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Waste water affects African economy

At
least 40 per cent of people in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to
safe drinking water, and 1.8 million children less than five years old
die every year from water-related disease around the world, which is
one child every 20 seconds, United Nations Environment Programmes
Report reveals on Monday.

The report also
shows that more people now die from contaminated and polluted water
than from all forms of violence including wars, as over half the
world’s hospitals beds are now occupied with people suffering from
illnesses linked with contaminated water.

The report was released to mark the World Water Day, on 22 March, with the theme, ‘Sick water.’

Almost 900 million
people currently lack access to safe drinking water, and an estimated
2.6 billion people lack access to basic sanitation. It however, reveals
that industrial pollution and other forms of pollution contribute to
the contamination of useable water.

South Asia and
sub-Saharan Africa, which have the highest proportion in the crisis,
lead with around 221 million and 330 million (respectively) living
without basic sanitation and access to good safe drinking water.

Despite the
increasing aids to the 830 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa,
wherein only six African countries do not belong geographically:
Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Western Sahara (claimed by
Morocco), the reports reveal that the economic losses due to the lack
of water and sanitation in Africa alone is estimated at $US28.4 billion
or about five per cent of GDP.

No recycling in Nigeria

Lyn Olisa, a
Nigerian environmentalist, however said that despite the improved
funding and the effect of the climate change, recent developments have
revealed that people’s attitude to the environment and water use is not
proper and should be changed.

“The current
climate is not helping issues and Africa being what it is, especially
Nigeria, we have not got a way to recycle our water,” Mrs. Olisa said.

“Water recycling is
very important not only in developing countries, but also the developed
countries. Because people here in Africa, especially in Nigeria, don’t
pay through their nose to get water, we just use our water anyhow.

“Even if we have more funding, without the right attitude, it will not really work.

Even the little one
we have is still wasted. You can imagine people defecating into the
river. It is bad, we just have to develop the right attitude,” she said.

Christian
Nellemann, a lead author of the report, said that “Some estimates
suggest that around two million tons of waste are spilled into sewage
systems every day: this may be producing well over two billion tons of
polluted water every single day, 365 days a year, right into our
freshwaters and oceans. Dirty water is also a key factor that the
report says is in the rise of de-oxygenated dead zones that have been
emerging in seas and oceans across the globe.

“It is a challenge
that will continue to intensify as the world undergoes rapid
urbanisation, industrialisation and increasing demand for meat and
other foods, unless decisive action is taken.

“Urban populations
are projected to nearly double in 40 years, from current 3.4 billion to
over six billion people – but already most cities lack adequate
wastewater management due to aging, absent or inadequate sewage
infrastructure,” it stated.

Get smarter

Achim Steiner, UN
Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Environment
Programme (UNEP), said: “If the world is to thrive, let alone to
survive on a planet of six billion people heading to over nine billion
by 2050, we need to get collectively smarter and more intelligent about
how we manage waste, including wastewaters.”

“The facts and
figures are stark – pollution from wastewater is quite literally
killing people, indeed at least 1.8 million children die annually as a
result of contaminated water. The impacts on the wider environment and
in particular the marine environment are also sobering,” he added.

“But the report
also points to the abundant Green Economy opportunities for turning a
mounting challenge into an opportunity with multiple benefits. These
include the savings from reduced fertilizer costs for farmers, and
incentives for conserving ecological infrastructure such as wetlands
alongside new business and employment opportunities in engineering and
natural resource management,” Mr. Steiner explained.

Also, the Executive
Director of UN-Habitat, Anna Tibajuka said, “Many water and sanitation
utilities, especially in developing countries, are forced to spend more
financial resources in water treatment due to increased pollution.

“Excess nutrients
and wastewater can also lead to uncontrolled growth of algae and
aquatic plants such as water hyacinth, which cause practical problems
for marine transportation, fishing, intakes for water, hydro power, and
irrigation schemes,” she added.

11 years after, Senate reactivates voting machine

11 years after, Senate reactivates voting machine

Eleven years after the Senate’s
electronic voting system was abandoned for inaccuracy, the Senate has
reactivated the voting machines in preparation for the vote on the
amendment of the 1999 Constitution.

Few minutes before the Tuesday plenary,
the Senators were informed that they could not use their desk
microphones like they did last week. David Mark, the Senate President
informed them that before they could use their microphones, they would
need an electronic swipe card to get it functional.

Shortly after, the senators were given
some customised electronic swipe cards and taught how to operate the
new voting system. The senators were visibly excited as they tested the
viability of the cards with each senator having two spare cards.

To vote on a matter which the senate
president wishes be done electronically, a senator will be required to
first slot in the card and just push a yes or no button in the audio
control panel on his front desk. The votes are then registered on two
display boards placed where every senator can see, and also on a
smaller panel on the senate president’s desk.

According to Mr. Mark, a hard copy of the votes indicating how the senators voted can also be printed out for authentication.

“The essence of reactivating the
electronic voting machine is to lessen the time that will be spent on
voting on each of the 39 constitutional amendment bills,” Mr. Mark said.

Late last month, when the senators
voted on amendment of sections 145 and 190 of the 1999 constitution,
the senate spent three hours voting on the bill because every senator
stood to say their names and how they vote on the bills. This latest
innovation is meant to minimize time spent on voting on crucial bills.

In less important bills or motions, the
Senate use other voting methods like voice vote in which the senate
president uses his judgement to decide which chorus was louder.
Sometimes it is difficult for him to deliver empirically sound judgment
based on the voices alone.

In some other cases, the senate divides
the house in such a way that those in favour of a particular issue sit
on one side of the aisle and then they are counted.

Quadruplets still in need eight months later

Quadruplets still in need eight months later

It took Alao Ayorinde close to two days to come to Ikeja from his home at Dopemu, a Lagos suburb.

On a normal day, the transport fare from his house at Shitta Street to Oduduwa at Ikeja is less than N200.

However, raising
that amount was a task for the 30-year-old panel beater and auto
mechanic; a father of five children: four boys and a girl.

The first boy came
barely two years after Mr. Ayorinde got married to Adijat, a
seamstress, in 2002. Six years later when its seemed as if Mrs.
Ayorinde can no longer bear a child, Nature more than smiled on them,
giving them quadruplets.

The children, a
girl and three boys, delivered at the Sacred Heart Hospital Lantoro,
Abeokuta, on July 18, 2009, will be nine months old in April.

Mr. Ayorinde, who
has taken to begging on the streets of Lagos in order to feed and
clothe the children, said he can do with some help from the public.

“My sister, I am
sorry for coming late for this meeting with you. I was looking for
money to take transport and come here at Ikeja. It was one of my
friends that even borrowed me N300 to come here. This is how my life
has been since God blessed me with these four kids at the same time.
There is no money on me anymore because all the money I get goes to
feeding, clothing and medicals for these children. Life has not been
easy at all.”

Financial assistance not coming.

NEXT exclusively
reported the delivery of the babies through a caesarean section, and
the hardship the family was going through to cater for the children’s
need. “With NEXT’s assistance, we opened an Access Bank account for the
Ayorinde quadruplets but it is sad that we have no money in that
account. It was the Alake of Egbaland, who gave us, N20, 000 and two
bags of rice. The Oshile of Egbaland gave us N10, 000, also the
Olugbara of Igbaraland supported us with N5000. One Alhaji gave us
N10,000, others like Mrs. Yemisi gave N2000. I have been to several
ministries. Like the ministry of women affairs in Lagos State, but they
keep telling me to come back. I have written several letters, to no
avail. The money which we got last year is finished. I used to make
close to N3000-5000 in a day but since these children came, there is no
money again. I am appealing to people to come to our aid and provide
job for me. If I have a good job, I can take care of my family too.”

Surviving on semovita

Despite the hardship, Mr. Ayorinde is facing with catering for his kids, he said he will not give out any of them.

“Sometime last
year, I ran away when the burden became too much, but the love for my
wife and children brought me back. I said, whatever it is, we should
suffer together, no matter the hardship. I will never give out any of
the children. Right now, we are so broke that the children are eating
semovita and milk. In a week, they can eat food up to N15,000. My rent
in our one-room apartment will soon be due. Even with this condition,
thieves came to our house last month and stole our money and handsets.

“The thieves acted
on the rumour that I have made N4million from people, which is not
true. The assistance is not coming and that is why we are begging
people again to come to our aid. With what I have seen with these
children, I have asked God to bless other people with children. These
ones are okay for me. God should just give me money to feed them.”

The Lekki toll gate tussle

The Lekki toll gate tussle

The thought of
going to, and returning from work has become a nightmare to Ayodele
Oyeleke, a bank employee. He resides in Ajah and his office is at
Onikan, Lagos Island. He spends an average of six hours (one quarter a
day) on traffic any day he goes to work.

“I tell you, it is
terrible. If you don’t live in this area you will not understand. I
spend like three hours going to work and three hours coming back, due
to traffic. This is even because I always try to leave early. Around
4am every morning I’m already on my way. Even at that, some days I get
to work after 7am. I tell you, I’m fed up. I’m seriously looking for a
house on the Mainland, maybe around Surulere,” Mr. Oyeleke said.

The Lekki-Epe expressway, which links Mr. Oyeleke’s neighbourhood with Lagos Island, is notorious for traffic jams.

With the rapid
urbanisation of Lekki, Ajah and other towns in that region, the
expressway became the way home for many, resulting into too many
vehicles plying the relatively narrow road.

On April 2006, the
Lagos State government, through the Public Private Partnership, engaged
Lekki Concession Company (LCC) as the concessionaire for upgrading and
expansion of the 49.5 kilometre road in Build-Operate-Transfer model.
The contract stipulates that LCC will operate and maintain the road for
30 years and then transfer it to the state government.

Months after the
expiration of the 36 months scheduled for the first phase of the
project, it has just gone a distance of less than five kilometres.

As a result,
adjoining roads get blocked while traffic is deviated to alternative
routes. The movement of construction workers and vehicles create a
hectic traffic situation.

“It’s even worse
these days; they started this their construction since. I don’t know
why they are not fast. They should round it off on time so that our
suffering will stop. These days, if you don’t come out on time, let’s
say 4am or 5am, just know that you want to go late that day. I had
spent up to one hour on this road from Ajah to CMS (a journey of about
30 minutes on free-flowing traffic),” said Helen Ifejiofor, a
salesperson in a boutique in Victoria Island, who also resides in Ajah.

The complaints of
commuters on the Lekki-Epe expressway are numerous, ranging from those
who claim to have lost jobs because they were kept in traffic longer
than they planned, to those who said they have developed waist pain and
other health conditions as a result of sitting for long hours
(sometimes in uncomfortable commercial buses) in the midst of endless
fumes from vehicles.

“But the traffic
congestion is a smaller issue compared to these toll fee they said they
want to start collecting by May this year”, said Samson Ovie, an
interior decorator who resides in Lekki.

On the LCC website
(www.lcc.com.ng) there will be three Toll Plazas in all. The first will
be located near the Palms Shopping Complex (Km 3); the second near
Chevron (Km 13); and the third near Crown Estates (Km 23). The toll,
according to the company, is the only means through which the company
will recoup its investment.

The announcement of
the commencement of toll collection in May 2010, which was billed to
start in the last quarter of 2009, has caused ripples, especially among
residents of Lekki and Ajah.

In their
advertorial in a national daily titled, ‘The fraud called toll
collection on Lekki-Epe Expressway’, the residents condemned the
intention of LCC to collect toll before completion of the project.

“If we may ask,
what is the urgency about toll collection in a 44-kilometer road, out
of which only a 2-kilometer stretch has been completed? It is laughable
and inconsistent with global standard practice to hear that a road
concessioning assignment with a life span of 30 years is already
attracting toll collection when only 5% of work has been done. LCC
obviously knows that this is fraudulent because expectedly, the period
from commencement to completion, which in this case, would have been
from 2006 to 2009, should ordinarily be taken as gesticulation or
‘test-run’ period,” read the advertorial which is a sequel to an
earlier one titled: ‘Lekki-Epe Expressway Expansion, Right Now a Curse’.

Opposition to the toll collection is mounting. For Mr. Oyeleke, it is a ‘No’.

“There is no way
I’m going to pay toll on this road. Maybe when they finish it and I see
how nice it is I may be motivated to pay, but not now. I know that many
people won’t even pay. It will cause a very big problem if they want to
force us to pay,” he said.

Enquires made in order to get LCC’s reaction on this were not replied as at press time.

Dreams die hard

27/03/2010 nigeriang No comments

Victoria Oruwari
has the presence of a diva -on or off the stage. After her recital at
the MUSON centre, there’s just enough time to take some questions and
rest her voice for the night. The confidence with which she answers
each question is similar to her majestic stage performance: cool, calm
but in control as she melodiously turns out European classical and West
End musicals. Her accompanying pianist and fellow Trinity College
alumnus, Babatunde Sosan describes her as ‘extremely gifted’ with a
wide knowledge of instruments and music history.

Dream come true

Discovering she
could sing at the age of nine, there was no stopping Oruwari, until she
had to endure five years in secondary school, unable to study Music
because she was blind. You wonder if her dream would have survived if
she’d stayed in Nigeria. “Not so much I must say, because if I’m to be
really honest, the system here doesn’t support disabled people as much
as they do abroad. Here, for example, people are too quick to say ‘you
can’t do this, you can’t do that.’ I spent five years in Queens
College, not studying music because they said I couldn’t study it. I
got to England, all my fellow blind friends were studying music. People
don’t want to take risks because they are scared of what could go
wrong, but in England they think of a way round what could go wrong, so
there’s no can’t. They try everything possible to make sure I can go
round the stage and do all the things that I want to do. I have a dream
and they help me make it come true.”

It was not all easy, though as there were times when Oruwari felt she was fulfilling the wrong dream.

“I remember when I
was auditioning to get into Trinity College of Music, it was getting a
bit too hard and then sometimes in the middle of the course, because
the courses are so intense, your teachers have to criticise you every
time and everyday you are getting criticised about your instruments.
One day you get up and think ‘what’s the point of all this?’ but at the
end of that day, you’ll still think, ‘This is what I want to do.’ Also
coming out of school and looking for record companies; it’s very
difficult because everything depends on how the package looks.” After
trying various record companies, “You are thinking when is this going
to work?”

That was not enough
to deter the dogged Oruwari, though. With her undisputed talent, there
was no way she would let go of her dream. “One thing I didn’t do was
forget my dream. I had always wanted to be a singer from the moment I
heard (Tchaikovsky’s) ‘Once upon a dream’ from ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and
kept hold of that dream.”

Born to perform

The confidence
comes to the fore again when I ask Oruwari why she chose classical
music. “Because it is not based solely on image, you have to be good at
what you do and I like the idea of working hard at something. A lot of
popular music is not always properly done and yes, I love to listen to
it or enjoy it. But at that level, I don’t feel on the same level that
I feel when I perform classical music.”

Her role models are
stage and screen divas Julie Andrews from ‘The Sound of Music’ and
Barbara Streisand, both big-voiced women, who cannot help but captivate
any audience whenever they perform. However, I ask Oruwari why she has
chosen both artists. “Because they both had long-lasting careers and
whatever they do just seems to be perfect.”

One other thing
pleases Oruwari apart from her passion for performance. “Of course, the
performing, I was born to perform. I love teaching, don’t get me wrong,
but for me to work, the student has to be willing and wanting to learn
as much as I was willing to learn. When I’m with a very good student,
it’s the same as I feel when I’m performing. I love teaching because
whenever I help achieve something with their voice that they haven’t
achieved before, I find fulfilment in that.”

Singing for charity

Her musical skills
are also not limited to performing and teaching. “A lot of times, I
write songs and they are quite simple. Some of them are gospel, some of
them are ballads and I’m looking for a producer to put them together.
But most of the time, I’ve been focusing on my music because that’s my
strongest point. I play the piano, but not professionally. I would not
play in front of an audience as big as that (referring to the one at
the Agip Recital Hall). I would be nervous, but when I teach my
students how to sing, I play for them. So as long as I’m not the one
who’s at the centre of attention, I’ll play.”

Oruwari is also
given to doing some charity work. “I sing songs for charity. Like over
Christmas, I went to some old people’s homes in England. In winter,
it’s cold and miserable and they can’t come out with people to enjoy
all the fun that’s outside. So I thought I’ll take Christmas to them. I
also go to some outreach programmes to sing to children from very
troubled backgrounds, so I use music to inspire them. At that moment,
they are doing work with me, they are not thinking of their problems. I
also do youth music mentoring where I go to schools where children have
disabilities and I talk to them about what their dream is and I teach
them very feasible ways of achieving those dreams.”

Hers is a story of
a dream achieved and for her everyone else’s dreams should be
fulfilled. “Everybody who has a dream should keep hold of their dream.
If you have a dream, then your hard work is channelled towards that
dream. As long as you get your determination going, you’ll get to
wherever you want to be.”

She’s on the way to
being where she wants to be but Oruwari just is not done yet. “I want
to sing for the rest of my life. I want to go around releasing albums.
I would also like a recording contract with a reputable recording
company so I can record more songs. I want to be a classical crossover
singer because a lot of the time, people cannot relate to strict
classical music because it’s either quite intimidating and they don’t
really understand it.

In the future,
Oruwari hopes to perform her own works on stage. “I will produce
something. I just have to find a producer who understands my voice and
understands what I want to do with my music. It’s a hard gamble and you
just can’t pick anybody.”

She ends the
interview with a message to her audience and aspiring singers with
disabilities. “My aim with my music is to integrate people more and to
let everybody come to my concert and enjoy what they hear. I want to be
a source of inspiration to a lot of people. I have worked hard to get
to where I am and can believe that everyone else who has dreams of
another nature can achieve that through hard work.”

entertainment

LeBron stars as Cavs win eighth in a row

LeBron James led
Cleveland to an eighth consecutive victory as he scored 38 points in
the Cavaliers’ 105-92 away win over the New Orleans Hornets.

James tallied five
of his nine assists in the third quarter, where the league-leading
Cavaliers (57-15) went on a 16-4 run to build a 16-point lead.

“They picked us apart defensively,” said Hornets forward David West.

“I think LeBron was
able to get himself going and getting other guys (involved). When
they’re doing that, it’s tough to beat them.” Second-year forward J. J
Hickson scored 20 for the Cavaliers, who welcomed back centre Zydrunas
Ilgauskas for the first time since he was traded to Washington last
month before being released and re-signing with Cleveland.

Marcus Thornton led the Hornets (34-39) with 20 points.

Chris Paul had five points in his second game back following a 25-game absence due to a knee injury.

New Orleans has
lost four of five games and are almost certain to miss out on the
playoffs while the Cavaliers move closer to posting the best record
throughout the regular season for the second successive year.

Cleveland controlled the game from the outset and shot 57 per cent from the floor.

James himself made 15-of-22 shots, Delonte West had 15 points off the bench and Antawn Jamison put up 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Jamison was
acquired in a deal that temporarily shipped out Ilgauskas, but the
7ft-3in center is back with the team he has spent his entire 11-year
career.

“I tried not to force anything,” Ilgauskas said after finishing 0-for-2 with his one point coming from a free throw.

“I felt like I was
in space, the floor was very huge for me today. I expect it to shrink
up with each game.” New Orleans stayed within striking distance until
midway through the third where the Cavaliers pulled away.

Paul had seven
assists and played 31 minutes, 10 more than he saw in his return on
Monday. Rookie point guard Darren Collison proved more effective,
however, adding 17 points and seven assists.

Reuters

Sports

Tiger will cope with hecklers

European Ryder Cup
captain Colin Montgomerie, who faced his share of hecklers in the
United States, believes Tiger Woods will be able to cope with any abuse
that comes his way on his return to golf.

Woods, who has not
competed since his marital infidelities became public in November, has
admitted to being nervous about the reception that awaits him on his
return at the U.S. Masters next month.

“I heard when he
said he would be nervous to come back and that’s the first time I’ve
ever heard Tiger say those words, it’s going to be interesting,” Briton
Montgomerie told a news conference on Wednesday ahead of the Arnold
Palmer Invitational.

“I hear he has been
up for a practice round (at Augusta) already. He’ll get over those
nerves and he will be as determined as anyone has ever been on a golf
course to prove that he is still the number one player in the world
and, in my opinion, the best player ever to play the game,” he said.

Montgomerie, who
was jeered by U.S. fans in the past — notably at the 1999 Ryder Cup in
Brookline — and threatened to stop playing Stateside, said if anyone
could cope with distractions on the course it was Woods.

“He has a spotlight
and it has been on him for the last 10 years. It’s amazing how
sometimes you see him swing a club and it comes down and just stops,
incredible how he has that control to stop the club at that speed.

“So he has been
used to this most of his professional career. I don’t envisage any
problems arising from that at all. He is the most focused sportsman I
have ever known and I think he will adapt accordingly,” said
Montgomerie, the European Ryder Cup captain.

“Being such a
controlled environment, I think he is being very wise selecting the
Masters for his return and believe me, he wouldn’t be playing in the
Masters if he didn’t think he could win.”

The Arnold Palmer
is an event Woods has won six-times, including the last two editions at
the Bay Hill course, just down the road from his home in Windermere,
but the host is without the world number one this year.

“I will say we are
disappointed that Tiger isn’t here to play…on any of the other
issues..I have an opinion, I will keep it till a later date to give
it,” said Palmer.

A four-times
Masters winner, Palmer faced only cheers and applause from the
galleries in his time on the tour and he said he would find it hard to
handle any heckling of the kind Woods might have to deal with this year.

“It would probably
bother me. I’m a sensitive person by nature and it would effect me to a
degree. It is certainly not something I would look forward to,” he said.

Palmer sounded skeptical about how sharp Woods would be.

“You can’t get very
sharp not playing. Even just practicing won’t do it. I think to be
sharp, you have to compete, you have to be in the mood to compete.

“Now you can say, (take off) a couple of weeks, that would be one thing; but five months, you know..,” he said.

At the same time though, Palmer is expecting Woods to be in among the contenders at Augusta.

“Absolutely, I think that is the nature of the beast – he’s a competitor.”

Reuters

Sports

Lagerback returns for Home Eagles

New
Super Eagles coach, Lars Lagerback will return to the country today
from South Africa to watch the Home Eagles file out against the Mena of
Niger in Sunday’s African Nations Championship qualifier. The match
will be held at the Sani Abacha Stadium on Sunday.

The team, led by
Daniel Amokachi, will be hoping to overturn a 2-0 defeat they had in
the first leg in Niamey by scoring at least three goals to eliminate
their West African opponents.

Lagerback left for
South Africa on Tuesday to inspect the Eagles camp at the Hampshire
Hotel in Durban, ahead of the commencement of the Mundial and he is
expected in Abuja today. The Swede tactician will use the opportunity
to assess some of the domestic league players who would be capable of
earning a call up to the national camp for the build-up to South Africa.

Nigerian soccer
fans are anxious for the first list to be released by the former Sweden
national team handler, who has been monitoring the performance of his
players across Europe following his appointment last month. He was in
the stands when the Eagles team B, largely dominated by players from
the Nigeria Premier League, defeated Congo DR in an international
friendly.

Lagerback’s focus

One of the players
Lagerback is hoping to give a second chance of assessment is Bayelsa
United’s defender, Chibuzor Okonkwo who represented Nigeria in the U-23
team that won the silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Football Tournament
in Beijing. He can play both as a defender and a midfielder and his
versatility and high work rate could earn him a call up for the
pre-World Cup programme under the new boss.

Lagerback is also
looking at defensive options after identifying the backline as the
major challenge in the national team and the likes of Ike ThankGod and
Mutiu Adegoke would be hoping to get a chance while Ahmed Musa, the
league’s top scorer with 14 goals as well as 12-goal star, Osas Idehen
will hope to defeat Niger to impress Lagerback. Musa, who plays for the
Northern outfit, Kano Pillars is hoping to make his debut in the
national colours after getting the call-up from Amokachi following the
first leg defeat.

Also in the list of the new players invited after the first leg is
John Owoeri, who is remembered for his role in the Flying Eagles squad
that won the silver medal at the 2005 World Youth Championship in
Holland.

Sports

Gombe as Pillars’ stepping stone

It
has just got to be a win for Kano Pillars tomorrow when they take on
northern rivals Gombe United tomorrow in the week 26 match-up of the
Nigeria Premier League. A win because that is the only way they can
keep the pressure on Enyimba, who are ahead by just two points, and
they can pull away from Kwara United who are tied on points with them.

A win will take them to the top, at least till Enyimba play Sharks on Sunday in Aba.

While it could look
easy for Pillars on paper, considering that they have defeated every
team that has come to Kano this season, except for the draw with the
League’s defending champions, Bayelsa United, last December. However,
how they will cope without their main firepower remains to be seen.
Ahmad Musa, the League’s top scorer with 14 goals, has joined the Super
Eagles Team B for the African Nations Championships (CHAN) qualifier
against Niger in Kano on Sunday, while they will also be without
Solomon Okpako, the versatile midfielder who is also with the national
team. If they slip up in Kano on Saturday they might regret letting
former star, Bello Korfamata, join Heartland of Owerri.

But all considered,
it doesn’t look like there are going to be any upsets on Saturday.
Gombe’s away record have been anything but impressive. They have lost
10 out of 12 away matches, with such an abysmal record against Pillars,
they stand no chance. But in the first meeting this season, Pillars
crashed at Gombe by two-nil. Both sides have clashed thrice in Kano,
but the only time Gombe got any result was the 1-1 they got November
2005 at the Sani Abacha Stadium.

Gateway looking at the exit

In other matches
for Saturday, all eyes will be on Gateway of Abeokuta, or is it Ilaro?
Toyin Ayinla will get his baptism of fire, after the Loveday
Omoruyi-led Gateway technical crew was given the boot last week for
poor performance.

Ayinla, “a son of
the soil” of defunct Abiola Babes fame, has a lot on his hand with
getting a team rooted at the bottom, with trap door to division 1
already opened to them, out of relegation trouble. This is not the
first time Toyin Ayinla is handling a team at the top flight. He once
did so when the Swede’s coach of Kwara United went AWOL. As the
assistant, he handled the team until he was sacked at the end of the
season, despite the good job he did. Then he handled a team that has a
tradition of wanting to win, as opposed to the Gateway team that all
their years in the top flight has been about fighting relegation.

But it does look as
if his first day at work might be “football made easy by weak
opposition”, going by the fact that the Ranchers Bees they will be
sizing up on Saturday has not won on the road this season, and it
doesn’t look like that might change at Ilaro tomorrow. All their ten
matches on the road were lost, so it is almost a certainty Ayinla will
open his stint with a win. But the big question his: will he steer the
Abeokuta side out of relegation with 12 matches to go?

In the other match
of the day, the defending champion, though not worthy of the name at
the moment, take on title chasing Rangers of Enugu at the Samson Siasia
Stadium. If anything, it is Rangers that needs the result most. Last
Sunday, their title hope was dealt a severe blow when they played to a
goalless draw with Lobi Stars in front of their home fans. With 39
points, nine more than Bayelsa, they are in the fourth position tied
with Niger Tornadoes on points. So anything short of a win, the Enugu
side is out of the top four.

Sports

The end is in sight