…as Daniels, Dickson, Obi, Iweala, Wike and Fayose makes VP list
PDP logo
By Peter Albert
Following the landslide victory of Abubakar Atiku as the flag bearer of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), information available to us reveal that the jostling for who will be his running mate has reached fever-pitch.
According to sources close to Atiku, he has referred the question of who will be his running mate to the party elders to decide. This, many believe, would serve to heal any wounds that may have arisen from his landslide victory over Governor Aminu Tambuwal who had been enjoying the unhinged support of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and the state delegates loyal to him.
There are many eminent PDP members across the country who are qualified for the role but discussions with top PDP apparatchiks at the venue of the just concluded PDP National Convention revealed that the front runners for the position of Vice Presidential candidate are Chief Gbenga Daniels, Governor Nyesom Wike, Dr Peter Obi, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Gov Seriake Dickson and Gov Ayodele Fayose.
Chief Gbenga Daniels is a former two-term Governor of Ogun State and the Director General of the Atiku Campaign Organization who was able to garner the delegates from the south west states, except Ekiti State delegates, to deliver block votes for Atiku at the primaries.
He is believed to be more suited for the job as he would be able to reduce the votes to and the dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the south west states. He would also balance the influence of the current Vice President to President Buhari who is also from Ogun State.
Gov Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State was the only Governor that openly supported Atiku and mobilized support from fellow PDP Governors, in direct opposition to people like Wike who publicly supported Tambuwal.
Governor Dickson’s unalloyed support for ATIKU also contributed to Atiku’s recent victory as the presidential candidate of the PDP. Dickson has been a stabilizing factor in the Niger Delta and is widely accepted as a grassroots politician with strong ties with the Yorubas being that his grandmother is from Ogun State.
His giant strides in various sectors in Bayelsa State continue to stand him in good stead as a purveyor of peace and development to the people in general.
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the renowned Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy in President Goodluck Jonathan’s Government. She comes with immense experience and capacity together with a largely unblemished public service record.
Though not a politician, her candidacy should put presidential hopefuls from the south east states at ease as she would not be competing with them to take over from Atiku at the end of his single term plan. She would also help to rein in sympathetic votes from Nigerian women across party lines and ethnic or tribal affiliations.
Gov Nyesom Wike is arguably the latter day leader of the PDP who has fought to steady the course of the party in the last turbulent years after the loss of the presidency to the APC. Though he did not support Atiku in the primaries, pundits say that his control of the party systems through his appointed Chairman- Chief Uche Secondus is very strong.
Gov Ayodele Fayose is the current Governor of Ekiti State who stepped down from the presidential primaries race ostensibly to support Tambuwal. Despite the fact that his candidate lost the governorship elections to the APC candidate, pundits say he still commands a lot of support in the south west states.
Fayose, though considered a rabble rouser by a cross section of the society for his many verbal engagements, should therefore help the PDP garner votes in the south west states as Vice Presidential Candidate to Atiku.
Last but not the least is Dr Peter Obi. He is the immediate past and very successful governor of Anambra State. Obi brings economic sagacity and an unblemished public service record to the table but may raise fears from other possible successors to Atiku at the end of the single term as being vice president would put him in pole position to take over.
….Says Delta APC is a house divided against itself
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Sapele State Constituency of Delta south-south Nigeria, Felix Anirah on Saturday said the electoral process in choosing the House of Assembly flag bearer was transparent.
“The delegates have spoken and I am humbled by their support” he said.
He also urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Delta State, Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru to forget the idea of occupying the Delta State Government House in 2019.
“Delta State is one hundred percent PDP. APC cannot displace PDP in Delta State. The All Progressives Congress (APC), Delta State chapter is a house divided against itself. PDP will carry the day” he said.
The candidate who spoke in Sapele described the outcome of the open primary as no victor, no vanquish.
Anirah, a highly respected chief in Okpe kingdom, said the recent party primary in Sapele was conducted in a responsible and orderly manner.
He praised his opponents for their commitment to democratic values and ethics.
The former Sapele Local Government Chairman beat Jonathan Okpako Amitaye, Julius Egbedi, Ufuoma Kerewi, Felix Abeke, Bright Abeke and Emmanuel Omuvwie in Thursday’s primary race.
“Democracy is alive and well in Sapele. Our constituency and party are the better for it. It is a victory for democracy, a victory for all. We should work together in the spirit of the party” he said.
The PDP chieftain with a vision of the future sees governance as a social contract between the leaders and the people. And he is determined to fulfill his own terms of the contract if elected in 2019.
“I know the functions of a lawmaker. I will do whatever is within my power to create wealth, get employment opportunities for the good people of Sapele, enhance the infrastructure of the constituency and work with others to increase the stakes of councilors in the state”
He hammered home his determination to upgrade Sapele Technical College to Federal Polytechnic and increase the industrialization level of Sapele.
Anirah also spoke on his chances and blessing of key political gladiators and king makers in Delta State.
“My chances are very bright. I was in APC, now in PDP. The opposition is planning some unfriendly strategies to scuttle the 2019 elections. I am sure with the support of the people; PDP will coast to victory in 2019” he said.
He urged PDP influential grassroots leaders not to give way to detractors.
He also urged supporters of his opponents to coalesce behind him.
Former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye on Saturday reviewed the destruction in Ikorodu over the National Assembly primaries in Lagos East, describing the action of the lawmaker representing Kosofe Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon Bayo Osinowo and his associates as dangerous trend.
Ogunleye said it was the party’s duty to hold free and fair primaries but it has miserably failed to do so.
Addressing journalists in Ikorodu, Ogunleye stated that open secret voting remain a vital process for the development of democracy in Nigeria.
He described the APC primary in Ikorodu as a charade.
“It was supposed to be affirmation. The party disqualified Bayo Osinowo. The exercise was disrupted by thugs, electoral officers and government functionaries who disappeared with materials in Ikorodu” he said.
Ogunleye condemned Osinowo for not quitting the senatorial race after disqualification by the National Working Committee of the ruling party.
Similarly, former Secretary to Lagos State Government, Chief Olorunfunmi Basorun has urged politicians to eschew violence and rigging.
He said Osinowo was disqualified from standing as a candidate by the appropriate authority.
“We expected a primary to affirm Ashafa’s candidature and our current House of Representatives candidate who has no opponent. The only person who opposed him stepped down. The National Working Committee cleared Senator Gbenga Ashafa. We got to the venue, I started smelling foul play. We got to the field, I saw my own chairman directing people to the other side. Unfortunately for them, the votes in Ward C2 exceeded the number of people accredited. This was replicated in all the wards in Ikorodu. They eloped with the materials and went on to write the results” he said.
Basorun, lawyer and former Central Bank of Nigeria director, described Osinowo as an ineligible candidate.
“They are doing nothing. The result is nothing. Bayo Osinowo cannot contest. Once a single candidate has been cleared by the appropriate authority, there is no opponent. Ashafa is our sole candidate for Lagos East senatorial district” he stated.
He said the fake votes cast in favour of the Lagos State House of Assembly member should be treated as thrown away.
“Osinowo has no respect for the party’ he said.
The former Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman who scolded some government officials for working against the interest of the party advised politicians to abide by the rules of the game.
He also urged the party to discipline Osinowo.
“The party must be strict on this particular matter. Some people cannot sit somewhere and think they are above the party. The party must discipline the man who asked people to vote for him in Lagos East senatorial district.”
Former Vice-President of Nigeria, and PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar
Former Vice-President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has won the PDP Presidential ticket for the 2019 general elections.
Abubakar won the poll with 1532 votes out of the total 3221 votes cast by 36 states and FCT.
The result was announced by Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, Chairman PDP 2018 Special National Convention Planning Committee, at the end of the party’s convention on Sunday in Port Harcourt.
In the results announced by Okowa, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal followed Atiku with 693 votes, while Sen. Bukola Saraki placed third with 317 votes.
Others include: Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso 158 votes; Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo 111 votes; Sule Lamido 96 votes and Ahmed Makarfi 74 votes.
The rest are: Tanimu Turaki 65 votes; Attahiru Bafarawa 48 votes; Sen. David Mark 35 votes; Jonah Jang 19 votes; while Datti Ahmed got 5 votes.
The total votes cast were 3221, while delegates accredited were 3,274 and the voided votes stood at 68.
Atiku Abubakar was born on Nov. 25, 1946, in Jada, Adamawa. He was the vice-president of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), with Olusegun Obasanjo as President.
Abubakar worked with the Nigeria Customs Service for twenty years, rising to become the Deputy Director, the second highest position in the Service, then. He retired in April 1989 and took up full-time business and politics.
Abubakar contested for the APC presidential ticket in 2015 and came third behind Muhammadu Buhari and Rabiu Kwankwaso.
He recently defected to the PDP from the APC to enable him to realise his ambition to become the president of Nigeria.
The official funeral service took place at the Tshwane Events Centre and Molewa was finally laid to rest at the Zandfontein Cemetery in Pretoria West
The official funeral service took place at the Tshwane Events Centre and Molewa was finally laid to rest at the Zandfontein Cemetery in Pretoria West
The official funeral service for the late Minister of the Department of Environmental Affairs, Dr Bomo Edith Edna Molewa, is currently underway at the Tshwane Events Centre in Pretoria West.
In line with the declaration made by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the funeral will be a Special Category 1 funeral and the South African national flag has been flying at half-mast at all flag stations countrywide until her funeral on Saturday.
The funeral service will bring together the State President, Deputy President, former Presidents, foreign HOS/G, NEC of the ANC, Leaders from different political parties, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Premiers, Members of Parliament, MEC’s, members of the diplomatic corps, all other identified VIPs/invited guests and members of the public.
All government departments within the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, together with the SAPS, will be instrumental in ensuring that the funeral service do not hamper nor disrupt other services within the vicinity or environment where the event will take place.
The measures that are to be implemented, are planned and managed through the national Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), which is chaired by the SAPS as the lead department.
The NATJOINTS implores the assistance of the community in further ensuring that the funeral service of the late Minister of Environmental Affairs, Dr Bomo Edna Edith Molewa is conducted without any hindrance.
The following routes and intersections will be affected on Saturday:
WF Nkomo street / Hezekia Mphahle street
WF Nkomo stree / Maltzan street
Christoffel street / President Burger street
Christoffel street / Luttig street
Christoffel street / Retief street
NATJOINTS together with all their sister departments and law enforcement agencies, with the support and cooperation of the people of the country, will “ensure a safe and secure funeral for the late Minister of Environmental Affairs, Dr Bomo Edna Edith Molewa”.
Transport Minister Blade Nzimande kick-started the 2018 Transport Month by joining thousands of commuters who use Metrorail trains to get to work.
The Minister ditched the comfort of his car to catch a 6am train from Mamelodi to Pretoria CBD’s Bosman train station.
Nzimande was met with a train packed to the rafters, with no glass to seal off the windows and frustrated commuters, who took the opportunity to vent their anger on the rail infrastructure.
It is a common sight to see of late: overcrowded trains, with some commuters hanging out the doors and windows.
The delays in the services have at times led to commuters torching trains, as some passengers lose their jobs due to arriving late at work.
One commuter SAnews spoke to said he is sitting on his last warning letter for late arrival at work.
“The station is always like this… evenings are even worse. The trains are always late because they break down now and again. We are only told the reason is that the trains are more than 30 years old, hence the breakdowns or its due to cable theft.
”The other challenge is safety because of the overcrowding. It is very difficult to be a train commuter but I only use it because it is cheap,” said the commuter, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Other commuters cornered the Minister to address challenges with the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa).
“We are losing our jobs because of Prasa,” shouted some commuters as the Minister arrived at Bosman station shortly after 8am.
Speaking to SAnews, Nzimande said his train ride experience was an important one, as he was able to see first-hand the challenges the commuters face on a daily basis.
“It was important to interact with commuters because they are raising very important issues. Our trains are still running very late, some have lost jobs as a result of the train delays, and there are very uncomfortable levels of congestion… We still need more trains, but infrastructure remains a big challenge,” the Minister said.
Modernisation Programme
Vandalism remains a huge problem. In 2017, Metrorail indicated that it had seen losses amounting to R51.4 million from 1 April 2015 to 30 September 2017 as a result of cable theft and vandalism.
The theft and vandalism of Metrorail assets is also undermining Prasa’s R172 billion modernisation programme aimed at upgrading infrastructure and improving passenger rail services.
However, not all is lost as Prasa has managed to make some strides with the introduction of the X’Trapolis MEGA blue trains, which have been deployed in the corridor between Pienaarspoort and Koedoespoort in Pretoria.
The trains, which are part of the modernisation programme, boast an air conditioning system, state-of-the-art passenger safety and comfort, and universal access for all passengers to cater for those using wheelchairs.
Nzimande, who rode on a X’Trapolis train, said he was pleased that their introduction was a step in the right direction.
“The [X’Trapolis MEGA trains] show that we are slowly getting somewhere. We just need to accelerate and get our rail service to appropriate standards.”
A matter of safety
Compared to other modes of transport, trains are still the safest and cheapest way to get around.
This is despite last night’s train accident. Metrorail train 0659 travelling from Johannesburg Park Station to Pretoria collided from the rear with train 0663, which was faulty and stationery at Van Riebeeckpark Station just before 6pm.
More than 320 commuters were injured and no fatalities were reported. According to Prasa, 32 of the 320 injured commuters suffered serious but not critical injuries.
The injured commuters were taken for medical attention at various hospitals including Tembisa, Kalafong, Zamokuhle, Arwyp, Tambo Memorial, Linksfield, Bertha Gxowa and Milpark Hospitals.
Nzimande told SAnews that he was shocked by the accident.
“A number of these accidents have to do with the state of our infrastructure. It’s a call to us to do all we can to minimise such accidents,” the Minister said, adding that he will be visiting some of the injured passengers in hospital.
A board of enquiry will be instituted to determine the root cause of the accident and Prasa will be working closely with all authorities.
Metrorail technical teams are working around the clock to recover the site.
After the train ride, Nzimande and his entourage visited SA Taxi Finance Holdings.
In recent months, the taxi industry has been complaining that the company is charging them high-interest rates, which forces them to pay monthly instalments that are even more than their monthly profit — something they say is killing their business.
Raising a safety conscious generation
Nzimande will also award well-deserving grade 11 and 12 learners, who participated in a speech contest and debate on solutions to combat the carnage on South Africa’s roads.
About 250 learners competed to become the national champions in debate and the design of the best road safety model under the banner of the National Participatory Educational Techniques (PET) Competition and Road Safety Debate in Benoni, Gauteng.
Hosted by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), in partnership with the national Department of Basic Education, the competition is a knowledge transfer project aimed at changing learners’ attitudes towards road safety issues by means of participatory education.
Informed by the National Road Safety Strategy, the project is directed at high schools. It encourages learners to identify road safety problems within their communities and find solutions by way of research into the problems, thereby providing them with a hands-on opportunity to solve their own community’s road safety problems
Transport Month is being held under the theme ‘Together we move South Africa Forward’. The month-long campaign will roll out and showcase transport infrastructure development and services, as well as flagship projects delivered across all modes of transport including public transport and road safety.
In his message to South Africans for the month, Nzimande said while it should be acknowledged that South Africa has a good public transport system, there is still a long road ahead in terms of proper integration.
Most of all, the Minister urged South Africans to protect public transport facilities and infrastructure.
“This thing of burning things, like trains, and stealing of copper is not on. Those are the things that contribute to unsafe conditions,” said the Minister.
At a time FIFA president was supposed to come from Africa especially to Nigeria given that Africa was the next after Europe (which has produced eight presidents since the establishment of FIFA in 1904) in six regional grouped confederations namely, Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, South America and North and Central America, Odimegwu Onwumere writes that the continent blew the opportunity due to perceived years of acrimony that exist among the football stakeholders and groups on the continent
All eyes were on Africa in 2015 to produce the president of the International Federation of Association Football otherwise known as FIFA in February 2016. The move was to replace Sepp Blatter who ruled the football governing body from 1998-2015.
Analysts believed that the president of FIFA position was lopsided; it favoured Europe than any continent in the world whereas from 1904 the body was founded and headquartered in Zurich with national associations as members, there were six regional grouped confederations namely, Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, South America and North and Central America and the Caribbean, but Europe dominated the position.
Checks revealed that eight presidents that have ruled FIFA came from Europe except Havelange, who came from Brazil, South America. Others are Robert Guerin (1904-1906), Daniel Woolfull (1906-1918), Jules Rimet (1921-1954), Rodolphe Seeldrayers (1954-1955), Arthur Drewry (1955-1961), Stanley Rous (1961-1974), Joao Havelange (1974-1998) and Sepp Blatter (1998-2015). Many of those who hyped Africa should produce the FIFA president, looked up to Nigeria for that position.
But the clarion call came at a time when FIFA was battling corruption hypothetical to be in the areas of fraud and money laundering clamoured to be the highest in the history of FIFA. There were allegations on the neck of former representatives of FIFA concerning their involvement in the 2018 FIFA World Cup offer, which consumed Blatter and he resigned as FIFA president. Many believed that Nigeria was known globally to score low in Corruption Perception Index and might not be regarded by the world for the position. However, enthusiasts overlooked all that and bent on a former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, to vie for the FIFA presidency.
John Fashanu, a basket ball legend was among the early persons that fronted Kalu. Apart from Fashanu, a group like United Africa for Sports Development showed their interest in Kalu. The group even went further to induce the government of Muhammadu Buhari to support Kalu’s candidature. All of these happened without Kalu formally declaring his interest. However through one Mrs. Rubby Obinna, Kalu in a media statement described those calling on him to contest as great minds discussing great ideas. Correspondingly, a former captain of a national team, Segun Odegbami threw in his weight for the plum job and said in a statement through one Ade Adeagbo, Head Campaign Team of Odegbami, that he was able-bodied for the leadership of FIFA. Both Kalu and Odegbami had track records in the business of sports.
Beginning of problems
There was an emergency meeting of the executive committee of National Football Federation, NFF, held in Port-Harcourt on Monday, 7th September, 2015, at the Hotel Presidential. The NFF disclosed that there was enough room for anyone who wanted to declare his intention for the FIFA leadership, but should consult properly to avert denigration at the international level. The Nigerian football body gave point how two Nigerian football administrators lost elections at FIFA/CAF Executive Committees because they did not consult very well.
In that year, a Chairman of Media and Publicity of the NFF, Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande released a statement published on the NFF official website which further demanded that aspirants from Nigeria had to produce some documents that would show they were competent for the position. Such documents the NFF said that candidates should produce in order to be properly endorsed included:
Letter of endorsement from the relevant State Football Association.
Provision of evidence of fulfillment of the FIFA Presidential election eligibility provisions.
Endorsement by continental football governing body, CAF (the NFF can facilitate meetings with CAF top hierarchy).
Letter of support from the National Sports Commission.
But in a swift reaction, Odegbami rejected the NFF conditions. He wrote a strappingly worded letter regarded as a letter of protest directed to NFF President Amaju Pinnick. Odegbami threw tantrums at the leadership of the NFF describing the body as creating “obstacles” to his interest in lieu of being happy and proud to push his interest and application forward. In short, Odegbami called on the NFF leadership to be prepared to purge themselves of corruption when the “upcoming FIFA” emerged. The letter was copied to President Muhammadu Buhari; General Secretary, FIFA Zurich; President, CAF, Alhaji Issa Hayatou; and the media.
Media war
Odegbami’s letter threw him out of favour. When he noticed this, he resorted to media war to send his countenance across the world. He engaged the NFF and Kalu in persistent media war. On one occasion, Mrs. Obinna in a press statement extolled Kalu as Pillar of Sports in Africa but said that Odegbami, who was a former skipper of the Green Eagles, should leave Kalu out of his failure to get enough support for his bid to become the FIFA president.
Mrs. Obinna said this with a view that Odegbami hinged his failure on Kalu, apart from the NFF. Apart from his letter, Odegbami’s problem could have started when his name was missing on Monday, October 26, 2015, deadline for the submission of nomination form for candidates vying for the presidency of FIFA. An ex-FIFA executive committee member, Amos Adamu, who tremendously endorsed Kalu, shared in Odegbami’s affront, just as the President of the body, Amaju Pinnick was not left alone.
Odegbami who was also a former chairman of the National Institute for Sports (NIS) nearly went barmy for this reason as no day passed by without him appearing in the media to further his campaign of denigration against Kalu or any of the marked persons or groups he felt were behind his torment not to get the backing of other African countries in his quest to be elected FIFA boss. Conversely, indications emerged that Odegbami was incorrect with his claims against Kalu. Rather, he was just powerless to win the required backing of five member associations. But instead he would accept that his frail political standing and perceived sadistic nature were behind his failure, he rather claimed that the NFF did not give him the support that he needed.
Forecasters said that he was wrong as a report in The Nation, October 27 2015, said he was endorsed by the NFF to run for the FIFA presidency in February, but he could not muster nominations from five African soccer federations by Monday’s deadline to enable him stand for the FIFA elections. Odegbami spoke haphazardly that the NFF offered him its support too late to meet the deadline. Again, he blamed himself, saying, “That was their reaction to my letter sent to them two months ago. It is preposterous.”
The difficulty to come to term with Odegbami’s uncertain-statements was that the NFF he claimed was aloof gave him its support, at least. But he preferred to deny this fact and accepted it later or said that the support came very late. He exposed his boisterous self again and said that he had criticised de cream de la crème in the world of football. He started with his uncouth criticism of what he said was the “long-standing Confederation of African Football president Issa Hayatou.”
Odegbami who had a long rope for those he believed were behind his aborted FIFA presidential ambition without holding anybody or group liable said that his biased standing against Hayatou might have counted against him. “Of course there are local politics within the Nigerian and African football system that pitches some of us against the established system,” he accepted. “I have been one of the most virulent critics of the perpetuity in office of Issa Hayatou and I knew I was not one of his best friends.”
Some commentators believed that Odegbami would have been better known if he was a writer on football critiques rather than his venture into football politics. A football commentator who would not want the name in print had warned Odegbami to watch his words. The commentator said, “Odegbami should watch his words. It was a primary school mistake for him to have aspired to contest in the first place when he never did any homework on such post; or how many times did he work for FIFA before now, in any capacity? He could not have expected to get favour from the same people he had been fighting for years.”
While Odegbami claimed that a mountain of persons and groups fostered to his failure, the NFF warned him to stop his “campaign of calumny” against the federation and prominent Nigerian football figures, Premium Times, November 2 2015, reported. The source said, “It also asked the ex-footballer to face up to the reality that he undid his own campaign for a slot at the FIFA Presidency.” Adamu averred in a statement by his media aide, Gabriel Omonhinmin, on Thursday, October 29 2015, that it was not his duty as one of the executive members of CAF to help Odegbami secure the support of four other African countries after he was supposedly endorsed by the NFF for the top job. Adamu dismissed Odegbami’s allegation with a wave of hand and said it was a tissue of lies and cheap blackmail, stressing that such frivolous allegation was not to be expected from a man of Odegbami’s standing.
“It was absolutely the duty of Odegbami to go round other African countries to campaign and sell whatever programmes he had, that would improve not only the lot of Africa football but global football generally. If he has done this successfully, I am sure he would have gotten the support of four other African countries to contest the FIFA presidency as stipulated by FIFA’s status,” Adamu said.
The President of the NFF, Amaju Pinnick told journalists on October 28 2015, after an emergency committee meeting. According to Vanguard report of October 29 2015, “Pinnick said the NFF after getting the final government endorsement of Odegbami last Thursday forwarded same to him because he was the person that substantially complied with the laid down requirements needed for anybody to be presented as a candidate for the election slated to take place in February, 2016.”
Adding, Pinnick said as a federation the members were just to nominate, which they thought that Odegbami had gotten the other endorsements. “Ours was to be the icing on the cake and at a point he said all he needed was our nomination and we thought he had other nominations because he is a very popular person not just in Africa but beyond,” said Pinnick. “I did my best as president of NFF.”
For Yahaya-Kwande, “We are thoroughly disappointed at the conduct of Chief Odegbami since his failed bid. He was his own big problem, with the letter he wrote castigating the leadership of FIFA and CAF, which he brazenly copied to these eminent figures. We consider Chief Odegbami an elder statesman in Nigeria football, but he has been throwing a lot of tantrums lately. He has been accusing very prominent and illustrious persons of so many things, and imagining himself to be a saint.”
Then-again Yahaya-Kwande who’s said to be a member of the House of Representatives added, “The NFF is aware that Odegbami reached out to the Football Associations of Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic and Zambia. How is his failure the fault of the NFF? They told him to his face that they were opposed to him because of his statements against the President of CAF, who is now Acting FIFA President.”
Supposed reason Odegbami joined the FIFA race
Making Odegbami a liar of his claim, from some quarters emerged information that it was his gullibility and ‘let down’ on NFF and other personalities that marred his ambition; also he had a mentality that since Kalu is a Nigerian politician, he (Kalu) might not get the needed support from Nigerians who see their politicians not to live up to leadership expectations. But Odegbami misfired, because he did not know that Nigerians believed that Kalu had a clean bill as a politician.
According to a commentator, “Odegbami played a spoiler game. Immediately he heard about Orji Uzor Kalu’s interest to vie for FIFA presidency, he jumped out of his cave without a proper consultation. Now he is complaining. Why won’t he complain when he thought that he was clean than Orji Uzor Kalu. As if Odegbami was a saint while Orji Uzor Kalu was the devil, Odegbami was too judgmental against everybody and every institution of football.”
Yahaya-Kwande said, “Odegbami has this strange idea that everyone else is tainted and he is not! He worked against himself. It is not NFF’s problem; it is his problem, entirely.”
Presidency’s theoretical connection
It was observed that Odegbami’s outing had political colouration. Odegbami at a press briefing said, “I think the Nigerian government must call for an inquiry into the circumstance surrounding the whole episode because I believe we just wasted a rare opportunity for a Nigerian to take a shot at the FIFA presidency.”
But a source exploded, saying, “Odegbami was endorsed secretly by the President of Nigeria through the All Progressives Congress, APC, leaders who were majorly his kiths and kin, thinking that he could play the politics of FIFA without considering whether he had what obtains to march other contestants. Odegbami choose to interrupt when Nigerians could have queued behind Kalu who, at least, had huge connection all over the world and, the money as well.”
According to pointers made by Yahaya-Kwande, Nigeria was the only country where more than one person showed interest in the race; it’s also true that Kalu ‘indicated’ his interest before Odegbami did. Yet, the authorities eventually endorsed Odegbami. But in ThisDay, October 28 2015 edition, “Odegbami said his quest to vie for the coveted position of FIFA’s topmost position was doomed to fail from the start as the lofty intention was treated with disbelief.”
Adamu challenged Odegbami to name the people who treated his ambition with disbelief, or those who sabotaged his bid right from the word go. He asked Odegbami that if he was serious, why was he not in Cairo, Egypt for the CAF meeting to personally lobby the African countries he thought were favourably disposed to supporting his ambition? “He said the ex-international’s claim that Mr. Pinnick, who was in Cairo, Egypt, promised to use his weight to get the required five endorsements, was laughable and childish,” reported the source.
Accepting his lies
Odegbami later made frantic effort to accept as lies his claims that some persons and groups were behind his aborted FIFA presidency aspiration. In ThisDay, October 28 2015, Odegbami said he did not want to say that the process was sabotaged from the word go but that’s the truth staring the world in their faces. He also said that he thought his candidature was shrouded in disbelief with some people asking, “Why him, he cannot win, he is wasting our time, among other insinuations.”
But by then Kalu did not meet the Monday, October 26 deadline for the submission of FIFA presidency bid. In a statement signed by his Adviser, Kunle Oyewumi, Kalu commended football stakeholders across the world who supported him despite not making an official bid.
His words, “I feel humbled and honoured with the widespread call for me to vie for the position of FIFA president. I sincerely appreciate the show of love and support demonstrated by African countries of endorsements despite my decision not to submit a bid.
“I particularly remain grateful to FIFA President, Sepp Blatter and his team for personally acknowledging my capability to take the world football body to enviable heights.”
Kalu in the statement revealed that he decided to focus his attention and resources on his business and humanitarian activities due to the economic challenges in Nigeria. Odegbami also failed in his FIFA presidential bid as he couldn’t get the five required backing after the support from the NFF supposedly came too late. Accepting his wrong soundtrack Odegbami said, “I think the whole exercise is all about bad blood, I did it. Nobody asked me to do it. It just occurred to me that throughout the whole exercise nobody knew what the rules say about vying for the office of FIFA president, which is not more than get five endorsements and your federation’s backing.” He concluded, “Right now it’s over for me, it’s a personal thing. I started the race. Nigeria did not start the race for me. I took full responsibility for everything.”
Odimegwu Onwumere is a Poet, Writer and Media Consultant based in Rivers State. Email:apoet_25@yahoo.com
The Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF), Nigeria chapter on Friday in Abuja said it was putting in place an investment structure for the establishment of a world-class eye hospital in Nigeria.
Mr Ademola Adesoye, the Second Vice District Governor of Lion Club District 404 B2, who made this known at a news conference said that the hospital would treat not less than 50 million Nigerians annually.
Adesoye said that all plans had been concluded to build the hospital which would be located in Abuja so that all regions of the country could access it.
He said that the centre of excellence, apart from checking capital flight would also attract patients from other African countries.
He said that the hospital, which would have specialised personnel and facilities for advanced medical investigation and treatment, would carry out operations like corneal transplant among others.
He said that corneal transplantation, also known as corneal grafting “is a surgical procedure where a damaged or diseased cornea is replaced by donated corneal tissue.’’
“Lion Club in Nigeria has four major districts, that is District 404A1, District 404 A2, District 404 B1, District 404 B2 and each district have its own specific assignment to carry out in its region.
“For the purpose of collective service, we will be putting up a world-class eye hospital in Abuja which will be better than the only one we have in Africa located in Kenya.
“It is going to do transplants where we will remove the whole eye and put another eye and those are the kind of things the hospital will do here.
“We have done many projects in other parts of Nigeria but the one we are putting up in Abuja will collectively serve everybody.
“Once this project is here, everybody across Nigeria can access it even people from West Africa and other African nations too,’’ he said.
Adesoye said that the construction of the hospital had started, adding that the group had also started capacity building for doctors, creating awareness and screening of professionals.
He said that the club had in the past sponsored blind people for operations and had carried out humanitarian services in other areas.
He said that the group would train more doctors to specialise in eye treatment in order not to import doctors from abroad.
He added that the club would do that in collaboration with the Nigerian Medical Association and government before the end of this lion’s year – which is from July 1 2018 to June 2019.
Adesoye said that apart from the project in Abuja, each district would carry out its own, adding that District 404 B2 just signed an MoU with teaching hospital in Ekiti.
He said this was for the building of a diabetic centre to touch the lives of not less 20 million Nigerians within that district alone as its contribution for this year.
The International President, Ms Gudrun Yngvadottir said that Lions Clubs provided grant funding to assist Lions districts in developing and implementing large-scale humanitarian projects.
Yngvadottir said that these humanitarian grants help Lions expand their outreach and increase their impact within local and global communities to serve even more people in need around the world.
She said that in addition to serving locally, Lions support five global service areas which included vision, hunger, the environment, childhood cancer and diabetes.
She said that her visit to Nigeria was to thank the lions for the enormous contributions to humanity, adding that the aim was to serve more than 200 million people.
She said that since Nigeria was the biggest country in the continent, its humanitarian effort of lions would go a long way to make a difference in tackling crisis.
Yngvadottir urged them to continue to be relevant to communities to make a difference in the lives of people.
