Lionel Messi has finalised his deal to join Major League Soccer, and after years of planning and pursuing, Inter Miami has landed a global icon.

Messi’s contract became official Saturday, a little more than five weeks after he declared that he would be coming to Inter Miami. The team will introduce him Sunday night at its stadium in Fort Lauderdale, and the first home match of the Messi era could be as early as Friday in a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul.

A formal news conference is scheduled for Monday, and his first training session with his new club is expected on Tuesday. The club previously announced that Messi’s deal will be for 2 1/2 seasons and will pay him between $50 million and $60 million annually — putting the total contract value between $125 million and $150 million in cash alone.

“BIENVENIDO 10,” the team posted Saturday on Twitter.

Welcome, Messi, indeed.

“We are overjoyed that the greatest player in the world chose Inter Miami CF and Major League Soccer, and his decision is a testament to the momentum and energy behind our League and our sport in North America,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “We have no doubt that Lionel will show the world that MLS can be a League of Choice for the best players in the game.”

It is, in many ways, an unusual marriage. Messi — still perhaps the biggest star in the game — is signing with a team that entered Saturday in last place in the MLS’s Eastern Conference standings. It’s a club in just its fourth season that plays in a temporary home that will seat only about 22,000 people when some rushed renovations like adding extra bleacher seats get completed.

Doesn’t matter. Soccer royalty now plays for Inter Miami.

Messi arrived in South Florida on Tuesday following vacation, then started the process of physicals and paperwork on Wednesday and the deal got finalized Saturday afternoon. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner — the trophy given annually to the world’s best player — is making his Miami move after two years with Paris Saint-Germain.

“I’m very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States,” Messi said in a statement. “This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project. The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set, and I’m very eager to start helping here in my new home.”

It was widely known that Messi would be leaving PSG. The mystery was where he was going. Some thought Messi eventually would choose to play for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, following longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo to a kingdom where some clubs now are funded by its sovereign wealth fund. Going back to Barcelona, a storied franchise where he spent most of his career, was another possibility.

In the end, Miami won. An idea that co-owner David Beckham began floating publicly in 2021 — two years before, evidently, the team actually started thinking about how to pull this off — has now become reality.

“After winning the World Cup and not being able to return to Barcelona, it was my turn to go to the league of the United States to live football in another way,” Messi said in June when announcing his decision.

He led Argentina to the World Cup title last December. Messi has more than 800 goals in his career for club and country, making him one of the greatest scorers in the sport’s history. He scored twice in last year’s World Cup final against France, a match that ended 3-3 with Argentina prevailing 4-2 on penalty kicks.

He is a four-time Champions League winner and his 129 goals in the top club competition are second to Ronaldo’s 140. Messi has won 10 La Liga titles and two Ligue 1 championships, seven Copa del Reys and three Club World Cups plus a Copa América and Olympic gold medal for Argentina.

“Ten years ago, when I started my journey to build a new team in Miami, I said that I dreamt of bringing the greatest players in the world to this amazing city,” Beckham said. “Players who shared the ambition I had when I joined LA Galaxy to help grow football in the USA and to build a legacy for the next generation in this sport that we love so much.

“Today that dream came true.”

The club had a road match Saturday at St. Louis, yet when word got out that Messi may have been at the team’s facility that morning a couple hundred fans showed up just hoping for a glimpse, not even deterred by a late-morning thunderstorm. Many wore Messi jerseys — some the light blue of Argentina, some the pink-and-black of Inter Miami. Some carried flags; one carried a sign mostly in Spanish, but the words “Messi” and “GOAT” made the messaging clear.

It’s just part of a welcome party that is only getting started.

Messi was seen at a Publix supermarket near Fort Lauderdale — the grocery chain is an Inter Miami sponsor — with his family earlier in the week, and the cart had a few items picked out by the kids: Froot Loops, Cap’n Crunch, Lucky Charms. The scene went viral by the time he hit the checkout lane.

A serial goal scorer is evidently a cereal fan as well.

And now, it’s time for the soccer to start. Inter Miami plans to introduce Messi on Sunday night, at an event the club is calling “The Unveil.” Shakira is rumored to be attending, and tickets are long gone for the show that has been anticipated for weeks.

Hopes for the franchise are now officially sky-high. Inter Miami has never contended for a title; Messi could change everything in a hurry for a team that has won only 34% of its matches in MLS play.

“Lionel Messi is an incomparable talent,” Inter Miami sporting director Chris Henderson said. “What he brings on and off the field will elevate everyone around him and we’re excited to have him at Inter Miami.”

[firstpost]

It happened on Thursday night at the Yar Adua Conference centre, Abuja.

Some of the most outstanding athletes in Nigeria’s Olympic sports in the past six decades (therefore all Olympians), assembled for a special bi-annual re-union organised to remind their government and prick the conscience of Nigerians about the pledge embedded permanently in eternal words within their national anthem, words passionately sung by the athletes when going into ‘battle’ in their sports: “the Labour of our heroes past, shall never be in vain”.

It was a very emotional night for me because I was given the privileged role of delivering the dinner-talk.

Unfortunately, that meant waiting till the tail end of the event, when all the awards would have been given, tributes paid ànd the lavish citation of awardees read and dinner served.

Emmanuel Babayaro, the Secretary-General of the Nigerian Olympians Association, called me after the event and lamented that it was a poor idea to have put my speech after dinner, because soon after, the big hall emptied of the invited guests.

My dinner-talk ended up as a sermon to the Olympians. It was meant to take the audience into the world of Olympic athletes, to be presented from my personal first-hand experience of the Olympics since 1968 to date. It was to serve also as a reminder of what it takes and what it means to be an Olympian.

Before going into how that turned out, permit me to tell you about the award and awardees.

The hall was packed with awardees and their ‘supporters’. The most notable recipients included the Deputy-Governor of Edo State, the wife of the immediate past Governor of Benue State, the immediate past Minister of Sport, the President of the Nigerian Olympic Committee, and several other outstanding athletes from past Olympic games.

All of that went well.
Then, my sermon.

My earliest impression about the Olympics, derived from Greek mythology, is that the the sports events at the Games were the pastime of gods on Mount Olympus. The gods would run, jump and fight to the cheers of the large population of angels. Humans were not in the picture.

The news from Mexico that hit the airwaves with a bang in Nigeria was that the Green Eagles, the national team of Nigeria, that quietly went to football’s first Olympic Games, had held ‘giant’ Brazil to an unbelievable 3-3 draw! That attracted every Nigerian’s attention.

It was the first realisation that humans took part in the Olympics. Our footballers were human. We were familiar with them. They were flesh and blood. The Olympic ‘gods’ were actually human: Peter Fregene, Inua Lawal Rigogo, Samuel Garba, Peter Anieke, and so on. It shattered a myth.

Last Thursday night, for the first time since that team returned to Nigeria in the summer of 1968, the Nigerian Olympians Association, invited three surviving members of that historic team to Abuja to honour them.

They were celebrated and given special awards. The gladiators were Durojaiye Adigun, Ganiyu Salami and Kenneth Olayombo. Kenneth actually scored two goals in that memorable match.

Four years later in 1972, now freed from the psychological prison that Olympians were not human, a Nigerian boxer went to the Munich Games and fought his way to Nigeria’s first medal, a Bronze. Last Thursday night, Isaac Ikhuoria was present to receive his well deserved award.

Since Ikhuoria, boxing has become a good source of medals for Nigeria at the Games.

In 1976, Nigeria, now fully prepared for an onslaught on the Theatre of dreams, took probably the most powerful squad in the country’s history to the Montreal Olympics. The team was pulled out of the Games at the last minute to ‘fight’ a global political cause, and the athletes, therefore, missed out on fulfilling their greatest dreams.

Moscow 1980 was a most uneventful Olympics. It was marred by the politics of the Cold War between the USA and the USSR over Afghanistan. Taking a page from the book of the consequence of the 1976 boycott, led by Nigeria and Tanzania, the USA led their own boycott of the Mosçow games by Western countries.

The power of sport was now evident, a tool that can be deployed to serve various purposes even outside of sport.

FoU Nigeria, Moscow was barren.

1984, Los Angeles Games. The USSR avenged the treatment by the USA in 1980. They marred the Games with their own boycott, along with their allies.

But Nigerians seized the opportunity to make their mark. Led by Innocent Egbunike, Henry Amike, and a superb 4 x 400m relay quartet, they resumed their Olympic hunt for medals with the country’s first Silver medal in Track and Field.

In 1988, in Seoule, South Korea, Nigeria had a large squad that included football again and tennis for the first time.

For some reason, it was more memorable for its lack of medals.

At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, it was both historical and memorable for right and wrong reasons. On the eve of the Games, one of the fastest girls in the world was a Nigerian. Along with a few others, she was charged and suspended for drugs usage.

FoU Nigeria, it was a shattering development, particularly for àthletes that had spent 4 previous years, come rain, come shine, pounding the tracks and the fields in search of a few seconds, minutes or even milimetres that could change their lives forever.

Meanwhile, some other athletes wrote their names in the history books at Barcelona ’92. Mary Onyali led a quartet relay team that also included Christy Okpara-Thompson to run a race that defined the true essence of ‘winning’ at the Olympics. Thè quartet came third but were celebrated more than the teams that came first and second because of the manner they celebrated third place. Mary and Christy were in Abuja last Thursday and were both celebrated.

The 1996 Atlanta Games came and became the best Olympics for Nigeria, ever.

For Chioma Ajunwa, it marked a vindication. From the depths of hell four years before, she emerged, rose and became the brightest star in the constellation with a performance and a result of a life time. Her Gold medal remains Nigeria’s only individual Gold medal to date.

Her victory opened the flood gates to more victories: a second Gold Medal in Football; Silver medals and Bronze medals in other events.

At this point, Nigerian athletes had joined the club of gods and goddesses of the Olympics.

From Atlanta Nigeria finally launched into the spirit of the Olympics as proper and equal contenders.

From Sydney 2000 and thereafter, a new generation of gods and goddesses was born and bred. Some of them were remembered and received awards last Thursday night.

It was indeed, a great night of bright Stars.

Through the generations of these gods and goddesses, I had been a LIVE witness.

I am thinking.

Why would I, an ordinary football player, without any imprint on the Olympics landscape, be the one to tell the story of Olympians?

I think my purpose for being an Olympian is to be a part of it in order to document them, experience what it takes to be an Olympian and to regularly remind the athletes that it is the hardest status to achieve in sports. That it is a long, lonely, expensive, hard, and challenging journey, strewn all the way with the requirements of self-sacrifice, hard work, highest level of discipline, single-mindedness, supreme patience, pain, failures, injuries and disappointments.

Yet, at the end, all of these come down to a few seconds, or minutes, of competing and hoping to win against the very best opponents in the world.

It is no mean feat and should not be treated with levity, laxity, or, worst of all, taken for granted. It is hard! If others do not, Olympians must constantly remind themselves and each other of their hard-earned successes and sacrifices in sport.

They must always remind themselves never to forget what Nelson Mandela said about the power of sport to change the world. His life was influenced greatly by the boycott of 1976 when Nigerian athletes led other African patriots to make the ultimate sacrifice to boycott the Games and support his cause and that of his people in South Africa.

That sacrifice was party responsible for the end of Apartheid in South Africa, Mandela’s release from jail, his ascension as the first Black President of a new South Africa, and granting the hosting rights of the first FIFA World Cup to be held in Africa to South Africa.

That ‘power’ of sport is still available and must be deployed creatively by Nigeriàn Olympians to change their lives, impact their country and make the world a better place.

They can do those things if only they always remember that, indeed, they are gods and goddesses!

The most hotly anticipated tennis match of the year takes place today as Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic face off in a historic match.

Mayra Bueno Silva defeats Holly Holm via submission (standing guillotine) at 0:38 of round 2

Mayra Bueno Silva just picked up what is undoubtedly the biggest win of her career.

The fight ended with a rare standing guillotine/ninja choke against the fence, giving Mayra her third consecutive submission inside the octagon. The Brazilian endured a close opening round with Holm before seizing the opportunity as Holly pushed her against the fence. Mayra had the choke locked in tight immediately and even maintained control as Holm spun them around in an attempt to break free.

Bueno Silva is now tied with Ronda Rousey for the most submission wins in women’s bantamweight history (3). This is only the second time in Holm’s career that she has lost by submission, with the first coming at UFC 196 against Meisha Tate.

Mayra followed up on her victory (which earned a performance bonus) with a very vulnerable and inspiring post-fight interview detailing her struggles with life:

“Recently I found myself in a huge huge depression, I thought that life was not worth it anymore – find somebody, go and talk (to them), reach out to somebody. The victory is always there.”

Mayra Bueno Silva (Fabiano Buskei translation) post-fight UFC Vegas 77

Jack Della Maddalena defeats Bassil Hafez via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Jack Della Maddalena finally got his chance to fight after he had two opponents pull out of bouts scheduled for UFC 290, and a fight is certainly what he got.

Bassil Hafez was able to trouble JDM early on with the threat of some takedowns and a willingness to exchange in the pocket. 14 men previously attempted to fight in a phone booth with Jack Della Maddalena and they were all punished heavily for it; Hafez actually performed well in that area early on. Jack was able to find some more success in the second round, almost finishing Hafez. The third round was even more in Jack’s favor as he had Hafez on wobbly legs multiple times.

In the end, JDM went the distance for the first time in his UFC run and got the victory. He even threw a small dig at the judges during his post-fight interview, despite being crowned the winner:

“I thought it could go either way. So, when I heard it was a split- the judges always don’t make good decisions so, (we) might have a good show.”

Jack Della Maddalena post-fight UFC Vegas 77

Other Results:

Francisco Prado defeats Ottman Azaitar via TKO at 4:05 of round 1

Francisco Prado dropped Ottman Azaitar with a spinning elbow and followed up with thunderous ground and pound to get the finish. Azaitar was desperately hanging on as Prado continued his ground assault. Eating unanswered punches in the process, Ottman received a stern “fight back” from the referee; Ottman decided to give a thumbs up to the ref as Prado was fully postured up raining down fight-ending shots. The ref quickly called the fight off, and Ottman protested heavily soon after.

Jun Yong Park defeats Albert Duraev via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:45 of round 2

Jun Yong Park picked up yet another submission win and is now tied for the second-longest active win streak in the middleweight division (four consecutive victories, Du Plessis holds a six-fight win streak). After dropping Duraev with a short left elbow, “The Iron Turtle” swarmed him hunting for the submission. Once he flattened Duraev out from the back position, Park sank in a rear-naked choke and ended the contest, with a victory dance to boot.

Norma Dumont defeats Chelsea Chandler via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Norma Dumont extended her win streak to three in a row with a decisive victory over Chelsea Chandler. Dumont looked impressive in the sense that she won virtually all aspects of this fight, but her performance was ultimately overshadowed by Chelsea Chandler’s 40-yard dash:

Nazim Sadykhov defeats Terrance McKinney via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:07 of round 2

Nazim Sadykhov got off a beautiful submission (with a bit of help from grabbing the cage) and finished Terrance McKinney early on in the second. That’s six consecutive finishes and nine straight victories overall for the Ray Longo product. Nazim was able to trap one of Terrance’s arms with his left leg from the back position, leaving McKinney with just one limb to defend himself. Keep an eye out for Nazim Sadykhov, he may be one of those fighters that climbs the ranks quicker than most given his level of competition just one year into his UFC run.

Novak Djokovic will be taking on Carlos Alcaraz in the Men's Single's final of the ongoing Wimbledon 2023 on Sunday. World number one and US Open winner Alcaraz, playing only his fourth grass-court tournament, defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. Djokovic, the reigning Australian Open and French Open champion, reached his ninth final at the All England Club and record 35th at the Grand Slams by seeing off Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4). 

On Sunday, the 36-year-old world number two will attempt to equal Roger Federer's mark of eight Wimbledon titles and Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 majors.

[Sports.ndtv]

President Bola Tinubu has admonished African leaders to respect democracy, rule of law, and ensure political stability.

He also urged African military institutions and states to recognize and respect the need for democratic renewal.

He made the assertions on Saturday in his statement at a high-level event organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the margins of the Fifth Mid-Year African Union (AU) Coordination Meeting, in Nairobi, Kenya.

Tinubu, who is also the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, said coups d’état should be discouraged in the continent, especially in the face of challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, insecurity, and climate change.

In the statement, presented on his behalf by Ambassador Adamu Ibrahim Lamuwa, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tinubu said it was regrettable that West Africa, despite its numerous instruments and mechanisms for promoting democracy and good governance, is leading other regions in the use of unconstitutional means to change governments.

He warned that the ugly trend of the military straying into the political arena is causing threats to peace, security, and stability, and engendering poverty, displacement, and humanitarian crises.

A statement issued by Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President (Special Duties, Communications and Strategy) quoted the President as saying: ”This ugly trend has only succeeded in threatening the peace, security and stability of the sub-region and by extension the African continent, leaving in its trail poverty, internally-displaced persons and humanitarian crisis. In the same vein, this ugly trend has also led to food shortages and escalated health challenges.

“We therefore must take deliberate steps to address the root causes of unconstitutional changes and coups d’état in Africa. As a continent, we cannot make progress toward achieving the goals and targets of the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development, as well as those of the AU Agenda 2063 for the ‘Africa We Want.’

“Between 2020 and now, Africa has witnessed six successful coups d’état and three unsuccessful attempts. This rise in military takeovers and unconstitutional changes in government disrupts our democratic processes and undermines stability on the continent.

”It is for this reason that I call on all African leaders at all levels to make concerted efforts in respecting the tenets of democracy and the rule of law, in order to ensure political stability on the continent.”

Reiterating that Africa has no intention of regressing on its democratic gains and credentials, as well as its maturing democratic political culture, President Tinubu said: “I call on all Afro-centric supranational organisations, especially the African Union, the various Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms, to individually and collectively adopt Protocols on democracy and good governance, and ensure their effective implementation.”

While acknowledging that democracy may present challenges in terms of management and dynamics, President Tinubu reiterated that it is the best form of government for 21st-century Africa.

Drawing a comparison between military rule and democratic regimes, he noted that democracy ensures good governance, inclusivity, transparency, and accountability.

Emphasising the need to disincentivize coups d’état, the ECOWAS Chairperson urged the United Nations to take a firm stance against military coups.

“It is my view that while grappling with the challenges caused by the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and other geostrategic tragedies, including insecurity and climate change amongst others, African leaders must disincentivize coups d’état.

“The United Nations must also stand firm and unyielding in its opposition to military coups,” he said.

He also acknowledged that democracy and development are interconnected in achieving sustainable goals and the African vision, adding that commitment to democratic principles and governance is crucial for long-term peace, security, and economic growth.

As Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President expressed his readiness to work with the UNDP and other development partners to advance the course of democracy on the African continent.

The Nigerian leader thanked UNDP for inviting him to deliver a goodwill message at the event and assured the organization of his commitment to confronting the issue of military coups and promoting democratic renewal in Africa.

“The issue of Military Coups and the need for democratic renewal in Africa is one that I am passionate about and indeed committed, along with my colleagues, to confront and we are prepared to change the narratives,” he said.

He commended the UNDP for launching its flagship report ‘Soldiers and Citizens: Military Coups and the Need for Democratic Renewal in Africa’, stating that the military has no place in the governance of the 21st Century Africa.

Jide Okeke, UNDP Regional Programme Coordinator (Africa), said his organization invited the Nigerian leader after his inspiring message, denouncing military coups, during his inauguration as Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on July 9.

He expressed delight that President Tinubu’s presence and participation in the UN high-level event demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to democratic values and stability, reasserting Nigeria’s leadership in Africa and the global community.

He described the President’s message as sending a positive signal to the international community about Nigeria’s commitment to democratic values and stability.

On the UNDP flagship report, the African Regional Coordinator said it is timely in advancing Nigeria’s vision of stability for West Africa and the continent as a whole.

He explained that the report combines empirical data, literature, and personal stories from citizens who have lived through coups, contrasting their experiences with those in countries transitioning to democracy.

The statement also informed that the Gambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambian Abroad, Dr Mamadou Tangara, Hanna Tetteh, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa, Amb. Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, African Union Commission, delivered their respective remarks at the event.

[Tribune]

Penultimate Wednesday, 5th July, 2023, all roads led to Chrisland University, Abeokuta as my friend and brother, Prof. Babafemi Adesina Badejo, delivered his inaugural lecture as Professor of Political Science and International Relations. Badejo’s inaugural lecture stood out for at least two reasons: It was the first in the university founded in 2015 and the topic was just one word, “Interests”. Quite captivating and intriguing! Starting out from Lagos early that morning, I chose to go through the Lagos-Ibadan expressway despite the gridlock associated with that road whose unending construction, which reportedly started in the year of our return to democracy in 1999, is still work in progress, causing commuters excruciating pains and loss of man-hours on a daily basis. The other alternative route – the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta road – was a “no-go” area. The last time I ventured there two years ago, I spent five excruciating hours on a journey to Abeokuta that should have taken less than one hour. To think that this is the same road that passed through the Ota farm and led to Abeokuta, the advertised homestead of an erstwhile military Head of State and two-term civilian president! Someone needed to be wheeled to Daura, Katsina state to learn some object lessons from a person junior to him in all respects on how charity must begin from home!

I was fortunate that traffic on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway was light that Wednesday and I soon found myself coursing into Abeokuta, the city founded by Sodeke and noted for its Olumo Rock and “adire” industry. As if by coincidence, the seat of power where Gov. Dapo Abiodun holds sway (he has won a second term in office in an election still being contested in court); the (contentious?) Conference Hotel belonging to a former governor of the state and now senator elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to represent Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; and former President Olusegun Obasanjo presidential library all situated in the same vicinity as I drove into town. The rumblings in the political forest of Ogun, the Gateway state, of recent have pitched Abiodun against Daniel and vice-versa. The hide-and-seek between the two leaders is as interesting as the side jabs another former governor of the state, Ibikunle Amosun, throws at Abiodun and the alliance of convenience he is seemingly trying to forge with Daniel.

When Daniel was governor, Amosun, the senator representing Ogun central, was an irritant to Daniel. I can recollect his entourage on one occasion contesting the right of way with Gov. Daniel. Amosun took over from Daniel and OGD, as Daniel is fondly called, was consigned into the political wilderness for the eight years that he, Amosun, was in office. Not only that: Daniel was investigated, the EFCC came for him; he was charged to court on sundry allegations of corruption; and some of his properties, including Conference Hotel, were confiscated by fiat by Amosun. Daniel fought his way through the courts and was exonerated in the end. When Amosun left office and was no longer in control of the coercive powers of the state, Daniel recovered his seized properties and began to work his way back to political relevance. One achievement of Daniel stands out: he started the transformation of Ogun from a sleepy civil service state to its present status as the business destination of choice.

It has been said that in politics, there are no permanent friends but permanent interests. Don’t forget that the title of Prof. Badejo’s inaugural lecture is “Interests”. We shall soon return to that! So it should not surprise anyone that in the build-up to the last governorship election in Ogun state, Amosun reportedly tried to forge an alliance with Daniel to deny Abiodun a second term in office! But since Daniel was running for election as senator on the same APC platform with Abiodun as the sitting governor and de facto leader of the party in the state also running for second term, Daniel must have been in a dilemma. How can he possibly forget his harrowing experience in the hands of Amosun? But here also is Abiodun who did not want him as senator! Contrary to the information put out there by some elements, Abiodun reportedly never lent a helping hand to Daniel throughout his years in court; neither did he re-issue the Certificate of Occupancy on Daniel’s properties that Amosun revoked. It is to the credit of Abiodun, however, that he did not unleash his powers against Daniel when the latter won his case in court and retook possession of his properties.

One would have thought that Abiodun and Daniel should be the best of friends but the contrary is said to be the case. Why is this so? Partisans of both leaders dish out contrary narratives. Those on the side of Abiodun said he was instrumental to Daniel winning election as senator; the Daniel side countered that, on the contrary, Abiodun made futile efforts to deny Daniel the ticket but only caved in, in a face-saving measure, when it became clear to him that there was no stopping the former governor. Did Abiodun fund Daniel’s election as alleged by some people? Daniel partisans said he did not. Did the governor help Daniel in his court cases? Again, Daniel’s supporters said Abiodun minded his own business and left Daniel to fight his battles. Fair, they say, is fair; why then the seeming cold war between the two leaders?

Five reasons have been offered; the first is that Abiodun’s election is still being challenged and until the court makes its final pronouncements, no one can be too sure of anything. Two: The way Amosun has been courting Daniel lately is said to give Abiodun cause for concern. As if to confirm this, a photograph of Amosun grinning from ear to ear with Daniel flashing his trademark smile, went viral recently. Three: With both Abiodun and Daniel coming from the same Ogun East Senatorial District, what happens in four year’s time if Abiodun, after completing his second term, seeks to retire upstairs to the Senate whose ticket is now firmly in Daniel’s hand? Fourth: Recall that Abiodun backed the wrong horse in the former VP, Yemi Osinbajo, in the last presidential primaries of the APC, which Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu eventually won. The “eleyi” outburst of Tinubu, directed at Abiodun at Abeokuta, is still fresh in our memory. Finally, the rising profile of both Daniel and Amosun with Tinubu cannot but be a source of worry to Abiodun who had to fight tooth and nail to win his own re-election. Daniel (a long-time ally of Tinubu) and Amosun (an APC presidential aspirant who stepped down for Tinubu when it mattered most) are names being touted as ministerial nominees to represent Ogun State. Both men have now turned around their hitherto sour relationship; this cannot but be bad news to Abiodun.

Those were the thoughts that raged in my mind as I drove past the Governor’s Office. Gov. Abiodun is said to be leaving no stones unturned to repair his damaged relationship with Tinubu. To worm his way back into the president’s heart will not be easy but try he must. He cannot afford not to. But as I made the turn at the NNPC filling station and cast a final look at the expansive Obasanjo Presidential Library, I wondered if its owner will not be grounded in the political wilderness for whatever years Tinubu occupies the Presidential villa!

Back to INTERESTS! Prof. Badejo’s lecture was gripping; his various definitions and levels of interests – at personal, filial, associational, national and international levels – and the three core human interests of air, water and food, being the pivots on which other interests rests since “being alive is a core human interest (and since these three) are crucial for the fulfilment of the right to life, it stands to reason that these crucial values are a sine qua non for the realisation of the right to life”. Persons, families, associations, even States at sub-national, national and international levels have to be “alive” or “living” before they can project, promote or defend interests! But since “for human beings the real purpose of life goes beyond only survival… there are several civil, social, economic and political rights that have been reasonably agreed as fundamental individual or human rights flowing from the core interests (of air, water, and food)” And since “man is a political animal” (quoting from Aristotle’s “Politics”), then, everyone has one interest or the other to project, promote or defend.

Badejo may not have been a dye-in-the-wool or fire-spitting Marxist but as a student of Political Economy, his understanding of the Marxian explanation of society was lucid. Hear him: “As per Marxist explanation, classes… are objective differences among human beings deriving from their relationships on the means of production in different modes of production… States (therefore) represent the dominant forces in the territories that they represent” Karl Marx posits that the dominant ideas in any given society are the ideas of the ruling class. Flowing from this, the dominant interests that are served are also those of the ruling class; be it at sub-national, national or international levels.

How, then, are interests served? Badejo posits that “power, influence and authority are modalities involved in providing responses to interest-driven demands of each individual, families, groups, classes, spatial entities and, of course, nations/states. Power is not politics as some easily suggest. Power is an important instrument needed in the allocation of values. In effect, power (the capacity to make others do what they otherwise would not have done) is important in managing interests, that is, in the management of politics” What, then, is politics? Quoting David Easton who defined politics as “the authoritative allocation of values”, Badejo argues that so much allocation of values takes place outside of authoritative arrangements at different levels of the striving to satisfy interest-driven demands. Of course, yes!  What of godfathers and unelected cabals giving orders to elected officials on the allocation of State resources and offices!

Before I turn this into a term paper, let me quickly run through the lecture and close! Badejo tore the 1999 Constitution (as amended) into shreds and advocated a confederacy arrangement for the country to move forward. Quoting Edmund Burke who defined a political party as “a body of men united for promoting the national interest on some particular principles in which they all agree”, he regretted that there are no political parties properly so-called in Nigeria.  What we have are “shifting alliances… that have an identical focus on the capture of political power for the purpose of what Prof. Segun Osoba calls primitive capital accumulation, also known as the plundering of the national patrimony without ideological differentiation, a situation that the World Bank calls ‘elite capture"

Badejo is sceptical that the country’s present ruling class can successfully fight corruption other than offer platitudes because the political will is lacking. Nigeria, he says, lacks Plato’s kind of philosopher-king to lead the assault on the cankerworm of corruption. No nation develops above the quality of its education and ours, he says, is still deeply mired in the colonial mentality that has stunted our growth decades after attaining what he describes as “Flag Independence” A word for the Nigerian people from Prof. Badejo before I close: “The Nigerian people have been too docile and tolerant of corruption for too long. Hence, corruption will continue to thrive until a determined (and) organised result-driven Nigerians arise in firm resistance against the current order that continues to ridicule and insult our national sensibilities” It could not have been better put!

The two-count charge levelled against the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele by the Department of State Service have been described as a political witch-hunt targeted at him for his implementation of the naira redesign policy that almost frustrated the campaign of the then presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu during the last election.

Many senior government officials including President Tinubu, and some governors in the All Progressives Congress, have in the build up to the last general election faulted some of the monetary policies of the CBN under Emefiele particularly the naira redesign policy.

Tinubu had, shortly after taking over as President, suspended Emefiele from office. He had stated that it was sequel to the ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy.

The suspended CBN Governor became a guest of the Department of State Services following his arrest in Lagos by operatives of the secret State Service and airlifted to Abuja.

Emefiele was detained for over a month before the DSS was last Thursday ordered to either release him or charge him to court.

Following the order of the court, a two-count charge was quickly instituted against him by the DSS.

The DSS in the charge sheet, accused Emefiele of possessing a single-barrel shotgun (JOJEFF MAGNUM 8371) without a licence.

The government maintained that the offences are contrary to section 4 of the Firearms Act Cap F28 Laws of the Federation 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1b) of the same Act.

In the second count, the suspended CBN Governor was accused of having in his possession 123 rounds of live ammunition (Cartridges) without a licence, which is contrary to section 8 of the Firearms Act Cap F28 Laws of the Federation 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1)(b)(il) of the same Act.

But reacting to the two count charge by the DSS, some Human Rights Lawyers and Finance Experts said the offence allegedly committed by the suspended CBN governor does not justify his incarceration for over one month.

Those that spoke on the matter in separate telephone interviews are a Lagos-based human rights lawyer
Inibehe Effiong; a Human Rights Activist, Barrister Jones Akpan; and
the Chief Executive Officer, Dairy Hills Limited, Kelvin Emmanuel

Effiong described the charges by the DSS as “extremely ridiculous” adding that the alleged offence that Emefiele was being sued over by the DSD falls under the purview of the Nigerian police.

He said, “This (two-count charge)is ridiculous, extremely ridiculous. If you are keeping somebody in custody for over 30 days and the reason for detaining the person is possession of firearms, it shows that the agency is not serious, it shows that the government is not serious, it shows that they have taken Nigerians for a fool.

“What they said was on the insinuation that Emefiele was being detained for alleged terrorism financing, now, if you are now charging him for illegal possession of firearms and this was a charge that came about after his house was invaded, then it means that they are telling us that before his house was searched, they had no reason to have arrested him.

“Why is it the DSS that is now the one investigating the case of physical possession of firearms.

“That is supposed to be within the jurisdiction of the police because it does not necessarily affect the internal security of the country, which is what the DSS is statutorily empowered by the National Security Agencies Act to do.

“So, if it this is what led to the detention of Emefiele, then it only gave credence to the position some of us took ab-initio that this case is political and that while Emefiele may have committed some infractions, the intention of the government is not necessarily to punish him for that infractions but to prosecute him and to punish him for standing against the candidacy of Tinubu and APC in the last election. That is what this looks to be about.

He added, “If the charge is not about getting back at him for being against Tinubu, why would you keep him for one month to arrest for illegal possession of firearms. You have found the firearms and if the person does not have license, then such offence should have been charged within 24 hours.

“This is what we have been saying about this agency that it is now a political tool in the hand of occupants of Aso Rock and it makes nonsense of the entire case.

“We have said that you cannot prosecute Emefiele for the naira redesign policy which Tinubu was vehemently against because it is a policy of government approved by government and so, whether that policy is successfully implemented or not is not a crime.

“I think time has come for Nigerians to be told what is actually the mandate of the DSS. Illegal possession of firearms is a matter that the police should handle and not DSS.”

Also reacting to the issue, Akpan said the charges by the government after the court had ordered for the release of the suspended CBN governor appears to be an after-thought.

He said, “The DSS cannot be seen to be prevaricating and blowing hot and cold. Are they just waking up to the realization that Emefiele is in possession of firearms just only when the Courts have ordered his release or he be charged to Court? Is it within their statutory powers to charge for illegal possession of firearm.

“It is pertinent to ascertain who is empowered under the extant laws to issue license for firearms? The authorized agency to issue approval for gun license should be in the position to sanction those who have not been issued license.

“But come to think of it, do you think that Emefiele would not have been issued a license? There is more to this? Connect the dots. The currency issue before election. Also look at the EFCC Chairman. So this is a serious challenge to the rule of law.

“In saner climes, before arraignment, the agencies would have concluded their investigation. But here, the Agency arrested and went shopping for evidence. Initially it was terrorism charge, but now illegal possession of firearms. Even though Emefiele may have breached extant laws, let him have his day in the court. That is the essence of rule of law.”

For Emmanuel, who is the CEO of Dairy Hills Limited, he described as worrisome the culture of impunity with which law enforcement and security agencies use the instrumentality of the state to administer criminal cases.

He said the rule of law is one of the most important metric foreign investors use as a tool to measure the ease of doing business, and grounds for which to deploy capital into a country.

He said, “The culture of impunity with which law enforcement and security agencies use the instrumentality of state to administer cases in which there are allegations of breaking the law is worrisome.

“Regardless of the alleged offences of the suspended CBN Governor, Sections 35 says ‘Any person who is arrested or detained shall be informed within twenty-four hours of the facts and grounds for such arrest or detention’

“Section 36 also says ‘A person shall be entitled to a fair hearing within a reasonable time by the court or other tribunal established by law and constituted in such manner as to secure its independence and impartiality.’

“It is therefore unconstitutional that the suspended Governor of the Central Bank has been kept in detention for nearly a month against the provisions of the fundamental rights act as stipulated in the 1999 constitution,

“The rule of law is one of the most important metric foreign investors use as a tool to measure the ease of doing business, and grounds for which to deploy capital into a country.

“The government needs to understand that every single thing it does is a signal to international investors on how issues on fair hearing, fundamental human rights, quality before the law and independence of the judiciary is situated.”

The Federal Government of Nigeria has come out to disclose that 80 out of the girls rescued from armed conflict areas in the country are now in tertiary institutions of learning and undergoing their studies.

The Federal Government via its Ministry of Women Affairs also stated that the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari Ratified the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) in December 2019, which is a global commitment to students, teachers and educational personnel as well as the validation of the Minimum Standard on Safe Schools in July 2021.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs. Monilola Udoh disclosed this during the meeting with UN Security Council Working Group on Children encountered in the course of Armed Conflict, led by UNICEF’s Christian Monduate, who came around with Daniel Ohlstein, Kaitlin Brush, Christian Monduate, Ariane Lignier, Nicolas Martin-AchardAndreg Sarushein, for a fact-finding on how Nigeria is protecting children caught up in situations of armed conflict or during military operations.

The UN Security Council Working Group led by UNICEF’s Christian Monduate, which came around with Daniel Ohlstein, Kaitlin Brush, Christian Monduate, Ariane Lignier, Nicolas Martin-AchardAndreg Sarushein.

She said: “It would be recalled that the Nigerian Government, through the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, earlier on the 25th of March, 2017, fruitfully engaged with International Partners, precisely the Country Representatives of UN agencies, including the UNICEF, UNFPA, UNHCR, UN WOMEN, and the UN OCHA in support of the completion of the education of the ‘recused Special Girls’ (Chibok Girls).

“In collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education and the Presidential Committee on Victims’ Support Fund, the Ministry succeeded in re-enrolling the rescued “Special Girls” and retaining them in School, including supporting them to tertiary education in the country.

“At present, eighty (80) of the “rescued Special Girls” are in various tertiary institutions undergoing their studies.”

According to Udoh: “The Federal Government of Nigeria in her efforts in ensuring the security of children in Nigeria, ratified the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD). The Child Right’s act has also been domesticated in 35 States of the Federation.

“The attacks on schools during armed conflict started globally in 2009. In Nigeria, the major attacks began 2014-2015 in the North-East as the result of the activities of terrorist groups, which left so many children out of school.

“Consequently, the former President Muhammadu Buhari Ratified the Safe Schools Declaration(SSD) in December, 2019, which is a global commitment to students, teachers and educational personnel as well as the validation of the Minimum Standard on Safe Schools in July, 2021, which signals the Federal Government’s commitment towards ensuring the general well-being of children.

“All these to ensure that our schools are Safe and in pursuant to section 15 of the Child Right’s Act, which gives the Child the right to free, compulsory and universal primary education. The Federal Government of Nigeria, through inter-agency collaboration has taken the following necessary actions:

“Developed Training Manuals on Safe School’s Declaration (SSD), which was launched for Security Agencies and Human Rights Organizations on the 14th of October, 2021. Hosted the 1st International Conference on the Safe Schools Declaration in Africa with the theme “Ensuring Safe Education for All, from commitment to practices”.

She listed some key interventions of the Ministry towards children who are survivors of terror and violent extremism, especially in the humanitarian emergency. Amongst them are:

“Some school children affected by crisis of terror and violent extremism in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, were provided with a number of psycho-social support services ranging from medical treatment, school feeding, school bags, books and other educational materials, in collaboration with States Ministries of Women Affairs, the UNICEF, Street Child International, Save the Children among others, in order to support their rapid emotional recovery, school re-enrollment and retention.

“The Ministry has had fruitful partnership working with the North-East States’ Ministries of Women Affairs, Plan International; and the UNFPA to provide anti-Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGVB) trainings for learners and teachers in conflicts, insurgency and humanitarian emergency host communities; as well as provision of sanitary kits for girls in IDP Camp schools.”

She further added that the Ministry has sustained collaboration with Implementing Partners in supporting access to education and reducing the precarious incidences of Child & Forced Marriage (CFM) escalated by the insurgency and terrorists activities in the North-East, as well as via Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP), provide help low income women and mothers to come out of extreme poverty through access to soft and cooperative loans facilities, in order to strengthen families’ capacity for children development opportunities; thus enhancing the children’s resilience to incentives and antics used by terrorists and violent extremist groups.