NEL Awards UK

The minister of power, Barth Nnaji, has resigned his appointment, a statement by the presidency has said.

Reuben Abati, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, said President Goodluck Jonathan has accepted the minister’s resignation and thanked him for his services to the nation.

It is no longer enough to participate in the Olympics. Nations go to the Olympics to win medals, because an Olympic victory is an effective vehicle of national rebranding and assertion. The Jamaicans have Usain Bolt. They beat the Americans in the 4×100 men’s relay. They won four gold medals, broke two world records and grabbed a total of 12 medals.

Truly, Bolaji Abdullahi was appointed sports minister and chairman of the National Sports Commission a few months to the Olympic Games and there was nothing much he could have done to change the impending doom then that has now manifested at the 2012 London Olympic Games that ended Sunday night with a closing ceremony that was a music JAM.

And it felt all the more poignant because the astonishing David Rudisha grew up idolising Seb Coe and hoping to emulate his feats on the world stage.

Regina George qualified for the semi-final that will take place today. She was happy winning the race but admitted being nervous initially. “It feels good to win your heat in the Olympics,” she said, smiling.

Amaechi Morton on Friday qualified for the semi-finals of the 400m men’s hurdles in the on-going 2012 Olympic Games in London.  He placed third in a time of 49.34secs. 

Great Britain is leaving nothing to chance in its quest to host and top the medals table at the London 2012 Olympics hence the reason behind presenting 541 athletes for the Games. However, as revealed by NigerianWebRadio, 16 of the athletes have Nigerian background and could have been flying the green and white flag at the Games, if it were possible, writes KAZEEM BUSARI

MARY Onyali-Omagbemi and Bose Kaffo have featured in five Olympic Games, but Segun Toriola will this month in London inscribe his name in history as the first Nigerian and African to make a sixth appearance at the world’s biggest sporting event.