World

Professor Sam Okoye, Top Nigerian Scientist, Dies in London

/ Adeola / 3 Comments

(original story in http://www.saharareporters.com)

It is good to celebrate great Nigerians like Prof Sam Okoye and to use people like him to project the good sides about Nigeria. It is so very unfortunate that our Politicians ruined our country and they ruined the lives of many to this day.

Original post from saharareporters.

Professor Samuel Ejikeme Okoye, one of Africa’s top astrophysicists, died in London on Wednesday, November 18, according to a statement authorized by his family. The family did not release the cause of death.

Professor Okoye, who hailed from Amawbia in Anambra State, was born on July 26, 1939.

Professor Okoye earned a B.Sc (First Class) in Physics from the University of London and a PhD in Astrophysics at Cambridge University. He was the first black African to obtain a doctorate in Radio Astronomy.

An internationally renowned scientist, he will be remembered by many readers for his scientific columns for The Guardian which he wrote for more than four years. His columns, which focused on information technology as well as advances in scientific ideas, drew a wide readership because of his ability to convey difficult scientific ideas in accessible language.

Professor Okoye was a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science as well as the Royal Astronomical Society of the United Kingdom. For five years, he served on the governing council of the Pugwash International Conferences on Science and World Affairs. In addition, he was a member of the New York Academy of Sciences, International Network of Engineers, Scientists for Global Responsibility, and the International Astronomical Union.

For many years, Professor Okoye lectured in physics and astronomy at the University of lbadan and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) where he achieved the rank of full professor in 1976. At UNN, he also served at various times as Director of the Division of General Studies; Head of Department of Physics and Astronomy; Associate Dean and later Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences, and Dean of the School of Post Graduate Studies. In 1978, Professor acted as Vice Chancellor of UNN.

Professor Okoye’s numerous scientific papers and publications span the ionosphere physics, solar physics, and the theory of extragalactic radio sources and cosmology. He also authored a monograph, Viable and Affordable Policy Objectives for a Nigerian Space Programme. He co-edited two books, Basic Science Development in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects, and The World at the Crossroads: Towards a Sustainable, Equitable and Livable World.

Apart from Nigeria, Professor Okoye also lectured in the Netherlands, the US, and the UK. From 1990 to 1993, he served as a visiting professor/senior research fellow at the Institute of Astronomy, and Fellow Commoner at Churchill College at the University of Cambridge.

He was a member of Nigeria’s official delegation to the United Nations Conference on Peaceful Uses of Space in Vienna, 1981 as well as a member of a panel charged in 1984 with producing an integrated energy policy for Nigeria. From 1986-1988, he was the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Awka campus of the Anambra University of Science and technology (ASUTECH).

Professor Okoye was a consultant to the United Nations on the development of space science and technology in developing countries (1979-1986).

In late 1993, he was seconded from the UNN to the Federal Government. He served as the pioneer science attaché and head of the Science and Technology unit of the Nigerian High Commission, London.

Professor Okoye taught or inspired a generation of Nigerian scientists who hold high academic, industry and bureaucratic positions in Nigeria and around the world.

His family will be announcing funeral arrangements in due course.

For enquiries, contact:

Dr. Chike Chuka
chikechuka@hotmail.com
Tel: +44.797.478.4340

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Thierry Henry is a disgrace to football

/ Adeola / 17 Comments

BY Adeola Aderounmu

You could work hard all your life to achieve greatness and then mess it up with one stupid unbecoming act. This is what Henry has become to his fans worldwide-A very big shame!

I feel so sorry for him because I don’t know where he will find respite for his soul after cheating in that game against Ireland. Football is a game and FIFA has preached fairplay for ages.

Where is the FairPlay in carrying the ball with your hand when it wasn’t basketball?

Thierry Henry has become a disgrace and a huge shame to the game of football. I wish him well as he battles the open wound in his conscience.

I am not a fan of Ireland neither am I a fan of France. I just want to enjoy watching a game. I always hope the better team wins but it doesn’t always turn out to be so.

But when one team or a player clearly robs the other side in a significant way, I always wished I had the power to nullify the outcome.

If I could I would have ordered a replay of that match in less than 72 hours at a neutral venue just like the Egypt-Algeria match that was decided in Sudan.

Shameful, sad indeed, Henry!

Austin Jay Jay Okocha-Probably the Greatest Footballer since Pele. An unsung hero

/ Adeola / 103 Comments

Austin Jay Jay Okocha-an unsung hero

Jay Jay is arguably the best footballer ever from Nigeria. He is the most underrated player ever in the history of world football!!! No Nigerian or African living or dead displayed the same level of skills and techniques that Okocha gave to football. Okocha is one of the rare players who did in big matches what they would do on a training pitch. While at PSG in France, Brazil’s Ronadinho learnt so much from Okocha and he went on to display some of Okocha’s skills in big matches as well.

Okocha’s exploit at Bolton Wanderers are well documented and famous. For the Nigerian national team we are still looking for a replacement for the midfield tactician albeit a magician.

Okocha was a past winner of the BBC African footballer of the year. But Okocha was never recognised by CAF-The Confederation of African Football. This is a very serious indictment on CAF and the fact the Okocha is no longer active does not imply that CAF cannot make amends.

CAF must admit its error of judgment that Okocha never received the African Footballer of the Year award despite his popularity and contributions to the game in Africa and Europe. My advice to CAF is to use the World Cup in South Africa 2010 to make amends for this catastrophic error. There is nothing wrong if CAF institute an award or awards that will honour the likes of Okocha as part of the opening ceremony for the Mundial.

Even FIFA is not left out of this international scandal. If either David Beckham or Michael Owen has a quarter of Okocha’s skills and abilities, they would have won the award of World Footballers of the year at different times. It will remain one of the unsolved mysteries of this century that neither CAF nor FIFA gave Jay Jay Okocha the awards that he ought to have won, African and World Footballer of the year. Don’t ask me what year. Let them search their consciences.

That Liberian George Weah won the awards in the past is not enough for Africa. It shouldn’t be “symbolic” that an African had won it before. An African should win awards on merit.

Even the Nigerian sports establishments cannot be left out in this scandal. They didn’t do enough to presents Okocha’s peculiar case to the rest of the world. Austin Jay Jay Okocha remains a legend and should rank among the best 10 footballers of all time. I see him in the same rank as Maradona and Pele.

Switzerland (U-17) win Gold in Nigeria

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Switzerland U-17 wins Gold in Nigeria
Adeola Aderounmu

Switzerland has won the U-17 world cup in Nigeria. It was a happy ending for the Swiss who left no one in doubt about their mission in Nigeria right from the first game on 24th October when they defeated Mexico by 2 goals to Nothing. They also beat Japan 4-3 and pipped Brazil 1: 0.

In the rounds of 16 The Swiss beat Germany 4-3 after extra time. Italians were shown the way out in the quarter finals before they slammed Colombia with 4 un-replied goals in the semi. In the final match against host nation Nigeria, the Swiss won by a lone goal scored on the hour mark.

Nigeria played some beautiful football but it is the goals that counted and not the missed chances. Switzerland deserved to win this championship and they did. I am impressed with the tactical approach of the coach and the fact that he wasn’t screaming and threatening his players like his Nigerian counterpart. He stood and watched his boys made mistakes but never letting go of their defensive play and quick counter attack. It was the only way to neutralise the fluidity of the Nigerian style.

Congratulations Switzerland, we’ll see how this motivational victory influence the Swiss National team in South Africa 2010.

Nigeria qualify for South Africa 2010

/ Adeola / 1 Comment

African Representatives at the 2010 World Cup

Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroun, Nigeria and Host South Africa are African representatives at the 2010 World Cup. Either Egypt or Algeria will join the list after the play off coming up in Sudan.

I didn’t believe that it was possible for the Tunisians to give up their lead to Nigeria in the final game when they lost to Mozambique in Maputo and Nigeria beat Kenya away from home. I mean, if Nigeria was the country on top before the last games I wouldn’t want her to slip. I still feel so sorry for the Tunisians: they blamed the heat in Maputo and the artificial surface.

Mozambique has a very strong home record plus the fact that they wanted to qualify for the Africa nations’ cup-Angola 2010. They took their destiny in their own hands because Nigeria could have lost to Kenya anyway. But Nigeria survived even to my own surprise beating Kenya 3 goals to 2. One of the goals seemed to me like it was scored from the offside position. Why the referee overlooked is best known to him or Fifa rules that lies somewhere. Yakubu Aiyegbeni appeared to be alone in the Kenya 6 yard box when he netted for Nigeria.

Congratulations to the Super Eagles of Nigeria. However they do know that they will need more than luck at the Mundial in 2010. It is up to the Nigerian Football Federation to put things in order even before the Nations Cup in Angola. Going to the world cup with a fire brigade approach, ineptitude and useless preparations will be catastrophic for Nigeria. Nigeria should start preparing for the World Cup in South Africa today.