Ex-Gov. Alams' Son Commits Suicide

Former Governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, popularly called Alams, has lost one of his sons, Oyoms, in Dubai, United Arab Emirate. Oyoms was said to have committed suicide while riding in an elevator in the desert city. As at the moment of this report, details were still hazy about the cause of the suicide.

Nigerian football is long dead, —Okocha

The

former skipper of the Super Eagles, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, has expressed disappointment with the senior national team, over the 1-0 loss to Sudan in the African Cup of Nations Qualifiers in Khartoum on Saturday. The two-time BBC African Footballer of the Year described the defeat as confirming his worst fears that “football is long dead and gone” in Nigeria. Writing on Twitter on Sunday, Okocha wondered if the Super Eagles could have performed better, considering the level of development of football in the country. Stating that the result of the match has put the national team in a “very unusual situation,” he cautioned against unfairly criticising the Super Eagles and the coaching crew. “We are in a very unusual situation. The question is: ‘do we deserve better considering the state of our football affairs in recent times?’ Anyone that blames Keshi or the boys is short-sighted. Our football is long dead and gone. This is just the confirmation,” the former Nigerian midfielder tweeted. The teammate of the Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, however, praised the South African national team for their 2-0 triumph over their host, Congo, adding that Nigeria should step up their game. “Well done, South Africa. It is not the result most Nigerians expected, though. But we have to step up our game and grab the next six points to have a chance,” Okocha added. Meanwhile, Nigerians have been divided over the Super Eagles’ slim chances of qualifying for the 2015 African Cup of Nations following the Sudan defeat. While some social commentators argued that Keshi should voluntarily throw in the towel or be sacked, others said he should not be unceremoniously removed. Hashtags such as #keshiOut, demanding Keshi’s sacking, have since gone viral online. Football commentator for Optima Live, Deji Faremi, said he held the belief that “Keshi’s cup is full”, adding that “Keshi should leave.” Faremi, however, noted that Keshi is not the “devil” behind Nigeria’s football woes, saying Nigerians should also begin to ask some pertinent questions about the running and development of football in the country. “Yes, Keshi has lost his dressing room and is always quarrelling with his players. And he is really arrogant, too. I think Keshi should leave. I believe he should leave. I won’t hold brief for Keshi; he should leave. But let’s ask ourselves: How many tactically-strong coaches, including foreign ones, have Nigeria had in the last five to 10 years? “When Keshi leaves, are we going to get a coach who is truly better, or are we going to continue with the same mediocrity? Do Nigeria really have top or world-class players at the moment compared to other African and non-African teams? “Imagine dumping many of these players, does Nigeria have genuinely better replacements? Do we think it’s not a problem that we do well in age-grade competitions, but the players ‘decline’ as they grow? “Another important question is: Do Nigerian players (almost all) play as well for the national team as they do for the clubs? Is that double standards? Can Nigerians stop acting like he’s the devil? I also think Nigerians should start realising Keshi is not 30 per cent of the problem of our football,” Faremi argued on Twitter. Lamenting the performance of the Super Eagles, sports analyst with Super Sport, Colin Udoh, stated that the present crop of Super Eagles did not deserve to participate in the African Cup of Nations holding in Morocco. In his analysis of the match, Udoh stated that the Super Eagles lost early chances, adding that the various passes in the midfield were “pointless” with “no real penetration.” With the Super Eagles at the bottom of the table in Group A – with one point from three matches – Udoh tweeted, “Funny that South Africa may have done Nigeria a favour by winning. But this team (Super Eagles) does not deserve to be in Morocco.” A social commentator, Emeka Enyadike, wrote on Twitter that it was worrisome that Nigeria’s “best chances” at the qualifying match came from Mikel Obi, stating that the development showed that the Super Eagles “really has a problem.” Disagreeing with those calling for the head of Keshi, however, a respondent, Abubakar Isimbabi, explained that Keshi’s sacking would not solve the Super Eagles’ problem. Source: PUNCH

Ideye and Anichebe in fitness race

West Brom forwards Brown Ideye and Victor Anichebe are scheduled to return to full training this week as their prepare to face Manchester United this weekend. Ideye has been sidelined since injuring his ankle against Hull, while Anichebe has been absent with a groin problem. West Brom manager Alan Irvine is confident Ideye will be ready for the game, although the ex-Everton man will be assessed before then. “We are expecting Victor and Brown to train at the beginning of next week – certainly Brown, Victor we are not as confident about,” Irvine said on the club’s website. “He’s 50-50 in terms of being able to train on Monday, but Brown we are almost certain will train then.”

Afolabi Olayinka : Thunderstorm kills three teenagers in Ogun state

Afolabi Olayinka : Thunderstorm kills three teenagers in Ogun state

Thunderstorm kills three teenagers in Ogun state

If you notices the sunden thunderstorm yesterday, you can testify has a Tragedy struck yesterday, at Ijale Ijaka Street in Ijoun, Ayetoro area in Yewa South local government area of Ogun state when thunder struck and killed three teenagers. The tragic incident, which occurred during a heavy rainfall reportedly killed Sunday Mulero,13, Dare Olaifa,15 and Sodiq Segun, 15. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi confirmed the incident. Adejobi in a statement said , the information made available to the Police Public Relations Officer of the command by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ayetoro Division revealed that the young boys were “playing “outside their house when the thunder struck and killed them instantly. “The Divisional Police Officer with his police operatives,who responded to distress calls put to them,rushed down to the scene to possibly rescue the teenagers but were confirmed dead immediately on arrival at the hospital.The corpses were kept in the mortuary for necessary actions. “The Commissioner of Police Ogun State CP Ikemefuna Okoye has described the incident as unfortunate. He then sympathized with the families of the deceased and prayed for God’s mercies and protection over other members of the affected families. “The Police boss therefore seizes this opportunity to advise the general public to learn from the past so as to adjust our futures,and warn our children to desist from playing under heavy rainfall or engage themselves in any “dangerous” activities that could make their lives precarious to them,for this particular incident had occurred on many occasions in Ogun State and in many other states.

I have no grudge against anyone in PDP –Obasanjo

Th

e former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Sunday said he bore no grudge against anybody in the Peoples Democratic Party. He, however, said he was not happy with the choice of Mr. Buruji Kashamu as the Chairman, Mobilisation and Organisation committee of the party in the South-West. The former president was reacting to the plea made last week by the PDP chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, the Senate President, David Mark, and a former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, for him to return to the party. In a statement on Sunday, Obasanjo described the plea to come back to the party as wrong and a great misrepresentation. He said he was away to South Africa to attend a meeting of the African Union on crisis in South Sudan when he heard about the plea for forgiveness. He said, “Talking of inviting me back to the PDP is wrong and it is a great misrepresentation as I have never left the PDP and I will never leave the PDP. I have said it before and I will say it again, I rose to become the President of Nigeria on the platform of the PDP and for that reason alone, I will remain a card-carrying and ward-active member of the PDP for as long as I have to be a political party member.” He also added that nobody had personally offended him as a result of his membership of the PDP. Obasanjo, however, noted that if anybody or group felt offended by his continued membership of the PDP, he would offer an unreserved apology and would continue to remain in the party. He said, “I have had occasions to say to the President (Goodluck Jonathan), the Senate President (David Mark) and the party chairman separately that I have no quarrel with any individual or group in the party. There are, for me, issues of principle, morality, honour, integrity, commitment, and character which are paramount.” Obasanjo added, “For instance, as a former President of Nigeria, the Chairman of West Africa Commission on Drug and a member of the Global Commission on Drug, I cannot accept that the zonal leader of my political party and, worse still in my zone, will be an indicted drug baron wanted in America. How do I explain that to friends outside Nigeria? This is only one of the many issues that I have pointed and still pointing out.” He said he had a “national and international standard to maintain and reputation to keep and sustain.” And for these reasons, he had opted to remain active only at the ward level of the Party till the leadership did the needful. He said his commitment to the party was total and under no condition would it diminish.

11 killed, others injured in Ibadan market fire

At least 11 people lost their lives while several others sustained varying degrees of burns after a tanker laden with petrol burst in flames around Molete Market, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Mr. Samson Oyewole, and an eight year-old girl were among the victims of the fire which burnt 45 shops at the market on Saturday night.Although Oyewole was fortunate not to have die. Source: PUNCH