Boko Haram: Ikedife warns El-Rufai on Ihejirika, others

Dr. Dozie Ikedife, former President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, warned of a break-up of the country, if former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Nasir El-Rufai, and other northern leaders did not refrain from discrediting the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Major General Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd) and other Igbo icons.
Ikedife, who was a delegate at the just concluded national conference, stated that the manner El-Rufai and his fellow northern elders molested Igbo icons, was becoming too unbearable that with a little more push, Nigeria would go down the slippery slope.
Speaking to newsmen in his Nnewi country home, Ikedife said, in his reaction to the recent social media report in which El-Rufai was said to have fingered Ihejirika as one of the sponsors of the Boko Haram insurgents in the country, that such a blatant statement was capable of attracting the wrath of Ndigbo.
The visibly angry Ikedife said the accusation was another classical case of hounding and haunting of an Igbo icon in the person of General Ihejirika, who left the Army a few months ago as the Chief of Army Staff.
He said: “I wish to recall that when Ihejirika left the Army, those I identified as destroyers of credit and rumour mongers said that he was dismissed from the Army, but my investigation revealed that Ihejirika retired as and when due and was indeed the last member of his course mates to retire from the army.
“Following that retirement, he continued, the high and the mighty in one section of the country ganged themselves up and decided to take Ihejirika to the International Court of Justice for alleged crime against humanity because, as they said, of the way he hounded, the way he tried to checkmate Boko Haram insurgency when he was head of the Nigerian army. They accused him of using undue force and fighting Boko Haram mercilessly.
“That particular accusation seems to have died down because it must be understood that in the army, you carry out orders and take instructions from the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. So, the stigma they wanted to stick on him did not work.”

NFF Congress: Chaos DSS arrests Maigari, Amadu, others

About thirty State FA Chairmen who were heading for the offices of the Directorate of State Service in solidarity with the arrested President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigar.
Executive Board member, Barrister Chris Green and Musa Amadu, Secretary of the federation were dispersed and prevented from carrying out their intention.
Maigari was to preside over an NFF general assembly today, but was instead invited by the SSS earlier in the day for questioning.
“The FA chairmen refused to be cowed despite threats to shoot them by the police. They were asked to return to the venue of the Congress and continue with their affairs. They refused and insisted on knowing why they arrested Maigari.
The chairmen had already signed in for the Congress and were accredited before they left. The ministry, we gathered, had coerced some of the secretaries to stay back and hold the elections today after it was agreed that the elections would be in two weeks time.
We gathered that among the contestants were Mike Umeh, Shehu Dikko and Rufus Giwa. Fan Ndubuoke, Taiwo Ogunjobi and Ibrahim Galadima were also positioning for a possible shot at the office.

NFF to sign new contract with Keshi, lifts ban on Baribote, Adepoju, others

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says it has finalized arrangements for the signing of a new contract with Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi in the next few days ahead of the 2015 African Cup of Nations Cup (AFCON) qualifier between Nigeria and Rwanda on September 6.
Addressing the media after the meeting which lasted for about four hours, chairman of the communication committee of the federation, Chief Emeka Inyama said the need to sign the contract is to ensure that the country does not falter in her quest to defend the trophy she won in South Africa in 2013.
Keshi
Keshi
“Having finalized the fresh contract with Mr. Stephen Keshi, for him to continue as Head Coach of Super Eagles, and having forwarded same to Mr. Keshi, the Executive Committee expects the new contract to be signed by the NFF and Mr. Keshi in a matter of days”.
He also announced the lifting of the various bans handed out to some football stakeholders by the leadership of the impeached Alhaji Aminu Maigari saying such reprieve is with immediate effect.
However, for the former chairman of the technical committee of the NFF, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi, it is not yet time for celebration as the board insisted he must first of all withdraw his case against the federation currently at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne Switzerland.
“After exhaustive deliberations, the Committee unanimously decided to lift bans of various lengths placed on the following members of Nigeria football family: Chief Rumson Baribote, Barr. Olaleye Adepoju, Mr. Jarrett Tenebe and Mr. Olajide Fashikun. The ban on former member of NFF Executive Committee, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi will be lifted once communication is received from the Court of Arbitration for Sport that he has withdrawn his case. Other banned persons will have their cases reviewed as soon as they appear before the Committee” Inyama stated.
Consequently, the board announced that Barr. Adepoju will, with immediate effect, retake his position as the chairman of Oyo State Football Association as well as his seat on the Executive Committee of NFF. Also, Mr. Chidi Ofor- Okenwa was cleared to retake his seat as chairman of Enugu State Football Association.
However, the Communiqué stated that the lifting of the ban placed on Chief Baribote is as far as football –related activities are concerned, and does not restore him to his former position as the chairman of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL).
Meanwhile, following the confusion that greeted the purported lifting of the ban placed on two board members, Barr. Chris Green and Ahmed Yusuf Fresh for alleged anti board activities by the Appeals Committee of the NFF, the board announced that the chairman of that committee, Barr. Eddy Ibrahim Mark will appear before its Ethics and Fair-Play Committee headed by Barr. Ikechukwu Obidike. Other members are Hon. Shehu Adamu, Chief Effiong Johnson, Mr. Ayodeji Tinubu and Hon. Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande.

Ebola: Ivory Coast bans flights from Nigeria, others

The Ivory Coast announced Monday that it has banned all flights from countries hit by the deadly Ebola virus.
The government said in a statement that it has banned all carriers from transporting passengers from these countries.
It has also suspended flights by its national airline to and from these locations