Sports

PEDDLING FALSEHOOD AND FRIVOLOUS CLAIMS, LAST KICK OF A DYING HORSE

Published

1 month ago

August 25, 2025

It has come to the attention of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) of the petitions submitted to the National Sports commission(NSC) against the use of the Federation’s constitution in the forthcoming elections into the the Board of the NCF scheduled for 2025.

As reported in some Media outlets on Monday 25th August 2025, petitions were submitted to the NSC explicitly by the FCT Cricket Association Chairman Engr. Emeka Onyeama and an Impostor Pakribo Darego who falsely claims to be the Chairman of Bayelsa Cricket Association.

DISCREPANCIES’

Four states were mentioned to have submitted petitions against the Federation which are Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi and Bayelsa, yet the only petitions received by the NSC was from the FCT Cricket Association Chairman and an illegal petition document from an Impostor from Bayelsa State.
FCT Cricket Association and caretaker Chairman Engr. Emeka Onyeama quietly but obtusely excluded from the narratives in the Media even though he officially signed and delivered the petition to the NSC.
The State Cricket Association Chairman of Enugu, Imo and the Official Chairman of the Bayelsa State Cricket Associations have vehemently denied any knowledge or involvement in the petitions which also indicates the desperation of the petitioners.

ADDRESSING KEY ISSUES CONTAINED IN THE PETITIONS

The first draft of the NCF Constitution was presented to the General Assembly during the full council meeting held on the 18th of December 2021 in Abuja where it was reviewed and adopted by the general assembly. As part of the proper governance structure as demanded by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on all member countries, a copy of the approved constitution was sent for their information and notice in 2022. The Federation sent a letter in 2023 to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) requesting for the acknowledgement of the approved constitution. In return the NCF received a letter of no objection from the NOC.

During the 2023 AGM, the full council was updated with the status of the approved constitution and responses from all the regulatory bodies where it was unanimously agreed to proceed.

In the 2024 AGM held on the 30th of November 2024, a representative of the Legal department of the NSC was in attendance and and affirmed that the constitution has been received by the NSC but made recommendations that, “ Corrections should be made from Federal Ministry of Sports to National Sports Commission” for accurate referencing. It was on the basis of adopted constitution that the full council reached a resolution that the electoral committee for the Federation elections should be set up.

In every Annual General and Full Council meeting organized by the Nigeria Cricket Federation for the last 4 years, members of the National Sports Commission have always attended in observatory capacity to witness proceedings of the AGM including the Federation’s constitution review processes.

It is noteworthy to mention that Engr. Emeka Onyeama has never attended any of these AGM meetings just like the Impostor from Bayelsa State and at no point were there objections from either parties even though the copy of the constitution was presented to every member present during review sessions.

Cricket is an Olympic Sport and it is not restricted to only full members, as a matter of fact, the process of qualification have not been communicated by the ICC and to also indicate that NCF is not a member of the NOC is evident of the gross ignorance by Engr. Emeka Onyeama and other clout chasers who unfortunately were somehow involved in cricket administration at some point.

For the Impostor Pakribo Darego, he is known in the Cricket space as the propagandist that is recruited by the unscrupulous’ to peddle false narratives and create fictional problems during board election period and as such, his submissions are naturally ignored and discarded to ensure peace and sanity in the system.

To members of the Media, the general public and our dear Cricket Family, please disregard and discredit the validity of the contents of the petition as they can be considered as mere distractions and impediments to the collective progress of our dear sport. The Nigeria Cricket Federation constitution is a document that allows all stakeholders in the game to have a chance in the election process of their leaders and also protect the integrity of the game.

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Sports

Nigeria Jets Out Tuesday for 2025 Hockey AFCON as Federation President Engr Nkom Backs Teams for Podium Finish

Published

9 hours ago

October 5, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

With the 2025 Hockey African Cup of Nations (AFCON) set to take place in Egypt from October 11 to 18, both the men’s and women’s national hockey teams are set to depart Nigeria on October 7, brimming with confidence and determination to make the nation proud.

The President of the Hockey Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Engineer Simon Nkom, speaking after a series of friendly matches at the Hockey Pitch, Package B of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, said the teams’ early preparation and intensive training camps have positioned them for a successful outing in Egypt.

“In sports—whether it’s hockey, handball, or basketball—fitness is key. That’s why we began camping weeks ago to build the players’ strength and resilience ahead of this major competition. This is the African Cup of Nations—the highest level of hockey on the continent. We’ve prepared well, and I’m confident our teams will finish on the podium,” he stated.

Nkom highlighted the significant progress Nigerian hockey has recorded in recent years, noting that the country’s world ranking improved from 56th to 36th, while in Hockey 5s, Nigeria now stands 12th globally.

“A few years ago, people barely knew hockey existed in Nigeria. Today, our women’s team ranks 3rd in Africa, and the men’s team is 4th. This growth is a product of deliberate grassroots development and consistent effort,” he added.

To ensure smooth participation and avoid past challenges of late arrivals at tournaments, the federation has finalized logistics for early departure.

“We’ve made all arrangements for the teams to leave early to acclimatize and play friendly matches before the competition begins. The players are motivated, relaxed, and ready to give their best. By God’s grace, they will return home with their heads held high,” Nkom assured.

The HFN President also lauded the federation’s board members for their commitment and teamwork over the past four years, which he said has greatly contributed to the sport’s steady rise in Nigeria.

Head coach Ndana Baba Abdullahi, who oversees both the men’s and women’s teams, praised the federation’s support and lauded the players’ work ethic throughout the extended training camp.

“We’ve worked very hard — morning and evening sessions, tactical drills, conditioning. The players have responded excellently. We started with 35 players and are now down to the final 18 who will make the trip,” Abdullahi said, adding that the early arrival in Egypt would give Nigeria a crucial psychological and tactical edge.

Men’s team captain, Michael John, expressed confidence in the squad’s readiness and determination to make history in Egypt.

“We’re perfectly fine — we’ve trained hard and prepared well,” he said. “We’re just waiting for the whistle to blow. By God’s grace, we won’t disappoint our country or those who worked hard to send us there.”

Similarly, women’s team captain, Alfa Cornelius, echoed optimism about the team’s prospects.

“We’ve been camping for over a month, and the coaches have done a wonderful job. We’ve worked hard to match our opponents in both strength and skill. I’m 100% confident that we’ll perform excellently in Egypt,” she said.

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