FIFA, the world football governing body, will on Monday decide whether or not to suspend Nigeria from football competitions. On Saturday in Windhoek, Namibia, the president of the Confederation of African Football, Issa Hayatou, told Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo, that the world was fed up with Nigeria’s actions in the area of football administration.
“I had to plead passionately with FIFA President, Mr. Sepp Blatter not to take action on Nigeria on Friday, because Nigeria was in the final of the African Women Championship and a ban on your country would have been bad for the competition and our sponsors,” he said.
“We all heard the news of the court ruling on Thursday, and the football world is angry with Nigeria. That is the truth.”
“The FIFA letter that came to your Federation before the elections of September 30 was very clear about an automatic suspension should there be any interference with the political process, and after the elections went ahead, we all thought you had settled your issues,” he added
At the meeting that had Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Tamuno Danagogo; Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Namibia, Biodun Olorunfemi; Nigeria’s Deputy President of the CAF Appeal Board, Amanze Uchegbulam; CAF General Coordinator, Paul Bassey; and CAF Media Committee Member, Aisha Falode in attendance, Mr. Hayattou said there was no going back on the suspension of Nigeria this week if football matters were not withdrawn from civil courts.
“I appealed to FIFA to give until Monday for Nigeria to put its act together. After that, there is absolutely nothing I can do,” “It is all very disappointing because we have over 50 National Associations in Africa, but a big country like Nigeria is the one always giving us the biggest headache.
“Nigeria signed to be part of the football world by joining FIFA, and opted to abide by the FIFA –approved Statutes that you have. How many times do we have to tell your country that football matters are not taken to civil courts? If Nigeria no longer wants to be part of the football world, then so be it.”
His French words were translated to the rest of the Nigeria delegation by the multi-lingual Paul Bassey. Messrs. Blatter and Hayatou were among several world football leaders who congratulated Amaju Pinnick following his victory at the September 30 elections.
Following his ouster by the court, Mr. Pinnick, who was, inexplicably, stopped by security operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on his way to Namibiaon Friday night with the Sports Minister, monitored the meeting on phone. On Thursday, the Federal High Court, Jos gave a ruling setting aside the FIFA–ordered elections of September 30 into the NFF Executive Committee, stoking the fire of anger at the world body’s Zurich headquarters.
The NFF Executive Committee, led by Mr. Pinnick, has filed for a stay-of-execution of the order at the same court, which the court said it will be hear on Wednesday. Ms. Falode, who spoke from Windhoek on Sunday, said it was obvious the Government of Nigeria has to now intervene to avoid the hammer falling on Nigeria football.
“The future of millions of Nigerian youth is being put at risk by some persons who feel they have nothing to lose in the case of a FIFA ban. It is now for the Government to wade in. If we get suspended from international football now, FIFA will not revisit the matter until their 65th Congress on May 29, 2015. That would be too bad for our country’s football,” Ms. Falode said.
Premium Times
Related stories: FIFA suspends Nigeria from all international football
FIFA to lift ban on Nigeria participating in international football
Monday, October 27, 2014
Boko Haram sends kidnapped schoolgirls to fight
Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram has forced abducted women and girls to go to the front line to help fight the military, a new report says.
The group has taken more than 500 women and girls hostage since it began its insurgency in 2009, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report adds.
Suspected militants seized about 30 children on Thursday, despite government claims of a truce.
Boko Haram has declared a caliphate in areas it controls in the north-east.
The group had intensified abductions since May 2013, when Nigeria's government imposed a state of emergency in the three states where Boko Haram was most active - Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, HRW said.
'Shaking with horror'
The New-York based group estimates that more than 4,000 civilians have been killed in more than 192 attacks since May 2013 in the north-eastern and in the capital, Abuja.
At least 2,053 civilians were killed by Boko Haram in the first half of 2014, it says.
BBC
The group has taken more than 500 women and girls hostage since it began its insurgency in 2009, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report adds.
Suspected militants seized about 30 children on Thursday, despite government claims of a truce.
Boko Haram has declared a caliphate in areas it controls in the north-east.
The group had intensified abductions since May 2013, when Nigeria's government imposed a state of emergency in the three states where Boko Haram was most active - Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, HRW said.
'Shaking with horror'
The New-York based group estimates that more than 4,000 civilians have been killed in more than 192 attacks since May 2013 in the north-eastern and in the capital, Abuja.
At least 2,053 civilians were killed by Boko Haram in the first half of 2014, it says.
BBC
Friday, October 24, 2014
Nigerian Dominic Adesanya arrested for jumping White House Fence
A man jumped the White House fence on Wednesday evening and was attacked by Secret Service dogs before being arrested, a Secret Service spokesman said.
“Dogs got him,” spokesman Edwin Donovan said, referring to the intruder. He identified the intruder as Dominic Adesanya, 23, of Bel Air, Maryland, and said he was unarmed at the time of his arrest, reported the Associated Press (AP).
Video showed Secret Service agents surrounding the man on the north lawn of the White House, which was put on lockdown for about 90 minutes. The man punched one of the dogs that attacked him, as seen in the video.
Two Secret Service dogs “were taken to a veterinarian for injuries sustained during the incident,” Donovan said.
The incident came roughly a month after an intruder armed with a knife scaled the White House fence and made it inside the executive mansion, raising questions about security levels at the heavily guarded complex and spurring the resignation of then Secret Service Director, Julia Pierson.
The man climbed the fence around 7:15 p.m. (2315 GMT) and was apprehended shortly thereafter. The lockdown was lifted shortly before 9 p.m.
“The individual was immediately taken into custody on the north lawn of the White House by Secret Service Uniformed Division K-9 teams and Uniformed Division Officers,” Donovan said. K-9 refers to the team using specially trained dogs.
The man was then transported to a hospital for evaluation, the spokesman said.
The latest White House security breach happened the same day a gunman attacked Canada’s parliament in Ottawa.
This Day
“Dogs got him,” spokesman Edwin Donovan said, referring to the intruder. He identified the intruder as Dominic Adesanya, 23, of Bel Air, Maryland, and said he was unarmed at the time of his arrest, reported the Associated Press (AP).
Video showed Secret Service agents surrounding the man on the north lawn of the White House, which was put on lockdown for about 90 minutes. The man punched one of the dogs that attacked him, as seen in the video.
Two Secret Service dogs “were taken to a veterinarian for injuries sustained during the incident,” Donovan said.
The incident came roughly a month after an intruder armed with a knife scaled the White House fence and made it inside the executive mansion, raising questions about security levels at the heavily guarded complex and spurring the resignation of then Secret Service Director, Julia Pierson.
The man climbed the fence around 7:15 p.m. (2315 GMT) and was apprehended shortly thereafter. The lockdown was lifted shortly before 9 p.m.
“The individual was immediately taken into custody on the north lawn of the White House by Secret Service Uniformed Division K-9 teams and Uniformed Division Officers,” Donovan said. K-9 refers to the team using specially trained dogs.
The man was then transported to a hospital for evaluation, the spokesman said.
The latest White House security breach happened the same day a gunman attacked Canada’s parliament in Ottawa.
This Day
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Boko Haram kidnap more women after Nigerian government announce ceasefire
Dozens of women and girls from two villages in Nigeria's north-eastern Adamawa state have been abducted by suspected militants, residents say.
The abductions have not been confirmed by the authorities, but residents say they took place a day after the military announced it had agreed a ceasefire with the Boko Haram group.
The government hopes the Islamist group will free more than 200 girls seized in April as part of negotiations.
Boko Haram has not confirmed the truce.
Following Friday's ceasefire announcement, the government said further talks with Boko Haram were due to be held this week in neighbouring Chad.
In a separate incident, at least five people were killed in a bomb blast at a bus station in a town in the northern state of Bauchi.
Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Hostage swaps
News of the new abductions came as MPs approved a $1bn (£623m) loan - requested by the president in July - to upgrade military equipment and train more units fighting the north-eastern insurgency.
Security already costs the country close to $6bn, roughly a quarter of the federal budget.
The abduction of the schoolgirls from their boarding school in Borno state sparked a global campaign to pressure the government to secure their release.
Borno is the group's stronghold. It has been under a state of emergency, along with neighbouring Adamawa and Yobe states, for more than a year.
The villages that were attacked on Saturday - Waga Mangoro and Garta - are close to Madagali and Michika towns, which have been under the control of the Islamist militant group for several weeks.
According to people in the area, a large group of insurgents attacked the villages, rounding up women and young girls.
Communication with the affected area is difficult, which is why it takes time for news of attacks to filter out.
Other raids by suspected Boko Haram fighters were reported by residents in Adamawa and Borno over the weekend.
Since the state of emergency was declared in May 2013, Boko Haram has taken many women and children hostage and has agreed to some prisoner swaps.
The name Boko Haram translates as "Western education is forbidden", and the militants have carried out raids on schools and colleges, seeing them as a symbol of Western culture.
BBC
Related story: Nigerian military and Boko Haram agree to ceasefire and release of kidnapped schoolgirls
The abductions have not been confirmed by the authorities, but residents say they took place a day after the military announced it had agreed a ceasefire with the Boko Haram group.
The government hopes the Islamist group will free more than 200 girls seized in April as part of negotiations.
Boko Haram has not confirmed the truce.
Following Friday's ceasefire announcement, the government said further talks with Boko Haram were due to be held this week in neighbouring Chad.
In a separate incident, at least five people were killed in a bomb blast at a bus station in a town in the northern state of Bauchi.
Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Hostage swaps
News of the new abductions came as MPs approved a $1bn (£623m) loan - requested by the president in July - to upgrade military equipment and train more units fighting the north-eastern insurgency.
Security already costs the country close to $6bn, roughly a quarter of the federal budget.
The abduction of the schoolgirls from their boarding school in Borno state sparked a global campaign to pressure the government to secure their release.
Borno is the group's stronghold. It has been under a state of emergency, along with neighbouring Adamawa and Yobe states, for more than a year.
The villages that were attacked on Saturday - Waga Mangoro and Garta - are close to Madagali and Michika towns, which have been under the control of the Islamist militant group for several weeks.
According to people in the area, a large group of insurgents attacked the villages, rounding up women and young girls.
Communication with the affected area is difficult, which is why it takes time for news of attacks to filter out.
Other raids by suspected Boko Haram fighters were reported by residents in Adamawa and Borno over the weekend.
Since the state of emergency was declared in May 2013, Boko Haram has taken many women and children hostage and has agreed to some prisoner swaps.
The name Boko Haram translates as "Western education is forbidden", and the militants have carried out raids on schools and colleges, seeing them as a symbol of Western culture.
BBC
Related story: Nigerian military and Boko Haram agree to ceasefire and release of kidnapped schoolgirls
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Social media technology helped contain ebola in Nigeria
According to the minister, the Android-based mobile app reduced reporting times of infections by 75 percent, adding that test results were scanned to tablets and uploaded to emergency databases and field teams got text message alerts on their phones informing them of the results.
Johnson said the combination of the internet and mobile cellular phones has opened up tremendous opportunities for countries like Nigeria.
“The steep increase in mobile use is driven by a number of factors, particularly, the additional ways in which mobile phones are being used in Nigeria. Beyond conducting voice conversations, mobile phones are often the preferred channel for receiving data and for conducting transactions in Nigeria – making phones an indispensable tool used as-cameras, wallets, shops, music players, movie screens, and information or service centres of Nigerians,” Johnson said.
“Nigeria’s policy focus is in step with the reality of the mobile internet revolution spreading across the globe- thus, the Ministry of Communication Technology is looking to create a viable environment for the proliferation of lower priced devices, increased investment in network infrastructure, and increased availability of spectrum for mobile broadband, in the knowledge that these will further drive growth in the nation’s ICT sector.”
Human IPO
Related stories: Nigeria officially declared Ebola free
Nigeria dropped from Ebola screening list in U.S. and Canada
Johnson said the combination of the internet and mobile cellular phones has opened up tremendous opportunities for countries like Nigeria.
“The steep increase in mobile use is driven by a number of factors, particularly, the additional ways in which mobile phones are being used in Nigeria. Beyond conducting voice conversations, mobile phones are often the preferred channel for receiving data and for conducting transactions in Nigeria – making phones an indispensable tool used as-cameras, wallets, shops, music players, movie screens, and information or service centres of Nigerians,” Johnson said.
“Nigeria’s policy focus is in step with the reality of the mobile internet revolution spreading across the globe- thus, the Ministry of Communication Technology is looking to create a viable environment for the proliferation of lower priced devices, increased investment in network infrastructure, and increased availability of spectrum for mobile broadband, in the knowledge that these will further drive growth in the nation’s ICT sector.”
Human IPO
Related stories: Nigeria officially declared Ebola free
Nigeria dropped from Ebola screening list in U.S. and Canada
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