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Obi says N12bn Olympic expenditure disastrous
The presidential standard bearer of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has berated President Bola Tinubu and the nation’s sports leadership for the disastrous out of Nigeria in the just-ended 2024 Paris Olympics.
Nigeria finished with no single medal after spending over N12 billion while nine other African countries won medals.
In a series of posts on X, the former Anambra State governor expressed displeasure with the team’s inability to clinch a “single medal” despite the “huge financial investment.”
According to him, the N12 billion earmarked for Olympics “is almost twice the amount budgeted for the entire Ministry of Science and Technology.”
He wrote: “Now that the Paris Olympics 2024 has officially ended and our dear Team Nigeria, despite the huge financial investment made into the project, is returning without a single medal, let me unreservedly register my displeasure with the performance of our team and their handlers.
“The rascality and recklessness that has continued to characterise leadership in our nation in nearly every department.
“The general impression that has come to stick is the one that portrays our country as a joke, even on the international stage.
“How can one explain that a country like Jamaica spent less than 5% of what we spent on our contingents for the Paris Olympics 2024 and won as many as 6 medals.
“Yet with our huge financial investments and large contingent, we could not win even a single medal?”
He frowned at the “reckless” removal of Favour Ofili’s name from the team by some officials despite training for the Olympics.
“This is over N136 million (about $85,000) spent on each of the 88 Nigerian contingents to the Olympics, and no single medal was won while Jamaica, a nation which spent far less than we did, a total of about $2300 on each contingent, won 6 medals; 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze at the Olympics,” he said.
“Let us consider the case of Favour Ofili, a Nigerian professional sprinter who trained for years for the 2024 Olympics, only for her name to be recklessly and wrongly removed from the list of athletes for the 100m race at the Olympics by Nigerian sporting authorities.
“What explanation can anyone give about Annette Echikunwoke, a former Nigerian hammer thrower, who was frustrated by the same rascality of some Nigerian leaders, making her switch her allegiance to the United States, where she eventually won a medal in the just completed Olympics?
“These same professional athletes were denied the opportunity to represent our nation in Tokyo 2020, for similar reasons of administrative recklessness.
“What a country! What a shame! When do we stop these rascalities that always rob our nation of golden opportunities to make a positive change?
“I call on the government to investigate these gross misconducts and make sure that those responsible do not have the opportunity to do so again.
“We must build a nation of discipline and commitment to duty, where competence and capacity reign. That is the New Nigeria we preach, and it is possible.”
Meanwhile, Obi has eulogised two Nigeria footballers and former Rangers Football Club legends, Stanley Okoronkwo and Harrison Mecha. He joined other sports lovers in service of songs in Enugu last Thursday.
Both Okoronkwo and Mecha were retired footballers who enjoyed fulfilling football careers while playing for the Rangers Football Club and for the national team in their days.
“I have consistently advised that such heroes who have made positive impacts in our nation and contributed to our development by utilizing their talents and skills be celebrated and appreciated.
“Celebrating such heroic personalities will awaken in our younger generation, the passion to contribute to societal development.
“Both Okoronkwo and Mecha were football heroes who distinguished themselves in the field of play and contributed to the growth of our sports sector.
“May God Almighty, who is pleased to call them home, grant them eternal rest, and grant their families, the Ex-Rangers Int’l Footballers, and all of us the fortitude to bear their irreplaceable loss.
“May God continue to protect and bless their families.”
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Northern Senators commend Tinubu for releasing kid protesters
Senators from the Northern part of Nigeria have commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for ordering the release of minors arrested and detained during the #EndBadGovernance protests.
The lawmakers under the aegis of the Northern Senators Forum, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua, on Monday, said Tinubu’s decision demonstrates his commitment to protecting the rights and well-being of Nigeria’s youth.
The lawmakers under the aegis of the Northern Senators Forum, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua, on Monday, said Tinubu’s decision demonstrates his commitment to protecting the rights and well-being of Nigeria’s youth.
“By his directive to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to expedite the release process, this is a welcome development, and we appreciate the president’s leadership in addressing this critical issue.
“I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of leaders in the North who have worked tirelessly to secure the release of these minors. Their dedication and advocacy have been instrumental in bringing this matter to the forefront, and we are grateful for their commitment to the welfare of our young people.
As we move forward, I urge leaders in the North to prioritize the safety and education of our children. It is essential that we create an environment where they can grow and thrive, free from harm and exploitation. Let us work together to ensure that our youth receive the support and resources they need to become active contributors to Nigeria’s growth and development,” the statement read in part.
Tinubu directed the immediate release of all the detained minors following the outrage that trailed their arrest and arraignment over the #EndBadGovernance protests held in several parts of the country in August.
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BREAKING: Harris, Trump tied in 1st officially declared result of US Presidential election
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have tied with three votes each in the tiny New Hampshire township of Dixville Notch, kicking off Election Day in one of the first places in the country to report its presidential preference.
The unincorporated township, located along the US-Canada border in New Hampshire’s northern tip, opened and closed its poll just after midnight ET in a tradition that dates back to 1960.
Four Republicans and two undeclared voters participated.
While Dixville Notch isn’t always predictive of the eventual winner – or even the state’s pick – its annual production, despite a dwindling population, is a success story for local leaders and a reason to smile for political junkies eager for an early taste of the day’s events.
By tradition, all eligible voters gather at the now-dormant Balsams Hotel in Dixville Notch to cast their secret ballots once polls open at midnight. Once every ballot is cast, votes are tallied and results announced – hours before anywhere else, making it a destination for national reporters, who often outnumber the voters.
Les Otten, one of the township’s voters and the lead developer for the Balsams, called the early release of the results “a civics lesson for the country,” adding that “if we can help people get out and understand that voting is an important part of their right as an American citizen, that’s perhaps the key to what we’re doing.”
Otten said he expects to break ground on the redevelopment project next summer. In the meantime, he said, “as long as we’re here and we’re property owners and we have, you know, our toothbrush in our bathrooms, we might as well exercise our right to vote.”
Nearby Millsfield and Hart’s Location, which is tucked in the White Mountains, first offered midnight voting before Dixville Notch but haven’t participated continuously and aren’t conducting it this year. A fictionalized version of the three neighbors was featured in an episode of Aaron Sorkin’s “West Wing” dubbed “Hartsfield’s Landing.”
Dixville Notch voters have supported the Democratic nominee the last two presidential elections, with the township in 2020 unanimously casting five votes for President Joe Biden and with Hillary Clinton in 2016 winning four of seven votes — two went to Trump and one to Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.
In January, four registered Republican voters and two independents participated in the GOP primary, casting six unanimous votes for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
The 75-year-old Otten, who said he has been “a Republican ever since I was seven years old,” told CNN before Tuesday’s vote that he would cast his ballot for Harris.
“Nowhere in the Pledge of Allegiance does it say anything about pledging your allegiance to a person,” Otten said. “And I think at the end of the day, Trump has made it clear that you need to pledge allegiance to him, and he alone can fix this, and that is as anti-democratic as I can understand.”
The voters also cast their votes in the country’s most competitive governor’s race between former one-term Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte and Democratic nominee Joyce Craig, the former mayor of Manchester, to succeed retiring Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. (CNN, but headline altered)
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EndBadGovernance: IGP orders probe into welfare of minors while in police prison
The Inspector General Of Police, Kayode Egbetokun said he has summoned senior officers including all DCs, CID, and Heads of Investigation Units over the welfare of younger protesters identified to be minors, while they were in police detention.
The development comes following a nationwide outrage over the arraignment of the minors at the Federal High Court on Friday.
The protesters, who were charged with treason, looked malnourished when they appeared in court three months after they were arrested during the August hunger protest.
However, a statement released by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi in Abuja on Monday night, said Egbetokun had ordered a thorough investigation into how the minors were treated.
The Police PRO also said the report of the investigation has been delivered to the IGP who is currently away in Glasgow, where he is currently participating in the Interpol General Assembly.
The statement read “Following the recent remand and subsequent arraignment of some young individuals on Friday, 1st November, the Inspector-General of Police while in Algiers, Algeria for the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation committee meeting directed investigation into the conditions surrounding the care and welfare of these young persons while in Police detention facilities.
“Upon receiving the investigative report today in Glasgow, where the IGP is currently participating in Interpol General Assembly, the IGP vowed to thoroughly examine it and take necessary actions to address any procedural lapses or concerns.
To further ensure professionalism in investigation with emphasis on child-friendly investigation and care, the IGP has summoned all DCs CID and Heads of Investigation Units to a conference and workshop on November 7, 2024, at the Police Resource Center, Jabi.”
The Nigeria Police Force then reaffirmed its commitment to upholding legal frameworks, ensuring fairness, and accountability, especially for vulnerable groups.
President Bola Tinubu had on Monday directed the immediate release of all the detainees.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Monday after the President swore in seven newly appointed ministers cleared by the Senate.
The minister said the President ordered the immediate release of the minors without prejudice to whatever legal processes that are ongoing.
The President also directed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to immediately see to the welfare of the minors, and also take part to ensure their smooth reunion with their parents or guardians wherever they are in the country.
Tinubu also directed that a committee would be set up to be spearheaded by the humanitarian affairs ministry to look at all issues surrounding the arrest, detention, treatment, and finally, the release of the minors.
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