The Lagos State Sports Council, LSSC, has declared that it would not tolerate the activities of dubious and fake sports organisers and marketers who stage series of competitons in the state without getting clearance from the council's sports associations.
Its Chairman, Agboola Dabiri, said the decision became imperative to curb the activities of the organisers in order to safe sports and enhance the development of sports in Lagos.
Dabiri, said the council would appreciate people with genuine interest to aid the development of sports through staging of regular sporting activities, adding that many people under the pretence of organising grassroot tournaments have misused the opprotunity to defraud people.
He urged local government councils to help the council to put a stop to the trend as he advised people who are genuinely interested in promoting sports to approach the concerned sports associations before starting any competition, adding that they stand to gain more by involving such associations instead of bypassing them. ====================================
NFF denies castigating PTF.
The Nigeria Football Federation,NFF, has denied making any insinuation to the effect that officials of the Presidential Task Force on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification caused distractions in the Super Eagles’ camp at the African Nations Cup finals in Angola.
NFF, said the PTF was a body set up by the Federal Government and they have been working smoothly with the body ever since inauguration.
While acknowledging the noble and immense contributions of the PTF to Super Eagles 2010 World Cup qualification, the Federation tenders apology to the eminent persons who constitute the Presidential Task Force if the statement made had offended them.
The Nigeria Football Federation wishes to again use this medium to solicit the continued support of the Presidential Task Force as the Federation's begin in earnest the preparations for a credible outing at the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa.
Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola will tomorrow record another milestone in the area of sports development in the State with the official commissioning of the Campos Square Sports Centre.
The commissioning of the sports edifice according to Prince Ademola Adeniji-Adele, the Commissioner for Youth Sports and Social Development, was coming at a time the state sports ministry is doing everything to see that Lagos continue to play the leadership role in the area sports development in Nigeria.
The Commissioner, who described the Campos Square which use to serve as cemetery for the dead Brazil and Cuba returning especially those of the Campos lineage, said the administration of Fashola has adopted a policy of building state of art facilities in all the local communities.
Prince Adeniji-Adele describes the coming of Governor Fashola (SAN) as governor of Lagos State as the best thing to have happened to the Centre of Excellence in several years.
Adeniji Adele, said the Campos Square which later became an open playground when the cemetery was relocated now have an artificial turf for football, a multi purpose outdoor court, floodlights, a generator, a clinic and a mini conference hall.
According to him, some selected basketball players would take to the court for a dunking contest while there would an Under 13 football match and also fireworks to herald the ceremony. ========================================= CAF Bans Togo
Togo has been banned from playing in the next two edition of the Africa Cup of Nations for pulling of the tournament.
The Hawks pulled out of the 2010 edition which is currently being held in Angola after a terrorist attack on their team bus.
The African Football Confederation (CAF), said the body has decided to ban Togo because government had interfered in their decision to pull out.
CAF president Issa Hayatou said the decision was based on "governmental interference. Togo decided to pull out of the tournament after two members of their delegation were shot and killed during an attack on the team bus as it passed through the restive Angolan enclave of Cabinda.
The armed wing of the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda, embroiled in a decades-long separatist struggle, claimed responsibility for the attack. =======================================
Mohammed undergoes successful operation
Super Eagles defender,Yusuf Mohammed, has recorded a successful operation in Johannesburg South Africa as the player will be out of active soccer for nine months.
The operation on the Sion F.C of Switzerland defender’s ruptured Achilles tendon took place at the Rose Bank Clinic close to the Residence of the Nigeria High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa, General Buba Marwa.
Super Eagles’ physiotherapist Ekundayo Ogunkunle,said the Nigeria High Commission in South Africa did a great job by providing necessary materials needed before they landed in Johannesburg as NFF made an initial deposit of ten thousand dollars.
According to him, Mohammed is already wearing boots and they would manage him for three weeks before he returns to Nigeria.
The NFF promptly arranged for the player to be flown to South Africa after he ruptured his Achilles tendon in the second half of the Nations Cup semi final match against Ghana’s Black Stars . ======================================== Babafemi Promises To Surpass Sports Festival Records.
The Head Coach of Lagos State Amateur Boxing Association, Adefemi Babafemi, is optimistic that the state's puglists to the this year's National Sports Festival in Rivers State will surpass thier records in the tournament.
The Coach's assurance was a results of the new dawn in the association through the Lagos State Boxing Hall of Fame which has been organising regular boxing tournamnets tagged Monthly Staurday Boxing Show.
Babafemi, said the competiton which started last year has been able to improve the standard of the sport and it has also renewed the interest of the boxers to feature in the competition following their opportunity to exhibit their skills.
He said some of the boxers who have been poached by other states are now participating in the tournament with a view of competing for the state at the National Sports festival in Rivers State.
He said all the champions in each weight category since the competition started would be invited to open camping ahead of the National Sports Festival in Rivers State. ======================================= CAF suspends headbutted ref
Benin referee Bonaventure Coffi Codjia has been suspended by CAF after failing to take action against an Algeria player who head-butted him at the African Nations Cup.
A CAF spokesman told Reuters on Sunday that Codjia, also on the shortlist for the World Cup in June, did not mention the incident in his match report after deciding against taking any action on the field against Algerian goalkeeper Fawzi Chaouchi.
Codjia was clearly grabbed by the collar and headbutted by the keeper after Egypt took a 1-0 lead with a disputed penalty in Thursday’s semi-final in Benguela.
Chaouchi was enraged by the way in which Egypt’s Hosni Abd Rabou ran up to the ball, stopped and feigned his spot-kick before stroking it easily into the net.
Codjia awarded the goal and Chaouchi chased after the referee, grabbing him from behind and turning him around and butting him. He was quickly dragged away by teammates.
A minute earlier the referee sent off Algerian defender Rafik Halliche for a second caution for a tackle that led to Egypt being awarded the penalty.
Chaouchi was later sent off when an attempted kick at an opponent earned a second caution. ======================================= Eagles’ stars hit Lagos today
There are indications that some Super Eagles’ stars like Osaze Odemwingie, Obafemi Martins, Chidi Ordiah, Obinna Nsofor, Yussuf Ayila and Obinna Nwaneire may hit Lagos today before heading back to their various European clubs.
Correspondent who was at their Alvalade Hotel on Sunday morning to make final checks on the players after their arrival from Benguela where they had beaten Algeria to another bronze medal, gathered that only the few stars who confident that they had played their all during the championship and for fans to judge will arrive Lagos to see their family members via either a South African or Ethiopian Airways flight that left Luanda Sunday.
Meanwhile, its not known how long they will be spending in Nigeria before heading back to their clubs.
However,English Premiership teams like Everton and Hull City will be welcoming back the likes of recuperating Joseph Yobo, Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Seyi Olofinjana to their folds before Tuesday or Wednesday as they might have connected from the Johannesburg International Airport a British Airways flight to London's Hethrow Airport or this morning do so as the case may be.
The same goes for the likes of Kalu Uche, Taiye Taiwo, Vincent Enyeama, Austin Ejide, Elderson Echiejiele, Dele Ayenugba, Sani Kaita and a few others that will connect a Europe bound flight from Johannesburg too.
Some financial experts at the weekend in Lagos, called on the National Economic Management Team (NEMT) to pay major attention to the nation’s infrastructural problem. They also urged the Federal Government to avoid interference in the activities of the economic team and ensure consistency in policies for the desired results.
The experts made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, in Lagos.
The 24-member Federal Government Economic Management Team was inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday, with a mandate to improve the quality of lives of Nigerians.
The president will serve as the team’s chairman, Vice-President Namadi Sambo, vice-chairman, while Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was named co-ordinator of the team.
Speaking at the inauguration, Jonathan said, “our task is to ensure that the country records unprecedented economic progress and our citizens see clear improvement in the quality of their lives.
In his reaction, Managing Director, Standard Union Securities Limited, Sehinde Adenagbe urged the team to concentrate on finding solutions to the energy crisis.
Adenagbe said that the power sector crisis had forced a lot of companies out of business due to the huge amount they spent on alternative power sources.
He stressed that the problem had caused a major drain in the development of the nation’s economy. Adenagbe said that unemployment would be reduced “once there is stability in the power sector.”
To him, the telecommunication companies such as MTN, Airtel and Globacom, should be compelled to be listed, on the NSE to increase the depth of the market.
The Managing Director, H.J. Trust and Investment Limited, Hyacinth Owoh, said that the team should tackle the transportation problem, pointing out that bad roads had contributed to a hike in the cost of goods and services.
Owoh said that the Federal Government should give the team a free hand to execute its mandate. The Managing Director, Pac Securities Limited, Eugene Ezenwa, in his comment, called for policies that would boost the confidence of investors in the stock market.
A lecturer in the Department of Economics, Lagos State University (LASU), Dr. Olumide Owoade canvassed improved infrastructural development to aid sustainable industrialisation programme in the country.
Owoade urged the government to look into ways of increasing capital expenditure in the budget for the growth of the nation’s economy.
He pointed out that good infrastructure such as roads, adequate power supply and national security would attract foreign investors.
The economist said that this would boost the industrialisation drive and generate employment for the youths.
The General Manager, Cash Craft Asset Management Limited, Ayodeji Fagbenle, said that misplaced priority by the government had contributed immensely to the nation’s poor infrastructure.
“Until the government gets its priority right, the country cannot move forward and achieve a meaningful infrastructural development,” he said.
Fagbenle said that corruption should be tackled and transparency enthroned in all sectors of the economy to redeem the country’s image internationally.
He said that the recent plan by the Federal Government to use some of the pension fund for infrastructure development would boost the nation’s economy if properly implemented.
“There is the need to fast track infrastructure development to ensure economic growth,” he said.
The General Manager, True Bond Microfinance Bank, Wole Olowu said that the Federal Government should implement measures that would stimulate the development of infrastructure for sustainable growth.
“The development of good infrastructure will make the economic to turn around and attract foreign investors into the country,” he said, adding that little attention to infrastructure development might retard economic growth.