Samson Siasia Begs Nigeria To Forgive Yakubu Aiyegbeni

Yakubu's World Cup miss

The Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, has pleaded with Nigerians to stop blaming Yakubu Aiyegbeni for Nigeria's horrible outing at the 2010 world cup.

Aiyegbeni has hit four goals in six appearances for Leicester City, and is gradually looking back to his best goal scoring form, but Siasia says he will leave him out until the team stabilises.

According to Siasia "We cannot take a chance on Yakubu now. This country will catch fire," Siasia told KickOffNigeria.com. "Almost all Nigerians blame him for what happened at the World Cup, but that is not true. There were 11 players on the field and those on the bench and it is a collective responsibility."

"The best players in the world can miss chances."

"We didn't play well as team at the tournament, but Nigerians don't want to see Yakubu and Sani Kaita because they felt they destroyed everything for us."

Nigerian refugees stage protest at Tunisia-Libya border camp

Refugees from Libya reached for food at the Tunisian border Tuesday

Ras Ajdir, Tunisia - Nigerian migrant workers fleeing unrest in Libya staged a protest Saturday claiming a lack of support from their government in their bid to return home.

Some of those who spoke out arrived at Tunisia's border with Libya twelve days ago. They initially slept rough and are now housed in a temporary tent camp several kilometres from the crossing.

'We want to go home,' said Charles Chuku, one of those who led the protest. 'We have watched almost all of the Egyptians leave, but we are still here waiting.'

Since Thursday there has been a significant drop in the number of migrant workers reaching the border. Numbers peaked at 20,000 per day on Tuesday and Wednesday, but had dropped to about 1,000 on Saturday, said a UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) official.

EFCC Confiscates Lucky Igbinedion’s Assets

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) this week seized 11 real estate assets belonging to former Edo State Governor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion. The seized assets include a property in London located at 29, Sheldon Avenue, Highgate, London N6 4JP; a landed property formerly housing PML office at 55C, Adebisi Omotola Close, off Samuel Adedoyin Street, Victoria Island, Lagos... ‘White House’ along Ugbor Police Station Road by House No. 65, Ugbor Police Station; a house at neighbourhood of Etete and Ugbor Layout, located between Idusogie Street and Ogbomo Street, Benin City.

Others are: a building covered by approved building plan No 2041/2004 at No 20B Etete, Benin; a Land at No. 7, Justice Fatai Williams Street, off Justice Sowemimo Street, Asokoro, Abuja; a landed property at Maitama, located at 5, Danube Crescent, Maitama, Abuja; Sheraton Hotel Government Course, Government House road, Benin; Chicken Republic belonging to Igbinedion on Sapele-Benin Road, Benin; a parcel of land covered by Certificate of Occupancy No BDSR5458 registered as 24/24/B71 in the name of Okada Air Nigeria Limited at No 3, Boundary Road Benin City; and a block of four flats at No 43 Etete Road, Benin City.

"My Vote Fit Change Naija"

A movie by Youngstars Foundation featuring popular Nigerian actors, including star comedian, Julius Agwu, to highlight the importance of the April 2011 Elections and how the vote could check bad to ensure better service to the community such as improved healthcare, clean water, good roads, etc

Cardinal Okogie Blasts PDP Over Bode George’s Party

Archbishop of Lagos Metropolitan See,
Anthony Cardinal Okogie

“Tell me what are they celebrating? What message are they passing across to the generality of the people and, especially to the young ones? Are they now saying it is okay to steal huge funds for that matter, serve a few months jail term and return triumphantly to enjoy the loot? why will people be wearing aso ebi and making all that noise on national television to celebrate someone who looted public funds and caused a lot of people and their family members and the nation at large untold hardship.” The archbishop did not fail to draw the attention of all those involved in this “show of shame to the present spate of revolutions in North Africa and the Middle East”, warning that “unless those in leadership position in the land caution themselves from insulting the sensitivity of Nigerians, the people may soon be provoked to revolt.”


Vanguard News 

Goodluck Jonathan's Nigerianism

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan

“It is believed that a man’s greatest treasures are his children and immediate family and the proverb goes that where a man’s treasures are there his heart also will be. All my children, every last one of them school in Nigeria and of course my wife and I are fully on the ground. Some might describe other treasures a man has as his real estate property. And again every property I have in life is in Nigeria. Some might consider money as another treasure and again all my accounts every last one of them is domiciled in Nigeria. In everything I do I make a conscious decision to put Nigeria first whether it is in my dressing or the food I eat, or even the music I listen to. I am totally sold out on Nigeria." 
                                                                          -- Goodluck Jonathan

Quote from Tribune news report

Fela Kuti musical to travel to Nigeria

The show's executive producers include rapper Jay-Z,
and actors Will and Jada Pinkett Smith

An award-winning stage musical about the life of the late Nigerian musician Fela Kuti is to be staged in his home country for the first time.

Fela! opened in New York in 2008 and transferred to Broadway in 2009, winning three Tony awards. It will be staged at the upmarket Eko Hotel in the capital, Lagos, in April. Fela! explores the musician's life as an artist and political activist through more than two-and-a-half hours of extravagant song and dance routines.

Organisers said: "The aim of Fela! in Lagos is to unite and connect Africans in spirit and unity, to serve as a catalyst for cultural revival in Nigeria, and to celebrate Fela Kuti, for the contribution he has made to Nigeria and the world."

Kuti, who died in 1997 from an Aids-related illness, was the king of Afrobeat, a blend of jazz, funk and African rhythms. He also became a national icon for speaking up for Nigeria's poor and challenging the country's military regime.

The show is set in his nightclub The Shrine, six months after the death of his mother at the hands of the government.

536 Nigerians Evacuated From Libya

Demonstrators gather near the White House
 in Washington in a show of solidarity
with the Libyan protestors on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011.
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The evacuation exercise embarked upon by the Federal Government to bring back stranded Nigerians in Libya has recorded additional 536 evacuees who were successfully flown to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Sunday night from Tripoli International Airport.

The total number of the evacuees so far, after the first batch of 499, is now 1,035 returnees which included adults and children.

The Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammad Sani-Sidi, while receiving the second batch at the airport said that the next flight, after receiving all necessary clearance, would leave for Tripoli today to bring back remaining Nigerians that had been registered and screened for the evacuation.

The woman charged over a daycare fire flees to Nigeria

The woman charged over a fire that killed four toddlers at a daycare centre, has fled the country, it emerged tonight. Twenty-two-year-old Jessica Tata has returned to her home in Nigeria just four days after the tragedy on Crest Park at Waypark in west Houston.

Fire Department Assistant Chief Michelle McLeod refused to reveal how she knew Tata had gone on the run. But passport coding has verified she took a flight out of Dallas, possibly as early as Saturday afternoon.

The U.S. Marshals Service in Houston has been asked to help track her down, said spokesman Alfredo Perez. He added: 'Just because someone who is wanted flees to another country doesn't mean the United States isn't going to get them back and have them face justice.

'We’re looking for her. We’re actively working this case as a fugitive investigation.' 

Perez confirmed that if Tata is in Nigeria, the U.S. will ask the country to arrest her. Tata, owner of Jackie's Child Care, was charged with reckless injury to a child involving serious bodily injury. If convicted, she faces a sentence of two to 10 years in prison.

A warrant was issued for her arrest on Sunday by the Harris County District Attorney's Office and the bail bond was set at $500,000.

Click to read complete report

I’ll Remove Immunity Clause – Buhari !

Buhari

Former Nigeria‘s military Head of State and Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has promised to facilitate the deletion of the controversial immunity clause from the nation‘s constitution if he gets the nod of Nigerian voters in the April elections.


”We will amend the constitution to remove immunity from prosecution for elected officers in criminal cases,” Buhari states in his manifesto which was released in Abuja on Monday.

How 12-year-old schoolboy aided arrest of his kidnappers–Police

A 12-year-old schoolboy (name withheld), who was kidnapped two weeks ago, has aided the police to arrest his kidnappers.

The Police in Lagos have arrested two brothers over the kidnap of the boy in Ojokoro area of Lagos two weeks ago. The suspects, Seun Akinyosoye, 19, and Akin Akiyosoye, 22, allegedly kidnapped the boy while on his way home from school.

The Junior Secondary School 2 pupil, reportedly took shelter in a shop around Centre Road, during a downpour on February 14.

PUNCH METRO gathered that the suspects also took shelter in the same shop and engaged the boy in a discussion.

During the discussion, the boy revealed that his father is a banker with one of the new generation banks and also gave out his mobile phone number to the suspects. The suspects thereafter, took him to their apartment around Jerry Street, Ojokoro, from where they made a call to his father and demanded N4m ransom.