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A long way from yesterday
A long way from yesterday
While being
interviewed for admission into the Nigerian Military School, Zaria, in
the 80s, my brother, Uwasinachi, was asked why he wanted to join the
army.
“Because I want to someday become the president of Nigeria,” the nine-year-old replied.
The interview panel
of military officers burst out laughing. All, except one. According to
Uwasinachi, the chair of the panel remained stern-faced while his
colleagues fell over themselves laughing, causing my brother to fear
that he had goofed big time.
Uwasinachi need not
have worried. The school’s quota system allowed only one student from
each of the eastern Nigeria states, and my brother ended up as the
chosen candidate from what was then Imo, before Abia State was carved
from it. Months later, the humourless chair was dead – executed by
Ibrahim Babangida’s regime, following accusations of the man’s
involvement in an abortive coup. Back during the NMS interview, the
officer must have known that my brother’s answer was nothing to laugh
about. Being in the military was indeed the route to political power in
Nigeria.
Within a few years
of that interview, the Giant of Africa had moved on. We were voting to
elect public officers under a two-party system masterminded by the
General Babangida administration. My father, then one of the top dogs
of the defunct National Republican Convention in my hometown, Umuahia,
nominated me as a polling clerk to represent his party in the election.
The pay was N80 per day – a bonanza for a girl who had just finished
secondary school. And so, at age 16, I stood at a polling booth in a
village in my community, and, along with other electoral officials
representing both the NRC and the Social Democratic Party, counted the
votes for each party’s gubernatorial candidates.
The incumbent state
governor won. Some villagers rejoiced, others moaned, everyone
eventually dispersed. Then one of the community leaders came into the
village hall where the electoral officials were tidying up, and shut
the door.
“You’re all from this community?” he whispered in Igbo.
We concurred. The electoral commission preferred to assign officials to their areas of origin.
“You need to
realise that the current governor is coming back to rule this state,”
the man continued, “whether anyone likes it or not.”
He had a point. An incumbent losing in Nigerian elections was as rare as a snowstorm in hell.
The community
leader went on to explain that, when the governor eventually inspected
the voting records from all over Abia, he would see that, even though
he won in our community, it was only by a narrow margin, signifying
that our people were not fully behind him.
“That will affect
how much help he renders to us – whether he repairs our roads and
provides us with other social amenities,” the community leader
explained.
With his little
point made, the man watched while the senior officials of our team –
from both the NRC and SDP – looked through the records to determine how
many registered voters had not turned out to vote. One by one, each
absentee voter was accredited. Then the result sheets were amended to
show that those absentees had cast their votes for the incumbent
governor. Satisfied, the community leader dipped into his pocket and
extracted some cash. My teammates – three middle-aged men who spoke
Igbo amongst themselves but switched to English whenever they had
something to say to me – must have imagined me as too young and
innocent and civilised to notice that they didn’t share the booty with
me.
That experience was
proof of what many Nigerians had always suspected: the outcome of
elections had little to do with whether or not we turned out to vote.
However, April 16, 2011, saw me standing under the blazing sun for
about six hours, waiting to vote for the first time in my life.
I stood on one
queue to get accredited, waited for hours before I could join another
queue to ascertain that I had indeed been accredited, before joining
yet another queue to cast my ballot for the presidential candidate of
my choice. Some of my friends reported spending about eight hours at
their polling booths, enduring a process that the head of the African
Union observer mission and former Ghanaian president, John Kufuor,
described as “cumbersome”. Nevertheless, none of us had any doubts that
it was worth it. This time, our votes would count.
Despite
post-election violence and allegations of voting irregularities in some
states, my Nigeria has definitely come a long way from when all you
required to exercise power was a uniform and a gun. The story should
have a better ending come 2015..
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, an editor at NEXT, is the author of the novel “I Do Not Come to You by Chance”.
ON WATCH: The President’s list
ON WATCH: The President’s list
Jonathan won the election, Buhari second and Ribadu third.
Jonathan’s PDP attracted 22,495,187 votes or 58.89
per cent of the votes cast. Buhari’s CPC took 12,214,853 votes or 31.98
per cent and Ribadu’s ACN 2,079,151 votes or 5.41 per cent. Seventeen
other parties shared the remaining 3.72 per cent of the votes. That is
a very sizable margin for winning an election.
There are protests claiming rigging as we have
come to expect over the years of Nigeria’s election and the courts have
shown that they will give the fullest attention to any case of
electoral fraud brought before them. But whichever way you cut it,
these elections have been a significant improvement on previous
elections in Nigeria. What do the independent electoral observers say?
The Commonwealth Observer Group, the European
Union (EU) Election Observation Mission, the African Union (AU) and the
National Democratic Institute (NDI) all acknowledged the vast
improvement and praised the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC)
accordingly.
Alojz Peterle, Head of the EU Observer Group said, “Election day showed a generally peaceful and orderly process.”
The Head of the Commonwealth Observer Group and
former President of Botswana, Festus Mogae, said that problems in the
conduct of the election were negligible and Nigerians should accept the
outcome.
“Though there were minor technical or procedural
imperfections, they were not related to mischief. I think the election
was credible.”
Both the Commonwealth and EU teams noted that
there were shortcomings in the electoral process that will be detailed
in their respective final reports.
And thus, the point that Goodluck Jonathan must
ensure that the process of electoral reform is continued. To that end
he must give Attahiru Jega the mandate for INEC to continue the reform,
give him the resources to complete the job and a timetable to produce
the results. There can be no reason why 2015 elections should not be
the best that has ever been seen in any African nation and that means
no rigging, peaceful, free and fair.
Then there is the task of getting on with the job
of running the country and it is here that President Jonathan has a set
of tasks that most Nigerians would agree need to be addressed. Some,
such as power sector reform and signing off the Petroleum Sector Bill,
are hanging over from the previous term. Others such as setting up a
sovereign wealth fund protected by the constitution, as this column has
previously advocated (On Watch: Oil Opportunity, March 13, 2011) would
be a good way of preventing the excess crude account from being
plundered and preserving a portion of Nigeria’s oil wealth for the
future.
It’s relatively easy to tell the President how to
run the country. Being President and implementing these suggestions is
probably the hardest job in Nigeria. However, this should not deter us
from constructing a list for Mr President’s attention. On my list of
‘things to do’, I have the following:
1. Roll out the power sector reform
2. Sign the Petroleum Industry Bill
3. Review and restructure the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
4. Set up and constitutionally preserve a Sovereign Wealth Fund
5. Reform the Solid Minerals sector
6. Roll out an economic stimulus package for the north that has agriculture and mineral development as its core
What does your list look like? If you were
President, what would be the top five items on your list of things to
do? Let me have them and I will compile a list of the top 10 items
based on the most popular put forward and we will bring them to the
attention of Mr President.
But whatever the list of jobs to be done, Mr
Jonathan will need a first rate team around him to ensure that there is
delivery on every target that is set. Under Umaru Yar’Adua, some
ministers simply did whatever they wished regardless of presidential
instructions. Jonathan inherited some prima donnas and some rogues.
These people simply must not appear in the new cabinet.
The Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke,
is in the twilight of her political career, although she may not yet
have realised it, and must be replaced if the oil and gas sector is to
be cleaned up. The EFCC will continue to exist in the shadows until
Farida Waziri is replaced with someone whom Nigerians and the
international anti-corruption agencies respect. If the north is to see
some serious attention to economic growth and development of key
infrastructure, then the ministries of agriculture, solid minerals and
water resources require outstanding appointments.
We won’t have to wait long to find out who is to
be trusted with building a future that we all hope will bring sustained
improvement in the quality life of every Nigerian.
onwatch@mail.com
AHAA…: Blame the parties
AHAA…: Blame the parties
Are the political
parties not to blame for this post-election violence because they
failed to educate their supporters on what it TRULY takes to be elected
as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?
No matter what one
told the fans of any of the candidates and/or the political parties
prior to the elections, they would just not accept that personal
opinion about the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not count. Love
or hate the party, everything favoured her: the numbers, the reach, and
the mathematical formula thrown up by the 1999 Constitution as amended;
these were the factors that would support a president’s general
acceptability to majority of Nigerians, whether you liked it or not.
The test of ‘General acceptability’ is specified in S134 (2) (a) and (b) of the Constitution:
A candidate for an
election to the office of President shall be deemed to have been duly
elected where, there being more than two candidates for the election-
(a) He has the highest number of votes cast at the election: and
(b) He has not less
than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least
two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja.
What this means is
that one’s wishes mean zilch! So too, do perception of popularity,
fanatical acceptance and/or uncanny popularity in one region of the
country. This law, OUR law, recognizes six zones: an average of six
states a zone. If the Constitution recommends the President-elect win
at least two-thirds of ALL the states in the Federation and [in
addition to] Abuja, that is 24 states, at six states a region
therefore, it means that the Constitution expects him to be the choice
of a minimum of 25 per cent of ALL voters in a minimum of four regions
or 24 states.
This politics, one
agrees, can be a bitter pill to swallow. One had previously mourned the
loss of straightforward You-defeat-me-and-I-lose-to-you elections; you
know, the type where people vote, we count the votes and he who scores
the most wins. Human beings, we JUST like to complicate our lives! If
not, why qualify a straightforward requirement further by specifying
exactly what it SHALL mean when the President-elect has “the highest
number of votes cast at the election”?
It is also not for
nothing that the Constitution makes the country one constituency, so
that regional strength will come to nil when electing the president.
Reach is paramount. You are forgiven if you thought scoring high per se
meant anything; in addition, the candidate must make sure there is
nothing left for his opponents to count. Don’t forget that total number
of votes cast will also depend on voter response to the voting itself.
If many don’t vote, there won’t be votes to share, will there? Beyond
registration before and accreditation on the morning of election,
people must actually vote.
In Lagos State for
instance, where about six million are registered, it would be
interesting to see how the parties fare if almost everyone came out to
vote. The truth is that the most popular [ruling] party in any state
mobilizes more; perhaps because the ruling party corners all official
privileges and perks that come with being affiliated to or with a
serving government, to the dismay of other parties in the state. Access
to government owned media by opposition parties is still not equal! And
it is a fact that only ruling parties ‘in’ government can afford to
campaign to ALL the corners of a state or country. Opposition
candidates can NEVER spend as much as the incumbent. Therefore, it
shouldn’t surprise anyone that Goodluck Jonathan got votes even in
those areas where he was perceived to be weak. You underestimate the
power of a presidential campaign by an incumbent
Really-Constitutionally-Powerful President at your peril!
In Kaduna for
instance, it was not enough for the Congress for Progressive Change
[CPC] to score 1,334,244; it should have frustrated PDP with over two
million votes. Leaving a massive 1,190,179 votes to PDP was bad Math.
But look at Imo State; PDP selfishly swept 1,381,357 votes, leaving a
measly 14,821 for ACN in second place and 7,591 for CPC in third place.
In other words, President Jonathan made it difficult for any party to
score an extra 25 per cent in Imo State, taking the glory alone there,
but sharing CPC’s glory in Kaduna. Politics, like law, is an ass! Is it
just too painful for those who voted differently to accept that 22
million Nigerians like GOJO?
SECTION 39: The third day
SECTION 39: The third day
The ancients in
Judea had no concept of zero. That is why a period of what seems to be
at most 40 hours comes out as ‘the third day’, with Good Friday being
the first day and today, Easter Sunday, the third day on the morning of
which the tomb of Jesus Christ was found empty.
Conversely, by
counting the non-event of April 2 as a zero, it is not out of place to
look forward to Tuesday April 26 as ‘the third day’ of our general
elections cycle in Nigeria.
Until last week,
one could have said that it is state elections that excite the most
passion and strife in Nigeria, and that the third day of elections
might present even greater challenges than those of the second. But
now, some politicians whose candidates lost the presidential election
are complaining. Even the Action Congress of Nigeria, whose
presidential candidate had earlier conceded defeat, is ‘analysing
voting patterns’ instead of consulting its own agents and doing its own
mathematics.
It is not
reasonable to complain that 90-something per cent of the voters who
turned out for the presidential election in the south-south and south
east chose to vote for the winning Peoples Democratic Party candidate:
there are people all over the federation who can attest that at their
own individual polling stations, the votes all went one way. Indeed,
the grim joke in the two zones where Muhammad Buhari hardly campaigned
at all is that there must have been some rigging for him to secure even
the few votes that were recorded in his favour, so meagre was his
support there.
It is more
reasonable to suspect results where there was an unusually high
turn-out of registered voters last Saturday. But did that high turn-out
produce Goodluck Jonathan’s victory? There are grounds for suspecting
that those figures have less to do with election-rigging in President
Jonathan’s favour (since he might still have had both the necessary
plurality and the percentages of the vote for victory even with a lower
turnout) and more to do with practising for next Tuesday’s state
elections. Nigerians are certainly fed up with being told that “he
would have won anyway”, but it is precisely to show what would have
been the margin of that winning (if at all) that the parties must
gather the results from their own agents. It will be interesting to see
whether the states with the most hotly contested gubernatorial races:
where the incumbent knows that he has not performed well, or is
unpopular, or facing a strong challenge, are among those with the
magically high turn-out numbers for the presidential poll.
After all, while
the so-called ‘Modified Open Ballot System’ of accreditation and
simultaneous voting across the country remains the best way of
conducting a credible election where the voters’ register remains
suspect, it would have been naïve to imagine that desperate people
would not be working overtime to see how they can defeat the system,
and perhaps to use the presidential election as a ‘dry run’.
At this stage, it
is impossible to tell whether the coming third day is going to herald
any kind of glorious resurrection for the Nigerian nation. We’ve
certainly had the death part of the Easter story, and it is
particularly poignant to think that youth corps members – on whose
shoulders much of the credit for the successful conduct of the
elections rests – have been killed by other young people protesting the
outcome of the elections. Much work needs to be done among those
disaffected young people who could not accept or understand that the
fact that they themselves all voted for one candidate does not mean
that the candidate must necessarily win an election in which all parts
of Nigeria are voting.
Attahiru Jega, the
INEC Chair, can probably say a few things about being on the receiving
end of shouts that veer so wildly from ‘Crucify him!’ to ‘Hosanna!’ and
back again. But he was given a Herculean task with far too little time
to accomplish it. So with the imperfect architecture that the outgoing
National Assembly cobbled together out of the Mohammed Uwais-led
Committee on Electoral Reform’s recommendations, the best we should
have expected was – not a ‘free and fair’ election (which would have
required an effective way of monitoring campaign spending, media
access, and the use and/or abuse of government resources) – but a
credible poll which accurately reflected the votes cast by the
electorate on polling day.
With even those
modest hopes seeming rather dead and buried, it would probably take a
miracle for the coming polls to be better than the two that went
before. But then, aren’t those just the kind of hopes that, at
Eastertide, are realised on the third day?
‘I am happy to give to the needy’
‘I am happy to give to the needy’
Olubayo ‘Bayo’ Adefemi was a rare breed. Although rightfully a superstar in
the Nigerian context, he preferred a lifestyle that was much different from
those of the average Nigerian superstar.
For instance, the defender whose role model was Inter Milan’s Brazilian
wingback Douglas Maicon, wasn’t the type to “waste much time dressing up” as he
just simply goes to his wardrobe and “grabs anything” that catches his
attention.
He was also in love with his mother’s cooking and regarded her as the “best
cook in the world.” He was probably looking forward to eating a meal prepared
by his mother upon his return to Nigeria before the cruel hands of death
snatched him away much to the anguish of his loved ones, and fans across the
world.
During the national team’s last international engagement in Abuja at the
tail end of March, he spoke with NEXT at the team’s Transcorp Hilton Hotel
camp, in what turned out to be arguably his last interview on Nigerian soil. He
died in an automobile accident in Greece on April 18, 2011.
Below are excerpts:
On his football sojourn
First of all, I must give God all the glory for where I am now. Then my
family, my friends and all my colleagues out there. I’ve played football for a
lot of clubs starting with teams in Myhoung Barracks, Lagos where I had my
upbringing. I also played for a lot of teams outside the barracks but mostly in
grassroots tournaments before joining Insurance of Benin in 2001. The following
year I joined Delta Force before leaving for Israel in 2004 where I joined
Hapoel Jerusalem. They were playing in the second division, but after one year
with them I joined Hapoel Tel Aviv, who were playing in the first division.
But after a year with them I joined Hakoah Ramat Gan, still in Israel.
After one season at Hakoah Ramat Gan, I moved to Hapoel Bnei Lod. And from
Hapoel Bnei Lod, I went to Rapid Bucharest in Romania.
I joined Rapid Bucharest in 2008 but by 2009 I moved to Austria to play for
Rheindorf Altach. Midway through the season I moved to France to join Boulogne
and by 2010 I moved to Greece to play for Skoda Xanthi.
On Greek football and lifestyle
It might not be the biggest in Europe but the Greek league is developing
rapidly and is attracting a lot of good footballers, most notably Djibril Cisse
of Panathinaikos and Albert Riera of Olympiakos. Even my Super Eagles teammate,
Sani Kaita (who plays for Iraklis).
If I have to rate all the other leagues I have featured in descending order,
then I will rate the French league first, followed by the Romanian league then
the Greek league.
It’s been a tough nine months for me since arriving in Greece at the start
of the season. I live alone and, thank God, I have gotten used to the food but
the weather is a bit different from what I’m used to. Even the language remains
a problem but on the pitch football has a universal language. I am making an
effort to understand the language but I have teammates who speak English and we
all get along. That’s the kind of person I am. I’m a very friendly and I try to
love everyone I come across.
On his most memorable game
Every match I have played has been a challenge but I go into all of them
with the same level of passion and determination. That is the sort of person I
am; I always give my best at all times.
But one game that readily comes to mind was the quarterfinal match at the
2005 (FIFA) Under 20 World Cup against Holland. The stadium was a sea of
orange. Everyone was in orange and the noise level was very high, so high that
even your teammate who’s only two metres away would be unable to hear any
instructions you pass to him.
I had the task of marking Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, who is one of the fastest
wingers in the world. I chased him all over the pitch and didn’t give him a
single moment of respite. Anywhere he went on the pitch, I was less than a step
behind me. Even when they decided to substitute him with another player, I
still followed him to the sideline, probably just to make sure that he was
actually been taken off. It was only after then that I realized that I had
succeeded in carrying out the instruction handed to me by the coach.
On his key career decision
Sometime in 2007, I sustained what I felt was a slight knee injury while
playing for Hapoel Tel Aviv but I was scared of undergoing surgery. After I
left Hapoel Tel Aviv to join Hakoah Ramat Gan, they noticed it and traced it
back to my former club. As a result of this, they withheld my contract, telling
me to go and treat myself before returning to the club; that they weren’t going
to bear the expenses for my treatment.
Of course I refused the offer and dumped the club to return to Nigeria. That
to me was the biggest decision of my life because nobody would be there and
choose the option of returning to Nigeria.
I raised some money and got the rest of it from my insurance policy and
underwent surgery before returning to Nigeria for my rehabilitation. I was in
Nigeria for eight months trying to get better but a lot of nasty things were
being said about me by a lot of people who didn’t actually know why I was back
home.
After this period I never lost hope. I just kept praying and working hard. I
knew my chances of playing again for the national team were slim but I was
confident that once I got a club, it would only be a matter of time before I get
to return to the national team. I was only worried about getting a club.
The philanthropist
There was an incident that happened back in my time in Israel. I went to a
store to get something to eat and this guy came into this same store to do
likewise. But after picking what he wanted and was on the verge of paying for
it, he discovered that if he did that, he wouldn’t have enough left to get a
ticket for our match. So he had to return what he had got from the store.
Now, he didn’t recognise me and had no idea I was playing for his favourite
club, but I was deeply touched for here was a boy who was ready to sacrifice
his food just to watch me and my teammates.
At that point I made up my mind to help those in need; those who would
sacrifice their food to watch me play; those that stayed awake just to watch me
play at the Olympics.
So, when Yomi Kuku (of Search and Groom), approached me about the Nigerian
Homeless World Cup team, I seized the opportunity to support them, and I thank
my God for giving me a chance to give back to the needy. I don’t make as much
as so many of my fellow footballers but I am grateful for the opportunity.
The Super Eagles and the future
We are all one big happy family in the national team. Everyone has respect
for the other, from the senior players right down to the newer players. The
older players are always ready to pass down their knowledge to the younger
ones, but one other thing we have going for us is the fact that so many of us
have been together for many years.
That continuity is what I believe will soon make us a force to be reckoned
with in the world.
So many of us have been together since 2005 and have been through so many
trying moments together.
Personally, I don’t focus too much attention on the future because I don’t
want to get disappointed. I take my present seriously while I leave the future
in the hands of God.
Dress sense
I am quite simple when it comes to my style of clothes. I don’t waste much
time dressing up. I just go to my wardrobe and pick anything that catches my
attention.
Automobiles
I love comfortable cars but it must also be sleek. I don’t have any
particular preference but so long as it is comfortable, I love it.
Favourite food
Anything prepared by my mother. She’s the best cook in the world and
anything she prepares is good for me.
Marital status
I’m still single for now. Hopefully not for long as plans are in the
pipeline to change all that. But God’s time is the best.
This interview was conducted in Abuja after the Africa Cup of Nations
qualifying match between Nigeria and Ethiopia on March 27, 2011.
Flying Eagles battle Gambia for World Cup ticket
Flying Eagles battle Gambia for World Cup ticket
With both teams still able to qualify for the semifinal of the ongoing
Africa Youth Championship (AYC), they will also be able to secure one of the
four berths to the FIFA U-20 World Cup billed for Colombia later this year. But
first, Nigeria’s Flying Eagles and the Young Scorpions of Gambia go head on
today, in one of the final fixtures in Group B; with defeat not an option for
both teams.
The match billed for the MilPark Stadium in Johannesburg, is to kick off by
11am Nigerian time; same time the Young Lions of Cameroun will be taking on the
Black Satellites of Ghana at the Dobsonville Stadium .
While the Flying Eagles were impressive in their first game with the Black
Satellites of Ghana defeating the world champions 2-1, the team put up a
lacklustre display in their 0-1 loss to Cameroun in their last game on
Thursday.
The team’s coach John Obuh, who did not hide his disappointment at his boys’
performance against the Young Lions, is however optimistic that the Nigerian
team will bounce back to winning ways today.
“Everyone felt bad about the loss to Cameroun, but we have put that behind
us and we’re all working hard towards achieving victory in Sunday’s match,”
Obuh said.
The Sharks of Port Harcourt coach hinted that he would be making some
changes to the starting line-up that played against Cameroun last time out.
Already the duo of Ramon Azeez and Olarenwaju Kayode are been tipped for a
starting role.
“Everything would be done to see that we win the match. My assistants and I
are working on the players. They were downcast after the loss to Cameroun but
we have been able to get them to pick up their morale from the floor and focus
on the task at hand.
“They cannot go on crying over that loss for a long time because there is a
bigger challenge in front of us. We need a win to get to the semifinals and
earn a berth at the World Cup.
“Personally, I want to take charge of a team at a second FIFA World Cup
finals and I would be very happy if we can qualify for Colombia”, said Obuh,
who led the U-17 team to a silver medal at the FIFA U-17 World Cup that Nigeria
hosted in 2009.
On their part, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) through its acting
secretary general, Musa Ahmadu, has said the Flying Eagles have no excuse not
to make Nigeria proud at the AYC.
According to him, the NFF has availed the team of all that is necessary to
aid their success at the championships so they won’t be happy to see the
confidence reposed in the team betrayed.
“The team has been given all the support they needed to succeed. So, they
have no reason not to perform. They were on a training tour of Libya, played
friendly matches before moving to Turkey and while in Turkey, they played
friendly matches with tough opposition like Egypt, before coming back to the
country” he said .
Still not resting on all these incentives, the NFF has decided to motivate
the Flying Eagles the more, with a 100% increase in their winning bonus.
NFF president, Aminu Maigari, approved that the players should be paid the
sum of $2,000 each if they are able to fly above the Gambians today – a feat
that would automatically earn them a semifinal ticket here and a berth at the
FIFA U-20 World Cup finals in Colombia later this year.
“The players will get the sum of $2,000 each for a win, which is a 100 per
cent increase on their regular bonus. We believe this should motivate them
maximally to go for the three points”, said Maigari.
The Gambians
The Gambia’s Young Scorpions have a mix of players from the Gambian league
and a sprinkling of foreign-based players who ply their trade in a variety of
countries from Iceland to Spain to the USA. The team suffered a narrow 1-0 loss
to Cameroun in their first match and were held 1-1 in their last game with
Ghana, a result the Gambian coach Lamin Sarr, blamed on the sending off of one
of his players.
Lamin was quick to note that his team is looking forward to a stern contest
against the Flying Eagles but also promised to throw everything at the game to
get a priceless victory
Ghana need Nigeria to lose
In the other match, where Ghana will be up against Cameroun, Ghana U-20
coach Orlando Wellington, is refusing to give up on his team’s chances of
booking a World Cup slot despite going winless in two matches at the African
championships. The defending champions are on the brink of an early exit after
being held to a 1-1 draw by Gambia on Thursday afternoon.
But Wellington is hanging on to his side’s slim hopes of survival.
“We are disappointed by the results. I told you coming into this game that
Gambia will not be a push over. With ten men they succeeded in having a draw
against us. However we still have a chance to qualify,” Wellington told
cafonline.com.
“All is not yet lost. We still have a game at hand and there is still a
chance to qualify for the World Cup.” The Berekum Chelsea coach must be at his
best to edge group leaders Cameroun and hope the other match goes their way to
progress. “Cameroun is not an easy team but we will work hard to beat them so
as to qualify for the semis”.
The Black Satellites are currently languishing at the foot of the Group B
table with one point from two rounds of matches.
As to be expected, the Cameroun coach has revealed that he will be fielding
a second-string side as his team is not under any form of pressure. “Since we
have qualified, I will change the team to give a chance to other players and
also to rest some of the players. The pressure is now off our backs” he said.
Lights out for a shining star
Lights out for a shining star
Olubayo Adefemi came into limelight six years ago, when current Super Eagles
coach, Samson Siasia led a group of talented Nigerian youngsters to the 2005
FIFA Under 20 World Cup in the Netherlands.
Although little was known prior to the start of the tournament about the
Israeli-based defender, all that was to change by the end of the World Cup.
After sitting out the Flying Eagles’ opening two games against Brazil and
South Korea, Siasia picked Adefemi to fill the vacuum created by the suspension
of first-choice right-back, Kennedy Chinwo for the crucial game against
Switzerland.
Adefemi seized the opportunity and, even though Chinwo returned and started
the round of 16 game against Ukraine, he ended up completing the game and
afterwards became Siasia’s undisputed number one for the remainder of the
tournament.
To cap it up, he grabbed a memorable goal against Morocco in the
semi-finals, accompanied by an even more memorable goal celebration, before
providing the assist for Chinedu Obasi’s wonder goal against Argentina in the
final.
Three years later, he featured in five matches of Nigeria’s six-match run on
the way to a second-place finish at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, capping it up
with yet another memorable goal in Nigeria’s 4-1 whitewash of Belgium in the
semi-finals.
Playing at the 2014 World Cup, as well as next year’s Cup of Nations, became
a burning desire for the Lagos-born ace. But all that will not come to pass
after he died last Monday in an automobile crash in Greece on his way to the
airport to catch a flight to Nigeria.
His Greek club, Skoda Xanthi, had granted him a week-long leave to return
home and formalise plans for his wedding, which he and his bride-to-be,
Folashade Adesina had fixed for May 26 in Lagos.
But it wasn’t to be as the cold hands of death snatched him, ten years after
doing likewise with his father – an officer of the Nigerian Army – thus
throwing his loved ones, as well as the global football family into mourning.
“My condolences to the family of Olubayo Adefemi, the Nigerian player who
tragically died in a car accident on Monday,” stated FIFA president, Sepp
Blatter through his official Twitter account on Tuesday.
Tuesday also saw officials and players of his Greek side holding a memorial
candlelight service in memory of their departed star at their home stadium,
with further plans to organise a friendly match with proceeds going to his
family.
Arrangements were also concluded by the club, in conjunction with the
Nigerian embassy in Athens, to fly his corpse back to Nigeria on Monday.
Well-wishers have since Monday thronged his family’s abode at the Alli Owe
Estate, in Ikorodu, to commiserate with the Adefemis and sign a condolence
register.
His national team buddies, along with the Nigerian FA, were not left out, as
they have also commiserated with the family of Adefemi who epitomized humility,
courage and generosity.
“I was speechless and totally devastated when I heard that Olubayo had
passed on,” said Osaze Odemwingie. “Memories of him started flashing in my head
of how humble and levelheaded he was during our last games in Abuja last month
as well as during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.”
“I initially thought it was a joke when a friend sent me a message on Monday
but it turned out to be true,” added Oluwafemi Ajilore from his base in the
Netherlands. “He was a very humble guy and very, very funny. He always knew how
to lift up our morale whenever we were down. We’ll definitely miss him.” And so
will we.
Polo World Cup: Nigeria battles Australia in Malaysia
Polo World Cup: Nigeria battles Australia in Malaysia
As the countdown to June’s Polo World Cup qualifier intensifies, the
Nigerian national polo team, the Eagles, are expecting a tough battle as they
face polo superpowers like Australia, Pakistan, India and South Africa for the
final ticket.
Hosts, Malaysia, who are also looking forward to their World Cup finals
debut, had last week confirmed that seven countries drawn from Oceania, Africa
and Asia would battle for the three available World Cup final tickets on offer
during the Zone D qualifier.
The list includes Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, South Africa,
which finished fifth at the last World Cup final held in Mexico, debutants
Nigeria and hosts Malaysia.
The eighth country that would have completed the four-team entry from Asia,
Singapore, last week withdrew from the championship to be hosted by the Royal
Malaysian Polo Association at the Royal Pahang Polo Club, Putrajaya Equestrian
Park and Royal Selangor Polo clubs between June 14-25, 2011.
No reasons were given for Singapore’s withdrawal, which came five days
before the draws for zones in the group stages in which South Africa,
Australia, New Zealand and India emerged the seeded teams.
Nigerian High Commissioner to Malaysia represented the Eagles at the
well-attended draws ceremony, which was conducted by the Federation of
International Polo (FIP) on Wednesday, April 20 in the Malaysian capital city,
Kuala Lumpur.
President of the Royal Malaysia Polo Association, Tengku Abdullah Sultan
Haji Ahmad Shah, who welcomed the international polo teams, as well as
officials and fans from around the world to the ceremony, said hosting the
event was a testament to government’s efforts at developing sports at all
level.
“The FIP World Cup Zone D qualifier will create a sporting buzz not only in
Malaysia, but also around other regions as Australia, New Zealand, India,
Pakistan, South Africa and Nigeria join in the fray to fight for the three
places available from this qualifier for the FIP World Cup finals which will be
held in San Luis, Argentina in October this year,” Shah said.
Nigerian confidence
As some of the finest polo players from around the world battle for honours
in Malaysia, the king hopes it sets the stage and standard for the future
landscape of polo and gives the Asian players the opportunity to play against
some of the world’s best and spur the development of polo throughout the
region.
“Polo carries a long tradition of excellence and the traits of this sport
span from team spirit and determination to speed, agility and dexterity,” he
added, pointing out that the game builds strong character and a fighting
spirit, which helps players brave challenges that come their way and spurs them
to excel in life.
“With the competition lined up for some of the world’s best to pit their
skills against one another, I hope more youths around the world would be
inspired to take up the sport and sportsmen would be further motivated to
continue to strive for excellence.”
According to the draw format, the seven teams would be grouped into three
streams, with Stream A and B having two teams each, while the last stream has
three teams. Teams in Stream A would cross over to play teams in Stream B in
the group stages, while Stream C teams are expected to play in a round robin.
Winners of each stream advance to the semifinals, alongside one other team
with the best overall record. The semifinal games would pit first against
fourth and the second against the third for two final tickets.
The three bottom-placed teams in the group stages would play another round
robin of two chukka matches, to decide which country picks the third Zone D
World Cup final ticket.
Dawule Baba, Nigeria’s most experienced player, who has had varied
experiences of playing at the highest level in Asia and elsewhere, agreed that
though Nigeria was not seeded, any country which chooses to underrate its
resolve to rise to the World Cup challenge, would pay dearly for it.
“We may be outsiders out there in Malaysia, given the pedigree of other
teams from Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa, but I trust what a
Nigerian can do when the stakes are as high as the forthcoming World Cup
games,” he said.
Nigerian Polo Federation boss, Francis Ogboro who is upbeat that the Eagles
will give their best at the Malaysian qualifier, is confident that the team
will return with a good result.
“We are going into the qualifier to do Nigeria and Africa proud and show the
world that polo is a household game in Nigeria with a proud history that spans
over a century,” he added.
Apart from Nigeria, which has named its ten-man team, other countries like
Australia, India, Pakistan, New Zealand and host Malaysia, have also named
their squads.
Olubayo Adefemi: A builder of builders
Olubayo Adefemi: A builder of builders
I have had the privilege of knowing Olubayo Adefemi for only two and a half
years. He initiated the relationship by “friending” me on Facebook. His first
note came on November 20, 2008 (I just retrieved it): “Hello, happy to meet u.
I see you played football too at one time. See u putting smiles on the kids out
there for me. Am doing great over here. To God be the Glory. Stay blessed.
Let’s please stay in touch. Cheerz.”
Hence, the friendship began.
Very humble and always uplifting, Bayo never led a conversation with his
accolades and national or international accomplishments, of which he had so
many to boast of. Instead he humbly and respectfully would punctuate my day
with:
“My big sista – where are you? Longest time, just checkin on u.”
“Been in Bucharest for 3 months. I plan to make 2010 [World Cup team] but as
u know man proposes, while God disposes; I look up to Him.”
“How far with the sports programs for the kids?”
“Kasia, great job you are doing..Just keep the candle light burning. Am
gonna join u. Thanx 4 writing me, thanks for your words – I’m lifted up – Oba
t’oni gbogbo ope!”
Over the course of two and a half years, I learnt not only what a talented
player he was and how much he loved fashion and good-natured jokes, but that
this was a man in his early twenties with a very mature outlook on
relationships, life, and his faith. While a leader on the sports field, he also
had a heart for serving others, and a heart for Christ. He spent much time building
others up, sending them positive messages, and sprinkling humour into their
lives. I call people like Bayo, a “builder of builders.” One of his more recent
notes read, “Dear, keep moving forward. You encourage me and my job is to in
turn build you up by encouraging u. Hope 2 meet u in person soonest, maybe at
my wedding?”
Amazing being
What an amazing human being he was. Having never known him previously, Bayo
had warmed his way into my heart and into my personal support structure. And
from the recollections that have sprung up since his death, clearly he had done
so with so many other individuals. My last note to Bayo read, “Thank you for
the kind thought and birthday note! Both are very appreciated. I’m following
your progress and am proud of you! Don’t stop, God has such big things yet for
you.”
Apparently, the things God had in store for Bayo were so much bigger than
this earth could contain.
Bayo’s death is a tragic loss for all who know him and love him, as well as
those who may have never met him but are impacted by the example he set. At
such an unbelievably young age, this “servant-leader” has left his imprint in
football, and in the lives and hearts of so many around the world. He served
and encouraged others; passionately pursued a personal relationship with God;
and gave his best on the football field each time. This is “playing to win” in
the tournament called life! The way I see it, Bayo won! Albeit very early, he
completed his assignment, and was called home into glory. He recently wrote, “God
is above all things!!!” Bayo was so right about that. We have to trust and not
question, that the same God who gives, is the God who takes away and has the
keys to all things (“Oba ti emi gbogbo enia wa l’owo Re!”). May Olubayo
Adefemi’s exemplary life and legacy continue to bless others for a long time to
come.
Muoto, a former footballer based in the United States, is President of
‘We Play to Win, Inc’
