President Goodluck Jonathan suspends Super Eagles

Nigeria's president has suspended his nation's football team from international competition for two years after a poor showing at the World Cup.

Special presidential adviser Ima Niboro told reporters the decision by Goodluck Jonathan will "enable Nigeria to reorganise its football".

The Nigerian Football Federation is to be dissolved and an interim board appointed, the BBC understands.

Nigeria were knocked out in the group stages without winning a game.

Niboro said: "President Goodluck Jonathan has directed that Nigeria withdraws from international competition for two years to enable the country to put its house in order.

"This directive became necessary following Nigeria's poor performance in the ongoing World Cup."

The president also plans an audit of the country's World Cup organising committee.

"If any financial misappropriation is discovered, all officials responsible will be held accountable," Niboro added.

The NFF released a statement apologising to "all football-loving Nigerians" for the country's early exit from South Africa.

"No previous board has qualified Nigeria for all major tournaments internationally," the statement read, adding that officials wanted Swedish coach Lars Lagerbeck to remain at the helm.

Rotimi Amaechi, head of a special presidential task force on the World Cup campaign, said Nigeria would write to football's world governing body Fifa to explain its decision.

"We went to the World Cup and found all sorts of problems and we felt we should sit back and look inward," Amaechi told reporters.

Under Fifa rules, government interference with national teams is strictly forbidden.

"At the time of writing, we have no official information on this matter," a Fifa statement read.

"However, in general, Fifa's position regarding political interference in football is well known. Our statutes do not allow for any political interference."

Nigeria's risks their national and club teams, plus referees, being banned from all international competitions - and their officials would not be allowed to attend meetings or events.

Nigeria were set to begin their bid to qualify for the 2012 African Nations Cup finals in September against Madagascar.

BBC

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Poverty blamed for child trafficking

Inspector General of Police Ogbonna Onovo yesterday said poverty and evil religious practices are some of the factors that promote child trafficking. Onovo, represented by Deputy Inspector General John Hamza Amadu, spoke at the 4th specialized meeting on Child Trafficking in West Africa, organised by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) in Abuja.

"We must strive to eliminate factors that promote this evil act; some of them being poverty, obnoxious traditional practices of child fostering, seasonal labour migration and evil religious practices," he said.

Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development Josephine Anenih said efforts to combat trafficking of children must target rural communities where more people reside.

Founder of Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF) Mrs. Amina Titi Atiku Abubakar said an effective tool which African countries must adopt to fight and eradicate child trafficking is adequate legislation and strong law enforcement.

Daily Trust

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First Lady gets citizen of distinction award

First Lady, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan was yesterday in Toronto, Canada, named the 2010 Citizen of Distinction by the Management of Toronto East General Hospital.

A statement issued by her Media Assistant, Ayo Adewuyi, said the honour was conferred on her during her visit to the hospital, which was part of events of the G-8 spouses programme holding in that country.

According to the statement, "It is in recognition of her continued support to the poor through her youth scholarship awards and medical support and assistance to children with heart conditions."

Toronto East General Hospital (TEGH), the statement noted, is a large Urban Full-Service Community Teaching Hospital providing comprehensive care to a diverse population of 400,000 people representing over 45,000 cultural and linguistic groups.

It said that the visit by the First Lady was the first of such by any visiting dignitary.

The 2010 Citizen of Distinction Award was presented to her by the Chief Executive Office of the hospital, Rob Devitt accompanied by the hospital Foundation chair, Teresa Vasilopolous and the top management of the hospital.

The First Lady, the statement said, assured the medical staff of the commitment of President Goodluck Jonathan to the realization of the three health related Millennium Development Goals namely, reduction of child and infant mortality; improving Maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS.

According to her, "As a mother, I recognize the hardship the women of Nigeria go through during child birth and I am working with relevant Government agencies to ensure our women enjoy the pleasure of motherhood."

She expressed the hope that the award which automatically makes her the Champion of Toronto East General Hospital would be the beginning of good working relationship with Nigerian Health Institutions, particularly the National hospital, Abuja.

She commended the efforts of the health workers for providing life-saving care for the patients particularly women and children, pointing out that the exploits of Professor Isa Odidi and Dr Leke Badmus-two Canadian-Nigerians- in Canadian health care delivery served as a testimony to Nigeria's capacity to participate globally in health related issues.

President of TEGH, Teresa Vasilopolous, said the visit represented the attention that the Hospital has been garnering on a national scale for its high quality patient care and many awards of excellence as the destination of "Healthcare Excellence."

This Day

Kanu denies rumour of him quitting

There have been reports since Nigeria's ouster from the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa quoting the 33 -year old legend as saying that he would retire from the international game.

"I never told anybody that I was quitting international football. Of course, I remember the question being posed as we left the mixed zone after the match in Durban (against Korea Republic). All I did say was that I would first go on a holiday with my family and think over everything. It would be my decision", said Kanu.

Nigeria's most successful footballer also lambasted a report quoting him as having said he would no longer be willing to work with the Nigeria Football Federation.

"That report is mischievous. I never spoke to anyone about not wanting to work with the Federation. My brother, I have been in the national team for the past 16 years and I know the difference between white and black. The present NFF leadership has done a lot; they have been committed, energetic and forthright, and have shown they have the interests of the players at heart.

"Surely, there is room for improvement as we go forward. But life is about learning and putting those lessons into use for future good".

If he musters the will and courage to continue, and is around for the next World Cup, Kanu will be on line to be only the second African player to feature at four FIFA World Cup finals, after Cameroonian Rigobert Song set that in the on -going finals in South Africa.

Kanu previously played at the 1998 and 2002 finals, after narrowly making the cut for 1994, and was unlucky not to have made it a third straight finals as the Eagles, captained by Jay Jay Okocha, could not muster what was needed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup.

Captain Okocha himself claimed to have missed his way in London as the team flew out to an important away game which it lost, and which proved decisive in the race to Germany.

Daily Champion

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Nigerian idol is the real deal

For entertainment enthusiasts, and millions of talented but opportunity-challenged acts spread across the country, the next few weeks promises to be interesting, as the world's biggest music talent show Idols comes to Nigeria. Optima Media Group (OMG), one of Africa's biggest production companies, announced this week it has secured the right to produce Idol in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa.

'We're starting with 'Nigerian Idol', obviously because Nigeria has the biggest market for us, and the Nigerian music industry is the biggest, and most promising on the continent right now' Chichi Nwoko, a spokesperson for OMG told journalists in Lagos early this week.

Nigerian Idol, Nwoko says, is 'a dream come true because finally we get to give millions of youths an opportunity to be heard - a genuine opportunity. Nigeria is blessed with such amazing talent!

Unfortunately, most of these people don't have a structured platform to make their voices heard. We want to say to them - accept no Limitations. You can make your dream come true!'

The stories of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, or Jennifer Hudson, better explain the power and promise of the Idols platform. Before entering for the American Idols, they were just regular "wannabes", hoping to someday to be a music star, but with no clue on how to break into the mainstream music scene. Today, they're bonafide music stars, with a global audience and an assured career.

Nigerian Idol, the producers say, will produce the biggest music star this year. The man or woman who'll sing Nigerians to sleep and wake them up the next morning. The one singer that will in a matter of months, move from obscurity to celebrity; from shame to fame; the one singer who will move from the back seat to the A-league.

Forms will be available in July and audition held across Nigeria for persons aged between 16 and 28. A panel of four judges, will be faced with the daunting prospect of choosing 50 talented singers to face the viewing public who will decide, in a series of live shows, who most deserves the chance of stardom.

Nigerian Idol will be aired both on cable and terrestrial television across Nigeria between September and December 2010.