The Super Eagles failure to qualify for the AFCON 2015 tournament in Equatorial Guinea is beginning to take its toll on the country as kits manufacturing companies are no longer interested in doing business with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Daily Sunsports gathered that the NFF is finding it difficult getting a new kits manufacturing company to take over from Adidas that has since signalled its desire to pull out of her present deal with the soccer federation.
An impeccable source at the Marketing department of the football federation disclosed yesterday that the Super Eagles failure to land in Equatorial Guinea has spoilt the marketing fun of NFF. Our source said the NFF may have no option than to look in the direction of China to get the national teams kitted if any of the reputable sports wear manufacturing outfits fail to play ball. He stressed that the NFF will face what he called “kitting crisis” if no deal is reached before the first quarter of next year.
He berated Super Eagles players and their handlers for not respecting the present deal with Adidas, a situation which he noted was the main reason Adidas opted not to renew the contract. His words: “Adidas has been one of our best kit suppliers but the Super Eagles players and officials treated the contract with impunity during the World Cup. The most annoying aspect of the issue is that the rival company which they used to spite Adidas eventually rejected us now that we have approached them for a new deal.”
“As we speak, the NFF is already in discussion with a Chinese kit company because the rate at which we are going, we may have no option than to go to China to get a life line.”
The Sun
Related stories: Nigeria Football Federation accepts blame for Super Eagles failure to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations
Nigeria fails to qualify for Nations Cup
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
1.6 million people displaced by Boko Haram in Nigeria
After the Nigerian government soldiers fled and the Islamic insurgents arrived in his village with guns blazing, Peter Fabian ran away along with dozens of other villagers.
"Our homes have been burned, our churches," Fabian said. "Many of our brothers have been killed."
Arriving in a camp here with all his worldly possessions reduced to everything he could carry, Fabian has joined the ranks of 1.6 million other Nigerians who have abandoned their homes amid attacks by Boko Haram. The massive displacement is creating a humanitarian crisis in Africa's most populous nation.
"After Boko Haram pursued the soldiers from our village, they came after us too," Fabian recalled of the attack on Warabe, in the Gwoza mountain area of northeastern Nigeria. He and other villagers trekked across the border to Cameroon, where they stayed about one month. After living on the streets there, they hiked for two days back to Nigeria but did not dare to return to their homes.
Fabian and several other travelers, all carrying their belongings on their heads, walked into the Damare camp as Associated Press journalists were visiting. Thousands of people are staying in fields, construction sites and other improvised settlements in Yola, the capital of Adamawa state in eastern Nigeria.
The army of displaced Nigerians has been left largely to fend for itself to find shelter, food and water, according to the European Union, which last week pledged 5 million euros ($6.2 million) in assistance. The people are flocking to relief centers across the country's northeast, but find overcrowded facilities and a shortage of supplies.
"They are exhausted and vulnerable. We must find ways to help and protect them," said Christos Stylianides, the EU commissioner for humanitarian aid, who put the number of displaced Nigerians at 1.6 million.
He urged national and international organizations to join forces and address "this displacement crisis of a growing magnitude."
Nearly 10,000 people, with gloomy faces, maimed fathers and tired mothers, are now at the Damare camp amid a lack of toilets.
Sylvanus Papka, a top health official, said such a locale is a breeding ground for diseases.
Papka said outbreaks of diarrhea and measles are now under control thanks to a health clinic, but that the lack of sanitation poses a major challenge. The increasing influx of displaced people worsens an already fragile situation.
Some had fled their homes months ago, but it is dangerous to return even if the army wrests control of towns from the Islamic insurgents. Towns like Chibok, where Boko Haram abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in April and struck again in November, aren't safe.
Meanwhile, more refugees are headed to Yola, including from Mubi, a town in Adamawa state that has been on the front lines.
"There are more than 10,000 displaced people from Mubi who are currently trapped in Cameroon republic and we are expecting them at any time in the camp," Papka said.
Huffington Post
Related story: Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
"Our homes have been burned, our churches," Fabian said. "Many of our brothers have been killed."
Arriving in a camp here with all his worldly possessions reduced to everything he could carry, Fabian has joined the ranks of 1.6 million other Nigerians who have abandoned their homes amid attacks by Boko Haram. The massive displacement is creating a humanitarian crisis in Africa's most populous nation.
"After Boko Haram pursued the soldiers from our village, they came after us too," Fabian recalled of the attack on Warabe, in the Gwoza mountain area of northeastern Nigeria. He and other villagers trekked across the border to Cameroon, where they stayed about one month. After living on the streets there, they hiked for two days back to Nigeria but did not dare to return to their homes.
Fabian and several other travelers, all carrying their belongings on their heads, walked into the Damare camp as Associated Press journalists were visiting. Thousands of people are staying in fields, construction sites and other improvised settlements in Yola, the capital of Adamawa state in eastern Nigeria.
The army of displaced Nigerians has been left largely to fend for itself to find shelter, food and water, according to the European Union, which last week pledged 5 million euros ($6.2 million) in assistance. The people are flocking to relief centers across the country's northeast, but find overcrowded facilities and a shortage of supplies.
"They are exhausted and vulnerable. We must find ways to help and protect them," said Christos Stylianides, the EU commissioner for humanitarian aid, who put the number of displaced Nigerians at 1.6 million.
He urged national and international organizations to join forces and address "this displacement crisis of a growing magnitude."
Nearly 10,000 people, with gloomy faces, maimed fathers and tired mothers, are now at the Damare camp amid a lack of toilets.
Sylvanus Papka, a top health official, said such a locale is a breeding ground for diseases.
Papka said outbreaks of diarrhea and measles are now under control thanks to a health clinic, but that the lack of sanitation poses a major challenge. The increasing influx of displaced people worsens an already fragile situation.
Some had fled their homes months ago, but it is dangerous to return even if the army wrests control of towns from the Islamic insurgents. Towns like Chibok, where Boko Haram abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in April and struck again in November, aren't safe.
Meanwhile, more refugees are headed to Yola, including from Mubi, a town in Adamawa state that has been on the front lines.
"There are more than 10,000 displaced people from Mubi who are currently trapped in Cameroon republic and we are expecting them at any time in the camp," Papka said.
Huffington Post
Related story: Video - The state of Nigerian governance and Boko Haram
Video - Muslim leaders condemn Nigerian government
There's been plenty more fall-out from Friday's mosque attack in Nigeria. The country's top Islamic body is calling on Nigerian Muslims to defend themselves. The Jama'atu Nasri Islam is also accusing authorities of failing to protect civilians from Boko Haram. Meanwhile, volunteers have been helping to clean up following the attack that killed more than a hundred worshippers.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Children victims of Boko Haram
Nigerian officials say some 1.5 million people have been displaced by Boko Haram's violence.In Adamawa, one of the three states most affected, a push by the radical group to seize territory over the past three months.
Nigeria cancels U.S. military training
The animosity between the Nigerian government and its American counterpart has deepened with the Nigerian government cancelling a plan to have the United States military train a battalion of the Nigerian army to confront the extremist Boko Haram sect.
Nigerian officials did not provide reasons for the decision Monday, but the United States government said it regretted the move.
“At the request of the Nigerian government, the United States will discontinue its training of a Nigerian Army battalion,” the U.S. government, through its embassy in Abuja, said in a statement.
Relations between the two countries have been at a record low with Nigeria accusing the United States of not providing sufficient support for its fight against Boko Haram.
After months of informal allegations, the Nigerian Ambassador to the U.S. Ade Adefuye, had in November openly accused the United States of refusing to sell arms and equipment to Nigeria to help defeat Boko Haram.
In its response, the American government said it has supported Nigeria to the extent its law permits, and accused the Nigerian security forces of human rights violations.
The U.S. said its laws disallow sales of arms to countries with such human rights record.
Even so, the American government said it has provided some military equipment to Nigeria.
The two countries are not also relating well economically after the U.S. fully suspended buying Nigerian crude oil in July, a decision that helped plunge Nigeria into one of its most severe financial crises as oil price falls to a seven-year low.
It is not clear whether the latest decision to suspend the military training relates to previous economic and military incidents between the two countries.
Nigeria’s supervising Minister for Information, Nurudeen Mohammed, could not be reached immediately, as well as presidential spokespersons, Reuben Abati and Doyin Okupe,.
But the U.S. government said in its statement that the first two phases of the training were conducted between April and August 2014, and had provided previously untrained civilian personnel with basic soldiering skills.
“Based on mutual assessment of the Nigerian Army and U.S. trainers, a third iteration of training was agreed upon with the intent of developing the battalion into a unit with advanced infantry skills.
“We regret premature termination of this training, as it was to be the first in a larger planned project that would have trained additional units with the goal of helping the Nigerian Army build capacity to counter Boko Haram,” it said.
The statement however said the U.S. government would continue other aspects of its extensive bilateral security relationship, as well as all other assistance programs, with Nigeria.
Premium Times
Related stories: U.S.A. blocks Nigeria from buying military helicopters from Israel
U.S. responds to Nigeria's allegations with evidence showing aid and support given to Nigerian military
Nigerian officials did not provide reasons for the decision Monday, but the United States government said it regretted the move.
“At the request of the Nigerian government, the United States will discontinue its training of a Nigerian Army battalion,” the U.S. government, through its embassy in Abuja, said in a statement.
Relations between the two countries have been at a record low with Nigeria accusing the United States of not providing sufficient support for its fight against Boko Haram.
After months of informal allegations, the Nigerian Ambassador to the U.S. Ade Adefuye, had in November openly accused the United States of refusing to sell arms and equipment to Nigeria to help defeat Boko Haram.
In its response, the American government said it has supported Nigeria to the extent its law permits, and accused the Nigerian security forces of human rights violations.
The U.S. said its laws disallow sales of arms to countries with such human rights record.
Even so, the American government said it has provided some military equipment to Nigeria.
The two countries are not also relating well economically after the U.S. fully suspended buying Nigerian crude oil in July, a decision that helped plunge Nigeria into one of its most severe financial crises as oil price falls to a seven-year low.
It is not clear whether the latest decision to suspend the military training relates to previous economic and military incidents between the two countries.
Nigeria’s supervising Minister for Information, Nurudeen Mohammed, could not be reached immediately, as well as presidential spokespersons, Reuben Abati and Doyin Okupe,.
But the U.S. government said in its statement that the first two phases of the training were conducted between April and August 2014, and had provided previously untrained civilian personnel with basic soldiering skills.
“Based on mutual assessment of the Nigerian Army and U.S. trainers, a third iteration of training was agreed upon with the intent of developing the battalion into a unit with advanced infantry skills.
“We regret premature termination of this training, as it was to be the first in a larger planned project that would have trained additional units with the goal of helping the Nigerian Army build capacity to counter Boko Haram,” it said.
The statement however said the U.S. government would continue other aspects of its extensive bilateral security relationship, as well as all other assistance programs, with Nigeria.
Premium Times
Related stories: U.S.A. blocks Nigeria from buying military helicopters from Israel
U.S. responds to Nigeria's allegations with evidence showing aid and support given to Nigerian military
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)