Metro
Emmanuel Dennis’ AFCONtroversy Confirms Need for Clear Communication Direct from Leaders
By Joel Popoola
Nigeria’s African Cup of Nations campaign has kicked off with an impressive win against the much fancied Egyptians – despite a number of key players being missing.
Star striker Victor Oshimen was already absent with injury when defensive mainstay Leon Balogun lost his own fitness battle and withdrew from the squad. Then there’s the saga of Emmanuel Dennis.
Despite not appearing for the Super Eagles since 2019, the Watford striker has been in impressive form in his first season in the English Premier League, scoring 6 goals and creating 4 more in his last 10 games.
But his selection for Afcon – and almost immediate deselection – has caused something of diplomatic incident.
Of all the predictions made for 2022, the breakdown of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and a small town in England is one few people would have made!
When Dennis was named in Nigeria’s AFCON squad on New Year’s Eve he immediately tweeted “Proud to get a call up to represent my country… Naija boy” followed by a heart, the Nigerian flag and an eagle.
Watford in turn tweeted back “Well deserved!”
Almost immediately the Nigerian Football Association announced that Dennis would not be going to the tournament – accusing his club of “baring fangs”.1a
In response, Watford made clear that Nigerian had made an administrative error and simply not officially called the player up.
International football rules state that “Associations wishing to call up a player must notify the player in writing at least 15 days before… the player’s club shall also be informed in writing at the same time”. Watford argued that as the Nigerian football association had failed to follow correct procedure, Dennis’ call-up was invalid.
Nigerian Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick effectively admitted this was correct, blaming former manager Gerhard Rohr and stating:
“There are statutory provisions regarding inviting players… Rohr submitted the first list on the 15th of December, that was the origin of the problem”.
Interim Nigeria manager Augustine Eguavoen however stirred the pot some more, pinning the blame squarely on Watford, stating:
“Dennis said he wants to come but his club was threatening him”
Eguavoen later backtracked slightly, implying Dennis was to blame for his omission:
“It boils down to individual players, you have to fight for it”
Some reports have even suggested that Dennis himself declined the call-up, having been told he would only be a substitute.
The atmosphere of mistrust this whole situation created could well have motivated Senegal to insist that their own Watford player Ishmaila Sarr honour his (correctly administered!) call-up despite being injured since mid-November, forcing him to fly from London to Dakar and on to Cameroun… only for Senegal to acknowledge that he really was injured and to send him home again!
Whatever the truth of the matter, any social media post from Watford is now immediately submerged beneath a tidal wave of furious Nigerians.
And the whole time one person has been almost entirely absent from the conversation – Emmanuel Dennis himself. He could have settled this issue with a single tweet or Instagram story setting the record straight.
It is a lesson Nigeria’s politicians would do well to heed – clear communication, direct from the source is the only way to delivery credible and definitive information in the digital age. On social media, your name is the watermark of quality that differentiates “fake news” from “real news”.
At the digital democracy campaign I lead we’re trying to give politicians the platforms they need to communicate direct with the people they serve.
We have created a free app – Rate Your Leader – which puts verified voters in direct contact with their elected leaders, allowing them to build two-way relationships of trust and transparency and to work together to improve both our communities and our country.
Rate Your Leader lets politicians know what is happening in their areas and what matters most to the people who elect them. It’s abuse-proof technology also ensures all communication is courteous and civil – something Watford and Nigerian football fans alike could clearly benefit from!
If politicians using Rate Your Leader are responsive and authoritative, and explain the decisions they are taking clearly and satisfactorily, their voters can give them a positive rating. If people see that neighbours who have interacted with their local politicians have all rated them highly, that builds trust in our leaders. And that in turn builds trust in our system.
This is surely preferable to staying silent, and let a thousand keyboard warriors fire claim and claim at each other, creating nothing but chaos, confusion and suspicion instead?
Joel Popoola is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur, digital democracy campaigner and creator of the free Rate Your Leader app.
The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, has ordered the activation of the penalty points system to strengthen compliance with traffic regulations.
The system, according to a statement made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), is designed to track and penalize drivers who commit traffic offences, with the goal of reducing road traffic crashes and promoting safe driving practices.
The penalty points system is a proven method of enforcing traffic laws, as it assigns points to drivers for various traffic offences. When a driver accumulates a certain number of points, he becomes liable to penalties such as warning, licence suspension or complete withdrawal of the licence.
Explaining the Points further, the Corps Marshal revealed that Drivers who accumulate between 10-14 points will receive a warning notification signifying that the driver should desist henceforth from violating traffic regulations. When the driver goes ahead to accumulate between 15-20 points, his/her drivers licence will be suspended, signifying a temporary withdrawal of rights to drive in Nigeria. However, the drivers licence finally gets withdrawn when the driver accumulates 21 points, indicating that the driver’s right to drive on Nigerian roads is totally taken away or denied.
Examples of Traffic Offences and penalty points in Nigeria include: Driving without a valid driver’s license which accrues 10 penalty points, and ₦10,000 fine; Speed limit violation 5 penalty points and ₦5,000 fine; Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs 5 penalty points, ₦5,000 fine; as well as Dangerous Driving which accrues 10 penalty points and N50,000 fine.
ln addition to the various sanctions associated to the aforementioned accrued points, it will also form part of the record to be forwarded to countries demanding for driving history/extract of Nigerian Drivers applying to drive in foreign land. All these are determined efforts of the Corps to engender sanity and reduce fatalities on our roads.
The penalty points system, apart from promoting road safety ideals and reducing the number of road traffic crashes in Nigeria, also proves to be a proactive move towards stiffer enforcement of traffic laws, signifying a step in the right direction in FRSC’s quest to ensure that Nigerian road are safe all to use.
Metro
Aare Emmanuelking Appreciates Stakeholders As Adron Homes Celebrates 13 Years of Landmark Achievements
Hurray! Nigeria’s leading real estate development company, Adron Homes and Properties, is 13 years today, celebrating more than a decade of groundbreaking achievements in the real estate sector.
A statement released by the management, and made available to Pointblank.ng, remarked that since its inception, Adron Homes has remained committed to providing affordable and luxurious housing solutions, making homeownership accessible to Nigerians across all socio-economic classes.
It further noted that with a vision to bridge the housing deficit in Nigeria and beyond, Adron Homes has consistently set new industry benchmarks, adding that the company has developed and delivered thousands of quality homes in strategic locations nationwide, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Abuja, and Nasarawa, expanding the frontiers of modern real estate development.
Speaking on the milestone, Adron Homes’ Chairman/CEO, Aare Adetola EmmanuelKing, expressed gratitude to clients, stakeholders, and staff for their unwavering support.
“This 13-year journey has been one of resilience, innovation, and an unrelenting commitment to excellence. We are proud of our achievements and even more excited about the future as we continue to revolutionize the real estate industry with world-class housing projects,” the Chairman said.
Adron Homes’ success is anchored on its unique flexible payment plans, ensuring that individuals and families can own properties without financial strain. The company has also pioneered infrastructure development in its estates, providing residents with top-notch amenities, security, and sustainable environments in the last thirteen years.
As part of its anniversary celebration, Adron Homes has lined up various customer appreciation initiatives, including exclusive discounts, giveaways, and a series of corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects to give back to the community.
Adron Homes remains steadfast in its mission to redefine the real estate landscape through strategic expansions, innovative housing solutions, and unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction.
A hotel owner, Opara Macdonald, CEO of Leuven Empire Hotel and Suites, located at the Ejigbo area of Lagos, has been arrested by the Zone 2 Police Command on allegations of having carnal knowledge of a 16-year-old boy and others.
Briefing the media on the matter on Wednesday at the Zone 2 Command Headquarters at Onikan, Lagos, which the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) attended, the Public Relations Officer, CSP Ayuba Ummah, narrated that the Command based on petition submitted to the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the Zone, who ordered immediate investigations.
She noted that led by CSP Uba Adams, the Zone was able to unravel the case and arrested the culprit, as well as police elements, who were used to attempt to sweep the matter under the carpet.
While acknowledging that investigations are still ongoing, the ZPRO advised parents to always keep an eye on their children, and monitor their every activities.
The full statement reads:
The Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force hereby parades one Opara Macdonald ‘m’, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Leuven Empire Hotel and Suites, Ejigbo, Lagos, following allegations of having unlawful carnal knowledge of a minor, an act against the order of nature.
This development follows a petition dated January 23, 2025, submitted to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, by one Edozie Christian ‘m’ of Isheri-Osun, Lagos, on behalf of his 16-year-old son. The petition alleged that the suspect, Opara Macdonald, engaged in unlawful sexual acts with the minor.
Upon receipt of the petition, the Assistant Inspector General of Police assigned CSP Uba Bangajiya Adams to conduct a discreet investigation into the matter.
The victim, initially fearful of speaking out due to threats allegedly made by the suspect, confided in his mother. He recounted that Opara Macdonald warned him that disclosing the incident would result in his losing his sanity. Reassured by his mother, the victim detailed how the suspect had taken him from the hotel in his vehicle to his residence at No. 4B, Oshoba Street, Akowonjo-Egbeda, Lagos, where he was forcefully subjected to unlawful sexual acts. Following the incident, the suspect allegedly provided the victim with a bottle of Lucozade Boost and a cash sum of Five Thousand Naira (₦5,000.00).
Upon this revelation, the victim’s parents reported the matter to the Isheri-Osun Police Division. Investigative actions were initiated, but rather than cooperating with law enforcement, the suspect refused to honour police invitations and instead attempted to manipulate the process. Seeking to evade justice, he escalated the matter to the Zone 2 Command Headquarters, where he was subsequently apprehended.
To ascertain the veracity of the claims, the victim underwent medical examination at Mirabel Medical Centre. Additionally, a close friend of the victim, who was present at the hotel on the day of the incident, corroborated the allegations. This friend confirmed that the suspect had been engaging in unlawful acts with the victim and had also attempted a similar act with him, which he resisted. He further presented recorded telephone conversations, chat histories, and video evidence filmed by the victim within the suspect’s residence using the suspect’s own phone.
Initially, the suspect denied knowing the victim. However, when confronted with evidence, he admitted to taking the 16 year old boy to his residence.
Furthermore, it is important to note that the suspect allegedly threatened the victim with psychological harm should he reveal the incident, and since making his confession, the victim has exhibited signs of mental distress.
Investigations also uncovered unprofessional conduct by the initial Investigating Police Officer (IPO), who removed a key witness’s statement from the case file before transferring it to the Zone 2 Command Headquarters. The IPO has since been detained and is undergoing disciplinary procedures.
Contrary to certain media reports, the medical report from Mirabel Medical Centre remains authentic and has not been tampered with in any way. The victim is currently receiving medical care, and upon completion of investigations, the suspect will be formally charged in court.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command, urges parents and guardians to remain vigilant, closely monitor their children’s activities, and provide guidance to protect them from harmful influences.
