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‘End AFCON Celebrations Now’- Ebonyi Fans Tell Eagles

Football fans in Ebonyi have urged the Super Eagles to end all celebrations arising from their triumph in the AFCON 2013 tournament and concentrate on qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.

The fans gave the advice on Sunday in Abakaliki, while reacting to the Eagles 1-1 draw with Kenya on Saturday in Calabar, in a world cup qualifier.

The fans urged the players, officials and the Nigerian Football Association (NFA), to realise that the AFCON triumph would be eroded if the Eagles failed to qualify for the global fiesta.

The Chief Coach of the Ebonyi State Sports Council, Martin Nkpuma,  said that the players’ attitude on the pitch was questionable as they had played as if nothing was at stake.

“They appeared unfit and showed no sense of urgency until the later part of the game when it became late.

“They should put the Kenya game behind them and approach the remaining matches with the same level of commitment they used in executing the AFCON matches,” he said.

A Sports Administrator, Ernest Nkwuda, called on Stephen Keshi not to distort the team’s arrangement out of panic.

“He has gotten the nucleus of the team he desires,  engaging in further experimentation due to the outcome of the Kenya game would be counter-productive,” he said.

A banker, Mr Joe Udah, also called on the NFA to consider the possibility of playing the Eagles home matches at night for the sake of the European based players.

“This is winter period in Europe, most of our players fagged out against Kenya,'' he stated.

 A Volleyball Coach, Bridget Uchendu, similarly, called on the NFA not to put Keshi under undue pressure to deliver, but to ensure that the team was provided with all it needed to succeed.

“This is not the time to trade blames but a period for utmost collaboration to achieve the desired objective,” she said.

 

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Ekweremadu, Chime, Others Mourn Achebe

The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, has expressed shock and sadness over the death of Prof. Chinua Achebe.

Ekweremadu, in condolence message by Mr Uche Anichukwu, his Special Adviser (Media), in Abuja on Friday described Achebe's death as the ``exit of a literary Iroko’’.

``This is a very sad development given that Achebe employed his writing prowess to paint Nigeria proudly on the global map of fame, and as a social critic.

``He was very courageous and spoke his mind according to his conviction without fear or favour,’’ he said.

Ekweremadu condoled with the professor's family as well as the government and people of Anambra and the nation in general over the irreparable loss.

Also, Sen. Uche Chukwumerije, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, described late Achebe as a patriotic, honest and detribalised Nigeria of this era.

Chukwumwerije said this while speaking with newsmen in Nsukka on Friday during the committee’s oversight function at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

He said the death of Achebe had marked the end of era of undiluted truth in the history of Nigeria.

``I received the news of Achebe’s death with shock. Achebe dedicated his life time to the service of humanity. Nigeria and the world in general have lost literary icon and giant.

``Achebe will be remembered as detribalised, great thinker and honest Nigerian. The history of world best literary icons will be incomplete without mentioning Achebe,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNN, Prof. Bartho Okolo, also described the death of Achebe as great loss to the country and the world at large.

``Achebe will be remembered as one, who believed in excellence, intellectualism and merit. UNN will remember Achebe, especially on his immense contributions to Institute of African Studies.

Gov. Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers while reacting to Achebe’s in Port Harcourt on Friday said his literary works spoke volumes and were internationally recognised.

Amaechi said his favourite among the books written by Achebe was a man of the people’’ noting: “I love and have read’’, the book over and over again, mostly because of its portrayal of leadership as it is in Africa.

``I have also commissioned that a movie be made out of it for the benefit of more people, especially our youths who are the leaders of tomorrow.

``It is such a shock to me that our dearly beloved Achebe, the man who gave us several notable works of literature is gone,’’ he said.

Amaechi said, ``Achebe's intelligence still motivated me, I remember his kind words, his fatherly advice and encouragement.’’

 While, Gov Chime wants Achebe’s literary legacy sustained

Gov. Sullivan Chime of Enugu State has called for the sustenance of the legacies of the late renowned author, Prof. Chinua Achebe, who died at 82.

This is contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Chukwudi Achife, in Enugu on Saturday.

Chime described Achebe as a renowned and celebrated literary icon whose works and efforts toward the advancement of the human race would continue to be acknowledged and respected.

The governor called on stakeholders, writers to advance his legacies, adding: ``Achebe’s death is a huge loss to mankind, Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.

`` Nigeria in particular will miss a great patriot, worthy ambassador and a role model for many generations,’’ he said.

Chime extended his condolence to the President Goodluck Jonathan, the government and people of Anambra as well as the family of the deceased.

 

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UNICAL Rejects 50,701 Applicants

Only 4,522 of 55,223 candidates who applied were able to secure admission into University of Calabar for the new academic session, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. James Epoke, has said.

Epoke who disclosed this while administering the oath of matriculation on the new students on Friday in Calabar described the matriculation ceremony ``as the occasion for a privileged few".

He said the 50,701 applicants were rejected at the point of screening since the university could only admit few new students.

``Based on our quota, we could only admit 4,522 into our various departments,’’ the vice-chancellor said.

He said 3,467 of the candidates admitted were for Science-based courses while 1,055 were for Arts-related courses.

Epoke pointed out that those admitted account for about eight per cent, with about 92 per cent of those who applied unsuccessful.

He however explained that the high rate of failure was not as a result of academic defficiency.

``It was not as if all the 50,701 candidates were not admissible. Rather, it was all due to our `carrying capacity’.

``Cut-off points were set to accommodate the numbers we can carry in the different programmes,’’ the vice-chancellor said.

He noted that competition for admission was made stiffer by more subscription into the professional courses like Medicine and Surgery and Law.

 ``There were limited spaces in such programmes.

``Thus, candidates who ordinarily would have easily secured admission into other programmes are annually unable to get places in the over-subscribed courses,'' Epoke said.

He also advised candidates to diversify their interest in order to reduce frustration.

``You should regard yourselves as the very privileged `chosen few’ as it is said. In fact, `many are called but few are chosen’," the vice-chancellor said.

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Taraba Police Nab 2 Suspected Car Snatchers

The Taraba Police Command has nabbed two suspected car thieves, Ibrahim Jafar and Shaibu Abdullahi, for allegedly stealing a total of 11 cars between 2012 and 2013.

Mr Jubril Adeniji, the Commissioner of Police who paraded the suspects before journalists in Jalingo on Friday, said the duo’s arrest had reduced the rate of car thefts in the state.

The police official explained that Abdullahi, who was caught while trying to escape with a stolen vehicle, pretended to be seriously ill and escaped from the police custody.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that he was later re-arrested at Gombi in Adamawa.

Adeniji said also that Jafar, who recently left prison on March 6 for the same offence, stole another car from Adamawa and brought it to Jalingo for sale before he was caught.

He announced that the command was currently carrying out raids in Jalingo between 12.30 a.m and 3.00 a.m daily to track down criminals operating in the state.

"We are currently carrying out a raid within Jalingo and its environs to track down on criminals operating in the state," the police commissioner said.

The two cars allegedly recovered from the suspects as well as the master keys were also displayed

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