Peter Obi Blame Leaders’ Rascality, Recklessness Over Nigeria Not Winning Any Medal At Paris Olympics 2024 After ₦12b Invest

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Former Governor of Anambra State and the presidential candidate of Labour Party, LP in the last concluded general elections in Nigeria, Peter Obi has blamed leadership rascality and recklessness for the failure of Nigerian sportsmen and women to secure a single medal at the 2024 Olympics held in  France that came to a close on Sunday.

Peter Obi made this known in a series of tweets on Sunday while the close ceremony of the two and a half weeks long sports competion was going on with fireworks erupting over the Stade de France at the end of the Paris Olympics.

As the closing ceremony took place on  Sunday at the Stade de France, scenes were showed from Los Angeles, which is scheduled to host the next Summer Games in 2028.

It was observed that, at the end of the ceremony in Paris, actor Tom Cruise jumped off the stadium roof and was lowered to the floor, where he took the Olympic flag from Los Angeles Mayor, Karen Bass and rode off on a motorcycle.

It was estimated that about 9,000 athletes flooded into the stadium to be entertained by 270 performers and artists in a ceremony described by some #news media and observers as a celebration of humanity and the unifying power of sport.

Peter Obi while reacting to the failure of Nigerian athletes at the just concluded Olympics, said, the government of Nigeria invested over ₦12 billion naira for the sporting game which saw the country not winning any medal.

Peter Obi tweets reads below in quote: “Now that the Paris Olympics 2024 has officially ended and our dear Team Nigeria, despite the huge financial investment made into the project, is returning without a single medal, let me unreservedly register my displeasure with the performance of our team and their handlers.

The rascality and recklessness that has continued to characterise leadership in our nation in nearly every department. The general impression that has come to stick is the one that portrays our country as a joke, even on the international stage.

How can one explain that a country like Jamaica spent less than 5% of what we spent on our contingents for the Paris Olympics 2024 and won as many as 6 medals. Yet with  our huge financial investments and large contingent, we could not win even a single medal?

At least nine African countries won gold but the giant with over 200 million people came home without even a bronze! We invested about ₦12 billion in this year’ s Olympics, which is almost twice the amount budgeted for the entire Ministry of Science and Technology for this year.

This is over ₦136 million (about $85,000) spent on each of the 88 Nigerian contingents to the Olympics, and no single medal was won while Jamaica, a nation which spent far less than we did, a total of about $2,300 on each contingent, won 6 medals; 1 Gold, 3 Silver and

2 Bronze at the Olympics. We must now interrogate the relationship between this huge investment and our dismal outcome.

Sad stories like this are our lot only because we have refused to embrace competence and capacity over routine and favouritism in Nigeria.

Let us consider the case of Favour Ofili, a Nigerian professional sprinter who trained for years for the 2024 Olympics, only for her name to be recklessly and wrongly removed from the list of athletes for the 100 metres race at the Olympics by Nigerian sporting authorities.

What explanation can anyone give about Annette Echikunwoke, a former Nigerian hammer thrower, who was frustrated by the same rascality of some Nigerian leaders, making her switch her allegiance to the United States, where she eventually won a medal in the just completed Olympics?

These same professional athletes were denied the opportunity to represent our nation in Tokyo 2020, for similar reasons of administrative recklessness. I have it on good authority that some injured athletes, not physically fit to represent the country and not competing in the ongoing Olympics, were there in Paris receiving estacodes from our national resources.

Some of the sports officials and others who have no reason to be at the Olympics were there too, living large and feeding fat on the estacodes while our nation was crashing out on every sporting event. One of our athletes, Ese Ukpeseraye, had to borrow a bicycle to compete at her sporting event!

How can one sensibly explain such recklessness and infamy? What a country! What a shame! When do we stop these rascalities that always rob our nation of golden opportunities to make a positive change?

I call on the government to investigate these gross misconducts and make sure that those responsible do not have the opportunity to do so again. We must build a nation of discipline and commitment to duty, where competence and capacity reign. That is the New Nigeria we preach, and it is Possible”.

Cause Of Plane Crash In Brazil To Be Made Known In 30 Days – Authority

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Authorities investigating the two black boxes obtained from the crashed site of Voepass plane that killed all 62 persons onboard have said that they have began analysis of the black boxes and the preliminary cause of the aircraft accident would be made known in 30 days.

The plane was carrying 58 passengers and four crew members on the nearly two-hour scheduled flight from Cascavel, Brazil, to São Paulo on Friday when it stalled and crashed in a gated community in the small city of Vinhedo, shortly before reaching its destination.

There was no one on the ground was injured or recorded as casualty.

Aircraft accident investigators in Brazil had on Saturday said that they had recovered the plane’s two black boxes with one containing flight data and the other recordings from the cockpit, adding, they were working to extract information from them.

“There is still no estimated completion date for this work,” Marcelo Moreno, Brazil’s chief crash investigator, said.  Adding, “We are prioritizing quality over speed.”

We learnt that the Brazilian investigators would try to understand why the passenger plane fell from 17,000 feet on Friday, in a crash that killed all 62 on board.

Some local media reported that out of the 62 persons killed, 8 cancer doctors who were believed to be working on a cure were among the dead in the plane crash including a lawyer said to be a specialist in lawsuits against airlines.

It was gathered that when the Brazilian authorities began the evacuation of bodies from the crashed site on Saturday, the authorities were using seat assignments, physical characteristics, documents and belongings such as cell phones to identify the victims, according firefighter, Maycon Cristo said at the crash site as reported by Reuters.

More than 40 families of victims of the Voepass airliner crash in Brazil gathered Sunday at a morgue and hotels in Sao Paulo as three French government investigators also arrived in the country to assist to unravel the cause which some aviation observants have blamed the cause on icing weather.

Investigators said a preliminary report on the cause of the aircraft accident is expected within 30 days.

Local media also reported that Captain Danilo Santos Romano, a pilot with a decade of experience, aged 35, was the first victim identified following the disaster in São Paulo state.

Romano had been with Voepass since 2022 and had accumulated over 4,500 flight hours. Colleagues described him as “always smiling” and “willing to help, according to reports.

“Once all this evidence has been collected, we will remove the victims from the wreckage and place them in the vehicle to be transported to Sao Paulo,” Marcelo said.

Family members of the victims have been brought to Sao Paulo to provide DNA samples to aid in identification of the remains, according to state civil defense coordinator, Henguel Pereira.

The plane’s so-called “black box” containing voice recordings and flight data is undergoing analysis, said Marcelo Moreno, the head of Brazilian aviation accident investigation center Cenipa, at a press conference in Vinhedo over the weekend.

The plane, an ATR-72 turboprop, was bound for Sao Paulo from Cascavel, in the state of Parana, and crashed around 1:30 p.m. (1630 GMT) in Vinhedo, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) northwest of Sao Paulo.

All the bodies had been recovered on Sunday, according to the Sao Paulo state government official. The bodies of the pilot and co-pilot were identified, said Dario Pacheco, mayor of Vinhedo.

All the bodies are being moved to Sao Paulo’s police morgue. A Venezuelan man and Portuguese woman are among the dead, state civil defense official, Roberto Farina said, adding that the local consulates have already been contacted, as reported by Reuters International News Agency.

On Friday regional carrier Voepass said the plane was carrying 57 passengers and four crew, but on Saturday the firm confirmed another unaccounted-for passenger was on the flight, putting the number of casualties at 62.

We had reported that all 61 persons including 57 passengers and 4 crew members onboard Voepass airline plane that crashed into residential area in Brazil on Friday have been confirmed dead.

Video recordings posted online by eyewitnesses saw the plane lost the ability to continue to fly  and fell directly to the ground with thick smoke billowing immediately.

Voepass airline in a new statement few minutes ago said that 61 people have died.

The death toll was amended to 57 passengers and four crew members. 

Voepass had initially in a statement said the flight was carrying 58 passengers and four crew members at the time of the crash.

“The company regrets to inform that all 61 people on board flight 2283 died at the site.

“At this time, Voepass is prioritizing provision of unrestricted assistance to the victims’ families and effectively collaborating with authorities to determine the causes of the accident”, the airline, Voepass said.

The Brazilian Air Force team will investigate the cause of Friday’s deadly plane crash, the Vinhedo City Hall said in a statement.

Vinhedo City Hall said it has been on the site of the crash offering support to other emergency responders. It said in the statement that it is waiting for the Air Force team to arrive, which will be responsible for the investigation, according to CNN.

“The fire outbreaks and major risks have already been controlled; the main objective, from the beginning, was to guarantee the safety of everyone on site and care for possible victims, with Santa Casa de Vinhedo, Santa Casa de Valinhos and Hospital Galileo prepared to offer full support,” the statement added. 

Vinhedo City Hall said the bodies of the plane crash victims will be taken to the Legal Medical Institute in Campinas.

Vinhedo City Hall also declared a three-day mourning period in memory of the victims of the crash.

It was gathered that the Brazilian authorities have found the black box at the crash site in Brazil, according to the Security Secretary from São Paulo, Guilherme Derrite.

The Security Secretary said a medical team is onsite and working to identify the victims. Adding that many of the victims’ remains are too badly burned for visual identification. 

Officials are in the process of contacting family members of the passengers, according to Derrite. Authorities will release the names of the passengers soon, he said.

We learnt that the Voepass Airlines flight, en route from #Cascavel to São Paulo, went down shortly before reaching its destination.

Firefighters, military police and the civil defense authority have dispatched teams to the crash site in Vinhedo. Authorities have sealed off the entrance to the residential area where the plane went down, as journalists outside watched as official vehicles including ambulances drove in and waited for updates.

“I thought it was going to fall in our yard. It was scary, but thank God there were no victims among the locals. It seems that the 62 people inside the plane were the real victims, though”, a resident told reporters at the crash site.

Video obtained by The Associated Press from a bystander and verified shows at least two bodies strewn about flaming pieces of wreckage.

Brazilian television network GloboNews showed aerial footage of an area with smoke coming out of an obliterated plane fuselage. Additional footage on GloboNews earlier showed the plane drifting downward vertically, spiraling as it fell.

NDLEA, Sniffer Dogs Fish Out Multi-Billion Naira Illicit-Drugs Heading To USA, Canada, UK

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Nigeria anti illicit drugs enforcement operatives, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA have intercepted multi billion naira worth of cocaine and other illicit drugs concealed in automobile spare parts, Ghanaian fabric, Kente, among others at the International Airport in Lagos State, Nigeria.

According to NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the illicit drugs were billed to be shipped to United States of America, USA, United Kingdom, UK and Canada.

Femi Babafemi in a news statement on Sunday, said, the interception was based on intelligent information received by the operatives of the law enforcement agency.

“Multi-billion-naira worth of cocaine concealed in heavy duty automobile pivot shafts, and  Ghanaian fabric, Kente, among others have been recovered in a nationwide intelligence-led operation by officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

While 2.32 kilograms of cocaine concealed in Ghanaian traditional kente materials going to the United Kingdom were intercepted at a courier firm in Lagos on Monday 5th August 2024, 10.494kg of same class A drug buried in heavy duty pivot shafts heading to the United States were recovered at the same logistics company after the NDLEA sniffer dogs fished out the automobile spare parts containing the illicit drug, bringing the total weight of cocaine seized in the two shipments to 12.814 kilograms.

In the same vein, five other consignments going to the US, UK and Canada were also intercepted at the courier firm in Lagos on Friday 9th August 2024.

They include 517 grams of cocaine in clothing materials; different quantities of pentazocine injection, promethazine injection and cocodamol pills, all heading to the UK as well as 297 pills of tramadol 225mg going to Canada.

In a different logistics company in Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 21 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 10kg coming from the US and meant for delivery in Abuja”, Femi Babafemi stated in the news statement.

Meanwhile, NDLEA has arrested a member of a cocaine trafficking network in Lagos State while in attempt to transport some quantity of illicit drugs to Anambra State.

Femi Babafemi said; “in another intelligence-led operation, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 7th August arrested a member of a cocaine trafficking network, Obiora Joseph Agudosi, at Alafia Orile, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos while attempting to move 9.00kg of cocaine to Onitsha, Anambra state.

Two members of another cocaine syndicate based in Nnewi and Oba town, Anambra state were also arrested on Thursday 8th August in a follow up operation following the seizure of their consignments in a GUO transport company bus at Benin, Edo state same day.

While the bus driver, Harrison  Mbachu, 44, was arrested at Benin tollgate with a total of 2.865kg cocaine, Izuchkwu Arinze, 40, was picked at Nnewi town while attempting to collect his own consignment of 1.748kg cocaine and 514 grams sodium bicarbonate, with Ameachi Okoro, 39, arrested while trying to pick his own 1.117kg cocaine at Oba town.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at Tincan seaport Lagos on Wednesday 7th August intercepted 532 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 265.25kg in a black Toyota Sienna bus, which is one of the three vehicles in a container marked MSMU 6029570 coming from Montreal, Canada.

The seizure was made during 100 percent joint examination with men of Customs Service and other stakeholders.

The following day, Thursday 8th August, the operatives recorded yet another seizure of 75 parcels of same substance weighing 37.5kg in a container marked FSCU-9274613, that came from Canada.

In Adamawa state, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 8th August with the support of men of operation Farauta Sector 3, Mayo Belwa  arrested 49-year-old Joseph Peter with 425 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 291.200kg in his Toyota Camry car marked Lagos KSF 381 HM. He claimed he was bringing the consignment from Edo state to deliver in Yola, Adamawa State.

While two suspects: Adekunle Sunday Adebayo, 50, and Yahaya Mamuda, 35, were arrested at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano on Tuesday 6th August with 29.5kg cannabis, NDLEA operatives in Lagos recovered 1,169 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance from a bus along Orchid road, Ajah on Sunday 4th August.

No less than 1,230.00kg cannabis was destroyed on three hectares of farmland at Ikeje forest, Edimogo village, Igalamela/ Odolu Local government area, Kogi state on Friday 9th August by NDLEA officers supported by men of the Nigerian Army while the owner, Danjuma Maji, 40, was arrested.

With the same drive, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for women at Fowewe Sofuwa Islamic Centre, Saki, Oyo state; WADA sensitisation lecture and inauguration of community drug control committee at Nnando community, Anambra state; WADA advocacy visit to the Emir of Ilorin, HRH Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, Kwara state; and WADA sensitisation lecture to members of Ansaru-ud-deen Muslim Society of Nigeria in Ado Ekiti, among others.

While commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Unit, Tincan, Lagos, Edo, Kano, Kogi, and Adamawa Commands as well as those of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations, DOGI, for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retired) urged them and their compatriots across the country to continue with their current balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts”.