Robbing Peter To Pay Paul?

CAF African Footballer of the Year Award

The 2013 Confederation of African, CAF/Glo Award held in Lagos, Nigeria could be described as robbing Peter to pay Paul as Chelsea and Super Eagles midfielder, John Mikel Obi lost the African Footballer of the year award while Nigeria won five medals.

Mikel lost to Ivorian and Manchester City midfielder, Yaya Toure to place second while Galatasaray FC of Turkey and Cote d'Ivoire captain, Didier Drogba came third.
Sunday Mba, whose goal in the final of the AFCON gave Nigeria the trophy also lost the African Footballer of the year award (players based in the continent) to Mohammed Aboutrika.
However, Nigeria swept five medals. The Super Eagles won the award for the 'National Team of the Year', while the national Under-17 team, Golden Eaglets, also won 'Youth National Team of the Year'.
Golden Eaglets' wonder kid, Kelechi Iheanacho, unsurprisingly won the 'Most Promising Talent' Award. Ihenacho was the most decorated at the 2013 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, winning the tournament's Adidas Golden Ball Award for the overall best player, alongside the Silver Boot Award for being the second highest goal scorer, as he helped Nigeria to its 4th title to become the most successful team in the history of the age grade competition.
Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, was also named 'African Coach of the Year' for his exploits with the African Champions. Keshi became the first Nigerian to win the Nations' Cup as player and coach, and only the second African coach to do so after Egypt's Mahmoud El-Gohary.
Fair Play Award went to the Nigerian Supporters Club, globally popular for their constant playing of music and dancing while supporting the Nigerian national teams.
Other winners at the awards were Egyptian, Mohammed Aboutreika, who beat Nigeria's African Nations' Cup final hero, Sunday Mba, to win the 'African Player of the Year based in Africa', while the 'Club of the Year' went to Al Ahly FC of Egypt.
The 'Referee of the Year' award went to Algerian, Haimoudi Djamel, who officiated the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Final between Nigeria and Burkina Faso, and also officiated the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup play-off for third place between Uruguay and Italy.
The African Team of the Year is made up of Vincent Enyeama (NIG), Ahmed Fathy (EGY), Mehdi (MOR), Kevin Constant (GUI), Mikel Obi (NIG), Mohammed Aboutreika (EGY), Yaya Toure (CIV), Jonathan Pitroipa (BFA), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (GAB), Emmanuel Emenike (NIG), Asamoah Gyan (GHA) Coach Stephen Keshi (NIG).
Five Nigerian players from the successful AFCON 2013 Eagles were nominated for the now lost 'African Player of the Year' Award; they include Emmanuel Emenike, Ahmed Musa, Mikel Obi, Sunday Mba and Vincent Enyeama.
Only Mikel Obi made the final 3 man nominees list alongside the 3rd time winner, Ivorian, Yaya Toure and his Ivorian counterpart, Didier Drogba.
However many soccer followers were disappointed by the outcome of the award as Mikel was highly favoured by many who saw his exploits and team successes with club and country in 2013 as the best credentials to claim the award which has eluded Nigerian footballers since Kanu Nwankwo won it in the year 1999. The loss of the ultimate crown would cast a gloom on the other successes.
A sports analyst, Kunle Adeleye on a television programme claimed that Mikel deserves the award because of his scintillating performance in the African Cup of Nations, AFCON in South Africa, where he emerged the second Most Valuable Player, MVP behind Jonathan Pitroipa of Burkina-Faso.
He also noted that Mikel's performance at the FIFA Confederation Cup in Brazil will not go unnoticed especially when he grabbed a goal against Uruguay and his dazzling form against the likes of Xavi and Iniesta.
However, Yemi Aderibigbe thinks otherwise. He noted that if Toure is removed from the Manchester City team, the team will fail but that cannot be the same with Mikel. He however admitted that Mikel had his time in 2013.
On Sunday Mba, he claimed that the Warri Wolves player was consistent for the Super Eagles right from the day he was invited to the national team till the day he played his last game including the goal he scored in the final of the AFCON.
A football enthusiast, Joseph Okonkwo believes that Mikel and Mba were sacrificed for the other five awards won by the country. According to him, “CAF does not want the award to look as if it is Nigeria's award and because they are hosting it in the country that is why they gave everything to Nigeria.”
He further noted that the other awards won by Nigeria are uncontestable but the categories where Mikel and Mba are contestable hence the reasons why they denied them.
“If the duo of Mikel and Mba have won the award, it would have been seven out of 10 or 11 awards and that may not speak well of CAF but that shouldn't have been an excuse. If a country deserves everything, the awards should go to that country, that will help the other countries to sit up,” he concluded.
Okonkwo however questioned the yardstick used in determining the winner of the CAF/Glo award. He claimed that CAF exposed their deficiencies by omitting Drogba from the African Team of the Year after nominating him as the third best player in the African Footballer Award.
It would be recalled that Austin Jay Jay Okocha was denied the award in 1998 because of Mustapha Hadji of Morocco's scissor-kick. He was also denied the award in 2003 when Samuel Eto'O Fils was chosen ahead of him because he plays for Barcelona while Okocha plays for lowly-rated Bolton Wanderers of England.

The last time Nigeria won the award was in 1999 by Kanu Nwankwo. Other past winners are Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amunike, Victor Ikpeba.

Past CAF African Footballer of the Year winners
1992: Abedi Pele Ayew (Marseille, France/Ghana)
1993: Rashidi Yekini (Victoria Setubal, Portugal/ Nigeria)
1994: Emmanuel Amunike (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal/Nigeria)
1995: George Weah
(AC Milan, Italy/Liberia)
1996: Nwankwo Kanu (Inter Milan, Italy/Nigeria)
1997: Victor Ikpeba (Monaco, France/Nigeria)
1998: Mustapha Hadji (Deportivo Coruna, Spain/ Morocco)
1999: Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal, England/Nigeria)
2000: Patrick Mboma (Parma, Italy/Cameroon)
2001: El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf (Rennes, France/Senegal)
2002: El Hadji Ousseynou Diouf (Liverpool, England/ Senegal)
2003: Samuel Eto'o (Real Mallorca, Spain/Cameroon)
2004: Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona/Real Mallorca, Spain and Cameroon)
2005: Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, Spain and Cameroon)
2006: Drogba Didier (Cote d'Ivoire/Chelsea)
2007: Frédéric Kanouté (Mali/Sevilla FC)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayour (Togo/Arsenal)
2009: Drogba Didier (Cote d'Ivoire/Chelsea)
2010: Samuel Eto'O (Cameroon/Inter Milan)
2011: Yaya Toure (Cote d'Ivoire/Manchester City)
2012: Yaya Toure (Cote d'Ivoire/Manchester City)

2013: Yaya Toure (Cote d'Ivoire/Manchester City)

Opinion Poll: FCT Indigenes, Residents Clamour For Akinjide, Bala’s Removal

The last has not been heard for the clamour for the removal of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT minister, Bala Mohammed.
During an opinion poll conducted by The Hunters newspaper to rate people in the FCT, majority of those who spoke to our correspondent want the replacement of the minister.
According to them, he does not have the residents in his minds even when they are clamouring for assistance, he paid deaf ears.
Zaphaniah Abubakar, an indigene who resides in Garki village claimed that the minister does not care whether the indigenes exist or not. “We reside in the city and yet we are lacking the basic amenities. To add insult to the already inflicted injury, he took the allocation meant for the FCT to build hospital for his people in his hometown in Bauchi because he wants to become the governor.
“How do you explain that and nobody is talking; I think that is the greatest height of wickedness. If the minister was a Gwari man, I don't think he would have done such wicked act, by now he would either have been lynched or go to his house to insult him and his family members,” Abubakar concluded.
David Nwachukwu, a resident of Nyanya said he is not sure that FCT have a minister because of what they have been suffering in the territory especially in the satellite towns.
According to him, “First, he promised to improve the amenities in the satellite towns through the Satellite Towns Development Authority, STDA but until today, nothing has been done instead, it is some women sweeping the street. Is that our problem? He asked.
“The annoying aspect is that people spend hours from AYA (Asokoro) to Nyanya, Mararaba on daily basis for a journey of 15 minutes and he does not care about that because he stays inside the city. That is mere wickedness.”
Francis Oghenekaro, another resident of Kubwa said the attention of the minister is in the city centre because of eye-service. He wants to satisfy his employer so that he could keep his job.
“Imagine, as big as Kubwa is, there are no vehicles to move around except motorcycles, it is a shame. They sent the mini buses (Araba) parking and did not make provision for the people. The same thing inside the city centre; if not for Keke NAPEP that convey people, people would have been stranded and trekking distances, what a shame for a city that wants to Africa's best capital city or being ranked amongst the best in the world.
“I think the minister should go to South Africa, Turkey, Malaysia even Ghana here and see how they do things and not coming to give us empty promises. Those cities have functional CCTV and other modern equipment,” he angrily concluded.
Janet Okoro, a resident of Gwarinpa said she believes the attention of the minister is focused on 2015 that is why you cannot see any meaningful project that affects the common man positively in the territory. The minister thinks development is all about construction of roads, what a shame. I wonder what the minister of state is doing in office; I think it is a waste of resources.
Okoro noted, “Since Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, we have not had it so good in the FCT. Most of the road projects are in the city centre while the ones in the satellite towns are in terrible shape. The whole place is dirty and people do things anyhow they want but right now, it is the opposite instead our minister is paying money to get awards all over the country rather than channeled such funds to projects, what a pity.
“The annoying aspect is the inhumane way the minister orders the Development Control to demolish people's houses and businesses. El-Rufai had human face, at least he gives several notices before carrying out the demolition but Bala's own, they give 24 hours notice and before it is 12 hours, they have arrived with bulldozer. They don't even allow people to remove their things. It is too bad.”
Gbenga Aderupopo, who resides in Wuse was the only person that commended the minister. Although he complained that the minister has failed in some areas but commended him for the construction of roads in the FCT.
“If I am not mistaken, I think it was Bala that completed the Airport/Kubwa road, it is a world class, I must commend him. I have also seen some other road projects that are about to be completed especially the one that passes through the Force Headquarters, with that, the traffic jam in the city centre would be reduced.
“Crime rate in the city is also at the lowest ebb, I think it is something worth celebrating. Having peaceful atmosphere is something everyone must cherish. My only grudge is the unnecessary and inhumane demolition by the Development Control, the minister should do something about it, it is not encouraging for investors,” he claimed.

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Decamping To Any Party Is Unethical

Chief Sarah jibril is a woman one can say has seen it all in terms of administration. She was former Kwara state commissioner and she was notable when she became the first and only woman to contest for the position of the president under the Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP. She is presently the Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values. In this interview with CHRIS ONOKPEGU and KINGSLEY MADAKI; Jibril bared her mind on so many ethic and other political issues in the country. Excerpts:


What is your reaction on the same sex marriage which President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law prescribing jail terms for people practicing it?
I will say congratulations to Nigerians and all the supporters of natural sense in human social philosophical and psychological issues. Great courage! It has added another feather to the leadership position of Nigeria in Africa. It has proven that we can be a reference point. Mr. President has laid a precedent for the Africa and the world to follow. We have made bold statement concerning the issue.

The European Unions and other international bodies are threatening to stop giving aids to Nigeria. Do you think that will in anyway have any negative effect on Nigeria?
Who cares about what they do or say about us? Before the international bodies exist, we were living. Sometimes, you find out that the under-development of Africa cannot be exonerated from them. Some of their business men can also be said to have introduced corruption into our system. It is quite ridiculous and it is all over the place and let it be told all over the world that it is not until they give us money before we can survive. We have been surviving before they came, a lot of people have been surviving, our great grand fathers have been surviving without any aids from anywhere, they uphold the dignity of themselves very high above money. There are some people who just believe the character above corruption whether social corruption, sexual corruption and what have you. They believe righteousness above any other things. And this is the issue to tell Africans, the negative perception of some people. There are many people with positive perception about Africa but there are some people that feel negative and derogative perception about Africa. A lot of us survive with any money from anybody but we have the good sense whether we go to school or not. Now, we (Ethics & Values office) need to move on, we are setting up community centres and farms and raising cooperatives all over the country. If I have my way, I will say everybody should belong to a cooperative society so that we can be self-reliance according to the constitution. This is the concept of our constitution, if only we are ready to abide by it. We African women have not given birth to children who will remain economic slaves or philosophical or sexual slaves, to extreme liberality to social and sexual life. It is not good. The globalization of commercializing woman nudity as well as pornography is abominable to us and it is fast encroaching our culture and values in the continent. And if we are to go by the tenets of the cultural diplomacy, it is high time that civilization is checkmated. Civilization makes person to respect one another; civilization means positive influence, it does not mean negative or derogative influence of human values or culture. The positive culture that we want to uphold and promote from Africa to the rest of the world and this is the same thing we are saying to our people in diaspora, that they must uphold the good, positive values, the dos and the don'ts of their home. They must show their good home training wherever they are, not only in Nigeria but in Africa and the rest of the world. They must uphold the culture of our sexual discipline and it is the same to everybody and that is why God created Adam and Eve. He knows Adam needed a helpmate hence He didn't create Adam and Adam but Adam and a woman, Eve and that is the order of God. And God says it is an abomination, any nation that chooses to go against it is calling for the wrath of God, as He did in Sodom and Gomorrah. So we have no apology to those who are opposed to the passage of the law against same sex marriage because they have libelous mind against the nature of God. Same sex is not the order of nature, it is the so-called civilization that is creating uncontrollable liberty by human beings. Human beings cannot raise a standard for the Almighty God. The standard of God remains absolute. We still have the fear of God in this part of the world and they should allow us to live according to the sanity of our dignified values.

How do you intend to take this message to the grassroot especially the youth?
That is what we are taking about my brother. We are packaging some programmes for them; we already have them prepared. We are also going to get to those in the primary and secondary schools. It is going to be included in our national curriculum on civic and class moral and also from the family to the primary and all the way to the secondary schools where the children are still under our purview and ethics after that, we are going to have sporadic campaigns. Also in the tertiary institutions, we will talk about philosophy which deals with their working and marriage ethics as well as mentorship. We are doing this in conjunction with the ministries of Culture & Tourism and Education. We will have the ICPC and the director of Education as chairman of the committee. We are going to have a roundtable discussion with the traditional rulers and religious leaders as well. We have also told the people in diaspora also, now we have set up community standard there to relate the message to them and their young ones.

What is the relationship between your office and the Institute of Cultural Diplomacy, ICD?
Well, we share the same philosophy not as individuals but as countries. I believe human beings should be able to respect the differences and accept their differences and observe the differences. The ICD believe that Nigeria can be a hub of cultural diplomacy and that was why they included me in the advisory board. They also want me to lead a delegation to Addis Ababa from Nigeria; that also means that Nigeria is serious about the issue. In May, they are having Nigerian roundtable and we may have the ECOWAS roundtable and before March, we are coming up with African chapter.

Let's look a little about politics. How do you politicians decamping to other parties?
Generally, I think it calls for a little bit of impatience, cynicism if one is resolute. It is unfortunate that anybody can move from one political party to another within 24 hours without anybody blinking his eyes. This is parts of the unethical things going on which is indiscipline we are talking about. You cannot say you belong to an ideology and you jump out of that ideology. You raise your voice and in-house, it will be resolved. I think it out of philosophical ignorance that is why they jump up and down and that is why people say we, politicians don't have ideology; we do have ideology. The power to the people is the greatest ideology you can think of in life - Power of maturity, power of character, power of wisdom, power of self-reliance. The PDP founding fathers sat down and analyse what they mean by power, it is electricity. The power to be the best of human beings which is wisdom; the power of conflict resolution, recognition, human creature, individual, ethic differences and yet by wisdom, you respect them all. It will take a little bit of exchanges but the people that have power of wisdom don't use force, not human killing that will solve the problem. So therefore those who are decamping, I think have gone too early because it is a separation of the chaff from the wheat, so let it be but one question I want to ask majority of those decamping is – where have they been getting money to run their states? What have they done with the money they get from the federal government? How many industries have they built? How much have they been able to generate from the resources that abound around them?

INSANITY: Devt Control Demolish Redeemed Church on Sunday Morning, Disrupt Service

The action of the Department of the Development Control of the Abuja Municipal and Management Council, AMMC last Sunday could well be described as madness as it carried out demolition of Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG.

Coordinator of the AMMC, Arc Reuben Okoya, who was on ground while the demolition took place on a Sunday claimed that he was under pressure to carry out the demolition.
According to him, he was acting on instruction. “I am supposed to be in Church too but I am under serious pressure,” he claimed.
The bulldozer first demolished Deos Garden in Area 1, Section I, Garki District in Abuja before it went ahead to demolished the popular Fesco Security Gardens, where the RCCG Place of Victory Parish was situated.
Okoya who was speaking from both sides of his mouth claimed that Fesco Security Gardens was demolished because they don't have approval. Later, he claimed that they demolished it because there were so many illegalities taking place in the garden.
He further described the RCCG as an illegal church. “The church is not a church, it is not a legal church.”
The AMMC boss added, “We demolished the place because of illegalities going on in the place. Gambling was taking place in the place, casino, night club, prostitution, church service, and they were breeding dogs there. They play music to high heaven disturbing neighbours. I was here yesterday and we informed them but they did not conform to the notice. ” Okoya said.
Meanwhile, the Development Control while carrying out the demolition exercise, disrupted the church service of Illumina-tion Gospel Assembly at Deos Garden but the pastor did not yield to the disturbance, instead, he continued preaching but it was not the same with theRCCG in Fesco Security Garden.
Unlike the Illumination Assembly that was not touched, the church service of the RCCG, was not only disrupted but raised down and left with only their equipment.
A deacon in the church who is also a lawyer, Barr Williams Ikpi disclosed that they were not notify about the demolition.
He claimed that they have been having their service there for the past six months without any notice and wondered why the Development Control will come on a Sunday morning to disrupt them while worshipping God.
Ikpi however said they will not go to court for any reason. His words, “God will not be pleased if we go to court because our constitution, which is the Bible does not permit us.”
A reliable source in the Development Control revealed to Hunters Weekly that the minister was trying to settle a grudge by demolishing the gardens. “Why didn't they demolish the other garden next to Fesco Garden? He asked.
Hunters Weekly discovered that another garden, which is presently the only one existing in that area, Queensfield Fountain Gardens was left untouched, no reason was given by the AMMC nor the Development Control.
Also, if the masterplan of the FCT is to be followed, the area was reserved for sewage line but high-rising buildings and gardens are thriving in that area and yet the AMMC nor the Development Control sees anything wrong.

How FCT Minister, Akinjide Milk Area Councils

The way and manners the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed and his minister of state, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide are exploiting the area councils is the main reason why the House of Representatives members on Area Councils want to commence probe into the deductions by the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA.
During our investigation, we discovered that the area councils are unable to carry out developmental programmes because of their lean purses from the FCTA.
Further investigation revealed that there were complaints from different quarters which have been received by the House Committee Chairman on Area Councils and Ancillary Matters.
Meanwhile, information reaching us has it that the House may also probe the N800 million liability of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Universal Basic Education Board.
During a recent tour of the area councils and other agencies in the Territory, committee members resolved that the issue of statutory deductions of Area Councils fund should not be treated with levity, even as they also resolved that the committee will summon the minister of state for FCT, Akinjide who presided over the Joint Account Allocation Committee, JAAC, to explain in detail how the deductions are being made.
Vice chairman of the committee on Area Councils and Ancillary Matters in the House of Representatives, Hon. Khamisu Mailantarki who ruled on the resolution passed by members during a visit to FCT Universal Basic Education Board to climax its oversight functions noted that the issue of statutory deductions has become a recurring decimal in all the areas visited without corresponding development in those areas.
Committee members were shocked to note that the funds being deducted by the FCTA are not remitted to the relevant agencies for disbursement; rather the funds are domiciled in an unspecified account of the administration.
They observed that out of N2.7 billion appropriated for the board in 2013 budget, the board has recorded zero implementation of the 2013 budget due to none release of funds to the Board.
In one of the agencies visited, a member of the committee, Hon. Ahmed Idris noted with dissatisfaction the huge amount of money claimed to be deducted from the council's funds without meaningful development at the rural areas.
“My colleagues, this is a serious issue on our hands. In all the places visited, this issue of deductions keeps resurfacing. Before now, we were told that there are no deductions made by the FCT Administration. But the story we hear in all the areas visited is different. We keep hearing of JAAC where billions of naira are being deducted from area council without commiserate development in the areas where the funds should be used for development.
“We are going to invite whoever is responsible for this JAAC and explain to us how these funds are utilized for the benefit of the people we represent. If possible, we will organise Public Hearing on this matter,” Idris stated.
Earlier in his remarks, the executive chairman of FCT Universal Basic Education Board, Alhaji Umar Ningi told committee members that the Board liabilities have risen to the tune of N800 million, noting that the Board could not carry out any capital project in the first quarter due to paucity of funds and late releases.
He equally lamented that out of the two main sources of funds to the board, it is only the FCTA that has released funds to the board, while the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, the other source of fund to the Board has not released anything to them.
Hon. Mailantarki who stood in for the committee chairman described the situation in FCT Universal Basic Education Board as 'worrisome', even as he called on other members to report the matter to the general house for further deliberations.
We gathered that the deduction varies depending on what is shared. No matter how small, the FCTA still deduct the money not minding what is left for the area councils hence some of them find it difficult to pay their workers while so many of them are owing contractors huge sum of money.
During a visit to some of the councils, we discovered so many abandoned projects which the chairmen who spoke on anonymity claimed were due to paucity of funds. They claimed that most times when they release money to the FCTA, it takes them months to give them because they use these monies to generate interest in the bank and when they eventually release the money, they will be too meager. One of them confided in The Hunters that most times, they go borrowing from banks and ended up paying more than what they collect from FCTA to banks.
One of the records shown to The Hunters revealed that the money they collect if all the councils are put together are not up to what an area council in Cross River, Zamfara or Kaduna collects.
A source in one of the area councils also disclosed that the money they gave to the area councils are meant for them to enjoy themselves and if they have any project to execute, they report to the minister for approval for funds hence some area councils don't bother about projects while some of them have the confidence to abandon projects.
We also heard that the chairmen discussed their plight with the minister, Bala Mohammed but their plea fell on deaf ears. One of the chairmen who spoke on anonymity for fear of victimization disclosed that the minister turned deaf ears because he and Akinjide share the deductions but did not reveal what they use it for because the agencies that ought to benefit are also complaining.
“Only those who are eyeing higher political positions or re-election or those who are passionate about their people and want to leave legacies behind that bother themselves about projects. Ordinarily, the money given to them are for personal use and probably for salaries.
“You people should help us because the minister, Bala who we suppose to report to also is aware of the deduction and there is no way he won't share from it, afterall the woman (Akinjide) takes directives from him,” he further disclosed.
“If there is anyway you people can help to expose these people, we will appreciate because this is cheating and wickedness,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the FCTA has denied deductions of area council funds, even as the Administration re-affirmed its commitments to the development of the councils.
In a swift reaction, the FCT Permanent Secretary, Engr. John Chukwu, disclosed that no illegal deductions were made by the Administration from the revenue allocation of the area councils.
“The FCT Administration does not tamper with the revenue allocation of the Area Councils,” Chukwu stated.
He noted that the Administration would continue to rigorously monitor and supervise the area councils as well as render assistance to enable them meet the aspiration of the people.
Efforts by The Hunters to get the reaction of the minister of State, Akinjide proved abortive, instead, the Special Adviser, Richmod, who claimed to be a lawyer, in a telephone conversation, threatened to drag The Hunters to court if we go ahead with this publication.