Read Super Eagles star Ogenyi Onazi's exclusive interview with LIB

From his burst into the international scene as a 16 year old in the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Super Eagles midfielder Ogenyi Onazi's climb to the top has known no bounds. From impressive performances with the Super Eagles at the Nations and World Cup to stellar outings with Italian top-flight club side SS Lazio, there is no stopping this Jos boy.

 

In this exclusive interview with Linda Ikeji's Blog, the star midfielder shed some light on the Super Eagles, his beautiful wife Sandra, contractual situation with Lazio and many more. Read after the cut.

 

LIB: How did you feel when you heard of Sunday Oliseh's resignation?

Onazi: I was really sad though, i said to myself not again!

LIB: Why were you sad, did you have a personal relationship with him?

Onazi: Not really, but the reason i was sad was because on several occasions when we have important qualifiers like this something always comes up. Either the coach is sacked or something happens ,then we start looking for solutions.

LIB: What was the general feeling among players when they heard of Oliseh's resignation?

Onazi: Well, everyone has their own opinion which i respect and i just listen. But the coach has his personal reasons of doing what he did and i respect his decision.

LIB:  Tell us about your family and siblings

Onazi: This is personal, i do not want to talk about my family for some reasons.

LIB: How did your family react to your decision to play football professionally?

Onazi: Well as we all know parents always want their children to become lawyers and doctors and all that. My dad never wanted to hear football but at the long run he had to agree. I started playing for the National U-17 football team in 2009 and when my uncle told him his son will be among the 21 players to represent Nigeria he was really shocked because he didn't know my whereabouts as at the time.

As God may want it, he watched me play football for the first time when we played at the World Cup (U-17) ,then he changed his ideas about how and what his children should do.

LIB: How do we prepare against the Pharaoh's of Egypt in the upcoming AFCON qualifiers?

Onazi: Well we have a short time to prepare but we are all professionals . I believe in coach Samson Siasia's ability to prepare us within the short time to confront them and win. I am very confident we will win the game. 

LIB: What was your best moment with the Super Eagles?

Onazi: When we won the Nations Cup.

LIB: Your worst moment?

Onazi: When we drew against South Africa and didn't qualify for the Nations Cup and also when i got injured at the World Cup.

LIB: Congrats on your marriage to Sandra.

Onazi: Lol Thanks. White wedding will be by June, by God's grace.

LIB: What attracted you to Sandra?

Onazi : Well she has been the one i knew i will get married to, since the first day i met her four years ago.

LIB: There have been allegations of players bribing their way into Super Eagles' teams of the past by offering cash incentives and gifts to the coach. Whats your take on this?

Onazi: Well i have never done that and if i heard before i have not seen it since i came to the Super Eagles. Before the Nations Cup, Coach Keshi watched me play and invited me on merit. Till now i have been doing all i can, doing my best for Lazio and the National team. I have no other job apart from football and i have no other passion asides football. I always make sure i give 110% in every game because i know people are passionate about the game.

LIB: With two years left of your contract with SS Lazio is your club planning on giving you a new deal?

Onazi: I have been here all my life, like 6 years. I would love to have another contract but i also want to move on and change environment, experience another football life else where.

LIB: Nigerians love you because of your work ethic when on the field of play. What makes you so passionate and energetic when playing for Nigeria?

Onazi: Well i bless God for his grace in my life to have such energy. Also whenever i play football i think of people that can't eat or will have a bad day if we play badly, so i try to do my best to make them happy  because some people will feel hurt if i play badly.

When we won the Nations Cup, the welcoming at the airport made me cry and i made up my mind to give my best whenever i play for my country.

The National Team is no man's house or village, so now that we have the opportunity to represent our country i do my best to even break records more than others who have served the country in the past.

LIB: Any last words for Nigerians?

Onazi: We love their passion for the Super Eagles and we will always do our best to put smiles on their faces as God gives us the grace to play for the country.

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Dasukigate: Doyin Okupe denies being investigated by the EFCC

                                   

The Special Assistant to former President Obasanjo (Media & Publicity) and Senior Special Assistant to fmr President Jonathan (public affairs) took to his Facebook page to deny reports he's being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into his alleged involvement in the payment of N2.1 billion from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki, to the former Chairman of DAAR Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi. He wrote:

Financial Discipline… making every naira count. By Kemi Adeosun

Article written by Finance Minister, Mrs Kemi Adeosun. Read below...

Economists have long found Nigeria to be something of a conundrum. The macro picture has always appeared compelling - large population, oil reserves, mineral reserves, endless tracts of arable land, land and sea borders for regional domination. Indeed the absurdity of our underperformance is only surpassed by our ability to accurately quantify our losses and missed opportunities.

In the short period that I have been privileged to serve as Minister of Finance, I have observed that even the most basic systems and controls over the management of our resources are in dire need of strengthening. While we are regaled with and shocked by details of amounts stolen, diverted or wasted, we must face the cold reality that such acts are facilitated by weaknesses in our systems. Even if we successfully prosecute and jail every looter, ghost worker and other economic saboteur, there is every risk that those caught will only be replaced by persons who are just as bad, or worse - unless we radically strengthen our systems and institutions.

Our President’s brave and committed fight against corruption and waste is as much an economic crusade as it is a moral one. The objective is not just to stem the corruption and loss but to execute an economic plan to channel those monies into much needed areas that will support and reposition the economy.  In short, the fight against corruption is not about “retribution” and meting out punishment, it is about releasing funds for our economy. I am humbled to be part of the ongoing work on recovery and can report that the urgency in the work, especially our interface with nations where our money has been stashed, is propelled by our need for funds to invest into our economy. 

Our economic plans are not about austerity and frugality; if that were the case then we would not be attempting an expansionary budget. We could have pursued fiscal consolidation and maintained 2015 budget size, and then introduced severe public spending cuts to balance the books by laying off workers and cutting projects. Had we done so, we would by now be the darling of the IMF and other multi-laterals. 

Conversely, we are undertaking an ambitious counter cyclical strategy to stimulate our sluggish economy and expanding government spending with a focus on infrastructure, the true catalyst for economic growth. This will have contractors returning to site and re-engaging workers, it will see new projects commencing, arrears released and economic activity reinvigorated across the nation.  We plan to take advantage of low global prices for commodities and contract prices. Existing contracts are being renegotiated downwards, with significant savings recorded and new projects priced to reflect current commercial realities. Our spending stimulus is private sector driven, supported by a robust procurement system that will see permanent local capacity built in a number of sectors including oil and gas, housing construction and agriculture. However, and this is the key differentiator, we plan to spend in a disciplined manner that will extract the maximum value for every naira spent.

The process of building the internal control framework to support this need for disciplined spending has begun in earnest. Our Efficiency Unit has reviewed four years of detailed expenditure data to identify trends and is already negotiating volume discounts that appropriately reflect the buying power of government. Personnel remains our largest cost. In addition to the BVN driven cleaning of our payrolls that has so far removed 23,000 fraudulent entries, we have initiated significantly stronger controls over our payroll.  These efforts will exert a constant downward pressure on personnel costs until such a time as we have assurance that every payment is accurate and valid. A similar process is now commencing in Pensions. The N160 Billion spent monthly on personnel and pensions related costs demands this as an absolute minimum. 

The revenue focus is non oil. We are revisiting historical decisions that are no longer in the best interests of the national economy. The establishment of various Boards and Parastatals to undertake the operational and revenue generating business of government was a well-intentioned attempt to provide separation from policy makers. However, as the economy has grown, so too has the revenue earned in these agencies and their financial autonomy has grown in a manner that no longer fully serves the public interest. Port charges, maritime charges, airport landing fees, visa charges, passport charges, telecoms licence fees, among many others, must be tracked and accounted for. 

While the Fiscal Responsibility Act was designed to provide control, actual compliance has been poor. The result has been leakage on a staggering scale, as findings from our ongoing audits suggest. This is a serious issue. The upside is a significant revenue opportunity which the TSA implementation has given us sight of, and which we are supporting with a proactive drive for improved accountability.

At the same time, our traditional revenue sources are being supported to be more effective.

In Customs, we are making the necessary investments in container scanners and other equipment required to improve collection efficiency. This is combined with the results of a compensation survey which will see the introduction of performance related pay, to reduce corruption and create an alignment of interest that will enhance revenue generation. With FIRS there is a well-defined plan to enhance compliance by widening the tax net. Using data to drive tax compliance, we will ensure that the tax regime is efficiently administered and that everyone pays their fair share.

There is a need for disciplined and effective system of managing our financial resources to ensure maximum value. We will no longer measure performance by the size of our budget or the amount disbursed; we must measure by the impact of that expenditure on the lives of Nigerians. To measure and manage this we have already made some key changes in the way funds are released. We have abandoned the old system of capital releases that funnelled a proportional share of available funds released to each Ministry, Department and Agency. We have a robust system in place where funds are tied to specific outcomes as documented by each agency. This is being supported by follow up reviews to ensure implementation.

As Benjamin Disraeli once said, “We are not creatures of circumstance; we are creators of circumstance.”  I am firmly convinced that Nigeria is on the right path. The path of discipline will confront some age old destructive habits. It will challenge some unwritten rules, and I personally will step on some highly placed toes on this journey. All this I am fully prepared for, and so I do not expect nor do I particularly want to be popular.

However, I will act in the best interest of all Nigerians to ensure that we build the economy that we desire and richly deserve.

This is the second of three articles by Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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RMD, Olu Jacobs return to television as Hush, a tale of fashion, power and politics, comes to Africa Magic

                     

On the 4^th of April 2016, viewers across Africa will welcome a new and exciting telenovella to their screens as Africa Magic premieres Hush, a tale of fashion, politics and ambition which follows different members of high society as they collide.

The story of Hush revolves around Bem and Arinola, power-players in fashion and politics respectively. Bem, played by Richard Mofe-Damijo, is one of Africa’s biggest designers based in Lagos State, Nigeria, and Arinola, played by Thelma Okoduwa, is one of the state’s fastest rising politicians. The intrigue begins when Bem proposes marriage to Arinola, an action that sets in motion a chain of events propelled by the secrets in their respective lives, secrets that run through the backrooms of secret societies, the corridors of the judiciary and on social media.

The Director, M-Net West Africa, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, said: “Hush is an exciting telenovella that explores the intriguing relationship between two powerful individuals, and the power tussle between players in fashion, politics, and high-society. The storyline is unique even as the acting promises to be exciting, given the caliber of the cast and crew involved. We are excited for our viewers and urge them to tune in to catch Hush.”

Hush follows in the stead of Africa Magic’s recently concluded and highly popular Nigerian telenovella,Hotel Majestic, and promises to keep viewers entertained with its themes of love, power, high-society, betrayal and intrigue. The telenovella explores the precarious and delicate weaving between seemingly disparate worlds which co-exist in Lagos, each possessing its own eco-system based on interconnecting, seamless interaction, secret alliances and loyalty.

 “There’s a co-dependency of which not all players are aware. Sometimes this is a healthy relationship, often times not. The cast of Hush is stellar and the show marks a return to television for a number of renowned actors and actresses. All these factors make for exciting viewing and we can’t wait for our viewers from all over Africa to tune in,” Mba-Uzoukwu added.

Hush premieres on April 4^th, 2016, on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv channel 151). The telenovella will air weeknights at 9pm CAT stars Richard Mofe Damijo, Thelma Okoduwa, Olu Jacobs, Baj Adebule, Rotimi Adelegan and Meg Otanwa,  and will air weeknights at 9pm CAT.

For more information on Hush and the Africa Magic channels and programming, please visitwww.africamagic.tv

Migrant Crisis: EU, Turkey Close In On Deal

The EU and Turkey said that they are close to reaching a deal on how to ease the migration crisis at a summit in Brussels.

European Council President, Donald Tusk on Tuesday, said that irregular migrants arriving in Greece will be returned to Turkey.

For each migrant returned, Turkey wants the EU to accept a Syrian refugee on a one-for-one basis, and offer more funding and progress on EU integration.

Mr Tusk said that leaders had made a “breakthrough”, and he was hopeful of concluding a deal next week.

He said the progress sent “a very clear message that the days of irregular migration to Europe are over”.

Talks would continue ahead of an EU meeting scheduled for March 17 and 18.

Europe is facing its biggest refugee crisis since world war two. Most migrants came via Turkey, which is already sheltering more than 2.7 million refugees from the civil war in neighbouring Syria.

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Nigerian Cristiano Ronaldo fan stabs Nigerian Lionel Messi fan to death in Mumbai

A Nigerian man named Chukwuba Nwabu pictured top left, who is a Christiano Ronaldo fan, killed his friend, Obinna Micheal Durumchukwu pictured top right, who is a Lionel Messi fan, after an argument over who is a better footballer between the two stars at a birthday party organized by a Nigerian student in Mumbai, India over the weekend.

The men were at a party thrown by a Nigerian at his house, when the argument ensued and they began fighting. One stabbed the other to death.

A senior Indian police officer who spoke on the incident said

"The friends entered into the debate as they were ardent football fans. The victim entered into the heated conversation and considered Lionel Messi to be the best football player but the accused were supporting Cristiano Ronaldo. When the accused started leaving, the victim threw a glass on the accused which hit his face and the glass broke. The accused picked up the piece of the broken glass and, in a fit of rage, slit the throat of the victim. The fight which started from football debate ended up with a murder. We have arrested the accused under sections 302(murder) and 34(common intent) of the Indian Penal Code. We will produce the duo at Vasai court on Monday" he said