EMBITTERED
coach of the bronze winning U-23 national football team at the Rio Olympics, Samson Siasia has said he no longer habours any ill-feelings for the Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung for labelling him a ‘Human trafficker’ because “he has apologised to me”.
Widely travelled BBC World Football reporter, Osasu Obayiuwana has revealed that Siasia spoke extensively with him during an interview Wednesday night for the BBC on so many issues including the attack on him (Siasia).
Obayiuwana disclosed that the Bayelsa-born gaffer said during the interview that he was disappointed by the ill-treatment of the U-23 team before and after wining the face-saving bronze medal for the country at the Games as well as the aspersion cast on the Japanese billionaire, Yatsuya Takasu who came to the rescue of the team when Nigerian billionaires who heard about their predicament turned deaf ears.
Siasia’s feelings: “I was very surprised that he (Dalung) accused me of being a human trafficker. He has apologised to me for making that statement. The minister has made some mistakes and needs to be guided. But I have decided to let what he said go…”
On being owed five months wages, by the Nigeria Football Federation: “If I had known that I will be in this situation, I would never have taken up this job. I have been relying on friends, in order to survive. There is no excuse for my being owed five months wages… My son asks me, “Dad, how can you be working and they don’t pay you?”
On Dr Katsuya Takasu: “This man came to our aid when we were in trouble. I must thank him. He is a wonderful human being. Where were our billionaires, like Aliko Dangote, when they must have heard that the team were in trouble? The report written by the NFF’s Integrity Officer (Dr Christian Emeruwa) on Dr Takasu (which alludes that he could be associated with match-fixing) is nonsense. He should have done a better job of checking him out.”
On his post-Olympic treatment: “I am disappointed by how I and my team have been treated, after being the only ones to bring a medal home for Nigeria. On getting back from Brazil, we were put up at Sheraton Hotel in Lagos for a night, after which everyone went their separate ways. No official ceremony, not even a handshake from the President. It was the same thing I experienced after winning the Silver medal at the 2008 Olympics. I don’t know whether it is my fate to be always treated this way.”

THE unannounced visit of Facebook Founder, Mark Zuckerberg to Nigeria, Tuesday has provoked spats, flaks and praises among young tech entrepreneurs and some Information and Communications Technology, ICT professionals.

Former Super Eagles captain, Nwankwo Kanu has disclosed that Nigeria’s inability to qualify for two consecutive Africa Cup of Nations championships and the failure of both the U-20 Eagles and the U-17 national team to qualify for various international tournaments were giving him nightmares.

Uyo—It was a gory sight as the body of a 50-year-old man, identified as Chief Ekanem Edet, dangled from a rope tied to the roof of his room at Mbiabong Itam in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

ABUJA—The All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, inaugurated a five-member Election Committee and three-member Election Appeal Committee, which will be headed by Governor Muhammadu Badaru of Jigawa State, for tomorrow’s governorship primaries in Ondo State.

ENUGU—A 52-year-old father of five, Chibuke Nwosu, has blamed his involvement in armoured cable and transformer vandalism on the prevailing economic hardship in the country, which has made it difficult for him to feed his family.

SINCE May 20, 1947, when people in Nigeria witnessed total darkness for a few minutes in the afternoon during the eclipse of that year, many Nigerians have always looked forward to an eclipse hoping that the 1947 event would recur.

President Muhammadu Buhari has declared that change can not be attained on a bed of roses and demanded understanding of Nigerians while he deals with the ailing economy.

ABUJA— Director-General, National Research and Space Development Agency, NARSDA, Prof. Seidu Mohammed, has said the occurrence of eclipse was capable of generating billions of dollars for the economy through tourists attraction.

Former Super Eagles skippers, Nwankwo Kanu and Austin Jay Jay Okocha stole the show at the official unveiling of Star larger beer partnership with five top European clubs in a colourful ceremony at Eko Hotel and Suites, Wednesday night.

CALABAR—Pastor William Kumuyi, General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, has said that imposing one religion on a country will take a long process and as such, nobody can Islalmise or Christianise Nigeria.

President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Solomon Ogba has taken a swipe at former minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, saying that what Nigeria was reaping today, in terms of results was a product of what the former minister sowed.

AS economic hardship in Nigeria bites harder, President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, reminded Nigerians that he was committed to his change agenda, but that such economic change cannot be achieved on a bed of roses.

Abuja—The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, said, yesterday, that its fighter aircraft carried out precision attacks on fleeing commanders and other leadership of Boko Haram terrorists on August 29, noting that the group of commanders and leadership suffered heavy casualty.

ABUJA—Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State has asked Nigerians to hold the immediate past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan responsible for the current economic recession in the country, saying despite being aware of what the future held, the then president carried on as if the economy was immune to such challenges.