Sports

Qatar 2022: Ancestral Curse On Stadium Made Super Eagles Not Qualify – FCT Inhabitants

Published

4 years ago

March 30, 2022

While the majority of Nigerians are still trying to come to terms with the Super Eagles failure to book a ticket to Qatar 2022 world cup, the original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory have linked the poor outing of the national team to the ancestral curse placed on the land where the Moshood Abiola Stadium is built.

The original inhabitants said as long as successive administrations of the FCT feign ignorance to the plight of the people, no football match played there will come out successful until they are appeased by way of compensation.

Recall that the super eagles were held to a 1-1 draw at the Moshood Abiola Stadium on Tuesday, making the team lose out in the qualification bid for Qatar 2022 world tournament.

Shortly after the match, fans who were disappointed with the abysmal outing of the national team stormed the pitch destroying some of the facilities on ground.

According to Lazarus Nyaholo, Secretary Garki Chiefdom in the FCT, “if they like let them play 10 matches on that pitch, they will never emerge victorious because the original inhabitants that were in that location were chased out unceremoniously without compensation and they laid a curse on that land”.

Nyaholo made the revelation on Wednesday while speaking at a town hall meeting on Mining Community Development Agreements CDAs and Inauguration of Community Cultural Ambassadors organised by the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA).

Speaking further, Nyaholo said the original inhabitants have been reduced to paupers because they have no elected representatives to project their grievances before constituted authorities.

He equally said having no representatives in the Federal Executive Council was also marginalising the original inhabitants of the FCT.

“There is no aspect of human endeavour that the original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory are not affected negatively. When you talk of politics you can see the ratio of our representation in the National Assembly only two House of Representatives member and one Senator against what you have three in other states and more than five in the case of the House of Representatives.

” The decision body of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the original inhabitants of FCT are not participants, so whatever decision is taken there, people of the FCT are not taken into consideration because we have no voice there.

“Economically we have been reduced to paupers because our land which is our source of livelihood, you know before the creation of FCT, we were predominantly farmers, now there is no land to farm and each land taken away is not being replaced or compensated for, most times our people are compensated just for the economic trees on the land, but for the landed property itself nobody has ever been compensated and our worries are that the FCT is just about 8000 square kilometres and when its fully developed there will be no farmland in the entire FCT,” the Garki Chiefdom Secretary lamented.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Centre for Transparency Advocacy CTA, Faith Nwadishi corroborated the claims of Nyaholo, insisting that the mining sites of the original inhabitants should be protected from encroachment because of their cultural values.

The town hall meeting which later culminated in the inauguration of cultural ambassadors also tutored the people on how to go about protecting their common heritage sites without breaching the law.

She said, “CTA is one of the organisations promoting the rights of the original inhabitants of the citizens of FCT.

“Under the project, we are promoting the cultural rights of the original rights, especially for them to have development agreements that will protect their cultural rights and ensure that they live responsible mining activities.

“In FCT there are nine tribes. We found out that there were people living here, proper lands were not made for the relocation of these people or for the protection of their cultural, economic and political life.

“We have just come from the constitution amendment. Three requirements for the FCT. We have 36 states including the FCT. But as FEC is constituted, we don’t have an FCT representative at FEC.

“Since the creation of FCT in 1976, we have not had an Original inhabitant as minister of the FCT.”

A lot of the cultural sites in the FCT have either been destroyed because of mining, construction”.

Sports

EPL: Rooney Names Team To Win Title

Published

7 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

Former Manchester United striker, Wayne Rooney, has said Arsenal will go on to win the Premier League title, after Manchester City dropped points against Everton.

City were held to a 3-3 draw at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night.

The result means Pep Guardiola’s men are now five points behind Arsenal, but they have one game in hand.

Rooney believes the Gunners will beat West Ham this weekend and go on to be champions.

He said on BBC Sport: “No, I’m concerned for West Ham. I just think Arsenal are efficient and professional.

“I just think they will win every game. So obviously, with the result tonight, that means they will win the league.”

Sports

UCL, EPL: Petr Cech Advises Chelsea On How To Win Trophies

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

Chelsea legend, Petr Cech, has advised his old club on how to win the UEFA Champions League or the English Premier League.

Chelsea are already out of the Premier League title race this season, and they are at risk of missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification for next season because they are currently not in the ninth position on the Premier League table.

Speaking to The Athletic about Chelsea, Cech said that the Blues need to change their philosophy of signing only young players if they want to win the Premier League or Champions League.

According to the former goalkeeper, the Premier League west London club needs to add experienced players to mentor the young players in the squad.

“You have to look at what you want to achieve. You can have young, talented players, and you can win, but it’s very rare that you manage to do that,” he said.

“If you want to win every season and compete every season, that does not go together.

“You have to change your philosophy. Certain things don’t go together because, in order to win a Champions League or a Premier League… these are really tough competitions, and you have to be consistent.

“You need to have a strong core of the team. And then you can bring young, talented players who will grow faster and then will be held by the experienced players to help navigate them through difficult times when they come.”

Currently, Chelsea have just one player, Tosin Adarabioyo, who is over 28 this season, and the defender has not been playing regularly.

Sports

Enabulele Lauds Okpebholo’s Bold Reforms As Edo Sports Witnesses Revival

Published

6 days ago

April 30, 2026

Editor

The Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, has commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for what he described as a bold and transformative approach to sports development.

Speaking on efforts to reposition sports in the state, Enabulele noted that with Okpebholo’s visionary leadership, the sector has witnessed renewed growth.

In a statement issued by his Media Officer, Edoko Wilson Edoko, the Edo Sports Commission boss attributed the progress to the governor’s strategic policies and sustained commitment to youth development, which he said have laid the foundation for a more structured and results-driven system.

“His Excellency has demonstrated clear vision and genuine commitment to sports development. The level of support we are receiving has significantly repositioned Edo as a competitive force in national sporting events,” he said.

He explained that targeted investments in grassroots development are already producing results, with a growing number of young talents being identified and nurtured across multiple disciplines.

“We are deliberately building from the grassroots. A large percentage of our athletes today are homegrown, which speaks to the sustainability of our development model,” Enabulele added.

The Commission, he noted, is also shifting away from an over-reliance on football to a broader multi-sport focus.

Edo State, he said, is now recording improved performances in athletics, combat sports, and other emerging areas.

“Our goal is to strengthen all sports. The results are beginning to show across different disciplines, and this is only the start,” he said.

Enabulele further pointed to ongoing improvements in sports infrastructure and athlete welfare as critical factors in sustaining performance and encouraging wider participation among young people.

“We are building a system that will endure. With the continued support of the governor, Edo is on course to becoming a dominant force in sports at both national and international levels,” he stated.

He expressed confidence that the current momentum would translate into greater achievements for Edo athletes, reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to excellence, discipline, and long-term development.