Nigeria

Why would anyone kidnapp Nollywood Actor Nkem Owoh?

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Adeola Aderounmu

Nkem Owoh has been reportedly kidnapped. A few weeks ago it was Pete Edochie who was kidnapped. No one has mentioned exactly how much was paid for his ransom, but believe me it must be millions of naira. Officially one liar will tell you nothing was paid.

Nkem Owoh is a famous Nigerian Nollywood actor. He is versatile and can fit into several role-plays in movies/ comedies. Now he has been kidnapped. I wonder how much his abductors are demanding and who they have been talking to. But it is a shame that these evil kidnappers would kidnapp such a honest and hardworking fellow. Now they want to rip him of his hard earned money. Nkem is famous for his role in Osuofia in London, a bestselling Nollywood comedy with settings in Nigeria and London. I do not appreciate his involvement in the “I go chop your dollar musical” because it advocated for yahoo-yahoo boys involved in the 419 fraud.

Nevertheless one hopes that this famous and popular Nigerian actor is not killed by the kidnappers. Sincerely I wish they let me go as soon as possible. We should learn to appreciate and elevate our movie stars. This type of evil intention is sending a wrong signal that Nigeria is perpetually unsafe for her celebrities and tourists. Kidnappers have abducted all kinds of people in Nigeria making it one of the most dangerous places on earth. I do know that the US, Mexico and South Africa are among the categories of dangerous places. It seems Nigeria does not want to be outplayed in any way.

Who do we blame? These kidnappers are lazy bunch and they put the blame on the government. Fine..! But why not find a way to address the government directly probably through mass revolt or demonstrations to drive home your points. The kidnapping of innocent people, mostly non-politicans is surely not the way to go. It is simply an act of cowardice to go after women, children and helpless men who are also struggling to find their daily bread.

I have classified the Nigerian government as wicked and senseless and I stand by that. The Nigerian government is corrupt, slow, inefficient and illegal. All of these problems bothering on insecurity of life and property stops at the doorsteps of the lazy government that is busy enriching the politicians and doing almost nothing for the general citizenry.

There are reports that members of the LOC for the ongoing U17 games in Nigeria are buying houses abroad and importing cars from USA even while the competition is in progress. It is this kind of official madness that motivates the millions of jobless youth into nefarious activities. With xmas around the corner in a nation of bad rulers, the rage of crime is expected to increase. Which way Nigeria?

Please find Nkem Owoh, the Nigerian masses love him and we want to see him in Nollywood for many years to come.

FIFA, Nigeria and Under-17 age cheat: Leave Amiesimaka alone

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A message to FIFA

by Adeola Aderounmu.

Amiesimaka is an ex-international for the Nigerian Green Eagles. He wrote about the Nigerian under-17 team and that there are overage players in the Nigerian team. He is right! Nigeria always field players who are older than 17 and that is why many of the boys disappear into thin air after the competitions. Only a negligible percentage of them play football for 5 or 10 years more after the age competitions.

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) should leave Amiesimaka alone and stop deceiving the world. As Nigerians we cannot deceive ourselves, we know the truth. Of course there are several countries fielding over age players in these FIFA age group competitions. The only way out is for FIFA to disqualify teams/ countries that cheat. For example countries that cheat should face ban of up to 10 years. Without that FIFA is just wasting time with these age-group competitions, esp the under 17. It’s all rubbish!

Some people argue that Amiesimaka would have been mute if he was part of the LOC. That can be argued. If he was in the LOC, maybe he would have prevented over age players from being registered. Perhaps he could have used his experience to assist NFF in identifying over age players that are not detected or tested by the MRI used by FIFA. We will never know the role that Amiesimaka would have played if he was in the LOC. But it is stupidity to think or conclude that he would be a part to age-cheat. It is carelessness to think that he would encourage that.

The ball is always back to FIFA’s court. The players that Amiesimaka have pointed out should be tested by the MRI. If the players are found to have lied about their ages, Nigeria should be disqualified and sent packing. The country should be disqualified for a decade if possible. As mentioned earlier FIFA should intensity the MRI and try to detect if other countries have also cheated. To do nothing about this allegation is to further encourage corruption in football. It will be true to speculation that football is run like a mafia organisation-that host country/team for example can get away with football crimes.

For us as a country we need men and women of honour. We need people who can speak the truth and live by it. We live in a country in search of honour and integrity. We live in a time when corruption, lies, deceit, unfaithfulness and political madness have destroyed our sense of social responsibilities (including sports). Somewhere along the line (with revelations like this one from Amiesimaka) there are still signs of hope that Nigeria will rise again. This will only be possible with men and women of honour who have what it takes to lead by good examples.

Things are getting worse in Nigeria

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Things are getting worse

By Adeola Aderounmu

Surely there must be a turning point for Nigeria. The pump price of gas (petrol) is about to hit the N100 (one hundred naira) official mark. In the black markets and illicit gas stations, the pump price has always been arbitrary and over the N65 mark.

Until the turning point is negotiated by a conscious will, Nigerians are in for the hardest of time now and even in the future. Nigeria is one of the world’s largest producers of crude oil but some of the world’s poorest people live in Nigeria. I have written about these things several times and I have also suggested the way out of Nigeria. The only thing to do for now is to continue to remind Nigerians that unless they say no to oppression and tyranny there is still no hope.

Nigeria is battling a lingering problem of maladministration inflicted mainly by the absence of a true method of governance. Nigeria professes to be a democratic nation but democratic values or principles are missing from governance. Invariably rogues, thieves and thugs have perpetrated themselves in political offices in Nigeria.

As recent as the Ekiti re-elections and the selection of gubernatorial candidates in Anambra State we saw how democratic principles were thrown to the wind to give way to the wishes of Nigerian political gangsters. In an inexplicable manner the people turn the other way and the silly behaviours of the thugs in power continue.

Nigerians have allowed military men and the political class to ruin the country. There are almost no voices of reason in the political game in Nigeria. In Nigeria there has never been a successful mass revolt or demonstration to sack illegal or non-performing governments. Even though Nigerians are intelligent people, the politics, and our general attitudes reveal absence of sensibility.

In 2007 a new but illegal government emerged without elections and to this day the useless government has been allowed to rule. The results are obvious and have been clearly stated several times in other posts on this blog. The most useless government that I have seen in Nigeria is currently in session. Doing nothing, moving nothing but shielding corruption and protecting thieves and rogues.

Things are getting worse and Nigerians must break this silence now. Sack this useless and worthless government and make demands for positive changes. For almost 50 years we have wasted our resources and destroy the foundations of our society. It will take not less than 50 years to rebuild this country, when do we want to start?

Things are getting worse; Nigerians arise and stop this nonsense. Enough is enough.

Power Failure at Kano Venue of U-17 Football in Nigeria

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By Adeola Aderounmu

In my last but one post about this U-17 championship I wrote “Let us hope that the power supply to the stadia will be fully opertional or that the generators will be loaded with diesel. Any form of darkness at the game venues will spread panic and possibly hypertension. I don’t want to imagine a game at 8pm and blackout at the stadium. FIFA will regret this one decision to give the game to a country lacking in social infrastructure, a country where electricity is almost entirely absent”.

But that was a hopeless hope as Power Failure occured at Kano during the game between Spain and USA on monday. 14 minutes added time was given to compensate for the embarrassing moment.

FIFA be warned! It will probably happen again. This is my country and the government is a total failure when it comes to provuiding electricity. FIFA, it may interest you to know that the power supply at these various stadia are basically on generators running on diesels. It may also interest you that power supply is only to the hotels and stadia where these games are taking place.

In other places in Nigeria, the corrupt and illegal government have failed to provide power to the people.

Please don’t bring these games to Nigeria again until we have achieved 100% power supply to everyone in Nigeria. Thank you!

2009 U-17 Kicks Off In Nigeria

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by Adeola Aderounmu

Nigeria plays Germany in the opening game today Oct 24 2009.

24 Teams in 6 groups will be aiming for the trophy. I wish the organizing committee all the best as they now try to showcase Nigeria to the world in a perspective that is of course far from the reality.

So for 2 or 3 weeks, we will lay aside our national problems and try to please the world. Pray no shame, disaster or calamity brings the competition to an abrupt end.

Security is a big problem in Nigeria esp with the spate of kidnapping and unsolved assasinations latest being the assasination of Bayo Ohu of the Nigerian Guardian Newspaper. I hope that the LOC will be able to protest the footballers and the foreign contigents generally.

Let us hope that the power supply to the stadia will be fully opertional or that the generators will be loaded with diesel. Any form of darkness at the game venues will spread panic and possibly hypertension. I don’t want to imagine a game at 8pm and blackout at the stadium. FIFA will regret this one decision to give the game to a country lacking in social infrastructure, a country where electricity is almost entirely absent.

Don’t get me wrong, I love that this game is hosted by Nigeria. I am just sad that more than 70% of Nigerians live in absolute poverty and are deprived of the basic things of life by an illegal government swimming in corruption and evil desires.

Good luck Fifa, good luck Nigeria. Now let the games begin!