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Transfers: Liverpool set for last-minute bid to secure Super Eagles player linked with Nottingham Forest
Wilfred Ndidi has been heavily linked with a move from the King Power Stadium this summer after negotiations to extend his contract have been stalling for months now
Liverpool are still in the race to acquire the signing of Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi from Leicester City before the end of the transfer window on Friday, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Reds are looking for an established replacement for Brazilian midfielder Fabinho, who left the club to join Saudi Arabia giants Al-Hilal this window, but it has been hard for them to get the right option.
They have already brought in Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Wataru Endo this summer, but Endo is the only natural defensive-minded option, and with the Japanese needing time to settle in England, they now could turn to recently relegated Leicester City midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, as reported by the Independent.
The Foxes are willing to do business before the close of the window, and that could pave the way for a deal to be agreed with Liverpool before tomorrow’s deadline.
It was also reported a few days ago that Ndidi has given the green light for a move to the City Ground, with personal terms already sorted between him and the club.
While another report that came in yesterday revealed that Forest have presented an opening bid to Leicester, and negotiations have started between the two clubs.
Leicester have signed Harry Winks from Tottenham and brought in Cesare Casadei on loan from Chelsea to strengthen their midfield this summer. They have, though, lost Youri Tielemans to Aston Villa, James Maddison to Tottenham, and Nampals Mendy as a free agent.
Gabon coup erodes democracy in Africa
DEMOCRACY’S recession in Africa gathered momentum on Wednesday when military officers staged another coup in Gabon to the consternation of the international community. Claiming that last weekend’s presidential election that returned the incumbent to power was massively rigged, the military overthrew Ali Bongo, who had been in power for 14 years. The putschists elevated a general, Brice Nguema, head of the Republican Guard in charge of presidential security and a relative of the deposed Bongo, to the post of head of state. They put Bongo under house arrest and also arrested his son, Bongo Ondimba, whom they accused of treason. After the July 26 military coup in Niger Republic, this is a dire warning that democracy is endangered in Africa.
Rightly, the coup in Libreville has attracted global rejection. ECOWAS Chairman, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, condemned it, warning that “contagious autocracy is spreading in Africa.” The African Union, the European Union, and the United Nations were also unanimous that the military should reinstate Bongo. The Commonwealth described the coup as “deeply concerning.”
Their message is appropriate. Military dictatorships are an aberration; they are also horrible, and often more corrupt than the civilians they overthrow. The coup in Gabon is the seventh in Africa in the last three years. It confirms the alarm raised recently by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, of an ongoing “epidemic” of coups in Africa. Since 2020, soldiers have overthrown democratic governments or other military juntas in Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Guinea, Niger, and now, Gabon.
These put democracy in a fragile moment. However, democracy remains the best form of representative government available to mankind. It sustains the freedoms, inclusion, and socioeconomic growth, as seen in the Western democracies, and emerging economies like South Korea, and Taiwan.
Africa is in a political dilemma. Since the end of July, ECOWAS has been preparing to deploy military force to oust the usurpers in Niger, who accused the detained president, Mohamed Bazoum, of corruption and replaced him with a general, Abdourahamane Tchiani.
As usual, jubilation accompanied Bongo’s removal. People trooped out in Libreville and Port Gentil to celebrate the end of the 55-year long Bongo dynasty. Ali had succeeded his father, Omar, in 2009. He ‘won’ 64.27 per cent of the ballot on Saturday against his main challenger, Albert Ossa’s 30 per cent in an election widely regarded as tainted.
This is the crux of the pervasive coups in Africa: corrupt, sit-tight leaders are giving democracy a very bad name. In Gabon, Omar assumed power as the second president in 1967, spent nearly 42 years till his death in 2009 and was succeeded by his son. The family has faced accusations of fraud. In 2017, Bongo was probed for owning 39 houses and nine luxury cars in France.
Though an oil-rich country of 2.3 million citizens, bad governance is prevalent there. The World Bank says many citizens live below the poverty line. This prepared the ground for the latest coup after an unsuccessful attempt in 2019 by the military to overthrow Bongo, who had suffered a stroke while on an international tour a year earlier.
Across Africa, sit-tight dictators are besmirching governance. Theodore Mbasogo has spent 44 years as president in Equatorial Guinea. In Cameroon, Paul Biya is in his 42nd year; Dennis Sassou 36 years in the Republic of Congo; Yoweri Museveniof Uganda 35 years; Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea 30 years, and Paul Kagame in Rwanda 23 years. The late Robert Mugabe refused to quit as Zimbabwe’s president and serially rigged re-election until he was forced out by a coup. This is a recipe for the violent change being witnessed continent-wide.
For Africa to escape incessant coups, the leaders must radically change their dictatorial, sit-tight tendencies. Incumbents should conduct credible elections and stop the toxic habit of altering the constitution to overthrow term limits and perpetuate themselves in power.
They must shun corrupt enrichment and govern with high standards, emulate the mature democracies and imbibe the basic tenets of democratic practice to rid the continent of dictators and drive its development.
Credit to: punchng.com
TODAY IN HISTORY
SEPT 1 1950 Ralph Bunche received Nobel Peace Prize for his late 1940s
Ralph Bunche received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his late 1940s work as a United Nations mediator in the Palestine conflict. He called himself ‘an incurable optimist’. Bunche was the first African American and person of color to be so honored in the history of the prize.
HAPPY NEW MONTH
Welcome to September
Let go of the past and embrace the new month with open arms. May every day be filled with beauty and happiness.
Champions League group stage draw: Arsenal, Man Utd, Real Madrid to discover opponents
The draw for the group stage of the 2023/2024 Champions League will be conducted on Thursday, August 31.
It will be held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco from 5pm West African Time (WAT).
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan are just some of the major clubs that will be competing in UEFA’s flagship tournament.
A total of 32 teams compete in the Champions League group stage and they will be divided into four pots of eight for the draw.
There are five teams from Spain and four each from England, Germany and Italy.
These teams account for more than half of the representation in the competition.
Credit to:
TODAY IN HISTORY
International Day for People of African Descent
More than 200 million people in the Americas alone identify as being of African descent. Millions more are located worldwide outside the African continent. Whether as descendants of the victims of the transatlantic slave trade, or as more recent migrants, they are among some of the poorest and most marginalized groups. Nonetheless, people of African descent are holders of a great multicultural richness, resilience and provide substantive contributions to every field of human endeavour, including health.
Last year, the United Nations marked the first-ever International Day for People of African Descent on 31 August 2021. This comes at the midpoint of the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024), which aims to celebrate the important contributions of people of African descent worldwide, advance social justice and inclusion policies, eradicate racism and intolerance, promote human rights, and assist in creating better, more prosperous communities, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals spearheaded by the United Nations.
In relation to health equity, people of African descent who face exclusion, racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance can have increased exposure and vulnerability to risk factors for ill-health, lesser access to quality health services, and worse health outcomes. This has been evidenced by COVID-19 pandemic, in which across the globe, some of the starkest inequities have been experienced by indigenous peoples as well as people of African descent and other ethnic minorities experiencing discrimination.
Webinar: “Advancing the Right to Health for People of African Descent”
A global webinar will be held on 31 August 2022 to:
- Shed light on the injustices and systemic discrimination that people of African descent often face and its impact on health;
- Describe how processes of “othering” influence the health of people of African descent;
- Share knowledge and promising practices for advancing social justice, inclusion and participation of people of African descent in health policies, plans and programmes, as well as in intersectoral actions for health to address wider social and environmental determinants.
Chair:
- Princess Nothemba Simelela, Assistant Director-General for Strategic Priorities, World Health Organization
Panel:
- Carissa F. Etienne, World Health Organization Regional Director for the Americas
- Miriam Ekiudoko, Member of the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
- John A. Powell, Director of the Othering & Belonging Institute at the University of California, Berkeley
- Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Physical and Mental Health
- David Williams, Department Chair Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
The event will be open to the public, and interpretation will be provided in English, French and Spanish.
Lukaku completes loan move to Roma
Romelu Lukaku completed his season-long loan move to Roma from Chelsea yesterday after being welcomed as a hero by supporters.
Roma are yet to make their official announcement but Serie A have confirmed that the deal is done on their list of completed transfers.
Thousands of fans greeted Belgium striker Lukaku after he touched down at Ciampino airport just outside the Italian capital on Tuesday, his arrival a boost for Roma following a worrying start to the new Serie A season.
Italian media report that Chelsea accepted Roma’s offer of around six million euros ($6.5 million) to take outcast Lukaku for this season, giving the Italians the striker they have been looking for since Tammy Abraham damaged knee ligaments at the end of last season.
Lukaku has agreed to take a pay cut from nearly 11 million euros to around 7.5 million euros in order to move to Roma, who are operating under a Financial Fair Play settlement agreement made with UEFA.
Roma have collected one point from their first two matches and their inability to convert dominance into goals was fully on display during Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Verona.
Chelsea meanwhile have been trying to permanently offload Lukaku all summer in a bid to end a disastrous transfer which cost the Premier League club a 115 million euro purchase fee from Inter Milan and his whopping annual salary.
But talks with Inter – where he was loaned back to last season – collapsed reportedly after the club discovered he had been secretly talking to their biggest rivals Juve and AC Milan.
nstead he has been reunited with his former coach at Manchester United Jose Mourinho as the capital club try to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2018.
Credit to: thenationonlineng.net
Gabon: UN, Commonwealth, others condemn coup, Tinubu warns of spread
President Bola Tinubu has expressed concern over the rising cases of coups in African countries, calling for a comprehensive consensus against the spread of “contagious autocracy” across the continent.
The President said he was committed to working with other African leaders to defend democracy on the continent.
Tinubu stated this in his first response to the Wednesday morning coup in Gabon, just as the United States, United Nations, European Union, France and the Commonwealth voiced concerns over the political development in the Central African country.
The military takeover in Gabon is coming one month after a similar incident happened in Niger where Presidential Guards overthrew the democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum.
A dozen soldiers had appeared on Gabonese national television, announcing the cancellation of election results said to have been won by incumbent Ondimba Ali Bongo and the dissolution of “all the institutions of the republic.”
The mutineers led by the head of the republican guards, Gen Brice Nguema , also closed the borders until further notice.
The announcement came after President Ali Bongo, 64, was re-elected for a third term, extending his family’s half-century rule over the oil-rich Central African country of 2.3 million, but the opposition described the poll as a ‘fraud orchestrated’ by the ruling party.
The Bongo family, one of Africa’s most powerful dynasties, has been in power since 1967.
Bongo is the son of late President Omar Bongo, who ruled Gabon for almost 42 years, from 1967 until his death in 2009.
However, speaking on the situation in Gabon, Tinubu said he was watching closely with deep concern the country’s social-political stability and at the seeming “contagious autocracy” apparently spreading across different regions of the continent.
A statement by the Presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, explained that Tinubu was of the unwavering belief that power belongs in the hands of Africa’s great people and not in the barrel of a loaded gun.
It read, “President Bola Tinubu is watching closely with deep concern for the country’s socio-political stability and at the seeming autocratic contention apparently spreading across different regions of our beloved continent.
Tinubu promises democracy
“The President as a man who has made significant, personal sacrifices in his own life in the course of advancing and defending democracy is of the unwavering belief that power belongs in the hands of Africa’s great people and not in the barrel of a loaded gun.
“The President affirms that the rule of law and a faithful recourse to the constitutional resolutions and instruments of electoral dispute resolution must not at any time be allowed to perish from our great continent.’’
Tinubu, who is leading ECOWAS’ efforts to reverse the coup in Niger, further assured that he was in touch with other African leaders towards resolving the political crisis in Gabon.
“To this end, the President is working very closely and continues to communicate with other Heads of State in the African Union towards a comprehensive consensus on the next steps forward with respect to how the power in Gabon will play out and how the continent will respond to contagious autocracy we have seen spread across our continent,’’ the statement added.
Briefing journalists at a press conference at the State House, Abuja, Ngelale said the President “affirmed that the rule of law and a faithful recourse to the constitutional resolutions and instruments of electoral dispute resolution must not at any time be allowed to perish from our great continent.”
Tinubu, he said, was deeply concerned about the spread of autocracy in Africa.
He added that Tinubu urged African leaders to uphold democratic values, adding that the president was consulting with the AU leaders on how best to address the “contagious autocracy” spreading across Africa.
“To this end, the President is working very closely and continues to communicate with other Heads of State in the African Union towards a comprehensive consensus on the next steps forward with respect to how the power in Gabon will play out and how the continent will respond to contagious autocracy we have seen spread across our continent,” he stated.
Ngelale added that Tinubu had “substantive extended discussions” with the Canadian Prime Minister, Justine Trudeau, on issues related to the crisis in the Niger Republic and the unfolding situation in Gabon.
Giving details of the telephone conversation between the two leaders, the President aide noted, “The two heads of state mutually agreed that the promotion and protection of constitutional democratic governance on the continent remains a paranoid priority and that the people of Africa living in the diaspora around the world making a huge impact on the social and political landscapes of countries around the world and the economies of countries around the world continue to urge on the global community to advance the course of democracy on the continent for the sake of the economic prosperity of all Africans.
“So, it is of utmost importance to understand that President Bola Tinubu would continue to engage with Heads of State not just only in the African Union but also around [the] world and those communications and engagements are ongoing.”
Ngelari explained that the two leaders’ discussion centred on the need for the promotion and protection of constitutional democratic governance on the continent.
While the conversation lasted, both leaders were said to have emphatically insisted that democratic governance remain a paramount priority.
Meanwhile, the US and EU have expressed worries over the unfolding situation in Gabon.
Describing the development in Gabon as concerning, the US Government said it would continue to monitor the situation closely.
Credit to:
Harvest of coups threatens Africa’s democracy, Gabon military ends Bongos’ 56-year reign
The hail of gunfire which woke the residents of Libreville, the capital of Gabon, on Wednesday, signified the latest military coup in Africa and the 10th on the continent since 2017.
The reverberations from the gunfire jolted not only Gabon but Africa and the world. Coming a month after the presidential guards in Niger ousted the democratically elected government of President Mohamed Bazoum, the development in Gabon is raising red flags and concerns across the globe.
A dozen soldiers had Wednesday morning appeared on Gabonese national television, announcing the cancellation of recent election results and the dissolution of “all the institutions of the republic.”
The announcement came after President Ali Bongo Ondimba, 64, was re-elected for a third term, extending his family’s half-century rule over the oil-rich Central African country of 2.3 million. The Bongo family, one of Africa’s most powerful dynasties, has been in power since 1967. But the opposition described the poll as a ‘fraud orchestrated’ by the ruling party.
The president confirmed he is under house arrest and called for help, urging citizens to ‘make noise.’ However, reports said there have been scenes of celebration in Libreville since the military takeover.
Speaking to the French newspaper Le Monde, coup leader Brice Nguema assured that the president will “enjoy all his rights.” “He is a Gabonese head of state. He is retired. He enjoys all his rights. He is a normal Gabonese, like everyone else,” Nguema said.
The military leader declined to confirm whether he would declare himself the new president of the Central African country.
“I do not declare myself yet. I do not envisage anything for the moment. This is a debate that we are going to have with all the generals. We will meet at 2 pm. It will be about reaching a consensus. Everyone will put forward ideas, and the best ones will be chosen as well as the name of the person who will lead the transition,” he added.
In what appears to be a confirmation of what the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called ‘’an epidemic of coup d’états,” in his condemnation of the military takeover in Sudan in October 2021, the successful overthrow of 10 democratic governments by their respective armies points to a resurgence of rabid antagonism to democracy in Africa.
Out of the 486 attempted or successful military coups carried globally since 1950, Africa accounts for the largest number with 214, of which at least 106 have been successful.
Based on data compiled by American researchers Jonathan Powell and Clayton Thyne, at least 45 of the 54 nations across the African continent have experienced at least a single coup attempt since 1950.
Africa’s current wave of coups began in 2019 when President Omar al-Bashir was deposed by the Sudanese Armed Forces following mass demonstrations calling for his ouster. The army under the command of Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf overthrew the government and National Legislature and proclaimed a three-month state of emergency in the nation. This was followed by a two-year transitional period before an agreement was eventually reached.
A few months later on August 18, 2020, parts of the Malian Armed Forces initiated a mutiny, which was followed by a coup d’état. Several government officials were detained, including President Ibrahim Keta, who resigned and dissolved the government.
Following in the footsteps of their neighbours, the Malian Army under the command of Vice President Assimi Gota seized President Bah N’daw, Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, and Minister of Defence Souleymane Doucouré on the evening of May 24, 2021. This was the nation’s third coup d’état in 10 years, following the military takeovers in 2012 and 2020, the latter of which occurred just nine months earlier.
Two months later, the coup virus spread northwards and infected the Hichem Mechichi government which ousted Tunisian President Kais Saied and also suspended the Assembly of Representatives of the People on July 25, 2021. Described as a self-coup, the action followed a period of political unrest highlighted by a string of protests and the breakdown of Tunisia’s healthcare system in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the world was trying to make sense of what was happening in Tunisia, Alpha Condé, the president of Guinea, was taken prisoner by the military on September 5, 2021. The leader of the Special Forces announced the dissolution of the government and constitution in a broadcast that was televised on state television by Mamady Doumbouya. Conde’s third term Presidency had earlier sparked violent and mass protests in the country after a disputed election in October and a new constitution in March 2020 which allowed him to sidestep the country’s two-term limit.
Expectedly, the Economic Community of West African States condemned the coup and called for the restoration of constitutional authority in the beleaguered country. The regional bloc was still in the process of arraying granite sanctions against the junta when General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Sudanese military staged a coup against the country’s government on October 25, 2021. Five top government officials, at least, were initially detained.
In consecutive fashion, the democratic administrations in Burkina Faso and Niger were also dismantled by their respective armed forces. On January 23, 2022, Burkina Faso experienced a coup d’état. The military made a television announcement that President Roch Kaboré had been removed from office.
Nine months later on September 30, Burkina Faso military leader President Paul-Henri Damiba was deposed in the country’s second coup in a year, as army Captain Ibrahim Traore took charge, dissolving the transitional government and suspending the constitution. The junta cited his failure to handle the nation’s Islamist insurgency.
On July 26, 2023, the presidential guard of the Republic of Niger detained President Mohamed Bazoum. Shortly after declaring the coup a success, presidential guard commander General Abdourahamane Tchiani assumed control of a new military junta.
Though the avalanche of military takeovers has been resisted by ECOWAS and the international community, this has not yielded the necessary result or curbed the appetite of African militaries for political power. Beyond the stock excuses for the takeovers, other factors adduced for the military intervention in democracy include foreign support or involvement, lack of discipline as well as the weakness of the regional and continental bodies such as ECOWAS, African Union, and others.
Meanwhile, the coup in Gabon has attracted reactions from the international community with the Commonwealth condemning the situation. Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said the situation was “deeply concerning.”
“The Commonwealth Charter is clear that member states must uphold the rule of law and the principles of democracy at all times,” Scotland said.
French government spokesman Olivier Veran said Paris condemns the coup in Gabon and wants the election result to be respected. Earlier, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said France is following events in Gabon “with the greatest attention.”
Paris maintains a military presence in many of its former colonial territories, including Gabon, where it has 370 soldiers permanently deployed, some in the capital, Libreville, according to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces website.
Also, Russia has expressed concern about the situation in Gabon. “Moscow has received with concern reports of a sharp deterioration in the internal situation in the friendly African country. We continue to closely monitor the development of the situation and hope for its speedy stabilisation,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated.
Retired diplomats attributed the coups to the failure of the political leaders to meet the needs of their people. A former Nigerian ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, said the politicians must learn to deliver their mandates once elected.
Amedu-Ode stated, “Contemporary military interventions in the democratic political processes in the African region appear in Mali (August 2020 and May 2021), Guinea (September 2021), Burkina Faso (January and September 2022), Niger (July 2023), and now Gabon(August 2023). From the above enumeration, West Africa is clearly the epicentre of the resurgence of coup d’etats in the political processes in our part of the world.
“However, this resurgence of military intervention is the phenomenon of the regression of democracy which in itself is a consequence of democracy’s failure to deliver on its dividends to the people. Politicians and others involved in our political process must exert themselves to deliver on their promises.”
Retired diplomat, Amb Rasheed Akinkuolie pointed out that poor governance often leads to coups in Africa, warning, however, that coups do not yield positive results.
“Coups never bring positive results into society. In most cases, it worsens an already bad situation. One family in Gabon has been ruling for the last 55 years which is uncalled for. If they had governed well, that is a different issue. In Saudi Arabia, it is the same family ruling for years but they are happy.
“When you have a government that does not govern the people well enough, it gives room for a military coup. The military coup does not solve any problem and at the end of the day, it will be the people against the military which is worse. The people will take arms against the military. Senegal for 60 years has not had any coup. When there is a crisis, they solve it. That is a sign of civilization,” he submitted.
A former ambassador to Argentina, Chive Kaave maintained that democracy was still the best form of government, insisting that the forceful takeover of power was no longer fashionable.
He also cautioned Nigerian political leaders against complacency in delivering their electoral promises.
“All of these coups are a result of poverty, ignorance, disease, and the large scale of unemployment of young people. It should be a lesson to us here with the high rate of unemployment and ignorance. It is ignorance that is a challenge to democracy,’’ the ex-diplomat concluded.
Credit to: punchng.com
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