Manchester United Sacks Manager, David Moyes: Ryan Giggs Steps In

April 22, 2014

Manchester United Football club has announced the sacking of its Manager, David Moyes and was quickly replaced with Ryan Giggs, the club’s most decorated player.
In an online announcement today, Manchester United said: “the club would like to place on record its thanks for the hard work, honesty and integrity he brought to the role.”
News of Moyes’s exit comes a day after widespread reports in the British media that he was facing the sack, just 10 months after succeeding Alex Ferguson as manager of the world-famous club.
The 50-year-old Scot endured a torrid debut campaign at Old Trafford, with United falling to seventh place in the Premier League and being eliminated from both domestic cup competitions and the Champions League.
Moyes’s last game in charge was a 2-0 loss at his former club Everton, which confirmed that United would not compete in the Champions League next season for the first time since 1995.
The defeat, United’s 11th of the league campaign, left the defending champions 13 points below the Champions League places and 23 points behind leaders Liverpool.
British newspaper reports today said that Moyes had been informed of his fate during an early-morning meeting with chief executive Ed Woodward at the club’s Carrington training ground.
Meanwhile, a veteran midfielder, Ryan Giggs has been appointed interim manager of club.
Man U announced later today that following the departure of David Moyes as manager, Ryan Giggs, the club’s most decorated player, will assume responsibility for the first team until a permanent appointment can be made.
In a statement on the United website, it added: “the club will make no further comment on this process until it is concluded.”
Giggs, 40, made his United debut in March 1991 and has made a record 962 appearances for the club, winning 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, four FA Cups, four League Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup.
He has no previous managerial experience, but has combined his role as a player with a position on United’s coaching staff since the start of the current campaign.
The Welshman, Britain’s most decorated player, was informed of the news after arriving at United’s Carrington training ground on Tuesday morning.
His first game at the helm will be a home fixture against Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday, which will be followed by matches against Sunderland, Hull City and Southampton.
Louis van Gaal, the current Netherlands coach, has been installed as the favourite to succeed Moyes on a permanent basis by British bookmakers.
However, Jurgen Klopp of Borussia Dortmund, another rumoured contender, has already ruled himself out of the running.
Klopp told British newspaper The Guardian: “Man United is a great club and I feel very familiar with their wonderful fans. But my commitment to Borussia Dortmund and the people is not breakable.”

Why The Senate Must Go Beyond Regime Protection By Garba Shehu

Garba Shehu

April 22, 2014

That David Mark’s Senate has given this country something that is very important: it is a Senate imbued with reassuring maturity that has ensured stability for the country’s young democracy. It is a gift that will not escape the interest of contemporary historians. Their fixation with the legacy of democratic stability and often conciliatory tone in dealing with Jonathan’s executive arm of the government gives, on the other hand, a sense of evasiveness, if not irresponsibility. Mark himself, as said in a previous article, is a true model for this country’s historically restless and ambitious armed forces personnel who resorted to
coups-d’ etat to achieve their ambition of power. Senator Mark as I said at that time, has proven by his success in the army and later politics that it is indeed possible for any ambitious military personnel to shred their uniform, fight it out in the political turf and achieve leadership positions through democratic means. While it is no shame to rise from undemocratic origins as he did, this by itself doesn’t guarantee the broad vision needed to run a chaos called Nigeria.
The problem most people see with this Senate is that it is mellow and evasive on critical issues affecting the nation. In the name of stability and democratic well-being of the nation, they seem to think that a blind support for the President means the same thing as support for democracy. Based on this wrong notion, they continue to give an uncritical support and, if you like, free pass to government on almost every issue including, but not limited to non-observance of the rule of law, and a chronic inability to implement budget appropriation beyond 30-35 percent. The Senate sits pretty as the civil society, media and political parties speak with one voice day-in-day-out in a trite against an inept government that thinks that doling out national wealth through outright bribes and myriad of waivers and subsidies and entitlement programmes is the way to keep power. We have corruption in a monstrous scale, though it must be said that inefficiency, corruption, chicanery, cheating and venality among other ills have been with the country for a long time.
The difference this time is that we are in a boom period. The question on the lips of many is for how long the Senate will continue to cozy itself to the administration, behaving like dynastic
Maharajas. Nobody has a divine right to rule us.
This is an attitude that cannot be justified even where there is a sense among some of them that they bought their seats and are therefore entitled to reap where they sowed.
While the House of Representatives appears ready, at all times to do business with Nigerians on all matters, notably on the issue of national security, the Senate is yet to wake up to its duty as the nation reaps deaths as its daily wages. We need radical defence and national security reforms to stem the slide into permanent insecurity that has put Nigeria in an infamous club that groups Nigeria with Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia. They all know what is needed of them and say it: this beautiful country is heading toward destruction. Is our Senate going to be a catalyst for change? This will require them to hold the government accountable and force its hands to carry out meaningful physical action, not just empty words which mean nothing as life becomes a cheap commodity throughout the land. It is very clear by now that the stand point of government is to hold on to power. Beyond this, nothing matters at all. Senators on their own have one pre-occupation, which is that nothing must upset the apple cart. There is suspicion that they are being paid money to give the government a lee-way. But for how long, and at what cost to humanity? Should we continue to wait on the government to brace itself to challenges of lawlessness and terrorism?
There was a recent statement by the Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, that some ministers were more powerful than the federal government that appointed them. The drama playing out between the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Up-stream) and the Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke is nothing short of an affirmation of this statement. However, the Senate as a whole seems to be at a loss as to how to deal with a recalcitrant minister who has willfully refused to respond to its summons. The Senate’s response is now in the court of public opinion but by this yardstick alone, the upper chamber of the parliament doesn’t just look pretty.
Political maturity does not mean that the Senate, as an important arm of the federal parliament, should continue to play deaf and dumb to the yearnings of Nigerians who wish to have their government sit up. No man has ever earned anyone’s respect by being too courteous. The only way to earn respect is by standing equal or superior to somebody. This is inherent in the concept of separation of powers in the Presidential system we practice. If the Senate does not show the guts needed to call this government to order, there is no way the willingness to do so by the House can fetch us anything. It is a bi-cameral parliament.
My view here is more of a call for a paradigm change of Nigeria’s anti-terrorism policy and the need for good governance–which the parliament can force the executive arm to do-rather than a call for outright impeachment which, though warranted, is unattainable, given the fractiousness of parties, factions and of the political space. The Senate as the senior arm of the bi-cameral legislature has a leadership role beyond regime protection, which lies in putting the country in a more stable condition and peace for our people. And to do this, no one should dream of eating omelet without breaking eggs.

National Confab Runs Into Murkey Waters: Members, None Members Allege Bribery, Favouratism, Discrimination

Greenbarge Reporters

April 22, 2014

National Conference is now enmeshed in both internal and external conflicts over the constitution of the 20 Standing Committees to look into the various burning national issues in conformity with its mandate. While some members of the conference have accused the secretariat of discriminating in the choice of heads of the committees and taking bribe from those who were desperate to head or co-head the committees, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has accused the conference chairman, Justice Idris Kutigi of religious discrimination.
Some members of the conference have been mumbling bitter complaints that even during the plenary session, some members were regarded as sacred cows and given more than enough opportunities to speak on matters being discussed while those regarded as dark horses were denied a single opportunity to contribute.
“That was why the Lamido of Adamawa went wild when he was finally given to contribute when he said that if the conference continued to discriminate by denying certain members from contributing to discussions, he would pull Adamawa state from Nigeria,” a member recalled.
Another ‘dark horse’ member complained that many names of his type were missing in the first committees that were announced, adding that even when the committees were re-jig, they were grouped in obscure committees.
“Some of the so-called high-profile members were said to have bribed the secretariat staff to make them chairmen and co-chairmen of lucrative committees,” another delegate said.
Meanwhile, CAN leadership has expressed concern over the composition of the leadership of National Conference Committee on Religion. It accused chairman of carrying out an Islamic agenda.
The association accused the ex-Chief Justice of Nigeria of appointing a Muslim from his home state, Niger, as the chairman of the committee but refused to make a CAN delegate a co-chairman.
A statement by the Director (National Issues) in CAN, Mr. Sunny Oibe, entitled ‘Justice Idris Kutigi’s Islamic Agenda & Confab Committee on Religion’, said the appointment of Bishop Felix Ajakaiye was laced with mischief as he was representing Ekiti State in the conference and not CAN.
Oibe said the mischief became more pronounced when Kutigi decided to include the name of a delegate, Dr. Jonathan Obaje, representing Nigerians in the Diaspora as a member of the Committee on Religion, after granting permission to him to travel abroad.
The association therefore demanded equal representation in the confab, adding, “If Muslims are 12, Christians must be 12 in the committee on religion.”
The statement reads: “We hereby express our reservations on the composition of the members of the National Conference Committee on Religion and without fear or contradiction state that the Chairman of the Conference, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, has done his wish to ensure that the leadership of the committees favours Muslims in Nigeria.
“He is from Niger State and the Committee on Religion should be a sensitive committee. The chairman has decided to scatter the Christians in the confab and now brought Nurudeen Lemu, the son of Sheikh Lemu, who is also from Niger State, to chair the committee and did not pick any delegate representing the Christian Association of Nigeria.
“The supposed Christian in the committee, Dr. Jonathan Obaje, representing the Diaspora in the confab, has been given express permission by Kutigi to travel back overseas for holiday; he is not even in Nigeria at present and does not represent CAN. The delegate is not around and Christians will be affected during voting.
“Bishop Felix Ajakaiye, who was named co-Chairman in the committee is representing Ekiti State and not CAN. In that case, we have already lost and the ratio will now be 12 members for Muslims and six for Christians.
“To us in CAN, Justice Kutigi is working out a script to undermine the interest of the Christians in the confab. Ordinarily, the Christians, who have been at the receiving end from the members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect in the North, should be a co-chairman in the Committee on Religion. But what Kutigi did was to pick a Muslim from the North as chairman and a Christian from the South-West (Ajakaiye), who has little or no knowledge of what is happening in the North as co-chairman.
“The interest of Christians in this case, will not be adequately protected. Already, the confab is a stage-managed conference. President Goodluck Jonathan has a good intention; but there is a problem in allowing Kutigi to be chairman.
“Justice Kutigi is from Niger State and he decided to pick his Muslim brother from Niger State to head such a sensitive committee. So Christians in Nigeria are not happy and we don’t expect that a man, who is highly placed like Justice Kutigi would allow his religion to override national interest. That is why he decided to keep the issue of religion and the committee to himself closely.
“So we are asking the Vice Chairman of that Conference, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, what he is doing there? It may also interest Nigerians to note that none of the delegates sent by CAN were allowed to head any committee in the confab; this is unfortunate. Where is the transparency? Where is the equity and fairness?
“For us, we have no problem with Ajakaiye but we see his choice as a mischief by Kutigi. Ajakaiye is a Christian from the South West but to us, a Christian from the North and CAN delegate, who knows how Christians are being slaughtered on daily basis by Boko Haram should be the co-chairman of the committee. But Kutigi refused because he is carrying out an Islamic agenda.
“These are the same people, who claimed that Jonathan skewed the conference to favour the Christians. But the truth has now been revealed that Kutigi is the person who skewed the committee to undermine the Christians.”
In his reaction to the allegation, the Assistant Secretary of the Conference on Media and Communications, Mr. Akpandem James, said there was nothing wrong in the composition of the committee on religion.
He said, “Is Bishop Ajakaiye not a Christian? Somebody is a Christian and because he is not a CAN delegate, he shouldn’t be co-chairman? Look, CAN is just an association and it is not every Christian that is a member. Not all churches in Nigeria are members of CAN. Must somebody come from Borno or Yobe State before heading a committee on religion?
“We had few people representing CAN and is that a group that should dictate what to do? The committee is made up of Christians and Muslims,whether you are a member of CAN or Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria. Are there not other members of SCIAN? People are just looking for trouble where there’s none.”

My Boss Never Stole N76 Billion, FCT Minister’s Aide Swears

Greenbarge Reporters

April 21, 2014

Mr. Nosike Ogbuenyi, special assistant on media to the minister of the Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed has sworn that his boss had no hand in the N76 Billion National Public Security Communications System CCTV scam.
Ogbuenyi, today, condemned insinuation by the Executive Chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), Comrade Debo Adeniran that the minister was part of the $470m (N76billion) CCTV scam.
The minister’s Special Assistant said was emphatic that the CCTV contract was neither awarded nor executed by the FCT Administration.
“We regard that unguarded outburst by Comrade Adeniran as a shameful advertisement of ignorance not just on the part of the man himself but also on the part of the organization that he purports to lead. While the FCT Administration has been doing a lot to enhance security of lives and property in the FCT and is ever ready to collaborate with any person, institution, ministry, commission or group committed to the same objective, the fact needs to be stressed that the Abuja CCTV project was never a baby of the FCT Administration by conception, execution or supervision.”
Ogbuenyi asked Comrade Adebayo to render an unreserved apology to the Minister for wrongful accusation and defamation, adding: “if those calling for FCT Minister’s prosecution on account of a CCTV contract that he neither originated nor executed are not comprehensive illiterates, they should have been able to at least carry out preliminary internet research on the project to ascertain those that awarded and executed the contract.”
The minister’s mouth piece advised CACOL leader to always carry out proper investigation on issues before making public pronouncements on them in order to avoid ridiculing himself and embarrassing innocent persons and institutions.
Ogbuenyi described the CCTV project as an important project in the estimation of the FCT Administration and enjoined those responsible for the installation, completion and operation of the vital security devices to do the needful thing to make them fully operational.

Group Calls For Probe Of Massacre Of Fulani In Nasarawa State

Greenbarge Reporters

April 21, 2014

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on National Assembly and National Human Rights Commission to probe what it described as the massacre of Fulani people in Kadarko and Rugar Ardo Sodangi settlements in Keana Local Government, Nasarawa State on 2nd April, 2014.
In a statement today, the Director of the Muslim Rights Concern,
Professor Ishaq Akintola recalled how heavily armed men of the Nigerian Army allegedly drove in a convoy of ten Hilux vans on 2nd April, 2014 to Kadarko and Rugar Ardo Sodangi settlements of Keana Local Government, Nasarawa State and allegedly descended on a small group of mourners of Fulani descent.
“They shot all of them. Fifteen (15) people of Fulani extraction lay dead at the end of the operation. Three (3) were badly injured.”
Professor Akintola noted that this tragic scenario has constituted the emerging pattern in several parts of Northern Nigeria, particularly in Plateau, Benue and Adamawa states.
He strongly condemned what he called “the callous, criminal and barbaric act of those men in army uniform who massacred innocent Fulanis. We affirm that herdsmen have the right to graze their cattle. It is the duty of the state and Federal Governments to ensure that grazing grounds are provided where farmlands will not be in danger of being destroyed.
“This has been the practice for decades and we are surprised that it is now becoming an issue.
“We call on the defence committees in the National Assembly to investigate the massacre of the innocent Fulani people of Keana Local Government. We remind the Federal Government that it is its duty to provide protection for all Nigerians, including Fulani herdsmen throughout the federation.”
He also called on the National Human Rights Commission to investigate “this atrocity and come up with its report. Finally, we remind Nigerians that a nation seeking peace cannot afford to target any ethnic group for profiling.
We should be guided by the tragedy in Rwanda.”

National Conference May Submit Report To President Jonathan On June 19

Greenbarge Reporters

April 21, 2014

National Conference which begins Committee works, with 20 Committees now in place, may submit its final report to its convener, President Goodluck Jonathan between June 16 and 19 this year.

According to the Work Plan, the Conference is expected to receive reports from committees and commence deliberations on May 5 and May 6 before breaking the plenary again for participation in the World Economic Forum which will hold in Abuja.

Deliberation on the various committee reports will resume on May 12 and will last till May 15 when deliberations would be completed.

Between May 19 to 29, the Conference Secretariat, working with the Report Drafting Committee, will put the report together and present such to the Conference in plenary.

Consideration and adoption of the draft reports by the Conference in plenary will start on June 2 and will end on June 12 after which the final report would be produced and signed between June 16 and 19.

The Work Plan indicates that Committee work would begin tomorrow, Tuesday April 22 and would end on Wednesday April 30, even though some of the members are arguing that the time allocated to committee work is too short in view of the exhaustive and thorough job expected to be done.

But, the Confab chairman, Justice Kutigi has advised delegates to first get down to work; and if it becomes necessary to extend the time, the appropriate representation will be made to that effect.

He explained that the Work Plan was drawn based on the time allotted to the Conference by the Federal Government; and that any attempt at arbitrary adjustment could be misunderstood even by the general public who may misconstrue the motive.

He however assured that everything would be done to ensure that lack of time does not hinder the justification of the Conference but urged delegates to properly articulate their points at the committee level and be opened to suggestions from others. Delegates who have useful position papers that can help committees other than their own are also encouraged to forward such documents to the appropriate committees.

I’m Not Responsible For Delay In 2014 Budget, National Assembly Clerk Swears

Greenbarge Reporters

April 21, 2014

Clerk to the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa has made it clear that the delay in submitting the 2014 national budget to President Goodluck Jonathan for his assent was not caused by him.

Maikasuwa, who was reacting to allegation that he delayed the transmission of the bill to the President for assent, at an interview today, said that it was only on April 16 that the bill came to his table.

The Senate had passed the N4.6tr budget on April 9, while the House of Representatives ‎passed it on April 10. The two chambers had upped the total estimates by over N53bn from Jonathan’s original version.

Maikasuwa explained that though the two chambers acted on the budget on the 9th and 10th respectively, it was not until ‎April 16 that the copy reached his desks from the clerks to the chambers.

He added that on getting the copy, he had to‎ forward it to the Legal Unit for necessary cross-checking, adding: “you see, usually, there will be one or two errors to be corrected.

“It is a budget and we must be careful to remove the errors; that is the work of the legal unit. It is not true that I delayed it.

“By God’s grace, the budget will be transmitted to the President for his assent on Tuesday this week.”

President Jonathan is expected to sign the bill into law immediately it gets to his table.

Ugandan Coach Allegedly Harasses Female Athletes Sexually, Sends On Suspension

Greenbarge Reporters

April 21, 2014

An Ugandan athletics coach, Peter Wemali has been suspended by the country’s Athletics Federation (UAF) for what has been alleged to be sex scandal.

Reports have it today that Wemali was accused of sexually harassing female elite female athletes. It was alleged that Team Captain, Moses Kipsiro, a Commonwealth Games gold medalist and one of Uganda’s top distance runners, complained that Wemali allegedly harassed female teammates.

The report quotes Domenic Otuchet, the President of UAF, as saying that the federation is still investigating the allegation, adding that Jessica Alupo, the Minister of Sports in Uganda, has also promised to investigate the allegation against Wemali.

The Ugandan Police spokesman, Mr. Fred Enanga, confirmed the story, saying: “We are taking up the matter, those with information should pass it on to us for investigations.’’

When Silence Would Have Been Golden By Yusuf Ozi-Usman

Yusuf Ozi-Usman

April 20, 2014

The outing of Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom state into the pulic glare shortly after a security meeting the governors had with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa on Thursday last week was like one shooting self in the chest.
In deed, it was like a good footballer, who after dribbling all the opponents and instead of shooting into the opponents’ net, turned, ran amoc back into his eighten and scored self-goal deliberately.
A few minutes after the Thursday’s meeting, chairman of Greenbarge Media and Communications Limited, a veteran Journalist himself, phoned me to express his disappointment on the fact that Governors from the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) shunned such a very imprtant security meeting as some online media featured it.
“You can see how the APC plays politics even with security matter that should have been the preoccupation of every Nigerian, irrespective of political or religious affiliation,” he raved on.
When I told him that Governor Akpabio had briefed newsmen to say that the APC governors were not invited; that it was a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) affair, the chairman changed his anger: “why would PDP arrogate to itself the matter that ought to cut across party lines?” He dismissed the excuse given by governor Akpabio to the effect that the President had scheduled an enlarged security meeting with all the 36 governors of the federation as an after-thought.
Even though, a press statement issued by Dr. Reuben Abati, the President’s special adviser on media and publicity the previous day had clearly stated that all the (36) governors were scheduled to hold the meeting with the President, the attempt by governor Akpabio to show that APC governors were deliberately excluded was a direct indictment on the PDP and technically exonerated APC governors from any blame.
In any case, it would have made a lot of sense if, assuming Governor Akpabio was right, the APC were actually made part of that Thursday’s meeting which was at the period the Nyanya bomb blast and abduction of dozens of female students in Borno state were still fresh and burning across the country. This is saying that it did not make any security and political sense for PDP to make the Thursday meeting more of a party affair, using it as a springboard for an all-inclusive governors’ meeting at the date the freshness of the circumstances that called for such meeting would have frozen into the air.
Undoubtedly, governor Akpabio, as usual, had intended to injure the APC by implying that it’s governors’ presence at such meeting had no value-added to the solution to the security challenges: that PDP had all it takes to face the challenges, but what he had simply succeeded in doing was to belittle the magnitude of the situation at hand and above all, resorted to politicking in a matter as universally dangerous to the corporate existence of this country and collective happiness of all, I mean, all the citizenry.
The governor had successfully played into the hand of APC, which simply cuncur later, when the heat was on, that it’s governors were actually not invited to the meeting with the President.
You can see what talking too much, and wanting at all times to undo the ‘enemies’ can cause even to one self?

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Namadi Sambo Describes Traditional Rulers As Custodians Of Cultural Values

Greenbarge Reporters

April 19, 2014

Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has described the traditional rulers as custodians of Nigeria’s cultural values.
The Vice President who was at the Turbaning Ceremony of the Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, as the Dallatun Zazzau, by the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris today
Arc Sambo while advising the newly turbaned Dallatu said “As custodians of our rich history, culture and traditions, I urge you to follow the footsteps of your predecessors by being steadfast in your responsibilities and roles assigned to you. You must at all time keep in mind that you represent our rich and noble values and must continue to protect the positive image of the emirate locally and international.”
Namadi Sambo said that the conferment of the exalted title on the Governor is noteworthy, saying that it is part of the efforts by Emirate to consolidate on its gains by repositioning its fortunes
Speaking, Governor Ramalan Yero expressed appreciation to Almighty Allah for the recognition, even as he appreciated the Emir and his council, his parents and those that had played prominent roles in his life.
He also thanked Vice President Namadi Sambo for the positive role he played in his life, even as he pledged to uphold the virtues of the title.
He called on residents of the State to join hands with him to deliver on his developmental goals.
Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and also the Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, who spoke on behalf of his counterparts, expressed appreciation to the Emir and his council for recognizing one of their own.
He said that this has shown the synergy between the traditional institution and those in government.
Earlier, the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, said that the title was in recognition of the immense contributions of the Governor to the progress of the Emirate, Kaduna State and the country at large.
He prayed for continued peace, stability and tranquility in the country.
The event had a very colourful Durbar and was graced by the Governors of Gombe, Katsina and Kogi States. Others also present were several deputy governors, members of the executive and legislature from both the state and federal levels, as well as thousands of well wishers.
Governor Ramalan Yero is the 19th Dallatun Zazzau, and the third to be installed by the current Emir

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