Management of the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja has defended why they switched off the light during a training session of the Black Stars Of Ghana ahead of today’s game against Nigeria.
Recall that both teams are battling for a ticket to the World Cup in Qatar via the playoff and with the first leg ending 0-0. There are still chances to qualify when Nigeria host Ghana in Abuja today.
Yesterday towards the end of the training of the Black Stars, the authorities at the stadium reportedly switched off the lights. A move which they explained is down to Ghana breaching the code of visiting teams in CAF tournaments.
Visiting teams are accorded one hour to train on the pitch prior to the game but Ghana refused to stop, not even when they were granted extra 40 minutes and spoken to by the CAF match official who will commission the game.
Speaking to OwnGoalNigeria (not ABN TV), a member of the management team said Ghana were using the extended training as a disguise to carry out fetish practices on the pitch.
“They were given extra 40 minutes but still refused to stop. It was at that junction that we came down to bring out the water sprinklers. We saw them dropping substances wrapped in black leather at the edge of each goal post”, he told.
“We noticed same on the centre circle hence decided to switch off the lights as it’s clear that they are on the pitch for a reason other than training. We removed the substance this morning and handed it over to NFF”, he concluded.
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, has submitted a list of 20 commissioner-nominees to the State House of Assembly for approval.
The list which was submitted on Tuesday, had some of the former governor Willie Obiano’s appointees which were Mr Paul Nwosu, whose name appeared on Information; Ifeatu Onejeme for Finance; Mr Collins Nwabunwanne for Local Government and Chieftancy Matters, and Chief Chikodi Anara for Home Land Affairs, amongst others.
The list also had a Nollywood actor, Mr Don Onyenji and Mrs Ifenyinwa Obinabo, who served as Transition Committee Chairman of Orumba North Local Government Area.
Onyenji is listed to serve as Commissioner for Entertainment, Culture and Tourism while Obinabo was nominated as Commissioner for Women’s Affairs.
Prof. Chika Ifejeme was nominated to serve as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; amongst others.
The Speaker of the House, Mr Uche Okafor, announced the submission of the list during Tuesday’s plenary while reading a letter from the governor.
Okafor said Soludo also sent another letter requesting the confirmation of 15 nominees for the post of Special Advisers.
The Speaker, however, asked the House Committee on Screening to duly screen the commissioner-nominees.
The majority leader moved a motion for the confirmation of the 15 special advisers and they were approved after a voice-vote.
Some of the other commissioner nominees are Mr Ifeatu Chinedu, Prof. Ofonze Amucheazi, Mr Ifeanyi Okoma, Ms Chiamaka Nnake, Dr Afam Obidike, Mr Patrick Aghamba, Mrs Ifeyinwa Obinabo, Dr Obinna Ugonnadi, Mr Julius Chukwuemeka and Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh.
Others included Mr Paul Nwosu, Dr Foster Ihejiofor, Mrs Patricia Igwebuike, Mr Felix Odimegwu, Mr Chikodi Anara, Prof. Chika Ifemeje, Mr Collins Nwabunwanne, Mr Donatus Onyeji, Mr Anthony Ifeanya, and Mr Paulinus Onyeaka.
Also at the plenary, the House read a resolution asking Soludo to urge the Commissioner of Police to return checkpoints and patrol teams across the state.
The House resolution followed a motion raised by a member, Mr Onyebuchi Offor, representing Ekwusigo Constituency.
According to Offor, the absence of the checkpoints had increased insecurity which is causing serious threat to lives and property in the state.
President Muhammadu Buhari has met behind closed door with security chiefs few hours after Monday night’s terrorist attacks on Abuja-Kaduna bound train by bandits with a vow to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
Recall that the train was conveying about 970 passengers from Abuja to Kaduna at about 7.45 p.m. on the fateful day.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, had on Tuesday visited the scene of the attack, where he ordered troops to intensify search and rescue operations as well as hunt down the terrorists.
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo also visited hospitals in Kaduna on Tuesday where injured victims are being treated.
Those at the meeting with the President included all service chiefs, Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba and Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Bichi
Following the decision of Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to zone its governorship ticket to the North and Central Senatorial Districts of the state, a group, Ikukufied Movement has urged the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji to join in the race to succeed Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu in 2023.
Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji is son of the immediate past governor of Abia, T.A Orji who is currently serving as Senator representing Abia Central.
He handed over government to incumbent Gov. Ikpeazu in 2015 whose statutory second term in office ends May 29, 2023.
Though Sen. T.A Orji has before now said he will retire in 2023 from active politics after his eight years in Senate, it is not clear if this will happen.
Ikukufied Movement during its rally on Tuesday said the Speaker, popularly known among supporters as Ikuku is the only young leader in Abia who can foster youth inclusiveness in governance.
The Coordinator of the group, Bishop Ike said Speaker Orji understands the problems of Abia, having been a member of the stage Assembly in the past eight years as well as son of a former governor, insisting that challenges of the state are not strange to him.
“This group consists of young men from across Abia state and we are calling on Chinedum Orji aka Ikuku to come and run for the post of Governor of Abia state, because we believe he is the only young man that has the capacity among the ruling class today to be able to salvage the state and bring youth inclusiveness.
“What is the reason for #Endsars and all the protests that has happened in recent times is because of youth want a young person to lead them. He is young, his been in the system, his father has been Governor and he has been a speaker so he knows the problems of the state so you wouldn’t say they are strange to him.
“We believe when he comes in with his new idea, and with the way he has performed as a state legislator within his constituency given in he will do fantastically well, so we are here to call on him to run for Governorship. He doesn’t know we are here, we’ ve seen him from afar and we know he is going to deliver.”
In the absence of the speaker Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, the former T.C Chairman of Umuahia North Alhaji Sulaiman Ukandu assured them of delivering their message to the Speaker.
Nigeria Customs Service in charge of the Murtala Muhammed Area Command (MMAC), Lagos, says it has intercepted some drones and military wares allegedly being smuggled into the country by criminals.
The customs, which disclosed this on Tuesday, put the value of the items at over N300 million.
This is coming in less than 24 hours after bandits bombed a Kaduna-bound train, killing a yet-to-be ascertained number of persons.
Authorities in charge of MMAC said all the items seized would soon be handed over to the Nigerian Army and other relevant government agencies for further investigation.
Following the continued attacks on communities and public facilities in Kaduna State and the country as a whole, the Senate on Tuesday asked President Muhammadu Buhari, to declare a full-scale war against terrorists, to fully secure all the nation’s territory from them in whatever guise.
The Senate, Nigeria
The upper legislative chamber also called on the Army and the Air Force to carry out a sustained bombardment of terrorists’ enclaves with a view to flushing them out and restoring peace and stability in the country.
The resolutions followed a point of order raised on Tuesday by Senator Uba Sani (APC Kaduna Central), who noted that terrorists have in recent times stepped up attacks on some communities and public facilities in Kaduna State.
He said “the latest attacks by these murderous elements took place in some communities in Giwa Local Government, namely Angwan Sarki Yahya, Tashar Shari, Bare-Bari, Tsaunin Natal, Dillalai, Durumi and Jatin Kanwa, all on Yakawada Ward.
“Other places affected include Kaya community, Mai Kyauro and Fatika. They killed 50 persons and kidnapped o 100 people. They also made strategic roads in Giwa Local Government no go areas.
“Not done with their devilish acts, they made an attempt to penetrate the Kaduna International Airport.
“Although the attack was foiled by vigilant security operatives, one person lost his life. When people were trying to come to grips with the week-long wanton destruction of lives and property, the terrorists struck again.”
He bemoaned the attacks by bandits on a Kaduna bound train carrying over 970 passengers around the Kateri – Rijana axis in Kaduna, just a few kilometres to the Rigasa Train Station in Igabi Local Government Area of the state.
“The train derailed after the first wave of attacks. Grenades and RPG were used. They rained bullets on all the coaches. Some passengers were killed, while many sustained bullet wounds,” he stressed.
Sani expressed concern that the unrelenting attacks call to question the strategies and tactics being adopted by the security forces.
He observed that the forests where the terrorists hold sway are not impregnable, adding that, “a comprehensive operational plan, executed with high sense of professionalism and responsibility, total commitment on the part of our security forces and the support and cooperation of the local communities will rid Kaduna State forests of these murderous elements.”
The lawmaker, who reiterated the call for the creation of state Police, maintained that “effective gathering of intelligence and sustained security operations at the local level will make life uncomfortable for terrorists.”
Contributing, Senator Gabriel Suswam (PDP Benue North East), lamented that Kaduna had become the new theatre of insecurity, saying the lingering activities of terrorists in the state makes it imperative for the appropriate authorities to take decisive action.
The lawmaker attributed the inability of the military to curtail growing incidents of terrorism to “a clear failure of leadership.”
On his part, Senator Danjuma La’ah (PDP Kaduna South), said if the security situation in the country is not nipped in the bud, political leaders would become the main targets of terrorists.
The Senate, in other resolutions, directed security agencies to always take steps to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents in the future.
It also called on the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant government agencies to assist the affected communities with relief materials.
The team comprising of amateurs; Akeem Lawal, Meka Olowola, and Peggy Onwu, has emerged as the winner of the maiden Series One Pro-Am Golf tournament held at Ikoyi Club in 1938, Lagos on Sunday, 20 March 2022. The event was sponsored by Giba Golf Nigeria and Zenera Consulting, amongst several other sponsors.
Aimed at supporting professional golfers while enabling amateur golfers to improve their game, the Series 1 Pro-Am tournament involved both amateurs and professionals from various clubs playing together in teams. Each team is comprised of three amateurs and one professional playing a Stableford scoring format.
After an exciting game with the Stableford scoring format, the amateur trio of Peggy Onwu, Meka Olowola, Akeem Lawal, supported by professional, Monday Eze, emerged the overall winners of the tournament with 126 Stableford point ahead of O.J. Ebong, Peter Okeke, Tony Onwu and Akinwande Oladipo who came second with 124points, whilst the quartet of Paul Brisibe, Ogemdi Akalamudo, Fred Akalamudo, and Friday Akpodiete came a close third with 123 points.
Speaking at the prize presentation ceremony, Meka Olowola, Managing Partner of Zenera Consulting, said, “We came out there today primarily to have fun and grateful to be able to participate in such an exciting tournament comprising of perhaps the best pros and amateurs. It is, therefore, gratifying to have been a part of the team that won the overall best team despite the quality of players on the course.”
According to Fred Akalamudo of Giba Golf Nigeria, one of the major sponsors of the event, the tournament has been a success.
“I think it has been a highly successful competition,” said Akalamudo, who also played in the tournament, “The event was well attended by both spectators and players. Altogether, we had over 108 golfers who gave their best in a friendly but highly competitive atmosphere. Our aim is to support the pros and a big thank you to Ikoyi Club 1938 for providing this spectacular opportunity to achieve this.”
The tournament offered amateur golfers, an opportunity to play competitive golf at an advanced level, thereby sharpening their skills while also promoting the professional golfers playing with them.
“More than often, amateur golf players see the professionals from afar,” said Ademola Osindero, Team Lead for the Pro-Am Golf Group.
“Here at Ikoyi Club 1938, we have been working with professionals for about a year during our weekly kitties and because of that experience, we play a lot better now. Therefore, we wanted more players to experience the quality of play and improvements in their games,” Osindero added.
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has canceled a Colloquium organized to celebrate his 70th birthday.
Bola Tinubu
The 13th Colloquium scheduled to hold on Tuesday, 29th of March was canceled in respect of victims of the Train attack by Terrorists on Abuja – Kaduna railway on Monday.
POLITICS NIGERIA learned that the attack claimed several lives while some narrowly escaped death including a Former Deputy Governor of Zamfara state, Mr. Ibrahim Wakkala.
Tinubu told the audience at the event today: “This event should not be holding. I hereby cancel this Colloquium due to the incident of Kaduna. I urge you all to pray that Nigeria wins this war against evil”.
He asked attendees to go home and pray for the victims adding that celebrations can’t be going on in the midst of a National Tragedy.
A 50-year-old widow, Sahura Sulaiman, on Tuesday dragged her co-wife, Umma Sulaiman, to a Shari’a Court sitting at Rigasa Kaduna, over her share of what their late husband left behind.
The complainant, who resides at Cinema road, Rigasa, told the court that her husband died in 2019 leaving behind two wives and children.
The woman said that since their husband’s death, her co-wife had refused to release what was due to her as inheritance, nor paid off the debts he owed while alive.
“She had refused to give me my share of the inheritance and had also refused to pay some debt owed by our late husband.
“Our husband had a house which we all lived in and his pension had been coming, but I was given only N3,000 once,” she said.
The complainant said she had no child with the deceased and prayed the court to intervene in the matter and grant her Justice.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the defendant was not in court and did not send any representative.
The judge, Malam Salisu Abubakar-Tureta, ordered that the defendant be served a reminder and adjourned the case to April 13, for a hearing.
Turkey’s foreign minister said “consensus and common understanding” was reached between Ukrainian and Russian delegations on some issues during talks in Istanbul on Tuesday.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu
“The most meaningful progress in negotiations has been made today,” Mevlüt Cavusoglu said of the talks brokered by Turkey. He hailed the progress made in particular on the “top priority of achieving a ceasefire as soon as possible to pave the way for a permanent political solution.”
Cavusoglu said the “trickier” issues are now to be discussed at higher levels, with a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian Foreign Ministers to “make final adjustments to the common approach.” Following that, a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is on the agenda, he said.
About the talks: The Russian delegation to Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul announced two steps to de-escalate the conflict toward Ukraine following a first day of talks, Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti reported.
RIA, citing the Russian delegation, said the steps included a “drastic reduction in military activity in the Kyiv and Chernihiv directions,” and also the possibility of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky simultaneously with the initialing of the peace treaty by the foreign ministers of both countries.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian presidential adviser also Mykhailo Podolyak said enough progress was made during talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations on Tuesday in Istanbul to allow Putin and Zelensky to meet. Speaking in Istanbul after talks wrapped between the two sides on Tuesday, Podolyak said there was now a “likelihood” that the two presidents may meet.
The Member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah, has extended warm birthday wishes to his elder brother,...
