Is FCTA playing politics with Traffic jam on Nyanya road?

Before now, Lagos was known for traffic jam but the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, seems to have taken over as people spend hours trying to get to and fro work. Is there any solution in sight to curtail the menace?

When the Transport Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Administration re-introduced the new transport policy on June 3, 2013 which saw the removal of mini-buses from the Abuja-Nyanya road, many thought the traffic gridlocks during peak periods, would disappear, little do they know that that was just the beginning.

A typical traffic jam on AYA-Nyanya-Mararaba road

Many thought it was because the introduction of the new transport policy was fresh hence the hiccups but the situation seems to be worsening by the day. Motorists spend hours on the road from their various destinations to their homes; a drive which ordinarily would be 12 to 15 minutes.

The traffic jam has resulted to motorists driving against the traffic during peak periods. Even the presence of the Vehicle Inspection Officers, VIO; Police, Federal road Safety Corps, FRSC could not stop them.

More worrisome is the fact that security agencies especially who are supposed to prosecute offenders are the ones breaking the law. The drivers drive one-way and blare siren while driving against traffic.  

Meanwhile, traffic congestion has become an everyday problem especially along the satellite towns like Nyanya-AYA. This is because almost everybody staying outside the city centre, work in the city centre hence everybody is always heading towards the same direction.

Some motorists who spoke to our correspondent said the minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed lacks initiative that is why he does not know what to do. They accuse him of playing politics with the traffic situation in Abuja hence he put a round peg in a square hole in the Transportation Secretariat, Engr Jonathan Ivoke.

Ibrahim Abdullahi, a business man said the Transport Secretariat lack initiative. He said if only they could emulate Lagos properly, they will not only ease traffic jam but also make brisk money from the BRT policy.

Sen. Bala Mohammed

He claimed that if the FCTA had put structures in place to accommodate the BRT, many people would have parked their cars and join the BRT; hence the road would have been freed.

However, passengers are also not finding it funny as they spend hours at the bus-stops and garages waiting endlessly for vehicles. The ‘frustrated’ ones jump at any private vehicles at sight, not minding the implication of such acts.

A passenger, Akin Gbemiga told our correspondent accused the FCTA of trying to frustrate the residents with the new transport policy. He described some of the BRT buses as old. “The vehicles are already smoking while the interior are old like ‘araba’ buses. The inside of the bus is dirty and rusty. There is no way a new bus would look like that; government has ended up deceiving us.”

Our correspondent also gathered that out of all the things the minister promised, none has been fulfilled. The BRT barriers have not been mounted let alone the buses promised. Even the yellow lane that serves as demarcation for the high-capacity buses have wiped out hence the high capacity buses take any lane.

Also worrisome is that the garage meant for the high-capacity buses are not being used by some of the drivers because they are not motorable especially when it rains hence there are heavy traffic build-ups in Nyanya.

It would be recalled that the minister disclosed that the administration, under the scheme, would deliver 500 buses on the seven designated routes in the city, adding that 100 buses had already been procured for the pilot phase of the scheme in the high-capacity bus category.

Meanwhile, the transport operators are not happy with the traffic situation in the FCT especially on Nyanya-Kugbo road as they not only spend hours on the road thereby burn their fuel/diesel unnecessarily but also drag road with other smaller vehicles which sometimes end up causing problem between them and the others.

Some of them who spoke on anonymity told our correspondent that they are finding it difficult to operate smoothly in the FCT. According to our source in the Abuja Urban Mass Transit Company, AUMTCO, she said the Transport Secretariat of the FCT Administration has failed to play their roles by putting the necessary things in place.

She claimed that if the Transport Secretariat has put the barriers, nobody would have dragged space or road with them or hit their vehicles as it is the case on daily basis.

Another source in Shaanxi Bus Company, who also does not want his name mentioned; complained that they are having challenges because the Transport Secretariat failed to implement all their agreements in place.

He said in Lagos where they also operate, they make gains because lanes are dedicated to them hence they arrive at their destinations at good time unlike what they are experiencing in Abuja where they spend hours on the road.

We gathered that internal wrangling and clash of interests has made that BRT dream unrealisable. A reliable source at the Transportation Secretariat confided in our correspondent that a top official, who was not happy with some of the companies licensed to operate the BRT scheme had been frustrating their efforts by delaying official approval for delineation of the routes and installation of signages on the bus lane.

Facilities such as ticketing booths, bus shelters and proper delineation of the dedicated BRT lanes had been stalling the roll-out of the scheme. The transport secretariat earlier resorted to using security agents including men of the Directorate of Road Transport Services, DRTS, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC and the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC.

When our correspondent put a call to the Transport Secretary, Engr Jonathan Ivoke, he simply told our correspondent that he was in a meeting. And days after that day, he has refused to pick his calls.

Meanwhile, the director of the DRTS, Engr. Wilson Alade told our correspondent that they will deal with offenders especially those driving against the traffic because it is an offence hence the reason why his men joined the enforcement team.

Prior to the take-off, the Secretary of the Transportation Secretariat, Ivoke at a press conference disclosed that a team from the FCT had gone to Lagos state to understudy the operation of a similar scheme.

However, motorists are suffering on daily basis trying to get to their destinations. Some resorted to trekking some distances while some opt for private car owners especially when the vehicles break down along the road.

Our findings however revealed that the buses used in the FCT are not road-worthy as they break-down at every bus-stop. We also gathered that the other transport operators could not acquire new buses hence they bought abandoned buses from AUMTCO and refurbished them.

In other to tackle the traffic jam, experts have called for need to decentralize the centre. They attributed the congestion of the city centre to the reason why there is always traffic jam along Abuja-Nyanya because majority of the people working in the territory, stay at the outskirts most especially in Nyanya, Mararaba and its environs. Investigations have shown that majority of government establishments are based in the territory.

A property expert, Alfred Okoronkwo however suggested that in order to avoid a repeat of what was noticed in Lagos and also reduce the gridlock usually noticed during the working days especially in the city centre, government should as a matter of urgency decentralize the centre.

He also advised that more road networks be opened so that everybody will not be struggling to pass one particular road (Nyanya-AYA) every time.

The suggestion will go a long way to solve the traffic gridlock in the territory especially along Nyanya road if the FCTA put the transport secretariat live up to its responsibility by putting the needed traffic apparatus in place.

Lulu advises NFF to be transparent

Former NFF President, Sani Lulu Abdullahi has advised the present board to be transparent in their dealings with players.

Sani Lulu

Lulu who spoke to sports writers in Abuja, said the federation should always embrace a more transparency way of handling issues and be ready at all times to tell the players the true position of things in order to avoid such open confrontations.

He further argued that those who have continued to blame Keshi for failing to stop the players protest in Namibia over the $10,000 match bonus were unfair to him because even as he is the coach of the team, he has his limitations when it comes to such matters.

The former FCT Director of Sports however said to be able to enforce discipline in the national teams, the authorities must first, learn to keep to agreements reached with the players and be ready to make sacrifices at all times.

His words, “In recent times I have heard comments directed at coach Keshi which I find very unfair to him. The young man has achieved so much within a short time and should be given all the necessary support. I want his detractors to leave him alone, so that he can concentrate of rebuilding the Super Eagles for us"

“Even as he is the chief Coach of Eagles, Keshi has his limitations. It is the responsibility of the NFF to provide an enabling environment for the players to thrive. If any agreement has been reached with the players, it must be honoured. If there is any problem, the authorities should either make sacrifice or sit down with the team for discussions”.

The Kogi state-born sports administrator went on to cite three instances when he had to apply disciplinary measures, persuasion, negotiation and personal sacrifice to get things done while his tenure last in the office.

“I remember that before our 2010 World Cup qualifying match against Uganda, we played a friendly match against Tanzania and after the match, the players attempted to hold us to ransom over bonus but I resisted because there was no prior agreement. They could not succeed on that because there was no prior agreement".

“At the 2008 Nations Cup in Ghana, when Eagles qualified for quarter-finals, there was no money to pay their bonus. NFF had no money and the NSC too could not raise any money for us. I had to rush back home to borrow N30m from my personal account to go and settle their bonus. I did this to motivate the players. This is sacrifice.

“When we were to attend the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Korea, we needed over N80 million but we received just over N20m from the National Sports Commission, NSC. Faced with insufficient fund, we had to appeal to the players and also explain to them the need for sacrifice and they accepted. We prosecuted the tournament without any crisis”, he explained.

Lulu who commended the NFF for the successes recorded by the Super Eagles so far, maintained that for such successes to be sustained, the NFF must be ready to always provide a very conducive atmosphere for the players, the technical crew and other relevant stakeholders to thrive. 

How David Mark’s daughter, Onuh misappropriates Sports festival, FCT Queen funds

The recent outcry on the payment of FCT Queen Football Club and the poor performance of Team FCT at last year’s national sports festival in Lagos is being blamed on alleged embezzlement of fund by the Social Development Secretary, Blessing Onuh.

Pilot gathered from a reliable source in the Secretariat that the Secretary, who is the daughter of Senate president, Senator David Mark diverted vehicles and money meant for the FCT Team for her husband’s political campaign for chairmanship position in his local government.

Blessing Onuh in red T-shirt while Alim Musa is on her left hand

As a result, the source stated that the FCT Team had to travel by public transport to Lagos, there putting financial strain on members of the contingent who were poorly mobilised for the sports fiesta. Besides, they had to hire buses to enable them shuttle between their hotels and various venues of the event.

Meanwhile, it was also alleged that some of the FCT Queen Football Club girls had to resort to soliciting sex for money with a view to surviving the hard times.

Pilot also gathered that the director of sports, Mohammed Alim, who is over-due for retirement, said he needed N60 million to put in place different sporting federations in the FCT and for the event to be held at the Transcorp Hilton hotel, Abuja.

A similar one which the National Sports Commission, NSC held at the Abuja National Stadium cost the Ministry of Sports, little.

It would be recalled that Alim and Onuh have been under fire from stakeholders, especially the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, FCT Chapter over payment of salaries and allowances for the Queens as well as sports development in the territory. 

Building collapse, any solution in sight?

Stakeholders are disturbed by the incessant building collapses in the country. The question on the lip of everybody is, will this menace which just reared its ugly head and causing embarrassment for the country ever end? 

Gbenga Arowolo acquired a land and decided to build a bungalow because that was what his money could carry then. Many years after, he decided to convert the bungalow to a four-storey building.

He did not consult any engineer or builder to advise him on what to do but instead engage the services of quack artisans. They succeeded in constructing the storey building and it was given for rent. Five years later, the building cave in and collapsed. Experts attributed it to faulty foundation.

A collapsed building in Lagos

Arowolo is one of the people out there who prefer to take shortcut and waste resources rather than do the right thing that would last longer or forever.

However, when the country witnessed the first building collapse, many thought that was going to be the last, little do they know that that was just the beginning of the menace which stakeholders said, has brought embarrassment to the country.

The then minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development, Chief Nduese Essien, claimed that the frequent building collapses in the country was caused by the town planners who are no longer performing their duty as laid down by the law.

“Some years ago, we used to have town planning departments that would give approval for every building in the city but for sometime, the town planning departments are no longer performing that function.

“They just stay wherever they are and give approval without studying the design or location of the houses. That is why we have ended up with several collapse buildings. The buildings that are collapsing are not the old buildings; they are the new ones that have not gone through proper process.

President of the Nigerian Institute of Building, NIOB, Bldr Chucks Omeife admitted that building can collapse due to old age and misuse especially when maintenance are not carried out on them. He also disclosed that it is caused by people who have no business in building environment. “Nigeria has no business with collapse of building; the reason is because Nigeria is not a country that has problems like other countries in terms of weather condition or bad soil.

“Our soil can carry any type of building, so why would a building collapse? If you ask me, it is caused by lack of regulatory body, we have outdated regulation, people are more daring, everybody is shouting building collapse but nobody is prosecuted or punishment meted on anybody by government,” Omeife complained.

Omeife noted that building collapse has brought embarrassment and shame to all the professionals in the building profession. “Human errors, ignorance, carelessness and error of intent by greedy developers are also responsible for frequent cases of building collapse in Nigeria,” he added.

President of Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, APWEN, Mrs. Inibong Louisa blamed the frequent collapse buildings across the country on the quality of professionals handling the projects.

“The presence of unprofessional engineers against the actual engineers, coupled with compromises of standard, play roles in causing many disasters of collapse buildings across the country.”

Some experts also attributed building collapses on the use of inferior and substandard building materials coupled with the engagement of incompetent artisans and weak supervision.

However, collapse has continued to be recurrent incidents in the country especially in the Lagos metropolis. The recent twin collapses on Thursday which claimed at least 10 people were killed and many injured in Ebute-Meta and Hadeja Road by Gombe Road very close to the Sheikh Gumi Central Market in Lagos and Kaduna respectively. Incidentally, both buildings are four and three-storey buildings respectively, which served as both residential and commercial.

Investigations revealed that most of the collapses in Lagos especially the one on Popoola Olafuyi street, Ewutuntun, Oshodi in Lagos was a bungalow before it was converted to a duplex, killing two persons on the spot.

There seems to be no solution for the menace which started as far back as 2006 in Lagos. In 2006 alone, up to 3 building collapses were reported and many lives were lost in the process.

Precisely July 18, when a four-storey block of flats collapsed in Lagos, 25 people were killed. It is thought the accident was caused by poor construction. The building was less than three years old.

Another collapse that occurred on March 22, 2010, was the top nine-storey of a 21-storey building of the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank, NIDB. It happened after a fire gutted two-storey in the building earlier that month. Heavy winds during a thunderstorm caused the building to cave in from the structural weakness after the fire.

Some experts believe that government is not serious with the incessant collapses. In Turkey and Malaysia, where mass houses are visible everywhere, there have not be any case of building collapse because their government are interested in their construction industries.

Government builds and gives to individuals, and where individuals or organizations build by themselves, government ensures strict compliance with supervision on their activities.

In Nigeria, governments don’t build and when individuals and organizations build, they don’t bother to supervise after giving building approvals for construction. they don’t even bother to know who the engineers or builders and those that are supposed to work on the building to even know whether they are the same people that are responsible for past collapses, once they have seen the architectural drawings, they give the go-ahead.

Our findings have shown that they don’t even check, especially if the person is related to them. Ordinarily, it is supposed to be that after seeing the paper work, you still go to the site to see if they are carrying out what it is on the paper.

Meanwhile, George Okojie, a building expert in his report, said at a time developed and developing countries of the world are striving to take buildings to the skies, Nigeria is still battling with the worrisome menace of how to overcome the problem of building collapse.

He claimed that the last building collapse that occurred was so painful because the victims were trapped for days waiting for help that never came because of the distortion in the physical planning of the bubbling commercial enclave which made rescue operation impossible.

Another collapse in Kaduna

“This is a country where the people and government are not prepared for disaster management. The concerned residents engaged themselves in rescue efforts using local implements. The bereaved have wailed and cried to high heavens asking questions, and as usual, the government, professionals and other stakeholders in their usual manner have traded blames without proffering lasting solution to the problem.

“It is sad that despite the importance attached to shelter in man’s hierarchy of needs and our culture, building collapse is almost a recurring decimal in the Nigerian society,” he said.

Proffering solution to problem of building collapse, director of First Group construction, a property development giant and winner of Arabian Property Award, Amr Al Baward said before they start any project in their country, they comb everywhere and engage specialised property development consultants who do studies on soil, making soil investigations for all the plots. Based on the soil investigation report, it will be decided which way the design will go.

“Whether we will go with what is called raft foundation design or the palling design. That will be step A. Based on these findings, the consultant will design. Normally in Dubai, the design must go to the Dubai municipality office.

“There is a very strict rule about the structure and design. Building in Dubai is about integrity. We are aware that the day a building collapses in Dubai that will be the end of Dubai property industry; whenever you have a tower which is B+ that is above 20 floors.

Baward said you need to get a three part approval. The professional resident in the municipal office that specialises in structural design will look through it and approve the design done by the consultant.

After that the design goes back again to the client to see through it again to also stamp the drawing and return it to the Dubai municipality office to finally approve the drawing. “That is the process and procedure and it is a long one, but it is for the safety and integrity of the country. We are pleased to have this kind of system that always provides stability for the buildings.”

The director of First Group revealed that it takes up to eight months to get a building approval. That is the time you can have the contractor on site.

“Before you have the building approved, it is a taboo to have a contractor on site to do anything. Building materials must be certified. The contractor normally submits list of materials to be used to the consultant for approval and the consultant who will have to approve it technically and commercially and the client will always want quality for his own good.”

He said severe punishments are meted to any developer that tries to cut corners. “It is imposed by the authorities and the clients also. As a procedure here in Dubai, you cannot cast or pour a cubic meter of concrete without getting the inspection done by the consultants. Then it goes to the inspection of Dubai municipality.

“They cannot pour anything without government approval, but if it is discovered that they have done the pouring of the concrete, God forbid, the project will be abruptly terminated, no matter who owns the building, they will be penalised, downgraded and all that stuff.”

Analysts said apart from the losses incurred by the victims anytime a building collapses, it is shameful and even more embarrassing. Worse still, it is often disheartening that a country that prides itself as the giant of Africa could get right the process of erecting a sound structure.

They argued that rather than address the national nightmare, the leaders of the country and relevant stakeholders prefer to spend huge resources on discussions bothering on zoning of political positions, bickering over who occupy what position in the country, forgetting that building product is an investment on its own and a bulwark against the vagaries of economy and fiscal turbulence.

Experts are worried that if countries like Qatar, Turkey, Malaysia, UAE, Egypt and others who build high-rising buildings don’t experience collapse, why then is Nigeria experiencing building collapses?

The NIOB president revealed that the existing law has not been favourable to anybody in the country and urged the National Assembly to put a law in place to tackle the issue of collapse buildings. “As long as the law is not there, the issue will not be addressed, nobody will be arrested.”

REDAN president, Chief Bode Afolayan who attributed building collapse to use of substandard materials in construction, suggested that the Building Materials Producers Association of Nigeria, BUMPAN and other government agencies should come together and regulate the system, in the sense that quacks are not allow in the market.

“Why should this country be a dumping ground for substandard products, simply because the building materials producers are not coming together with Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON to ensure that standard materials are brought into the country,” Afolayan argued.

While other countries are thinking of the implication of building collapse, experts believe that government is not doing enough to put the right laws in place and also punish those behind building collapse hence allowing more quacks to infiltrate the profession.

If the latest findings especially on building defects in the country and non-challant attitude of government to mass housing in the country is anything to go by, then Nigerians should expect more collapses.

Whether government has the political will or not will determine whether this menace will continue to be in existence or not.

SWAN warns Alim, Onuh against FCT Queens’ disbandment

Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide

The FCT chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, (SWAN) has uncovered plans by federal capital territory administration to disband the FCT Queens, the only female team in the territory.

It beats SWAN's imagination that rather than addressing several issues that have been raised about the state of Sports in the territory with particular emphasis on the non-payment of the salaries of the FCT Queens and the deliberate refusal to set up the sporting associations, the FCT administration could only respond to the allegations by planning to disband the female team.

SWAN believes that such plan is a confirmation that those who manage sports in the territory lack the basic administrative acumen, and definitely do not have the interest of the welfare of the youths of the territory at heart.

The FCT Sports Writers therefore, enjoin the Minister of State in the territory, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide being a woman, to use her esteemed position to ensure that the Secretary of Social Development, Blessing Onuh and the Director of Sports, Mohammed Alim Musa do not succeed in disbanding the team.

SWAN affirms that a problem cannot be solved by creating another and urges the Minister of State not to allow herself to be rubbished by those who have displayed total ineptitude in the art of managing sports. And we advise that rather than disband FCT Queen, Alim Musa and Blessing Onuh be redeployed to create room for those who understand what it takes to manage sports.

We also remind the FCT Minister that it is part of the FCT administration's social responsibility to engage the youths of the territory and going ahead to disband the FCT Queens would not augur well for meaningful developmental agenda for youths in the territory.

SWAN wishes to strongly correct any misconstrued impression that we are being sponsored by some people to carry out our legitimate duties. 

We wish to state that those peddling such stories are only deliberately trying to distract the public from the obvious facts and issues that we have raised. We wish to reiterate very clearly that we will not succumb to any form of cheap blackmail and would wish to maintain that our association is not motivated by any selfish ambition.

We therefore challenge both Alim Musa and Blessing Onuh who are the architects of the rumor to correct us if we were wrong to say that;  players of the FCT Queens have not been paid in the last eighteen months,  that for five years Alim Musa has not been running sport alone by refusing to set up the associations, or that the state of sports facilities in the FCT are not in very deplorable state.

African Nations Cup in Turkey

This might sound surprising for football lovers across Africa to know that apart from the CAF-organised African Cup of Nations, AFCON, there is another one in existence in Turkey. Our correspondent, who just came back from Kayseri and Istanbul, writes.

 

Istanbul, the commercial city of Turkey is the host of virtually all the Africans based in the country. Due to the number of Africans in the city, Istanbul was chosen as the venue for the annual Africa Nations Cup Football Tournament (in Turkish) Afrika Kupasi Futbol Turnuvasi.

The tournament which started 19 years ago used to be played at the Ferikoy soccer stadium in Istanbul but this year’s edition was played at the Fatih Belediyesi Municipal Council Stadium.

Because of the consistency of the tournament and integration of Africans in that country, the organizers found corporate sponsors for this year’s edition including the Fatih Belediyesi Municipal Council, which provided the stadium, water and some other packages.

Just like any other tournament, the AFCON enjoys great support from everywhere including spectatorship. In the stands, all the spectators and fans are Africans. Just like it is seen at all venues of the AFCON, spectators from different countries came with their drums and other musical instruments to support their darling teams.

Turkey citizens and other nationals are also not left out, as they were seen littered around the stadium to watch African football live at their doorsteps. The officiating officials are from the Turkish Football Referees and the match is played on a standard pitch, well-lawn. The tournament and the organization is of high standard.

Apart from the Municipal Council chairman that declared the tournament open, ambassadors of some African countries were present at the opening ceremony but Nigerian ambassador was nowhere near the venue not even a representative.

This is one of the reasons why the Nigerians in Turkey led by its president, Prince George Magboh are calling for the recall of the ambassador, Alhaji Ahmed Madori, who they claimed does not represent their interest.

Meanwhile, organizers of the tournament said they founded the annual football tournament to assist African footballers who went to Turkey to seek for clubs but got stranded.

The chairman of the organiser, a Nigerian and ex-footballer, Francis Ugbomah said “The tournament was introduced to help African players in Turkey who came in search of clubs and got stranded. We don’t want them to be frustrated and go into illicit activities, that is why we created this avenue for them.”

He disclosed that the tournament is also to keep the players in shape before they are discovered by scouts. Ugbomah said scouts do come and pick players at the tournament; he noted that many African players especially Nigerians have been taken to top clubs in Turkey and other countries. 

Another ex-footballer, Matthew Kofi, a Ghanaian, who featured in the AFCON, further noted that the organizers are trying to showcase African soccer talents in Turkey. And also maybe land some of the players some spots on some of Turkey’s 135 professional clubs.

One of the beneficiaries of the AFCON, Emeka Uzor narrated how the tournament has transformed his life. He told our correspondent that he was invited by a football agent and when he got to Turkey, he was asked to bring some certain amount of money which he couldn’t raise hence he was stranded.

After borrowing money to come to Turkey, he couldn’t return to Nigeria to give excuse to the people he borrowed money from but luckily for him, he was told about the AFCON tournament.

According to Uzor, he didn’t know that scouts were around; he just played his game and trying to ensure that his country wins, only to be approached by a scout and taken to a club in Turkey.

He said although, it is a second division club but it is better than staying idle doing nothing. “Only God knows what I would have been doing by now because I can’t go back home with shame, frustration would have killed me and the people I borrowed money from would have also been all over me,” he noted.

He however disclosed that he has since sent the money he raised to come to Turkey to the people and he is doing well.

However, not every player that played the tournament was lucky to get a club in the country. For instance, MacPhillip Peters in an exclusive interview narrated how he was also stranded and frustrated without club and was contemplating going into business before he got a club in Cyprus. He said his exploits in Cyprus brought him back to Turkey before he hung his boots.

Francis Obome, a Nigerian, who is now into business said, “I came here to do the same thing, but unfortunately luck was not on my side but I thank I am doing well.”

Obome played professional soccer in Nigeria. Like a good number of them, he came to Turkey at the invitation of a soccer team, but in the end didn’t make the cut. “When we came here, we try to play professional football but we couldn’t make it, so me and my friends decided that we are footballers, we relax because we are not playing. Let us organize something like this, to encourage the young ones coming to this place,” he disclosed.

Pascal Ekene, 23 also narrated how he was left stranded when the team which brought him from Nigeria said they ran out of money. But a Turkish club picked him to play for them. Like many African players, Ekene’s dream of playing in Europe has come to past.

Ekene said, “Of course, every player in the world dreams how to go Europe and play good football.  If you ask even a baby in her mother’s womb, he will tell you he is dreaming of going to Europe to play football.”

Chamberlain Akano, also from Nigeria, has lived in Istanbul for 18 years. He says Africans used to see Istanbul as a stop-over on the way to Europe, but many have decided to stay back.

Akano says Turkey has changed as well. Africans in Turkey used to live in fear of arbitrary police brutality. “There is change towards the blacks that is why you hear the blacks making noise here. It is not done in the past in Turkey. Now Blacks go home freely, they are not afraid of anything or being molested. Nobody disturbs them on the street. Many of them here now have their papers; they are married to Turkish people,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nigerian football team crashed out of this year’s tournament, which was ongoing as at press time, after a 1-1 draw with Senegal. The Nigerians had earlier drew two of their matches, won one and lost one to get five points from four matches.

The coach of the Nigerian side, MacPhillips Peter, revealed that he decided to feature players who are actually seeking for club, which according to him is the main objective of the tournament. He said he had better and quality players who are playing in the Turkish league but just decided to stick to the ones that are seeking for greener pastures. Nigeria has won nine of the 19 edition since the tournament started.

12 countries participated in this year’s edition; they are Burkina-Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Cameroun, Congo, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somali, Zambia, and Cote d'Ivoire. Uganda is the defending champions but unable to make it to this year’s football tournament.

As the African Nations Cup heads toward the final match, the players are playing their best game and hoping Turkish scouts discover them. Of the teams in the competition so far, Nigerians have always have upper hand hence their players are scattered all over Turkish leagues. In fact, there were claims that because other African countries are not many, Nigerian players are used to make up their numbers.

Some Nigerians who spoke with our correspondent urged local government areas to emulate the Fatih Belediyesi Municipal Council by providing sporting facilities for the youths and children, so that they can discover their God’s given talent and channel their energy towards positive activities rather than go into crimes.

They also want the country’s football ruling body, NFF to re-organize the league so that unrefined players don’t sneak out of the country anymore to avoid embarrassment some of them caused them especially those who could not be spotted in order to avoid being stranded in other countries.

Sani Lulu opens can of worms

Former president of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Alhaji Sani Lulu has opened a can of worm by telling Nigerians to ask the football house led by Aminu Maigari to account for the whereabouts of the fund meant for the construction of the just-commissioned building.

Sani Lulu

Aminu Maigari

Lulu made this call at the commissioning of the NFF new secretariat constructed by the Presidential Task Force, PTF led by Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi today.

The quantity surveyor claimed that his board initiated the project, did the architectural drawings and others; and they were keeping the money for the construction of the secretariat with the World Football Governing Body, FIFA, before they left office.

He said since the PTF had eventually constructed the building, that means the money set aside for the building was not used hence the need for Nigerians to ask the present board what they did with the money.

Sani Lulu however refused to comment further on how much money and what happened to the money. “I was the originator of this project. Physically, this project started in 2006, when I became the NFF president and we saw the light and the land given to us by the then minister of Sports, Engr Bala Ka’oje, who gave us the site.

“So we commenced the project, so we were saving money to FIFA to ensure that we complete the project. We have almost completed the design and everything up to the point I left but I am happy that the project has been completed by PTF,” he concluded.