We are taking Nigerian Football to the next level - Dr Ifeanyi Ubah

The president of FC Ifeanyi Ubah, Dr Ifeanyi Ubah in an interview with supersports TV yesterday boasted that  FC Ifeanyi Ubah is set to revolutionize football in the country. He stated that by the time the club unveils half of the plans they have for the industry, Nigeria football must have gotten to an international standard. 

Enjoy the excerpts below as captured by Ikechukwu Emeka Onyia.

Question :-
You are more into oil and gas, why did you choose to go into sports, to own a football club?

*Ifeanyi Ubah :-
I was a former player. Football is a hobby, I love football and I believe that it is what brings souls together. So for me , it is the passion and I am enjoying it.

Question :-
Of the 20 clubs in the NPFL, there are only four privately owned clubs. We are talking about Giwa FC, MFM, Ikorodu United and FC Ifeanyi Ubah. What has been the journey so far, the experience owning a foot­ball club?

*Ifeanyi Ubah :-
There has been a lot of improvement since we came on board. It used to be one. It used to be Giwa and last season it was Giwa and FC Ifeanyi Ubah.

This season we are four. So, it is growing. Before now, it used to be the government owned clubs only. I am glad it is growing. For me, it is not about personal glory but glory for the nation.

That is the reason private investors have to come into Nigerian football and let's see how we can develop it.

Question:-
It is interesting that you mentioned the growth of football not only in the country but also in the continent, may be that was what inspired you to bring foreign players into Nige­ria?

*Ifeanyi Ubah :-
When you talk about sports today, it is something that educates and brings Nigerians together. It is also trending, it is good for the heart and health. Football is a passion. We are investing heavily and we want to take Nigerian football to the next level.

Question :-
We understand that FC Ifeanyi Ubah is embarking on a huge development of facilities in Nnewi. Can you tell us more about it?

*Ifeanyi Ubah :-
Yes! Nnewi is a big city, everybody is coming to Anaedo; and everybody is coming to Anambra State. And you need to see the crowd during our home matches. I can't imagine such a huge crowd last two Sundays when we hosted 3SC in our first home match. You need to see how people were packed into the stadium. People trooped into the stadium to watch our team with the Brazilians. You could see the enthusiasm of the fans. It was great.

Question:-
How did you lure these Brazilians to Nigeria? How did you sell the idea to them?

*Ifeanyi Ubah :-
Well, one must be proud of his country. You must always maximize your potential. You must not feel inferior before others. Nigeria is a big country. We are helping them by showcasing them to the world.

By bringing them to Nigeria, we have made a point internationally that Brazilians can come to Ni­gerian and be employed to play football. It is all about taking Nigerian football to the next level. I believe the sky will be our starting point.

Question :-
Does the name Moise Katumbi , the owner of TP Mazembe inspire you? They are doing well in Africa. They are building wonderful facilities like you are trying to do here. Is he of any influence to your dream about taking Nigerian football to the next level as he is doing with TP Mazembe?

*Ifeanyi Ubah :-
Katumbi is my friend. I spent 12 years in DR Congo. I know him very well and we share a lot in vision together. You can see what TP Mazembe are doing from Lubumbashi where they are based. I sincerely believe that you don't need to be in the capital city, Abuja or Lagos to be a big club.

We are a local club but of international standard. I believe we are not doing badly. We still have one match to go, if we win that match we hope to be on top of the log. For me, step by step, we are taking Nigerian football to the next level.

Question :-
How far can you sustain this passion?

*Ifeanyi Ubah :-
I am coming from a different style. Some people said MKO Abiola didn't go far. They also cited Leven­tis United and others. The point is that, they were not investing in football. It was about their names.

You cannot compare what we are doing now and what they did those days. We are building a games village. We are building double football pitches - double stadium. We are developing a five star hotel, shopping plaza, several infrastructure in one city - we call it a mini city.

You have so many facilities in the same place. I am also preparing for my retirement. I started very early in life. I started at under 20. So I have done half of my adult age working earlier in life.

So I have to retire very early. It is a major project. Some clubs can come here. We can host about 10 clubs in a pre-season at the same time.

Question :-
How long would it take to complete the games village and the main stadium? Where will your team be playing and what are their capacities?

*Ifeanyi Ubah :-
The first stadium is about 17,000 sitting capacity. The second about the same capacity but a major difference is that one will be artificial playing turf while the other will be a natural grass turf.

I believe before the end of the season they will be ready. At the moment we have gone past 70 per cent and that is just in six months.

Question :-
What is your vision for FC Ifeanyi Ubah?

*Ifeanyi Ubah :-
We will like to be remembered as a club that has added value to the image of Nigeria. We are contributing our own quota towards the growth of the society.

Question :-
In recent years, you have followed the national teams to major matches outside the country. We recall you followed the Olympics team all the way to Ghana with coach Siasia. What was the motivation?

*Ifeanyi Ubah :-
Football has always been part of my life. I have al­ways followed Nigerian teams- the Nigerian foot­ball supporters club with Dr Rafiu Ladipo.

Almost all the coaches one way or the other have benefitted from our social responsibilities, either from my business or the foundation.

We have been following Nigerian football everywhere. We have been to Brazil, Congo etc. And there is no present Nigerian coach that does not have one-on-one relationship with me.

Question :-
You got Muhamane Cisse from FC Leopards. How easy was it to convince him to come and play in Nige­ria?

*Ifeanyi Ubah :-
It is the same thing with the coming of others from Brazil. Some of these players may be on transit to show­case their skill.

We may require Supersports to market them for us. We can send them to where they are going and make some money.

The important thing is to get to play here. You see the Bra­zilian scored in the match against 3SC.

We have play­ers from Niger, Mali, Cote d'Ivoire. We also have the former captain of Ghana's Asante Kotoko and the Bra­zilians. It is a mix, now when it comes to the club, every­one is working hard.

You can claim that you are a su­per star and you can't prove it. There is stiff competition such that if you don't work hard, you will not make the team. And we are enjoying it.

Question :-
Ifeanyi Ubah has set a re­cord in Nigeria by bringing in some Brazilians, no one has done that before. But I would like you to shade light on the issue concerning the transfer of the club from Gabros International to FC Ifeanyi Ubah.

*Ifeanyi Ubah :-
I want to say that the issue has been sorted out. Two of the stadiums will soon be ready.

On the issue of Gabros, I don't want to make any mention of it because the press at one time was awash that the club has been taken over. Clear conscience fears no accusation.

Yes, we had a little misunderstanding on where the stadium is situated. There has been litigation between the owners of the land the proprietor of former Gabros and a com­munity called Nza commu­nity in Ozubulu. Nza com­munity has been in court for 16 years. When eventually we bought the club and the pitch, there was no information about the litigation on the land. We took over the pitch we were faced with litigations and we said gentle­men 'we need clearance on this. That we didn't want to get involved with this com­munity issues.

We either get it resolved or get a safe arrangement on ground. We are working for the fans and didn't want it to be seen as Ifeanyi Ubah has come to take a community land.'

We are resolving it, even though we are in court. It has been on for 16 year but we have to play football. We have the transfer of the club and everything legitimately secured.

We are working and developing the club, including the facilities.

Question :-
You have so many big teams to play, which one do you consider a threat?

*Ifeanyi Ubah :-
We have to look at MFM, the boys are young and youthful players. We also have Kano Pillars, but before we will settle score with Pil­lars, they need to give us our player. One of our player, who collected money from us and is now playing for them. So we are taking him to court.

I don't think he will play against us, once he is not in that team, we will face them. We will make sure we make him pay us.

MFM is like the Leicester in the EPL. If you look at them, they are coming up with confidence, such teams can be danger­ous and you don't underrate them.

They can spoil your day. I think MFM and Pillars are the team to watch.

Question :-
Where do you see FC If­eanyi Ubah at the end of the season?

*Ifeanyi Ubah :-
We are building a team. We are aiming at being the best.

...................................................

The Genius With Passion for result...

Ikechukey Emeka Onyia©2016
Nnewi, Anambra State.

FRESH GREEN ENTERTAINMENTlaunches out in style - O’star Eze, Nnewi

FreshGreen

Fresh Green Entertainment, a new entertainment industry recently launched their first act, VictorAnierobi, who incidentally goes by the same nomenclature – FRESH GREEN. The launch cum mini-conference was put together by Ben Emeh, a multi-talented entertainer and the CEO/DIRECTOR of Socials - Fresh Green Entertainment, at Five Star Restaurant, Awka road, Onitsha.

In his introductory speech, Mr Ben narrated how he was introduced to Victor by one of the team members, a Youth Pastor and Movie Director, and decided to break all jinxes associated with professional music down in Onitsha. He introduced Victor as the next sensation every Nigerian, African albeit the whole world should anticipate given his unique passion and powerful voice performances.

Mr Emeh said that that day marked the beginning of a musical revolution as the Entertainment Firm – Fresh and Green intends to go beyond the present artiste to harvesting other underground musical sensation thereby ensuring that the people are continually given fresh and green musical classics for their listening pleasure.

According to the cousin, ChizobaEkwue, who is Fresh Green’s Personal Assistant, music runs in their blood and therefore she was not surprised when approached her with his intention to go into music professionally in Nigeria. Also, she had always known about his flair for music given his constant involvement in musical activities right from childhood. In Chizoba’swords; “If you trace most of the popular Nigerian artistes started from the choir just like him”.

The music artiste, Victor Anierobia.k.a Fresh Green revealed that besides having been participating in musical activities right from his tender years, he had started professional music in Italy in 2010 but after listening to the likes ofTimaya and Phyno, experienced a turning point and decided to come back to Nigeria and make his own input in the thriving Nigerian music industry. According to Victor, “The guy that pulled me out of my shell was Phyno. Nigerian music has gone far and wide. There is no place you go in Europe that you are not respected as a Nigerian artiste.”

BEN BRUCE TO DRIVE INNOSON BULLET PROOF CAR IN 90 DAYS. {SEE PHOTOS}

Sen Ben Bruce has purchased an INNOSON MOTORS bullet proof SUV with his personal money. The classic automobile which will be delivered to the Senator is said to be the first of its kind in Nigeria.
 

Agriculture Is Remedy to Unemployment in Nigeria –Ezeemo

 

Mr Godwin Ezeemo, Industrialist,   owner of Orient Farm based in Umuchu, Aguata Local Government Area Anambra said Agriculture remains  a way out to remedy youth unemployment in the country .

 

Ezeemo said this while in a press chat with newsmen on Friday in Umuchu his country home.

 

He said he was disturbed by the spate of unemployed youths in the state and called for serious emphasis on agricultural development in the country.

 

The Industrialist opined that the number of application received from unemployed youths in his office on daily account triggers cause for alarm and wonders the vacancies that would accommodate the sea of graduates seeking for employment all over the country.

 

"Agriculture in my view is the only profession roomy to provide jobs to willing unemployed youths.

 

"Instead of the youth lying fallow seeking for  white collar jobs government at all levels should see agriculture as a core means of livelihood and place  more emphasis  on agriculture as if well developed  can provide wide range of employment  to job seekers in the country" h

 

If agriculture was well placed in this country, Mr Ezeemo said that it would create jobs more than oil companies  and allows springing up of many Industries like palm kernel cracking industry , soap making industry , Starch Industry among others

 

He said that development of agriculture will lead to provision of Raw material to existing industry in the country and other industrialist will come up because of availability of raw materials for their business.

 

Ezeemo said that food security would be assure human development and it will increase Internal Generated Revenue (IGR), decrease poverty among many other benefits.

 

"Agriculture is the last blood of any nation, its potentials are many. The problem is that we left agriculture and focused on Oil our mistake can be remedied if we reverse now is never too late' he said

 

 

He said, "Before the war, there was groundnut pyramid, cotton field and palm oil depot that we exported, but because oil was discovered, agriculture was abandoned and that brought about unemployment".

 

"Oil gave us raw cash which we did not use very well. If we had invested on agriculture with the oil money, by now Nigeria would have been one of the best economy in the world", he stated.

 

 

Blasphemous Poem, according to Saudi Arabia

1
petroleum is harmless, except for the trace of poverty it leaves behind

on that day, when the faces of those who discover another oil well go dark,
when life is blown into your heart to extract more oil off your soul
for public use..
That.. is.. the promise of oil, a true promise.

the end..

2
it was said: settle there..
but some of you are enemies for all
so leave it now

look up to yourselves from the bottom of the river;
those of you on top should provide some pity for those underneath..
the displaced is helpless,
like blood that no one wants to buy in the oil market!

3
pardon me, forgive me
for not being able to pump more tears for you
for not mumbling your name in nostalgia.
I directed my face at the warmth of your arms
I got no love but you, you alone, and am the first of your seekers.

4
night,
you are inexperienced with Time
lacking rain drops
that could wash away all the remains of your past
and liberate you of what you had called piety..
of that heart.. capable of love,
of play,
and of intersecting with your obscene withdrawal from that flabby religion
from that fake Tanzeel
from gods that had lost their pride..

5
you burp, more than you used to..
as the bars bless their visitors
with recitations and seductive dancers..

accompanied with the DJ
you recite your hallucinations
and speak your praise for these bodies swinging to the verses of exile.

6
he’s got no right to walk however
or to swing however or to cry however.

he’s got no right to open the window of his soul,
to renew his air, his waste, and his tears..

you too tend to forget that you are
a piece of bread

7
on the day of banishment, they stand naked,
while you swim in the rusty pipes of sewage, barefoot..

this could be healthy for the feet
 but not for earth

8
prophets have retired
so do not wait for yours to come to you

and for you,
for you the monitors bring their daily reports
and get their high salaries..

how important money is
for a life of dignity

9
my grandfather stands naked everyday,
without banishment, without divine creation..
I have already been resuscitated without a godly blow in my image.
I am the experience of hell on earth..

earth
is the hell prepared for refugees.

10
your mute blood will not speak up
as long as you pride yourself in death
as long as you keep announcing -secretly- that you have put your soul
at the hands of those who do not know much..

losing your soul will cost time,
much longer than what it takes to calm
your eyes that have cried tears of oil



* These poems appeared in Fayadh's poetry collection Instructions Within which was published by the Beirut-based Dar al-Farabi in 2008 and later banned from distribution in Saudi Arabia.

Translated by: Mona Kareem

Blasphemous Poem, according to Saudi Arabia

1
petroleum is harmless, except for the trace of poverty it leaves behind

on that day, when the faces of those who discover another oil well go dark,
when life is blown into your heart to extract more oil off your soul
for public use..
That.. is.. the promise of oil, a true promise.

the end..

2
it was said: settle there..
but some of you are enemies for all
so leave it now

look up to yourselves from the bottom of the river;
those of you on top should provide some pity for those underneath..
the displaced is helpless,
like blood that no one wants to buy in the oil market!

3
pardon me, forgive me
for not being able to pump more tears for you
for not mumbling your name in nostalgia.
I directed my face at the warmth of your arms
I got no love but you, you alone, and am the first of your seekers.

4
night,
you are inexperienced with Time
lacking rain drops
that could wash away all the remains of your past
and liberate you of what you had called piety..
of that heart.. capable of love,
of play,
and of intersecting with your obscene withdrawal from that flabby religion
from that fake Tanzeel
from gods that had lost their pride..

5
you burp, more than you used to..
as the bars bless their visitors
with recitations and seductive dancers..

accompanied with the DJ
you recite your hallucinations
and speak your praise for these bodies swinging to the verses of exile.

6
he’s got no right to walk however
or to swing however or to cry however.

he’s got no right to open the window of his soul,
to renew his air, his waste, and his tears..

you too tend to forget that you are
a piece of bread

7
on the day of banishment, they stand naked,
while you swim in the rusty pipes of sewage, barefoot..

this could be healthy for the feet
 but not for earth

8
prophets have retired
so do not wait for yours to come to you

and for you,
for you the monitors bring their daily reports
and get their high salaries..

how important money is
for a life of dignity

9
my grandfather stands naked everyday,
without banishment, without divine creation..
I have already been resuscitated without a godly blow in my image.
I am the experience of hell on earth..

earth
is the hell prepared for refugees.

10
your mute blood will not speak up
as long as you pride yourself in death
as long as you keep announcing -secretly- that you have put your soul
at the hands of those who do not know much..

losing your soul will cost time,
much longer than what it takes to calm
your eyes that have cried tears of oil



* These poems appeared in Fayadh's poetry collection Instructions Within which was published by the Beirut-based Dar al-Farabi in 2008 and later banned from distribution in Saudi Arabia.

Translated by: Mona Kareem

INTACOM NIGERIA FIGHTS SLAVERY IN ONITSHA O’star Eze, Nnewi

The business heartland of Anambra state, Onitsha, was set ablaze with the fire of sensitization against human trafficking recently. This came as a result of the Integrated Anti-Human Trafficking and Community Development Initiative,INTACOM Africa, Roadwork and Sensitization program that held at the heart of the metropolis in the wee hours of Monday, December 14, 2015.

The 30-man team led by Okoye Hope Nkiruka, the founder and Executive Director of the NGO, and made up of Volunteers, Human Trafficking Survivors, and media people marched through the streets of the Onitsha suburb sharing stickers and handbills and messages of warning and admonition against human trafficking to the people. Then, at the venue of the interdenominational fellowship of the market, Okoye Hope addressed the traders who had converged for their usual morning prayers.

Explaining the event during interaction with the press, Mrs Okoye explained that the program was a grass-root awareness campaign that was funded by the European Union under the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime,– UNODC NAPTIP grant component two. She disclosed that she has partnered with the leadership of Onitsha Main Market as a community to create awareness and sensitize the people on issues of human trafficking and smuggling of migrant and illegal migration.

Speaking further on the reason for the program, the INTACOM boss said that a study UNODC carried out in 2012, together with the report coming from immigration and some of the survivors the organization has identified in the course of their work in Anambra state has revealed that Anambra state is a human traffickingendemic community. This, she said, made it expedient for them to create this awareness with prevention as their objective.

The t-shirt worn by the sensitization team read ‘I am priceless’ and explaining the intent, Hope Okoye said that it was to reverse the mindset of the people from seeing fellow humans as commodities that can be traded upon. She likened the practice to the slave trade of yester-years calling it modern day slavery where people, out of ignorance, give up themselves for people to enslave them. “That is why we are here today to make people realize that there is no gold for them to pick on the streets of foreign countries. Instead of them selling off what they have, borrowing money trying to leave this country with the hope of greener pasture, it is better for them to use that money to get themselves established here. There are a lot of unharnessed opportunities in this nation,” she said

Okoye Hope Nkiruka also enjoined the Nigerian government to be more responsive to the people and make the environment more conducive for the people so they would not have reasons to be leaving the country en masse.Speaking, she said, “We are losing our young men and women in their thousands in the desert and theMediterean Sea, because they want to get to Europe by all means. If they are not able to get visa, you will see people posing as agents,who are really traffickers, taking advantage of their vulnerability to use them as a commodity.”

On how the organization takes care of the victims, the INTACOM boss said that the organization through the aid of their partners recover and rehabilitate victims who are thenknown as survivors and some of them join her as volunteers in the sensitization campaign.

Narrating, she said, “One of our comrades, Osita Osameme who is a graduate in the University of Benin was selling fairly used vehicles in Nigeria. He sold up everything on his way to Spain. But he ended up drinking women’s urine just to survive the drought in the Sahara desert. When they told him to pay 1,200 dollars to enter a small boat which he called lampa lampa used for fishing in his hometown, he said it was suicide to use such a tiny boat to cross the Meditterean sea and that was how he stopped short on his track and started retracing his steps back home. Today he joins us in the crusade.”

Hope informed that they also let people understand that when some of these people come back empty handed, it does not mean that they were not smart enough over there.In her words, “Imagine finding yourself in a country where you do not even understand their language and there is no country that doesn’t have its own share of unemployment. Go to the U.S,Morocco, Greece; you see the problems they are going through. It is shame and fear of stigmatization that keeps some of our people over there from coming back.”

She narrated the account of another survivor who drank women’s urine for six days and lost a toe while trying to cross the Spanish enclave (a fence of barbed wire). The survivor almost drowned while crossing the sea save for his life jacket that held him up till coast guards saved him and detained him for some time before he wasdeported back to Nigeria.According to her, he said that out of the 9 months he spent away from Nigeria, he begged on the streets ofMorocco for five months, a feat they christened ‘hustling’. The lady announced that the man in question, despite encountering stigmatization when he got back, was helped by their partners to go back to College.

One of the survivors, Pastor Elvis Okolie, who said he came back to Nigeria as a semi lunatic narrated his ordeal as a victim of human trafficking in the desert to everyone ready to listen. In his words, “On one occasion, our vehicle broke down in the desert and we were asked to push it. We did and as the vehicle engine started, those desert guides drove off leaving about 38 of us behind in the middle of the desert to die.”

He said that it was a miracle he survived being the only surviving of the trio that left together on the journey. Elvis Okolie also alleged that there are cases where some of these so-called travel agentscoerce people into going with them on the trip with the promise of greener pasture only to kidnap these victims, keep under torture and blackmail the victim’s people to send ransom money before they are released.

“They lock our girls in a room and force them to have sex with several men in order to make money. In a day, 50 people will have sex with one girl. They cue up for the marathon on the girl and these men collect the money. If the girl is resistant, they spread eagle her against the bed and tie their hands and feet,” he narrated. He termed it a very terrible experience and enjoined all to know that there is no money on the streets of abroad. “Here is better than there.”

Reverend father Patrick Aniere based in Rome, a missionary priest and agriculturist said he has been out of the country and in different parts of the world and eighty percent of Nigeria regretted leaving Nigeria. In his words, ‘you discover that Nigeria is such a great country only when you leave the shores of Nigeria.’ The priest fingered poor economy as the cause of the mass exodus of Nigerian youths.

He however quickly added that the problem of unemployment and economic crunch is a global one. Father Patrick then observed how a lot of Nigerians are lured into drug trafficking as a result of the hardship overseas and that is what ends them up in prisons.