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Rohr, 25 Super Eagles Players Honour Keshi At Second Memorial Lecture

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Super Eagles Coach, Gernot Rohr, led no fewer than 25 players in the team’ camp in Asaba to the 2nd Stephen Keshi Memorial Lecture held in the Delta capital on Friday.

Keshi died in June 2017 and the memorial lecture was instituted by the National Association of Nigeria Professional Footballers.

The eagles are currently camping in Asaba ahead of the friendly match with the Warriors of Zimbabwe on Saturday at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba.

Rohr, at the sideline of the event, lauded the qualities of late Keshi and told newsmen that he (Keshi) made a mark in Nigerian football and abroad, as a player and a coach.

He expressed delight that the lecture held at a time when the Eagles were camping in Asaba ahead of the African Nations Cup tournament beginning on June 21 in Egypt, and for a friendly match with Zimbabwe in Asaba.

“I commend the association of professional footballers for keeping a date with Keshi. Such association is necessary to seek the welfare of members after retirement from active play.

“It is important that I bring all the players here as a mark of respect and honour to Keshi,’’ Rohr said.

The Chairman, Delta Sports Commission, Tonobok Okowa, said that the lecture was to expose the younger generation to the times and achievements of Keshi, which made the state government name Asaba Township Stadium after him.

He said the lecture was a pointer to the fact that all players must prepare for life after football, adding that it may be challenging to those who failed to prepare for their future.

According to him, like Keshi, the footballers must be dedicated, be objective and have a clear vision of what legacies they will leave behind.

“Keshi started as a footballer, became the captain of the team, and later a coach of the Super Eagles, which he played for.’’

On his part, General Secretary of NANF, Austin Popo, said the occasion was to keep alive the legacies and memory of Keshi.

He said that the lecture was among the promises the new leadership made after their election in 2018 to reposition the players’ union to truly represent and promote players’ right and interest in Africa and the world.

“The annual Stephen Keshi memorial lecture and the youth football tournament is one of such programmes.

“We are already discussing plans on how both bodies can make the second edition of the Stephen Keshi U-17 and U-21 national football tournament a success, with Delta government providing support,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean team comprising 25 players and eight technical crew arrived at the Hampton Hotel, Asaba, on Friday at about 11.30 am for the Saturday encounter.

According to the Zimbabwean Coach, Sunday Chidzambwa, the team is here to play and learn from the more experienced Nigerian Super Eagles.

The theme of the memorial lecture is “Life after Football: What Does the Country Owe Our Ex-Internationals?”

(NAN)

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Breaking: Wike Plans to Attend Thursday’s PDP NEC Meeting

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By Eric Elezuo

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, may have concluded plans to attend the much advertised National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), billed to hold on Thursday, in Abuja.

Impeccable source, who is in the know, told The Boss that the minister, whose membership of the PDP is yet to be revoked even as he frolicks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and serving in the President Bola Tinubu government as a minister.

The Source told The Boss that Wike’s impending presence at the NECeeting on Thursday is not unconnected with plans, already hatched with some governors, to weaken the opposition PDP.

“Yes, we have on good authority that FCT minister, Wike is planning to attend the NEC meeting tomorrow all in a bid to weaken the fabrics of the PDP, and pave the way for the continuation of the Tinubu administration come 2027, and by extension, relapse Nigeria to a full blown one party state.

“From every indication, Wike and his co-travellers, are bent on unleashing the same crisis ravaging the third force, Labour Party, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s Nigerian National People’s Party (NNPP) on the PDP for the APC to remain the only political party in the country, and ensure that Tinubu has no challenger, come 2027,” the Source said.

It would be recalled that Wike has boasted over and again that there’s no opposition against Tinubu’s re-emergence in 2027, and that they have made sure of that. He has been compensated with the Ministerial job after he withdrew support for his party, and supported the APC and Tinubu to emerge as national government.

The Source further revealed that in the attempt to actualize the intended one party  state, a lot of funding is ongoing to ensure that concerned stakeholders are ‘settled’ handsomely.

Wike, prior, during and after the 2023 general elections, has been floating in between the two major political parties; the APC and the PDP. While he claim to still be a member of the PDP, he is functioning as a minister in an APC government, mocking the inability of his party to discipline him.

Political stakeholders have concluded that the outcome of Thursday’s PDP NEC meeting will determine the path Nigeria’s political trajectory will take, and that it may portend the end of multi-party system and political democracy if Wike succeeds in his plan.

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Bribery, Corruption: APC Suspends National Chairman, Ganduje

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The All Progressives Congress ward in Ganduje, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The party ward legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, announced the suspension while addressing newsmen in Kano State on Monday.

Gwanzo cited allegations of bribery against Ganduje levelled by the Kano State Government as the reason for the suspension.

“We decided to suspend Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Chief Press Secretary to the APC National Chairman, Mr Edwin Olufo, failed as his mobile phone was unreachable.

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Akpabio Commits to Collaboration with Tinubu, Governor Umo Eno

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The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stated his commitment to working closely with Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Umo Eno to ensure the delivery of democratic benefits to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio stated this in his country home, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, while briefing his constituents on the journey so far as their representative in the red chamber.

He assured the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District of his commitment to their welfare in appreciation of their total support for him, President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in last year’s election.

The Highpoint of the constituency briefing was the distribution of over 10,000 bags of rice and other essentials for his constituents from the wards, to the local governments.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying, “I am here once again, to thank you for standing by me, our President and the party, before, during and even after last year’s elections. I have come to say thank you and also bring Renewed Hope to you all.

“As the President is doing his own, the Senate President is also doing his bit and being complemented by the state governor, Akwa Ibom would be the better for it. We have finished elections and politics, we are now into governance. The governor of the state must touch you, because he is the governor of all the people in the state irrespective of political affiliation.

” As I am touching you now from the political angle, I will also touch the state without any political party affiliation. Most of the projects we are putting in place would be used by people resident in the state. Relax, things are getting better.”

The former Governor of the state, assured his constituents that his current position as the Senate President would be used for the development of the state in collaboration with the President and the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Hear him: This Senate President is not the one that would be fighting the state government. I will collaborate with , I will collaborate with , to make the state better for us all. We cannot be out of government for a long time. You have to go to a government that carries you along”

Akpabio promised to work for his constituents and Nigeria with all his strength, noting that, “as the President of the Senate, I am for the Southern region and the entire country. I may not come here regularly to tell you what I have been doing for you, but you will be feeling the impact on way or the other. Our unemployed youths would be gainfully employed. I will construct a mini stadium in all the local governments in the district, for our youths to develop their sporting potentials. ”

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