Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) say they will play Paraguay in a friendly in London — but Paraguay say they are playing Athletic Bilbao instead.

When pro-democracy groups forced the military junta to retreat into the barracks in 1999, the obvious assumption was that a worst civilian government was better than the most benevolent military dictatorship. This was the maxim that is beginning to cut a big gash at the heart of true democrats who risked their lives to ensure that Nigeria returned to the civilized ways of governance.

The events of the past couple of weeks, arising from the absence of the President (who is also the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces) on grounds of ill-health, has provoked a flurry of activities, and in its wake has generated multiple reverberations, which have threatened to impose a crack on our ill-managed and papered attempt at constitutionalism.

Again, for the umpteenth time, Nigeria emerged from its ashes of constitutional conflagration that sort of defied the natural order of combustion: much like the Mosaic experience of the bush consuming the fire rather than the other way round. So it was with the recent constitutional crisis triggered off by the eerie power vacuum in the wake of the long absence of President Yar’Adua from the country on medical trip.

A new global survey by the Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ, has said that attacks on journalists are getting worse, with more attempts by repressive governments to censor the media. “Freelancers and online journalists are more vulnerable than ever before”, the survey which was launched at the UN headquarters in New York during the week said. The UN new edition of the CPJ finding entitled, “Attacks on the Press” in 2009, analyses threats in more than 100 countries.

Immediate past President of NBA Olisa Agbakoba (SAN;) former Governor of Edo State John Odigie-Oyegun and factional Chairman of CNPP Mr Maxi Okwu spoke on the controversy over resolutions passed by the National Assembly elevating former Vice-President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to the status of Acting President

AS the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, continues to chase shadows over the appointment of a coach for the Eagles, one of the players has predicted doom for the team in South Africa. Hull city midfielder, Seyi Olofinjana said that the delay in appointing a coach and settling down to the business of the World cup portends a bad omen for the country.

These are not the best of times for estranged Eagles striker, John Chukwudi Utaka. Everywhere he turns to, Portsmouth fans taunt him claiming that it was his huge pay that made Portsmouth to go broke.

That some Nigerians are questioning and or challenging the actions of the National Assembly in declaring Jonathan Goodluck as Acting President of Nigeria is not unexpected given that the actions in question are regarded by many as unprecedented.

ANYONE who has the interest of Nigerian football at heart should add his voice to condemn the wastes that have become a part of the Nigeria Football Association. How can all members of the association head off to South Africa in search of a World Cup camping site for the Eagles?