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.
In a move to enhance the mental resilience and professional effectiveness of personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, through Rashtriya Raksha University, the pioneering National Security and Police University in India, has concluded discussions to commence strategic partnership that will lead to result oriented capacity building for Officers and Men of the Corps.
Through the first-of-its-kind collaboration, according to a statement made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), 1000 FRSC personnel will undergo intensive training in stress management and emotional wellbeing in August, 2025. An initiative that underscores Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed’s determination to safeguarding not only the lives of road users, but also the health and wellbeing of the Management and Staff of the Corps.
The capacity development program aims to increase awareness of occupational stress/personal stress and its impact on physical and mental health of FRSC personnel; equip staff with practical tools for stress management, promote psychological resilience, emotional regulation, as well as foster peer support and a culture of mental health awareness.
Speaking on the partnership, the Corps Marshal stated thus:
“Our personnel operate under immense pressure every day to keep Nigerian roads safe. By investing in their mental and emotional health, we are strengthening our capacity to serve the nation with professionalism, empathy, and excellence.”
“The training program will leverage the world-renowned expertise of Indian professionals in stress reduction, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence, combining modern scientific approaches with time-tested wellness practices. Participants will gain practical tools to manage stress, improve decision-making in critical situations, and promote a culture of mental health awareness within the Corps,” he added.
The programme facilitators will comprise mental health professionals including clinical psychologist,
research officers and administrative officer from the University.
It is expected that at the end of the training, both Management and Staff will exhibit an increased self-awareness of personal stress triggers, improved skills in emotion regulation and peer support, Strengthened sense of community and psychological safety
and improved capabilities to address crisis situation efficiently.
This landmark collaboration reflects the shared vision of Nigeria and India to build resilient institutions that prioritize the wellbeing of public service officers, ensuring safer roads and healthier communities across Africa’s most populous nation.
The training is set to commence later this year and will run in phases, in 4 specific locations including the FRSC Academy Udi, Enugu State, FRSC Marshal Inspectorate Training School, Owo-Alero with both physical and virtual learning sessions to maximize participation and impact.
Recall that the partnership between the University and FRSC commenced sometimes in March with the training of some of the Corps personnel in Gujarat State of India.
As continuation of that partnership, 10 personnel are already finalizing arrangements for Masters Programme sometimes in August this year to study different courses among which include; information technology, cyber security, data management and traffic enforcement.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has commenced the process of transferring the regulatory oversight of electricity market in Abia State to the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Agency (ASERA) via Order – NERC/2025/058 in line with Electricity Act 2023, as amended, with effect from June 25, 2025.
The NERC said that Abia State has fully complied to the provisions of section 230 (2) of the Electricity Act 2023 and had dully notified the Commission and requested the transfer of the regulatory oversight of the State electricity market to Abia State.
By this transfer order, the successor DisCo in the State, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) is expected to incorporate a subsidiary to assume the responsibilities of Intra State Supply and distribution of Electricity in Abia State.
Confirming the development, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, said the transfer of regulatory oversight of intrastate electricity markets from NERC to ASERA is in line with the promise of Governor Alex Otti to provide reliable electricity access to unserved and underserved industries and communities in Abia State.
He further stated that it will bring several benefits to the people of Abia state such as localised State-tailored tariff structures, which will set end-user tariffs that reflect local economic conditions, encouraging fairer pricing and better cost recovery.
Also, the commissioner said that ASERA can rapidly adjust rules and incentives to suit local goals such as supporting mini-grids or renewable energy projects.
He further said that Abia State Electricity Regulatory Agency located in Umuahia will be able to provide a faster local and closer oversight which reduces delays in licensing, complaints handling, and issue resolutions to bolster local service quality among other functions.
According to him, the deadline for the transfer of the regulatory obligations is December 24, 2025.
Following a video in circulation condemning the Police community over neglect regarding welfare and retirement benefits of retired police officers by a retired retired Superintendent of Police, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has ordered a thorough investigation into the allegations.
The IGP, according to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, has tasked the NPF Pensions Limited to urgently examine the claims, identify any possible lapses, and ensure that appropriate action is taken to address the concerns raised.
The Nigeria Police Force is not insensitive to the plight of its pensioners, many of whom dedicated their lives to the service and safety of our nation. The IGP views the welfare of both serving and retired officers as a priority and recognizes that timely and adequate pension administration is crucial to sustaining morale and institutional integrity. While efforts have consistently been made to improve the pension system, the IGP acknowledges the importance of constructive feedback in prompting necessary reforms.
The IGP therefore reassures all officers, both serving and retired, and their families of the Force’s commitment to improved welfare, and to building a system that honours their sacrifices. He urges stakeholders to remain calm and patient as the NPF Pensions carries out its investigations and engages relevant agencies to ensure lasting solutions.
