Nigeria Content Online

‘Due process will curb corruption’

The Fiscal
Responsibility Commission Yesterday in Abuja said the menace of
corruption could be curbed if due process was followed in budget
drafting and implementation across the federating states.

Aliyu Yelwa, the Commission’s Chairman, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja .

“Although it is
difficult to completely eradicate the menace of corruption, it can be
reduced to the barest minimum if due process is followed with regards
to budget drafting and implementation as stated in the constitution,”
Mr Yelwa said.

According to him,
the constitution demands full consultation with the people before every
budget preparation while priority should be given to their desires. He
added that anything short of that was unconstitutional and capable of
breeding corruption in the country.

“Nigeria ought not to be poor but it is unfortunate that some
Nigerians are richer than state governments not to talk of Local
Government Councils because of lack of due process,” he said.

Money

Government purchases N39b worth of fertiliser

Government purchases N39b worth of fertiliser

The federal
government has purchased fertiliser worth N39 billion in preparation
for the next farming season, Fatima Bamidele, the Permanent Secretary,
Federal Ministry of Agriculture, has said.

Speaking at the end
of this year’s annual National Agricultural Fair in Tudun Wada,
Nasarawa State, the permanent secretary said that the federal
government was more committed to improving the agricultural sector of
the nation’s economy.

She noted that
Nigeria was currently the lowest user of fertiliser in the world and
urged farmers to utilise the opportunity presented by the government to
improve on their output at the end of every farming season.

Mrs Bamidele said that the Federal Government was constructing 17
rice processing mills in the rice producing areas, as part of efforts
at ensuring job creation and food security.

Money

Spendthrift macroeconomic policies

Spendthrift macroeconomic policies

Of late, Sanusi
Lamido Sanusi, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has blown
hot and cold over the bank’s policy on the domestic exchange rate. He
has vacillated between an apparently strong commitment to defend the
“integrity” of the naira, and insouciance over the fortunes of the
embattled currency that in certain quarters could border on the
irresponsible. Still, you cannot but feel sorry for the man. He’s got a
duty to keep domestic monetary conditions on an even keel. No
businessperson wants to be wrong-footed or blind-sided by sudden
movements in the exchange rate, inflation figures, and/or the rates on
debts. They would rather, for their planning purposes, that trends in
these areas are largely predictable. Yet, if the central bank must have
a proper handle on all these, it should itself have reliable real-time
estimates on the different sections of the economy, and a working
understanding of the interactions that define the indices it looks at.

Unfortunately for
the central bank, ours is one of the noisiest economies around: there
are just too many extraneous variables, their emergence into the model
always unpredictable, and their conduct nearly always stochastic. Who,
for instance, could have predicted that waivers on the importation of
rice would be the one way that the campaigning for the next general
election kicks off? Unpredictable though this was, it has had clear and
present implications for foreign exchange demand in the country. To the
same extent, the bulimia with which this government has run down public
finances was just as unexpected. And to the extent that government’s
rapacity may have helped deplete the external reserves, it has burdened
the central bank’s ability to ratchet up supply at the weekly official
foreign exchange auctions.

So the CBN must
have felt a thrill run through it last week as oil prices in the global
marketplace ran past the US$80/barrel mark. With production figures
from the Niger Delta on the mend following the relative pacification of
the previously restive region, higher oil prices should boost the
external reserves, leaving the central bank with a lot more ammo in its
guns. Most commentators had feared recourse by the apex bank to
administrative measures to help ease supply constraints in the official
foreign exchange market, but higher oil prices might see the apex bank
better placed to meet demand at its new levels. More than this, it
would seem that oil prices might remain elevated for some time yet, in
spite of earlier apprehension over the consequences to commodity prices
of the last recession, and the slow global growth that we are
experiencing in its wake.

Although global oil
production was up in the first half of this year, led by a 14% increase
in demand in China, the IMF, reporting in its October edition of the
World Economic Outlook, argues that since “oil markets have not yet
reached a state of full cyclical normalisation”, “Oil demand will
continue to rise as the global recovery progresses, with the buoyancy
determined in part by the strength of the expansion in activity”.
Accordingly, the fund estimates that the “average price of oil will be
US$76.20 a barrel in 2010 and US$78.75 a barrel in 2011 and will remain
unchanged in real terms over the medium term”.

To a considerable degree, the central bank’s current dilemma
describes in small print, the problem with the macroeconomic policies
of the current administration. Déjà vu? Yes, we have been down this
route before. Under Professor Charles Soludo, as governor, the central
bank’s response was to supervise a huge devaluation of the naira, as
demand flourished. Additionally, though, the current administration has
spent all that it has earned, and more. Déjà vu? Yes again, for on the
back of healthy oil prices in the world market, it has superintended
over a staggering increase in government’s consumption as a share of
GDP (at the expense of the private sector). It has also grown public
debt without adding to the economy’s installed capacity, or increasing
productivity. In other words, over the last four years, neither
monetary nor fiscal policies have contributed anything new to how this
economy is managed. Truth be told, today because of the current
macroeconomic policy environment, we might be even more vulnerable to
oil price-based shocks to the economy, than we were at any time in the
history of this country.

Money

Good market fundamental strengthen positive trend

Good market fundamental strengthen positive trend

Investors
positioning based on the rumor of AMCON commencement of operations,
changed the market mood on the last trading day of the week as the
market run up by 2.42% or 592.56 points on Friday. NSE ASI was up
through the five trading days of the week under review, thus, it
wrapped up trading at 25,077.73 points from the opening figure of
23,772.40 having gained 5.49% or 1,305.33 points through the week. The
market capitalization followed the same trend and closed up at N6.145
trillion. NSE-30 Index closed up at 1,061.79 points. All the four
sectoral indexes end the week above their respective opening points.

Volume performances

The stock market
had a turnover of 1.32 billion shares valued at N11.53 billion in
27,714 transactions. In these the banking stocks was most active with
758 million shares worth N6 billion that were exchanged in 14,608
deals. The said volume was moved by transactions in the shares of
Access Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa and First City Monument Bank
Plc. Unlike previous week when Insurance sector followed, the Airline
services subsector was boosted by volume on the shares exchanged on
Airline Services and Logistics Plc as it top performance with 161.4
million shares worth N403.72 million in 427 transactions. Please not
that the moving volume on this equity emerged on Friday.

62 equities closed
the week above their various opening prices, 23 bows to the bear’s call
and 116 equities end on a flat note. Meanwhile, gainers’ volume stands
at 879.20 million shares and it accounted for 66.43% of total market
volume for the week. The losing stocks moved 339.89 million shares,
same as 26% of market volume and the unchanged stocks traded 104.42
million shares or 7.89% of the market volume. It could be deduced from
the market statistics table that it’s indeed a bullish week.

Technical view

On 10/15/2010, NSE
closed above the upper band by 0.0%. This combined with the steep
uptrend suggests that the upward trend in prices has a good chance of
continuing. However, a short-term pull-back inside the bands is likely.
During the past 10 bars, there have been 8 white candles and 2 black
candles for a net of 6 white candles. During the past 50 bars, there
have been 23 white candles and 27 black candles for a net of 4 black
candles. A long lower shadow occurred; this is typically a bullish
signal. The RSI has just reached its highest value in the last 14
periods this is bullish.

Market outlook

Before the new face
on the last trading day of the week, the market was already dull and
traders are already holding cash to position at bottom of the expected
pull back. If the market fundamentals remains, then the market may
continue on the bullish run from the first trading day of the new week,
nevertheless, traders should expect short pull back due to profit
taking activities. Whichever way it is viewed, cautious positioning
should be every trader’s watchword.

Corporate actions for the week ended

In the week under
review more staled results were reported in the market. Majority of
these results were audited reports. In terms of performance, many of
these reports were poor. We do not expect these reports to have
positive impact on the market indicator in the week ahead. The below
analysis on Arbico Plc and Union Dicon Salt Plc are reflection of how
bad some of these reports are.

Arbico Plc

Arbico Plc is a
building construction company incorporated way back in 1958 and listed
on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in December 1978. The company currently
has a share holding structure of 116.5 million shared in this order of
investors; Nigerians – 60% and Foreign – 40%. The directors yesterday
reported its belated financial year (FY) results for the period ended
December 31, 2007 and 2008. Lead indicators revealed abysmal
performance. Turnover dipped by 12.3% and 5.9% in both 2008 & 2007.
PAT indicator fared worst as it slide deeper in the red from loss after
tax of N2.08 million in 2007 to N36.14 million in 2008. In terms of
ratio performance; Loss per share of 62 kobo was attained against LPS
of 4 kobo in 2007. Loss profit margin stood at 3.01% against 0.15% in
2007. Price earnings multiples (PE ratio) remained dip rooted in the
red meaning the Arbico is not expected to return any positive earnings
in the nearest future.

In terms of book
value, Arbico is unattractive and selling above its intrinsic value at
current market price N26. Book value is 2.6, Price to book value is
9.99 and PSR 2.52. All are above bench mark indicators.

Observation; Arbico
current faced stiff competition in its industry militating against
revenue. Its cost of operation is high. Its intrinsic values are weak
compare to benchmarks. All these put together makes the stock
unattractive for short-medium-long term investment goal.

Union Dicon Salt Plc

Union Dicon Salt
Plc is a food, beverage & tobacco quoted company. The company was
listed on the exchange in September 1993 and currently has a paid-up
capital of 360 million. It currently has a six man board of director
chaired by Rtd Gen T.Y. Danjuma. In the recent reports of the company,
all the belated results for period ended December 31, 2004 through 2008
were made public. Hindsight revealed that the company’s operation is
being inhibited by continuous negative returns which have led to
massive erosion of shareholders’ fund after the FY 2003 figure (N219.2
million). Shareholder’s equity as at FY 2008 is in net liability of
N844.2 million.

In terms of
operational performance, for FY 2007 & 2008, no figure was reported
at turnover level meaning the company probably did not engaged in
productive activities. Others P & L indicators (P/LBT & P/LAT)
revealed negative figures from 2004 through 2008 FYs. As such loss per
share of (-1.04, -1.34, -0.40, -0.52 and -0.56) were posted from 2004
through 2008. For details on the revealed period performance, see the
below table.

Report on the OTC Market for FGN bonds

A total volume of
266.9 million units of bonds worth N246.36 billion in 1,978 deals was
recorded last week, in contrast to a total of 248.9 million units
valued at N243.41 billion exchanged in 1,940 deals during the week
ended Thursday, October 7, 2010. The most active bond (measured by
turnover volume) was the 10.00% FGN July 2030 series with a traded
volume of 100.8 million units valued at N84.20 billion in 714 deals.
This was followed by 4.00% FGN April 2015 series with a traded volume
of 35.25 million units valued at N28.53 billion in 331 deals.

Sixteen (16) of the available thirty-six (36) FGN Bonds were traded
during the week under review, compared with seventeen (17) recorded in
the fort-night week ago.

Money

Delhi overcomes Commonwealth challenges

Delhi overcomes Commonwealth challenges

Delhi
put on a second flawless spectacle of song and dance Thursday to close
the Commonwealth Games on a high after at one stage threatening to
become a national embarrassment to India.

The $6 billion
Games started in crisis and struggled through a first week of
organisational blunders before finally getting into its stride to leave
athletes happy and a host nation proud of its best ever showing in the
sporting arena.

Chief local
organiser Suresh Kalmadi, who bore the brunt of public anger and was
jeered at the closing ceremony as he had been at the opening, paid
tribute to the spirit the city had shown in bringing the Games back
from crisis.

“A month ago questions were being asked about whether the Games would be held at all,” he said.

“We knew it was
about India’s ability to stand up and show the world what we are
capable of and we can achieve in the face of adversity. We did just
that.”

India’s hope was
that the Games would display its ability to put on a world class
multi-sport gathering but chaotic preparations and a series of
organisational blunders turned it into a public relations disaster.

India is proud of
being the “jugaadu” – the Hindi word for “making do” – nation, however,
and the filthy athletes’ village was quickly made fit for habitation, a
collapsed footbridge was reconstructed by the army and security was
effective.

“The organisation
of this Games has been characterised by many challenges and (they) have
overcome those obstacles to deliver a truly outstanding event,” Games
Federation chief Michael Fennell told the 60,000 crowd at the
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Earlier, India’s
badminton queen Saina Nehwal clawed her way back from match point down
to claim a 38th gold for the hosts and ensure second place on the medal
table, their best ever finish.

Australia on top

Australia topped
the table for the sixth successive Games with 74 gold medals with
England (37) just edged into third ahead of Canada (26). South Africa,
Kenya and Malaysia won 12 golds.

The center of
Indian capital was again locked down on Thursday with reports in the
British media of a specific threat to the closing ceremony a reminder
of security concerns which caused some athletes to stay away from Delhi.

Rajan Bhagat, a
spokesman for Delhi police, ruled out any new threat and said the
100,000 police and military who have been guarding Delhi and the
various Games venues were not reinforced.

“There is adequate security and there is no change in the levels of threat perception,” he said.

After marching
bands and the handover of the Games flag to the 2014 host city Glasgow,
the David Dixon award for the Athlete of the Games went to Jamaica’s
Trecia Smith, who successfully defended her triple jump title.

Passionate fans

It was India’s
success in the sporting arena, however, that helped turn the event
around with crowds flocking to venues that had been virtually empty at
the beginning of the 12-day even “This is not the end but the
beginning,” Kalmadi, who is also President of the Indian Olympic
Association, added. “For the athletes this was a life-changing
experience.

For India it was a
new beginning in sports. For the world, it was what India can do.”
Nehwal showed what she could do when she beat Malaysia’s Wong Mew Choo
in front of a delirious packed house at the Siri Fort complex.

“The crowd was
really important,” Nehwal said. “I’ve never been match point down
before so I was under pressure. I think it was the toughest match of my
career.” Kenya won both men’s and women’s gold in the marathon, which
kicked off the final day, to complete its domination of the athletics
with 11 golds.

Few spectators
braved the security barriers and morning heat but the city’s wildlife
was again out in force with police chasing stray dogs and using sticks
to clear monkeys from the course.

Indian’s men’s hockey team failed in their quest to win a first Games gold, humbled 8-0 by triple defending champions Australia.

Despite the Delhi belly stomach complaints and the security that kept them mostly locked up in the village,

athletes were mostly positive about their Delhi experience.

“There were spectacular venues and really caring people ensured all
our needs were met,” said Canada’s chef de mission Martha Deacon. “The
Games are an incredible success. We had a great two weeks in Delhi.”

Sports

Promasidor takes rugby to children

Promasidor takes rugby to children

The
Nigeria Rugby Football Federation on Wednesday launched the iTry Rugby
Cluster Programme with funfare at Tafawa Balewa Cricket Oval. The
programme, meant for Junior Secondary School 1(JSS1) students, was
launched in conjunction with Promasidor Nigeria, makers of Cowbell
Milk.

The iTry Cluster
Programme of the NRFF is meant to build structures that would last. The
scheme also seeks to introduce rugby into the secondary school
curriculum. A training programme which would begin this week and run
for five weeks would flag off the programme after which the children
would play against each other for the next nine months. The launching
had boys and girls from about 30 schools in Lagos attending the
occasion.

A tough task

Though the children
were excited, they did not seem to know what they were there for. A
simple question of “what are you here for?” had left the children
looking for their game masters, to explain to them what they had been
gathered for. This kind of ignorance is what the NRFF hopes to address.

Ajetunmobi Olusola,
games master of Igbowo Junior Secondary school, Mushin said though he
knew about rugby, the children had no clue about the game.

“I know of the game of Rugby but I have very little idea of how it is played.

“We are in this
school’s programme because we were invited to join. Our school is known
to be very good in sporting activities, so I think that was one of the
reasons why we were chosen to be involved in this programme. I know it
is going to be good for the children because I saw that when you were
talking to them earlier they had no idea of what you were saying”.

The training format

The children will
be trained to play Rugby 7’s which is another formation in Rugby. It
simply means that each of the teams would be seven on each side.
According to Fola Odetoyinbo, NRFF’s Head of Youth Development, the
reason for this is that Rugby 7’s is less complicated and easier to
learn than the Rugby 15’s. He goes on to say that “come 2011, we hope
to carry this (the event) to other parts of the country but we would
start from Kwara, then Kaduna and on and on till we are able to have
the programme in schools all over the country. Our vision is to get to
the 2016 Olympic Games, so you can see we have long term plans.

Jide Afolabi, NRFF
Coaching Institute Coordinator said the coaches had been trained to the
standard of the International Rugby Board (IRB) so that they will be
able to train young ones. One of the coaches, Clement Dennis had been
coaching some schools on his own before.

“The initiative is
a plus for the development of the game of rugby. Formerly, I was just
coaching on my own with support from the schools I was coaching but and
it was not too easy because they were no tools for trainings. Now
however, we know that with the Federation giving a helping hand, things
will be better.

He goes on to say that this not the first this kind of initiative was tried.

“There was effort
in times past to organize a schools Rugby programme in 1999 and I was
one of the coaches involved in that venture but it was not successful.
I cannot tell you till date what actually happened even though I was
actively involved. Everything just disintegrated just like that and the
programme did not come to a satisfactory conclusion. This one however,
better organised and I know that it would go in a better direction,” he
said.

The high point of
the day was when the sporting items such as the kits, balls and cones
were distributed to the children through their games masters.

“Now I can’t wait
to learn the game. I will know how to play more games than some of my
friends,” one of the youngsters, Aliyu Sani said after the basics of
Rugby had been explained.

Journalists were also not left out, as a crash course on the
history, the set pieces, and the different positions people play in
rugby was given by Akin Akintola, the Chief Operating Officer of the
rugby federation.

Sports

Ferguson and Rooney keep everyone guessing

Ferguson and Rooney keep everyone guessing

These
are surely not the best of times for Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney
who has locked himself on a collision course with his manager, Alex
Ferguson on the gaffer’s injury claims. Rooney has come out publicly to
refute claims by Ferguson that the England man is not fully fit and is
suffering from an ankle injury.

United fans will be
hoping that this incident does not follow the paths of David Beckham,
Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who had such encounters and were eventually sold.
As the new boys of West Brom come calling, it will be pertinent to see
whether Rooney will start or be benched. “During the World Cup I
trained in every session and had no problems fitness wise,” said
Rooney. “I’ve been training for the last two months. I haven’t missed a
training session. So I’ve got no problems with my fitness.”

Ferguson’s ego at stake

If he is benched,
then there might problems in Ferguson’s relationship with United’s
highest goal scorer for last season. Owen Hargreaves could make his
long-awaited return from a two-year injury on Saturday. West Brom are
however on a roll; and after defeating Arsenal at the Emirates, what
better ground to test the new found status. They sit sixth, and Coach
Roberto Di Matteo has called on his players to use the Emirates’
triumph to boost their confidence ahead of Saturday’s game. Nigerian
player, Osaze Odemwingie, September’s player of the month, and the
team’s creative fulcrum, Jerome Thomas, are both battling to be fit for
the trip to Old Trafford.

In three trips to
the ‘Big 4’, of Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal – they have lost two and
won one. Di Matteo also added that: “Is the Arsenal win going to change
our attitude? No, because the attitude has always been very good, very
positive and very committed from the players’ point of view. But it’s
another game and we treat it like one single game, and then we’ll think
about the next one after that.” Di Matteo was unbeaten in the three
top-flight occasions he played at the Theatre of Dreams for Chelsea;
winning 2-1 on his first visit there and drawing 1-1 and 3-3.

Another Chelsea trip to Villa Park

Villa Park is not
one of the grounds that holds fond memories for Chelsea, especially the
departed Jose Mourinho, whose days as manager of Chelsea got short
circuited at Villa Park. Last season, Chelsea were defeated 2-1, even
though they scored first. One player hoping the status quo stays is a
former Blues’ player, Steve Sidwell, and he is counting on the fans to
raise the roof as they welcome the defending champions. “It’s going to
be a tough game,” he said. “They are doing really well but we have got
a good record against them apart from last year away. Hopefully we can
put that to one side and go into it confident and get a result. I
personally think they will win the league. The way they have started
this year and on the evidence shown they should do really well but it’s
a long season and a lot of ups and downs happen. At home the fans are
great, especially against the big teams. They really do get behind the
players, which is really important because sometimes when it’s 0-0, or
if you’re 1-0 down, when you need that extra push, it does come from
the fans.” There are injury concerns for John Terry for Chelsea and
Ashley Young for Aston Villa.

Wilshere hopes Arsenal will remain focussed

When Arsenal lost
last season in the league, they lost in pairs. This season, they have
lost to West Brom and Chelsea in successive match days so it should be
safe to assume that the Gunners will be getting a victory over
Birmingham on Saturday. Arsene Wenger will be glad that he can call on
the return of the duo of Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott. Birmingham
City have looked solid defensively, apart from their loss to Everton,
and will seek to put up a similarly well organised defence like West
Brom and hope to catch the Gunners on the break.

Youngster, Jack
Wilshere, hopes that Arsenal will be patient in breaking up teams that
set up ultra defensively and keep their shape. “Teams come to Arsenal
and hope to catch us on the counter-attack,” he said. “It worked that
day (against West Brom) and we have to learn from that day. We have to
show we can deal with that and get a result on Saturday. I think we
learned from it straight after because we went out to Serbia and got a
good win and then we played well against Chelsea. So I think we learned
from it and hopefully we can get a result against Birmingham. It’s an
important game because you have to get three points in every game.” The
three points are very important if they are not to be set adrift from
the top of the table.

Villa may miss Valencia match

The $40 million buy
from Valencia, David Villa, is a major doubt for Saturday’s game
against Valencia as he sustained a knee injury on duty for Spain
against Scotland on Tuesday. Villa scored a record breaking 45th goal
for Spain in the match against Scotland, taking him above Raul Gonzalez
in the all-time record books.

Xavi has been told
that he will take no part in the match against the league leaders on
Saturday. Xavi’s poise in possession and creation of chances for the
strikers was clearly missing in the last match at the Nou Camp, where
with 78% possession, Mallorca ran away with a 1-1 draw. Xavi has had an
Achilles tendon problem and has been missing from the Barcelona lineup
since the end of September.

Barcelona doctor,
Dr. Cugat said: “Xavi is getting better and better, so that one side
does not have any pain and the other still has a little bit. He wants
to play on Saturday, but I have told him he has to wait a bit because
he still has trouble on the other side. It is too early for him to
play.”

Valencia winger,
Joaquin Sanchez, is also set to be sidelined with a damaged left ankle
and it is estimated that he will be out for ten to 15 days. Valencia
are top of the Primera Division with 16 points from a possible 18,
three more than fourth-placed Catalan side.

Sports

Team Nigeria finishes ninth at Commonwealth Games

Team Nigeria finishes ninth at Commonwealth Games

After 11 days of gruelling competition in 7 out of the 19 sports approved, Team Nigeria emerged as the ninth best team at the just concluded 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India.

Amassing a total of 11 gold, 10 silver and 13 bronze medals, Nigeria finished the competition as the third best African team with South Africa leading the pack and Kenya coming a close second. Nigeria was one gold medal away from clinching Africa’s top spot. The Australian team emerged champions for the umpteenth time, winning a record seventh title in a row with a total of 177 medals. For Nigeria, the feat attained in Delhi is the best for the country in recent times, second only to the 1994 Victoria Games in Canada where the country amassed 37 medals, 11 of which are Gold medals.

Bio leads team back to Nigeria

The Team Nigeria contingent will be led home today by the Sports Minister and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Ibrahim Isa Bio. They are expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at 7.00pm local time. When the team left for Delhi, India last month, nobody gave them a chance, with some bookmakers writing them off, and posited that they will not win anything. The bookmakers were proven wrong from day one when Nigeria won the first gold medal of the games. The success story continued from that day with the team winning on the average, a gold medal for every day of the 11 day fiesta. Nigeria won medals in weightlifting, power lifting, wrestling and athletics.

Speaking on the team success in Delhi, leader of the delegation to games, Bio, attributed the contingent’s success to the backing the sports commission got from President Goodluck Jonathan “The president is our number one supporter, he not only gave financial backing, he also supported as a fan, his words of encouragement and advises contributed immensely to our good outing in Delhi,” he said.

Already, the athletes are already getting the reward for the hard work in India with the Sports Commission doling out monies as a means of appreciating the athletes. Each gold medallist pocketed the sum $6, 800, while the silver medallists were given $3, 800 and bronze medallists $2, 500. Bio also said he was very impressed with the way and manner athletes and most officials had conducted themselves despite the challenges. “We were only able to pay the athletes their allowances this week but in spite of this there were no incidents of indiscipline amongst them, rather they faced their main goal of doing well at the Games,” he said. “And they can attest to it that immediately the money came we handed it out”

Closing ceremony

As the curtains were drawn on the 19th Commonwealth Games, the impressive closing ceremony, held on Thursday, will be remembered by people who love the traditional dance and art forms of India. One of the special features of the ceremony was ‘Agni’ or, the fire. Presented at the outset of the ceremony, ‘Agni’ displayed a matchless confluence of martial art forms from different parts of the country. About 800 performers displayed the best of their states through traditional martial art in a conflagration of light and sound to hundreds of drum beats.

Kerala’s Kalaripayatt, Manipur’s Thang Ta, Punjab’s Gatka, Silambam from Tamil Nadu, Gujarat’s Talwaar Raas and Naga Warriors with their machetes came together in a high-intensity eight-minute performance. There were all sorts of swords, sticks and spears, and spectators were reminded of India’s martial art traditions dating back many centuries. The next edition of the Commonwealth Games will be staged in Glasgow, United Kingdom in 2014.

Sports

Strengthening the Eagles’ wings for flight

Strengthening the Eagles’ wings for flight

At
full-time in the game against Romania on Saturday, October 9 at the
Parc De Prince, new French coach, Laurent Blanc and his players looked
very relieved to have won 2-0. Les Blues’ revolution under Blanc, who
is referred to as ‘Le Presidente’ had finally started.

Italy, France,
England are some of the football elite that have had to change or tweak
their systems in the past three months on the back of below-par
performances in South Africa. Though Nigeria cannot be grouped with the
above countries – who between them have won six World Cups, Nigeria can
be categorised as an African power.

With two Africa Cup
of Nations Cup trophies, six silver medals and the same number of
bronze medals, the Eagles have always been in or around the podium when
it comes to African football.

But Italy and
France have since moved on from not qualifying for the second round of
the World Cup by appointing new managers in Cesare Prandelli and
Laurent Blanc respectively, while Nigeria is yet to have a substantive
coach, for real planning to change players and systems to start.

In the case of
England, Fabio Capello has given the benefit of the doubt; and he is
using this second chance to bring in new, young and hungrier players
into the squad. But Nigeria is stuck with the same old players, who
have failed to improve their uninspiring performances.

Same old legs, and script

Members of the
football family in Nigeria believe that the Eagles’ last game against
Guinea in Conakry showed the true level of Nigerian football. They
contend that fans have always had an exaggerated image of Nigeria, and
that ‘small’ countries like Guinea are showing that potential is not
enough; planning, hard-work and commitment can and make the difference
between a loss and a win.

Commenting on that match, former national player and now coach of Kwara United, Kadiri Ikhana said:

“Even before this
match was played, I said each of the teams had 50 percent chance of
taking the day. The match itself – looking at the first half, the
Eagles were not so good but in the second half their game improved. We
had more chances of scoring- like 60 to their 40- but we refused to
take them. See how many goals we missed. Guinea on the other hand, took
their only chance and converted it to a goal.”

Many argue that the
outcome of the match was determined by youth, fitness and commitment
and that the Guineans rather than place premium on pedigree were more
concerned with current form. This is believed by many to be the reason
why a youngster like Kevin Constant, who scored the goal against
Nigeria, kept Guinean football greats like Ismael Bangoura and Pascal
Feindouno on the bench.

Not playing to win

“I think we did not
play as we were supposed to. There was not too much fight in the
attack. Only (Obafemi) Martins was moving forward. It was like we were
playing with just two attackers against their four defenders. Obinna
Nsofor is more of an attacker but he was playing in the midfield,” said
former Eagles player, Garba Lawal, who is at a loss about what caused
the lack of commitment.

Some analysts say
these Europe-based players know where their bread is buttered. Their
clubs pay a lot of money to be represented and that cannot be risked on
second rate pitches like the one they played on in Conakry.

“If we take a
mixture of Kano Pillars and Enyimba players they would have represented
us better. What is the makeup of this statement? The players will be
hungrier and more committed to the cause and maybe not necessarily
younger,” said Sola Aiyepeku, a football commentator.

Lawal added that
absence of Osaze Odemwingie, Mikel Obi and Dickson Etuhu in the game
against Guinea is not an excuse for the defeat.

“The likes of Osaze
were not there because they had injuries but even if they were there
the team may not have won. The team is not about anyone person,” he
said. “The way forward for the Eagles is for players to be more
committed. If they play with commitment even if they do not win, we the
people would be able to salute them and say they did their best.”

Officials culpable

Ikhana is not too worried about the loss and he believes the Eagles will qualify for Equatorial Guinea/Gabon 2012 Nations Cup.

“This is a minus
for us but I believe it would gear them up to do better in subsequent
matches. This notwithstanding, I see us qualifying for the Nations’
Cup.”

Former Eagles coach
and defender, Christian Chukwu blamed officials of the team, who are
always afraid of the consequences of a loss.

“The problem we
have is that we are afraid to lose matches, but did we not lose on
Sunday despite inviting 15 Europe-based stars for the match, which
ordinarily the home-based should have formed at least 70 per cent of
the squad?

“If we had paraded
mostly home-based players and we still lost the match, we would have
been happy that at least we are rebuilding our team,” Chukwu said.

“This is the time
to rebuild. This is the time to go in search of talented, young and
desperate home-based players, players who are hungry to prove that they
can play in the Eagles too.

“We are not
rebuilding. We can’t keep using the same players. We are overstretching
them. We need to give the home-based players the chance to prove
themselves. If we don’t play them, we won’t be able to discover new
players for the national team.”

Like Chukwu, many
believe that without a shake-up of the Super Eagles – to allow the
youth, better coaches, and administrators who understand the game plan
take the reigns, football might just end up like some other sports –
where Nigeria reigned supreme on the continent some years ago but is
now playing catch-up.

Michel Platini,
UEFA President said after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa that he
was not surprised at the composition of the first, second and third
placed teams – Spain, Holland and Germany. To Platini, success is not
achieved by coincidence.

“The countries that did well have the most youth competitions and
spend the most on training young players. It is no coincidence they
happened to do well. Investment, competition and training pays off.”

Sports

RED CARD:Saluting Team Nigeria on the Commonwealth Games

RED CARD:Saluting Team Nigeria on the Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India has ended and our worst fears have not come to pass.

Instead, we have
been pleasantly surprised by the feats of a contingent written off as
being incapable of doing big things on the big stage.

Eleven gold medals
from athletes who in the last two editions of the games struggled to
haul in ten golds, certainly calls for some celebration.

The performance in
Delhi confirms the belief held in many quarters within and outside
Nigeria that this country is not lacking in talent; that with the right
mix of variables in place, they will excel in the international arena.

The adventure in
Delhi is a tale of commitment and patriotism. From Daniel Igali, the
former wrestler, who as technical adviser of our wrestling team, did
not wait for funds from government before assembling his team for
camping in Bayelsa to Helen Okus who with a slipped disc still went
into battle for a bronze medal for her country, the Nigerian team in
Delhi has shown that there is still such a thing as love for one’s
country.

Two weeks ago in
this column I had paid tribute to the Nigerian athlete and held that
for the most part our successes in international sporting competitions
were achieved not because there were deliberate policies put in place
by our sports administrators to engender success but as a result of the
will to succeed by our athletes.

That cast-iron will
was on display in Delhi. Our athletes, spurned by their officials and
derided by fans as never -do wells, determined to turn the table on
their detractors and we are all better off for it.

At the risk of
sounding like a broken record, I say it again here that one of the
surest routes to Nigeria’s greatness is sports. Consider not only how
positively the performance in Delhi will rob off on our image abroad.
Consider also, how President Goodluck Jonathan, buffeted on all sides
for his political faux pas, must be relishing this moment of respite.
Without making any tangible input into this success, he must thumping
his chest in satisfaction at the performance of “our boys and girls” in
Delhi.

I hope President
Jonathan will have the grace to do what is only right – and that is to
reward the athletes and their officials in a fitting way. For if the
men and women in Abuja and other centres of political power in this
country without as much as breaking sweat appropriate sizeable chunks
of the common patrimony for themselves and their generations yet
unborn, it is only fair that those who have engaged in meaningful toil
for the fatherland should be amply rewarded particularly as they have
no other means of livelihood.

Destroying the vermin

Now that our
athletes have pointed the way and have shown just what it means to want
to die for their country, will those ‘local champions’ who have
constituted themselves into one huge millstone on the neck of Nigerian
sports, not repent of their follies?

If youngsters, who
have repeatedly given their all and have not been given back much in
return, still willingly offer themselves as vehicles for national
glory, will the men who have eviscerated Nigerian sports in the last
two decades not realise that the time has come for them to be sensible
and stop selling their fatherland for a few shekels?

Will these
quislings who are quick to take sides with international bodies against
the very country that afforded them the opportunity to get into those
organisations not realise the futility of their actions?

Clearly, the time
has come for us to begin to take a closer look at the kinds of men we
entrust with the responsibility to administer sports in this country.
It is a blight on us as a people that a few individuals will repeatedly
poke fingers into our eyes and rather than snap those fingers in two,
we whine about how powerless we are.

Can a few
individuals be greater than an entire country? Will President Jonathan
sit down and allow a few unpatriotic characters continually cast us in
the role of charlatans internationally while they profit from their
association with us at the same time.

In case our president has forgotten he has as much responsibility to
sports as he has to other sectors of our national life and he must
begin to take an interest in what happens in the sector.