday, originally had in its fold former Vice-
President Atiku Abubakar and seven
governors elected on the platform of the
crisis-torn party.
The governors are Alhaji Murtala Nyako
(Adamawa), Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu
(Niger), Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and
Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano). Others are Mr.
Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Alhaji Sule Lamido
(Jigawa) and Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto).
As at Tuesday, 22 senators and 57 members
of Nigeria's House of Representatives have
joined the splinter group.
Tukur said: "There is only one lawfully
recognised PDP and I am firmly in charge. Let
me state categorically that the PDP as the sole
custodian of the sacred mandate of over 160
million Nigerians and who in the last 14 years
has lifted high the banner of democracy will
not fold its arms while some undemocratic
and unpatriotic elements destroy our
common destiny by causing divisions and
confusion among the people.
“Consequently, we shall ensure that any
person who is not duly elected into any
leadership position in our great party and has
not been duly assigned any role but goes
ahead to arrogate such to himself will be
made to face the full wrath of the law.
"Similarly, all persons elected on the platform
of our great party at all levels who identify
with these enemies of the oneness and
greatness of our party shall have their seats
declared vacant as required by law."
According to a statement read and signed by
the PDP national chairman at the press
briefing, he said, "Gentlemen of the press,
you are aware of the current developments in
our great party. Our reason for being here is
to inform you without any iota of doubt that
the Peoples Democratic Party has no faction
and there is neither room nor reason
whatsoever for such a claim under any guise.
“The PDP has only one duly elected National
Executive Committee (NEC) under my
Chairmanship. I wish therefore to state with
all emphasis that any group of persons
parading themselves as leaders of NEC or any
other organ of our party are impostors and I
urge all Nigerians, especially the security
agencies and other institutions of democracy
to regard them as such.
“Let me state categorically that the PDP as
the sole custodian of the sacred mandate of
over 160 million Nigerians and who in the last
fourteen years has lifted high the banner of
democracy will not fold its arms while some
undemocratic and unpatriotic elements
destroy our common destiny by causing
divisions and confusion among the people.
“Consequently, we shall ensure that any
person who is not duly elected into any
leadership position in our great party and has
not been duly assigned any role but goes
ahead to arrogate such to himself will be
made to face the full wrath of the law.
“Similarly, all persons elected on the platform
of our great party at all levels who identify
with these enemies of the oneness and
greatness of our party shall have their seats
declared vacant as required by law.
“We shall leave no stone unturned to ensure
that such persons and indeed any other
individual who attempts to subvert the
leadership of the PDP shall reap in full, the
consequences of such actions.
“I wish to emphasize that the PDP has
adequate mechanism for internal conflict
resolution. All party members are therefore
advised to ventilate their grievances through
this medium. There is only one lawfully
recognized PDP and I am firmly in charge."
No questions were entertained at the press
conference.
However, the factional Chairman, Alhaji
Abubakar Baraje, reacting to Tukur's threat
said the New PDP was not surprised, adding
that it showed how ignorant Tukur is in party
politics.
According to him, "They are all jokers. They
don’t know what is party politics. We are not
surprised because they are ignorant of party
politics. In any case, the process of declaring
seats vacant or recalling members of National
or State Assembly is well known in the
constitution.
"To wake up and threaten that he is going to
recall members supporting us, shows that he
is not fit to be national chairman of PDP."
Comments

- One thing the world seems pretty
certain about: Christianity is a killjoy, anti-sex
religion. But this is a lie. Nothing in the Bible says
that sex is wrong.
The Bible does hold the view that sex is such a
mysterious and powerful thing that it ought to be
subject to certain boundaries -- like marriage. The
Bible views the body as something important --
something to be taken care of and used in God's
service, not used as a sexual toy.
Put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking
within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin,
impurity, lust, and shameful desires. Don't be
greedy for the good things of this life, for that is
idolatry. God's terrible anger will come upon those
who do such things. You used to do them when
your life was still part of this world. But now is the
time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior,
slander, and dirty language. Don't lie to each
other, for you have stripped off your old evil
nature and all its wicked deeds. In its place you
have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature
that is continually being renewed as you learn
more and more about Christ, who created this
new nature within you.
Colossians 3:5-10
Did you notice in the preceding passage the
words "You used to do them . . ."? This is a
promise of forgiveness for people who dabbled in
sexual sin. In the following quotation from 1
Corinthians, notes these important words "There
was a time when some of you were just like
that . . ."
Don't you know that those who do wrong will
have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool
yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who
are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes,
homosexuals, thieves, greedy people, drunkards,
abusers, and swindlers -- none of these will have a
share in the Kingdom of God. There was a time
when some of you were just like that, but now
your sins have been washed away, and you have
been set apart for God. You have been made right
with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ
and the Spirit of our God have done for you.
Don't you realize that your bodies are actually
parts of Christ? Should a man take his body,
which belongs to Christ, and join it to a
prostitute? Never! And don't you know that if a
man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one
body with her? For the Scriptures say, "The two
are united into one." But the person who is joined
to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly
affects the body as this one does. For sexual
immorality is a sin against your own body.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 15-18
Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one
another in marriage. God will surely judge people
who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
Hebrews 13:4
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature,
your lives will produce these evil results: sexual
immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful
pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic
activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts
of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling
that everyone is wrong except those in your own
little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and
other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have
before, that anyone living that sort of life will not
inherit the Kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21
Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or
greed among you. Such sins have no place
among God's people. Obscene stories, foolish talk,
and coarse jokes -- these are not for you. Instead,
let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure
that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will
inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a
greedy person is really an idolater who worships
the things of this world. Don't be fooled by those
who try to excuse these sins, for the terrible
anger of God comes upon all those who disobey
him. Don't participate in the things these people
do. For though your hearts were once full of
darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord,
and your behavior should show it!
Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and
darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them. It is
shameful even to talk about the things that
ungodly people do in secret. But when the light
shines on them, it becomes clear how evil these
things are. This is why it is said, "Awake, O
sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give
you light."
Ephesians 5:3-8, 11-14
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful
desires will harvest the consequences of decay
and death. But those who live to please the Spirit
will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

dr@ss:
Mohrino know what he's doing.

I keep my fingers crossed o

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) councillorship
candidate in last Saturday’s rerun in Offa Local
Government Area of Kwara State, Afolabi Jimoh,
has confessed that the All Progressives Congress
(APC) candidate won in his ward.
Jimoh was declared the winner by the State
Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC).
The APC has urged President Goodluck Jonathan;
the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed
Abubakar and the Chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof
Attahiru Jega, to prevail on KWSIEC to release the
authentic result of the rerun.
Jimoh, who contested the Shawo Southwest Offa
seat, said KWSIEC was in error to have declared
him the winner.
The young politician said though he remained a
loyal member of the PDP, but being a Muslim and
a faithful Offa indigene, he would not claim the
victory he did not win.
He said: “I remain the authentic candidate of the
PDP for Shawo Southwest Ward. I make bold to
say that in all the eight polling units in my ward,
the PDP lost that day.
“As a son of this great town, I believe that in all
that we do, we should know that we are going to
account for them. I’m this wise. I am not going to
be a part to getting what is not mine from
anybody.
“In all the eight polling units in my ward (Shawo
Southwest) the PDP lost, while the APC won
convincingly in all the polling units in the rerun
on August 31, 2013. I know well that the town
stands for equity and justice. I know that we shall
give account of all our actions on this earth one
day.
“On that day, there will be no influence from
anybody: be it an Oba, a governor, a leader, an
elder, a father or mother. You will be left alone
with your deeds. In this wise, I have resolved not
be a partaker of getting what is not mine from
anybody: in Offa, Kwara State and Nigeria. As a
native of this town, I don’t wish my town a bad
thing. If something like this continues to happen
and we decide to cover it up for one reason or the
other, if not now, in the future we will account for
everything.
“It is very good for us to call a spade a spade
anywhere we see it. By doing this, you are
helping yourself and others. In the interest of
peace and justice in Offa and Kwara State,
KWSIEC should release the authentic results of
last Saturday’s local government poll in Offa.
“The people of Offa have said that they don’t
want the PDP. It is clear that Offa people want the
APC. The election is a test for both the APC and
the PDP. It was a test for the PDP people to
correct the wrongs they have been doing, which
made the people to hate them. For the APC that
won, it should check itself and examine what it
has been doing that makes it acceptable in Offa.”
Jimoh’s confession gives the lie to the election
results the KWSIEC announced on the state radio.
The commission has been accused of declaring
the PDP, which won only one of the 12 wards in
the local government, as the winner of the poll.
The APC chairmanship candidate, Saheed
Popoola, yesterday said the announcement of the
PDP candidate as the winner was laughable,
unjust and dangerous to democracy.
Addressing reporters in Offa, Popoola urged well-
meaning Nigerians, including President Jonathan,
the IGP and Prof Jega to prevail on KWSIEC to
upturn its injustice.
He said the authentic results, which were
obtained from the collation centres, be declared
in the interest of peace, justice and progress.
Popoola said: “The people of Offa Local
Government, last Saturday, unequivocally
decided that I, Saheed Popoola of the APC, is their
choice. This choice must be respected, and we
stand before God and man to declare that we
stand by this choice.
“We are going to do everything possible within
the ambit of the law to retrieve this mandate and
exercise it to the benefit of the people of Offa. We
shall not rest or tire until the people’s choice is
sworn in.”
Popoola said the party had petitioned Radio Kwara
for breaking the National Broadcasting
Corporation’s (NBC’s) code.
He said: “Already, we have petitioned Radio Kwara
for breaking NBC’s rules. The guideline is here on
the conduct of the announcement of result of
election. Also, we have petitioned the INEC over
the conduct of the KWSIEC officials, who have
turned themselves to be agents of the PDP. We
could not identify the difference between KWSIEC
and the PDP. We discovered that Dr Uthman
Ajidagba is a card-carrying member of the PDP.
We have petitioned them. Already, we are in the
Court of Appeal.
“There was a case that was going on before the
election and there was a ruling last Friday. We are
already in the Court of Appeal. By the grace of
God, we are going to send them out of that place.
“I want to assure you that the long arm of the law
will chase them out. We will use all legal means to
flush them out of that place. The place does not
belong to them; it belongs to us, the APC.”
The APC candidate stressed that the election
result sheets were duly signed by presiding
officers appointed by KWASIEC and security
operatives.
According to him, the results from polling units
were also collated at the 12 wards.
Popoola noted that given the final result, the APC
won in 11 of the 12 wards and in the entire local
government.
“Our party polled 11,337 votes to defeat the PDP
candidate, who got 4,710,” he said.
“It was discovered that the Returning Officer, who
is statutorily empowered to collate and declare
results at the council’s collation centre,
absconded. No officer of KWASIEC was available
to offer an explanation on this.”
A huge crowd of APC supporters and other
residents attended the media briefing.
The APC urged President Jonathan, IGP Abubakar
and Prof Jega to prevail on KWSIEC to release the
authentic result of the rerun.
The APC noted that the electoral subversion by
KWSIEC was a threat to democracy, which gives
the people the right to vote and be voted for.
The presiding officer for Unit 006 (Shawo Central)
, Akin Oyetunji, corroborated Jimoh’s confession.
Oyetunji said: “We accredited 227 people (at the
unit) and 206 of them voted. Of the 206, the APC
had 130 votes and the PDP had 73 for the
chairmanship. For councillorship, the APC had
152 and the PDP 57 votes. I can say it anywhere
that in that polling unit, the APC won the election.
I don’t fear anybody than Almighty Allah. I’ll say
the truth even if it is bitter.”
Some placard-carrying students at the briefing
called for the immediate release of the authentic
results.
The National President of the Offa Students’
Union, Wasiu Afolabi, urged President Jonathan to
wade into the matter to avoid “what is happening
in Egypt and Syria”.
He added: “We know that the state government
is not known to stand for the truth.”
A former member of the House of Assembly Saka
Raji said KWSIEC has cheated the people of Offa.
The former Minority Leader said: “The election
was free and fair, as testified to by the security
agents. The community has been robbed.
KWSIEC Chairman, Dr Ajidagba, needs to be
investigated for wanting Offa to go up in flames.
“The state government is flouting the norms of
democracy. It is a disgrace to the nation. The PDP
government in Kwara State has disgraced the
whole world. The PDP has robbed APC of its
legitimate right

IBnatty: Cristiano Ronaldo

Aged: 24
Year: 2009
Fee: 80million pounds(94 million euro)
Position: Winger; Forward.

Records:
-FIFPro special Player of the year - '05, '07
-Premier League Young Player of the year; FWA Player of the year; PFL fans' Player of the year; PFL Players' Player of the year - 2006/2007 (The first player to win all the PFAs and FWA)- 2006/2007
-PFA Player of the Year- 2007
-FWA Player of the year -2007
- First Runner up Ballon d'or - 2007
-2nd Runner up FIFA - World of the Year - 2007
-First winger to win Euro Golden Shoe (Scored 42 goals in 49games) -2007/2008
- EPL highest goal scorer- 31goals - 2007/2008
-UCL Player of the tournament - 2007/2008
-Ballon d'or - Dec '08
- 1st runner up FIFA World Player of the Year - '08
-FIFA World Player of the Year - Jan '09.
-Played in 2 Champions league finals '08, '09
-Inaugural winner of FIFA Puskas award - '09
- have played in Euro '04, '08 and World Cup '06
Between 2004 - 2009, he played 292 games for Man Utd scoring 118 times. For Portugese national team, he notched 22 goals in 67 games.

Gareth Bale
Aged: 24
Year: 2013
Fee: 85.3 million pounds(100million euro)
Position: Winger(since 10 /11) Free role (AM, FW, LW, SS since 11/12)

Records:
-Championship League Player of the Year - '07
-Welsh Player of the year by FAW( Football Writers Association) - '10
- BBC Cymru Sports personality of the year - Dec' 10
-PFA Players' Player of the Year - April 2011
-Named in the UEFA team of the year - 2011
-PFA Young Player of the year; PFA Players' Player of the Year, PFA Fans' Player of the Year, FWA Player of the Year - 2013.
He has played 169 games for Tottenham scoring 55 times. 49 goals (in 127 games) came from his adopted left wing/free role position.
He has played 41 games scoring 11 times. He has neither played in the World cup nor Euro and has played in the UCL once in the 2010/2011 season.

Players are judged based on their performance in club and National team games whether it is International (Euro, UCL, etc) or domestic (league). From the facts above, Bale's records before his world transfer are no where near those of his predecessors. Before Zidane and CR7 moved to RM on such a record fee they were gaints both in the domestic league and internationally ie Europe, UCL, Euro, World cup etc. Was Bale? Need I add that he is highly over priced?. Like I opined earlier, Bale is a wonderful talent but not yet a 100million euro talent, the facts are there. There are handful of 21 to 25 year olds whose individual records and performance dust those of Bale's, does it mean they're worth 150million euro or more?
I totally agree with Tata, that price on Bale is a disrespect to football and common sense.

u'r very right my brother, bale is a much overhyped player, for me he is not more than 40 milion pounds

Essien omitted from chelsea's champions league group stage squad. What's ur view?

Well behaved, good manners,obedient,cook well, strong,humble,from a good background,God fearing and neat, guys call this no if u'r interested, 08034563586

Chillext: 219 views, no comment......na wa!!!, problem too much for dis country....

I don comment

Hello Chelsea fans! I am asking you the question
after Chelsea have loaned out Victor Moses and
Romelu Lukaku yesterday!.
Now you may wonder as to why I haven't
included Demba Ba in the mix. Well, if you do not
know already, Chelsea were prepared to let him
leave the club before the window closed and if
reports are true, Arsenal were interested in yet
another loan deal. A loan fee couldn't be agreed
and the deal came to nothing.
The fact that Chelsea were prepared to let him go
is a massive indication that after the pre season
and the build up to the season, Jose Mourinho has
had time to have a look at Ba and feels as though
he is someone that would be suited elsewhere.
Harsh on Ba I know but football can be ruthless at
times. I expect Ba to leave Chelsea in January.
The thing that concerns me at the moment (and I
may have nothing to worry about) is Samuel Eto'o
hasn't yet kicked a ball for Chelsea and we have
let two of our young talents go! It's common
knowledge that players who have not had
experience of playing Premier League football or
football in this country for that matter, need time
to adjust and to get used to the pace of our
game.
Eto'o is world class and I am sure he will settle
down quickly but you have think of the bigger
picture. You do have to wonder how both he and
Fernando Torres will react to competition for a
start from each other?
For Chelsea Football Club it can only be a positive
and a good thing. We all saw last season how
Fernando Torres virtually burnt himself out from
the beginning of the season to the end of January
because he had no real competition for his place.
Danny Sturridge was injured then sold and
Demba Ba came to the club as a stop gap and to
provide a second option (as Lukaku was scoring
goals for fun at West Brom by the way!)