Sylva calls for selflessness

BAYELSA State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva has said that the major lesson in this year’s Yuletide for all Nigerians is the need for selfless commitment to the good of the fatherland.

He spoke in Yenagoa during the 2010 Christmas celebration when he sent a goodwill message to people of the state and other Nigerians.

Sylva said: "with the nation facing the challenge of elections next year and the citizens coming out of the experience of the last 50 years of nationhood and looking ahead to new destinies in the next half century, the least we can do to forward our collective and individual causes for good life is to ensure selflessness in our relationship to Nigeria and fellow citizens of Nigeria at all times."

In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Doifie Ola, Sylva also noted: "2010 is perhaps one of the most challenging years the country has seen since independence in 1960. But I thank God for His mercies and grace to overcome. It is by His mercies that the nation was not consumed in the uncertainties following the illness and death of our former president, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. It is by God's mercies that we achieved the seamless succession of President Goodluck Jonathan; and it is by His mercies that we would achieve a smooth transition to another political dispensation next year.”

The governor also prayed for the good of the nation and its leaders at all levels and enjoined Bayelsans, particularly, and Nigerians, generally, to emulate the life of Christ.

Noting that "Jesus Christ offered Himself for the good of mankind. He is God’s best gift to man. The best gift we can give in return for the goodness of God this season is selfless devotion to the good of fellow men irrespective of political or other identities," the governor stressed.

The Bayelsan governor further offered a piece of advise to all Nigerians. He said: "as we prepare for next year’s general elections, my message to fellow Bayelsans and other Nigerians seeking elective positions -and their followers alike -is that they should imbibe the Christly attributes of peace, self-sacrifice, care for the downtrodden, gentility, humaneness, patience, and love," while expressing hope that next year would be a better year for Bayelsa State, Nigeria and the world. Read more...

Fight to live

It’s Christmas. The day Christians set aside to celebrate the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Many people look forward to the day with glee. But for the family of professional wrestler Christopher Ifeanyichukwu (aka Lion Man), there will be no merry Chrsitmas.

He left his home on Sunday, hale and hearty for the National Stadium to fight Power Lee. He never beat his opponent; Lion Man lies prostrate in a morgue. His expectant wife is grieving. She has four kids to cater for- alone. Lion Man had the upper hand in the 12-round bout, but soon lost ground to his trimmer opponent, who in the 10th round slammed the much heavier Lion Man in an awkward manner on the canvass.

From the way Lion Man fell, he looked troubled. He held his right hand up with the five fingers outstretched- writhing in pain. Power Lee was savouring the fact that he had got Lion Man where he wanted.

Did I hear you ask where the referee was? Don’t be in a hurry. We will get to that aspect. Having seen that Lion Man offered no resistance, Power Lee stood up. He watched Lion Man roll with his last energy out of the ring onto the ground. He staggered back lazily, perhaps on impulse, but it was clear he was finished. He entered the rusty ring. He again offered no resistance as Power Lee confronted him. But this time, he seemed wiser; he held on tenaciously to the ropes.

Common knowledge tells me that when a wrestler holds the ropes, he may have accepted defeat, especially when he does nothing to provoke his opponent into a further fight. Sadly, Lion Man had no one in his corner. If he did, at that stage, he should have thrown in the towel. If Lion Man had a corner, he would not have died. He would have been in church, thanking God for everything that He had done for him, especially if he clinched the winners’ belt.

In the absence of a knowledgeable corner, the referee should have interpreted the rules to save Lion Man. Footage of the bout shown by Silverbird Television (Monday, Wednesday and Friday this week) showed where the referee was kicking the ropes that Lion Man held and that gave Power Lee the impetus to also kick it, until the dead wrestler was pulled into another round of pummeling.

Sadly, at this point, Power Lee knew something was wrong with Lion Man. From the ringside microphone, Lee was heard asking Lion Man: "Ol’ boy, wetin dey happen?" He was lying face down on the canvass to establish Lion Man’s situation. Of course, the shabbily dressed referee (he looked like a tyrant) was more interested in declaring Power Lee the winner, than what befell Lion Man. Lion Man staggered for about 30 seconds before his friend ran towards him and poured water on his back. Where was the ringside doctor? The footage didn’t show any medical hand coming to attend to Lion Man, as he was being led out of the ringside by his friend, who was joined by another person.

They carried the deceased on their shoulders. There was no medical attention. It was a gory sight seeing Lion Man’s remains inside a pick up van. Sympathisers stealing a look at him sighing, hissing and cursing as they walked away in anguish. Perhaps if there was a doctor and a well equipped ambulance at the stadium that night, Lion Man could have survived it.Unfortunately, we have been told of how a top member of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, allegedly slapped his driver for daring to put Lion man’s body in the pick-up van which served as his pilot vehicle.

The federation member was quoted as saying: "Who put that thing inside the car? Take it out." This inhuman utterance drew the ire of bystanders who were miffed by the man’s mindless and morbid talk. Eventually, Lion Man’s body was taken to a hospital, Alone; all alone.

How was it possible for a wrestling bout to hold without a doctor and indeed corners for the wrestlers? Pity, they fought to die. In other words, the wrestlers committed suicide.

Who sanctioned the bout? Did the National Sports Commission (NSC), the owners of the Stadium in Lagos, authorise the bout to hold there? What is the name of the professional arm of wrestling in Nigeria? Is it true that a top brass of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation witnessed the bout, yet did not see anything wrong in staging the fight without a doctor and corners for the wrestlers? What has the federation done since Lion Man died? It hurts to read that the wrestling federation chairman accepted that fight’s medical plan was poor. It is also ridiculous that the wrestling federation chairman again accepted that there was no clinic in the Stadium? Can the acceptance of flaws bring back Lion Man?

Was there any weighing-in ceremony for the wrestlers? If yes, did doctors participate in the weighing-in ceremony, where the wrestlers’ medical fitness would have been ascertained Read more...

Chelsea clash is do or die - Wenger

Arsene Wenger believes Monday night's Barclays Premier League clash with Chelsea will play a critical role in defining Arsenal's season.
The Gunners have already endured defeats at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford this term and Wenger insists their response to those setbacks will be key to their title aspirations. They enter Monday's showdown at Emirates Stadium on the receiving end of five successive defeats in the fixture, leaking 13 goals in the process.
"Of course this is a must-win game," the Frenchman said.
"We have mixed feelings because we came out of both games against Chelsea and Man United this season thinking we could have won and that there wasn't a difference between the teams.
"We have a good opportunity to show that in the coming months and that our improvement is bigger than any other team because we are a very young side.
"It's about how well we respond to what happened to us at Chelsea and Man United that will be the decider for our season.
"We have played Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool away so our home form in these kind of games will be decisive.
"We are confident over taking Chelsea on at home. We face a big challenge. What we want is to produce an intelligent game full of dynamism. That is the only way we can win these big games." Read more...

Presidency may intervene in league sponsorship

There are strong indications that Presidency and the leadership of the Senate might step into the Nigeria Premier League sponsorship imbroglio between Globacom and the MTN.

Penultimate Thursday, the Nigeria Premier League (NPL), named MTN as the league title sponsors for four years at a slightly above N2.5 billion deal.

But Globacom, which put forward N2 billion deal, and later upped the deal to N3 billion, two hours after MTN had been announced, protested on the premise that Total Promotions and not MTN won the bid. It therefore protested to the National Sports Commission (NSC). The committee set up by the NSC to look into the protest gave the NPL a clean bill of health.

Sources, however, informed on Thursday that the office of the Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan has been inundate with the clash of the titans.

The leadership of the Senate is also being wooed by one of the bidders asking it to intervene on its behalf.

The source which pleaded anonymity disclosed that both parties are snot leaving any stone unturned in their bid to hold on to the league sponsorship.

“I don’t know who reported the case to these offices but they are aware of the goings on and might intervene. No one can say what will happen. Let us just keep our fingers crossed,” the source revealed on Thursday. 

Meanwhile, the NPL has been tongue lashed for not exploring the most lucrative source of revenue for the league, television rights.

“I don’t understand these NPL people. Rather than explore TV rights where the bulk of the money is, they are after peanuts. I think we need to educate our football administrators on how best to source for sponsorship.”

Read more...

Maestro Haruna Ilerika, we can't forget you

On Thursday, December 4, 2008, one of the most gifted ball-dribblers Nigeria ever produced died – the iconic crowd-pleaser, Haruna Ilerika.
The fact that, only two years after such a legend took his last breath, he hardly had a mention in the Nigerian press to commemorate the anniversary of his eternal exit, speaks volumes about our attitude towards our heroes.
Let me recall a brief tribute I paid to his life and work a few days after I heard about his demise. I gave it the heading ‘’Unforgettable Haruna Ilerika’’. I will be delighted to have your views about the best way to keep his memory alive.
I was engrossed in Barack Obama’s “Dreams from My Father” when my phone rang. It was 3:24am on Thursday, December 4, 2008, and the caller’s identity was hidden. Why would anyone call so early in the morning and not want to disclose his identity? I ignored it.
A few hours later, at 8:40am, it rang again. This time the caller’s identity was displayed and it was Yomi Opakunle. “Hello.”
“Good morning, CJ. This is Yomi.”
“How are you, Yomi?”
“Not so fine. Haruna Ilerika is dead. He was ill. I hear it was a liver problem. I saw him only two weeks ago! Do you have Josiah Dombraye’s number? Kindly inform him of this sad development.”
Yet it was such a bright and sunny day. The sun was dutifully awake in the east and was on its day- long crawl to the west, just as it has done since the dawn of time.
The streets were still busy with people going about their business. The ubiquitous “Okada” riders were still weaving dangerously through traffic, not mindful of their safety. Nothing seemed to have changed.
However, Haruna Ilerika had died. In fact, Muda Lawal and Alloysuis Atuegbu, his other midfield contemporaries in the Green Eagles sometime in the ‘70s, were dead too.
As there is an entrance to a theatre, so is there an exit. As each one plays his part on the stage of life and exits, he leaves behind lessons that others may learn from. In this regard, Haruna Ilerika was no exception.
To say that as a football player he was exceptional is a gross understatement.
If there was any schoolboy in Lagos in 1969/1970 who was sheer magic and electrified spectators in the Principals’ Soccer Cup, it was Ilerika. Even though I was only in Form 1 (now called JSS1) at CMS Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos, I vividly recall that thanks to Haruna Ilerika, his school was one of the most dreaded secondary schools in Lagos.
Diminutive though his size was, as a player he was of considerable stature. Usually clad in oversized shorts, he could so expertly dribble the ball with his natural left foot that he was the toast of musicians, including the great Ebenezer Obe, and there were songs in his praise, pleading with him to have mercy on his opponents.
Nicknamed “Master Dribbler’’, and “Tailor’’, his popularity soared in 1971 when he joined Stationery Stores of Lagos, probably the most prominent privately-owned club in the football history of Nigeria, with arguably the most passionate supporters in the country. From there, he was invited to the senior national team, helping Nigeria win gold in the second All Africa Games ‘73 in Lagos, and bronze in the African Nations Cup ’76 in Ethiopia.
Those who lived in Lagos those days will recall that no club in Nigeria idolised players quite like Stationery Stores.
Supporters of the club went to great lengths to make their players feel more appreciated than their contemporaries in other clubs. They were prepared to give goods and services to such players free of charge: accommodation from landlords; beef from butchers; TVs and stereo sets from electronics dealers, etc.
However, Ilerika was known to complain that services of national team players of his era were not sufficiently appreciated by their country. “Well done boys, the nation is proud of you”, was their only reward for the 1973 All Africa Games performance, he grieved.
I am thankful for the privilege of seeing Ilerika play between 1969 and 1976. Unfortunately, our poor record- keeping habits mean that many younger lovers of the sport are denied what was quite an experience.
Over the years I also found him to be down to earth, open, and very articulate. Only a player of uncommon humility like Ilerika would admit, without any hint of malice or regret, that he did the laundry for his older colleagues when he was first invited to the national team in 1971.
Unfortunately, the adulation of fans in Stores made many members of the club blind to the harsh reality of life out of the limelight. They were simply not prepared for their retirement. It is instructive and a matter of great concern that the same holds true for many of our star players today.
When family squabbles and inadequacies of management started tearing Stores apart, many players, including Ilerika, found themselves ill-prepared to adequately fend for themselves. The diminished stature of the team, coupled with prolonged disputes over entitlements, meant that players who had passed their prime but had neither reasonable investments nor alternative skills, faced very hard times.
In the December 2007 edition of Complete Football, Ilerika was quoted as follows: “It is just now that the former Lagos state governor, Bola Tinubu, and his successor, Raji Fashola, are helping me out. If not for their support, a national hero like me would have lived like a pauper.” Until his demise, he was vice chairman of the Lagos State Football Association. Haruna Ilerika was simply lucky.
But it does not have to be so.
While there are too many former stars wallowing in misery and penury, there are not too many Tinubus and Fasholas around. Even as one concedes that everything is by God’s grace and that everyone needs occasional assistance because of the vicissitudes of life, it is incumbent on everyone to see good times as an opportunity to prepare for more challenging periods.
There are some football players today who earn enough to make them millionaires in any currency. Do they realise that the time will come when they may no longer command such income? Are they level- headed enough to invest cautiously and wisely?
Unpredictable market fluctuations may make stocks and shares rather dicey, and there may be no wisdom in dumping huge sums of money in an account, as Austin Okocha painfully found out a few years ago. There is always relative assurance in land and buildings.
In addition, those who can squeeze out the time should acquire skills that may be handy when they retire from active football.
What is not acceptable is the notion that because they were once regarded as a star or played for their country, others owe them a living. That is why I also believe that, honourable as service to country may be, every player should insist on fair and adequate recompense for such service and should not be deceived by any empty talk of “patriotism”.
With his uncommon talent in football, Haruna Ilerika left fond moments etched on the memory of those who knew him and, from his life experience, lessons that all may benefit from. Read more...

Head Master (Adepoju) says ''‘Yobo, Aiyegbeni, must prove their relevance to Eagles’"

Former Super Eagles player Mutiu Adepoju says the death of Ocean Boys player, Emmanuel Ogoli, who slumped during a match against Niger Tornadoes in Yenagoa and died on his way to the hospital, has added to the woes of Nigerian football “at a time when we are still fighting hard to revive the failing system.”

Adepoju, in an interview with SATURDAY PUNCH on Thursday, said even though similar incident could happen in Europe, there was the need to separate medical treatment for sportsmen from other normal form of treatment.

He says, “I am yet to get the details of what happened to Ogoli in Yenagoah so I do not know who to blame. But his death has shown us that we still have a lot of work to do before we can sell our league to the world. We have neglected some basic aspects necessary to be in place before forming a football club. We have also neglected some important steps we ought to have taken before starting a league season. It is sad that the boy died, but it’s a sacrifice that he made for our league to survive.

“Yes, we see ambulance at match venue in readiness for an emergency. But what type of medical facility do we have inside? Nobody knows. It takes us back to Ogoli’s death on his way to the hospital. Perhaps he could be alive today if we had the right facility meant for sportsmen.The treatment of sportsmen on the pitch is different from treatment given to people on hospital bed.

“There is a special training for medical doctors and personnel who specialise in treatment of sportsmen. Do we have them in all our clubsides? I played in Nigeria and Europe and I can point out the difference between the two sides. There have been cases when players also slumped and died in Europe, but we should not fold our hands and treat this as normal occurrence, it’s a very sad event.”

Adepoju says money plays a big role in the exodus of young Nigerian players abroad, but he blames lack of facilities in our stadiums for their departure.

“Everybody needs money to live a decent life, but that is not the only reason our players no longer play at home. If you have the opportunity to play in a competition in Europe, you will also want to play for their clubs.

“My major worry is that desperation to play abroad is taking our players to places that are not better than Nigeria. They soon return with tales of woes, desperate to play in the Nigerian league again,” Adepoju says.

While blaming Nigeria’s dependence on foreign players to form the national teams, Adepoju points out that players do not need to run abroad to fulfil the dreams of playing for Nigeria.

“The dream to play abroad is not the same dream to play for a national team. Nigeria has players in so many countries, but if you call them home and test their football knowledge in training, you will be amazed with the number of players that will not make the national team,” he says.

“Since I returned home, I have seen so many good players in the Nigerian League that can comfortably play in the national team. I am not saying that the national team should comprise of Nigerian League players alone, it is obvious that we have a few good players abroad who will make the team strong because they have played on the big stage like the Champions League and trained with modern football equipment.” Adepoju, who is a former Samson Siasia teammate in the Eagles, is confident that the job of coaching the Super Eagles will not be a difficult task for Siasia, praising him for visiting league venues as he begins the job of building a new Eagles team.

“I am impressed with the decision of the Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation to give Siasia the job. He knows the players because he was the coach of the Flying Eagles and U-23 team where he was a success.

“The major challenge he faces is identifying the home-based players that will fit into his plan. His programme is impressive and I wish him good luck on the job. I am sure he will help our football because he knows where to start from. I have seen him at match venues and I was happy to see him at Aba, where we played Enyimba last week Sunday.”

With the next World Cup four years away, there is a debate over who should be in the Super Eagles. Some have said that some of the players who played for Nigeria in the last World Cup in South Africa should not be called up by Siasia, with particular mention of Yakubu Aiyegbeni, who will be 32 by 2014; Nwankwo Kanu, who will be 38 by then and Joseph Yobo, who turns 34 by the time Brazil hosts the world in 2014. Adepoju says the players have the duty to show that they can still play prominent roles in the team.

“I don’t know what will happen between now and four years to come so I cannot rule out or confirm that a player will be in the team that will represent Nigeria in the next World Cup if we qualify. These players have not told us that they are retiring from international football. Some of them are still playing regular club football which is what a coach needs to consider a player for the national team. We need young players but football is a game where experience complements skill and strength of youthfulness.”

On Wednesday, the NFF technical committee recommended that former Super Eagles coach Austin Eguavoen should be made U-23 coach. Adepoju commends the decision, adding that it is victory for Nigerian coaches.

He says, “We are gradually reaching an age where our coaches are being recognised. Eguavoen is a coach that has worked with Nigerian clubs and I am sure that he knows the players also. The U-23 team is a preparatory ground for players that will play in the Eagles. He should focus on building players that will graduate to the Eagles in a short time.” Read more...

Drogba Vs Rooney on Sunday

Chelsea has everything to play for as it challenges Manchester United to a duel in tomorrow's Week 17 Premiership fixture billed for the Stanford Bridge.

However, a fog of fear appears to be hovering over the West London outfit, thereby casting a shadow of doubt on its ability to triumph over the visiting United in the high-pressure game its winner looks good to go all the way in clinching this season's title.

Chelsea, looking like a side that lacks fire and creativity, only needs to do the needful: claiming the three points and then talking of a crack at returning to the summit of the table in the event that Arsenal and Manchester City stumble in their respective outings.
After losing the opportunity to re-launch its title bid last week, the Blues now need a miracle to realise that dream against unbeaten Red Devils that are pressing for the Premiership's shield with renewed energy.

As expected, the London millionaires will throw all it has into this encounter that passes as the star fixture in Europe this period. Having gone five Premiership games without a win, they are condemned to win this one. For one, they need it to reclaim the leadership of the 20-team championship and be in the frame for a successful defence of their crown.

Again, a win over United will be a strong announcement that they are back on the winning way for good. And having dusted United thrice last season, they need the game to prove that their past feats were no mistakes. The victory could as well save Carlo Ancelotti from an impending plunge into the labour market.

However, the team's performances in recent times do not persuade any optimist to believe that it can break down United unless the unexpected happens. And that unexpected could come from the boots of Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda or Salomon Kalou, who are the team's front men in terms of goal scoring.
The Chelsea trio will have to fight real hard to overcome robust challenges from United's Dimitar Berbatov, now leading on the goal scorers' chart with 11 goals, Ji Sung-Park, Javier Hernandez and Nemaja Vidic, among others.

Their team's three victories in a row are clear indications that United is really on the move. If they win at the Bridge tomorrow, they will be securing United's 17th unbeaten run and second victory away from Old Trafford this season. And this will leave no one in doubt that the Red Devils are well on their way to their 19th league title.

Read more...

Daniel Amokachi, has advised Coach Samson Siasia

Former Everton and Super Eagles’ striker, Daniel Amokachi, has advised Coach Samson Siasia to concentrate more on discovering local talents and transforming them into great players, instead of moving round in search of players in Europe as he works towards returning the national team to winning ways.

Amokachi, who started his career in the local league, said the experience he garnered as a former player and manager of the Super Eagles, had given him an edge above other commentators on how to revive the senior national team.
He, however, said that Siasia would know how to identify and nurture players from the local league, and therefore, implored him to remain firm in his approach at rebuilding Eagles.

“I am in the school of thought that believes that the future of our football lies with the local league,” Amokachi stated. “And I also believe that Siasia, who passed through the local league, shares in my opinion. He did it in the time past by assembling a bunch of unknown players that surprised the world at different occasions.
“It will not be a year’s job to get the team set for the real action, but I believe that Nigerians will understand the situation we are in right now.

“I am a product of the local league and I don’t see the disparity between the local players and their foreign-based counterparts. The only difference may be the environment they play in and the remuneration,” he continued.
“I am not saying that the bulk of foreign players that make up the national team squad at the moment should be discarded, the approach for replacing them should be a gradual one that will allow the local players to understand the intrigues associated with playing at the top level.

“The Black Stars of Ghana, for instance, had new blood injected into it by Coach Milovan Rajevac when he resumed duty as the team’s handler. When he brought in young players, most people thought that he was crazy, but at the end of the day, Ghanaian football was better for it.
“Who says Nigerian League does not have enough potential players with which we can raise about two formidable national teams? I coached Enyimba International of Aba and travelled all over the country with the team, and I can report authoritatively that Nigeria is blessed with stars waiting for opportunities to blossom.

“But I have to request that club administrators in the country and match officials should help Siasia in many ways,” Amokachi continued. “I am aware that club officials try very hard to win their home matches by inducing referees to the detriment of the league. So, I want to charge the board of the Nigeria Premier League to wake up to its duties and make sure that such nasty incidences are eradicated from our league.
“You can imagine an away team that had played so well to deserve a point in a match, losing a game on added time, probably through questionable penalty shootout. Such does not give the league the desired flair, and it’s a pity.
“I would say that the league started well this season, but my prayer is that the momentum should be sustained,” he concluded.
source:http://www.sunnewsonline.com/ Read more...