NEWS
Enugu State Govt to Host 2024 Sports Festival
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Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu
Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, said that the State government plans to host Enugu State Sports Festival in 2024 as part of the programmes to reposition sports in the state and also prepare Enugu for the next National Sports Festival (NSF) where the state targets top-three position.
Dr. Mbah, who rued the decline in sports development and pedigree of Enugu State, said the positions occupied by the state in the past 20 years do not represent the history of the state as home for champions in various sports fields.
The governor said his administration had designed a state sports policy, which sees sports beyond recreation, but as a huge business and investment platform, explaining that the state would host a sports summit in 2024 to harness the state investment potentials in sports.
Dr. Mbah made these known at the weekend when he received the Minister for Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, who was in his office during a working visit to the state.
He said: “We have designed a comprehensive policy document on sports. Just like the current Federal Government, we see sports as a revenue generation sector. And that is essentially how we have designed a lot of our policies around sports.
“Sometime next year, we will be hosting a sports summit where we will be showcasing the investment opportunities that we have in our sports sector; and we are going to be extending our invitation to you and other sports sector stakeholders and investors.
“Enugu has always been a home to sports legends in all fields, not just football. It also has the history, reputation, and passion for sports. So, we want to bring Enugu back to that past glory as a city and a state for sports legends. We have raw and unharnessed talents, which we want to groom to become world talents.
“We have initiated a couple of programmes. Next year, we are going to have our own Enugu State Sports Festival; and the idea is for us to raise that awareness that we can actually build this talent and groom them so that they become future legends.
“We think that the records we had in the last 20 years do not reflect who we are. Our target is to see that we come within the top three in the next National Sports Festival; and part of why we want to have our own internal sports festival next year is essentially because we want to build the team that we can go with to make Enugu State proud”.
On facilities development and quest for hosting rights of the NSF in the near future, he said: “We also have a couple of sporting facilities in the state, which we have already scoped for intervention in terms of reviving them and investing hugely in that area.
“We are also looking at hosting the National Sports Festival in no distant time. So, we will be able to invite you next year to come back to Enugu so you can look at the facilities we have put in place in the area of infrastructure. By then I am sure you will have no hesitation to accord Enugu State the hosting rights of the 2025 or 2026 National Sport Festival”.
He said the government had moved swiftly to refurbish the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, which turf, track and field and outdoor facilities would be ready for use in the next few weeks. He called for help from the FG towards the rehabilitation of sports indoor facilities to groom skills of the youth in basketball, tennis, handball and all the indoor games.
Earlier, the Minister of Sports Development, Senator Enoh, who lauded Mbah’s initiatives in sports development, expressed FG’s eagerness to partner with Enugu in grassroots sports development.
“The Federal Ministry of Sports Development has fixed a number of offices across the country. Enugu is the headquarters of one of these zonal offices and each of these zonal offices has a Zonal Coordinator and other Zonal members of the Ministry because our goal is to give attention to grassroot sports development.
“We can’t achieve anything meaningful in terms of sports development without the grassroot of sports.
“So, my mission in Enugu today is to inspect the zonal office, meet with the Coordinator and other staff and use this opportunity to introduce our Zonal Coordinator here in Enugu”, Senator Enoh explained.
NEWS
Ajuri, Tinubu’s Spokesperson Takes Exit, Cites Mesical Reaaona
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Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President Chief Ajuri Ngelale has quit his job. He said in a statement in a Abuja that he would proceed on an ” indefinite leave, to deal with ” medical matters” affecting him amd hia immediate family.Hos statement reads: “On Friday, I submittd a memo to the Chief of Staff to the President informing my office that I am proceeding on an indefinite leave of absence to frontally deal with medical matters presently affecting my immediate, nuclear family.
While I fully appreciate that the ship of state waits for no man, this agonizing decision — entailing a pause of my functions as the Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity and Official Spokesperson of the President; Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on Project Evergreen — was taken after significant consultations with my family over the past several days as a vexatious medical situation has worsened at home.I look forward to returning to full-time national service when time, healing, and fate permit.I respectfully ask for some privacy for my family and family”NEWS
Fuel Crisis: 1000 CSOs Fault Tinubu’s Economic Team, Want Immediate Reconstitution
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By David Torough, Abuja
About 1000 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), under the auspices of Coalition Of Civil Society Organisations (CCSOs), on Saturday Faults President Bola Tinubu’s Economic Team and called for immediate reconstitution.Expressing deep concerns over the state of the economy and escalating fuel prices compounding the hardship of Nigerians despite the recent protest, the groups said Tinubu must act now to avert disintegration.
The groups said the current situation across the country has cast doubt on the competence of the Tinubu economic team and called for urgent review. The CCSOs in a statement by its National Coordinator, Mallam Ibrahim Mohammed, pointed out that the plight of Nigerians is sinking low and their patience is wearing off following the deteriorating economy.The statement reads in part, “The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) is deeply concerned about the deteriorating state of the Nigerian economy, which is becoming increasingly unbearable for millions of citizens.“It is evident that the recent hike in fuel prices and the unstable exchange rate are the direct results of economic mismanagement by those responsible for overseeing our nation’s financial policies. The ripple effects of these failures are being felt in every household across the country, worsening poverty and crippling economic activity.“The floating of the Naira, which was initially sold to Nigerians as a means of stabilizing our currency, has done little to prevent the continued devaluation of the Naira. In fact, the exchange rate disparity has widened significantly, with the Naira losing value daily, impacting the cost of living, basic commodities, and inflation.“While this policy was expected to ease foreign exchange pressure, it has instead deepened economic challenges due to poor implementation and lack of strategic foresight.”The coalition also expressed concern over what it described as a death trap of indebtedness of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which also they claimed had slowed down importation of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, hence the current shortage of PMS across the country. “Of equal concern is the precarious position of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which finds itself in a debt trap, with global suppliers of petroleum products losing confidence in Nigeria’s ability to honour its obligations.“Reports have shown that NNPCL has accrued debts totalling over $6 billion, causing petrol supply shortages. International suppliers are now reluctant to continue providing fuel on credit, exacerbating supply chain issues and pushing up the price of petrol at the pump”, they claimed.The CSOs also asserted that, “We hold the managers of the Nigerian economy responsible for these disturbing developments. Their inability to provide sound policies and long-term solutions has left the nation in this predicament.“It is clear that there is no cohesive strategy to address the rising debt, the growing imbalance in the foreign exchange market, or the country’s heavy reliance on importation for petrol supply. The recent hike in fuel prices reflects the collapse of responsible economic management and accountability.“Nigerians are left to bear the brunt of these failures. Businesses are shutting down, transportation costs have skyrocketed, and citizens are spending an increasingly larger percentage of their income on basic necessities. This state of affairs is unacceptable.”The group therefore placed some demands; Immediate intervention from the government: There needs to be a comprehensive and transparent plan to stabilize the Naira, restore confidence in the petroleum supply chain, and negotiate a restructuring of NNPC’s debts to ensure continuous fuel supply.“Accountability for economic mismanagement: Those responsible for the reckless management of our foreign exchange policies and NNPC’s debts must be held accountable. The government must also disclose its plan to mitigate the rising fuel costs and economic burden on Nigerians.“A return to sound financial policy: The floating of the Naira has proven ineffective under current conditions. We call for a re-evaluation of monetary and fiscal policies to stabilize the economy, reduce inflation, and attract foreign investment.“In conclusion, the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations reiterates that without immediate corrective measures, the economic situation will continue to deteriorate, leading to further hardship for the average Nigerian. The government must act decisively and responsibly to reverse this downward spiral”, they added.NEWS
Tension in Makurdi Community as NAF Personnel Demolishes Houses, Destroys Rice Farm
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There is growing tension in Ugondu community, Makurdi LGA, Benue state by young people opposed to the demolition of houses and destruction of rice farms in the area allegedly on the directives of senior Air Force officer, Air Commodore Akinbuwa Ayodele.
It was learnt that Commodore Ayodele, who is facing multiple legal actions following dispute over a plot of land located on George Akume Way Makurdi and owned in blatant disregard to the judicial process embarked on destruction of structures on the plot.
Eyewitness said when the equipment arrived no one imagined it was for destruction.
But in a militray- like operation, two flats of two units each, completely roofed, electrified and plumbing work completed were among the structures demolished as the bulldozers rolled over rice farms in the vicinity as well.
It was learnt that last year, a Makurdi High Court presided by Justice Mary Ijohor, granted an order of perpetual injunction, in the same matter, upon application by the supposed owner of the plot and awarded the sum of One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00) only, as cost. The matter, enforcement of fundamental rights, was marked as MHC/582/M/2023.
Godwin Akor whose rice farm was destroyed in a chat with newsmen said that he was shocked at the development. He however said he won’t speak more on the matter as it is still before the court.