Nigeria Qualifies For 2008 Olympic Quarter Finals
August 14, 2008 by 
Felix Ashimole · Leave a Comment
The Nigerian U-23 gunning for gold in the on going Beijing Olympics booked a place into the last 8 teams in the male football event by beating the short one United States 2-1.
Nigeria in all West-African quarter finals will meet the young elephants of Ivory Coast.
The match comes up on Saturday 16th .
Meanwhile the Nigerian junior Falcon failed to qualify from their group. Despite an early lead in their last match against Brazil, they gave up to a 3-1 defeat.
Nigeria’s presence is yet to be felt on the medal table. Zimbabwe leads the African gods with 3 Silver medals gotten by a white Zimbabwen in swiming.
| 3.2 |
OLYMPICS: A Battle of Unequal gods
August 6, 2008 by Felix Ashimole · Leave a Comment
As the world goes agog with the opening ceremony of 2008 Olympics in Beijing China, I cannot help but laugh at Christian athletes participating at the obvious pagan ritual in honour of Greek gods and a worship of the Spartan spirit of the Greek. Some may want to refer me to the analogical use of race, bodily exercise etc by Paul in his letter to Timothy, but let me flatly ask, would Paul have participated in the Olympics, knowing that the touch/Olympics flame ritually very four years is lit at Mount Olympus, where Zeus and not Jehovah is the Alpha and Omega?
It is this unclear relationship between Olympics and religion that has made Nigeria among the weeping boys of each t Olympic Games. Nigeria’s greatest feat was in Atlanta 1996, when she netted in 2 Gold Medals. This feat was by sheer personal effort and the hunger for glory by these athletes. Mind you, Chioma Ajunwa, was just dusting off from a drug abuse ban and the Kanu dream team had Japan 1993 victory and an eye on personal contract with major European club sides to spur them on. And above all, they attribute their victories to “God”.
Going by this year’s preparation, one cannot help but predict doom for the contingent. Even the Minster of sports and Chairman National Sports Commission, Mr. Abdulrahman Gimba concurs. In a letter to Mr. President, the Minister wanted Nigeria to withdraw from the Beijing Games, according to the Minister “the litany of woes and underperformance of this sector (sports), has been exemplified…Except for God’s guidance and luck…dire consequences for national psyche and image”
To further buttress the looming national woes, an occasion at the National Stadium Abuja meant for the formal hand over of the Nigerian contingent, ended in a shouting bout between the Minister and Chief Cosmos Maduka. Yes Maduka of the Coscharis fame. Chief Maduka, is the Chairman of Table Tennis Association. In that ill-fated meeting, the minister came late and Chief Maduka wrapped the Minister and said “we have been toiling and doing our best but we are discouraged by the ministry…Olympic medals are not picked on the street…there is no encouragement”
Sure the minster replied and exposed that Chief Maduka, is one of the biggest beneficiaries of contract in the ministry! This is a story for another day but suffice it to be said that Chief Maduka is a confessed born again Christian.
I wonder what a born again Christian is doing, leading a team of Nigerians to a pagan ritual. I have no problem with sports but why must the flame be lit at Mount Olympus? If this cannot be scientifically explained, then I have found a theological reason why Nigeria has been doing badly at the Olympic and the World Cup, despite abundance of talents. It is a documented and incontrovertible that Nigerians do well abroad or when they fly any other colour than green. Francis Obikwelu of Government College Owerri, the son of a retired Nigeria Police officer, now a Portuguese readily comes to mind. If you cast your mind backwards, you will remember Dele Udo.
The theological reason is simple. The Greco-Roman-Jewish god, defeated African gods. View the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympics in Greece. All their gods were on parade. At every Olympics, this painful defeat/mental colonisation are brandished. Till Africans start attending these Games armed with African gods to challenge Onyibo gods, we will remain nothing but an afterthought on the medal table, winning only those games meant for messengers of the gods that require sheer raw strength.
| 3.0 |
MTN Disgraces Nigeria Police Force
July 27, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
The much awaited MTN People Police Marathon came to a disgraceful end for the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) as a 27 year old soldier; Stephen Jurbe took the star price of $ 10,000 for emerging the winner in the 21 Km category of the race. Closely at his heels, was Danjuma Gyang an SS1 student from Plateau State who netted home $7,500. A Niger Delta born Wilson Eku representing Bauchi State came 3rd and returned to the creeks with $5000.
It was also a harvest of shame for the NPF in the 10 km mass rally. The younger brother of Banjuma Gyang, a 17 year old Emanuel Gyang dusted the NPF to emerge winner and zoomed home with a brand new Kia Rio.
The MTN People Police Marathon according to the organisers is to bring the people close to the Police and interest them in the crime fighting mission of the Police. From this decimal performance by the NPF, it has been exposed that the rank and file of the NPF is not fit to combat crime in the 21st century. If a 26 year old SS1 student can endure and out run the NPF contingent, one cannot help but allude that this unfitness in the NPF, is responsible for the ready use of guns at the slightest provocation. There is need for the NPF to regularly conduct fitness programmes for these pepper soup bellied officers parading around town with AK 47.
Basic Marshal Arts, native wrestling and other less violent crime prevention procedures, should be a prerequisite course in the NPF training schools and a must for enrolment into the rank of the rank of the NPF. Not will only this discipline the NPF, it will greatly reduce the cases of “accidental discharge” and innocent civilians being mowed down by friendly fire, as was the case recently in Niger State, where a primary school pupil was killed in his father’s house by stray bullet indiscriminately fired by the NPF in a crowded residential area.
| 3.2 |
MTN Marks 7 Years of Operation in Nigeria
July 26, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
As part of the activities to mark the 7th year anniversary of GSM operation in Nigeria pioneered by MTN, MTN Nigeria, is organising Police People Marathon to kick off on the 26th of July 2008. This marathon according to AIG in charge of Zone 2 of the Nigeria Police Force, is to create Police friendliness awareness in Nigeria. My mind did a somersault and I ask myself, whether the Police I meet at the toll gates, collecting N20 isn’t enough awareness? On further investigation, it became apparent that the Nigeria Police have lost initiatives on how to extort money from Nigerians, hence this charade called marathon.
Although Nigerians are in an unalloyed agreement that the Nigeria Police needs exercise badly, for there are a lot of pepper soup belled policemen around, subscribers of MNT, want a better and improved service delivery.
For the past 7 years, Nigerians have been groaning on the pains of poor service, drop calls and outright non availability of network. The worst period is during festive periods. While other countries are recording breaking records on the eve of Christmas, Valentine Day, traffic congestion never allows any Nigerian to make a successful call. Even when SMS is sent, it takes days to get to the recipient, despite a delivery report being shown on the sender’s phone.
Another peak period of network failure is during and after a rain. Most networks are as guilty as Satan in respect to this. You can hardly make a call and to cap it up, there is a total absence of service bar on your phone.
There has been an impotent attempt by the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) to get these poor services rendered to Nigerians remedied. The commission even threatened sanctions against these GSM service providers for collecting money for drop calls and SMS not sent. As at press time, no GSM service provider have been sanctioned or has any refunded via free calls/SMS money to their subscribers. NCC started with subscribers’ parliament, where aggrieved subscribers bared their anger. Unfortunately, nothing came out of these talks as there has not being any sustained improvement, rather what we have is a barrage of promos, dance competition across Nigerian Universities.
As we mark 7 years of GSM exploitation in Nigeria, we pray that services will improve and these GSM service providers will engage in developmental social corporate responsibility.
| 3.2 |
ManU’s Visit To Nigeria: A 2 billion Naira Waste.
July 22, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · 2 Comments
The Business Eye Magazine of June 16-22 2008, led with the story of the upcoming ManU’s visit to Nigeria. This visit according to the magazine is estimated to cost the good people of Nigeria 2 billion Naira. In preparatory bid, the dethroned governor of Cross Rivers, Liyel Imoke closed Obudu Ranch for maintenance and a yet to be ascertained amount has been pumped into the renovation of TINAPA.
As I write this, I am at pains that the diehard Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal fans have not taken to the street to protest this daylight rape without condom. I love sports and participate actively in it. But this mad worship of English Premiership, is giving me cause for alarm. Very soon, the madness will start afresh with the opening of Premiership in August.
Before the sudden death of Chelsea in their owner’s backyard in Moscow, (some Nigerians also died) no conversation in Nigeria, is complete without a discussion on the last premiership or Champion’s league march. Even official meetings have been postponed because of matches. A good number of wives had to hug pillows because oga was glued to the TV, or have gone to Iya Bimpe’s drinking joint to watch a match. I have no hard feelings for these Nigerians who elect to worship the god of premiership, after all the Nigerian government has failed them and the mind needs something to distract it from the suicidal economic realities of Nigeria. Most Nigerians live for the next premier season as there is nothing to cheer at the home front.
But this failure of Government has been taken to a ridiculous height. The first sign of this rascality in governance was when the learned SAN, governor Fasola of Lagos State, invited ManU’s Rio Ferdinand. Nobody has quantified how much of Lagosians’ tax money was wasted. Or do we have statistics of Nigerians who have died as a result of premiership related dispute. The Lagos State Commission for Youth and Sports, is a Chelsea fan, I guess the governor consulted him before bringing in Ferdinand. To further shame the blackman, the Oba of Lagos, honoured him with a chieftaincy title of Fiwagboola. The Oba should be made to understand that there are worthy Nigerians to be honoured with chieftaincy titles, if the Lagos monarchy is desirous of wasting it. I wonder if the governor and the Oba know the name of any local boy sweating it out in our local league. The boys who labour all day on the white sands of Orile, the rocky grounds of Ajegunle, will make a good role model, if singled out for honour by the Oba. Our traditional institutions should be respected. When was the last time an African, living and working in Africa was knighted by the queen?
Nullified Governor Imoke, who was messed up at the Power and Steel public hearing, is reported to host ManU and Kanu’s Portsmouth with 2billion Naira. I thought TINAPA was to be an Africa’s answer to Dubai, when did it become a Wimbledon?
To show the disdain with which the white man sees this waste, they sent an inspection team to weigh out the facilities on ground. It follows that Nigeria does not have a pitch fit enough to be a training ground for these English teams. Shame on NFA, NSC for allowing this. The local teams are in shambles. Right there in Cross Rivers, the local team Calabar Rovers, is yet to restore her lost glory due to lack of funds, yet the government is being wasteful. This fiesta, will not improve Nigeria’s ranking with FIFA.
This 2 billion earmarked for wastage, can be invested in our local league, upgrade our stadia and generally give sports a boost. It grieves me that Kanu is involved in this wasteful circus. Imagine the number of Nigerian children with heart problems this 2billion Naira can bring smiles to. The money voted for this ManU basking in the sun, can be used to alleviate the suffering of primary school students who have been on forced holiday because of teachers strike.
Don’t tell me this jamboree for English men hibernating for next season, is a tourist show. What does Nigeria stand to gain from this charade? Are they coming here to establish a football academy? The Federal government just took a loan of N40 billion from World Bank to rehabilitate roads, yet we are wasting this much to watch 12 adults fooling around with an inflated balloon.
Nigerians complain about the amount of money spent on football at the detriment of other sports, yet a day light robbery, is taking place and nobody seems to care.
I call on all fans of Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Calabar Rovers, Heartland FC and Gombe United, both at home and in diaspora, to protest this funnelling of our collective resources into the pocket of your rivals. Visit ManU website and post your protest. On the day they land at the airport, let us stage a street protest, waving banners denouncing this robbery. After all, ManU did not vote for this government, but fans of all clubs did. If the government cannot abort this robbery, let all fans demand and rightly so, from his governor that his team must also visit Nigeria, a land of waste.
| 2.5 |
Chief Osi Umenyiora
February 4, 2008 by OCI · 4 Comments
While the acclaimed ‘Chicken Eagles’ failed to beat the 10-man Ghanaian team at the on-going GHANA 2008, one of our ’son of the soil’ Chief Osi Umenyiora helped the New York Giants to NFL glory in Phoenix during this year’s Super Bowl.
Osi with the Vince Lombardi Trophy
Osi Umenyiora was born to Nigerian parents in London and returned to live in Nigeria between the ages of 7-14 before proceeding the the United States. Though, he holds a British passport; this rock of Gibraltar has never hidden his African-ess nor his Nigerian identity. since leaving the UK for Nigeria as a child he has not returned to London until last year. However, this son of his father has taken a chieftaincy title from his Village of Ogbunike in Anambra State.
We greet you Chief Osi and send you our hearty congratulations. You have made us all proud to see Nigeria being mentioned along side your name despite the claims being laid by the British because you are an achiever.
We hope to see you in Nigeria soon to celebrate your latest success; this will help take away the Ghana 2008 shame from all of us.
Bio Stat:
Osi Umenyiora (defensive end)
Born London, Nov 16, 1981 (to Nigerian parents)
Raised Golders Green, North London (until age of 7)
Supports Manchester United
Fascinating fact Was made a chief in Nigerian village of Okbunike
2007 salary $1.445million (about £727,000)
2007 statistics Tackles 52, forced fumbles 5, sacks 13. Twice NFC defensive player of the week in 2007 season
More Pictures
| 1.5 |
Super Eagles’ Prayer
January 30, 2008 by OCI · Leave a Comment
OLULANA asked me to tell you that there shall be a way for you where there seems to be no way,
OLUPESE says He shall provide for you,
AIKU says you shall not die,
ARABA-RIBITI says He is bigger than your problems,
ALAABO says He shall protect you from all evils,
IYANU says your miracle has started,
ALAGBARA-NLA says, He shall strengthen you in your weakness,
ATOFARATI says you shall not be disappointed,
OLUWOSAN says He has healed you,
ATOBAJAIYE says he has enough for you to enjoy.
Congratulations God is for you, who can be against you?
I rejoice with you!!!!!
…… Anonymous
I think the Super Eagles of Nigeria deserves this kind of prayer at times like this, also to football- loving Nigerians out there.
| 1.5 |
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