The die is cast and Super Eagles players have all resolved to redouble their efforts to win the AFCON trophy today.

He reminded them of the love Nigerians have shown the team since they arrived in Abidjan. The Super Eagles remain the biggest team the Portuguese coach has handled.

He had only previously handled two lowly-rated national teams – Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Peseiro’s other jobs were being assistant to other coaches and handling clubs in the fourthtier Portuguese league.

As a player, he was a secondtier striker in Portugal and he said in an interview on UK’s Sky Sport: “I did not play at a high level.” His coaching career took a turn after promotion to the top flight with Nacional. A job offer that set him on a different trajectory. Legendary Portuguese coach, Carlos Queiroz made him his assistant at Real Madrid in 2003. That was Jose Peseiro’s biggest moment.

[Vanguard]

“There is little that can withstand a man who can conquer himself. Every time I appoint someone to a vacant position, I make a hundred unhappy and one ungrateful. I am the state” – France’s King Louis XIV.

France’s Bourbons king, Louis XIV (Born: 5 September, 1638; Died: 1 September, 1715), also known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, ascended to the throne in 1643 and reigned until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is said to be the longest of any French sovereign (he began to reign at the age of five). The statement “L’etat, c’est moi” literally meaning, ”the State, it is me” credited to this king demonstrated that he and the other Bourbons kings ruled with absolute power and iron hand and saw the French nation as their personal property with everything and everyone at their beck and call.

Which was why, despite that the objective conditions for the French revolution of 1789 had long been noticed, and Louis the Great was warned, he spurned the warnings. It will hold during my time, he was quoted as saying, let my successors take care of themselves! He was both right and wrong! Louis XV (Born: 15 February 1710; Died: 10 May, 1774; reigned from 1 September, 1715 until his death) took care of himself but not so his own successor, Louis XVI!

Although called “Louis the beloved” Louis XV died an unpopular king; discontentment and the signs of a revolution were thick in the air throughout his reign. Regardless, this king and his wife, Marie, had 10 children in 10 years (1727 – 1737). He was reputed to have consummated his marriage to his wife seven times on their wedding night! Who was there doing the counting, if I may ask!

Fate, sometimes, is cruel even as Maximilien Robespierre (‘the Incorruptible’), who presided over France’s Reign of Terror (1793 – 1794), has said that “Pity is treason”! Louis XVI, who was minded to accept some of the reforms proposed by the leaders of the French revolution, was the one who got consumed by the revolution. He was guillotined on 21 January, 1793 “in the 39th year of his age, at 22 minutes after 10 o’clock in the forenoon”

When situations have got so bad, any leader who appears on the scene must make up his mind which side of the divide he wants to pitch his tent – whether on the side of the people or against them. And if on the side of the people, he must act fast, and decisively, too. No sitting on the fence! No half measures! Drum this into Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's ears!

Another example that teaches this truth very clearly is Mikhail Gorbachev, the last effective leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic. Gorbachev bid his time as he climbed up the ladder. Once in the saddle, he announced his twin-policy of “glasnost” and “perestroika” He wanted to make the Soviet society a little bit more open. He sought to give the people some liberty. But as he opened the door a little, a rush that he could not control swept him off his feet!

Revolutionary France will happen upon Nigeria if care is not taken! The objective conditions for a revolution are everywhere prevalent in Nigeria. Only the subjective conditions remain to be seen. And in the last few weeks we have seen food protests in Nigeria, which were similar to what happened in France when the peasants thronged the streets in their numbers chanting: “We are hungry, give us bread!”

On December 30 last year, Lagosians pelted Tinubu with cries of “Ebi n pa wa” We are hungry, they chanted as the president’s long motorcade waltz its way through the crowd in downtown Lagos. An arrogant Queen Marie-Antoinette had mocked the French peasants, saying: “Let them eat cake”! The starving people that could not afford cheap bread were the ones the queen teased with expensive cake!

Compare Marie-Antoinette’s obliviousness to the abject conditions and daily life of deprivation and penury of the French masses to the Nigerian Senate President, Godswill Akpabio’s insensitive and irresponsible “Let them breathe” response to the cry of Nigerians to their presumed representatives to take notice of the suffering in the land and act accordingly!

Ongoing food protests – were they spontaneous or sponsored? Even if they were sponsored, the prevailing conditions made that possible. No one can deny that the situation of things in the country has become unbearable, even for the middle class Nigerians, not to talk of the poor and the multidimensionally or desperately poor. If, on the other hand, the protests are spontaneous, then, it means Nigerians, ever so docile, are now stirring. And that is a warning signal for the government to act fast.

The mistake many are making is to think the problem is that of the president alone; it is not! State governors, local government chairpersons and the National Assembly members are all in the net together. There is no way an injury to the president will not affect these other fellows across the board. Even past presidents and governors; past National Assembly members, party leaders past and present should note how JJ Rawlings called some fellows out of retirement in Ghana to answer for their crime against the Fatherland. If Vox Populi is Vox Dei, then, let our leaders listen to the cries of the people and harken to the voice of God!

I see Tinubu in Gorbachev’s shoes. If he dithers, like the Soviet leader did, God help him! If he fiddles like king Nero did while Rome burned - like Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos was reported partying in one fairytale island while fire was on his roof - you can be sure he will come to certain grief. Nigeria’s situation is dire; it is long past the one that half measures can take care off. “Either this or that” is what is needed now.

On whose side is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu: On the people’s or their oppressors’? The same audacity that Tinubu displayed on the way to the presidency is needed now. He must call the same bulldozers into action. He has to step on toes now like he did then. Said Robespierre: “Audacity, more audacity and always audacity and France will be saved” Yes, audacity, more audacity and unending audacity saved France. The same audacity is needed right now if Nigeria would be saved. Is Tinubu up to the task? Can this man rise above his well-known limitations and conquer his own foibles?

Let no one deceive you: This is no mean task. Says the great Greek philosopher, Aristotle: “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self” Tinubu conquered his many enemies on the way to receiving the APC presidential flag; he thereafter went ahead to defeat 17 opponents at the Saturday, February, 25, 2023 presidential election. Now, he is up against the fiercest enemy he will ever confront – his own self. Will he stumble at this hurdle? May he not! But should he, then…!

LAST WORD: Why have we not started growing food on a large scale all over the country – the Federal, state and local governments? Are housing estates our critical priority at this time? Are people protesting because they need accommodation or because they need food? In this respect, Tinubu’s administration has wasted eight months already! Why can’t the churches and mosques also clear hectares of land and pour their unemployed, hungry and angry members there?

FEEDBACK

God bless you for the write-up on the explosion at Ibadan that seems to focus on South-west governors and the way they have been playing politics with the welfare and development of the region! Your short reference to Miyetti is to tell our governors that they ought to come out of their hiding and boldly equip and mobilize our security operatives, the Amotekun, to become able to protect and rescue our people from predators who value cows more than human beings. If the South-west governors would rise up this time, perhaps, they should consider the call of the Aare Ona Kakanfo, Chief Gani Adams, seeking the inclusion of the Oodua People's congress members (in Amotekun). The OPC have tried for us and as they are not tired, they should be incorporated (into Amotekun). One of the major duties of any government is security and protection of life and property but alas, people are no longer safe anywhere, to the extent that our Obas are now targets of kidnappers and unknown gunmen! Such was unheard-of in Yorubaland and it amounts to desecration of the land, which can trigger unrest if the authorities don't act in time. According to you, our governors need to explain what they are doing with their security votes and we need to know why Lagos state has refused to join the South-west security operations. Is Lagos State no longer in the South-west? You challenged our people for having forsaken their prime positions in the profession and in industries. Truly, the Yoruba have failed in these areas and we need to wake up. However, I have a case with our governors: Since the fourth republic began, no governor in Ekiti or Ogun state has deemed it fit to establish a rice-processing factory in their respective state to provide employment and bring down the high price of foodstuffs. Oyo state alone has the potential to feed the region but what is happening? You warned against sweeping under the carpet the report of (YSDM) Yoruba Self-Determination Movement’s complaint about the Bodija explosion when the report is out. I like to say here that I will not give you any rest but shall continue to remind you to do what you know best how to do until the authorities concerned do the needful. Thank you very much for your courage and uprightness and for always being there for the people. You are one of the prophets of our time! - Bishop Alli Olu Richard.

Thanks, Bola, and God bless you! Akintoye is senile; he is crying when the milk is already spilled. What intelligence and security apparatus does the YSDM have in place? Akintoye is a politician. Why the Yoruba have not advanced beyond noise-making is because of people like him, like Gani Adams, the selfish and timid Yoruba governors and the hungry and myopic Yoruba traditional rulers in cahoots with illegal miners of our resources. If they are as honest, bold and have the love of their people in their heart as you always do in your submissions, let them show up, and powerfully too! I am bold to say that there is nothing remaining in One Nigeria! Also, there is nothing on the table for the Yoruba except a bold step is taken. Let Akintoye, going to 90 years, go and rest! By the way, what has the Afenifere achieved for the Yoruba in this dispensation? Was their leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, not rooting for a non-Yoruba in the last presidential election? How can people move forward with that kind of mindset? Nigeria has crossed the Rubicon! - Pastor Jube Olawole.

Federal employees across Nigeria have expressed their frustration over the delayed payment of their January salaries, criticizing the government’s handling of the situation amidst the country’s ongoing economic challenges.

The outcry comes as workers from various federal establishments, including educational institutions, media houses, and government agencies, face increasing financial strain.

A memo from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, had previously informed employees about the expected delay.

The document explained that the delay was due to efforts to finalize the 2024 Appropriation on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform, which resulted in the Personnel Warrant for January 2024 not being released on time.

This has affected Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) nationwide, with staff urged to remain patient while the issues are resolved.

The impact of the delay has been profound in states like Ekiti, where staff from institutions like the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), and Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, among others, have voiced their concerns.

Wole Balogun, an official at FUOYE, lamented the added hardship faced by people and criticized the bureaucratic bottlenecks causing the payment delays.

Similarly, Folashade Daramola from the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, highlighted the difficulties in fulfilling loan obligations and meeting daily transportation and feeding needs.

In addition to the salary delays, Owoeye Ilesanmi from the National Orientation Agency (NOA) pointed out the government’s failure to fully disburse the wage award promised to federal workers as compensation for the subsidy removal on petrol, which has led to a significant increase in living costs.

The situation has also led to distress among workers in Katsina State, where employees like an engineer from the Federal University, Dutsin Ma, and a non-academic staff member of the Federal Polytechnic, Daura, report severe disruptions to their work schedules and daily lives due to the financial crunch.

With the delay affecting employees’ ability to commute to work and exacerbating the financial pressure from rising food prices, the sentiment among federal workers is one of increasing desperation.

Many have taken to social media to voice their grievances, with one worker humorously referring to the extended wait for their salary as “January the 39th,” indicating the prolonged nature of the month without pay.

As federal workers navigate these challenging times, the delay in salary payments highlights broader issues of economic hardship and the need for timely and efficient administrative processes to support the workforce.

[NaijaNews]

Super Eagles coach, José Peseiro, has declared that the players will not be intimidated by the atmosphere when Nigeria takes on hosts Ivory Coast in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, on Sunday.

Ivory Coast will be out for a revenge after they were beaten 1-0 by the Super Eagles on matchday two in Group A.

The Super Eagles are now focused on winning their fourth AFCON title while the Elephants are seeking to lay hands on their third title.

Peseiro, who addressed the press on Saturday ahead of the crunch final revealed that his team won’t be intimidated by the harsh atmosphere.

“I think it is good. The stadium will be full, fantastic atmosphere. One final, my players, me, and all my staff prefer to play in a full stadium with a good atmosphere,” Peseiro told reporters.

“Even sometimes, they try to shout at us, not the football but it is a good atmosphere to play in the final, only need to concentrate on what must do on the pitch, our task, job, demand, commitment, sacrifice, spirit, and what we must do in each moment of the game to manage our mental balance, before the match, along the match.

“It is for our players to put effort when the people around push for Côte d’Ivoire, you don’t feel the opposite when they push for the opponent but if you want to play, you need to play with the same enthusiasm and motivation, because you want to win this AFCON, no favorite for tomorrow but you want to win this AFCON.”

[DailyPost]

A huge number of unconfirmed reports from the United States indicate that the CEO of Access Holdings Plc, Herbert Wigwe might have died in a helicopter crash near the California-Nevada border.

According to reports, the helicopter crashed on Friday night close to a border city between Nevad, killing five other people on board when it was en route to Las Vegas.

Unverified sources stated that Herbert Wigwe’s wife, Chizoba was also invloved in the mishap.

As of Saturday morning, according to the New York Times, no survivors had been found, according to the officials.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) disclosed that a helicopter crashed Friday night near Nipton, California, with six people on board.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that no survivor has been found as of Saturday morning.

The FAA identified the aircraft as a Eurocopter EC 130.

“We were made aware of a downed aircraft at approximately 10:12 p.m., on February 10, 2024. The scene of the crash was determined to be east of the 15-Freeway, near Halloran Springs Road,” the sheriff’s department said.

Meanwhile, no agency or investigation has reported the cause of the crash.

Vanguard News

The judgement of the Federal High Court in Lagos last week ordering the government to fix prices of some goods and services in seven days has triggered speculations that the government might be considering a reintroduction of price control. Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa specifically asked the federal government to determine the prices of milk, flour, salt, sugar, bicycles and their spare parts, motor vehicles and their spare parts and petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene. The order was contained in the judgement in a suit filed by Femi Falana against Price Control Board and the Attorney General of the Federation according to Section 4 of the Price Control Act of 2004. Falana had sued the Board and the AGF to fix prices of the items but the respondents did not file any defence. The court order has set off speculations that the government might undo its deregulation policy. But it should be noted that the court order was for the government to fix the prices of the mentioned items; it did not specify whether the fixed prices should be above or below market rates.

Price control, first used by the military regime of Gen. Obasanjo in the 1970s, is a government order that stipulates a maximum or minimum price to be charged for specified goods and services, especially during periods of war or high inflation, as we have today. Minimum price is called price floors while the maximums are price ceilings. But with the continued expansion and liberalization of the economy over the years, price control has become largely otiose, although the government is still fixing price floor for wages and salaries (minimum wage). In 2004, the Obasanjo administration reenacted the Price Control Act and set up Price Control Board. The law remained largely unknown and unheard of until Justice Lewis-Allogoa’s pronouncement last Wednesday. If the federal government had been diligent enough to enter a defence and argue against price fixing, the judge might have given a different order. I await the government’s next move, but for now, I caution that reintroducing price control would be counterproductive and difficult to enforce and, in addition, create unintended consequences.

Price control could lead to shortages of goods and services as producers become less incentivized to produce them at lower prices, and this may result in the emergence of black markets where the goods are sold at higher prices than the regulated prices. A good example is the foreign exchange market where black market has become a major determinant of reference prices. Another challenge is that price regulation could also result in reduced investments and innovation in some sectors as producers may be less motivated to make huge investments if they cannot raise prices to recoup their investments. This is one of the reasons that foreign investors shied away from investing in refineries in Nigeria. Regulated prices of refined products were considered major disincentives. Proliferation of fake products as genuine producers cannot produce at regulated prices is another problem of price control, and as I said earlier, price control could be very difficult and costly to enforce. Government will have to deploy regulators or ‘’mystery shoppers’’ to go from shop to shop to catch violators. Trust Nigerians, another set of extortionists and bribe takers would emerge. Every unemployed youth and motor park ‘agberos’ would want to enlist in the Price Brigade! I urge the government to abandon any idea of a return to price regulation.

The leading cause of inflation in the country is food inflation, and to address this problem, it is important to note that Nigeria is not suffering from shortages of food and basic commodities. In fact, our markets are still full of food items in large quantities. Rather, the problem is that people do not have money to buy the food they want in the required amount and quality. This is known as food insecurity. Our problem is not food shortage, but food insecurity. I should note that this is not developing countries’ problem alone. There are many cases of food-insecure households even in the US and some European countries, and they have devised many programs to check it. We should. First, there’s a strong need for employers to increase salaries of low-income earners in their organizations. It’s heartening that the federal government has started minimum wage discussions with the NLC. Second, state governments should establish some kind of food stamp programs in which governments buy basic items in large quantities and resell at reduced prices to the vulnerable members of the public. It was common in the 1970s and ‘80s in the old Cross River State and I am not surprised that Akwa Ibom State government is already planning to bring back the scheme. But the government should guard against possible abuse by light-fingered officials. Third, every household should be encouraged to grow own food crops, especially annuals (those crops that are grown and harvested under one year), and raise poultry. Every civil servant should be mandated to own a farm and Fridays should be declared work-free to enable them go their farms. This is an emergency.

Food insecurity and large-scale hunger in a large population such as our poses serious national security challenges. The outbreak of protests in some northern states last week where, incidentally, poverty is very pervasive should be an early warning signs that things may go out of hand.

Wigwe University…

An online video emerged last week alleging that Wigwe University would be charging school fees in dollars, and that each student would pay over $12,000 in tuition and sundry charges. Although I knew that this was a misleading allegation that could damage the reputation of the new institution, I promptly contacted its founder, Dr. Herbert Wigwe. He responded: ‘’This is not true. It is only foreign students that will pay in dollars. Nigerians will pay in Naira. This is clearly stated in the University’s website. No amount of mischief will derail us from contributing to the development of our country’’. All over the world, foreign students pay far higher fees than citizens of those countries. Since Wigwe University is planning to attract students from other countries, they should pay in dollars and the university will earn foreign exchange. But this is not new or unprecedented. I recall that there were some foreign students at UNN in those days (1970sn and 1980s) when our public universities were among the best in the world. University of Calabar was also full of Camerounian. In fact, Cameroun had to establish a consulate in Calabar to take care of the influx of its students into UNICAL. That era has long gone with the reduced funding and prolonged labour strikes. Now that our private universities in general and WU in particular are hoping to bring back the lost glory, we can only support them.

The dollarization of the economy has become a major problem, contributing to the weakening of the Naira and rampant inflation. The EFCC has announced that it is on the trail of culprits. But we should be careful not to make sweeping allegations against genuine citizens. The Herbert Wigwe I know will never flout the law.

In its renewed bid to support sports tourism in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, the Project Fly with Us Afrika has unveiled the  Face of Africa Sports and Tourism Awards ASTA. This was done at Sofitel Hotel Ivoire, Cote Divoire.

Project Fly with Us Afrika began operation in 2022 with Destination Travels and Tours, recently it became more focused on Sports tourism, recognising and appreciating those who have carved a niche for themselves in the sporting world either as professionals, organisers or ardent supporters of sports and tourism in Africa.

According to the brain behind the Project Fly Afrika initiative, Ambassador Peace Onuiri, the ASTA awards currently taking place in Cote D'Ivoire is the first of its kind and slating to hold during the AFCON 23 football tournament.

He said, this is to show that the organisation is passionate about projecting the impact of sport tourism and rekindling the love of sports, whilst promoting sport and tourism destinations in Africa 

Amb. Onuiri informed that  during the ongoing Africa Cup of nations, the organisation had so far presented awards of Honours to the Nigeria Football Association, (NFF), President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau and  Africa Football Legend, Austin 'Jay Jay' Okocha for their indelible contributions to the growth and development of Soccer in Nigeria and Africa, noting that the recipients also won 2 tickets each for a luxurious tour of East Africa Safari, coming up in few weeks. 

Amb. Onuiri further revealed that  logistics arrangements were also made for those flying to Cote D'Ivoire to cheer the Nigerian Super Eagles to victory in form of round trip flights, luxurious accommodations, guranteed tickets for up-close match experience, as well as guided tours to immerse guest in the whole local atmosphere of the city. 

She noted that it was not just about the match experience but a celebration of culture, camaraderie laced with unforgettable moments to be cherished for long afterwards. 

Amb. Onuiri implored well meaning individuals and corporate bodies to key into the initiative by supporting in any possible way, saying it would not only promote the industry but also go a long way in promoting Nigeria as the 'Giant of Africa' where sporting and tourism activities are concerned.

L-R: Boluwaji Matthews of Oyo State Broadcasting Corporation, Ayo Ibidapo of the NFF media, Austin 'Jay Jay' Okocha, former Super Eagles Striker, Ambassador Peace Onuiri of the Project Fly with Us Afrika and other members of her Media team during the Presentation of the Face of Africa Sports and Tourism Awards ASTA to Okocha at the ongoing 2024 African Cup of Nations in Cote D'Ivoire.