NPL Chairman in match-fixing scandal

Baribote, NPL Chairman

The chairman of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL), Victor Rumson Baribote, is in the storm again. This time around, it is the charges of match-fixing, a grievous offence in football. The charges are coming from within his own camp with damning evidences which are detailed with names of persons and events.

In a 12-page letter written by Comrade Prince Udofia dated 11^th July, 2012 addressed to all board members of the Nigeria Premier League, titled: “PETITION AGAINST NPL CHAIRMAN CHIEF RUMSON VICTOR BARIBOTE FOR COMMITTING IMPEACHABLE OFFENCES AND EMBARASSING THE NPL AND NFF WITH OFFENSIVE CONDUCT”, Udofia claimed to be a member of the Association of Professional Footballers of Nigeria (APFON).

He added, “I am one of the committed people that stood up and fought for Chief Rumson Victor Baribote in his struggle to wrestle his mandate from Mr. Davidson Owumi.

His words: “I am petitioning against Chief Baribote now because his performance in office has instead of promoting the growth of the NPL as we planned, caused a serious downslide in the NPL such that people like us are totally disappointed and have to speak out now. Udofia laid 15 grounds of impeachment of his friend, Baribote.

In his letter, Udofia claimed, “the unlawful directive given to Barrister Iyke Igbokwe, Vice Chairman of NFF disciplinary committee by Chief Baribote to ensure that Sunshine Stars F.C. Akure was relegated using the two matches: Lobi Stars VS Sunshine Stars and ABS VS Sunshine Stars; I and Mr. Jonah Chukwu were there when Baribote was scolding Barrister Igbokwe for not implementing the relegation of Sunshine Stars at the NFF Disciplinary Committee Hearing.

Another case he brought up against Baribote was to the “Match commissioner of the Ocean Boys VS Enyimba match in Yenagoa, to ensure that Ocean Boys F.C. wins the match at all costs (which the Match Commissioner duly reported in his match report).” If this is true and proven, for the NPL Chairman to directly intervene in the conduct and eventual outcome of a match, it is match fixing according to Article 4.5 of NPL Rules and Regulation 2011/2012 season.

There is a third charge of match-fixing against the NPL Chairman. Udofia asserted that “last season, as Chairman of Bayelsa United, he bulldozed into a match involving Gabros FC and Rising Stars FC in a National League match that did not concern him or his club. Baribote sealed a fifteen million Naira (N15,000,000) agreement with Gabros FC who did not have money to play the match to enable Gabros FC honour the match.

Baribote entered into that agreement to ensure that Rising Stars lost the match so his club (Bayelsa United FC) could beat Rising Stars to the promotion ticket to the Premier League. Up till now, Gabros FC is still demanding the money from both Baribote and Bayelsa State government who is the sponsor of Bayelsa United to no avail.

Three Nigerian athletes in the drug web?

Solomon Ogba...not a laughing matter

*Nigeria loses win of African championship

Nigeria’s feeble ambition to win medals in athletics at the Olympics may have suffered a serious whiff of set back with three of her athletes caught in the web of drug again. This is authoritative, reliable and extremely true as usual.

The three athletes (who the AFN and its top echelon of officials are not willing to speak to this reporter) are known but due to official quietude or either a denial or confirmation will not be mentioned for now.

It is certain that the well-known “coach” who has been linked to majority of drug web issues in the Nigerian athletics fold who is presently one of the official assistants to national team coach, Innocent Egbunike is likely to have introduced one of the alleged athletes to taking the drug for which she has now been nabbed.

The athlete in question is the daughter of a former Nigerian international athlete. She was born and bred in the United State of America. This is her first time in the Nigerian team. It is coincidental that she was caught in the drug scam on her maiden Nigerian outing.

In view of the foregoing, Nigeria has lost automatically the self-praised winning of the last African Athletics championships in Port-Novo in Benin Republic as two of the team medals will have to be withdrawn by the Confederation of African Athletics. The two medals to be lost are the 4x100m and the 4x400m.

Another of the alleged drug culprit is by the new revelation a second timer. All three suspects (as they await the B sample of the test) are female. Sadly, the three who have in their rights the B standard would not be replaceable in the Nigerian Olympic squad since we did not register reserves. This puts our relay squad in a deep mess.  

…As Nigeria drops drug-tainted coach of Marion Jones

It is now official that Nigeria apart from its quality of drug-courier ‘coach’ in its national athletics camp has also employed and eventually dropped the drug-tainted American coach, Garfield Ellenwood, as one of the coaches to the London Games.

On the 2^nd July, the AFN president Solomon Ogba listed Ellenwood as one of the experts that could help improve Nigerian athletes in London when he released the official team list of the federation for the Games to the media at the secretariat of the Nigeria Olympic Committee.

Ellenwood, the former Bethune-Cookman head track and field coach was given a two-year suspension by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that was announced on 28^th January, 2010.

One of the several publications on the matter in 2008 and 2010 traced his problems to the drug ring involving former disgraced American athlete, Marion Jones.

It read, “The suspension stems from Ellenwood’s testimony in May 2008 at the perjury trial of track coach Trevor Graham relating to the federal BALCO probe. Ellenwood testified Graham introduced him to a steroids dealer and he used steroids for a short period as a track athlete.

“That was 12 years ago,” Ellenwood said of the matter. “We live and learn. (Graham) was my track coach for six months in North Carolina. Since then I’ve dedicated myself to make sure kids don’t make the same mistakes I made.”

Ellenwood, who coached former B-CU hurdler Ronnie Ash to two national championships, was fired by the school Sept. 8, 2009, for “violations of university policy as well as Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and NCAA rules,” according to a statement released by the athletics department to announce the firing of Ellenwood and assistant coach Kia Davis.

Despite these celebrated cases, Ellenwood, was quoted by an AFN source as saying that the USADA suspension would not keep him away from the job of coaching elite athletes or making a return to college coaching. The AFN source added that Ellenwood’s suspension was over and had been cleared to coach again.

He said, “We are very much aware of comments that have been made about Ellenwood by some people, but I can explain away that the AFN president or the federation itself would directly go ahead to hire a coach without due clearance. He is the personal coach of Glory Asunmu and all that he was suspended for happened years back. He served it out by the beginning of 2012 and has been cleared by the USADA to coach again.”

Athletics Fraud of Nigeria (AFN) in World junior scandal

AFN President, Solomon Ogba

Nigerians will remember when I broke the sex scandal in the World junior championship in France (in athletics) last year. I approached the National Sports Commission (NSC) in confidentiality. My confidentiality was betrayed. They pretended they were going to intervene in the matter. Rather, the accused in the case who is the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) invited the athlete (whose name I kept away from the public then and now) to come and be tried in their own court and I screamed blue murder! Reluctantly, they dropped the trial. Nothing happened to that matter. It was swept under the carpet.

I can reveal that the athlete has not only improved her timing in Calabar. She eminently qualified for this year’s World junior but she is not on the list. For God’s sake, is this not discrimination?

So, she has to pay the price of not allowing some useless men old enough to be her father who parade themselves as coaches to sleep with her before she can run for her fatherland.

This is terrible. It is un-Godly. My prayer. For those who perpetrated this, may God in His infinite mercies expose their own daughters to the same type of treatment they are giving this innocent young girl who has worked hard and deserves her honour and integrity. May all they lay their hands on be short-lived like they want to frustrate this young athlete.

Sadly, when I saw the list of the 23 athletes that are to represent Nigeria in the World junior I was shocked beyond my pants. Many of them have no business in that team.

Two, it showed that it is a family business because Yusuf Alli’s wife is the chaperon of the team! Why did the AFN keep the list like a secret cult’s roll call?

Vacancies for immediate employment

University of Swaziland Vacancies June 2012
Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates to fill the following vacant position at the University of Swaziland

SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW/ RESEARCH FELLOW IN PHYTOCHEMISTRY IN THE SWAZILAND INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE, MEDICINAL AND INDIGENOUS FOOD PLANTS
Closing Date 6th July, 2012

Qualification and Experience
. A Ph.D. or M.Sc. in Phytochemistry, Natural Product Chemistry or Medical Plant Chemistry.
. The relevant candidate should be a versatile researcher with substantial output in the field with at least three (3) years postgraduate experience.

Duties
1. Phytochemical screening of medicinal and food plants.
2. Participate in ethnobotanical surveys of medicinal and indigenous food plants.
3. Design and evaluate Research proposals.
4. To develop proposals for funding.
5. To perform any other duties assigned by the Director of the Institute and relevant Senior Authorities of the University.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT IN PHYTOCHEMISTRY IN THE SWAZILAND INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE, MEDICINAL AND INDIGENOUS FOOD PLANTS
Closing Date 6th July, 2012

Qualification and Experience
A BSc. Degree with major in Chemistry and biological Science with at least Second Class Upper Division.

Duties
1. To assist in the ethnobotanical surveys of food and medicinal plants.
2. To assist in the collection of plant material for analysis.
3. To assist in the phytochemical analysis of plant material
4. To assist in the literature survey.
5. To assist in the in organizing seminars and workshops.
6. To assist in making orders and keeping custody of equipment
7. To service meetings of the Institute
8. Design and evaluate Research proposals.
9. To perform any other duties of the Institute assigned by the Director.

PROFESSOR/ ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR/ SENIOR LECTURER/ LECTURER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Closing Date 6th July, 2012

Qualification and Experience

Dutie
. A Ph.D./ Masters in: 1) Applied Linguistics or
2) Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) or
3) English Language and Linguistics.
. Experience in teaching EAP and ESP in the health Sciences.
. Authoring Computer assisted language learning materials.

1. Teach English for Academic purposes (EAP) and English for specific purposes (ESP).
2. Design and Develop materials for EAP and ESP
3. Research and community Service

PROFESSOR/ ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR/ SENIOR LECTURER/ LECTURER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
Closing Date 6th July, 2012

Qualification and Experience
. A Ph.D. In Chemistry, majoring in either Organic, Natural Products or Medicinal Chemistry. Evidence of research in Synthetic Organic/Medicinal/Nano materials
. Chemistry would be an added advantage.

Duties
1. To teach Organic Chemistry B.Sc. and M.Sc. students.
2. Conduct research and supervise student's research projects and research work.
3. Help diversify research in Organic/Nano Materials Chemistry as applied in Environmental Science/Medicinal Chemistry
4. Carry out community Service Projects in-line with UNISWA objectives.

PROFESSOR/ ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR/ SENIOR LECTURER/ LECTURER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING SCIENCE
Closing Date 6th July, 2012

Qualification and Experience
. A Ph.D. In Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing Science/Psychotherapy or Counseling/Psychopathology (Psychiatry).
. Specialization in Psychotherapy/Counseling will be an added advantage.

Duties
1. To teach Psychiatric Nursing courses, to certificate, and undergraduate students and Master's candidates in the near future.
2. Provide Clinical supervision to Psychiatric Nursing students.
3. Conduct research, initiate community projects and participate in community service.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR/ SENIOR LECTURER/ LECTURER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION
Closing Date 6th July, 2012

Qualification and Experience
. At least a Master's Degree in Journalism, (PhD required for SL and above), Media Studies or Mass Communication.
. University teaching experience will be an added advantage.

Duties
1. To teach Print Journalism.
2. To conduct research and supervise research projects for Undergraduate students.
3. To carry out Community Service.

LECTURER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION
Closing Date 6th July, 2012

Qualification and Experience
. At least a Master's Degree in Journalism, Media Studies or Mass Communication.
. Industry experience will be an added advantage.

Duties
1. To teach Advertising and Public Relations.
2. To conduct research and carry out Community Service.

SENIOR LECTURER/ LECTURER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CROP PRODUCTION
Closing Date 6th July, 2012

Qualification and Experience
. A PhD in Agronomy.
. University teaching experience at both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Duties
1. To teach Agronomy courses including both to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
2. To supervise research projects for undergraduate students.
3. To supervise thesis/dissertation for postgraduate students.
4. To conduct research in Agronomy and related areas.
5. To perform community services in Agronomy related areas.

SENIOR LECTURER IN THE DEPARTMENT OFCROP PRODUCTION
Closing Date 6th July, 2012

Qualification and Experience
. A PhD in Agricultural Entomology.
. University teaching experience at both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Duties
1. To teach Agricultural Entomology including Systematic, Toxicology, Physiology, Crop Pests and Pest Control of cultivated crops and storage pests.
2. To teach Agricultural Entomology including IPM and Insect Taxonomy at postgraduate level.
3. To supervise research projects for under graduate students.
4. To supervise thesis/dissertation for postgraduate students
5. To conduct research in Agricultural Entomology and related areas.
6. To perform community services in Agricultural Entomology and related areas.

PROFESSOR/ ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR/ SENIOR LECTURER/ LECTURER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS & MANAGEMENT
Closing Date 6th July, 2012

Qualification and Experience
. A PhD. In Educational Management
. A PhD. In Sociology of Education would be an added advantage.

Duties
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2. To conduct research and do community services.

LECTURER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF LAW
Closing Date 6th July, 2012

Qualification and Experience
. LLB, LLM
. Teaching experience an advantage.

Duties
1. To teach introduction to Law, Criminal Law and Mercantile Law.
2. To supervise students research.
3. To assist in Clinical Legal Education.
4. To preside over Moot courts.

LOCAL CANDIDATES
Permanent and Pensionable service after successful completion of two years on probation; Recruitment and Retention Allowance, Housing Allowance and a Medical Aid.

EXPATRIATE CANDIDATES
A two-year contract which will attract Gratuity, recruitment Allowance a Medical Aid contribution and relocation expenses

APPLICATIONS AND CLOSING DATE
Applications with detailed CV, certified copies of academic and professional qualifications and names of three referees should be sent to:

The Registrar
University of Swaziland
Private Bag 4
Kwaluseni
Email: sar-hr@uniswa.sz
Closing date: 6th July, 2012

AFN drug courier: Can these be the whole truths?



Nigerian athletes at an event

The man who was alleged to have been arrested about 6pm last week Wednesday in one of the offices at the U. J. Esuene stadium in Calabar during Nigeria’s athletics Olympics trials is touted according to the AFN: “Most of the Nigerian athletes who have tested positive have always mentioned his name and we have been searching for him for years,” Dr Ken Anugweje said.
Anugweje, the current NUGA Chairman is also of the Medical Committee of AFN.
The suspect’s name was given as simply Chimezie by one of the athletes who just tested positive to steroid in AFN’s Golden League in Warri three weeks ago.
Dr. Anugweje has recalled that many of Nigerian athletes who tested positive to doping fingered him and said he always told them he was administering vitamins and that they would never be caught.
“This man is like spirit. Anytime we close up on him he disappears. He comes for almost all athletics events but he ran out of luck this time around. IAAF will be happy that we have made this catch,” AFN President Solomon Ogba said.
”What I saw in the man’s bag was unbelievable. I found drugs I have never seen in my life, the types I only read about in books and on internet,” Dr. Anugweje said, adding “he is well equipped with laptop which contains a lot of information. I’m happy the police took the laptop and his phone because particulars of his clients will be there.”
The man is said to own a chemist shop in Mushin, Lagos.
Certain questions remains to be asked. What has been the link of this man to athletics? Does he not have his hands inside the sport? Dr. Ken Anugweje should go back to some of the official reports he had written the federation some years back, what name is known popularly with the athletes caught in the drug web who presently is one of their coaches?
A small criminal is being made into a giant to probably close their own favourite who is globally known amongst the Nigerian community of athletes and officials as the major drug courier. Is this chemist now caught the same one who goes abroad to administer the same drugs to our athletes? Many more questions. This is not the man we are waiting for surely. The truth is still being hidden.

Drug dealer dad, thieving mum, successful sports leader

 *Whither Nigerian kids of such background, Abdullahi?

Sports Miinister, Bolaji Abdullahi, 'na so we go dey?'

Every follower of football in the world loves the sterling qualities of John Terry of Chelsea who broke into his celebrated team as a 14 year old and has today made name, fame and money. He is the son of a drug dealer dad and a well known thieving mother. Were it not for the deliberate efforts of a system to have introduced him to football at such an early age, you can imagine what John Terry would have been today, an amalgam of a drug dealer and thief.

Please ask, were John Terry to have been a Nigerian child growing up in Wudil, Yola, Benin or Ilorin would he have been able to achieve the qualities of these successes? Would he have been what the John Terry we all know have been at his age? Yet, we have better boys and girls who with a similar deliberate structure to introduce them to sports would have been better than John Terry at the same age.

This reporter was the son of a fitter machinist and a petty trader mother in the Kantoma market in Jos. At six years, I had been introduced to sprinting, jumping and basketball. I did not pick up playing handball which I played for Nigeria for 20 years until I entered secondary school. Football was like one of my worst games yet I played to club level. There was a deliberate introduction to sport so early.

Oluseyi Ojo earned 2m Pounds to play for Chelsea.

Can he earn such if he had grown in Nigeria?

 

 

My story is not different from that of Innocent Egbunike who hawked bread and was seen by the coach who recruited him how he masterly sold his bread, removed change and maintained speed. Today, he remains Nigeria’s most successful athlete in terms of medals and honours. The story of Clement Temile of Super Eagles and Leventis United of Ibadan is similar.

Can someone tell me what befalls the Nigerian kid of today who is wrongly introduced into sports picking his skills by himself from the streets by observation? He grows old before coming into sports. It takes him time to become adept and has to cut down his age to play in the national team or break into the clubs.

Now, as former athletes, it hurts and heart rending to see the system that produced us cannot produce better environment for the children coming behind us. That is why we get so agitated and angry at how the current charlatans who manage our sports are killing it. They see competitions as the growth and development.

The only three sports that seems to be alive in the country today are Basketball, Scrabble and Chess. Why is this so? The main stakeholders – the athletes – are involved in the management of what is theirs. Ironically, no sports council in the country including that of the FCT can perform their statutory function of sourcing, finding, honing, growing and developing athletes.

The National Sports Commission (NSC) which is to stimulate policies and direction for the nation’s sports is like groping in the dark. They produce poicy somersaults and flip-flops. Sometimes, the bright ideas that are brought to stimulate these functions which they would have propelled and helped are stolen, badly delivered and stuck.

Terry, could not have been his if he were Nigerian

This was the case with the Nigeria Athlete Insurance scheme. This was the case with the Volleyball Players Foundation. This was the case with the national Sports Lottery. This was the case with the National Sports Development Fund. This was the case with the Team Nigeria concept.

Today, there is certainly a disconnect between society and the sports sector. The football industry alone is estimated to be worth over N2.85b per annum is nowhere near its potential. The NFF (with its illegalities) does not know what is its immediate responsibility, which is to develop the game.

Have you noticed that nations where the FA is performing its roles well have a developed league that is thriving as the centre of attraction. The ones who are not doing too well make their national teams and competitions their centre of attraction?

Now, let me re-state it. The very essence of sports is the community. Which community in Nigeria is involved as a joint venture in a sports development function. This is and should be the focus.

BOLAJI ABDULLAHI: It is always good when a person arrives at a destination in the right time and in a right environment. Given those who have occupied the office of sports minister since 1999 when the PDP took over the reins of governance in this country, after Ishaya Mark Aku and Abdulrahman Gimba, I think I should add Isa Bio Ibrahim to the list, the current occupier is one who is well schooled to appreciate what is his role.

Apart from working in a PDP environment which has no room for sports and youth development, this is a government which has proven over and again not to be people-oriented. Now, the minister is working in an internal environment of a department that is enmeshed in its own limited knowledge which is not good to sell what it has in its hand because they don’t know how its managed outside and are not peeping to see what can be done.

Within these confines, the minister is trying to swim afloat despite these albatrosses. I quickly presage again that the absolute failure in the London 2012 Olympics will be recorded against him. One salient question is, what are their plans after the London disaster? No one is seeing the disaster as rain that has beclouded the firmament.

Can we begin a new community-based orientation that can generate 2million jobs in another two years at no serious cost to the Federal, state or local government? Coming from the Youth ministry, he should have been well grounded in these schemes. He was Commissioner for Education for eight years. He was a Development Editor in ThisDay. We are speaking the same language but his environment is too noisy to allow him concentrate.

Why can’t the NSC key into the joint project involving Professor Wole Soyinka’s Chess for School initiative and Innocent Egbunike (incidentally their staff) Athletics Development function that has the likes of Bose Kaffo (table tennis), Sadiq Abdullahi (tennis), and a plot for handball, basketball, volleyball etc for primary and secondary schools in six states?

In all, it is the kid that wouold have benefitted from these projects and become a greater person than John Terry as a Nigerian, that would have ruled the tartan tracks better than Jamaica’s Usain Bolt who was produced in Calabar College (established by Nigerians in Kingston)! It is that kid whose future is not guaranteed and the youths of today who would have gotten some of the 2million jobs not available that is stunning me to ask what a waste is my nation?