A Nigerian newspaper and Online version of the Vanguard, a daily publication in Nigeria covering Niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy, sports, entertainment, fashion,lifestyle human interest stories, etc
THE people of Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, have said rather than the police arresting their leaders, those who perpetrated the destruction of police vehicles, instigated violence and uprooted the boundary pillars used in demarcating the disputed land between them and Aladja community should be arrested and prosecuted.
Describing as unfortunate the arrest of three executive members of the community and four others from Isaba by the state police command, the coordinator, Concerned Members for Peace in Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, Friday Denighan, appealed to the police to stop "intimidating" leaders of their community.
He said: "We hope the state government is not running out of ideas because, the arrest of Ogbe-Ijoh community leaders who have maintained peace since the December 20, 2016 enlarged meeting with royal fathers, is unwarranted. The police should rather, arrest those who have blocked the only access road to Ogbe-Ijoh and also uprooted the boundary pillars in the disputed land.
"We are appealing to the state government to demarcate the 289 hectares of land between Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja communities, provide security post and implement the various reports of enquiries set up by the state government to look into the matter.”
Music streaming service Spotify has offered United States President Barack Obama a new position once his time in office comes to an end.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek tweeted the job listing for a "President of Playlists" specifically catered to Obama's skills and accomplishments, as his eight-year tenure nears its end.
"Hey [Obama], I heard you were interested in a role at Spotify. Have you seen this one?" Ek wrote.
The position called for a minimum of eight years experience "running a highly-regarded nation" as well as a familiarity with the Spotify platform including programming playlists at a "federal level."
"Anything from an eclectic summer playlist, to a celebratory, 'I just found my birth certificate' playlist," the listing stated.
Obama
The desired candidate would also be required to "be nothing short of one of the greatest speakers of all time" and have a good rapport with high profile artists.
"Ever had Kendrick Lamar play at your birthday bash? We'd love to hear about it!" The listing read.
Perhaps the most lofty requirement mentioned in the listing is being the recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize, which Obama won in 2009.
If accepted for the position Obama would be required to identify, substantiate and analyze new playlists as well as "provide world-class leadership" to playlist editors and other Spotify supporting stats.
Tragedy struck, today, in Akowonjo area of Lagos, when a four years old boy Praise Fakeye reportedly fell into a domestic well.
The incident occurred at No 48, Fakoya street at about 5.30pm.
Details were sketchy at press time but it was gathered that he was sent on an errand shortly after returning from school while his parents waited endlessly for him to return.
Having waited for so long, his relatives felt uncomfortable and sensed danger.
Immediately, a search party was organised and that was when the domestic well of a neighbouring building was found open and the state fire fighters were invited to the scene where he was recovered dead.
Eye witnesses’ account said he was in a school uniform as at the time of the incident which has been generating controversies in the area.
Eye witnesses’ account said the well was usually under lock but only God knows how it was opened for the incident to happen.
Confirming the incident, the Director Lagos State Fire Service, Razak Fadipe said rescue operation was concluded at about 7.45pm.
Ekiti State Government has given owners of filling stations in the state seven days to re-certify their stations or risk such premises being shut down.
The State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, gave the directive on Tuesday during a meeting with petroleum marketers in the state at the Government House, Ado-Ekiti.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Idowu Adelusi, in a press release, quoted the governor as saying that all filling stations must also be adequately insured.
The meeting was a fall-out of Sunday’s fire incident in Ijigbo area of Ado-Ekiti during which many houses and shops were burnt.
Fayose said any errant filling station would be shut down.
Also, the owner of the filling station gutted by fire on Sunday would be sued for criminal negligence when it was discovered that he only insured his pumps not the whole premises leading to a situation whereby innocent victims of the incident could not benefit from any insurance cover.
Staffers of fuel stations in the state are also to train their workers on safety measures and the training will be conducted by the state’s fire service.
”Government will have to enforce regulations regarding operating business premises. The incident has caused pains on innocent people.We will implement regulations guiding setting up of filling stations. Politics has nothing to do with my actions and steps. We will re-certify sites of fuel stations and fire fighting equipment in such stations.
“Some staff of the station gutted by fire last Sunday did not know how to use fire fighting equipment.
Operators of filling stations who refuse to be part of the re-certification will be sealed and the place acquired for public purposes. No building of new filling stations until further notice and all approvals not yet built before now cancelled,” the governor stated.
He added that henceforth, the Office of the Governor would now approve citing filling stations.
The governor frowned at a situation whereby people engaged in business without complying with regulations and rules guiding such businesses.
The spokesman of the fuel marketers, Alhaji Sulaiman Akinbami, said his members appreciated the governor’s efforts but pleaded with more time for his members to comply with the directives.
A committee, that would conduct the re-certification exercise, is expected to start sitting on Wednesday and has seven working days to complete its assignment.
Arsenal’s German international Mesut Ozil says he is waiting to learn the fate of manager Arsene Wenger before agreeing to sign a new contract with the London club.
Wenger’s contract at Arsenal expires at the end of the season and Ozil’s decision hinges on whether it is renewed or not, he told German football magazine Kicker.Ozil
“The club know that I am here above all because of Arsene Wenger, who came to get me and who has placed his trust in me. The club also know that I want to have clarity first of all about what the manager is going to do,” he said.
Ozil’s contract has 18 months left to run and he said he is ready to re-sign, depending on Wenger’s fate.
“I am very happy playing for Arsenal and I feel very very good here. I told the club I am ready to sign extend my contract. The supporters want me here. So now it is up to the club.”
Arsenal, fifth in the table behind leaders Chelsea, are still in with a chance of winning the title, he insisted.
“A year ago at this stage we were top and many people thought we would be champions. Now Chelsea are in that position … But I am convinced we can still achieve our goal of being top,” he said.
Ozil, 28, who has been out because of ill health for the last three Arsenal games, said the absence of a winter break in English football meant Premier League players never recovered the sharpness they had at the start of the season.
“No Premier League player can claim he is as sharp as at the start of the season,” he said.
“As a player you need a break, not only physically but mentally too.”
A Nigerian scholar, Wale Adebanwi has been appointed to the prestigious Rhodes Professorship in Race Relations in the School of Interdisciplinary Area Studies at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
Adebanwi, 47, is the first black African scholar to be appointed to the endowed Chair since it was created more than 60 years ago. His predecessors are Professor Kenneth Kirkwood, who occupied the chair for 32 years, Professor Terence Ranger, and Professor William Beinart, who retired from the position in 2015.
Adebanwi, who is at the moment a professor at the University of California, Davis, United States, will also be a Fellow of St Anthony's College, Oxford, effective July 1 and the next Director of the African Studies Centre of Britain's oldest university.
The Rhodes Professorship in Race Relations is named for Cecil Rhodes, British businessman, mining magnate and politician in South Africa who served as Prime Minister of Cape Colony from 1890-1896. The professorship was established by the Rhodesian Selection Trust Mining Company in 1954.
Wale Adebanwi: appointed Rhodes Professor
Based on the position announcement, the Rhodes Professor is adjudged "a scholar of international distinction with an outstanding record of research publications in the field of African (sub Saharan) Studies and a proven track record of leadership in research and teaching."
Adebanwi holds a BSc in mass communication from the University of Lagos, M.Sc and Ph. D. in political science from the University of Ibadan, as well as MPhil and Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Cambridge.
Recently, Dr Adebanwi was one of four former Gates Scholars whose "amazing successes" were acknowledged by the Microsoft chief, Bill Gates, who funded his scholarship at Cambridge more than a decade ago. Gates's acknowledgement of Adebanwi was part of the video message he sent to a gathering of current and former Gate Scholars at Cambridge University during the Gates Cambridge Biennial 2016.
A prolific and versatile scholar, Adebanwi has published widely in the areas of nationalism and ethnic Studies, media and communication, corruption and politics, democracy and democratization, cultural politics, spatial politics, urban studies, and social theory and social thought. In his most recent book Nation as Grand Narrative: The Nigerian Press and the Politics of Meaning, published in 2016, Adebanwi focuses his multi-disciplinary scholarship on salient issues in Nigeria's troubled history, examining how debates in the newspaper press shaped the narratives as well as the configuration of power.
His influential book, Yoruba Elites and Ethnic Politics in Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo and Corporate Agency was published by Cambridge University in 2014. His 2012 book, Authority Stealing: Anti-corruption War and Democratic Politics in Post-Military Nigeria was selected as one of the three "Best Books on Africa in 2013" by the journal, Foreign Affairs.
Author, editor or co-editor of 10 books, Adebanwi has also published book chapters and many articles in some of the most prestigious journals of social science and humanities scholarship. He has served as co-editor of Journal of Contemporary African Studies and is currently co-editor of Africa: Journal of the International African Institute.
The new Rhodes Professor, formerly a lecturer in political science at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, is a visiting professor at the Institute for Social and Economic Research at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa. He has held visiting fellowships at St Anthony's College, Oxford, and the Centre for African Studies in Leiden, The Netherlands, and was awarded a Rockefeller fellowship for Academic Writing Residency at its Bellagio Centre, Italy. In 2005, he was a co-winner of a $100, 000 MacArthur Foundation Research grant.
Previously, Dr Adebanwi served as reporter, writer and columnist for various publications in Nigeria, among them Nigerian Tribune, The Punch and TheNEWS, the weekly newsmagazine that was at the spearhead of the resistance to military dictatorship in Nigeria. His 2008 book Trials and Triumphs: The Story of TheNEWS, renders a vivid account of that period.
A keen student of African and international literature, he writes poetry and remains an engaged contributor to the policy dialogue in Nigeria.
Farmers in Delta State have resolved unanimously to give their unreserved support to the Delta State Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Mr. Anthony Chukwujindu Umunna and Secretary, Mrs. Esther Jaho Oghenewhere-led executive committee.
Speaking at a gathering of the association in Asaba, farmers drawn from the three senatorial districts pledged their loyalty and commitment to them, in order to move the association to an enviable height.
The farmers said that though the state secretary of the association was newly elected, she had proved to be efficient within a short period of assumption of office, describing her as a trustworthy, focused and God sent, who would support the chairman and other executive members of the association to put farmers in their rightful position.
The chairman, Mr. Umunna and the Secretary, Oghene where in a joint statement commended Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Austine Chikezie, for their joint efforts in ensuring that farmers in the state benefit from the Bank of Agriculture loan scheme.
A Civil Society Group, The Wailing Wailers has alleged sharp practices of Forex racketeering at the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, as it equally accused the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele of manipulating Forex tradings and illegally funding Federal Government budget and short-changing the Money Deposit Bank’s reserve ratio at the expense of the Masses.
In a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Fasipe Oluyemi, it said that its members and other Nigerians would be embarking on a peaceful protest tagged, #OCCUPYCBN, to condemn the illegalities at the apex bank on Friday the 13th of January 2017.
"We wholeheartedly call on the good people of Nigeria to come out en mass for a protest (#OccupyCBN) to stop this impunity: the Fraudulent Forex Trading, Round Tripping and racketeering going on in the Central Bank of Nigeria aided by its Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and bring to an end the Manipulation of Forex, illegally funding Federal Government budget, short-changing the Money Deposit Bank’s reserve ratio at the expense of the Masses as the abuse of internal process is unbearable as the economy is negatively impacted and the resultant effects on the Nigerian masses is already at a dangerous level."
Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele
"The high level of impunity and rascality overlooked and/or condoned by the Nigerian people in the past without taking action has made the apex bank’s top executives to continue to engage in abuse of office, breach of trust, abuse of process and manipulation of the Economy."
"Recall that the apex bank’s top management carried out a backdoor recruitment exercise for the children of high profile Nigerian politicians, business men, in which the door was shut against the children of an average Nigerian who may have been qualified to work in the bank on merit base and were not allowed, but, the employment was freely handed to the children of friends and families of those in Government."
"The act stirred and arose anger amongst Nigerians, yet there was no punitive action or consequences against the perpetrators at the CBN because, the people overlooked the situation."
"It is rather sad that the poor masses who most of time supports the government to ensure good and robust revenue, peace and stability are the ones who always get shut out when it comes to benefits even in a so called democratic government."
We ordinarily imagined that the government of President Buhari whose campaign fulcrum was on anti graft, anti corruption will expose this all round, all sector massive corruption and impunity, but, alas, it is looking the other way to the astonishment of all and sundry.
"Since the emergence of the administration of President Buhari, Forex Trading has been illegally turned to an exclusive business of the friends and family of those in power as against the principle of banking which allows for professionalism in trading and ensuring circulation to the business community for import and export of goods and services that will have direct positive impact on the economy and the people."
"We have again taught that the CBN will allow a level playing ground for all real stakeholders especially business community to access FOREX for trading, but they have aided the government cronies to horde it, and make it very expensive for them to in turn make huge profits upon trading. These are the factors that have made the prices of goods and services in the country to be very high and expensive, most times unaffordable."
"We shudder at the high impunity and knavery at which the CBN has carried on this illegality in this dispensation, playing lip service to the change mantra of Buhari’s government. This is another clear demonstration that the government and the CBN is double mouthed, playing double standards about corruption-free Nigeria."
"Matter of fact, the CBN is like a mother who openly shows love and care to her baby who is corruption by selling dollar at 304 naira to friends and families of Buhari led government and selling at 480naira to the commoners who are also carrying out forex trading. Many of these Buhari’s cronies make over N2 billion profit per trading which is sometimes on a daily basis."
"There is no other name to call what is going on in the Central Bank other than corruption. This is perpetrated to foist Buhari’s led government by allowing his friends and family to illegally divert funds, amass wealth in preparation ahead of 2019 elections to enable them have much more money that will be more than enough for them to control the poor people, manipulate and rig the elections to his favour without batting an eye."
"Therefore it is with great love for our dear nation that we passionately call on fellow Nigerians to come out en mass on Friday 13th of January, 2017 by 9am for a mass protest against the high handedness and impunity of corrupt officers in the Central Bank, so as to call the CBN to order and stop this deleterious evil for it’s perniciousness and harmfulness to our nation, as we must stop the CBN from continuing in this impunity, fraud, money laundering, corruption and wickedness and make life better and easy for an average Nigerian. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria."
Outgoing President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia has asked the high Level ECOWAS mediation mission led by Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari not to come to Banjul, the Gambian capital on Wednesday for talks. Instead, he wants them to come on Friday.
President Buhari, who is mediating alongside Mr. John Mahama, the immediate past president of Ghana said the delay notwithstanding, the mandate of the ECOWAS will be accomplished.
President Buhari reiterated the appeal on Monday by ECOWAS leaders that the Gambian leaders do everything they can to douse the tension in the West African country, which has led citizens to leave the country due to political uncertainty.
The Nigerian leader said ECOWAS is committed to the resolution of the crisis through inclusive dialogue with respect to the constitution and the will of the people of Gambia.
Yahya Jammeh
Jammeh who had hoped to use the country's Supreme Court to upturn opponent Adama Barrow's election found the road closed today after the court postponed the hearing of the case for months.
Gambia's Supreme Court said today that it cannot rule on Jammeh's challenge against his electoral defeat on 1 December due to a lack of judges.
"We can only hear this matter when we have a full bench of the Supreme Court," Emmanuel Fagbenle, the court's chief justice said Tuesday.
The Nigerian judge said the extra judges needed to hear the case were not available.
The Gambia relies on foreign judges, notably from Nigeria, to staff its courts due to a lack of trained professionals in the tiny west African state.
Jammeh's political party lodged a legal case on his behalf last month aimed at annulling the December 1 election result and triggering new elections.
Fagbenle added that he would prefer the country to resolve its political deadlock through the mediation underway by a group of West African leaders, who are attempting to persuade Jammeh to respect the constitution and step aside.
"This is why alternative dispute resolution is important," he said.
"We are now only left with the ECOWAS mediation initiative and the inter-party committee set up by government to resolve the dispute," he said.
LinkedIn is one most popular social network for professionals and top social networks in the world today. With over 380 million members, LinkedIn has growing influence as a professional networking tool and can be extremely powerful when the user is aware of the platform’s hidden features.
Unfortunately, a lot of Nigerians are not fully aware of the opportunities presented to them by the LinkedIn platform. The few who are users, do not know how to maximize the platform or optimize their presence.
Certainly, there is a need for business owners and professionals in Nigeria to tap into these opportunities towards building relationships with potential customers, clients, partners and peers, and so Jumia Travel presents 5 simple and time-effective ways in which Nigerians can make the best of LinkedIn.
Enhance your profile for search.
Everyone who is conversant with social media trends, understands the necessity for an outstanding profile. The way your profile is structured and the information made available on it are key to increasing online visibility and engaging others, and so there is need to enhance your LinkedIn profile for search.
Very similar to SEO, all you need to do to achieve this is research the keywords that relate to your industry or service and integrate them into your profile as naturally as possible.
Encourage your contacts to leave recommendations and make endorsements
Recommendations have always been essential to the reputation and credibility of any professional and so, the LinkedIn platform offers a unique feature that functions as form of recommendation for users.
This feature enables members to endorse each other's work within specific job roles and organizations, sharing evidence that adds credibility to the user's profile and reinforcing both current and future applications.
It is therefore important that users ask contacts, from colleagues to clients and even friends to endorse their profile. A higher number of endorsements will rank more favourably in LinkedIn search results.
Use video testimonials effectively.
Another way to up your game on LinkedIn is to use video testimonials to reinforce the quality of your work. Most users, especially sole proprietors or small business owners believe they already have a strong, existing customer base, underuse and undermine the video upload feature on LinkedIn's profile pages.
The use of video, however, can help distinguish your brand or service from the vast majority of profile pages that may even be competitors. Do some research, interview, record and upload genuine customer or client testimonials which reflect a positive light on your service. You would be capitalizing on an already existing client base.
Stay active on LinkedIn groups
A lot of LinkedIn users are not very keen on participating actively in any of the plethora of LinkedIn groups as it usually seems time-consuming. However, its benefits and rewards are long-term.
Basically, the user has to search for relevant professional groups that are within his industry, make selections based on the group's popularity, relevance in terms of keywords and existing membership base, then subscribe to daily updates, delivered directly by e-mail.
The user can also now participate in group discussions on the go via mobile. It is a great way to remain visible and valuable in target markets.
The key is being careful not to over commit to too many LinkedIn groups. Simply take five or 10 minutes off your daily schedule to respond and interact with other members, as you share your insight and build strong professional bonds. These interactions usually increase your value on the platform.
UYO-The embattled Apostle Akan Weeks of the collapsed Reigners' Bible Church in Akwa Ibom has opened up on the incident of his Church saying that, some of the victims who died during the tragedy had been buried.
Apostle Weeks, who was testifying on Tuesday, during the second day of cross examination as principal witness at the ongoing investigation by the Commission of Inquiry said, though he could not ascertain the death figures noted, ''I am aware that some of the victims had been buried''.
This was contrary to the death figure earlier given by the state government which put the number at 28 and that, bodies of the victims kept at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) mortuary would be released to the bereaved families after investigation and the sitting of the commission of inquiry is concluded.
According to Apostle Akan Weeks, ''after the incident, I personally visited some of the bereaved families with members of my Church to pray for them and, we gave the affected families monies for their coffins to be bought.”
''I also visited injured in the hospitals to pray and give them money. What happened on December 10, 2016 was a sad event. I expected people to sympathize with me. My heart goes to the deceased and those injured.”
''My intention was not to build a house and bring people to die. I look at it as an accident''.
On how him and others escaped during the collapse, he said, ''it was an act of God and I jumped through the window''.
He said, his wife told him that, he was unconscious for six hours but was later revived by the paramedics.
By Dennis Agbo ENUGU-A former Minister for Information and Culture, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, Monday emerged the new President General of the apex socio-cultural body of Ndigbo, Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Nwodo pulled a total of 242 votes to defeat his only rival, a former Vice Chancellor of old Anmabra State University of Technology, ASUTH, Prof. Chiweyete Ejike, who gathered 13 votes. 6 votes were voided in the contest for the President General.
The post of Secretary General of the organization also went to Rivers state indigene Barrister Uche Okwukwu who scored 166 votes against Chief Issac Wonwu who got 63 votes, while Chief Kroham Joel got 4 votes.
Protests of imposition were rife in the election, particularly from Imo state where Governor Rochas Okorocha was accused of imposing the Deputy President General.
Also candidates complained of high nomination fee such as N500, 000 for President General, N300, 000 for Secretary General, N250, 000 for Deputy President General and N100,000 for National Treasurer.
Earlier than the election, lists circulated, itemizing preferred or what some called imposed winners.
Delivering his validatory speech, the out-going President General, Chief Enow Igariwey said he hopes to see a rejuvenated Ohanaeze and charged them to complete the on going remodeling of Ohanaeze secretariat being executed by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state.
Out of about 500 delegates for the election, the Movement for Actualization of Sovereign state of Biafra, MASSOB secured 5 delegates.
There was commotion on the use English language in the forum, with many preferring that Igbo language was adopted as medium of speech.
Chairman of the election committee, Prof. Anya O. Anya told Ndigbo that 47 years after the Nigeria/Biafra war, it was time for reflection and repositioning of Ndigbo.
The Football Association (FA), English football’s governing body, wants a full consultation to take place before the allocated increase in finalists from each confederation are decided for the expanded 2026 World Cup.
FIFA’s ruling council voted unanimously on Tuesday to expand the present 32-member World Cup finals to 48 teams for the 2026 edition.
However, the FA neither welcomed the decision — seen in some quarters as a victory for FIFA president Gianni Infantino but slammed in others for being a pure money-grabbing exercise — nor criticised it, saying they neeeded further explanations to clarify how the tournament would work.
“Following today’s FIFA council decision, we will work with UEFA, FIFA and the other European associations to understand how the 48-team FIFA World Cup will work,” read a FA statement.
“The priority has to be consideration of the potential impact on fans, players, teams and leagues, and also recognition of the importance of sporting integrity and commercial viability.
“In terms of the allocation of places, we note that further discussions will follow across the confederations and would expect a proper consultation process to be carried out before any decision is made.”
Former minister for Information, Chief Nnia Nwodo has emerged the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Nwodo polled 242 votes to beat his only remaining contender, Prof. Chiweyite Ejike who polled 13 votes. Prof. Chiweyite is the Former Vice Chancelllor of then Anambra State University of Science and Technology, ASUTECH.
Those screened for the position included, Chief Nnia Nwodo, Commodore Alison Madueke (rtd), Prof. Chiwete Ejike, Dr. Simon Otuanya and Chief Joel Enugwu.
However, it was dramatic on Tuesday when, before voting commenced, Ezugwu and Ortuanya announced their decision to step down for Nwodo, describing him as a man of wisdom and competence and well qualified for the position.
It was equally gathered that former minister, Alison Madueke, who earlier purchased form for the position of President-General did not present himself for screening. It was learnt that he stepped down following pressures from some quarters.
Chief Nnia Nwodo
Their withdrawal then saw Nwodo and Chiwete as the only contenders to the position to which Nwodo finally emerged winner. At the election held at the Ohanaeze Secretariat in Enugu, the seven Igbo speaking states, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Delta and Rivers, as well as other affiliate groups, including pro-Biafra groups, the MASSOB, and the IPOB participated with some number of delegates.
Before his election, Nwodo said he was ready to die for the cause of Ndigbo and assured of his readiness to entrench transparency and accountability in running the Ohanaeze affairs.
"I will not use this position to make money; if I am asked to die for you, I will do so", he vowed. Nwodo equally pledged to hold a meeting with the IPOB and other pro-Biafra groups, stressing that "if we allow them to be killed on daily basis, their blood will be on our head."
Some of the Igbo leaders present at the election included Former Senate President, Ken Nnamadi, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, former Governor Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo, traditional rulers, among others. Out of the 17 positions contested for, 13 were returned un-opposed.
FIFA’s ruling council on Tuesday unanimously approved an expansion of the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams in 2026.
Here AFP Sports looks at some of the figures behind the new-look format.
— 48 teams: 16 groups of three
— 32-team knock-out round, increasing number of games from 64 to 80 but within the same 32-day schedule in 12 stadia
— Two teams from each group advance to a 32-nation knock-out round
— If a team progresses to the final in 2026, they will have played seven matches, the same number as a 32-team World Cup
— With 48 teams with squads of 23, 1,104 players will head to the 2026 event
— A confidential FIFA report seen by AFP projects a cash boost of $640 million (605 million euros) above projected revenues for next year’s finals in Russia.
CALABAR- OVER 50 houses in Agwaguwne in Biase local government area of Cross River State have in the past two weeks been swept by a landslide which hit the community.
The relentless landslide has also left over 2,000 other houses vulnerable as the earth on which they stand have been corroded and left loose.
Governor Ben Ayade
Vanguard’s visit to the area, Monday, revealed that deep cracks have developed on the floor of the earth in the community leaving many houses and electric poles tilting as they stand on loose soil.
"With this disaster, over 3,000 people will soon be rendered homeless as their houses will soon be swept away into the Cross River" Mr Kenedy Orok, an elder in the community stated.
He narrated that in 1992, a team of environmentalists from the Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, visited the community and analysed the land and stated that landslide would in less than ten years sweep the entire landscape in the community into the sea.
"In 1997, five years after that visit, an unprecedented landslide took place here and five people were killed, 48 injured and 30 houses swept away and since then, we have been witnessing landslide but the one we have witnessed in the past two weeks is unrivaled," Orok lamented.
He stated that the entire community is in panic as no one knows whose house would be next in the persistent disaster, following the loose texture of the soil in the community.
His words: "Many people have relocated to the rehabilitation centre built by the Federal Government in collaboration with the Cross River State Government but most of the houses are yet to be completed so not everybody can be accommodated there.”
Mr John Inaku, the Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency who visited the area, yesterday, described the damage wroth by the landslide as "horrendous".
He called on the people to relocate to safer grounds for their safety, assuring that Governor Ben Ayade was looking into their plights.
ASABA– THE Deputy Governor of Delta State and Chairman, Delta State Advocacy Committee Against Oil Facility Vandalism, DSACAOFV, Deacon Kingsley Otuaro, has said that the dialogue option towards resolving the Niger Delta crisis was still open, urging militants to abort the plan to recommence bombing of oil installations.
Deacon Otuaro, who spoke to Vanguard at Asaba, Tuesday, said: "The dialogue option has not been exhausted, so there is no need for militants to bomb critical national oil assets as a way of expressing their grievances."
Meanwhile, a Presidency source told Vanguard that the federal government was still committed to dialogue, despite the shift of the visit of the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, to the region today (Tuesday).
The source hinted: "A new date for the visit meant to build the confidence of the people in the federal government's sincerity towards dialogue and developing the region will be announced shortly."
Otuaro told Vanguard: "The Delta State Advocacy Committee is still working has been working behind the scene to ensure that peace reigns in the region and we are certain that the Federal Government is committed to the dialogue process," he said.
The deputy governor, who hails from Gbaramatu Kingdom, the heartbeat of the current agitation, asserted: "There is really need for the militants and all stakeholders in the Niger Delta to exercise patience, as the federal government is determinedly appraising the issues with a view to addressing the problems holistically."
"During the visit of the Delta State Advocacy Committee Against Oil Facility Vandalism to the oil communities in the state, May, last year, we held far-reaching consultations with the people and federal government, and I know that the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who is leading the federal delegation to the region soon, will deepen the process," he added.
FIFA voted to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from 2026 in a victory on Tuesday for its president Gianni Infantino but derided by critics as driven by money and politics.
In a deeply divisive move which will enrich scandal-tainted FIFA’s coffers, its ruling council unanimously adopted an expanded format with 16 groups of three nations that will bring “benefits without negatives,” said Infantino.
“We have to shape the World Cup of the 21st Century… football is more than Europe and South America,” the FIFA president said after the vote.
“Many more countries will have the chance to dream.”
It represents the first major change to the World Cup since the tournament was boosted from 24 to the current 32 teams for the 1998 tournament in France.
But its many critics strongly oppose the latest move and it was branded a “money grab and power grab” by New FIFA Now, a group campaigning for reform of FIFA.
Infantino took over the body 11 months ago with a vow to repair the damage done during Sepp Blatter’s tenure by growing football across the globe.
Enlarging the World Cup was the centrepiece of that vision, but opponents say a bigger tournament will dilute the quality of play and overburden already exhausted players, particularly in Europe’s money-rich leagues.
Football’s powerful European Club Association reiterated its strong opposition, describing the current World Cup model as “the perfect formula”.
“We understand that this decision has been taken based on political reasons rather than sporting ones and under considerable political pressure, something ECA believes is regrettable,” the body which represents Europe’s leading clubs said in a statement.
Javier Tebas, president of the Spanish La Liga, made no attempt to hide his disgust.
“FIFA is doing politics. Gianni Infantino is doing politics,” he thundered.
“To be elected he promised more countries at the World Cup. He wants to honour his electoral promises. But the promises made to professional football, he’s not sticking to.
“It is without our agreement and it makes us very angry.”
European governing body UEFA offered a tepid acceptance, saying it decded to back the plan once “it was clear that all other confederations were overwhelmingly in favour”.
– Big winners, big money – The new format envisages 80 matches — 16 more than the current set-up — but crucially will still be played over the same 32 days, a nod to opponents who fear player burn-out.
Two teams from each group will advance to a 32-nation knock-out round.
A confidential FIFA report projects a 48-team tournament would bring a cash boost of $640 million (605 million euros) above projected revenues for next year’s finals in Russia.
Africa and Asia could be the big winners with a rise in their number of World Cup places — currently five for Africa and between four and five for Asia.
A source close to FIFA told AFP that Europe could get 16 places, an increase of three, with Africa earning nine and South America securing seven.
Infantino said no decision was made on how the extra places would be allocated, but assured all regions “will get more” berths.
The council weighed five proposals during the meeting at FIFA’s snow-covered Zurich headquarters, including maintaining the status quo of 32 teams.
Defending Infantino, CONCACAF chief Victor Montagliani said there was unanimous backing because the debate was based on “facts and the figures, not on a wink and nod”.
“Maybe the time has come where we don’t do things on winks and nods anymore,” added the head of North and Central America’s governing body, in a clear jibe at the disgraced Blatter administration.
Some have pointed to Euro 2016 — which expanded to 24 nations — as evidence that competition can remain fierce with more countries involved, noting the stunning achievements of football minnows such as Iceland and Wales.
– Who will host 2026? – Bidding to host the 2026 tournament has not yet opened, but FIFA on Tuesday opened the door to shared hosting among up to three countries.
Montagliani, a Canadian, said a joint US-Canada-Mexico bid was “possible”, while Morocco has also been mentioned as a possible candidate.
Tuesday’s landmark decision is the latest overhaul of the World Cup, which has seen its global popularity and financial might surge since the inaugural edition in 1930.
That contest, won by Uruguay, had just 13 countries.
The World Cup expanded to 24 teams in 1982 in Spain before moving to its current 32-team version in 1998.
Kingsley Okechukwu Ogbodo, an Enugu State Indigene based in the United Kingdom and Manager to Kelechi Iheanacho, Manchester City striker, Tuesday, donated 50 footballs, 36 bibs and 30 jerseys to Enugu Rangers International Football Club in appreciation of its recent victory as the Nigerian Professional Football League.
Ogbodo, also said the donation was intended to support the NPFL Champions, as well as to motivate the team to win the forthcoming CAF Champions League.
Receiving the items on behalf of the club at the Government House, Enugu, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi thanked the donor for his gesture towards the progress of Enugu Rangers and the State.
The governor described Ogbodo as a good ambassador of the state and called on other indigenes to emulate his disposition by contributing to the development of the state and society at large.
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