Both of these leading e-commerce sites offer a broad range of top consumer brands to the burgeoning online shopping market and have a free delivery charge throughout Nigeria.

Sunglasses.com.ng specialises in genuine, high-fashion eyewear and contact lenses while Glamour.com.ng secures one of the top positions in online retail for cosmetics, fragrances and personal care products. Both e-commerce sites have been built and funded by Startup Partners Africa (SPA) based in Berlin, Germany and Lagos, Nigeria.

Manuel Koser, Founding Partner at Silvertree Capital and previously co-founder at Zando, said, “We are very enthusiastic about the online market in Nigeria, which is beginning to show tremendous growth as more consumers start using the internet to shop.”

Nigeria has a population of over 160 million people, roughly three times the size of South Africa and is rapidly increasing. In 2012, the Nigerian retail market had a volume of approx. EUR 30 bn with 15% yearly growth rate. Internet penetration is at ca. 30% fuelling the tremendous e-commerce growth.

Details were sketchy and the information could not be independently confirmed. Mobile phone lines have been cut in much of the northeast since the start of a military offensive targeting Islamist extremist group Boko Haram on May 15 and access to the area is limited.

The attackers were said to have stormed student living quarters on Sunday night in the city of Damaturu and shot sporadically, killing seven students and two teachers. Two insurgents were also killed, the military said.

A military checkpoint was also attacked and soldiers fought a five-hour gun battle with the extremists, leaving three soldiers wounded, said Lieutenant Eli Lazarus, a military spokesman in Yobe state, where Damaturu is located.

“Two teachers and two insurgents were killed during the separate attack, while seven innocent students lost their lives,” he said in a statement.

“Three of the Boko Haram terrorists were arrested and are presently in (military) custody.”

The sequence of events was unclear, including whether the shootout occurred around the school or at the checkpoint. Lazarus could not be reached for further information.

Boko Haram, whose name roughly translates to “Western education is sin,” has carried out multiple attacks on schools in violence-torn northeast Nigeria.

The group has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north.

The insurgency has left some 3,600 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security services, who have come under major criticism over alleged abuses.

BELO HORIZONTE, June 17, 2013 (AFP) – Nnamdi Oduamadi claimed a hat-trick as Nigeria shook off the jet lag to thrash minnows Tahiti 6-1 in their opening Confederations Cup game in Belo Horizonte on Monday.

The African champions only arrived in Brazil 36 hours before the game after a row over bonus payments, but they could even afford some wasteful finishing as they leapfrogged world champions Spain to the top of Group B.

It was a predictably chastening experience for Tahiti, ranked 138th in the world, but they were nonetheless able to celebrate when Jonathan Tehau headed in their first ever goal at a high-profile international event.

Tehau’s goal, early in the second half, trimmed Nigeria’s lead to 3-1 after a deflected Uwa Echiejile shot and a pair of goals from Oduamadi had put Nigeria in command.

However, the south Pacific islanders’ hopes of a famous comeback were dashed as Tehau put through his own goal before Oduamadi and Echiejile added further goals to give Stephen Keshi’s men a spring in their step ahead of Thursday’s crucial showdown with Uruguay.

Oduamadi: scores a hat trick

There were only 20,187 people in attendance at the newly renovated Estadio Mineirao but they were vocal in their support of Tahiti, who were granted a standing ovation at the end of the game.

“I’m very proud of the team, who fought to the end,” Marama Vahirua, Tahiti’s only professional player, told Brazilian television.

“We came here with the goal of winning the hearts of the fans. The Brazilian public has adopted us and it makes us very happy.”

There were roars of encouragement when Tahiti full-back Vincent Simon registered the game’s first shot on target in the second minute, but fortune deserted the underdogs moments later.

After the ball bounced off referee Joel Aguilar, Echiejile launched a speculative shot that deflected off Tehau and captain Nicolas Vallar and ricocheted past Tahiti goalkeeper Xavier Samin.

Oduamadi added two more, neatly side-stepping a pair of challenges and sweeping home in the 10th minute, before tapping in his second when Samin spilled a low cross from Ahmed Musa.

Nigeria made heavy work of putting the game to bed though, with Musa, Anthony Ujah and Sunday Mba all failing to convert glaring opportunities before the goal that Tahiti had been threatening arrived in the 54th minute.

The honour fell to Tehau, who headed in a deep corner kick from Vahirua at the back post and then led his ecstatic team-mates in a canoe-paddling celebration.

The goal also sparked jubilation on the bench, coach Eddy Etatea leaping from the dug-out with his fists in the air, but Tehau’s day took a turn for the worse in the 68th minute when he inadvertently toed the ball into his own goal to restore Nigeria’s three-goal advantage.

Oduamadi tucked in a cross from substitute Brown Ideye to complete his hat-trick in the 76th minute, with Echiejile adding a sixth shortly after as Tahiti’s reserves of resistance finally ran dry.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan appeared today to have launched his campaign for re-election in 2015, meeting a high-powered delegation of Middle-Belt and South-South Elders under the aegis of the Congress for Equality and Change led by elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark and former Senate President, Ameh Ebute.

Jonathan had his greatest support in the states represented by the group in 2011 election. Observers believe he was preparing the ground to seduce those states for another support in 2015.

When he spoke, he declared that his administration will never allow itself to be derailed from pursuing its Transformation Agenda to its logical conclusion.

Jonathan with Ebute, Clarke. Photo State House

President Jonathan pledged that his administration will continue working diligently to build on the achievements catalogued in its mid-term report to the nation.

The President also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment to moving Nigeria progressively forward along the path of development articulated in the Transformation Agenda.

President Jonathan commended the elders for “working tirelessly to bring us to where we are today,” and for their continued support, promising that “as our leaders, we will continue to do our best to justify the confidence you have reposed in us.”

He also thanked the Middle Belt and South-South regions of the country for their contributions to national unity, stressing that the unity of this country “depends on the cooperation of all.”

Chief Clark had earlier told the President that the Congress for Equality and Change, formed in 2010, is made up of 13 states in the North and six states in the South where there are minority ethnic groups.

The co-leader of the delegation and Chairman of the Congress, Senator Ebute, said that the group is committed to promoting the equality of all Nigerians.

Senator Ebute said that this commitment informed the total support given to President Jonathan in 2010 and 2011.

While commending the Mid-Term Scorecard of the Jonathan Administration, Senator Ebute said that the scorecard had encouraged the Congress “to go out and showcase the achievements and ask Nigerians to continue to support President Jonathan to accomplish more for the nation.”

Ayo Oluokun/Abuja

The Alhaji Bamanga Tukur led National Working Committee, NWC of Peoples Democratic Party finally ate the humble pie on Monday as it rescinded its decision suspending the Sokoto State governor, Aliyu Wamakko. The party had at the end of its NWC meeting of 4 June announced the suspension of the Governor over what it described as repeated breaches and disregard to its Constitution.

The PDP NWC had accused Wamakko of ignoring its invitations and lawful directives while showing complete apathy to the affairs of the party.

A communiqué of the meeting, signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said “consequent upon the refusal of the Governor to honour yet another invitation by the NWC to appear before it today, Wednesday, June 5, 2013 without any reason, the Committee, in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 57 (3), 57 (7), 58. 1(c ),(h), (f) and 59 (1),(2), hereby suspends the Executive Governor of Sokoto State, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, as a member of the party and refers the matter to the appropriate disciplinary committee of the Party.”

“This is in furtherance of the determination of the leadership of the Party to enforce discipline at all levels within the Party,” the communiqué said.

In a statement issued the next day which was also signed by Metuh, the party further explained that Wamako was suspended for serial insubordination to the Tukur, the party national chairman. Metuh said in the statement that “sometime in early April, the leadership of the party was concerned with the statements and conduct of the Governor whereupon the National Chairman placed several calls to draw the attention of the Governor to the matters concerned.

“However, it was not possible for the National Chairman to speak with the Governor despite several attempts. The National Chairman thereafter vide a letter dated 12th April, 2013 requested an explanation to the NWC within seven days.

Alhaji Bamanga Tukur: chairs NWC of PDP

“Instead of replying the National Chairman, Governor Wamakko directed the Sokoto State Secretary of the Party, Mallam Aminu Bello Sokoto to reply the National Chairman. The State party Secretary in a letter dated April 14, 2013 and on the official letterhead of the Sokoto State Government House, replied the National Chairman on behalf of the governor.

“This amounted to gross disrespect and act of insubordination to a National Officer and a lawful organ of the party which is in violation of Articles 58.1 (c ), (h) and (m) of the PDP constitution which prescribed sanctions for any member who (c ) “disobeys or neglect to carry out lawful directives of the party or any organ or officer of the party”, (h) “engages in any conduct likely to cause disaffection among members of the Party or is likely to disrupt the peaceful, lawful and efficient conduct of the business of the Party” and (m) “fails, refuses or neglects to treat a petition, complaints or appeal timeously” respectively,” the statement added.

The PDP statement did not mention the specific statement or actions of the Sokoto Governor.

It also added that in spite of Mr. Wamakko’s apparent disrespect to Mr. Tukur, “ the NWC, vide a letter dated April 17, 2013 kindly requested His Excellency, Dr. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko to appear before it on the 8th of May, 2013 to clear the issues thereof.”
“The NWC also wrote to the State Secretary, Sokoto PDP, Mallam Aminu Bello Sokoto requesting explanations for his actions as a state party officer, in replying the National Chairman.

“Regrettably, Dr. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko never honoured the invitation and refused to respond in any way despite repeated invitations from the NWC, an action which is in clear violation of Article 58.1 (c), of the PDP constitution. In the same vein, the State Secretary, Sokoto PDP also refused to respond to the National Working Committee (NWC).
“Consequently, the NWC at its 336th meeting held on May 22, 2013 suspended the State Secretary, Sokoto PDP Mallam Aminu Bello Sokoto and communicated the decision to him in a letter dated May 22, 2013.
“The NWC thereafter extended yet another invitation to His Excellency, Dr. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko in a letter dated May 23, 2013 in which it requested him to appear before it on Wednesday, June 5, 2013 to clarify the issues.

“Unfortunately, in complete disregard to a lawful organ of the Party, His Excellency, Dr. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, instead of appearing before the NWC traveled out of the country on Tuesday June 5, 2013 without any form of response to the party,” the statement said.
But the Sokoto State Governor who was not in the country when the decision was announced wasted no time in condemning his suspension on his return to the country last week. The Governor also called for the removal of Tukur and other members of NWC who he accused of serially violating the party’s constitution and constituting impediments to the progress of PDP.

The Governors’ view on his suspension received open support of Aminu Tambuwal, the Speaker of House of Representatives and Sule Lamido, the Governor of Jigawa State.

Tukur told journalists that the decision to lift the suspension slammed on Wamakko followed appeals from the PDP Governors Forum led by the Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio.

The Sokoto State Governor has also vowed never to recognise the Akpabio led PDP Governors Forum.

The withdrawal of commercial motorcycles from roads in Benin metropolis, southsouth Nigeria, Monday began to cause hardship as thousands of commuters were stranded on the roads.

Most of the roads were filled with students, workers, market women and other commuters waiting to catch buses or taxi cabs to their various destinations.

Commuter buses had a field day transporting commuters to their various destinations, many of who could have otherwise taken a ride on Okada, the banned commercial motorcycles.

Drivers of the buses however took advantage of the ban on Okada to hike their fares. Commuters had to pay between N50 and N60 for a trip from Uselu market to Ring Road, as against the N30 or N40, while a trip from Ugbowo to Ring Road now costs N100 as against N70 previously charged.

All major roads and streets of the city, including Ring Road which was notorious for indiscriminate parking of motorcycles and reckless manoeuvring between vehicles, were free and devoid of heavy traffic jam that characterised those areas before now.

Activities of operators of tricycles otherwise known as Keke NAPEP are also restricted to interior streets of the town, as they were barred from operating on major roads, especially around the city centre (Ring Road), Mission Road, New Benin Market, Sakponba Road and other major roads.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State had last week announced a total ban on commercial and private use of motorcycles and a partial ban of Keke NAPEP in Egor, Oredo and Ikpoba-Okha local government areas making up the Benin metropolis, citing security reasons for the ban.

No motorcycle and Keke NAPEP were sighted on all the roads monitored Monday by P.M.NEWS from as early as 7 am, except along Okhoro Road where a soldier in uniform was seen riding a motorcycle from the Okhoro police station end of the road to the Lagos Road side. He however zoomed off before his photograph could be taken.

A commuter, a banker who simply identified himself as Sandra, who spoke to P.M.NEWS, said she had to leave home as early as 6.30 am as against 7 am to beat the delay occasioned by anticipated traffic jam.

She said she would always “prefer to ‘fly’ on bikes to my various destinations. It helps to beat traffic jams and it’s more convenient for me. If I have my way, I will reverse the ban. See now, I had to leave home 30 minutes earlier than my regular time of departure.”

Thousands of other commuters who could not wait for buses resorted to trekking to their various destinations.

Osas who operated Keke NAPEP along Medical Store Road till Sunday night, lamented the restriction on their activities.

“See me now, I used to drive Keke here on Medical Road, but I have to drop it at home and walk. How long this will go on?” he said.

—Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Wolves go up against Dynamite FC of Benin City at the Rojenny Stadium, Oba, near Onitsha while Sunshine Stars, semi-finalists in last year’s CAF Champions League competition, will tackle Fountain FC of Ekiti at the Ilorin Sports Stadium.

Pillars, reigning Premier League champions, take on Global Academy FC of Anambra at the Confluence Stadium in Lokoja.

Bendel Insurance will also be involved in the fireworks, as they play J. Atete FC of Delta in Akure for a place in the Round of 32, while Sharks FC of Port Harcourt face Kogi United in Warri and Plateau United of Jos and Wikki Tourists of Bauchi battle at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.

Katsina Sportlight play Bagu Mission in Kaduna; El-Kanemi Warriors are up against Apa United in Bauchi; Gombe United are at Bussdor of Owerri’s throat in Abuja; Adamawa United and Nasarawa United have issues to resolve in Gombe; Nembe City tackle Igbo Ambassadors of Ebonyi in Owerri and; Enyimba of Aba face Police Machine from Nasarawa in Ado Ekiti.

Already, City of David (COD), the Lagos club coached by former Super Eagles’ gaffer Augustine Eguavoen, as well as JUTH FC, MFM Lagos, Ingas of Enugu, FC Taraba, Abia Warriors, Makwada FC, Niger Tornadoes, Remo Stars and Samba Kurna FC have qualified for the Round of 32 games, having triumphed against opponents in matches played last week.

Only four matches are to be decided between this weekend and next week Wednesday, for various reasons.

The match between Enugu Rangers and Danlawan of Jigawa will come up next week Wednesday at the Jos Township Stadium. The Antelopes are involved in this year’s CAF Confederation Cup competition.

Yarma Light of Gombe square up against Akwa United in Katsina on Sunday, while Gateway FC tackles Premier League side 3SC in Akure same day and Prime FC of Osogbo and Bayelsa United do battle in Benin City on Tuesday next week.

Ahmedu told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN in Lagos that his team was underrated when the 2012/2013 season started, but that their approach had made them a force to reckon with.

Dodan Warriors trounced Customs of Lagos 73-47 and 63- 60 in their two-legged encounter on Friday and Sunday respectively, in their Atlantic Conference matches in Lagos.

Dodan Warriors are now the first of eight teams in the Atlantic Conference league table with 12 wins and 4 losses so far in the three month-old competition

“I thank God for how we have been turning out good results in our weekly matches. I am happy with my players’ level of commitment and professionalism. They make my work complete.

“My players take to instructions and play according to how we plan; their execution of every game plan on the court is a justification of how prepared they are.

“We hope to continue like this as we intend to make the final four of the Atlantic Conference,’’ Ahmedu said.

However, Coach Scot Nnaji of Customs said that his players lost the last game due to lack of concentration.

He said there were some matches that they would win and some they would lose, but that a team should go into every game hoping to win.

“We lost to a better team; they are disciplined and highly competitive. We came back stronger in the second leg hoping to pick one of the two-leg encounters.

“We will go into our coming matches with a lot of seriousness as the season is gradually dragging to the period where teams would strive hard for points,’’ Nnaji said.

Customs are currently occupying the sixth position with six wins and 10 losses.

In the other matches played at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos on Sunday, Police Baton defeated city rivals Lagos Islanders 67-61.

Police Baton was able to turn around their initial loss to Islanders 76-80 on Friday in their first leg encounter.

However, Police Baton is currently last in the conference, recording just four wins and 12 losses.

Coach Mark Balogun of Police Baton said: “We play good basketball, we have been unlucky, and most especially the officiating has been really unfair to us.

“There are some calls that should not stand and also some fowls that were committed by our opponents, especially in the game against Islanders.

“The other sad aspect is that these wrong judgments by the referees always come up in the dying minutes of  regulation time.

“This wrong judgments by the referees have often worked against us and it has to stop,’’ Balogun said.

Union Bank of Lagos was also in a fantastic form as they defeated Comets of Lagos 61-52 and 62-46 on Friday and Sunday respectively to remain in contention for the title.

They are currently second on the table with 11 wins and five losses, while Comets are seventh on the table with six wins and 10 losses.

The ongoing competition continues on Friday and Saturday.

Tahiti captain, Marama Vahirua concedes that his team are not in the same class as Nigeria, but warned the African champions to brace for war.

Both sides meet in their opening 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup game at the Estadio Minierao Monday and Vahirua admits it will be a tall task for his side.

“Members of the Nigerian team are very fast and very strong. African football has evolved a lot. Now they are well prepared and a lot play in European leagues, very strong. We have a lot of respect for them and I was proud to play with some Nigerian players and against Nigerian players but it will be war.”

STRATEGISING…Nigeria’s coach Stephen Keshi (4-right) speaks to his players during an official training session at the Minerao stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil on 16 June, 2013. Nigeria will face Tahiti in their first FIFA 2013 Confederation Cup match tonight. AFP PHOTO

Vahirua stated further: “We have done a lot of groundwork that will be useful. Physically, mentally and technically we have worked hard. I’m not saying we will be at par with Nigeria. But mentally we are ready, we will fight like lions and do everything we can to represent our country.”

Vahirua, who plays for Greek club Panathinaikos on loan from French Ligue 1 side, Nancy, is the only professional player in a team of amateurs.

Nine of the squad are unemployed. The rest are made up of delivery boys, truck drivers, Physical Education teachers, accountants, and a mountain climber, “who wakes up everyday at 4.30am and climbs mountains, coconut trees, anything,” according to coach Eddy Etaeta.

But Marama says the squad are adapting well to the heady heights of world football.

“It’s all new, even to me. But we are head first in it. The difference is timing, playing much faster, punctuality. I’m the only professional player in Tahiti and have tried to bring my experience. But even for me, all of this is new, I have never been to a competition of this level so I will try not to be shy.”

Meanwhile, leading telecommunications company, Globacom, has enjoined the Eagles and technical crew to shrug off the challenges they encountered in their build up to the on-going  FIFA Confederation Cup in Brazil and focus on defeating Tahiti.

The Eagles, who are the African representatives at the global competition, missed a scheduled flight to Brazil on Thursday after playing a 1-1 draw with Namibia’s Brave Warriors in a World Cup 2014 qualifier.

Glo said it is optimistic that the Eagles will brave the odds and do well against Tahiti.

“We want the team and its technical crew to be motivated by the fact that they are not representing only Nigeria but the entire Africa continent at the Confederation Cup. Therefore, the onus is on them to make Nigeria and Africa proud,” said the statement.

Globacom also appealed to Nigerians to pray for the Eagles’ success at the competition.

“We call on all Nigerians to support the Eagles so that they can achieve the set target of going all the way in Brazil,” the statement concluded.

Globacom is the official telecommunications partner of the Nigeria Football Federation and major sponsor of the Nigeria national teams.

The Nigerian Cup holders were beaten 0-1 by oriental foes, Enyimba going into the first term two-week break.

Ndubuisi said his side lost to a luckier side as his wards gave excellent account of themselves in the rain-soaked encounter.

“I’m not disappointed by the outcome of the match, we played a very coordinated game to earn a point in the encounter, if not the slippery nature of the pitch due to heavy down pour and few missed chances.

“I think we lost to the luckier not the better side because Enyimba were not better than my wards in the game. Both sides gave a good account of themselves as expected in a derby; we’ve taken the defeat in good faith,” said the former Plateau United Coach to supersport.com.

Nduka said he had hoped to end the first stanza of the league season on a winning note.

“I’m not happy heading into the mid-term break on a losing note, I never planned to lose this encounter but it has happened,” he added.

“We’ll go into the mid-term break to carry out an over view of what happened in the first stanza and work out modalities on how to comeback better and stronger.

“I’m positive we’ll perform better in the second stanza though I don’t consider our performance in the first stanza a poor one.

“The league title is still within reach, we’ll come back to give it serious challenge,” said the former Sharks coach.

Heartland ended the NPFL first stanza on 28 points from possible 57. The NPFL second stanza is expected to commence on July 04.

The championship tagged “Egypt Junior and Cadet Open” will be staged in Ismailia from 19-23 June being the first of a series of tournaments, where players have the opportunity to stake their claim for a place in the Youth Olympic Games.

Nations expected at the Egypt qualifiers include, Brazil, United States, Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Hong Kong, India, Jordan, Japan, Korea Republic, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Nigeria and host, Egypt.

The six-man Team Nigeria will be spearheaded by Ekiti State-born teenage sensation, Tosin Oribamise, who recently qualified for the World Cadet Championship.

It would be recalled that at the maiden World Youth Olympics held in Singapore, Ondo State-born Ojo Onaolapo made it to the last eight of the competition as the only African player and his performance attracted accolades from the world table-tennis ruling body, International Table-Tennis Federation, ITTF.

From Wednesday in Ismailia, Egypt, 121 players from 15 nations including host, Egypt, will jostle for slots at the global tournament.

Other members of the six-man team include Agnes Onoja, Babafemi Babatunde, Iyabo Adebayo, Ajoke Ojomu and Olasunkanmi Oginni and the team will be coached by Dotun Ominiyi.

Oribamise, Onoja and Babatunde will compete in the cadet event as well as in the junior event, while the trio of Adebayo, Ojomu and Oginni will jostle for honours in the junior event only.

In 2013, six tournaments will be staged on the ITTF Junior Circuit, one in each continent, form the 2013 Road to Nanjing series; the Egypt Junior and Cadet Open is the first in the series.

At the end of the six tournaments, the leading boy and girl from each continent plus the top 10 boys and top 10 girls on the “Road to Nanjing Standings” will receive entry to the ITTF Youth Olympic Games Qualification Tournament.

The tournament will be staged in conjunction with the ITTF Junior Circuit Finals in January 2014, at a time and exact date to be confirmed.

Therefore, 16 boys and 16 girls will make it to the ITTF Youth Olympic Games Qualification Tournament.

The Egypt Junior and Cadet Open in 2013 will feature singles, doubles and team events in the junior and cadet age group categories. ??

The Organizing Committee offers a total prize fund of US$8,000. There is a 20 per cent tax deduction.

Super Eagles forward Ahmed Musa has promised Nigeria will represent Africa well at the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. The African champions kick off their Confederations Cup quest Monday night against little Tahiti and Musa told MTNFootball.com they wish to achieve greatness in Brazil.

Nigeria’s Ahmed Musa (R) vies for the ball with Croatia’s Roberto Puncec, during their FIFA World Cup U20 Group D football match, at the Centenario stadium in Armenia, Quindío department, Colombia, on August 3, 2011. AFP PHOTO/Aizar RALDES

You emerged African champions in your first ever AFCON, how has that impacted on you? 

It has greatly lifted my spirits and career. I was happy winning the title because we made millions of Nigerians happy and proud as they celebrated our being the best team in Africa after such a very long time. The victory has boosted my performance and mentality as a winner.

This is your first FIFA Confederations Cup, how are you looking forward to it and how does it feel being a part of it? 

I am very happy to play in such a major competition. It is made for champions and it is not every day that one gets a chance to play in such a competition.

I am looking forward to represent Africa well. We are here not for only Nigeria but for the whole of Africa. My target is to do well here, get some goals and lift the Eagles.

This is a new challenge to me as a player and the team as a whole, it a different competition entirely. I am looking forward to some great moments.

Do you think Eagles can win the trophy? 

Every team in this competition are champions from their various continents, so all of us have a chance to win it. So, I believe we are good enough to win it.

I am just looking forward to a great start against Tahiti because victory in that game will put us in better position and get more confidence that we can do it. The first game is always important in any competition.

How would you describe your last season in Russia? 

I give thanks to Allah for everything. Last season was the best in my career so far. I won my first major trophies in Europe in a great fashion, winning a league and cup double with CSKA. It was same year I won AFCON and I was my club’s top scorer.

What has been the driving force behind your recent form? 

It is Allah first. He makes everything possible for man. Then, dedication to work, hard work and my family. My wife has been very and that was why I dedicated my Man of the Match award against Kenya to her.

Nigeria will play in same group with world and European champions Spain and Uruguay, do you think Eagles will go past the group stage? 

Why not? As I said we are also champions like they are. We have quality in this team and we will do our best to qualify.

Spain and Uruguay are beatable. We face most of their players (Spain) in the friendly against Catalonia and we so no cause for alarm as we will do our best.

We believe in ourselves, we trust in God, and with the right attitude I am sure we will have a great tournament.

When you have the right ingredients, nothing is impossible. That’s the way I feel about this tournament.

You are saying Nigeria is in Brazil to win? 

Yes, I as a person play in every game and competition to win, so I believe my teammates here too want the trophy. We can create another record in Brazil.

After the Confederations Cup, what next? 

That will obviously be our World Cup qualifier against Malawi in Nigeria (in September), but now it is all about the Confederations Cup.

There were offers for you in England and Spain before you finally settled for CSKA Moscow, are you fulfilled you moved to Russia? 

Yes, I weighed my options then and based on the advice that I got, I joined a team who will give me a chance to play regularly and now I have a chance to win laurels with this same team also. I am happy I chose to come to a great club like CSKA Moscow. I have two trophies in two seasons with them and I am sure more are on their way.

What will be your message to your fans? 

I thank them all for their support and prayers. I will keep doing my best not to let them down. I love them all. They should keep praying for me, the Super Eagles and my club CSKA.

Former African scrabble champion, Dennis Ikekeregor has emerged the winner of  the 2013 Ibadan Open scrabble championship which was concluded on Sunday in Ibadan, Oyo state, southwest Nigeria.

Ikekeregoe from Delta State clocked 11 wins, three losses and a +997 score margin to win the tourney ahead of current national champion, Nsikan Etim and Moses Peters, both from Akwa Ibom, who won 10 games and finished with a +692 and 368 cummulative score margins respectively.

In the intermediate category, Emmanuel Ebe of Imo State won 9 out of 12 games with a cummulative score margin of  +594 to finish winner ahead of Andrew Omogbai of Lagos State and Ufforma Julius of Delta State.

•Former African champion, Dennis Ikekerego, left, shakes hand with current national champion, Moses Peter after both players squared up to decide the winner at the just concluded Ibadan Open.

John Ayegun of Lagos State emerged champion in the Opens category while Adekansi Adebisi of Akwa Ibom was the winner of the female category being held for the first time to discover female players for the national youth team.

The discovery at this year’s tourney is Godwin Victor of Delta State who won a prize for finishing 6th in the masters after being promoted to the category from the intermediate category this year.

According to the national team coach, Victor Owokorie, who is part of the organising committee of the two-day tournament, over 100 players came from different states of  the country to participate in all the four categories at the tournament, while trophies and cash prizes were given to all winners in all the categories.

The Ibadan Open is one of the tourneys being used by the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, NSF, to select players to represent the country at the World Scrabble Championship and the World Youth Championship holding later in the year in Czech Republic and Dubai respectively.

—Bamidele Olowosagba

Both players and coach of First Deepwater club of Lagos, Lateef Erinfolami, were full of excitement over the weekend after the club became the champions of the Nigerian women’s basketball League for the fourth year successively.

The defending champions, owned by First Deepwater Discovery Limited, defeated the surprise team of this year’s edition of the league, Dolphins club of Lagos 82-74 in the final match played inside the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.

The Deepwater team, who were pundits’ favourite to win the title after former champions, First Bank club, were ousted by Dolphins in the semi final, had to rely on experience to see off a determined Dolphins team in the fourth quarter of the pulsating match.

•Owner of First Deepwater, Babatunde Babalola, right, holding the league trophy with one of the fans of the team after the final match yesterday

Speaking after the match, coach Erinfolami attributed his side victory to dedication and total commitment of the players and management of the modest side who stormed the Nigerian scene in December 2008.

“I am highly delighted that we are able to build on last year’s achievement when we won the trophy for the third time. A lot of people have doubted our ability to sustain the tempo after other teams re-inforced their squads but today, we have proved our critic wrong with another title in the kitty,” the former national team player said.

The coach dedicated the victory to the players for their commitment and thanked the club management for always being there for them even in tough times.

He said: “We will not be where we are today without the unflinching support of our management, the players and all our fans out there.

Today’s credit goes to everyone that has contributed immensely towards this successful season. I cannot mention names right now.”

He further stated that the team will be fortified ahead of their continental club engagement stresssing that their focus now is to win title at the continental stage.

Speaking after their hard-earned victory, Nkechi Akashili, who won the Most Valuabale Player award for the fourth successive season, said the players had promised to win the trophy for their fans and the owner of the club, Babatunde Babalola.

In a keenly contested third place match played prior to the grand finale, First Bank, coached by Aderemi Adewunmi defeated Sunshine Angels of Akure 68-52 points.

By Olumuyiwa Jimoh

Leadership is rooted in the society. The society is anchored on the people. The degree to which every act of leadership impacts the lives of the people therefore greatly determines the failure or success of that leadership. It therefore becomes imperative that effective leaders must clearly at all times assess the needs of the people both futuristic and immediate, pursuing passionately investments in these areas. Commitment to investing in the people becomes the symbol of great leaders.

The realisation that the greatest capital of any society remains its human resources ought to be a Leadership Eureka; an eye opener, actually a liberating light for any leader driven by the sole aim of service to his people. This directs his thoughts, crystalizes his policies and dictates his programmes and his projects as he comes to the lucid realisation that governance is not about building skyscrapers, roundabouts, flyovers, etc. but should be about mindfully pursuing the building of the capacities and capabilities of the citizenry.

Events in the State of  Osun have always enthralled me, thus have forced me to follow them with passion. The Rauf Aregbesola administration has shown and continued to show a classic understanding of what leadership ought to be – its meaning to her publics and what should propel it. He has avoided the path of the ignoble, the well-worn path of the nation’s political mediocre but has chosen to create the new and carve out niches for himself and the people of the State of Osun.

In OPON IMO he has once again shown that foresight and uncommon attachment and commitment to the people of the State of Osun, investing heavily in its tomorrow, guaranteeing that the state will remain at the competitive edge of national development despite the lean resources available to it. He has clearly followed the well – tested advice; put your food, where your mouth is. He has demonstrated repeatedly his belief that the people of State of Osun, when adequately empowered will throw up the needed critical mass to leap frog the state into greater levels of sustainable development.

Education remains the only vehicle for transmitting the culture – mores and norms of the society. Thus through it, the society recreates, reproduces and perpetuates itself. It is the empowerment that it brings through the unfettering of the mind and releasing the creative energies inherent in every person – child and adult – that makes it the most potent tool for the advancement, transformation and development of the society. It is empowering as it builds depths of capacities within the individual and makes him a developmental agent on his own. Professor Samuel Huntington, a political scientist from Harvard, proclaimed in an article titled ‘The Clash of Civilisation’ that the fundamental sources of conflicts in this new world will not be ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating sources of conflict will be cultural. But with all the emphasis at my disposal, that with Opon Imo, this Huntington view could be reformulated.

The import of this is that when a child is highly empowered through the provision of good access to high quality curriculum and appropriate instructional materials, the future of the child and that of the society is not only guaranteed, but capacities and capabilities for continuous socio-economic transformation becomes endemic and pervasive. This is what the Governor has tapped into. We may not see the result of this immediately but give it time and we shall begin to see the huge impact of OPON IMO as a project in the lives of the people and in the State of  Osun.

That about 90,000 tablets have been provided for distribution to SS1 and SS2 students in public schools in the state and more are on the way is a statement of commitment and determination to serve. It signposts the height of governance and sensitivity to the desires and aspirations of the people that voted the leadership into government.

Opon Imo, the tablet, comes with electronic contents that satisfy all the requisite demands of the State Education curriculum for teaching in all subjects for Senior Secondary Schools and more. I was told that it lends itself to constant review and upgrading electronically whenever the need arises.

This is ground breaking not only in Nigeria but throughout the globe as it provides the child access under one platform to all the instructional materials, contents and up to date syllabus. The child at the touch of a button can read all the text books required for his level of education without going through the drudgery of heavy bags, torn textbooks and notebooks, etc. This is a one stop repository of information that is key to the education of the child.

The benefits of this project cannot only be seen in its empowerment of the child but could also be seen in the immediate economic gains through the value chain that would be created in the process. The multipliers would be such that an industry will immediately be created out of this, giving employment to ICT experts, electronic engineers and the commercial activities that will ensue from this. It is a humongous investment that would serve as a catalyst spurring development in other sectors of the state’s economy. The prognosis is indeed cheery.

This has never happened anywhere before on this scale and I am indeed thrilled in no small measure that this could be happening in Nigeria and much more in a state driven by an administration that I have had cause in the past to have predicted that would be creative in its policy thrust and programme directions which will give other states in the federation a run for their money.

However, am I surprised? No! Clearly the Governor – Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has demonstrated the moral high ground of his antecedents. Anything less than these pacesetting projects and programmes would have been the surprise indeed.

Through this project, he has refused to follow the crowd of aberrant but prevalent behaviour amongst public officers in Nigeria and has pitched his tent with the people, demonstrating in the process a principled stance that separates him and marks him as a man of integrity and honour. He has not only shown the desire to change lives, the ability to dream big dreams but has also shown the bent to take action that would lead to the desired changes in the lives of the people and the uncanny ability to make his dreams a reality.

The Governor has once again given further credence to the fact that there is also a relationship between the Talk and the Walk. He has carried his ideals as an avowed comrade; a committed patriot and a man driven by an unflinching desire for the welfare of the citizenry from the struggles and preachments on the streets to the corridors of power. He has shown that it is possible to acquire power for the common good and that it is very practical to translate sloganeering on the streets into action.

His achievements are worthy of celebration as it gives people like us the courage to continue making a difference wherever we find ourselves, knowing that there is truly hope for the salvation of our nation if we can all play our diverse roles effectively and patriotically. It is a big boost to the ideological camp that bred him from where he cut his teeth as an avowed defender of the people and drank from the fountains of its various historic, vibrant and deep cisterns. It gives us the flip that our struggle will eventually impact positively the lives of Nigerians. He has clearly shown us these possibilities.

It is therefore exigent that we urge the amiable Governor to remain focused on breaking further grounds never resting on his oars. This project I am completely persuaded is just one of the many laudable and trail – blazing projects that he has in the pipelines for the great people of the State  of Osun. He should not allow anything to stop this good work as indeed the opposition has truly gone into hiding this time.

As a parting word, we want to urge Governors in other states of the federation to go to State of Osun instead of trooping abroad to have a first-hand experience on how best to impact the lives of their people. OPON IMO is a good platform and whatever names other Governors may choose to call it, we recommend that they should immediately emulate it. Aregbe has shown that he knows something about governance that others need to learn and thus remains at the cutting edge of governance and service delivery in Nigeria. This is what governance is all about and this is what it should be – constant and continuous investment in the people!

When a man does well, he is told to keep doing what he is doing but when a man is in error, he is told to change his ways. We tell His Excellency Rauf Aregbesola to keep doing this great work. This is a landmark achievement. Let the dream continue so that more seeds like OPON IMO will be planted in the State of Osun.

•Jimoh is a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly representing Apapa II Constituency.

By Chido Onumah

“I betrayed my very genuine friend for 25 years. From the day we met, there was rapport. I had my friend there waiting to take over. Truly, it would have been a great destiny”. – Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.

“There were other generals, including Sani Abacha, who said if power was ceded to a southerner like Chief Abiola, the North will have nothing left. They then put my father in a corner, they threatened him” – Mohammed Babangida

June 12, 1993 was a golden opportunity to set the country on the path of genuine democratic reconstruction, but IBB squandered it. Expectedly, our politicians moved on. They were co-opted into Abacha’s transition and for them June 12 became history. Abacha’s Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana was one of earliest people to sing the dirge of June 12.

In May 1994, as Nigerians prepared to mark the first anniversary of the June 12, 1993 election, Gana reminded us that, “The (Abacha) military administration did not actualize the June 12 election in spite of its opposition to the annulment for fear that certain sections of the country could rise against it. If they actualized June 12 when they came in, another section would rise”.

Gana admitted that the annulment was a terrible error, but that Nigeria’s corporate existence could not be sacrificed for it. According to him, “The annulment is a painful one, but we cannot because of it allow the people of Nigeria to be destroyed. Somebody has made a mistake like somebody made in 1966, like somebody made in 1984, like somebody made a mistake by stopping Jerry Gana in becoming a president by annulling my own primaries”.

Of course, it was a costly mistake that cost lives and threatened the very existence of the country. On 11 June 1994, president-elect Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, declared himself president. The Abacha administration hunted Abiola down, arrested him and imprisoned him. Abiola would die in prison on July 7, 1998, a month after Abacha expired.

While I was working on this, I had a phone conversation with Odia Ofeimun, the famed poet and former president of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), who informed me that he was working on a book on June 12. He said it was important that Nigerians did not forget; that for too long progressives had yielded the political stage to recidivist politicians to the detriment of the country. I couldn’t agree more.

How can we forget that there was an election on June 12, 1993; that the election was annulled; that some of those who oversaw the annulment and their collaborators still call the shots in the country? How can we forget the ignoble roles of the likes of Arthur Nzeribe and Abimbola Davies of the infamous Association for Better Nigeria (ABN) who put themselves and their organisation at the service of the military junta?

Any nation that lacks memory is doomed. How can we forget Kudirat Abiola, wife and mother, who was gunned down in broad day light in a Lagos street because she dared to question the rationale for her husband’s detention; Pa Alfred Rewane who was brutally murdered in his bedroom for supporting pro-democracy activists as well as many unsung heroes and heroines of the June 12 struggle?  Six years after he “stepped aside”, IBB was on hand to help install Olusegun Obasanjo, Abiola’s kinsman, as president of the 4th Republic, perhaps as part of efforts to “compensate” the South-west for the loss of Abiola. In retrospect, twenty years after he caused the June 12 debacle, this is how IBB explained his treachery: “The emergence of Obasanjo came about as a result of what happened in the country; the country was in a very serious crisis and we had to find the solution to these problems and therefore we needed a leader known in the country.

“We did not believe in foisting somebody who is not known; so, we looked for a man who has been involved in the affairs of this country, who held positions either in the military or in the cabinet and who has certain beliefs about Nigeria. Now, all of us that were trained as armed forces, there is one belief that you cannot take away from us; we believe in this country because this is part of our training. We fought for this country, so when you have a situation like that, you need a leader that has all these attributes and quite frankly, he quickly came to mind”.

IBB actually used the word “foisting”. We all remember how Obasanjo – the pseudo-democrat who told us that Abiola, winner of the June 12, 1993 election, was not the “messiah” – foisted an ailing Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on the nation in 2007 after eight years of misrule.

The “Abiola is not the messiah” mantra was Obasanjo’s simple way of dismissing Abiola’s victory on June 12, 1993, and upholding the subsequent annulment of the election. Obasanjo may have believed that Alhaji Shehu Shagari was the real messiah. That was why he handed power over to him in 1979 even though it was clear he (Shagari) did not win the presidential election of that year.

Thanks to the likes of IBB, Obasanjo and their “politics of settlement”, today we are saddled with President Goodluck Jonathan, one of the greatest beneficiaries of our “negotiated existence”. Unfortunately, Nigeria was first negotiated on the terms of a marauding band of merchants and empire builders; and subsequently by a military cabal and its civilian collaborators. Now is the time to negotiate it on the terms of the mass of our people who bear the brunt of its lopsided and unjust features.

As part of the process of reconciliation, President Jonathan can honour Abiola as the second democratically elected president of Nigeria. If he can pardon convicted serial treasury looters and grant amnesty to militants and terrorists, he certainly can honour Abiola.

That should kick start the much needed national dialogue on the future of Nigeria.

•Onumah could be reached at. e-mail: conumah@hotmail.com 

There is nothing as painful as nursing a pregnancy for nine months and losing the baby immediately after birth. That is the agony Mrs. Ezinne Chukwuemaka Osuji has been subjected to by those who stole her son a few hours after the baby was born on 5 June, 2013 at a ‘Maternity home’ in Nworiebi, headquarters of Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, the incident has generated a huge public outcry, prompting the arrest of the owner of Elizabeth Maternity Home, Mrs. Elizabeth Obi and her daughter by officers from the Police Divisional Headquarters who transferred the case to the Imo State Criminal Investigations Department and the child trafficking unit.

It is the worst form of treatment a mother could be put through in a so-called maternity home. It is not a surprise to many that this is happening in Imo State at a time girls are impregnated and their babies are sold after delivery to child trafficking syndicates that buy babies and sell them to make profit as if the babies are ordinary commodities that could be bought and sold in the open market.

The theft of Mrs. Osuji’s son could be the fallout of the crackdown on owners of ‘baby factories’ in the state who have resorted to another easy way of continuing with their evil trade by stealing new babies from maternity homes.

This should serve as a wake up call to expectant mothers about to put to bed, especially in private hospitals or so-called maternity homes, as dubious people could conspire with hospital workers to steal their babies. Expectant mothers in maternity homes must be suspicious of the sinister motives of the people around them so that they don’t’ end up facing the kind of trauma Mrs. Osuji is now facing.

Theft of babies may well be another form of kidnapping. If that is the case, owners of hospitals with maternity homes should improve security in and around their hospitals to prevent this kind of ugly incident from happening.

The police must not allow the Nworiebi incident to be swept under the carpet. They must get to the root of theft of Mrs. Osuji’s son and not only recover the baby but also bring the culprits to book.

Citizens of Imo State must prevent their state from becoming notorious for these kinds of sordid happenings. They must assist the police and other law enforcement agencies to stamp out baby factories and other despicable activities of criminals in the state. A society that places a great premium on moral values will not allow its people to descend to the level of stealing a day old baby and subjecting the baby’s parents to a harrowing experience.

The accused, a resident of Magaji compound, Kehinde-Oroki village near Igbaja in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state, who was suspected of using innocent citizens of the village for sacrifice, was alleged to have killed Okita Sunday of the same village to appease his great grandfather, who was the founder of the village.

According to the wife of the deceased, Mrs. Salome Okita, the accused, who was arraigned on a one-count charge of culpable homicide, was alleged to have criminally given a native concoction to her husband to drink, which caused him stomach ache and he eventually died.

Police First Information Report, FIR, on the matter revealed that the accused along with Alfa Dauda and Alfa Sule, both at large, intentionally administered poisonous concoction on the deceased thereby using him as sacrifice to appeasee their gods of twins.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Jubrin Al-hassan, prayed the court to remand the accused in prison custody pending completion of investigation into the matter and arrest of the other two accomplices.

Magistrate I.O.Olawoyin upheld the submission of the prosecutor and ordered the accused be remanded at the Federal Prison, Oke-Kura, Ilorin until 27 June when the case will come up for further mention.

—Stephen Oni/Ilorin

The adjournment was necessitated by the absence of the accused, who was supposed to be arraigned Monday.

In an 11-count criminal charge filed before the court by the prosecuting counsel, Garuba Muhammed Gana from the office of Attorney General, it was alleged that Ette, while being General Manager of the bank between June 1999 and September 2000 and having supervisory responsibility over the bank’s headquarters at Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, did commit felony to wit, stealing the sum of about N144 million, property of the bank, manipulate the bank’s commission for the benefit of Ibom Clinic, a customer of Uyo branch and other customers.

He was further  accused of enriching Ibom Clinic with the funds of the bank.

The prosecutor further stated that Ette, within the same period issued manager’s cheque for the sum of  N6 million, N7 million, N9 million respectively in the name of JHC Okolo and CAH Nwokeukwu.

Among other offences alleged to have been committed by the accused banker are: stealing of the bank’s money, under the guise of paying professional fees and crediting Ibom Clinic with the money of the bank.

It was also alleged that contrary to banking ethics, he willfully, with the intention to defraud, gave false information to the bank examiners.

—Akin Kuponiyi

Despite a court injunction, FAAN last year cancelled the concession agreement it had with Maevis Nigeria Limited and awarded the same contract to generate revenues at the Lagos and Abuja international airports to SITA.

Officials of FAAN had stormed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and forcefully evicted Maevis workers. Maevis then filed a suit against SITA and FAAN.

The court said such a contract was invalid and must be cancelled with immediate effect and ordered SITA to pay Maevis the sum of N5 billion as general damages and relief.

Justice Ibrahim Buba in delivering the judgment Monday said SITA was aware of a court order preventing FAAN from awarding the contract to another company other than Maevis but still went ahead with the job.

The court said FAAN cannot award the contract to any other company than Maevis.

—Simon Ateba