SPORTS
Reactions trail sale of Kano player for N5,000
Mixed reactions have trailed the sale of a Kano State-based player, Ibrahim Iriyos, for N5, 000.
A report had surfaced online on Tuesday, stating that the player in a division two club in the Kano FA league, was signed by Super Stars Club from Aston Villa Gano.
BBC Pidgin reports that the transfer is the most expensive in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, where both clubs are based.
Striker Iriyos’ goal scoring prowess was said to have attracted the management of Super Stars to him.
Though Chairman of Kano Football Association, Sharif Inuwa, said both clubs were not registered, he explained that there was no offence in selling a player for such an amount.
According to him, the amount a player could be sold or bought is negotiable among the two clubs involved in the transfer.
He said, “We don’t have any club like Super Stars or Aston Villa Gano. In Kano, we have our own rules that you should not use foreign names for clubs. We use local names for clubs.
“If the player decides to leave a club and he meets the requirement and breaches no rule, he can leave the club. The player must fulfil the law and conditions for transfer.
“The fee is negotiable between the two clubs involved. There is no offence in price. No fixed price at all. But it must be properly agreed upon among the two clubs to avoid any problem.
However, the sale of the player for N5,000 has caused division among football fans.
While some argued that monetising the transfer was a form of advancement, others said the price should have been more than N5,000.
One of the fans, Kunle Alabi, said, “That’s awesome. The passion for the game supersedes that of money. Humble beginners become great.”
Olusegun Taiwo encouraged the player not to be embarrassed, saying, “Don’t worry, Nigerians will refer to this picture and this amount by the time you will be sold and bought for billions of dollars.”
“At least he was purchased; many could not worth that much on a pitch. One day, Barcelona would buy you up,” Adamu Bello added.
But Olalekan Adetule disagreed with the amount the player was sold.
He said, “Whether amateur or pro, how can you sell a player for N5,000 and you calling it ‘days of little beginning’. It’s another form of slave trade – and a very cheap one.
“Nigerians would just be turning everything to a sermon of hope and prayer points rather than address the real issue.”
“While this may be a legitimate transfer, the fee makes it look like human trafficking,” Ubani added.
Buhari vs Atiku: Tribunal rules today, APC, PDP confident of victory
The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja will on Wednesday (today) deliver judgment in the case instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, challenging the outcome of the February 23, 2019 presidential election.
The petitioners asked the five-man tribunal, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, to nullify President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory at the poll and either declare them the winner or order the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a rerun.
A senior member of the petitioners’ legal team, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), confirmed to one of our correspondents that the hearing notice for the judgment was served on lawyers representing the parties to the case on Tuesday.
“I can confirm to you that the judgment will be delivered 9am tomorrow (Wednesday),” he said.
Ozekhome (SAN) expressed hope that his clients’ case would succeed.
He said, “My expectation, like the majority of Nigerians and international observers, is that the petition will succeed. This is because the petitioners have proved their case. The evidence was overwhelming and it was clear to everyone that the respondents had no defence. The judiciary will be courageous and bold to deliver justice.”
We expect victory, says APC
When contacted, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the party was expecting victory because the PDP’s petition lacked substance.
He said, “We are expecting nothing short of victory. The PDP only helped us to prove our case beyond reasonable doubt. Their petition turned out to be a noise and lacks substance.
“We presented certificate from Cambridge and WAEC which they could not fault. They couldn’t bring anything from Cambridge and WAEC to say what we presented was fake.
“The results they submitted upon which they wanted the court to award them victory were contradictory. They simply don’t have a case.”
We are hopeful Atiku’ll be winner – PDP
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Diran Odeyemi, on Tuesday said the party members were of high hopes that the tribunal would declare Atiku as the winner of the election.
Odeyemi said, “We expect the judiciary as the last hope of the common man to dispense justice more so as Atiku has proved his case beyond any reasonable doubt and declare him the winner of the election.
