Angola coach, Pedro Goncalves, believes his team didn’t enjoy the kind of privileges the Super Eagles of Nigeria have been enjoying in the 2023 AFCON which was why his team lost to them.

Pedro Goncalves who has been in charge of the Angola national team since 2019 proved that he had a compact team at the 2023 AFCON by leading the lowly-rated side to record three wins and one draw before they met Nigeria in the quarter-finals of the tournament on Friday, February 2.

Despite looking more compact than the Super Eagles, the star-studded Nigerian side proved to be too good for them with a lone goal courtesy of a strike from Ademola Lookman.

The Super Eagles would have won the game 2-0 if Victor Osimhen’s powerful header in the second half wasn’t controversially counted as an off-side.

In his assessment of the game, the Portuguese tactician believes that the Super Eagles enjoyed the privilege of being in the same city, Abidjan, since the tournament started on January 13.

He also claimed that his players are not as exposed as Super Eagles players who are playing in some of the best leagues in the world.

“It is true that we played against a very strong opponent. But the Nigerian players were fresher than ours, and their physical display made them able to create more chances than us,” coach Pedro Goncalves said.

“Most of their players take part in very high-level competitions, and they have never gone out of Abidjan. But we’ve gone to three different cities in the course of this tournament, so this triggered fatigue for my players.

“Also, most of my players play in the home league, and some of them aren’t experienced playing in big competitions like the AFCON.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced the suspension of the ongoing re-run elections in Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, Akwa lbom State, Enugu South 1 State Constituency, Enugu State and Kunchi/Tsanyawa State Constituency, Kano State over disruptions, irregularities and abduction of election officials.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman,
Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olamekun disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

The commission noted that necessary measures for the affected constituencies will be announced after the Commission’s meeting on Monday.

It called on security agencies to investigate the incidents.

“Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, Akwa lbom State

“Suspension of elections in two Polling Units (Village Hall, EdemUrua 003 in Ini LGA and Village Hall Mbiabong Ikot Udo 003 in Ikono LGA) where all election materials were carted away by hoodlums.

“Enugu South 1 State Constituency, Enugu State.

Suspension of elections in all eight Polling Units where the original results sheets were not available for inspection by voters before the commencement of polls.

“Kunchi/Tsanyawa State Constituency, Kano State.

Suspension of elections in all ten Polling Units in Kunchi LGA due to invasion, vandalization, and disruption by thugs.

“The decision of the Commission aligns with the provisions of Section 24(3) of the
Electoral Act, 2022. Further necessary measures for the affected constituencies will be announced after the Commission’s meeting on Monday.

“INEC invites the security agencies to investigate the incidents, while the Commission commits to thoroughly interrogating any breaches involving its officials”, it stated.

DAILY POST recalls that INEC announced re-run elections in 34 constituencies nationwide.

Former Chelsea ace, Eden Hazard has suggested that Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo is not a bigger player than him in terms of ‘pure football.’

Hazard also insisted that former Barcelona captain Lionel Messi still remains the greatest footballer.

Speaking recently with L’Equipe, Hazard said, “Individually, Messi is perhaps the only one. I loved watching the Barcelona player, less so at the end, but he is the greatest in history.

“It is impossible to take the ball away from him. Cristiano is a bigger player than me but, in terms of pure football, I honestly don’t think so. Neymar, maybe. After that, he’s no better than me.”

Hazard retired from football at the age of 32 last October.

Ronaldo and Messi are still playing at age 38 and 36, respectively.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that some thugs hijacked election materials in some locations in Akwa Ibom, Enugu and Kano States on Saturday morning.

Naija News reports that the commission is conducting a by-election in 26 states across the federation today.

Giving an update on the exercise, INEC, in a statement issued via its official X handle on Saturday morning, said accreditation and other voting processes are going smoothly across various polling units in the 26 states.

The commission, however, regretted the disruption in some wards in Akwa Ibom, Kano and Enugu.

INEC statement reads: “Generally, polls opened promptly, and accreditation is going on smoothly in the 8,934 Polling Units in 26 States involved in today’s bye-elections and re-run elections.

“However, we are monitoring reported disruption of processes by acts of thuggery and hijacking of materials in some locations in Akwa Ibom, Enugu and Kano States.

“In Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State, we are investigating reported incidents in Village Hall, EdemUrua 003 in Ini LGA and Village Hall Mbiabong Ikot Udo 003 in Ikono LGA.

“In Enugu South 1 State Constituency of Enugu State, we are investigating reports of disruption in 8 Polling Units in Uwani West Ward. In Kunchi/Tsanyawa State Constituencies of Kano State, processes have been disrupted in Kunchi Local Government Area involving 10 Polling Units. We will provide regular updates on the situation.”

[Naijanews]

Terms of engagement

• “Under the terms of this engagement with NASENI, we will mobilize financing and technical know-how needed to accomplish two primary objectives: To upgrade and modernize the Nigeria Police vehicle maintenance workshops nationwide and to repair, recover and reactivate all police vehicles assets that are no longer operational.
  
• “For us at NASENI, even though we are not a security agency, we understand that we have a role to play in enhancing national security in line with the renewed hope agenda of the Federal Government.”
  

Impact on security

• “We will support the local content effort by prioritizing the use of locally manufactured components and materials. We will create new jobs and skill-acquisition opportunities in the course of the implementation of the collaboration.
  
• “The revamped workshop will be managed in a manner that it will make it possible to generate surplus income that will fund ongoing maintenance of the police,” he added.

• “I am excited with your offer of collaboration to convert police vehicles to cleaner energy use and I look forward to the collaboration being a reality,” he said.

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has fixed the final fare prices for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage exercise.

The commission had earlier in October, pegged the initial fare deposit at N4.5m, noting that the fixed amount was “in tandem with the dollar rate that will determine the final cost of the coming Hajj”, and that the amount would give the commission a more realistic figure in bargaining for the cost of accommodation, airline fares, feeding, and other necessities.

However, in a statement signed by NAHCON’s Assistant Director of Public Affairs, Fatima Usara, on Saturday, the Commission said it had made efforts to maintain the fares at N4.5m, but had to make adjustments because of “the recent instability in the dollar exchange rate.”

Usara added that while the Chairman of the commission, Jalal Arabi, had negotiated prices with service providers in Saudi Arabia, the currency situation in the past week necessitated the adjustments, stating that the fares would have reached up to N6 million otherwise.

“It would be recalled that the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi had initially aimed to maintain the 2024 Hajj fare at N4.5 million that was charged as an initial deposit. The prospects had remained high until the well-known Naira crash that occurred mid-week.

“Regrettably, the recent instability in the dollar exchange rate compelled a necessary adjustment despite commendable efforts by NAHCON Chairman, Jalal Ahmad Arabi to maintain the cost of the year’s Hajj at the said rate.

“Arabi had actively negotiated substantial discounts with service providers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in late January, striving to alleviate costs for intending pilgrims. However, the volatile currency situation within the week necessitated the Commission to take a drastic decision to consolidate the gains achieved in lowering the cost of services for the Hajj, without which the price of the 2024 Muslim pilgrimage might have shot to about N6,000,000,” the statement partly read.

Consequently, the commission has now pegged fares for intending pilgrims from Nigeria’s Southern centre at N4,899,000; those from the Northern centre will pay N4,699,000; while pilgrims from Yola and Maiduguri centres will pay a fee of N4,679,000 for the 2024 Hajj exercise.

Intending pilgrims have now been advised to pay or balance their Hajj fares by Monday, February 12 2024, to enable the commission to transfer the funds before the imminent deadline.

According to the statement,  Arabi stated that “this is the will of Allah, because the Commission, facing a tight deadline of 25th February, has limited time to explore further options to remain within the range of N4.5 million.”

NAHCON however assured the public of its commitment to ensuring a smooth and successful Hajj pilgrimage for all participants, despite the challenges posed by foreign exchange factors, while appreciating the understanding and cooperation of the Nigerian Muslim community during these times.

[TheNation]

Fresh details have emerged regarding the murder of the Olukoro of Koro in Kwara State, Oba Olusegun Aremu-Cole, revealing that the assailants planned the killing in a pub, popularly called a beer parlour, in the town.

The monarch, a retired senior military officer, was shot dead in his palace on Thursday night, and his wife, along with two other residents, were abducted.

According to sources, the killers spent several hours in a beer parlour before luring a salesgirl to lead them to the palace. The unsuspecting girl took them to the monarch’s residence, where the assailants carried out the attack.

The brother of the late monarch, Mr Adelaja Aremu, disclosed that the assailants shot Oba Aremu-Cole after he refused to comply with their orders to stand up and accompany them.

He told Punch: Adelaja, who spoke in a telephone interview with Saturday PUNCH, noted that the assailants shot his brother dead for refusing to follow their orders to stand up and come with them.

He said, “I am his immediate younger brother, and I live very close to the village. Immediately, gunshots were heard in the palace; I was contacted and told the gunshots.

“They (gunmen) came into the palace and met him (the monarch) and asked him to stand up. They wanted to abduct him. He refused to get up, saying that nobody could command him like that. He refused to take orders from unknown people, so they shot in the air to scare him, but he wasn’t afraid.

“Of course, they knew that they met a stubborn person, and that was how they shot him. This was what the houseboy told us. He (houseboy) bolted out of the palace through the back door when my brother was shot, but he saw all that transpired.”

Meanwhile, the abductors have demanded a ransom of N100 million for the release of the kidnapped victims, including the monarch’s wife.

They issued a 48-hour deadline for the payment, threatening to harm the captives if the money was not provided within the stipulated time.

[newnationalstar]

The President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government has dismissed a report that it plans to convert foreign exchange in depositors’ domiciliary accounts to naira, describing it as tantamount to economic sabotage.

There had been a media report on Saturday alleging plans by the Federal Government to convert foreign exchange in domiciliary accounts.

But the Coordinating Minister of Economy, Wale Edun, in a statement on Saturday, said such reports were false and misleading.

According to Edun: “There is no iota of truth in the claims of Punch Newspaper that the Federal Government plans to convert foreign exchange in depositors’ domiciliary accounts to naira.

“The publication of such falsehood at a time when the government is working to restore economic stability and confidence in the national currency is tantamount to economic sabotage.

“This report in the Punch Newspaper violates the standards of responsible journalism.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I emphasise that depositors’ foreign currency in their domiciliary accounts will not be converted to naira.”

Punch had reported that there were strong indications that the Federal Government was mulling a policy that will result in the conversion of foreign currencies in domiciliary accounts of citizens to naira to stabilise the national currency, which earlier this week recorded its worst performance in history.

It had said that if the Nigerian government goes ahead with the plan, the government will order the conversion of foreign currencies sitting idly in individuals’ and corporate organisations’ domiciliary accounts to naira at a rate to be determined by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

According to top Presidency sources, the move is meant to stabilise the naira, which recorded its biggest fall in the official Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market on Monday, depreciating by 24 per cent to close at N1,348 per dollar.

One of the Presidency sources said that the problem of forex scarcity and the naira fall was an elite issue, adding that the Federal Government would not fold its arms and continue to watch some individuals hoarding foreign currencies at the expense of the naira.

AFTER months of preparation, the stage  is set for today’s re-run and bye-elections to fill 48 legislative seats across 26 states of the country. 

There were little or no campaigns for today’s elections, which were rounded off on Thursday.

Amid tension in some of the constituencies that are usually volatile during elections, the Department of State Services, DSS, has warned Nigerians taking part in the elections to be of good conduct during and after the exercises in the affected states. 

The Service asked the contending parties to shun all acts capable of causing a breakdown of  law and order.

At the same time, the DSS urged politicians and their supporters to adhere to the electoral act and procedure. Also, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, had on Thursday ordered the restriction of all forms of vehicular movement on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation from 12 a.m. to 6 p.m today in all states where elections will be conducted.

The only exception are those on essential services such as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, officials, electoral observers, accredited media and observers both foreign and domestic, ambulances responding to medical emergencies, and firefighters among others.

The affected states are Ebonyi, Yobe, Kebbi, Lagos, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Katsina, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

INEC assures of free, fair polls

The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has however assured of credible exercises and tasked all stakeholders on support to ensure violence-free polls.

Bye-elections for 9 seats

Giving the breakdown for the elections, Yakubu said that two Senators, four members of the House of Representatives and three members of State Assemblies will be elected in bye-elections to replace members who passed on or resigned their memberships of National and States Assembly in nine states.

Immediate past Governor of Ebonyi State, and Works Minister, Engr David Umahi; and Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, are among lawmakers who resigned. Umahi was elected as senator but he left the post to take up appointment as minister.

Also Gbajabiamila was re-elected into his Surulere Constituency, Lagos but he opted for an executive appointment.

Re-run polls

Yakubu said the re-run elections will take place at designated constituencies or polling units as ordered by the Election Appeal Tribunals.

He said: “The elections will fill vacancies in three Senatorial Districts, 17 Federal and 28 State Constituencies spread across 80 Local Government Areas, 575 Registration Areas/Wards and 8,934 Polling Units involving 4,904,627 registered voters, out of which 4,613,291 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) have been collected.”

Professor Yakubu acknowledged that the Commission could not handle such a huge national assignment alone and “that is why we seek to mobilise every national asset.”

DSS warns against dangerous acts

The warning is contained in a statement by the Director of  Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Dr. Peter Afunanya.

Beyond the elections, the DSS enjoins citizens to be patriotic and loyal to the Nigerian nation. 

The statement also enjoined public commentators, social critics and key players in the public space to  consider the peace of the country over and above their personal or group interests.

“Similarly, the Media, Civil Society and Community-based organisations were encouraged to shun divisive tendencies and fake narratives likely to undermine national order.  ”It is unarguable that it is only if there is a livable country that individuals, groups or corporate bodies can pursue and realise their legitimate businesses and ambitions. 

“The Service, therefore, advises those engaging in subversive endeavours or desirous of doing so to desist from such as it will not hesitate to bring defaulters, no matter how highly placed, to face the full weight of the law.

“On its part, the Service, in the discharge of its mandate, will work with the Independent National Electoral Commission, other sister security and law enforcement agencies and indeed all stakeholders to ensure a hitch-free election.

Why PDP won’t join Plateau re-run elections today- IPAC

Meanwhile, the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, has set the record straight about why the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, will be missing from the re-run elections in Plateau State, especially in the northern region. The national body of IPAC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chinyere Oge-Kalu, yesterday, distanced itself from a recent press conference by its Plateau State chapter, which criticized the exclusion of the PDP from the elections. 

The Council stated that the local chapter’s actions did not reflect the decisions made at a higher level.

Oge-kalu explained that during a meeting in Abuja on December 18, 2024, all political parties, including the PDP, were reminded that a court ruling prevents the PDP from participating in the Plateau re-run. This was agreed upon by everyone, to keep the game fair and square.

She said: “While the court judgement is already being challenged by the concerned political party, it is unwise for any individual or group of individuals under any guise to embark on any course of action capable of inciting violence or derailing the fragile peace in Plateau State.

“Therefore, the action of the Plateau State chapter is misguided as it is not a representation of the outcome of the consultative stakeholders’ meeting held by INEC with the leadership of all political parties on the 18th December 2024 at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.

“The leadership of the Council in Plateau State is hereby cautioned, hence admonished to operate within the ambit of the Code of Conduct as matters of this nature is exclusively within the purview of the National.”

Journalists complain over denial of accreditation 

Meanwhile, a host of journalists in some of the 26 states decried non-accreditation by the INEC to cover the elections despite registering on the commission’s portal before the January 25 deadline to do so.

Those affected including Vanguard correspondents wondered how they would monitor the polls in view of volatility of some areas and Police restriction.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) flagged off some programmes and activities under the theme, “Youth, Religion and the Fight Against Corruption”. This is an institutional attempt at a more holistic, more realistic and more sustainable approach to the fight against crime, criminality and corruption in Nigeria. Whereas the main thrust of the event was to address the challenges of youth involvement in cybercrime, the Commission used the occasion to launch its freshly produced “Interfaith Preaching and Teaching manual”.

The manual was developed by its Interfaith Anti-corruption Advisory Committee (IAAC). The document is a handy reference material that would be used by preachers to deepen the positive values espoused by the various religions.  Thus, it is really a matter of using religion, or, more appropriately, working with the teachings of religion and the platforms offered by religious leader, in a partnership for attitudinal change and values reorientation.

Perhaps a caveat is needed here, especially in order to accommodate and address the possible concerns, and/or even objections, of those who may be wondering how religion and religious leaders come into the matter of youth criminality, and even the fight against corruption, at all.  Begin with, the EFCC Chairman lamented the involvement of a religious organization in a fraud case up to the tune of seven billion Naira. Religion, and especially several religious leaders, have brought religious morality into disrepute because of their preachments and conduct. In the face of religious bigotry, fanaticism, extremism and the banality of many who are prancing all over the place with the name of the Creator of heaven and earth on their lips, should anyone really be excited to hear about religion being partnered to build a better Nigerian society?

This question is often raised by people who truly take religion seriously, but who have been repeatedly disappointed by the commercialization of religion and fake religiosity. Their concerns, and perspectives, are perfectly understandable; give the benefit of experience. But there are other perspectives as well.

It is trite to say that the goal of what we now call religion is to make people better human beings. It is true that many people are now masquerading with themselves in the name of religion. But, should this warrant a blanket condemnation of all preachers and all religious organizations? False preachers, and even false prophets are not new. Yes, they are not. I even wager that they are an absolute majority today. But is it just false preachers and contrived religiosity?  Where do you not have one species of epistemological summersaults, commercialized spirituality, romanticized debauchery and intellectual shadowboxing today?

My suspicion is that the EFCC has said to itself: Let us see what can be salvaged via this platform that traditionally should be the custodian of the highest moral values. The Commission’s anticipation of the prospect of some positive outcomes – no matter how marginal – is the point here.

Without prejudice to the fact that the lifestyle and media reports about elite corruption pose the greatest challenge to the anti-corruption war, the effort at values restoration, and reorientation, is expected to percolate, over time, into something worthwhile. But that is if other agencies of government, and institutions of state, also explore new approaches. In sum, the EFCC has initiated a values-driven approach to the war against crime and criminality.

Let us look at the philosophical foundations of such an approach to social reengineering, before concluding on the detailed actions and activities that could consolidate whatever gains are made over time.

It rarely occurs to most people that crime and criminality, at the end of the day, always revolve around values. The choices we make about what to do, or what not to do, in any situation is usually based on our core values. Take for instance, a man who decides to steal a billion Naira. It is not just the lack of money that would make him do that, no! It is his rejection of the value of honest warehousing of the common good and rejection of the virtues of responsible leadership, in favour of selfish accumulation of what he is not entitled to.

The presence of a car alone, as well as the desire for it, for instance, won’t make someone kill another in order to take the car from him. To do such a thing, you need (1) The presence of a car, (2) The desire for it, (3) Disregard for the sacredness of human life, (4) Rejection of the commandments of God, (5) Rejection of the communal norm, which says that you cannot take what does not belong to you without the consent of the owner, etc.

If your values do not approve an action, you won’t do it. Once you do it, we can see your true core values, no matter what you profess in public. Thus, any change in a person’s notions of right and wrong will also reflect as changes in his actions, choices and what he considers attractive and commendable.

So, how do societal values get to become entrenched? They are inculcated and spread from the family and through schools, traditional institutions, institutions of state and religious organizations. It will always take all of society, involving institutions and individuals, for any lasting and sustainable change to occur in the domain of values.

I refer to the aforementioned as the Custodians of Value.  If you take away these Custodians, namely, the family, schools, teachers, traditional rulers, institutions of State, religion and religious leaders there will be no shared norms. Also, if these Custodians are not well primed to deliver on their mandates, they become the Patron Saints of distortion of values, moral decay and the death of the future.

What emerged in the course of last week’s programme was the fact that the EFCC set out very deliberately to “involve multiple stakeholders in the fight against economic and financial crimes”. It was an attempt to put forward new paradigms through a “Whole of Society Approach” to social engineering. And this attempt to widen the network, and net worth, of custodians, is obviously designed to build synergy around the foundational principles of social stability.

Equally commendable is the focus on the youths, with particular attention to their involvement in cybercrime. This segment of our population represents the future of this nation. If our youths are allowed to walk into the future with the wrong set of values, then the tomorrow, of which they are said to be leaders, is already in jeopardy. Our youths must be properly groomed on the right value, for them to become that right Replacement Generation for the Nigeria of our dreams.

Religion espouses lasting values, which ought to form the human character and personality for the better. The EFCC used the event to draw our attention to the formative impact of those values espoused by the various religions as a tool for youth reorientation. And the reason is simple: (1) Values drive, and determine, the quality of life in any society, (2) Values form the hidden pillar guiding the disposition of citizens and the orientation of the youths in any nation, (3) The youths, in particular, are like receptacles into which the society ours its core norms; through conscious and unconscious mentoring, (4) This makes them the most vulnerable demographic group in any society, especially when we think of how easily they can be being damaged by the wrong values and the wrong role models.

Once the wrong values are promoted and condoned, the wrong actions will become the norm. And the immediate casualties and inheritors of what is thus distorted would be the youths. What they then end up propagating with great vim, vigour and rigour, through their actions and their choices, would be the values of decay, social ruination and death.

This is because the youths are like receptacles into which every society pours its dominant values. Because they are the Replacement Generation for every society’s current leaders, once the wrong values are dispensed to them, the foundation is laid for ruin, degeneration and decay, rather than development. Thus, the task at hand, and which was part of the purpose of EEFCC’s event, is to create the right Replacement Generation for our fatherland.

If the Custodians of Value target the same ideals, and work towards the same goals, the society enjoys lasting, and holistic development and value stability. If parents play the role of parents and make the home a nurturing platform, and the schools, teachers, leaders and Institutions of State all play their respective roles in the right way, they will so reinforce each other that misconduct will become very unattractive; and easily isolated and penalized..

Considering that the etymology of the word “religion” also means to link up’, and to bind or tie fast, the aspiration of all religions is to connect us with something higher than our everyday mundane aspirations and purely earthly goals. When the right values are inculcated in the youths, it moderates the ease with which many of them would embrace crime and criminality; because it gives them a higher sense of purpose as well as a moral counter force to the pull of instant earthly gratification.

The dangers of religious extremism must be properly contextualized for our youths, so that they do not become destructive their true humanity out of ignorance. Since the presumed goals of the dominant religious faiths in Nigeria is to imbue man with that goodness which is pleasing to God, religious and ethnic tolerance should be made essential components of human goodness. We cannot be striving to eliminate, or undermine, others who are different from us without also acting against the Will of God.

The work of the Interfaith Anti-corruption Advisory Committee (IAAC) can benefit from the efforts of the now-defunct national Association of religious and Ethnic Tolerance (NARETO) which was started by the late Prof C.S. Momoh, of which I was one of the national coordinators. All said, the EfCC’s “institutional attempt at a more holistic, more realistic and more sustainable approach to the fight against crime, criminality and corruption in Nigeria” needs to be taken seriously.