Head Coach Bankole Olowookere has picked 22 players for Friday’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualification final round, first leg match between Nigeria and Ethiopia in Addis Ababa.
The delegation will travel to Addis Ababa on Wednesday.
After home-and-away victories over the Democratic Republic of Congo and Egypt, the Flamingos have a final hurdle to negotiate against a team that sensationally sent South Africa’s Bantwana packing with a 3-0 win in Johannesburg.
Olowookere’s girls are also to be dreaded, having scored 14 goals and conceded none in their four qualifying matches so far.
They defeated DR Congo 8-0 on aggregate and handed Egypt a 6-0 aggregate spanking in the third round.
Friday’s match will hold at the Abebe Bekila Stadium in Addis Ababa starting from 4pm Ethiopia time (2pm Nigeria time) and will be superintended by Namibian officials.
The return leg is already scheduled for the National Stadium, Abuja on Saturday, 4th June.
FLAMINGOS HEADING TO ADDIS ABABA:
Goalkeepers: Faith Omilana; Linda Jiwuaku, Jessica Inyiama
A teenager, Halima Yunusa, yesterday sued her father before a Sharia Court sitting in Magajin Gari, Kaduna State for allegedly refusing to let her marry her lover, Bashir Yusuf
Yunusa told the court that she was in love with Yusuf but that her parents were not letting them get married.
The teenager’s father, Ibrahim, a businessman, however, told the court that he was aware of the “extreme love” between his daughter and Yusuf, but added that Yusuf was yet to fulfill all known marriage rites.
“He came to me and expressed his desire to marry my daughter. I told him to come back with his parents and family members. After about a year he came back and took my daughter and ran away with her for three days. “We informed the police and both of were arrested and disciplined,” he said.
Judge Murtala Nasir held that Yusuf’s father should be advised to allow the children get married.
“If he refuses, we will get them married in the court even with out his blessings,”he said.
Bauchi State Governor and presidential aspirant, Bala Mohammed, believes President Muhammadu Buhari has failed the country because he surrounds himself with liars and sycophants.
Mohammed expressed this belief on Sunday while campaigning in Katsina State ahead of the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential primaries.
“Katsina is a state that produces good leaders for the country,” he told PDP delegates in the state. “What late Umaru Musa Yar’adua of the blessed memory did was the only thing that makes us proud.
“Unfortunately, (President Buhari) has attached himself with a bunch of liars, sycophants and bad people because he was a soldier and he doesn’t know people’s attitudes, he doesn’t have knowledge of government job; he has never entered villages. He thought everybody is trustworthy.
“But we can differentiate between good and the bad people.
“We have to correct all the mistakes the president did because all eyes are on us the northerners. Irrespective of the political party you support, you must bring a good hand who knows what he is doing to reclaim the integrity of the North for our incoming generations to be respected.
“We don’t have security in our country as if we don’t have government. Farming activities have been paralyzed, our children’s education has been affected, hunger and looting is on the increase.”
A Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court has sentenced a school bus driver, Tony Akpan, to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a five-year-old pupil.
Justice Abiola Soladoye in her judgement, held that the prosecution had presented overwhelming evidence against Akpan and his accomplice, Itoro Wilson, the school bus assistant.
The Judge also sentenced Wilson to two years imprisonment for assisting the convict to evade justice.
”There is overwhelming evidence before the court. The testimony of the survivor is truthful and boldly narrated by her.
”The medical doctor’s testimony also corroborated what she said.
“The first defendant is hereby found guilty as charged contrary to the provisions of Section 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State and is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment.
“The first defendant should have his name entered in the Sex Offenders Register of the Lagos State Government”, she held.
The Judge also held that the second defendant ought to have spoken up and not concealed the truth.
”The punishment meted out to this defendant will serve as a deterrent to others out there.
“The second defendant is hereby sentenced to two years imprisonment for a felony,”
The Judge tasked Roy Mind Favour Filled School, Unilag Estate, Magodo Isheri where the survivor attended to recruit responsible staff going forward.
“The school in question should recruit responsible staff.
“The parents must get value for the money they pay. Miscreants should not be on the payroll of any responsible school.
“Children are meant to be protected and not be subjected to any assault whatsoever,” the judge held.
Before this judgment, five witnesses testified against the defendants at the trial.
The prosecution team, comprising Mr Olusola Shoneye, Mrs Olufunke Adegoke, and Ms. Abimbola Abolade, said the convicts committed the offence on Oct. 20, 2017, on Magodo Road, Isheri, Lagos.
The prosecution also said the offence contravenes the provisions of sections 137 and 415 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has said the Senate President Ahmad Lawan is capable of leading the country in 2023 as president, stating that he has stabilised the Red Chamber of the National Assembly as well as supervised the passage of bills that appeared impossible to pass.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday monitored by ABN TV, the former Abia governor while underlining that he has known Lawan in the past 41 years stated that under him as Senate President, the Petroleum Industry Bill now and Act as well as the Electoral Act Amendment have been passed.
While insisting that his concern is to see a Nigerian President ready to provide leadership to the masses, the Abia North Senator submitted that Sen. Lawan is able and capable to make the nation proud, adding that it is not in doubt what he can do.
“Ahmad has capability of leading the nation and I know he has the capacity. It’s not in doubt what he will do.
“He must not have everything. What he would not have, it will be a team work. He will assemble the best team under his supervision for Nigerian people to get what they want. That will be prosperity to Nigerians,” he said.
A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Mr Peter Obi, has appealed to the party’s delegates to vote wisely during the upcoming national convention.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra, urged them to be guided by their conscience and vote in the interest of the country’s future and that of their children.
He spoke on Monday in Awka, when he met with prospective delegates from Anambra.
According to him, monetary consideration should not be the major factor in chosing the party’s presidential candidate.
He said he decided to end his national consultation in Anambra, after going round the 36 chapters of PDP, plus Abuja, to demonstrate his commitment to the cause.
Obi said that his experience from the tour had strengthened his resolve to seek an opportunity to steer the ship of the country.
He likened the ship to the “titanic, which was sinking while those on top were making merry”.
“For the sake of your children and future of Nigeria vote wisely. Don’t hurt the future of your children.
“Do you want to collect money and bequeath a society of hopelessness, kidnapping, banditry and poverty to future generations?
“Is that the society you want for your children?
“Remember, you can’t transfer your delegate status to your children, this is an opportunity for you to decide.
“I am competent, I am committed and I have the capacity to turn this country around, please give me your votes,” Obi said.
He said he saw opportunities across the regions of the country during his tour.
“I concluded that it is unacceptable for the country to possess such huge human, arable land and natural resources and still have over 100 million people living in poverty,” he said.
He said that while the Kainji Dam that was built with the first money borrowed by Tafawa Balewa in 1964 was still standing, there was no justification for the present borrowings that had plunged Nigeria into heavy indebtedness.
He said the country with 200 million people could not make progress with 4000 megawatt, while South Africa with 50 million people was generating 54,000 megawatts.
He said that Kaduna had more land mass than Netherlands and wondered why Netherlands should earn more from export of agro produce than Nigeria.
Obi said there was no more money to share and that he would shift the conversation from sharing formula to production formula.
According to him, Kaduna can sustain Nigeria, if optimally explored.
He said: “Let’s stop wasting our time, let us join hands to fix Nigeria
“I visited the tomb of Tafawa Balewa because he was the first to borrow in Nigeria to build Kainji Dam which is still standing today.
“Where are the ones we borrowed recently?”
Earlier, Dr Doyin Okupe, a former presidential spokesman to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, described Obi as the best aspirant from across the country in the race.
Okupe, who likened Obi to late MKO Abiola, called on the delegates not to deny Nigerians the opportunity to vote the candidate they yearned for.
He said that having a president from the South-East should not be seen as handing out a token but a necessity.
He contended that the zone had one of the most qualified candidates to preside over the country.
“There is a national frenzy about Peter Obi, the second after Abiola.
“Every independent opinion poll in the last two weeks has favoured him.
“He has gone round the world seeking knowledge.
“He is the best from the east and better than others across the country.
“Anambra is still reaping benefits of Obi’s reign in the state. “I will stop supporting him, if I see a candidate with better academic qualifications than your son,” Okupe said.
The suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has been promoted to the level of Assistant Inspector-General of Police.
The Police Service Commission’s spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani, announced Magu’s elevation on Monday.
According to Ani, Magu was promoted alongside some senior officers at the 15th Plenary Meeting of the commission on Friday.
He said aside Magu, seven Commissioners of Police were promoted to Assistant Inspectors General of Police.
He said the commission also approved the promotion of 23 Deputy Commissioners to the next rank of Commissioners of Police; 31 Assistant Commissioners to Deputy Commissioners of Police and 63 Chief Superintendents of Police promoted to Assistant Commissioners of Police.
He said, “The Plenary Meeting which began on Wednesday, May 11th 2022 was presided over by Alhaji Musiliu Smith, Chairman of the Commission and former Inspector General of Police. DIG Amadi, currently acting, replaced late DIG Joseph Egbunike and will be representing the South East in the Force Management team while DIG Senchi was the most senior in the AIG cadre.
“Other decisions taken by the Commission at the Plenary were the promotion of 57 Superintendents of Police earlier skipped when their mates were promoted to the next rank of Chief Superintendents. Other categories of Superintendents of Police such as the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, Course 4, Inspectors Course 37 and regular ASP’s course 25 and 26 were also promoted to Chief Superintendents having met established requirements.
“The Commission also promoted 1698 Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP) to Deputy Superintendents of Police, 6119 Inspectors who attended the recent Departmental Selection Board (DSB) were promoted to ASP11 while 1965 ASP11 were confirmed ASPs. The Commission also approved the conversion of 19 Engineers from General Duty to Specialists and upgraded to the rank of Deputy superintendent of Police which is the statutory entry level for Pilots and Aircraft maintenance engineers in line with the Aviation scheme of service.”
The eight Commissioners of Police promoted to AIGs are CP Mustafa Magu Ibrahim, Abraham Egong Ayim, Okunlola Kola Kamaldeen, Andrew Amieengheme, Akeera Mohammed Younous, Celestine Amechi Elumelu, Ngozi Vivian Onadeko, Danladi Bitrus Lalas.
A frontline presidential aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, on Monday, officially resigned his position in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari as the Minister of Transportation to focus on his aspiration to contest for the 2023 presidency.
In a press statement issued by the Amaechi Presidential Media Committee (APMC) signed by Kingsley Wali, in Abuja, Amaechi in his resignation letter expressed profound gratitude to the President for considering him fit to serve in his administration.
He equally thanked Buhari for the enormous support given him, which he said, was responsible for the tremendous record of achievements he made in the Ministry of Transportation over the last seven years.
The statement quoted Amaechi as saying in his resignation letter: “It is with mixed feelings that I tender my resignation as the Minister of Transportation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to contest for the Presidential ticket of our great party, the All Progressives Congress.
“Your Excellency, it has been a great honour and privilege serving as a member of your cabinet following your historic victory at the polls in 2015. Under your administration, the Ministry of Transportation has recorded significant achievements, made possible by your visionary support and commitment to ensuring that we deliver on our mandate.
“As I embark on the next phase of our mission to work towards a better Nigeria for ALL NIGERIANS, I humbly seek Your Excellency’s prayers, blessings and look towards your continuous support and guidance.
“Your Excellency, whilst humbly seeking your kind consideration of my request please accept the assurances of my highest esteem.”
Amaechi, the 56-year-old quintessential politician believed to be the most qualified among those aspiring to secure the ticket of the APC for the 2023 presidential election, is widely reckoned as the best performing minister in the Buhari’s cabinet. The kind of zeal and energy with which he carried on in his revolutionization of the transport sector was never seen in any previous Minister of Transportation in the country.
All the agencies under his direct supervision – Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), etc – have been remarkably transformed and repositioned for better performance and greater efficiency in their operations.
Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has said Igbo are wiser now politically and no more the ‘mumu’ that was cheated in the past, insisting that Presidency should remain in the North if the South East cannot get it in 2023.
The former Abia governor who spoke on Politics Today, a Channels TV political programme on Monday monitored by ABN TV, said there is no point Southern Nigeria producing the President in 2023 if it can’t be South East.
He stated that the South East had in the past supported South West to produce former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the incumbent VP Yemi Osinbajo as well as supported the South South to produce former President Goodluck Jonathan, insisting that it’s time for both zones to support South East.
He said anything short of this is not equity, therefore power should go to North East that has not produced President before, just like South East.
The Abia North Senator expressed dissatisfaction that the South South and South West geopolitical zones have the highest number of presidential aspirants without considering the South East, maintaining that power should instead go to North.
“Equity should be South-East, anything less than South East, it can go back to the North. That’s my position. We agreed it (Presidency) should come to the South and they don’t want to leave it for South-East, why should I allow them to take it? When they have done Presidency before.
“We’re only wiser today, we’re wise people. We’re no longer the mumu they used to cheat. We’re not just doing our business, we have a game plan and we will unfold it,” he stated.
He took a swipe at the governors for not wanting the President to have a hand in his successor while they (governors) anoint successors, party chairmen and other influential positions in their states.
Sen. Kalu urged them to be fair to the President and allow him have a say in his choice of successor.
He insisted that the South-East does not care where the country’s next President would come from provided the South East will not have it.
He also stated that if the presidency is zoned back to South East tomorrow, he would return to the Presidential race.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arrested serving Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris in connection with diversion of funds and money laundering activities to the tune of N80billion.
According to the commission, intelligence showed that the AGF raked off the funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.
The funds were reportedly laundered through real estate investments in Kano and Abuja.
Mr. Idris was said to have been arrested after failing to honour invitations by the EFCC to respond to issues connected to the fraudulent acts.
The Federal Government, alongside other stakeholders in the health sector, on Monday in Abuja, inaugurated the National Electronic Pharmacy Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan...
