Neymar sparkles as PSG thrash Bordeaux

Neymar sparkles as PSG thrash Bordeaux


Neymar scored twice, including a first-half penalty, and created another goal as Paris Saint-Germain hammered previously unbeaten Bordeaux 6-2 in Ligue 1 on Saturday. Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian forward Neymar kisses the ball before shooting to score a penalty during the French L1 football match Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) vs Bordeaux (FCGB) on September 30, 2017 at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. / AFP PHOTO The Brazilian curled in a brilliant 30-yard free-kick after just five minutes at the Parc des Princes before sliding in Edinson Cavani to double the lead seven minutes later. Thomas Meunier’s excellent side-footed finish made it 3-0 to PSG on 21 minutes, but Bordeaux hit back on the half hour as Younousse Sankhare applied the final touch to a slick team move. PSG were then awarded a penalty, the first since a row between Neymar and Cavani over spot-kick duties overshadowed a 2-0 win against Lyon a fortnight ago, with Neymar this time stepping up to convert. “For me the important thing with penalties is to score them,” said PSG coach Unai Emery. “The main thing is the two of them see the opportunity and they both can take penalties. The decision is down to those two. We’ve already spoken about it internally.” Julian Draxler volleyed in a superb fifth before half-time and Kylian Mbappe added another on 58 minutes, while Malcom scored a late penalty for Bordeaux, as PSG pulled three points clear of defending champions Monaco at the top. “It was a good win against a team that was still undefeated,” said Mbappe. “We don’t need to send a message, we’re just concentrating on ourselves. We could still do better, we’re not going to be picky, but there’s still room for a bit more.” Emery rested captain Thiago Silva for the visit of third-place Bordeaux, who arrived in the capital trailing PSG by just four points after seven matches. – Rapid start – The hosts brushed aside five-time European champions Bayern Munich 3-0 in midweek and the gap in class on Saturday was evident from the start against Jocelyn Gourvennec’s team. With Monaco dropping points in Friday’s 1-1 draw at home to Montpellier, PSG immediately signalled their intent as three quick-fire goals left Bordeaux seeking to limit the damage. Neymar struck early as his magnificent free-kick flashed beyond a helpless Benoit Costil, with the Brazilian then playing in Cavani to poke in his eighth league goal of the season on 12 minutes. PSG were further in front when Yuri Berchiche’s cross from the left skipped past Mbappe but Meunier ran onto it and the Belgian international steered masterfully past Costil. Bordeaux replied on 31 minutes after Theo Pellenard demonstrated remarkable composure to thread in Nicolas de Preville who squared for Sankhare to tap into an empty net. But a senseless handball from Otavio gifted PSG a penalty and Neymar, rather than Cavani whose effort in the Lyon win on September 17 was saved, tucked away the spot-kick for his sixth league goal. Draxler made it five in style on the stroke of half-time when he fired in from Mbappe’s floated cross, and the French teenager notched a goal of his own on 58 minutes after he was released in behind the defence by the German. Bordeaux substitute Alexandre Mendy smacked the outside of the post on 69 minutes, while Neymar nearly completed his hat-trick when his shot whistled just wide after a clever exchange with Draxler. Brazilian Malcom, who extended his contract with Bordeaux until 2021 this week, netted a consolation in the final minute after Jonathan Cafu was fouled in the area by Meunier.

The phenomenon of Biafra (10)

The phenomenon of Biafra (10)

-1st October 2017
Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon responded to Lt. Col. Ojukwu’s timely warning by promulgating Decree 8 which, at first glance, seemed to address mainly the constitutional aspects of the Aburi accord, with very little on the fiscal arrangements. However, based on the self-serving advice of his top civil servants who, as we noted earlier, vehemently opposed the accord, Gowon included in the decree new clauses that were not part of the original consensus reached in Aburi. For example, one of such interpolations stipulates that regional governors could not exercise their powers “so as to Impede or prejudice the authority of the federation.” Another paragraph proclaims that a state of emergency could be declared in any region by the federal government with the approval of three out of the four military governors. Although the first one appears harmless, it entails that it was up to the federal government, that is, Gowon as head of state, to determine exactly what would impede or prejudice the authority of government. Concerning the second clause, because declaration of a state of emergency usually involves sending troops to the affected region, and considering that the other three military governors were either northern or governed regions occupied by northern soldiers, Lt. Col. Ojukwu saw this as specifically targeted against his own region. Consequently, he rejected the decree. Meanwhile, Chief Awolowo, recently released from Calabar prison, demanded that the federal military government should withdraw all northern troops in the western region; he made it abundantly clear that if the east seceded, the west would not be far behind. Gowon did not want to confront two southern regions at the same time; as a result, northern troops in the west were withdrawn. But why did Gowon renege on the Aburi Accord? Even if, based on the advice of Solomon Akenzua and others he had discovered some loopholes in the agreement, what stopped him from calling the governors for a renegotiation of the accord? Why did he introduce strange clauses without getting the prior consent of all other signatories to the document? In my opinion, aside from the overarching northern desire to actualise its caliphate colonialist vision of northern domination articulated by Sir Ahmadu Bello, northerners whose longstanding position was remarkably similar to what was agreed in Aburi suddenly started clamouring for a strong central government because they wanted to control funds realised from the sale of crude oil domiciled mainly in the eastern region. Northerners realised that if the principles of regional autonomy contained in the Aburi accord were implemented, it would lead to wide disparity in wealth and economic development between the eastern region and the northern region, to the disadvantage of the latter. Therefore, in their calculus, the best way to prevent that from happening was to have a northern dominated strong federal administration that would be the custodian of all oil proceeds, much of which would then be used by members of the northern military-civilian establishment to empower themselves and dictate to the rest of the country. As the disagreement between the federal military government and eastern region escalated, a last-minute reconciliation move was made by some concerned Nigerians. On May 7, 1967, a national reconciliation group that included two of the most iconic Yoruba personalities, Chief Justice of the federation, Sir Adetokumbo Ademola, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo, visited eastern region on a peace mission. They listened sympathetically to Ojukwu, accepted most of his demands – which were essentially the request for Gowon to withdraw all troops to their regions and lifting of the partial blockade on the eastern region – and asked the federal government to implement them. About two weeks later, Gowon announced that he had accepted recommendations of the reconciliation committee. But like the way he treated the Aburi agreement, Gowon failed to implement the recommendations to the letter. That was probably a trap for Ojukwu, for it seems as if Gowon and his civilian advisers together with caliphate colonialists in the army were deliberately pushing eastern region to secede. The slippery road to the creation of a new country called Biafra on May 30, 1966, can be summarised as follows: Exasperated by waiting for Gowon to act on the Aburi accord and firmly convinced that the federal government was deliberately stalling, with the situation compounded by the herculean challenge of coping with hundreds of thousands of eastern refugees returning from the north, Ojukwu began implementing a series of measures that severed all connections with Nigeria. He occluded all official communication with Lagos, and promptly disconnected the eastern regional government’s administration and revenues from those of the federal government. On May 26, 1967, the Special Advisory Committee of Chiefs and Elders or Consultative Assembly of the eastern region met with Ojukwu in Enugu and mandated him to declare, at “the earliest practicable date,” eastern Nigeria as a sovereign independent country called Republic of Biafra. Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Thus, the decision to pull eastern region out of unwelcoming suffocating Nigeria was not made by Ojukwu alone, as some mischievous historical revisionists would have us believe, although as the leader he bears ultimate responsibility for it. Rather, the choice accurately reflected not only the desires of an overwhelming percentage of easterners but was mandated by a body comprising some of the most illustrious Nigerians such as Dr. Azikiwe, Chief Margaret Ekpo, Dr. Michael Okpara, Sir Francis Akanu Ibiam, Mr. N.U. Akpan, Ekukinam Bassey, and Sir Louis Mbanefo among others. Lt. Col. Gowon made a nationwide broadcast on May 27. He declared a state of emergency and divided the country into twelve states ostensibly to protect smaller ethnic groups from domination by the bigger ones, whereas by balkanising the eastern region into Rivers, South-Eastern and East-Central states he seriously compromised eastern unity and solidarity. Gowon announced further a total blockade of the former eastern region, and gave himself full powers “for the short period necessary to carry out the measures which are now urgently required.” This was the last straw that broke Nigeria’s back. In the small hours of May 30, 1967, in the presence of journalists and diplomats assembled at State House, Enugu, later renamed Biafra House, Lt. Col. Ojukwu read the declaration of eastern region as the independent Republic of Biafra. Now, there is an impressive literature on Biafra and the reasons why it was created. Like every event of that magnitude and historical significance, both the remote and immediate causes of the phenomenon of Biafra have been rigorously debated over the years. Some of the significant ones have been highlighted in our discussion thus far. But there is a pernicious falsehood that is still being peddled by Igbo haters which claims that easterners, specifically the Igbo, started the war against the rest of Nigeria. Of course, leaders of the eastern region decided to secede from Nigeria because of widespread feeling of alienation and non-belongingness among easterners arising mainly from the extremely inhuman treatment they received from northerners mostly, supported by the northern-led government of Lt. Col. Gowon. Moreover, Biafran secession is justified on the basis of the inalienable right of peoples for self-determination. Igbo haters tend to forget that, logically speaking, secession does not necessarily entail violence or war, although those in power oftentimes respond to the situation by declaring war against the secessionists. To be clear, it was the Nigerian government headed by Gowon, goaded on by warmongers led by Murtala Ramat Mohammed, Mohammed Shuwa, Theophilus Danjuma, Hassan Usman Katsina and others that started the war. Biafrans were obliged to defend themselves in line with the universal principle of self-preservation. The civil war began in earnest on July 6, 1967, when the Nigerian army unleashed an artillery barrage against Ogoja in the north-eastern corner of Biafra. And because Gowon was confident (overconfident, as it eventually turned out) that Biafra would be subdued quickly with “a short, surgical police action,” for him the possibility of making peace overtures to the secessionists was completely out of the question. It is pathetic but quite understandable that Gowon would blame Ojukwu for the hideous military brutality against Biafrans during the war by claiming that “The war is not against the Igbo. It is against the personal ambitions of Ojukwu and his rebel gang.” After all, as at the time he ordered his troops to attack Biafra, Gowon was not intellectually sophisticated enough to understand the imperatives of a people’s right to self-determination in the face of looming genocide; also, he did not appreciate the profound alienation and disillusionment felt by the Igbo whose kith and kin had been murdered by northerners for no good reason. That said, it is utterly disgraceful that a historian of stature like Prof. E.A. Ayandele would declare that “If an individual ever decided the course of events in any country, Odumegwu Ojukwu did – by pushing Nigeria inexorably in the direction of civil war.” Ayandele’s strategy of blaming the victim is as old as recorded history. Perhaps, he did not know that Ojukwu very reluctantly accepted secession, and that the eastern region’s Consultative Assembly had already decided to replace Ojukwu if he refused to announce the creation of Biafra. Accordingly, considering federal government’s reluctance or plain refusal to help Ndigbo cope with the tremendous trauma they were going through as a result of the pogroms against them, Gowon’s repudiation of the Aburi accord and the tremendous pressure on Ojukwu as the military governor to protect his people from the rampaging northerners, Ayandele ought to have singled out Gowon and his cohorts as the prime movers of the civil war instead of Ojukwu. For the Biafrans, it was a war of survival, a war to prevent extermination by northerners; for Gowon it was a “police action” to recapture lost territory and prevent the domino effect of other ethnic nationalities following the example of the eastern region. It must be acknowledged that Ojukwu could still have declined the demand for secession and faced the consequences, which would have meant abdicating his responsibilities to the people as their governor and risking lifelong stigmatisation as a coward – a very unpalatable option, to say the least. Looking back, both Ojukwu and Gowon must have been under tremendous pressure from different angles: the former because his people had been massacred in large numbers and their property destroyed, with the accompanying problems of resettlement and rehabilitation; the latter because of the burning desire of caliphate colonialists to quickly defeat the secessionists so that oil money would be firmly in the control of northerners. Probably, both men were not the right leaders for those troubled times. They were relatively too young, befuddled by ego, hindered by lack of relevant experience in the management of political crises, and obsessed with interpersonal competition and petty rivalries. To be continued.

RUMOURS FROM MAN UTD, CHELSEA, ARSENAL AND ALL THE TOP TEAMS

TRANSFER NEWS: THE LATEST RUMOURS FROM MAN UTD, CHELSEA, ARSENAL AND ALL THE TOP TEAMS

---

HAZARD TO GET £300K PER WEEK

---

Eden Hazard is in line to become the top paid player in the Premier League with a contract that will land him £300,000 per week, according to the Express . 

The Chelsea winger could green light the deal in a couple of weeks, hoping to kill off any hope Real Madrid have of signing him in the near future. 

BET9JACASH OUT AVAILABLE!NO MORE SPOILED TICKETS | T&Cs apply

JOIN NOW

---

ASENSIO EXTENSION BOTHERS KROOS

---

Toni Kroos is not at all pleased with the contract extension given to Marco Asensio by Real Madrid, according to Don Balon . 

The midfielder feels undervalued by the club and would like his wages raised to at least match those of his 21-year-old team-mate. 

---

MAN UTD TARGET TURKISH WONDERKID

---

Manchester United are preparing a move for €14 million-rated Turkish wonderkid Yusuf Yazici, according to a report from Fanatik .

The 20-year-old midfield starlet, currently on the books of Super Lig outfit Trabzonspor, was also a target for Liverpool over the summer following a breakthrough second-half of a campaign last time out.

A move to Anfield didn't materialise, however, and rivals United now look set to take a charge.

---

LIVERPOOL TO MAKE ANOTHER VAN DIJK MOVE

---

Liverpool have not given up in their chase to sign Southampton centre-half Virgil van Dijk, says the Mirror . 

Jurgen Klopp marked the Netherlands international as his priority signing during the summer window but a move broke down due to relationship issues between the two clubs. 

The Liverpool boss will supposedly make another move in January, though, in view of strengthening the Reds' underwhelming defensive unit.

---

TOTTENHAM EYE PREMIER LEAGUE WINGER

---

Everton winger Adamola Lookman is a target for Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham, according to the Mirror .

The England Under-21 forward is yet to make a single Premier League appearance under Ronald Koeman at Goodison Park thus far this season, despite promising displays last term.

Lookman,19, joined the Toffees for £11 million in January of this year and has this campaign been limited to two Europa League outings.

---

BAYERN HOLD THE KEYS TO GORETZKA

---

Bayern Munich lead the race to sign Leon Goretzka, Calciomercato   reports.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has reached a verbal agreement with Schalke for the midfielder, which has warded off interest from several other major clubs including Juventus despite no formal deal being done. 

---

MAN UTD SIGN FIVE HUDDERSFIELD YOUNGSTERS

---

Manchester United have moved quickly to snatch up five players from Huddersfield's youth academy after it was downgraded, according to the Daily Mail .

After Huddersfield scrapped their youth programme from Under-16 down, the players were brought into the Manchester outfit for trials and signed with the club's academy. 

---

TUCHEL CLEAR FAVOURITE FOR BAYERN JOB

---

Thomas Tuchel is considered the "clear favourite" for being the long-term successer for the axed Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern Munich, according to Sport Bild .

Another publication, SPORTBUZZER , reports  talks have already begun between Bayern and the former Borussia Dortmund boss, who was replaced by Peter Bosz after the 2016-17 season. 

Ancelotti was sacked Thursday following a 3-0 loss to PSG in the Champions League, with Willy Sagnol picked to lead Bayern on an interim basis.

---

BARCA STEP UP WERNER INTEREST

---

Barcelona have stepped up their interest in signing RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner, according to  Mundo Deportivo .

Bayern Munich have also shown an interest in the Germany international, with the 21-year-old having scored five goals in six Bundesliga performance so far this season.

Barca believe he would be an affordable option as they look to bolster their squad, with Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka also of interest.

---

SILVA OPEN TO MILAN MOVE

---

Manchester City midfielder David Silva is open to joining AC Milan, according to TransferMarketWeb .

The Spain international's current deal ends in 2019, and the Premier League outfit are hopeful of tieing him down to a fresh contract.

But Silva's head could be turned by the offer of a move to Italy, with Milan and city rivals Inter both showing an interest.

---

SEEDORF A CANDIDATE FOR OLDHAM JOB

---

Former AC Milan manager Clarence Seedorf has been interviewed for the vacant manager's role at Oldham Athletic, according to the  Daily Mirror .

The ex-Real Madrid and Netherlands midfielder has been shown around the club's facilities after they sacked John Sheridan over the weekend.

The Latics are currently second-bottom of the League One table having won just two of their opening 10 league matches of the season.

---

REAL REFUSE RONALDO DEMANDS

---

Real Madrid are refusing to bow to pressure from Cristiano Ronaldo and meet his demands for salary parity with Lionel Messi and Neymar, reports Marca .

The Portuguese is eager to match the €25 million wage packet of the Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain stars, but Real are reluctant to discuss terms having only handed the 32-year-old a new five-year deal in November 2016.

---

ARSENAL JOIN RACE FOR PULISIC

---

Arsenal are the latest in a string of top Premier League and European clubs to register interest in Dortmund's US wonderkid Christian Pulisic, reports the Sun .

Pulisic, 19, has attracted attention from the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool and Tottenham after bursting onto the scene in the Bundesliga. 

The playmaker is already a regular in the BVB starting line-up, despite turning 19 only in September. 

And Arsenal are now willing to do battle with the Merengue and their Premier League rivals in a bid to land Pulisic, although the player himself has pledged he will stay at Dortmund for now.

---

PALACE TURN TO COLE FOR GOALS

---

Crystal Palace are ready to turn to veteran striker Carlton Cole in a bid to improve their anaemic strike-force, according to the Mirror .

The Eagles have failed to hit the net in their first six Premier League outings, and lie rock-bottom after a dreadful start to the season. 

And with Christian Benteke now injured and Palace left without a single fit striker, Roy Hodgson is considering 33-year-old free agent Cole as a stop-gap solution. 

Cole last played in the Premier League for West Ham back in 2015, before leaving first for the USL's Sacramento and later for Persib Bandung in Indonesia.

---

INTER WON'T SWAP JOAO MARIO FOR OZIL

---

Inter Milan won’t let Joao Mario join Arsenal as part of a deal which would see Mesut Ozil move in the opposite direction, claims Calciomercato.com .

Ozil is out of contract at the end of the season and has been linked with a January move to Inter, with Fenerbahce and Manchester United also rumoured to be interested in the Germany international.

Speculation had claimed Arsenal have proposed a swap deal involving Ozil and Joao Mario, but Inter don’t want to lose the Portuguese midfielder.

---

MAN UTD WATCH NAINGGOLAN AGAIN

---

Manchester United have made another check on Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan ahead of a potential bid next summer, claims The Mirror .

Nainggolan has reportedly been a long-term target for United and a club scout watched Roma’s 3-1 win over Udinese in Serie A last weekend.

---

ARSENAL & UTD SCOUT VILLA STRIKER

---

Arsenal and Manchester United scouts were in attendance at Burton Albion on Tuesday night as Aston Villa won 4-0 in the Championship, reports The Mirror .

Villa striker Keinan Davis was reportedly the target of the scouts and the England Under-20 international scored in the victory to make it two goals in his last three games.

---

DE GEA TOLD TO HALT MAN UTD TALKS

---

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has told David de Gea to put talks over a new Manchester United contract on hold, claims Diario Gol .

De Gea is out of contract in 2019 and reports recently suggested that the Spain international was ready to sign an extension in the coming weeks.

However, with De Gea aware a strong showing at next summer’s World Cup will strengthen his bargaining position, he is in no rush to commit to a new deal and Perez wants him to wait before making any decisions.

Article continues below

---

EVERTON PONDER GAMEIRO MOVE

---

Everton are ready to launch a January bid for Atletico Madrid striker Kevin Gameiro, The Mirror reports.

Diego Costa's move to the Spanish capital means the France international's game time will be reduced, and Atleti are willing to sell him for £20 million or loan him out for six months. 

BENITEZ: LIVERPOOL NEED LEICESTER MIRACLE TO WIN PREMIER LEAGU

BENITEZ: LIVERPOOL NEED LEICESTER MIRACLE TO WIN PREMIER LEAGUE

Getty Images

The Newcastle United boss doubts whether his former club can win the Premier League in 2017-18

The Premier League riches of Manchester United, Chelsea and others makes it hard for Liverpool to win silverware, according to former manager Rafael Benitez.

Benitez will reunite with Liverpool when the Merseyside outfit visit his Newcastle United at St James' Park on Sunday.

The Spaniard enjoyed success during his six-year tenure at Anfield, guiding Liverpool to Champions League glory, while they narrowly missed out on the Premier League title in 2008-09 – finishing second to United.

BET9JACASH OUT AVAILABLE!NO MORE SPOILED TICKETS | T&Cs apply

JOIN NOW

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool are among the contenders for this season's crown in their quest to end a 28-year drought but Benitez doubts the club's chances, believing the Reds need a miracle like Leicester City in 2015-16.

"When I arrived at Liverpool, the budget was £20m gross. When I left, it was £17m, but still people said I must win the title, I must compete," Benitez said. 

"If other teams maybe aren’t doing too well, you can be there. We had 86 points one year and finished second. Why? Because United were there.

"Leicester won the title because three or four top sides were really bad and were not performing."

Benitez added: "[Manchester] United had around £50m more every year, but people said I had to compete against them every year. After, there was Chelsea.

"At that time, it was Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. Now you have Manchester City and Tottenham, as well as PSG and the others. But it's always been similar.

"There are massive clubs with massive amounts of money and Liverpool were always a little bit behind.

Article continues below

"How can you win trophies? You have to create a good team with a great atmosphere and work hard and then you can get there.

"The reality is, the teams that have won the title, probably 90 per cent of the time, are the teams with the most money."

Liverpool are sixth in the table and eight points adrift of Manchester United and City, while Newcastle are two points further back.

Buhari, Nana Akufo, Ekwueme others laud Okorocha

Buhari, Nana Akufo, Ekwueme others laud Okorocha

— 1st October 2017

From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri

Presidents Muhammadu Buhari, Nana Addo Akufo of Ghana and a former vice president of Nigeria, Alex Ekwueme have commended Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha over what they described as his large heartedness to assist the less privileged to access education through his foundation. The commendation came yesterday in Owerri, the Imo state capital during the official unveiling  of a book written on the governor by Dr. Wale Okediran with the title “ ROCHAS REVEALED” as part of his 55th birthday celebration.

President Buhari lauded the governor for his passion for education through his foundation which provides free education not only for the less privileged in Nigeria and the entire African  continent.

Buhari who was represented at the event by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyema, said that “ Okorocha has passion for education and he has been using his foundation to ensure that the children of the poor who could not go to school are now doing so because of the  Rochas Foundation and I think that others should indeed emulate him”.

President Akufo of Ghana commended Okorocha whom he claimed to share the same passion with as far as education of the less privileged is concerned. “ I have continued to associate with Governor Okorocha because he shares the same vision with me which is to ensure that even the less privileged in the society have access to quality education and today in Ghana I have made it a policy that every child must have access to at least secondary education.”

Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, who unveiled the book described Okorocha as a man of courage and has equally done well as a governor, noting that whoever takes over from him in 2019 will be assessed by Okorocha’s achievement.

Former Vice President Ekwueme said that Okorocha never allowed his early political setbacks to deter him from his dreams of contributing positively to the society.  “Today, Okorocha is now very famous not only as a politician but as a international philanthropist and only a man with courage can possibly do what he is doing today.

The impact of his foundation is not only felt here in Nigeria but in the entire African continent having taken the bold step of adopting five children from each country in the 55 Countries of Africa is commendable “.

Speaking earlier, Governor Okorocha said that he is the most misunderstood person, but that he has been doing things in his own way and not imitating others or pretending to be what he is not.

Buhari’s Presidency not responsible for Nigeria’s problems –Obi

Buhari’s Presidency not responsible for Nigeria’s problems –Obi

— 1st October 2017

A former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has said that  it was wrong to  blame Buhari or any single person for the problems in the country, which he described as a result of cumulative years of leadership failure for which the entire political class is guilty. 

Obi stated this in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, on Saturday during the 2017 Independence anniversary lecture at the Akanu- ibiam International Conference Centre where he was a guest lecturer.

The former governor who  spoke on the topic “Change and Changing Nigeria through Harnessing of Investment potentials of Ebonyi state: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, expressed regret that the countries with the same growth trajectory as Nigeria in the eighties have all overtaken the country in all indices of development.

The former governor blamed the recent rise in agitation of youth across the country, especially the Indigenous People of Biafra, to the poor leadership of the past administrations in Nigeria, saying that the political class, including himself was guilty.

 He said whether Nigeria was  “out or in of” of recession, that the fact remained that a lot were still needed to be done by the leaders, and called on the country to  embrace the Sustainable Development Goals.  “Nigeria should queue into Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), not in signature. The country is there in signature and it is the only country that got involved in Millennium Development Goal (MDG) and did not achieve one goal because as soon as we signed the signature, we threw it away and came here and started doing things wrongly.

“China put MDGs in their developmental agenda, they mainstreamed it in their developmental agenda and they are targeting to lift 16million people out of poverty but I don’t know how many people Nigeria will lift in the next 10 years because there is no such measurable goals, everything is done in confusion,” he said.

“Our reserve is weak today and we are not talking about savings rather we are borrowing more. He said no country succeeds by such Epicurean life. He thanked Governor Umahi for what he is doing in Ebonyi State and urged him to continue to tell the people he is ruling the truth, adding that the people will trust and believe him the more. Concluding, Obi called on leaders of Nigeria to be alert at the dynamics in the world, especially the shift from baggage to knowledge  economy. His words:

“We are moving from baggage economy to knowledge economy.. So, the country should stop dwelling on solid minerals because it is a baggage economy and nobody lives with it. This is what Nigeria is doing and we are still talking about oil which is already destined to finish one day,” Mr. Obi stated.

Cameroun’s alleged deportation of Nigerian refugees worrisome – fg

Cameroun’s alleged deportation of Nigerian refugees worrisome – fg 

   

— 30th September 2017

Senior Special Assistant to the President on  Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa,  has described the alleged mass forced return of over 100,000 Nigerian asylum seekers by Cameroonian military as worrisome and disturbing.

In a statement on Friday, she decried the inhuman treatment meted out to Nigerian asylum seekers who were affected by the Boko Haram insurgence in the North East. Dabiri-Erewa noted with concern that despite the friendly relationship between the two countries, the alleged mass forced return of Nigerians was disturbing and calls for concern.

The Presidential aide said Cameroon should heed the UN’s call on all countries to protect refugees fleeing the carnage in North East Nigeria and not to return them there. “This unfriendly attitude of the Cameroonian soldiers to Nigerian asylum seekers is really worrisome.’’, Dabiri-Erewa stressed. She appealed to ECOWAS as well as other West African regional groups to prevail on Cameroon to be their brothers’ keeper in a situation like this.

The deportations, according to Human Rights Watch, defy the UN refugee agency’s plea not to return anyone to North-East Nigeria until the security and human rights situation has improved considerably.

Although UNHCR does not have reliable access to most of Cameroon’s border areas with Nigeria, in early June it said its monitoring partners found Cameroon had forcibly returned almost 100,000 Nigerians to their country since January 2015.

Cameroon’s forced returns are a breach of the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the forcible return of refugees and asylum seekers to persecution and, under regional standards in Africa, to situations of generalized violence, such as in North-East Nigeria.

Nigeria can’t afford another war — Clark

Nigeria can’t afford another war — Clark

— 1st October 2017

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

Elder statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has called on Nigerians to desist from hate speeches, ethnic and regional irredentism that are capable of igniting another civil war in the country.

While stating that the country cannot afford another civil war, the former Information Minister called on Nigerians to toe the line of peace rather than engaging in actions that exhibit intolerance and unwillingness to live together.

Speaking with Sunday Sun yesterday, as his independence message to Nigerians, Clark called on both the federal and state governments to tackle the issue of youth unemployment so as to reduce crime and restiveness in the country.

In addition, he called on the Federal Government to put an end to the activities of herdsmen and kidnappers.

He lamented that recent developments in the country were reminiscent of the events that led to the civil war in 1967.  The Ijaw leader strongly condemned the activities of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), saying they brought insecurity to the South-east, while also describing the quit notice a coalition of Arewa youths issued to the Igbo living in the North as treasonable.

Clark said: “At 57, the crisis in the country should be stopped. We don’t want secession; we don’t want another civil war. This young man, Nnamdi Kanu who is calling for Biafra state was only two months old when the war ended.

“Today, he does not respect the elders who fought the war. That the Igbo are marginalised by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is a temporary issue and not enough to call for secession.

  “Let us love one another. The quit notice by the Arewa Youth Council is criminal and treasonable and should be condemned. Everybody is free to live anywhere he wants to. 

“We can’t afford it because it is distractive. At a time when we seek to reposition our country for stronger national cohesion and economic resurgence, to play our destined role in Africa and the world, we do not need this distraction. Governments across the country need a peaceful political and security atmosphere that allows them to concentrate on delivering the promised dividends of democracy to the people.”

Nigeria may not survive beyond 2032 – Cleric

Nigeria may not survive beyond 2032 – Cleric

— 1st October 2017

• Says, Nigerians will be shocked at next president

By Olakunle Olafioye

As Nigerians commemorate 57th independence anniversary of the nation, Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele, founder, INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Lagos has released a shocking revelation over the survival of the country.

The man of God in a book titled “Warnings to the Nations” has predicted that Nigeria might cease to exist as a country in the year 2032.

The message, which is one of several other revelations in the book, predicted that the nation would split into five nations.

”I foresee that from the year 2032 Nigeria will not be one country again as I foresee five nations coming out of Nigeria.

“The bitter truth is that Nigeria will still break… As a matter of fact the country is sitting on a time bomb and on the verge of separation.

“The Spirit of God says Nigeria cannot be together again as a single country in the next 35 years because there will be a lot of confusion but I foresee that the minority tribes will still want Nigeria together while the majority will be clamouring for a new Nigeria.

Ahead of 2019, the man of God revealed that many politicians gearing up for offices will be disappointed. “I foresee that very many politicians will be disappointed. The Spirit of God says most of those who believe they are eligible for the polls may be sidelined at the end.

“The Lord revealed to me that some of the incumbent governors and senators will be disappointed despite their rigging plans for the 2019 polls.”

He added that although power would still return to the North, he however maintained that Nigerians would be jolted by who would rule the nation next.

“The 2019 political project will generate more controversies in the APC and PDP. The Spirit of God says power will still return to the North. Nigerians will be shocked as regards who becomes the president.

Still on 2019 election, Primate Ayodele foretold that the Northerners in the current administration would be divided over the choice of President Muhammadu Buhari as a result of what he described as selfish interest.

“I foresee that the Northerners in President Buhari government will be divided towards 2019. Some will support his agenda but some will not because Buhari will cause problems among the northern elders in 2019 and this will cause some problems for them. I foresee that the Northern elders will be divided because of their selfish interest,” He predicted.

 The cleric also revealed that the name and location of the nation’s seat of power, Aso Rock Villa would be changed in the nearest future just as he urged Nigerians to pray against death and shootings in the villa.     

The book also chronicles revelations about the Senate, House of Representatives, governors in the country, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the agitation for Biafra, anti-corruption crusade, traditional institutions, ministries and government agencies in the country, notable personalities from within and outside the country, international communities and organisations  among many others.

In addition, it highlights over 100 prophecies by the man of God that have come to pass in the recent months. Some of these include the revelation on the attack in the United Kingdom, Nigerian coaches, the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke among several others.