INNER ROOM: February 2016

Saturday 27 February 2016

Iheanacho eyes first trophy against Liverpool at league cup final today.

NFF replaces Oliseh with Siasia.

U-23 coach, Samson Siasia — Samson Siasia

The Nigeria Football Federation has re-appointed Samson Siasia as coach of the Super Eagles following the resignation of Sunday Oliseh on Friday.

Siasia, whose contract as Eagles coach was terminated in October 2011 following the failure of the team to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, will be assisted by Salisu Yusuf, who was assistant coach to Oliseh, Emmanuel Amuneke, who coached the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup winners, and a former Eagles goalkeeper, Alloy Agu, with their first assignment being the two-legged 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Egypt.

The appointment was announced after the NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, and other top members of the board of the federation, who were in Zurich, Switzerland for the FIFA congress, approved the recommendation of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, who held an emergency meeting on Friday.

A statement by the NFF noted that Yusuf and Agu, who worked with Oliseh, are expected to serve as the bridge between the new coach and the team.

Siasia and Amuneke are among few ex-Nigeria internationals, who boast impressive track record in coaching.

Amuneke, who has a UEFA Pro Licence, was assistant to Manu Garba when the Nigeria U-17 squad won a fourth FIFA World Cup title in 2013, and then headed the crew that successfully defended the trophy last year.

Siasia on the other hand, steered the Nigeria U-20 team to the African title in 2005 and led the team to finish runners-up at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in The Netherlands the same year.

He also led the U-23 team to win silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and in 2015 he led the U-23 to win the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal and qualified Nigeria forthe Olympics.

The Chairman of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, Chris Green, said the new coaching crew has the mandate to “reach out to the very best Nigerian players anywhere. The matches against Egypt would not be picnics and we need our very best for those contests.”

Earlier, the spokesman of the NFF, Ademola Olajire, told our correspondent that the federation was shocked and disappointed by Oliseh’s resignation and had decided to install a new coaching crew immediately to continue the Eagles’ preparations for the games against Egypt.

Olajire said, “We were shocked and disappointment like other Nigerians when we heard of Oliseh’s resignation. He opted to disappoint us at a most crucial period but we cannot be crying over spilled milk. We have two matches at hand and it is important that we go ahead with the arrangement that we have made and put somebody in place to oversee that double header.

“We were shocked that the person we expected to understand the financial challenges we are facing failed to do so. It’s a shame that Oliseh went to social media to announce his resignation and also did so in such a critical period as this. It calls to question his sense of responsibility and his patriotism.”

Contrary to claims by Oliseh that he was being owed wages and did not receive support from the NFF, officials of the federation stated on Friday that Oliseh was paid the sum of N20m this week as his salaries for three months (December 2015, January and February) and half-year house rent for July, when he was appointed, to December 2015.

“The only money he is being owed is the match bonus for the World Cup qualifier against Swaziland in Port Harcourt in November 2015, which the NFF had promised to pay players and officials on resumption of camping for the matches against Egypt,” Olajire said.

University of Abuja honored Tinubu with honorary doctorate degree.

Tinubu: Nigeria must turn challenges to opportunities

National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday challenged Nigerians to turn the country’s present socio-economic condition into opportunities for a desirable re-engineering of the economy.

Nigeria, according to him, has long stood in the corridor between greatness and failure, between progress and calamity and must now “summon the courage to take the bold steps and move in the direction.”

“We must reform and do so quickly and with alertness to the severity of the circumstances mounting around us,” Tinubu said in a prepared speech he delivered at the 15 – 20th Convocation ceremony of the University of Abuja where he awarded the honorary doctorate degree in Business Administration (DBA, Honoris Causa).

Tracing the country’s woes to past leadership, he said: “The ways in which we have grown accustomed to running this nation no longer suffice.

“If we are to continue as we have done over the years our malpractice will deliver us into the vice grip of national failure.

“That which we used to do then laugh at ourselves for our errant ways is no longer a joking matter. It is now fatal.”

He spoke of the plan of the ruling APC to lift 20 per cent of Nigerians out of poverty within four years.

For this to happen, he said, the state must be a fulcrum for job creation and economic development that touches all Nigerians not just a narrow growth that benefits few people.

“Although confronted by multiple challenges, I believe this government has the chance and the mission to better our society and forge a new model for our national governance,” he said.

“We have demonstrated the courage and determination to change a non-performing government through a democratic election. This electoral success has brought new challenges. These challenges are numerous and we must confront them with an even greater courage than that which saw us through the election.

“We shall do this by implementing a national industrial policy linked to a national infrastructural plan and a national employment strategy.

“Before our children can dream of a university education they must first enjoy the foundational education of primary school.

“Our position is that we make a special effort to draw all children to school, particularly the poor. We cannot afford to allow poverty to keep children out of the classroom. If so we are suborning a life of ignorance and poverty for millions of our young ones.

“This progressive government is committed to providing all school-age children one free meal daily. This seems a simple thing. But it is also wise and prudent. A hungry student does not learn. If the child is too hungry too often, he stops attending school altogether.

“By this programme, students will more eagerly attend because their stomachs as well as their minds shall be fed. Parents will encourage children to attend because this will take the children off the streets while also alleviating pressure on the family to feed the children.

“This current leadership will anchor its efforts to re-build Nigeria on massive industrialization and the re-structuring of the economy to allow for growth. Then, will hope be rekindled for millions of our people and a country of great potentials and possibilities will emerge.”

Second Republic Vice President Dr. Alex Ekwueme, was one of those conferred with honorary degrees.

His Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) was received on his behalf by his daughter.

Others who bagged awards at the ceremony were: former Chief Justices of Nigeria, Justice Idris Kutigi, Doctor of Laws (LLD) and Justice Maryam Aloma Muktar, Doctor of Letters (Dlitt) – both (?Honoris Causa) as well as Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who got PhD in Law and Senator Buhari, PhD Social Sciences.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in a message on the occasion said that government alone could not meet the needs of higher education.

Represented by Director, Tertiary Education, Ministry of Education, Hajia Abdullahi Hindatu, the president encouraged private sector to invest more in research and development in the universities.

He said:”It is pertinent to emphasize on the quality of teaching and research in our universities.

“Research should not be relegated to the background in our universities. I therefore urge Nigerian universities to ensure that the quality of the graduates produced compares with products from other universities globally,” the president said.

Twenty-five thousand, eight hundred and seventy-eight students received their degrees at the ceremony.

The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Michael Adikwu said 20, 461 received first degree in various fields while 1697 received postgraduate diploma.

Eight students bagged first class between 2008 – 2015 sessions.

The breakdown showed that 2,324 were awarded with Second Class, Upper Division; 11,180 were awarded Second Class Degrees, Lower Division.

Adikwu said that Nigeria’s road to sustainable economic development lied in the creative ability of citizens to turn adversities into opportunities.

He urged the graduating students ?to use personal initiatives to seize the opportunities that still abounded in the country for them to be self employed.

Present at the ceremony were former interim Head of State, Chief Ernest Shonekan; a former interim chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande; state governors; Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed; House of Representatives Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila;, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, a former Niger State governor, Dr. Mu’azu Aliyu; and Rep. James Faleke among others.

N4bn NIMASA scam - EFCC traced $1.6m to ex -NAF budget boss.

Alex-Badeh — Immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.)

. Badeh got $800,000 -suspect

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has traced $1.6m to a former Director, Finance and Accounting at the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore S.A. Yushau (retd.).

Yushau was on February 17 moved to Lagos alongside the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.), over a fresh investigation involving the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.

As part of efforts to ensure improved security in the Nigerian maritime sector, NIMASA on August 26, 2013, signed an agreement with the Air Force with a view to providing effective air surveillance and monitoring of the nation’s coastal area.

Badeh, who was the Chief of Air Staff, signed on behalf of the Air Force while Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, who was the Director-General of NIMASA, signed on behalf of the maritime agency.

In furtherance to the MoU, N4.4bn (in dollars and naira) was reportedly transferred from the bank account of NIMASA to the air force. However, EFCC investigations revealed that the money was diverted to private accounts.

Yushau, who was the Director of Finance and Accounts when the MoU was signed, was said to have diverted $1.6m which was transferred to the air force account by NIMASA shortly before his retirement.

A top source at the EFCC told our correspondent on the condition of anonymity that out of the money, Yushau gave $800,000 to Badeh.

He, however, said Badeh denied receiving the money.

The source said, “We traced about $1.6m to Yushau who was the Director of Finance and Accounts in 2013. In his statement, he said he gave $800,000 to Badeh while Badeh gave him permission to take another $800,000 as a retirement gift.

“He (Yushau) said he spent part of the money on building a house in his home state in the North but the building collapsed. He said he invested the remaining money in some businesses so we are trying to see if we can recover some of his assets.

“However, Badeh has denied the allegations and we are still holding him.”

The source said the anti-graft agency had traced about five properties in Abuja belonging to Badeh but added that the retired military officer had denied ownership of the properties.

“We have traced about five properties we believe were bought by Badeh through proxies but he has denied ownership of all the properties. Badeh is really giving us a tough time.”

Meanwhile, it was learnt that the EFCC was making frantic efforts to finalise investigations into the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu.

It will be recalled that the commission on January 28 arrested Amosu alongside 11 officers for his alleged role in the $2.1bn arms scam.

The EFCC subsequently obtained a holding charge giving it permission to hold Amosu and other officers for 30 days.

The 30 days will lapse on Monday.

The source said, “We still have a lot of investigations to do and we are not sure if we will be able to arraign Amosu next week. If we cannot do that, we will approach a court to grant us an extension.”

The investigation on Amosu focused on how 10 contracts totalling $930,500,690 were awarded; the payment of N4,402,687,569.41 for unexecuted contracts; the procurement of two used Mi-24V helicopters instead of the recommended Mi-35M series at $136,944,000.00; and the excessive pricing of 36D6 Low Level Air Defence Radar at $33m instead of $6m per one.

The EFCC has already seized some properties belonging to Amosu worth over N500m while N381m was recovered from a company owned by Amosu’s wife, Omolara.

Efforts to get the reaction of the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, did not succeed as calls to his mobile telephone did not go through.

EFCC arraigns ex-Anambra speaker for 419 fraud.

EFCC arraigns ex-Anambra Speaker for Advance Fee Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said yesterday it had arraigned a former Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly Kanayo Chris Enemuo and one Alex Okafor for Advance Fee Fraud, popularly known as 419.

It said the two accused persons were put on trial on Thursday before Justice. I.N Oweibo of the Federal High Court, Awka, Anambra State on a five count charge.

The charges border on conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of N4,245,000.00 (four million naira).

Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the development in a statement in Abuja, saying: “the offence is contrary to section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.

“Enemuo, a former speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly and former Commissioner of Lands, Survey and Urban Planning allegedly obtained the said sum under the pretext that he is the rightful owner of plot Os/9, Iyagu Housing Estate.

“Enemuo, in an alleged abuse of his position as a public servant, issued documents purportedly emanating from the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Urban Planning to mask his fraudulent scheme.

“One of the charges reads: That you, Barrister Kanayo Chris Enemuo, Alex Okafor sometime in February 2013 at Awka, Anambra State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N4,000,000.00 (four million naira) from one Mr. Anthony Okonkwo when you sold to him a plot of land at plot Os/9 Iyagu Housing Estate, Awka, Anambra State under the false pretence that the said plot of land belongs to you, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(a) the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and Punishable under section 1(3)of the same Act”.

“The accused persons pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges read to them.

“In view of their pleas, the prosecuting counsel, Simon M. Ibekute, asked the court for a trial date.

“In response, counsel to the defendants, Don N. Ezeani, prayed the court to grant his clients bail.

“After listening to both counsel, Justice Oweibo granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N5 million each and one surety each in like sum.

“The sureties must have landed property within the jurisdiction of the Court with Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) and their addresses must also be verified.

“The accused persons are to be remanded in EFCC custody pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions.

The case was adjourned to May 3 and 4, 2016 for hearing.

Oliseh's resignation a blessing to Nigerian football.

• Oliseh

Isa Matori, the Chairman of Wikki Tourists Football Club of Bauchi, says the resignation of Sunday Oliseh as Chief Coach of Super Eagles is a blessing to Nigerian football.

Matori told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Bauchi that the coach should not have been employed in the first place by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

“I expected his resignation a long time ago, because I believe that it was a mistake in the first place for the NFF to have appointed him to take care of the team.

“He may have the qualifications, no doubt about it, but he does not have the requisite experience, the exposure and courage to lead our team to success,” he said.

“He has also been looking for a way out of it. You will understand this when you look at his actions, such as when he had problems with the team captain (Vincent Enyeama) who has dedicated so much commitment to the nation in the area of football.

“He should have sympathised with him when he lost his mother. Even when he (Enyeama) was able to turn up in camp, Oliseh’s reaction was bad.

“So, he has been looking for a way to leave the job, and it is a blessing for us as far as I am concerned, because Sunday Oliseh cannot take us anywhere,” the club chairman said.

Also, Umar Said, a Bauchi-based football commentator, supported Matori’s position, describing Oliseh’s resignation as a welcome development in Nigerian football.

Said noted that the unending controversies between Oliseh and NFF was the result of the fact that due process was not followed during his engagement.

He pointed out that unlike the appointments of Shuaibu Amodu, Stephen Keshi and foreign coaches, where due process, such as screening, was followed before engagement, Oliseh’s appointment “came through the back door’’.

“In the case of Oliseh, he was smuggled in through the back door and this has caused the country a lot in the field of football,’’ the former state Chairman of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) said.

He then called for the engagement of a Grade ‘A’ coach for the team, to enable it forge ahead.

Declares Mohammed Adoke wanted - prof Itse Sagay tells EFCC.

The Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to declare wanted the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN).

Sagay said this during an interview with our correspondent on Friday while reacting to Adoke’s open letter to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

In the said letter, Adoke, who has refused to honour an EFCC invitation since December last year, said he would not do so because there was a plan by some of his political opponents to embarrass him in Nigeria.

The ex-minister, who claimed to be undergoing an academic programme in the Netherlands, was invited by the anti-graft agency for his alleged role in the $2bn Malabu oil deal.

Adoke, who said he had finished writing his exams, said he would not honour the EFCC invitation.

But Sagay said Adoke was testing the collective will of Nigerians by refusing to honour the EFCC invitation.

He said if Adoke was not guilty, he should return to Nigeria to clear his name rather than stay abroad issuing statements.

Sagay said, “Anyone that is invited by the EFCC is duty-bound to make himself available. It is just like the police inviting you and the moment you don’t honour the invitation, they will arrest you. So, it is a sign of respect to invite a person.

“In my view, if his hands are clean, why does he care if he will be embarrassed or not? You cannot be embarrassed if your hands are clean because whoever tries to embarrass you will be the one to be embarrassed when the truth is out.

“So, his response looks like a guilty one and he has stayed away from the country to avoid answering questions and so in my view, he has to be declared wanted, the International Police must go after him and wherever he is found, he should be extradited to Nigeria.”

Gianni infantino elected FIFA president.

Gianni Infantino has been elected as the new FIFA president.

The election went to a second round of voting in Zurich with the UEFA general secretary eventually prevailing by 115 votes. Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al Khalifa of Bahrain, who had been considered the favourite to succeed Sepp Blatter received 88 votes, with Prince Ali of Jordan receiving four votes.

The extraordinary congress was called after Blatter announced his intention to stand down, just days after winning a fifth term in office last May. He was later suspended for six years for a breach of football’s world governing body guidelines.

The new president will serve the remaining term of office for which Blatter was elected, which means the election will take place in 2019.

“Dear friends, I cannot express my feelings in this moment. I told you I went through a journey, an exceptional journey, a journey which made me meet a lot of fantastic people, who love football and breath football and live football every day,” Infantino told the congress.

“We will restore the image of FIFA and the respect of FIFA and everyone in the world will applaud us.

“I want to work with all of you together in order to restore and rebuild a new era of FIFA where we can put again football at the centre of the stage.

“FIFA has gone through sad times, moments of crisis, but those times are over. We need to implement the reform and implement good governance and transparency. We also need to have respect.

“We’re going to win back this respect through hard work, commitment and we’re going to make sure we can finally focus on this wonderful game that is football.”

Shortly before voting commenced, South African Tokyo Sexwale withdrew from the race to leave four candidates.

Although the first round of voting failed to determine an outright winner, Infantino emerged as the leading candidate with 88 votes, three more than Sheikh Salman.

Following Infantino’s election, the man he succeeds released a statement congratulating him on his appointment.

“I congratulate Gianni Infantino sincerely and warmly on his election as the new president,” Blatter said.

“With his experience, expertise, strategic and diplomatic skills he has all the qualities to continue my work and to stabilize Fifa again.”

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Tags:FIFA

Rev King must die by hanging - Supreme Court.

•Rev King

Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Reverend King ,the General Overseer of Lagos-based Christian Praying Assembly, yesterday lost an eight year legal battle to save his neck from the hangman’s noose after the Supreme Court insisted he must keep a date with the executioner.

The apex court affirmed the conviction and death sentence given to him by the High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja, on January 11, 2007 for attempted murder and murder.

Justice Joseph Oyewole, now of the Court of Appeal, had found him guilty of setting ablaze six members of his church on July 22, 2006.

One of victims, Ann Uzoh, died 11 days later in a medical facility from the burns she sustained.

The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, in a judgment delivered by Justice Fatimo Akinbami on February 1, 2013, affirmed the judgment of the High Court.

Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who read the Supreme Court’s lead judgment of the unanimous decision of a five-man bench yesterday said: “Facts of this case could have been lifted from an horror film.”

Reviewing the case before his ruling, Ngwuta said: “It was agreed by parties that the appellant was the General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly (CPA) with headquarters in Ajao Estate, Lagos. It was also agreed that he had a father-son/daughter-relationship with the victims of the incident. And this is the point where they depart:

“The prosecution’s case is that the appellant accused six of his people (followers) of immoral behaviour. He called them together, beat each of them with hard objects and after the beating, he assembled them downstairs, made them kneel down, hobbled together and he caused petrol to be poured on them, and he struck a match and threw same at them.

“They all sustained various degrees of burns. While five of them escaped. The sixth person, who later died, suffered 65 per cent degree burns. You can imagine what she went through in her last days at the hospital.

“The appellant denied this. But said though he punished them for immoral behaviour, the punishment was different from the incident that gave birth to the charge. He said they (the victims) sustained injuries when a generating set exploded. That was his case. But throughout the proceedings (trial), this mysterious generating set was never produced.

“The trial High Court convicted him as charged. And on each of counts one to five, he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment which was to run concurrently. On the sixth count of murder, he was sentenced to death by hanging.

“He was dissatisfied with the judgment and appealed to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and affirmed the judgment of the trial court. And he appealed to this court.

“Twelve issues were distilled from the grounds of appeal. The respondents had nine issues. The nine issues were encompassed in the appellant’s 12 issues.

“I decided to determine the appeal on those 12 issues. I considered each of them and at the end, I came to the conclusion that the appeal has no merit.

“Having considered all the arguments by learned counsel for the parties in addition to the records, I resolve the 12 issues formulated by the appellant against him. Consequently, I hold that the appeal is bereft of merit and it is dismissed. The judgment of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the judgment of the trial court, is hereby affirmed.

“The prison terms for attempted murder are no longer relevant and are discountenanced in view of the death penalty hereby affirmed. Appeal dismissed.”

King could only be spared from hanging, if the Lagos State Governor decides to commute the death sentence to imprisonment.

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Thursday 25 February 2016

Alison Madueke cousin held for illegal crude oil deals.

Randy pastor impregnates two sisters in Agege.

Pastor Idowu and the building

General Overseer of the Victorious Sacred Solemn Healing and Deliverance Ministry, Prophet Oluwaseyi Idowu has been arrested for allegedly impregnating two sisters.

The pastor, it was gathered, also allegedly attempted to sell their father’s two-storey building without his consent.

Policemen from the Oko-Oba division in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area of Lagos State stormed the church last Sunday to arrest the pastor.

The Nation learnt that the pastor was invited to set up his church and manage a flat in the sisters’ father’s compound when he had accommodation problems in Agege.

Their brother said: “I and my brothers bought my father a two-storey building in Ogunsola close, Abule-Egba and at that time, Pastor Oluwaseyi had rent issues. My father allowed him to set up his church in his compound and also manage a flat. We never knew that was the beginning of our problems.

“The pastor held several vigils to create awareness and public attention. As time went on, he invited people to stay in the church and from the church they moved into the main house. Occupants left the house for the pastor’s people to move in and they lived there without paying a kobo.

“Months later, the pastor said he wanted to marry my 20-year-old sister, a virgin, who just graduated from secondary school. We never knew he had been sleeping with her for months before then. Recently, we found out that he also impregnated my 25-year-old sister who has been indoors for the past nine months.”

He said that their parents were not talking because the pastor’s congregation and family have

taken over the building.

He added: “I called my elder brother who told me to report the case to the police. It was at the police station we found out that he intended to sell our building to build a new church elsewhere.”

Since the incident, it was gathered that members of the church have vowed never to return.

An officer at Oko-Oba Police Station said: “This is not an issue of rape; the two impregnated sisters could have resisted or lodge a complaint against the pastor; it was when they got pregnant that a complaint was sent to us and we intervened. But even if Pastor Idowu is charged to court now; it’s useless because the girls were not raped. However, the neighbours and residents at Ogunsola Close are claiming the pastor used charm to sleep with them, and that is not an issue to be resolved in the court.”