Revealed: Why Musa Handed Over To Mikel

(R-L)Newly-appointed captain of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Mikel Obi, coach Samson Siasia and Ahmed Musa, during the press conference earlier today.

Facts have emerged on the real reason behind the recent change of baton in the Super Eagles leadership. On Thursday, March 24, the media was awash with reports that erstwhile captain, Ahmed Musa (appointed by former Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh) handed over the armband to John Obi Mikel.

Reactions had since trailed the act carried out by Musa, one of the more experienced players in the squad, as Nigerians hailed him as the most humble member of the team. Checks have however, revealed that newly-appointed coach of the team, Samson Siasia had met with both players on Wednesday evening, explaining that he wants the captain to be the longest-serving player in the squad (which Mikel Obi fitted in more than any other player), hence the change of baton.

According to Colin Udoh, a respected sports journalist and member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) marketing team, the decision to make Musa captain had been known to both players prior to the meeting where Mikel was officially announced to the media.

2019: APC Endorses Buhari For Second Term

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus endorsed Buhari at a meeting held on Tuesday night, sources privy to the situation in the party revealed why the caucus made the endorsement before 2019 presidential election.

Impeccable source has it that the national caucus comprising serving and former governors, the National Assembly leadership, and selected members of the national executive of the party at a meeting held on Tuesday night endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari to run for a second term in office. According to them, the endorsement of Buhari for a second term would help to stabilize the polity considering the 16-year rot inherited from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

President Buhari

The caucus at the meeting constituted a committee to resolve all pending issues in the party among other pressing issues agreed on. It was gathered that the caucus agreed that President Buhari should be allowed to seek a second term, though some of the caucus members also noted that it was too early to kick start a second term campaign for the president. It was further learnt that the matter was brought to the fore in a bid to curb restiveness among some party leaders, who have been split over their 2019 political ambition. The development is attributed to the problems that led to the crisis in the National Assembly and also the inability of the party to inaugurate its board of trustees (BoT) till date.

 A source privy to the situation in the party said: “With Buhari contesting in 2019, those who have been squabbling will now have to queue up behind him and put the interest of the party ahead.” In a related development, senators elected on the platform of the party on Tuesday night also decided to work together. In a meeting held in Abuja, the senators vowed to unify themselves in order not to misplace their influence to the more united PDP caucus in the house.

However, the national chairman of the party, chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who spoke with journalists at the end of the meeting, clarified that there was no threat against his position. He dismissed reports of pressure on him to resign his office, saying: “I am not aware that my office is under threat. I led the party to the State House. It amazes me, occasionally it annoys me. That is one of the things you have to endure when you are in a position like mine.” The national chairman confirmed that a committee was set up to resolve all the crises in the party. He urged Nigerians to give the party time to deliver, assuring them that the administration would pick up after the 2016 budget is passed.

As part of efforts to avoid fissures and internal feuds in the party, the president has ordered the worth-west governors and leaders to reunite Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his predecessor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. Meanwhile, as the party is busy settling personal issues and internal disputes as well as preparing for 2019 presidential election, the country’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party has asked President Buhari to constitute a panel that will investigate the violence that characterised the Rivers state rerun parliamentary election.

Boko Haram militants “abduct 16 women, girls” in Adamawa

At least 16 female residents of Adamawa State were abducted Wednesday by suspected Boko Haram militants, the police and local officials said.
Police said a team of officers had been deployed to the area to search for the abducted persons.
Those abducted include 14 women and two girls. They were seized in Sabongari Madagali, in Madagali Local Government of the state, a federal lawmaker representing the area said.
Local sources said some of the women were taken from a nearby bush where they went in search of firewood.
Others were seized from a nearby river while fishing.
A source said two women managed to escape the abductors by pretending to have drowned.
“The two women who are in real state of trauma told us that the suspected Boko Haram insurgents had a field day carting away the women when their escorts ran away for their dear lives,” the source said.
He said two vigilante operatives who escorted the women to the bush fled on sighting the heavily armed men, who arrived good numbers.
“They left the women to their own devices as the gunmen were left unchallenged leading to the abduction of the said women,” the source said.
Confirming the incident, the member representing Michika/ Madagali Federal constituency, Adamu Kamale, said, “I just received the shocking news to the effect that about 16 women have been abducted by Boko Haram.
“We have been witnessing pockets of attacks contrary to the belief that security has been fully restored in the area. As a member of NASS( National Assembly), I have been calling for the deployment of security personnel but to no avail as the government seems to have relegated our concerns to the background”.
The Police Public Relations Officer of Adamawa, Othman Abubakar, said on learning about the development, the command deployed officers to the affected area.
He said police were working “round the clock to track down the abducted women and girls”.

INFO BOSS HARPS ON FRUITS OF GOV EMMANUEL’S ADMINISTRATION

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah has enlisted the construction of 150km of roads, eleven bridges  as well as the numerous industrialization projects fast gaining momentum in the state as good fruits of the Governor Udom Emmanuel-led administration.

Mr. Aniekan Umanah made this known in a keynote address presented at the opening of 2016 annual synod of Methodist church, Nigeria, Diocese of Nkek Abak, held recently at the Cathedral of Redemption, Ikot Okoro road, Abak.

The Information Boss who was speaking on the theme, “chosen to bear fruits”, drawn from John15:16, said the dividends of democracy enjoyed by the people of the state, including the sustained free and compulsory education policy, the free medical services and the poverty alleviation and empowerment programmes are eloquent testimonies of fruits of a good government.

Umanah

Mr. Umanah further enlisted the emergency intervention on gully erosion along Calabar- Itu road at Enen Atai and at school of nursing, Anua, the facelift to st. Luke’s hospital, Anua, construction of Gynecology block as well as rehabilitation of the children and male wards for the people of the state as the numerous good fruits of Governor Udom Emmanuel.

The Commissioner who mentioned the ten year old blind boy who regained sight recently with the free surgery of FEYReP as an added booster of the fruits of the present government, emphasized that good fruits only come out from good trees stressing that the fruits enjoyed in the state attest to the good leadership of Governor Udom Emmanuel.

He urged all Christians to strive to bear good fruits in their different callings, career pursuits and life endeavours, reiterating that, God abhors lack of fruits in His children as illustrated by the story of the fig tree recorded in Mark 11:12 – 14.

Mr. Umanah however disclosed that, fruits in Christians manifest not only in the physical, with such measureable indices like development, growth, expansion, improvement in condition or standard of living, elevation in academic or political ambition and indeed in promotion generally, but also in the spiritual realm as Christians are a composite of the physical body and the spirit.

The Commissioner therefore admonished Christians to abound in fruits of the spirits which are; love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance, as recorded in Galatians 5:22-23.

While congratulating the church for the success of the 2016 synod, he urged delegates to take out time to pray for the leadership of the State and the country at large for sustained good governance, reiterating that, the church is a dependable partner in the development of the society.

Present at the occasion were the Bishop of Methodist church, Diocese of Nkek Abak, His Lordship Rt. Rev. Simeon U. U. Ekpo, the Lay President, Elder Engr. Akhemini E. Udom and the Synod Secretary, Very Rev. Emmanuel U. Akpan, among others.