16:37 26/06/2015
Lausanne - Sepp Blatter has claimed that he "did not resign" as
FIFA president, according to a report by the Swiss newspaper Blick.
"I
did not resign. I put myself and my office in the hands of the FIFA
congress," Blick reported Blatter as saying during a visit to the site
of the future FIFA museum in the Swiss city of Zurich.
The
79-year-old Blatter announced on June 2 that he would step down from
the FIFA presidency at an extraordinary congress to be held between
December this year and March 2016.
That decision followed the
crisis that engulfed FIFA with 18 people indicted in the United States
on football-related corruption charges.
Since then, sources close
to Blatter have been reported as saying he was not ruling out the
prospect of going back on his decision to resign after receiving
messages of support from Asian and African federations.
On Friday,
FIFA confirmed Blatter's comments but said that they were "nothing new.
They are exactly the words he used in his speech on June 2 when he
explained that he would lay down his mandate and would continue with his
mission until the elective congress."
Blatter's announcement on June 2 came just days after he had been re-elected as president.
At
the time, he said: "While I have a mandate from the membership of FIFA,
I do not feel that I have a mandate from the entire world of football.
"Therefore,
I have decided to lay down my mandate at an extraordinary elective
congress. I will continue to exercise my functions as FIFA president
until that election."
An extraordinary meeting of the FIFA
Executive Committee will take place in Zurich on July 20, when a date
will be fixed for the congress at which Blatter's successor will be
elected.
Ten days ago, Klaus Stoehlker, Blatter's advisor during
the last election campaign, indicated that he could go back on his
decision to stand down if no "convincing candidate" emerged.
However,
the head of FIFA's audit and compliance unit, Domenico Scala, responded
to those claims by saying "it is clearly indispensable to follow
through with the initiated process of president's change as it has been
announced."
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Friday, 26 June 2015
Keshi to be sacked if…
16:37 26/06/2015
Lagos - Head coach of the Nigeria national football team Stephen Keshi could be fired if rumours about his application to coach Ivory Coast are found to be true.
The Nigeria Football Federation has reacted angrily to reports that Keshi submitted an application to take over as Cote d'Ivoire's coach while he was employed by the Super Eagles.
Vice chairman of the NFF's disciplinary Committee Iyke Igbokwe told AfricanFootball, in no uncertain terms, that Keshi would lose his job if the reports turned out to be true.
"If it were proven that he indeed applied to coach Cote d'Ivoire when he is still coaching the Super Eagles, then that is a breach of trust.
"We will then recommend (to the executive committee) that he be relieved of his job so that he could go and coach Cote d'Ivoire."
NFF president Amaju Pinnick said it would be suicidal of Keshi to apply for another job while still being employed by Nigeria, considering his already tenuous position as Nigeria's coach and the fact that his salary has been fully paid up.
Keshi, for his part, has denied that he applied for the job and the NFF stated if it the reports turned out to be false, they would take action against the Ivoirians for trying to poach their employee.
"The truth is that if we find out that Keshi didn't actually apply for the job we might have to take immediate action - including taking them to CAF and possibly FIFA," an official from the organisation was quoted sayin
Lagos - Head coach of the Nigeria national football team Stephen Keshi could be fired if rumours about his application to coach Ivory Coast are found to be true.
The Nigeria Football Federation has reacted angrily to reports that Keshi submitted an application to take over as Cote d'Ivoire's coach while he was employed by the Super Eagles.
Vice chairman of the NFF's disciplinary Committee Iyke Igbokwe told AfricanFootball, in no uncertain terms, that Keshi would lose his job if the reports turned out to be true.
"If it were proven that he indeed applied to coach Cote d'Ivoire when he is still coaching the Super Eagles, then that is a breach of trust.
"We will then recommend (to the executive committee) that he be relieved of his job so that he could go and coach Cote d'Ivoire."
NFF president Amaju Pinnick said it would be suicidal of Keshi to apply for another job while still being employed by Nigeria, considering his already tenuous position as Nigeria's coach and the fact that his salary has been fully paid up.
Keshi, for his part, has denied that he applied for the job and the NFF stated if it the reports turned out to be false, they would take action against the Ivoirians for trying to poach their employee.
"The truth is that if we find out that Keshi didn't actually apply for the job we might have to take immediate action - including taking them to CAF and possibly FIFA," an official from the organisation was quoted sayin
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
Japan condemns rampant Boko Haram terror
Okoro Chinedu
09:13 23/06/2015
Lagos - Japan has condemned the recent terror attacks the Islamic militant Boko Haram carried out in Niger.
“The Government of Japan strongly condemns a terrorist attack in the south-eastern part of the Republic of Niger. Japan expresses its deep condolences to the victims and their families, as well as its heartfelt sympathies to those wounded in the incident,” stated Foreign Press Secretary, Yasuhisa Kawamura.
“Terrorism cannot be justified by any reason. The Government of Japan firmly condemns all forms of terrorism. Japan continues to cooperate with the Government of Niger, which has been contributing to the peace and stability of the region.”
The Boko Haram has killed more than 13 000 people in Nigeria and displaced some 2 million victims. The sect has in recent months carried out attacks in neighbouring countries.
09:13 23/06/2015
Lagos - Japan has condemned the recent terror attacks the Islamic militant Boko Haram carried out in Niger.
“The Government of Japan strongly condemns a terrorist attack in the south-eastern part of the Republic of Niger. Japan expresses its deep condolences to the victims and their families, as well as its heartfelt sympathies to those wounded in the incident,” stated Foreign Press Secretary, Yasuhisa Kawamura.
“Terrorism cannot be justified by any reason. The Government of Japan firmly condemns all forms of terrorism. Japan continues to cooperate with the Government of Niger, which has been contributing to the peace and stability of the region.”
The Boko Haram has killed more than 13 000 people in Nigeria and displaced some 2 million victims. The sect has in recent months carried out attacks in neighbouring countries.
Rivers government denies Amaechi's witch-hunt claims
10:20 23/06/2015
Rivers - Rivers State government on Monday denied claims by immediate past governor of the state Rotimi Amaechi that the state governor Nyesom Wike was embarking on a witch-hunt to slander him, Punch reports.
Rivers State Commissioner for Housing, Emma Okah, who dismissed the claims, described the allegation by the former governor as mischievous.
Okah explained that if Amaechi is invited by any commission of enquiry, he needs to state his own side of the story and tender documents to buttress his case, adding that there was nothing to fear if his hands were clean.
The commissioner also said that certain things must be clarified by the Amaechi government, noting that the state could not close its eyes to some grave allegations of corruption against the Amaechi government.
Read more at Punch
Rivers - Rivers State government on Monday denied claims by immediate past governor of the state Rotimi Amaechi that the state governor Nyesom Wike was embarking on a witch-hunt to slander him, Punch reports.
Rivers State Commissioner for Housing, Emma Okah, who dismissed the claims, described the allegation by the former governor as mischievous.
Okah explained that if Amaechi is invited by any commission of enquiry, he needs to state his own side of the story and tender documents to buttress his case, adding that there was nothing to fear if his hands were clean.
The commissioner also said that certain things must be clarified by the Amaechi government, noting that the state could not close its eyes to some grave allegations of corruption against the Amaechi government.
Read more at Punch
PDP governors stategise ahead of meeting with Buhari
10:20 23/06/2015
Abuja - Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and governors of the 36 states of the federation, governors elected under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have met to fine tune their strategy for the meeting, reports Thisday.
The meeting was held on Monday night in Abuja.
The PDP governors during the meeting harmonized their positions over the prevailing cash crunch facing their states .
The governors also agreed to use the opportunity of the meeting with Buhari to formally complain about the relocation of some states election tribunals to Abuja instead of the states where the elections took place.
The PDP governors present at the meeting included Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Darius Isiaku (Taraba), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Idris Wada (Kogi), Nysome Wike (Rivers), Udo Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and Ben Ayade (Cross River).
Read more at Thisday.
Abuja - Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and governors of the 36 states of the federation, governors elected under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have met to fine tune their strategy for the meeting, reports Thisday.
The meeting was held on Monday night in Abuja.
The PDP governors during the meeting harmonized their positions over the prevailing cash crunch facing their states .
The governors also agreed to use the opportunity of the meeting with Buhari to formally complain about the relocation of some states election tribunals to Abuja instead of the states where the elections took place.
The PDP governors present at the meeting included Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Darius Isiaku (Taraba), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), Idris Wada (Kogi), Nysome Wike (Rivers), Udo Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and Ben Ayade (Cross River).
Read more at Thisday.
Buhari orders removal of military checkpoints
10:20 23/06/2015
Abuja - President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the military checkpoints set up in the wake of Boko Haram activities in parts of the country be removed, Punch reports.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Aliyu Ismaila, said that Buhari instructed the Chief of Defence Staff to get the Chief of Army Staff and Inspector-General of Police to remove all the military men along the roads across the country during his meeting with service chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, quoted the President as saying that the soldiers must concentrate more on ending insurgency in the country.
He said however, the checkpoints shall be retained in areas outside the North-Eastern states where the military considered them absolutely essential for the maintenance of national security.
Read more at Punch
Abuja - President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the military checkpoints set up in the wake of Boko Haram activities in parts of the country be removed, Punch reports.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Aliyu Ismaila, said that Buhari instructed the Chief of Defence Staff to get the Chief of Army Staff and Inspector-General of Police to remove all the military men along the roads across the country during his meeting with service chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, quoted the President as saying that the soldiers must concentrate more on ending insurgency in the country.
He said however, the checkpoints shall be retained in areas outside the North-Eastern states where the military considered them absolutely essential for the maintenance of national security.
Read more at Punch
ISIS ties 2 boys to pole for eating in Ramadan
11:37 23/06/2015
Beirut - The Islamic State group on Monday made two youths hang from a beam by their wrists after accusing them of eating during daylight hours in the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights said.
"Residents of the village of Mayadeen in Deir Ezzor province reported that ISIS suspended from a crossbar two boys aged under 18 near the HQ of the Hissba", the jihadist police, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
"The children have been suspended by ropes from a pole since noon, and they were still there in the late evening," he said.
"Apparently, they were caught eating."
A placard was attached to the bodies reading "They broke the fast with no religious justification".
Throughout the month of Ramadan, which began on Thursday, believers abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex from dawn until sunset.
ISIS, which controls swathes of territory across Syria and Iraq where it has created a self-proclaimed "caliphate", advocates an extreme view of the application of Islamic law, or sharia.
The jihadists do not hesitate to impose brutal punishments including beheadings, stonings, floggings and crucifixions.
Beirut - The Islamic State group on Monday made two youths hang from a beam by their wrists after accusing them of eating during daylight hours in the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights said.
"Residents of the village of Mayadeen in Deir Ezzor province reported that ISIS suspended from a crossbar two boys aged under 18 near the HQ of the Hissba", the jihadist police, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
"The children have been suspended by ropes from a pole since noon, and they were still there in the late evening," he said.
"Apparently, they were caught eating."
A placard was attached to the bodies reading "They broke the fast with no religious justification".
Throughout the month of Ramadan, which began on Thursday, believers abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex from dawn until sunset.
ISIS, which controls swathes of territory across Syria and Iraq where it has created a self-proclaimed "caliphate", advocates an extreme view of the application of Islamic law, or sharia.
The jihadists do not hesitate to impose brutal punishments including beheadings, stonings, floggings and crucifixions.
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