Osimhen expresses loss of respect for Finidi George

SPORTS NEWS

THE SOUTHERN POST

Published 15/06/2024

1minute Reads

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has expressed his disappointment with coach Finidi George, stating that he has lost respect for him due to comments made about his commitment to the national team.

Finidi, who reportedly resigned as head coach of the Super Eagles, was quoted as saying he wouldn't beg Osimhen to play for the national team after the player withdrew from the last two 2026 World Cup qualifiers due to injury. Osimhen was sidelined for four weeks and replaced by Kenneth Igboke from Enugu Rangers.

After Nigeria's underwhelming performances against South Africa and Benin Republic, reports surfaced that Finidi used Osimhen's absence as an example of players' poor attitude towards the national team during a meeting with Sports Minister John Enoh in Abuja.

Osimhen responded to the comments in a live Instagram video, explaining the circumstances of his injury and withdrawal from the national team. He revealed that he had informed Finidi and his doctor about the situation and offered to join the team despite his injury.

Expressing his frustration, Osimhen shared his disappointment with Finidi, stating that he had lost respect for the coach. He also mentioned that he would provide evidence of his communication with Finidi to clarify the situation.

In Finidi's debut game as Super Eagles coach, Nigeria drew 1-1 with South Africa and suffered a 2-1 defeat against Benin Republic, leaving them with three points after four games in the qualifying series. Following reports of Finidi's resignation and the NFF's plan to hire a foreign technical adviser, the former Enyimba coach was said to have stepped down from his position with the national team.

My 140 days in kidnappers’ captivity in Zamfara State, by NYSC member

My 140 days in kidnappers’ captivity in Zamfara State, by NYSC member

By ETIM ETIM

In the evening of August 17, 2023, twelve Akwa Ibom persons were abducted along Sokoto-Zamfara expressway as they travelled to Sokoto. Eleven of them were young men and women reporting for their NYSC camp for the mandatory one-year service, while one was the driver of the Akwa Ibom Transport company-branded bus in which they were travelling. Months passed, and one by one, the captives were released as the abductors received huge sums of ransoms from the families of the abductees. By the middle of June, 11 abductees have been released. I have followed this story with the keenness of a brain surgeon. On November 27, I wrote a piece titled, ‘’100 days in captivity: the story of the abducted corps members’’. I followed it up with another one on December 23. I asked the authorities, including the NYSC management, to do all in their power to get them out.  I argued that the government of Akwa Ibom State had a moral responsibility to intervene and facilitate their release since they were only going to serve their motherland. I also made efforts to reach the NYSC DG and hear from him on what the agency has been doing.

Last week, I met with one of the abducted girls. It was facilitated by one of her professors. Outwardly, she looks like any other young Akwa Ibom lady, but inside, she carries a scar, an emotional wound. She sobbed intermittently as she recalled the traumatic experience in vivid details. For obvious reasons, I will conceal her identity. Her story:

‘’I graduated in business administration in 2021 and was called up in 2023 for the NYSC scheme. I was posted to Sokoto State and I really looked forward to serving the country. I love the NYSC scheme; the khaki trousers and white vest; the parades; the drills; the opportunity to travel to other parts of the country, meet other Nigerians and see the vastness of the country and all that. We boarded the bus at the AKTC terminus in Uyo in the morning of August 16. We were all would-be corps members; some of us were heading to Abuja and Kano, but 11 of us were going to Sokoto. We arrived Abuja in the evening and spent the night at the AKTC terminus there. Early the following morning, August 17, we set off to Kano where some people disembarked; and eleven of us proceeded to Sokoto.

‘’Around 7.40 pm, on the Sokoto-Zamfara expressway, we ran into a roadblock mounted by kidnappers, on both sides of the expressway. They fired sporadically into the air and ordered all 12 of us (11 would-be corps members and the driver) out of the vehicle. As we were being marched into the bush, three of us escaped, leaving nine of us (four men and five women) with the captors. We walked all night in the bush till we got to their camp where there was a hut, but we slept in the open, on the ground, in the bush, in the rain and sunshine, day and night. I was released on December 7, after spending three months and two weeks with the kidnappers in captivity. I turned 27 in captivity on Friday, December 1. It was the worst experience of my life. We were beaten every day, mostly in the mornings, with iron rod; fed once in two or three days with rice which we cooked without ingredients – just white rice no salt; no pepper; nothing. We slept on the bare ground in the bush, in the same clothes that we had on when we were captured. We had our baths once in two or three weeks in a stream about a kilometer away.  A lot of us fell sick and nearly died. I was very sick too.

On December 7, I was released with another girl - two of us. They led us back to the expressway. I was very sick and could barely walk. On the road, NYSC officials and military personnel were waiting for us. They came in armoured military vehicles, picked us and took us to a hospital in a nearby town where we spent two days before we were taken to a military hospital in Kaduna where we spent about three weeks.

 I enrolled in the NYSC scheme after I left the hospital and I am now serving at (name withheld). I understand that the bus driver was released early this year.

My father is late, but my mother is alive, dealing in petty business. My elder brother raised money, sold things and borrowed money to pay for the ransom. He travelled to Zamfara twice, bringing the money to designated point along the expressway for the abductors. We were released randomly as the kidnappers did not even identify the abductee on whose behalf ransoms were paid.

I thank God for keeping us alive and rescuing us from captivity. I still suffer from trauma. I feel unsafe and I’m always afraid, anxious and apprehensive. I salute the NGOs, activists and journalists like you who worked for our release. I have not been contacted by any official of Akwa Ibom State government, but I am grateful to the management of the NYSC for doing all they could to rescue us. I pray for the remaining person in captivity’’.

GOV ENO CELEBRATES IBOM AIR AT 5...assures of continuous support for airline

GOV ENO CELEBRATES IBOM AIR AT 5

...assures of continuous support for airline

By The Southern Post

Governor Umo Eno has joined Akwa Ibom people, stakeholders in the aviation industry across Nigeria to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Nigeria's foremost airline, Ibom Air.

In his remarks at the celebration in Uyo, the Governor congratulated the management and staff for sustaining the momentum of operation and ensuring excellent service delivery for five uninterrupted years.

Describing Ibom Air as Akwa Ibom's pride, Governor Eno paid glowing tribute to his predecessor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, for conceiving the vision of the airline and audaciously pushing it through, together with other laudable projects in the state to actualization.

The Governor maintained that Ibom Air has recorded laudable milestones within its five years, and described the theme of the event, "Celebrating the Journey and the Milestone," as apt.

According to him, " I am sure in the years to come, Akwa Ibomites will remember that a governor came and took some giant steps that launched our state on the path of industrialization, and that is what we celebrate today. So we pay glowing tribute to Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel who started and took on the vision."

He also commended the resolve and ingenuity of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Ibom Air, Captain Mfon Udom, and his team for the continuous expansion of the airline, maintaining high standards in its operations and making an indelible mark in service delivery in the aviation industry, while challenging them to do more to keep the state's flag flying.

In his words, "On behalf of the government and people of Akwa Ibom State, I warmly and whole heartedly congratulate Ibom Air at five; scaling the hurdles and celebrating five years of excellence in the sky, redefining service delivery and winning awards across the sector. It has been a spectacular journey and you have helped put Akwa Ibom on the global map.

"We want to congratulate you. We want to congratulate your doggedness. We want to congratulate your result-oriented effort and strategic moves. We want to congratulate you for conquering the market."

He announced that the state government will soon take delivery of another of the ten A22 aircrafts that were purchased for the airline, adding that his administration will strive to ensure delivery of as many more as possible within its first term in office.

In his anniversary speech, Ibom Air's MD/CEO, Capt. Mfon Udom, said in his fifty years of operations in the aviation industry, the last five years, with Ibom Air, has been the most celebrated, affirming that the airline which started with a 5-man team has grown to boast of a 656-man staff strength among several other economic value it has added to the state.

Capt. Udom said with the smart Terminal Building at the Victor Attah International Airport set for operation, Ibom Air intends to sustain and reciprocate the goodwill and support it has enjoyed from Akwa Ibom people and Nigerians in its first five foundational years with expansions to cover critical West and North African destinations, with ease of domestic and international flight interface.

Highpoint of the celebration was the proposal of a toast to the "milestone of audacity, faith, limitless possibilities, anti-fragility and resilience" by Chairman of the airline, Pastor Imoabasi Jacob.

NASS’ll not recommend seizure of State, council funds over minimum wage – Senate

News

Chairman, the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu, on Saturday, denied a media report of an alleged plan by the Senate to include a clause for the seizure of States’ and local government councils’ funds in the  New Minimum Wage Bill to be proposed by President Bola Tinubu.

A national daily had reported that the National Assembly include in the awaited bill a clause to sanction states or LGAs that may refuse to pay the new minimum wage that would propose the seizure of statutory monthly allocation accruable from the Federation Account after the new minimum wage Bill is signed into law by the President.

Adaramodu, who represents Ekiti South in a statement in Abuja, however dismissed the report as unfounded.

He said that it would be wrong to insinuate that the Senate or the National Assembly would take a position on a Bill that hasn’t been transmitted to it for consideration and passage.

He said: “Mr. President in his national broadcast on Democracy Day only informed Nigerians that he would soon send the New Minimum Wage Bill to us (National Assembly).

During my interface with some journalists, as part of activities to mark the one year anniversary of the 10th National Assembly, I did not at any point, state that the allocations belonging to States and Local Governments will be seized.

“Nigeria is a federation, with sub-national governments that are autonomous. The misleading headline by the Newspaper that allocations belonging to States and local councils will be seized is false and should be disregarded.

“We are still awaiting the Executive Bill and once we have it, it will go through all Legislative stages and once this is done and it receives Presidential assent, it would become law. And it is law that can specify sanction, not the National Assembly.”

The Senate spokesperson reiterated that the report attributed to him by one of the national dailies was a misrepresentation of his interactive session with the newsmen.

He added: “My interview was well reported today in the national dailies. It was not exclusive to this particular paper. Other newspapers reflected adequately what I said. Why did the newspaper choose to misrepresent me?”

SOURCE: The Nation