Tinubu congratulates Wahid Odhodi on His Elections As President of the African Table Tennis Federation Bola Tinubu extends heartfelt congratulations to Wahid Enitan Oshodi of Nigeria on his recent election as President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF).Oshodi, who previously served as the Deputy President of ATTF and was the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Sports, and Social Development, was elected during the organization’s annual general meeting held on October 15 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

President Tinubu emphasized that Oshodi’s election is a significant achievement for Nigeria, showcasing the strong support he received from various stakeholders during the election process.

Nominated by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) and endorsed by numerous African nations, Oshodi’s election underscores the country’s unwavering commitment to its sports leaders.

The President noted that this election reflects a vote of confidence in a seasoned sports administrator who has dedicated his time, energy, and resources to the grassroots development of table tennis, demonstrating integrity, accountability, and a strong work ethic in all his endeavors.

Oshodi’s commitment serves as an inspiration to sports enthusiasts and signals a promising future for table tennis on the continent.

According to President Tinubu, Oshodi’s extensive leadership experience will be instrumental in advancing the ATTF and enhancing the sport’s success across Africa.

A distinguished figure in sports administration, Oshodi has previously held the position of President of NTTF, served on the Board of Directors of the Commonwealth Table Tennis Federation (CTTF), and is currently the Executive Vice President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

His career in sports administration began in 2000 when he was appointed to the Lagos State Sports Council Governing Board by then-Governor Bola Tinubu.

He later served as the chairman of the Lagos State Table Tennis Association (LSTTA) and was appointed Commissioner for Youth, Sports, and Social Development in 2011 by Governor Babatunde Fashola.

During his tenure, he successfully oversaw the National Sports Festival, dubbed “Eko 2012,” further solidifying his reputation for excellence in sports management.

In closing, President Tinubu applauded Oshodi’s dedication to advancing table tennis at local, national, and continental levels, assuring him of Nigeria’s continued goodwill and support as he embarks on this new role.

A former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, has urged the incumbent Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to use his offices to reclaim the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and expand the waterway transport system.

Fashola gave the advice at the 2024 Lagos Physical Planning Summit on Tuesday.

He emphasised the importance of the government’s intervention to regulate the operations of the vehicles and prioritise the BRT system

He spoke on: ” Rethinking Lagos: A New Vision for a Regional and Integrated Megacity”.

Fashola said that the measure was essential for achieving intermodal transport goals and addressing climate change concerns.

He said: “We must reclaim the BRT from the tyranny of tricycles and minibuses.

“We spent a lot of time, a lot of money, and we gained a lot of fame. For me, the proliferation of motorcycles, tricycles and those minibuses on Lagos roads is in clear conflict with many commitments.

“They are in conflict with the many commitments we have made on climate change because of their high greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our partners, those we signed these agreements with across the world, must be watching us with some concern.”

He highlighted the significance of the BRT system as a pioneering initiative in Africa.

“I want to say that we cannot abdicate our state’s far-reaching work on the Bus Rapid Transit system, which was then the first in Africa.

“That was a model from South America, Brazil, Colombia and all of that,” he said.

Responding, Sanwo-Olu reassured Fashola that the concept of integrated public transport was on track.

He said, “Thank you for reminding us again but we will give you assurance again that our concept of integrated public transportation system is on track.

“I am happy to announce that later today, I am meeting with a group of our financiers and concessionaires, and by next year, an additional 2,000 CNG buses will be in Lagos to reflect and bring back all of our BRT Urban Mass Transportation initiative.

“We have seen the issues around Okada (commercial motorcycles), keke Napep (tricycles), korokpe (shuttle buses) and the rest of them.

“Apart from them not fitting with our mass urban transportation system, we understand the feeling of our people, and we are trying to re-organise them but not for them to begin to crowd our highways and our major motorways.

“We believe that alternatives will be provided, adequate alternatives – rail, our water infrastructure, and now the BRT that we will also be giving all of the commuters for public transportation in Lagos.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the summit was attended by permanent secretaries, traditional rulers, commissioners, stakehokders in the built industry and Lagos State House of Assembly members, among others.

Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra says being a state governor at this time in Nigeria is not a fanciful job, given the gamut of allegations against governors over local government funds.

Soludo made the assertion at a news conference on Tuesday in Awka, to clarify the new State Economic Planning and Development Law 2024 and the Local Government Administration Law, 2024.

According to him, governors are often accused of seeking to ‘control’ LG funds with insinuations that LG funds are mismanaged.

He said: “In a society where public office is seen as dining table and public trust is low, people judge others by their own standards; by what they would do if they were in the position. I often ask: control for what?”

The governor said the recent Supreme Court judgment on LG autonomy was an opportunity for public good, greater transparency, coordination and collaboration between the state and LGs.

He said the judgment prompted the enactment of the laws to ensure that funds transferred to the LGs were properly appropriated, spent and accounted for.

Soludo said that the new laws were consequential to give operational life to the Supreme Court judgment and not to undermine it.

“Neither the Constitution nor the Supreme Court judgment prescribes the manner of appropriation, expenditure, and audit/accountability for LG funds.

“The eminent jurists at the Supreme Court did not outlaw collaboration and cooperation among the LGs in funding joint or common services, nor did they nullify Section 7 of the Constitution.

“The new laws require that the LG chairmen meet under the aegis of the State Economic Planning Board (similar to the National Economic Council) decide what percentage of their revenues to contribute to a joint LG account to pay for common services.

“This is ensure that the state can function in a cohesively planned, transparent and sustainable manner to maximise the security and welfare of the citizens,” he said.

Soludo said the new laws were designed to protect workers at the local level, protect primary education and primary health care from chaos and collapse.

He also said there was the need for active collaboration between the state and LGs.

“Given the functions assigned to the LGs by the Constitution, it is impossible to see how they can perform them without active collaboration with state governments.

“Without active collaboration and coordination between state and LGs, many LGs will end up in a huge financial mess, requiring bailouts by state governments,” he said.

Former France midfielder Emmanuel Petit has urged Manchester United’s co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, to consider appointing Zinedine Zidane as the club’s manager.

Despite Manchester United’s poor start to the season, Ratcliffe has chosen to back Erik ten Hag for the time being.

However, pressure is mounting after a series of disappointing performances.United have managed only three wins in their first ten matches across all competitions, and Ten Hag recently survived a meeting with the club’s top hierarchy.

If the team’s form does not improve soon, Ratcliffe may be forced to explore other managerial options, with Zidane among the names being discussed.Zidane, who has been without a coaching role since leaving Real Madrid, remains available.

Petit, a former teammate of Zidane, believes the French legend could be tempted by the challenge at Old Trafford, but only under specific conditions.

Speaking with Manchester Evening News, Petit emphasized that Zidane would require assurances from the club regarding transfer decisions and job security before considering the role.

“I’m not sure Zidane speaks fluent English, which could make communication in the dressing room challenging,” Petit noted. “From what I know about Zizou, he would need guarantees to sign with Manchester United.

The current environment at the club has been unstable for years, and that’s something he’ll be very cautious about.”Petit also expressed doubts about the quality of United’s squad, stressing that Zidane would only take the job if the right solutions were in place.

“United is still a massive club, but on the pitch, they don’t have the same stature as they once did,” Petit observed.

“Zidane is very conscious of the importance of player quality, and looking at the team right now, I’m not convinced by some of the individuals in the squad.

If he agrees to take the job, it would mean he has a plan to turn things around.

“With United struggling to recapture their former glory, Zidane’s arrival could offer the club a fresh direction, but only if the right conditions are met to attract the decorated coach.

Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos will gun for the maximum points when they take on their counterparts from New Zealand on Wednesday night in what is actually the first match of this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in the Dominican Republic.

Although the game between host nation Dominican Republic and Ecuador (the other fixture in Group A) is billed as the opening match, Nigeria and New Zealand will do battle at the CFC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros from 4pm local time (9pm in Nigeria), while the host nation and Ecuador will square up as from 9pm local time (2am Thursday in Nigeria).

Bronze medallists in the last edition of the competition in India, the Flamingos are aiming to go farther this time, with Head Coach Bankole Olowookere insisting that he has the ammunition to overcome opponents on their way.

“I have confidence in the girls to deliver the goods at this competition.

We have come well-prepared to do even better than we did in India.

The Nigeria Football Federation have done everything to prepare the team well, with a two-week final camping here in Dominican Republic.

“We do not under-rate any of our opponents. However, we will take it one match at a time and produce our best in each game in order to go all the way.”

The Flamingos have previously missed taking part in only one edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals – the 2018 finals in Uruguay.

In the qualifying campaign for this year’s finals, the Nigerian girls notched 25 goals in six matches, with 13 of them scored by clinical forward Harmony Chidi.

After the encounter with New Zealand on Wednesday night, the Flamingos will confront their counterparts from Ecuador, also at the CFC Stadium in Santiago de los Caballeros, before their final group phase game against the host nation at the Felix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo.

The clash with Ecuador is on Saturday, 19th October while the battle with the host nation is on Tuesday, 22nd October.

Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), has called on critics to stop questioning the church’s decisions regarding the retirement of its pastors.

The cleric received backlash on social media following reports last week that his two vice presidents, Bishops Thomas Aremu and David Abioye, would be stepping down after three and four decades in service, respectively.

It has been reported that their retirement aligns with the church’s operational guidelines, also referred to as The Mandate, which functions as the church’s constitution.

During his sermon at the farewell service for Bishop Aremu at Winners Chapel, Orita Bashorun, on Tuesday, Oyedepo emphasized the importance of concentrating on one’s own matters.

He disclosed that the church’s Administrative Policy from 1998 underwent a review in 2001, and The Mandate established in 2012 was updated in 2024, emphasizing that the ministry functions under divine authority.

ICYMI: Living Faith Church: Bishop Oyedepo’s deputies, Aremu, Abioye step down

The updated Mandate has altered the retirement age from 60 to 55. Although the Founder, Oyedepo, is entitled to serve indefinitely, subsequent church leaders will be limited to one or two terms of seven years, subject to the Board of Trustees’ approval.

The Bishop, however, warned those wishing for the ministry’s downfall that they were wasting their “lives.”

He said, “My advice to commentators is to study to be quiet and mind your business. It is wisdom to learn what is working and find out what makes it work. Everything works here.”

He encouraged Bishop Aremu to place God at the core of his life, emphasizing that taking a spiritual hiatus can be dangerous.

Citing Genesis 49:26 from the Bible, Bishop Oyedepo remarked that individuals do not possess an inheritance from a teacher or pastor.

He encouraged him to maintain a mindset focused on growth, saying, “There’s no such thing as the best today or tomorrow; what matters is your pursuit of God.”

He encouraged him to maintain a mindset focused on growth, saying, “There’s no such thing as the best today or tomorrow; what matters is your pursuit of God.

Oyedepo encouraged Aremu to stay engaged to ensure a consistent outpouring of grace, warning him against being sidetracked by unfounded criticism.

In his earlier remarks, Aremu expressed that he did not plan to leave Winners Chapel to start his own church once he retired.

“I don’t have a church, and I cannot have a church because God has not infused me with the capacity to do so. This is my church,” he said.

Aremu, who previously worked as an accountant, moved into full-time ministry after having a prosperous career in that profession.

He is recognized as the sole surviving bishop from the seven ordained at the Garden of Faith in Kaduna in November 1999.

In addition, Bishop Abioye’s farewell event is scheduled for Friday, October 18, 2024, in Durumi, Abuja.