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I was blind, now I see, says Melaye as he apologises to Goodluck Jonathan

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FORMER Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye, today tendered a public apology to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan over his role in ensuring Jonathan, and by extension the People’s Democratic Party, lost the 2015 presidential election.

While making a goodwill message at a book launch in Abuja, the Kogi -born politician said,  “I Senator Dino Melaye, I want to  say openly here that after many things that have happened and events that have unfolded in recent times, I want to say openly here that once I was blind, now I can see.

“In 2017, I was arrested eighteen times, there were more times in 2018 and between then and now, I have been taken to court for twelve different cases  and out of those cases, we have won eleven of them.   “And that only one that borders on attempted suicide.

“I wonder how someone like me who likes cars and love life so well would want to kill himself.

“President Goodluck Jonathan, I want to say that on behalf of all of us who shot blindly, we are sorry.

“The one that I later wondered why you did was that phone call.”

”I sometimes wondered that if you had not made that call, we would not be where we are today.

“But after I saw what is happening in America, where President Trump is saying ‘I no go gree’,  I can now see the reason for that call.

“There are very few people like you. I pray for that anointing,” Melaiye added

Melaye is the latest among prominent politicians who have apologised to the former president for working against his reelection in 2015.

Just last month, the Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, apologised to the former president for criticising him harshly during his tenure.

“I want to appreciate Mr. President (Jonathan). As they say, you never know what you have until you lose it. Nigerians now know that,” he said.

Ndume noted that Jonathan changed the political culture and landscape of this country.

“You don’t know how great you are in the eyes of those that were skeptical, those that didn’t know you and those that did not come close to you,” he added.

 

 

 

Eight die in Port-Harcourt as residents jostle for Christmas package

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AT least eight persons have reportedly died following a stampede that occurred in Port-Harcourt today, when some registered members of a charity organisation, Pitcoin, besieged one of its offices in Rumuodara, along the East-West Road, near Port Harcourt.

It was gathered that the organisation had invited its registered members to receive their Christmas package at the location.

Narrating how the incident happened, one of the members, said many people showed up for the package and were in a hurry to access the building.

She added that the situation led to a stampede, adding that people stepped on others in order not to miss out on the palliative.

“Many were injured in the pandemonium,” she added.

A viral online video shows some of the victims with bruises, while others have collapsed.

Some people were seen trying to rescue those who had collapsed.

Meanwhile, spokesman of Rivers State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the incident, saying the Commissioner of Police has ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident.

He, however, said that two people, contrary to the eight widely reportedly by some media outlets, died.

Omoni, in a statement said, “I can confirm the incident of this morning, at an event centre, along the Rumuodara axis of the East/West Road, Obio/Akpor LGA, where palliatives were being distributed by INKSNATION, a Non-Governmental Organisation to her registered members from Ikwerre, Emohua and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas, when suddenly there was a stampede leading to the death of two people.

“Some sustained various degrees of injuries and are currently receiving medical attention.

“Meanwhile, the situation is under control. The Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Mukan has instituted an immediate probe into the unfortunate incident with a view to ascertaining the circumstances and bringing persons found culpable to justice.”

Coalition of Northern Groups fingered in plot to undermine Buhari, Armed forces across northern states

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The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has been found at the centre of a fresh plot to blackmail and undermine President Muhammadu Buhari and the Armed Forces of Nigeria across the north.

According to the Northern Patriots (NP), in disguise of fighting for the security of the region, the CNG secretly sponsors banditry.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja through Secretary-General, Samuel Daloba, the group revealed that the aim is to instigate a tribal war which would ultimately lead to a coup to oust President Buhari.

The Northern Patriots said it came to this conclusion after critically observing the recent activities of bandits in the northwest.

Recall that the CNG has launched countless scathing attacks on President Buhari and the nations Armed Forces, with many observers alleging a sponsored and political undertone.

While acknowledging security challenges confronting the region, the Northern Patriots noted that it is driven principally by the CNG members to steal and plunder.

The Northern Patriots, however, implored Nigerians not take heed to “lugubrious media assertions that are peddling false news about insecurity updates from the north”.

The group further admitted that the president has so far proffered solution to the security situation and assured that very soon, the CNG will be exposed.

Read the full statement below:

This press conference is scheduled on the dismal objectives on informing Nigerians of the activities of desperados and people acting under political instigation to undermine and blackmail President Buhari.

The Northern Patriots having critically observed the recent activities of bandits in the north to the activities of the coalition of Nothern groups and their plans which have been encrypted in the disguise of fighting for northern security.

The Northern Patriot’s state without mincing words that, It’s not special news that for more than two years now, northwestern Nigeria has faced devastating attacks from armed bandits, particularly in the states of Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, and Sokoto. So many of these attacks are driven by many overlapping factors, including cattle rustling, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, illicit artisanal mining, youth unemployment, poverty, and inequality. This has been further compounded by the weakened, stretched, and demoralized security services, who are deployed in thirty-five of Nigeria’s thirty-six states and will soon enter the second decade of their war against Boko Haram, one of Africa’s deadliest terror groups. It is estimated that many of the armed bandits are of Fulani origin, as are many of the victims.

Banditry, which includes armed robbery, murder, rape, and cattle-rustling, is present in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Senegal and Mali. This shows that these security matters are not only faced in Nigeria alone but also other African nations.

Of lately, we have observed that banditry has been on the increase in northern Nigeria. This is a region we know that is with many security problems, chief among them being Boko Haram’s insurgency. While the northern patriots were chanting the eulogy of the president and Nigeria Armed forces for their undisputed strategic efforts in bringing Boko Haram activities to great decline, we are shocked by the uprise and resistance that banditry has taken over time, and these actions have begged the question “How are they getting support?”

We know that Boko haram has counted a lot of casualties, and felt decapitated in their technicality. Hence, they have resolved into using rural banditry as a supportive plan, this they have achieved by having a coalition with unpatriotic Northern Nigerians, who are being supported by Northern political desperados and persons under political instigation to blackmail president Buhari and to cause another trend of #EndSARS in northern Nigeria. They know that these are the people that have sufficient knowledge of the terrains and the security weak spots; these are the people that can easily be trusted to perpetuate their evil acts. For one thing, some of these communities are located in remote areas where there is little or no government presence. More importantly, households are in some cases separated by and interspersed with forest areas. This renders the people there vulnerable to banditry.

The Northern Patriots are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that this armed violence is driven principally by the criminal intent to steal and plunder. It is motivated by the selfish quest for economic accumulation in destabilizing the calmness in the Northern states. From the information we got from some disarmed bandits that went on unsuccessful operations, with the help of the Nigeria armed force that subdued them, they confessed to being paid and sponsored by some elite group, who do not have the country’s interests at heart.

It is heartbreaking to us, knowing that these bandits are no outsiders, but people in the same community and culture with us, that have allowed themselves to be used as weaponry for the cause disorderliness which is a menace to our security.

To this effect, the incidence and prevalence of rural banditry in northwest Nigeria raise a fundamental question about the hidden plans of National coup which some have been nursing in their heart. The state security machinery has so far failed to tackle the scourge of banditry and this failure stems from a lack of political will and operational challenges.

Unfortunately for them, Many Nigerians and Northern patriots are not oblivious of the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has been relentless on his fight against banditry and insurgency. We can rightly say that billions of dollars have gone down in these great fights in other to achieve this monumental task, but these groups have been building strong resistances over time, which is fueled from hidden support being channelled to them from northern political desperadoes.

Therefore, it is inconceivable to believe that no efforts are being made to overcome insecurity, banditry is an insurgency in the northern state. The Northern patriots believe that all the vile incidents happening in the northern parts is, as a result, the efforts made by irresponsible savage northern beasts that also occupy the helm of security affairs in a bid to frustrate the President and to instigate tribal war in discrediting the Muhammadu Buhari.

We want to clearly state it to Nigerians that, the insecurity in Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari is at a great decline. The president has implemented grassroots community policing, where the people involved are properly trained, equipped, supervised and enriched by local personnel and intelligence under the supervision of Nigeria Armed forces.

Northern patriots are imploring other patriots in Nigeria to not take heed to lugubrious media assertions that are peddling false news about insecurity updates from the northern parts of Nigerian. We are pleased to tell you that the President is have made lots of impacts and have proffered solution to tackling banditry and insurgency. Very soon, the bad one will be fished out and made open for all to see.

We remain patriotic northern compatriots of this great nation.

God bless the president, God bless Nigeria.

Leave Nigerian military alone, Ndume tells ICC, AI, others

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The Chairman Senate Committee on Army, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South), on Tuesday, urged the Amnesty International (AI) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) not to distract the Nigerian military in its quest to rid the country of terrorists and criminal elements.

Ndume made this assertion while answering questions from reporters in Abuja on allegations of human rights abuses against the Nigerian Military by AI and the ICC.

He, however, advised the troops to ignore what he termed as a distraction by the two international organizations and concentrate on their task of fighting insurgency in the country.

Ndume said: “On the issue of unnecessary interference by Amnesty International and the International Criminal Court and other self-acclaimed celebrities and social media influencers who claimed to be patriotic Nigerians.

“We that have been living with these problems, and as leaders of the affected communities, know the feelings of our people.

“Right now, what the ICC is trying to do is destroying things instead of helping matters.

“You cannot cry more than the bereaved and they cannot be the prosecutor without the plaintiff. How can they prosecute without the plaintiff?

“We have the Nigerian government, the federal parliament and the nation’s judiciary. If there are human rights abuses, it is only when there is a failure on the part of the three arms of government to act swiftly that we can draw the attention of the international community to it.

“Nigerians are more concerned about securing their country. The Nigerian Army and the police are overwhelmed already.

“Honestly, we will stand up against that. We are not encouraging human rights abuses, we can’t say there are no such things but they are definitely, isolated cases especially when the Boko Haram insurgency reached its peak in 2014.

“There was a kind of confusion that led to the isolated cases of human rights abuses by the Nigerian Army and some of the armed forces.

“However, we stood up against it that time and that led to some soldiers’ court martialed for human rights abuses. Some were even dismissed from the Army.

“For example, for involving in rape cases. It is not that the Nigerian Army is not doing anything about it.

“There is a department known as civil-military relations, created by the Nigerian Army to address such cases and they are doing well.

“The power of investigation lies with the National Assembly. Nigerians know where they would report cases of human rights abuses to in case it happens anywhere.

“Let the Amnesty International and others leave us alone. These are the same international organisations that refused to give us support needed to fight the insurgency.

“The same international organisations also refused to refer to Boko Haram as a terrorist organization but rather prefer to refer to the insurgents as non m-state actors.

“I don’t know what they mean by that. As a parliament and as the representatives of our people, we won’t tolerate that.

“Our troops should ignore such things and concentrate on securing our country. If the international agencies want to help us, they should provide sophisticated equipment to address the issue.

“As the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army is thinking of bringing a motion to the floor of the Senate to address this particular matter and write to the particular organization to leave us alone.

“Or if they want, let them tell us where human rights abuses exist in the country. They should stop distracting and threatening our gallant troops that have sacrificed their lives to defend the country.

“As representatives of the people, the Nigerian parliamentarians are solidly behind our military on this issue.”

He lauded the cooperation between the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Air Force that led to the success recorded against Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State recently.

He said: “I want to thank the Nigerian military especially the Army and the Air Force. My investigation reveals that were it not for the presence of the Air Force, the success recorded would not have been achieved.

“That is why I want to emphasis the need for cooperation between the Army and other armed forces to continue.

“I want them to also improve on their response to any alarm or alert from any member of the public.

“What happened that day was that a citizen of Askira called me around 5pm and also sent a text message to alert me of a large gathering of Boko Haram insurgents in about 10 trucks heading towards Askira.

“He urged me to do something urgently about it. I quickly forwarded the text message to the Chief of Army Staff and that of the Chief of Air Staff.

“The two of them responded quickly and assured me that they were monitoring the situation.

“There was a coordinated effort between the Air Force, from their base in Yola and there was reinforcement from the Brigade in Chibok.

“There is also another battalion that is operating in Adamawa. They converged to address the situation and they recorded a tremendous success because many of the insurgents were killed while arms and ammunition were recovered from them.

“The Army and the Air Force combined to pursue the insurgents until they neutralise them. If they continue like this, cases of incessant attacks by insurgents in that area will stop it.

“I also want to commend the civilian JTF and the vigilante groups because all of them worked together to record that success.”

Coalition of Northern Groups fingered in plot to undermine Buhari, Armed forces across northern states

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The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has been found at the centre of a fresh plot to blackmail and undermine President Muhammadu Buhari and the Armed Forces of Nigeria across the north.

According to the Northern Patriots (NP), in the disguise of fighting for the security of the region, the CNG secretly sponsors banditry.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja through Secretary-General, Samuel Daloba, the group revealed that the aim is to instigate a tribal war which would ultimately lead to a coup to oust President Buhari.

The Northern Patriots said it came to this conclusion after critically observing the recent activities of bandits in the northwest.

Recall that the CNG has launched countless scathing attacks on President Buhari and the nations Armed Forces, with many observers alleging a sponsored and political undertone.

While acknowledging security challenges confronting the region, the Northern Patriots noted that it is driven principally by the CNG members to steal and plunder.

The Northern Patriots, however, implored Nigerians not take heed to “lugubrious media assertions that are peddling false news about insecurity updates from the north”.

The group further admitted that the president has so far proffered solution to the security situation and assured that very soon, the CNG will be exposed.

Read the full statement below:

This press conference is scheduled on the dismal objectives on informing Nigerians of the activities of desperados and people acting under political instigation to undermine and blackmail President Buhari.

The Northern Patriots having critically observed the recent activities of bandits in the north to the activities of the coalition of Nothern groups and their plans which have been encrypted in the disguise of fighting for northern security.

The Northern Patriot’s state without mincing words that, It’s not special news that for more than two years now, northwestern Nigeria has faced devastating attacks from armed bandits, particularly in the states of Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, and Sokoto. So many of these attacks are driven by many overlapping factors, including cattle rustling, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, illicit artisanal mining, youth unemployment, poverty, and inequality. This has been further compounded by the weakened, stretched, and demoralized security services, who are deployed in thirty-five of Nigeria’s thirty-six states and will soon enter the second decade of their war against Boko Haram, one of Africa’s deadliest terror groups. It is estimated that many of the armed bandits are of Fulani origin, as are many of the victims.

Banditry, which includes armed robbery, murder, rape, and cattle-rustling, is present in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Senegal and Mali. This shows that these security matters are not only faced in Nigeria alone but also other African nations.

Of lately, we have observed that banditry has been on the increase in northern Nigeria. This is a region we know that is with many security problems, chief among them being Boko Haram’s insurgency. While the northern patriots were chanting the eulogy of the president and Nigeria Armed forces for their undisputed strategical efforts in bringing Boko Haram activities to great decline, we are shocked by the uprise and resistance that banditry has taken over time, and these actions have begged the question “How are they getting support?”

We know that Boko haram has counted a lot of casualties, and felt decapitated in their technicality. Hence, they have resolved into using rural banditry as a supportive plan, this they have achieved by having a coalition with unpatriotic Northern Nigerians, who are being supported by Northern political desperados and persons under political instigation to blackmail president Buhari and to cause another trend of #EndSARS in northern Nigeria. They know that these are the people that have sufficient knowledge of the terrains and the security weak spots; these are the people that can easily be trusted to perpetuate their evil acts. For one thing, some of these communities are located in remote areas where there is little or no government presence. More importantly, households are in some cases separated by and interspersed with forest areas. This renders the people there vulnerable to banditry.

The Northern Patriots are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that this armed violence is driven principally by the criminal intent to steal and plunder. It is motivated by the selfish quest for economic accumulation in destabilizing the calmness in the Northern states. From the information we got from some disarmed bandits that went on unsuccessful operations, with the help of the Nigeria armed force that subdued them, they confessed to being paid and sponsored by some elite group, who do not have the country’s interests at heart.

It is heartbreaking to us, knowing that these bandits are no outsiders, but people in the same community and culture with us, that have allowed themselves to be used as weaponry for the cause disorderliness which is a menace to our security.

To this effect, the incidence and prevalence of rural banditry in northwest Nigeria raise a fundamental question about the hidden plans of National coup which some have been nursing in their heart. The state security machinery has so far failed to tackle the scourge of banditry and this failure stems from a lack of political will and operational challenges.

Unfortunately for them, Many Nigerians and Northern patriots are not oblivious of the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has been relentless on his fight against banditry and insurgency. We can rightly say that billions of dollars have gone down in these great fights in other to achieve this monumental task, but these groups have been building strong resistances over time, which is fueled from hidden support being channelled to them from northern political desperadoes.

Therefore, it is inconceivable to believe that no efforts are being made to overcome insecurity, banditry is an insurgency in the northern state. The Northern patriots believe that all the vile incidents happening in the northern parts is, as a result, the efforts made by irresponsible savage northern beasts that also occupy the helm of security affairs in a bid to frustrate the President and to instigate tribal war in discrediting the Muhammadu Buhari.

We want to clearly state it to Nigerians that, the insecurity in Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari is at a great decline. The president has implemented grassroots community policing, where the people involved are properly trained, equipped, supervised and enriched by local personnel and intelligence under the supervision of Nigeria Armed forces.

Northern patriots are imploring other patriots in Nigeria to not take heed to lugubrious media assertions that are peddling false news about insecurity updates from the northern parts of Nigerian. We are pleased to tell you that the President is have made lots of impacts and have proffered solution to tackling banditry and insurgency. Very soon, the bad one will be fished out and made open for all to see.

We remain patriotic northern compatriots of this great nation.

God bless the president, God bless Nigeria.

Reps suspend FG’s 774,000 jobs scheme

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The House of Representatives has suspended the controversial Special Works Scheme of the Federal Government.

The National Assembly and the Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity are yet to find a common ground over the recruitment of 774,000 workers for the scheme.

At the plenary on Wednesday, the House asked the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning not to fund the scheme, which is billed to take off in January 2021.

The National Assembly had appropriated N52bn for the exercise in the 2020 Appropriation Act and was scheduled to begin in November.

The House also faulted the removal of the Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, Dr Nasiru Argungu, who had backed the parliament in the controversy.

The House, however, urged the President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse himself on Argungu’s sacking.

The Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, had since appointed Argungu’s replacement in the order of the President.

ICC: Amnesty International, others funding Nigerian CSOs to manufacture fictitious evidence against armed forces – Civil Rights Group

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Amnesty International, Transparency International and other acclaimed international NGOs have conspired with several Civil Society Organisations in the country to fabricate and present false evidence against the Armed Forces of Nigeria to the International Criminal Court, a rights group has said.

According to the Civil Rights Advocates of Nigeria (CRAN), both foreign groups have already paid a whopping $1,750,000 to the ICC to arrive at a verdict against Nigeria.

The CRAN further revealed that the local CSOs are the next in line to receive their share of the fortune in exchange for fake evidence and malicious reports that would align with the ICC’s position.

This damning revelation was made public at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja by CRAN’s president, Daniel Obaje.

The CRAN noted that the said funds would be disbursed similarly as during the #EndSARS movement to recruit, train and empower actors to discredit military personnel.

The group said the ultimate is to weaken the Armed Forces ahead of the second wave of politically instigated protests across the country which has been slated to commence in Mach 2021.

The rights group, however, vowed to expose AI, TI and their cohorts to show the world their true colours.

Read the full statement below:

Gentlemen of the press, we wish we have good news to share with you are here to honour our invitation, but sadly, there is no good news here. We have sombre news for you, and it is to the effect that those that are out to sabotage Nigeria have not relented. They have instead perfected their plan in a manner that shows that there has to be a radical shift in the way Nigeria relates with known enemies so that it can better manage the security breaches that are taking different dimensions with each passing day.

We want you to recall the #EndSARS protests, the sheer scale of violence inflicted on Nigeria by those protests, and the seeming inability of the military services with their other counterparts to respond. Please note that by the virtues of the bank accounts that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) later secured court orders to freeze we have now become aware that people were paid to carry out those protests.

The second thing to note is that the inability of the military and the police to stop the orgy of destruction did not befall them overnight.  The demoralization and incapacitation of these institutions took a long time in the making. It was insidiously done over a period using fabricated reports that indict the security apparatus of the country daily. They have created an atmosphere of fear that makes it impossible for the relevant agencies to respond without being afraid of the woke brigade that has been positioned to second guess their every move and labels them as the offending party even when fighting with terrorists.

Further note that during and after the protests, there was a full-fledged command and control operation that churned out fake news against the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its agencies. That command-and-control operation reportedly functioned from Canada where NGOs, particularly the international ones and their local affiliates vocally presented alternate fact in a bid to stack on one more layer of lies to discredit the military establishment and other security agencies. In achieving this, all stops were pulled as these NGOs even canonized know terrorist organizations like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) with the toga of respectability.

It is therefore not surprising that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has joined the chorus of those executing these false flag operations. The ICC recently declared that it plans to investigate the Nigerian military for a wide range of human rights violation, even though it made clear that the military was nowhere near the crimes committed by Boko Haram, it nonetheless decided to work with partners who focused on the military and blew the accusation out of proportion. The reality is that the ICC has proven itself to be an organization that has tied itself to the hem of Amnesty International and the interests it represents, globally and here in Nigeria.

Like every other right-thinking person who was puzzled at the decision announced by the ICC, we find it odd that the creation of the Rome Statute has become a willing tool in the hands of the highest bidder, one that would stand logic on its head, support terrorists by failing to order their arrest and vilifying agencies of the Nigerian State.

What is surprising is the extent to which the ICC is in bed with organizations that run campaigns that are in clear violation of what the Court stands for. We have learnt that Amnesty international and Transparency international provided the sum of $1, 750,000, out of which officials at the ICC were facilitated to arrive at a recommendation that will be damning of Nigeria. we have credible information that the amount was paid into an account outside Nigeria while more fund is still being expected into the account. This same approach was adopted in financing the #EndSARS protests hence the subversion related transactions that made the CBN order the freeze on some accounts.

We have reliably gathered that the Nigerian Armed forces are now the new target of character assassination to weaken it before the second wave of politically instigated protests across the country which has been slated to commence in Mach 2021.

Nigerians should be concerned at this substantial dollar amount was provided by entities acting for Amnesty International and Transparency International. Please, we urge you to go and research the boards of both organizations and you will discover that the same set of people are running this gig. The investigation that the ICC said it wants to launch has been paid for and bought. They want the ICC investigation to end up with a report that fits into their agenda. These organizations have recruited, trained and empowered actors and discredited military personnel with their faces covered; their objective is to present damaging reports against the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The media arm of this cartel is on standby to manipulate public perception of any resulting investigation. CNN and Sahara Reporters are waiting in the wing to run negative coverage of same.

Gentlemen of the press, we, therefore, find it pertinent to expose Amnesty International and Transparency International and show the world their true colours. We demand to know from these two organizations why they are sponsoring covert operations against the institutions of the Nigeria state. We want to know their motive in the country.

NFF board member Emmanuel Ibah dies of COVID-19

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A member of the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, Emmanuel Ibah, has died of COVID-19 aged 62.
The NFF announced Ibah’s passing with a press release on Tuesday.
“Family sources confirmed to the NFF that Ibah, who was also Chairman of the Akwa Ibom Football Association, gave up the ghost on Tuesday morning after succumbing to complications from the new coronavirus pandemic. He was said to have underlying diabetic and hypertensive medical conditions,” the NFF stated.
“Ibah, an energetic figure who showed intense dedication and commitment to the work of the NFF and Nigeria Football in general, was always at the forefront of preparations for matches of the Senior Men National Team, Super Eagles, any time the Eagles were playing in the Akwa Ibom State capital, Uyo. The Godswill Akpabio Stadium, known as Nest of Champions, served as home for the Super Eagles during their successful qualifying campaigns for the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals and the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.”
Ibah was also Chairman of the NFF Protocols and Ceremonial Committee and Vice Chairman of both the Establishment and Referees Committees.
In reaction to Ibah’s death, NFF President Amaju Pinnick said: “I am just lost for words. I don’t know what to say. This has been a tragic year on so many fronts. Emmanuel Ibah was like a brother. He was my colleague from the South South on the NFF Executive Committee and a very loyal and supportive person. We have lost another pillar on the Board. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”
Ibah became the third member of the NFF Executive Committee and the fourth key figure in the NFF to pass away this year. A member from the South East, Chidi Ofo Okenwa, died on 5 May and Musa Adamu Duhu passed away on 19 September. NFF’s Head of ICT, Tolulope Abe, died on 29 August.
Born on 5 September, 1959, Ibah hailed from Urua Akpan area of Akwa Ibom State, and became a member of the NFF Executive Committee after winning election at the last NFF Elective Congress in Katsina on 18th September 2018.

‘Improved’ Ndidi like two players — Maddison

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Leicester City forward James Maddison has hailed the impact of Wilfred Ndidi since the Nigerian returned from injury.
Ndidi made his first Premier League start since September in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Brighton and was excellent in defensive midfield.
Maddison, who scored the second goal of the game with a wonderful left-footed effort praised Ndidi for his part in the build-up.
“We actually won the ball in midfield,” Maddison told Leicester City’s official website. “Wilfred Ndidi, (it’s) really good to have him back, I feel safe when I’m in there with Wilf behind me.
“It’s almost like he’s two players, and what Wilf’s improved on a lot, especially since I joined the club, is his passing ability.
“It’s improved a lot and wins the ball back, and I remember, his first pass being forward to me. A forward, along-the-floor, hard pass and that’s something that he’s really improved on.
“And then we built (on that in) the game. Vards (Jamie Vardy) made a run in behind, came back to me and I remember being one vs. one. [I] shifted it on my right, got it back on my left, and I’m comfortable off my left.
“I feel just as confident shooting [with] my left as I do with my right, and it was one of them: I knew it was in straight away, so (I’m) really happy.”
Ndidi was out with an adductor injury for over two months, missing eight Premier League games.
Leicester City lost four of the eight games the Super Eagles midfielder missed while they have won all the four he has played a part in, underlining his importance in the side.

CJN Tanko Muhammad tests positive for coronavirus

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Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Tanko Muhammad has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).

Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, a member of the Supreme Court, disclosed this at the unveiling of the national headquarters of Muslim Lawyers’ Association of Nigeria (MULAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

Muhammad is receiving treatment in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The CJN was absent at the swearing-in of 72 new senior advocates of Nigeria on Monday.

Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, the next most senior justice of the Supreme Court, administered oaths to the new SANs.