Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Jay Jay Okocha admits it will take a miracle for Super Eagles to qualify for the World Cup


Nigerian football Legend Jay Jay Okocha  says a miracle is needed for the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2010 World Cup after their draw with Tunisia at home.


"We need a miracle to qualify for the World Cup. The ticket is already out of our hands after we failed to beat Tunisia here, but we don't need to give up," Okocha said.


"But to be honest, it will take a miracle for us to qualify for the 2010 World Cup because of the situation we find ourselves now."


Okocha was appointed technical assistant for the Nigerian Super Eagles earlier this month.


"The new role will give me the opportunity to be closer to the players than before when I had to first seek the consent of the coaches to speak with the players," he said.


He also responded to reports about him coming out of retirement to play for the Super Eagles.


"I can't play football forever. I am not a greedy person. Leaving the stage would pave the way for younger players to come up too. People may want to see me back in the national team but I don't plan to return. I have got my pride to defend,"  Okocha said.


Leadership


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Monday, September 28, 2009

Six Flags plans to build theme park in Nigeria


America's largest amusement park corporation is planning to do what no other foreign  theme park company has done before and is venturing into uncharted territory to build a Six Flags theme park in Nigeria.


Six Flags plans to build a 250-acre park by 2013 in the city of Calabar in Cross River state. The only other two international theme parks Six Flags operate are in Montreal and Mexico City. There are currently no large-scale theme parks like Six Flags in existence in Nigeria.


The executive vice president of strategic development and in-park services for Six Flags, Andrew Schleimer had this to say about the venture:


"We saw Nigeria, a country with a population of more than 140 million people, a rapidly growing middle class and relatively few theme-park options, as a good emerging market to expand Six Flags' global brand,"


Dennis Speigel, the president of International Theme Parks Services, a consulting firm in Cincinnati expressed some reservations on the project:


"I'm not sure if this announcement brings credibility to Six Flags' table," 


"It's a worthy cause for Six Flags to spread this type of entertainment, but [Nigeria] is a tough place to do business given the role corruption and government interference play there," he said. "Some parts of the country are having trouble clothing its people. I have to question whether Nigeria is ready for an attraction of this nature," he said.


The development of a Nigerian Six Flags Theme Park is still in the early stages but Six Flags officials have expressed their confidence about the project. "We have certainly done our due diligence," Mr. Schleimer said.


 "The first phase of this project is designed to get to know the partners, the lay of the land and to conceptualize the look and feel of the project. The first phase is a fact-finding mission for both parties.


"We are aware of pockets of civil unrest in the country, mainly in the north. So far, we are comfortable with the stability of the region that we are working in," he said. 


After completion of the planning phase, Six Flags and the Nigerian government will collaborate on the design, construction and management of the park according to Mr. Schleimer. He also said construction labour is expected to come from the local population, which will bolster economic growth and that financing of the project will probably be the result of a public-private partnership in which the government pays part of the cost.


Washington Times


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Friday, September 25, 2009

Dora Akunyili wants SONY apology letter re-written


The managing director of SONY Gulf-Mideast and Africa, Mr. Muira Osamo came to the Radio House office of the Ministry of Information and Communications to offer "sincere apologies" to the government and people of Nigeria for the reference made in a new SONY ad campaign for the PlayStation 3.


Mr. Osamo said he came on behalf of SONY to show the corporation's commitment and respect to Nigerian people.


"There was no bad intention or reason for the advert. It is a genuine mistake by our organisation."


A letter signed by SONY Corp. Vice President, Shiro Kambe stated that "it has come to our attention that a TV advertisement made by SONY Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA), one of our group companies in the U.S. responsible for PlayStation business in the U.S. and Canada, may have offended some members of the Nigerian community. We sincerely apologise to anyone this may have offended."


"immediately after learning that it contained statements that might have offended some individuals. By September 7, all replacement work was completed, and the original advertisement has not been aired."


The Nigerian Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili expressed her dissatisfaction at the wordings of the letter and advised SONY to "re- write the letter to reflect the real feelings of SONY. You said that you offended some members of the Nigerian community.


That is not true. In fact, you offended all Nigerians. I have a reservation on the apology. We will not take the apology seriously until you modify it."You have taken the first step by apologising. Then re- write the apology to make it more acceptable. We are expecting clearer apology from SONY."


This Day


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Nigerian scammers scammed and arrested



Thursday, September 24, 2009

72-year old man abducted and held ransom for $131,200

Chief Sunday Kanu was abducted at gunpoint from his home at about 7:30 on Sunday. According to the Vanguard, the gunmen have contacted relatives of their 72-year old captive and demanded a ransom of 20 million naira ($131,200) paid for the old man's release. Chief Kanu happens to be the uncle of the Chairman of Ukwa East Local Government Area, Mr. Glory Kanu.


Mr. Glory Kanu has called on security agents in the state to ensure the release of his uncle. He condemned the rise in kidnappings in the state and called on the youth to engage in useful activities rather than crime.


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Action Congress disgusted by Governor Timipre Sylva's actions on CNN



The political party Action Congress (AC), through its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has expressed its disgust on how Governor Timipre Sylva presented the Bayelsa State House to CNN's Christian Purefoy in the video up top. The Action Congress released these statements:


"Gov. Sylva, who had no inhibition in ordering a local journalist to be abducted from Abuja and whisked to Yenagoa over an alleged offensive article, was virtually genuflecting before Purefoy, virtually begging him to accept his invitation to play in his proposed 18-hole golf course! What an irony!"


"If the governor believes in such nonsensical superstition in this age and time, why has he not walked round it seven times so that his own wish for peace in the Niger Delta will come true? Or are we to assume that he has not done that because he does not wish for peace in the region?"


Vanguard


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