Nigeria’s sports development suffered a major derailment between 2004 and 2006.

That situation sustains till now, unfortunately.

This sad state of affairs was created inadvertently by government (the Ministry of Sports) in the process of trying to stop a ‘rebel’ group in Nigerian football that wanted to perpetuate itself in office, and halt government’s seeming control of football leadership in the country.

The product of that ‘confrontation’ created a ‘virus’ that has infected all other sports federations and even the architecture of sports administration in the country.

In short, the struggle for control of the leadership of the Nigeria Football Association during the elections of 2004/2006 is the root cause of the ineffectiveness of essential interventions by the sports ministry since then to stimulate development.

Needless to go into the minute details of that event here even though a brief summary will provide some background to my position.

In 2004 to 2006, the Ministry of Sports was tied in knots. Its power was rendered impotent by Ibrahim Galadima who was drawing power from the Independence clause in the then constitution of the NFA to outlaw any external interference (including by the NFA’s primary funder, the government) in its affairs as a means to reinstating himself as Chairman. With FIFA’s threat dangled over Nigeria’s head should the government interfere, Galadima temporarily had his way, reinstalled himself, but drew government’s ire in the process. That confrontation cost Nigeria a World Cup ticket, and tied down Nigerian football from any major development for the next two years.

No one fights government and wins. Galadima was not going to be an exception.

In order to regain some control, the sports ministry, under the guidance of the most powerful administrator in Nigeria’s sports history at the time, Dr. Amos Adamu, planned and executed a coup d’état. His ‘people’ infiltrated the NFA, got some ‘rebel’ members to force a re-visit of the constitution of the Association, introduced some new strategic political rules, and, aided by Nigeria’s loss of a World Cup qualification with Angola from a misjudgement by Galadima, successfully conducted new elections and removed Galadima.

That story will be properly told one day by anyone of Fanny Amun, Amanze Uchegbulam, Abba Yola, Sani Lulu, and so on, all principal actors in that government action.

Unfortunately, although government achieved its objective, it came with a high cost, a massive amendment to the correct structures and constitution of the NFA. With that ‘victory’, government inadvertently created a new knot that the even the government itself has been able to untie since then. The knot became cancerous, spreading to the entire sports apparatus, including the Nigerian Olympic Committee, that prides itself as fully independent of government. That’s the product of applying a purely political pill to cure a technical problem in Nigerian sports.

Since then, from election to election in several sports associations now, the civil courts are being brought into the picture to untie the resultant political knots without much success.

So, returning to the proper order of sports administration since then has become impossible. The strategic ‘illegality’ introduced to oust Galadima has become the norm. Its creator, the federal government, through successive Ministers, has been grappling without success to understand why the Ministry finds it difficult to align its vision with those of sports associations that have become recalcitrant and seemingly untouchable. With the exit of several old staff in the ministry from service the situation gets worse with time.

Elections into the Federation boards have become convoluted, complicated, expensive, political campaigns (even with rallies) and movement of election venues on the basis of political strength, State government funding of particular interests, etc. ‘Wrong’ has now become ‘Right’, with unending crisis. Sports are the worse for it.

A body of ‘experts’ set up under the guidance of Amos Adamu, tampered with and re-wrote a new constitution for the Nigerian Football Association in order to achieve the new numbers of delegates that can vote and oust Galadima. The body took a new political route of using the State Sports Associations to carry out the hatchet job.

The State associations were actually non-registered administrative bodies created by States using the National Federation guidelines to conduct football activities at State level. At best, they attended the annual General Assembly meetings of the Nigeria Football Association along with other members, affiliates, stakeholders and even an invited public.

As a group of State associations, they had only one vote in the election of the Chairman of the NFA, like every other member.

In 2006, the State football associations were suddenly empowered to the status of full, independent individual membership of the National Association without any justification other than the optics of being like an arm of the National Association. This move made each of the State associations a full member of the NFA, a member of the General Assembly and a member of the electoral body!

Think of it this way. Each State Coaches Association to become a full member of the NFA. Or the State associations of the Referees.

With their new number in the membership of the National Association increased from one (or two, when Secretaries were even admitted into it in another political dispensation) to 37, or 74 at a time, ordinary administrative affiliates, without any business at the national level, became full individual members of the national Federation. They now determined who became the Chairman. They took over the reign of governance and sports development.

They simply used their new numbers to vote out Galadima, and terminated his ambition as well as his regime.

That’s how administrative affiliate bodies became full, individual members of the NFA.

Meanwhile, that whole process of making State Football Associations to become full members was wrong and illegal.

The activities of State sports associations do not go beyond the States. Expanding their status, place and roles as direct, full members of the National Federations was and continues to be the Achilles heel of sports development in Nigeria. It was a grave mistake in the story of sports administration in the country.

Simply put, every national sports association (federation) is made up of the following full and independent members (existing, or when they eventually exist):

1. One rep. of each of the Leagues (any number of them that are registered for competitions)
2. Rep. of the national body of Coaches
3. Rep. of the national body of Referees
4. Rep. of the national body of Schools
5. Rep. of NAPHER
6. Rep. of the national body of Football Academies (when they are registered)

Other admissible stakeholders and affiliates are:

A representative of the Ministry of Sports, a representative of the national body of Players, a representative of the national body of State Sports Associations (called Chairman of Chairmen), and one representative of any other stakeholders registered by the federation or recognised.

It is these representatives, all elected by their different constituencies, that shall form the board of the national sports federations and shall from amongst themselves elect a Chairman or President without the shenanigans of political manipulations and brazen illegalities.

The process of electing a Chairman or President will become equitable, inexpensive, without any room for open political manipulations. The constitution must once again be amended to restore order and legality, removing what obviously was constructed to serve a special purpose in 2004 in Port Harcourt. It has served that purpose and must now be discarded.

The Minister must be strategic in approaching this subject matter.

Without addressing and solving it, his dreams of advancing the cause of sports will be hinged not on his plans but on the whims of State Sports association chairman that control the levers outside the proper national federations with which his ministry interacts.

My postulation, of course, requires interrogation and careful examination by the Minister for verification of the claims that I make. The Minister should set up a committee to do so immediately, with some time still available before new elections into boards. This way he will avoid the endless cycle of conflicts, and restore justice, equity and order to sports administration and development in Nigeria.

I know I am stirring the hornet’s nest by this piece, but truth must be told, even if nothing will be done!

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has barred the Speaker of the state Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, and the other 24 lawmakers from parading as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Justice Charles N. Wali gave this order in a case in suit number PHC/1512/CS/2024, filled by Victor Oko Jumbo (Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly) Sokari Goodboy, Orubienimigha Timothy, members of the Assembly.

The suit is against Martin Amaewhule and 24 others, the Governor of Rivers State, the Attorney General of the state, and the Chief Judge of the state.

Wali, following the motion ex parte, and after hearing from Sammie A. Somiari, SAN with B. N. Owunabo, Esq, and others for the claimants/applicants, entered that Amaewhule should stop acting as lawmakers.

Recall that Amaewhule and the other 24 of his colleagues had defected from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, on which they were elected to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Also Read: Rivers Crisis: Fubara has committed impeachable offences, Ganduje’s APC NWC declares
Wali also ordered that Rivers government stop dealing with the said lawmakers as their seats have remained vacant after they defected from the PDP that produced them.

The order

The order read: “An Order of interim injunction is granted restraining the 1st to 25th Defendants from parading and holding out themselves as members of Rivers State House of Assembly and/or meeting/sitting at the auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters located at off Aba Road, Port Harcourt, or any other place whatsoever to purport to carry out the legislative business of the Rivers State House of Assembly, their legislative seats having been declared vacant pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

“An order of interim injunction is, hereby, made restraining the 26th to 28th Defendants from dealing with, interfacing, accepting any resolutions, bills and/or howsoever interacting with the 1st to 25th Defendants in their purported capacities as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, their legislative seats having been declared vacant with effect from 13th December, 2023 pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

“It is further Ordered that this Order, the Motion on Notice and the writ and other processes, in this case, be served on the 1st to 25th defendants/respondents within seven (7) days from date by substituted means to wit: by pasting at the entrance gate of the Rivers State House of Assembly Legislative Quarters, Off Aba Road, Port Harcourt and for such service to be deemed good and proper.”

The court adjourned the Rivers lawmakers case till May 29 for Motion on Notice.

President Bola Tinubu has conferred the national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON), on the Awujale and Paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Dr. Sikiru Kayode Adetona,

for his immeasurable and invaluable contributions to national development.

The President who was represented by his Vice, Alhaji Kashim Shettima Friday at the Olabisi Onabanjo University ,Ago Iwoye, for a book presentation on “Reinventing Governance in Nigeria”, as part of activities marking his 64th coronation as a Paramount ruler and 90th birthday.

The ceremony also featured the inauguration of Oba Sikiru Adetona School of Governance, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.

The President also announced that the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos has been directed to take over the management of Oba Sikiru Adetona School of Governance which the royal father bequeathed to the university.

He described Awujale as an extraordinary royal father and hero of Nigeria democracy, who is adored all over the country for his sincerity of purpose and courage in the face of any adversity threatening national development.

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, says insecurity in Nigeria is as a result of past seeds sowed by the country.

The cleric who spoke on Friday while delivering a lecture at the 42nd Actualisation conference of Rotary International, District 9110, held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, noted that the current insecurity in the country will worsen if Nigeria failed to prioritise education.

Kukah bemoaned the poor state of education and urged religious institutions, charities, and other humanitarian organisations to focus their energies on ending illiteracy.

“We are facing the challenges that are the consequences of our children not having education. Now everybody is fearing bandits, everybody is fearing Boko Haram, we are reaping today what we sowed yesterday and it will actually grow worse.

“We have millions of children, at least between 10 to 12 or 15 million children that are on the streets who are begging, each of these children are growing by the day, the Almijiri that is 10 now, in 10 years time he will be 20 years so unless we quickly do something the situation may go worse”, Kukah said.

“We must all try to combat illiteracy because there is no substitute for education and if we who are educated believe that we are secured then we must think again”.

Earlier in his good will message, former President Olusegun Obasanjo charged the Rotary club to step up their efforts to improve the world.

Obasanjo who spoke in a pre-recorded video, called on the club to keep putting the good of humanity above all else.

The former President exhorted participants to use the opportunity of the conference to
rekindle their enthusiasm for improving society and aiding the underprivileged.

The District Governor, Ifeyinwa Ejezie, noted Rotary Club under her watch has done a lot by focusing on basic education and literacy, maternal and child health as well as economic empowerment.

She disclosed that the District has taken the issue of mental health to another level by educating alot of people, adding that drug abuse among the youths was equally addressed by the club.

Ejezie reiterated Rotary Club’s dedication to humanitarian endeavours within the district and internationally.

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bode George, has called on elders and stakeholders of the party to intervene in the political crisis rocking Rivers State.

George, who made this call on Friday, said the Rivers crisis may become a national conflagration, warning President Bola Tinubu not to treat with levity the threat by some lawmakers in the state House of Assembly to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

He, however, advised that nobody should sit on the fence and pretend as if everything is okay, insisting that the state belongs to PDP. 

Quoting Section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution which states that a member of the House of Assembly shall vacate his seat if he defects to another party, George maintained that all the PDP lawmakers who moved to the All Progressives Congress, APC, have automatically lost their seats “and they are in no position to threaten Governor Fubara”.

“So their plot to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor is already in vain,” he stressed.

George added, “Rivers people belong to PDP. Those threatening to impeach the governor are being remote-controlled by some forces. This must stop because if Rivers is set on fire today, that may end this democracy.

“We should remember ‘Operation Wetie’ which started in the defunct Western Region and eventually consumed the nation and ended the First Republic in 1966.

“All the actors in this crisis in Rivers should avoid actions likely to cause breach of peace and breakdown of law and order in our country.

“Members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of our party should be the elders in the room, act swiftly and nip this crisis in the bud before it consumes everybody.

“All the gladiators should also think of the collective interests of Nigerians.

“Whether we are members of PDP, APC or other parties, we should stop issuing provocative statements to increase the tension in Rivers.

“Any move that can truncate this democracy must be stopped immediately. Enough is enough.”

The United Kingdom’s economy has overcome recession earlier than expected in the first quarter of 2023.

The economy grew by 0.6 per cent between January and March, the fastest rate for two years, official figures showed.

Recall that last year, the UK economy slipped into recession after shrinking for two three-month periods in a row.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the economy had “turned a corner”, but Labour said this was no time for a “victory lap”.

On Thursday, the governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, told the BBC that the UK was seeing a recovery, although it was not a strong one.

Interest rates have been at their highest for 16 years, meaning people are paying more to borrow money for things such as mortgages and loans, but savers have also received better returns.

The Bank on Thursday said that inflation, which measures the rate of prices rise, would fall close to its target level in the next couple of months. That had boosted expectations of a rate cut in June. However, the growth figures that were stronger than expected dampened those expectations.

29 Generals of the Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army have retired from active military service.

They were pulled out of active service at the Jaji Military Cantonment in Kaduna State on Friday.

Naija News reports that out of the 29 retired infantry officers pulled out of active service at the Jaji Military Cantonment in Kaduna State, 19 were Major Generals and 10 Brigadiers General.

Speaking on behalf of the retirees, Maj.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu, vowed that they would always be committed to the military profession.

He urged those still in active service to sustain the modest strategic, operational and tactical achievements made, and also to surpass them.

”The frontline is expanding and the Nigerian Army is becoming increasingly committed with the eyes of the nation and the world on it.

”Our Infantry Corps must therefore not relent or rest on her oars as the entire Nigerian Army depend largely on the Infantry Corps to achieve its core mandate and mission.

”I admonish the Infantry that as the threats to Nigeria sovereignty is becoming asymmetric in time and space, you must be proactively way ahead of our adversaries in all aspects of the unfolding combat scenarios,” he added.

Ezugwu also called on the Infantry Corps to review some of its tactical and operational strategies in the areas of night fighting capabilities, and frontline intelligence gathering on enemy activities.

He further advised the corps to strengthen basic field crafts training in the areas of aggressive fighting patrols to dominate at least 5 km radius of their locations, Ambushes, listening and observation posts as well as all levels of battle drills.

Ezugwu advocated for employment of modern technology and ICT enablers, and deliberate efforts to develop the leadership skills of junior commanders.

He described military career as the most priceless, honourable and sacrificial call to duty globally, and thanked God for allowing them to end their careers alive after serving the nation for between 30 -38 years.

The General described the day as full of emotional feelings, nostalgic memories, wholesome gratitude, unending joy and unwavering fulfilment.

“For every service personnel, retirement from active service remains a natural and inevitable end which begins to count from the day we passed out from NDA as officers in the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

”Our joy and that of our families, colleagues and friends gathered here today knows no bounds as we take a final bow from the Infantry Corps.

“On behalf of my retired colleague Generals, I most respectfully and dutifully appreciate the incumbent Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Taoreed Lagbaja for organising this benefitting and memorable pulling out parade in our honour,” he added.

Sonny Echono, executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), has proposed the implementation of tuition fees at federal universities for sustainability. 

Echono spoke in Abuja during an education sector conference themed: ‘Funding for Tertiary Education in Nigeria’. Federal universities have long maintained a tuition-free policy, guaranteeing tertiary education for the wards of low-income Nigerians.

They receive funding from the government in the form of annual budgetary allocations for salaries, capital expenditure, and running costs. Echono said the federal government should no longer be the only funding source of higher education in the country.

He said the inability of the government to solely finance tertiary education necessitates that the institutions be given the leverage to explore alternative funding. “It is worth repeating that considering the circumstances surrounding the funding of higher education in Nigeria today, the government alone cannot be the sole source of financing for education,” Echono said.

“Cost-sharing, to enable parents and the students who are primary beneficiaries to contribute to the funding of the system through the payment of tuition fees, to complement government subvention to the institution. It is also instructive to state that some institutions owned by state governments have already started implementing this initiative.”

Echono advocated for the implementation of the student loan scheme. “The interest-free loan with a moratorium will provide an avenue for a growing number of students to access loans at affordable rates to pay their fees and support their education."

“The significance of the student loan scheme, which targets the primary beneficiary of education, is that it shifts the burden of payment by the student to after graduation when the graduate is able to earn and repay the loan.”

He added that tertiary institutions should explore partnerships and collaborations with funding agencies and development partners — locally and internationally — to attract support and resources.

The government of Kogi State has affirmed its determination to rescue the abducted students from Confluence University of Science and Technology, CUSTEC, Osara, Okene, alive and well.

Naija News earlier reported that unknown gunmen suspected to be bandits, on Thursday night, invaded the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTEC), Osara, Okene in Kogi State.

It was gathered that the bandits stormed the university around 9.00 p.m. and abducted some students who were reading for their upcoming exams

The state government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, assured the public of their effective management of the situation.

The Kogi government stated its commitment to pursuing the kidnappers with the assistance of security agents, including local hunters, and reiterated its resolve to resist terrorism.

The statement read, “Immediately the report was received, Governor Ahmed Ododo activated the security architecture to track the kidnappers and ensure the abducted students are rescued and the abductors apprehended.

“Hundreds of local hunters who understand the terrain, as well as the conventional security agents, are currently combing the area to ensure safe rescue of the abducted students who were kidnapped in the classrooms.

“So far, nine students have been reported missing.

“We wish to assure students, parents and the entire people of Kogi State that the Government is on top of the situation and all the abducted students will be rescued alive.

“Governor Ododo has also directed that security agents be positioned around all tertiary institutions in the State.

“We wish to commend the local hunters and other security agents who rose stoutly to engage the kidnappers.

“Their gallantry and dedication ensured that the kidnappers did not have a field day which would have been more calamitous.

“The state government will spare nothing in ensuring that all the students abducted are safely rescued and reunited with their families.

“We won’t submit to terror. We shall prevail.”

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has rejected the request by the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to halt trial in the hearing of the N80.2bn fraud charges brought against him.

Bello asked the court to stay execution in his trial before Justice Emeka Nwite, on the grounds that there is an appeal filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, before the Court of Appeal, against the contempt application filed by the defendant against the EFCC chairman, Ola Olukayode.

Justice Nwite, in his ruling on Friday, however, rejected the application made by Bello through his lawyer Abdulwahab Mohammed.

Nwite held that “The application cannot be entertained unless the defendant is present in the court. In the absence of the defendant in court, the motion on notice filed by the complainant can only be conducted if the defendant is in court”.

Justice Nwite held that Bello was trying to make rubbish out of a criminal case by choosing to stay in his house and not respect the court orders.