Rewarding Graft and Incompetence - Patrice Motsepe re-elected as CAF President

Infantino’s CAF Influence 

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South African businessman, Dr Patrice Motsepe has been re-elected unopposed as President of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) for a second four-year term.

The decision was confirmed at the 14th CAF Extraordinary General Assembly in Cairo on Wednesday, extending his leadership of the organization until 2029.

Motsepe’s re-election comes after a first term widely praised for stabilizing CAF’s finances and boosting its global profile. Under his leadership, the organization set several new records at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Cote d’Ivoire 2023, attracting a record 1.4 billion viewers worldwide.

Prize money for major tournaments, including the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, has also increased significantly, alongside enhanced financial support for Member Associations.

In the midst of the much vaunted successes under his leadership, apart from accusations of sectional bias against historically successful sub-regional football bodies like the West African Football Union (WAFU), Motsepe has so far failed to stamp out acerbic corruption within CAF.

Motsepe, 63, faced no opposition after the nomination deadline passed in November 2024. His decision to run again followed requests from Member Association Presidents and key stakeholders.

Motsepe also emphasized his administration’s commitment to transparency and integrity in football governance.

Addressing stadium infrastructure challenges, Motsepe highlighted the strides made under his leadership. 

“Now, we have 12 nations who are not playing home games in their countries. Previously, it was 38 nations, but we want to make sure everyone can have a standard stadium and play their matches at home.”

Dr Motsepe’s unopposed re-election reflects both confidence in his leadership and the desire to see him elevate African football to new heights. On CAF’s executive committee, five others were elected unopposed alongside Samuel Eto’o.

Mustapha Ishola Raji of Liberia retained his seat for another four years, while Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo), Wallace Karia (Tanzania), Kurt Simeon-Okraku (Ghana), and Sadi Walid (Algeria) are new to the committee.

Elvis Chetty of the Seychelles lost his place when Feizal Sidat (Mozambique) and Samir Sobha of Mauritius were voted in to represent Southern Africa.

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US Federal Judge Blocks DOGE From Accessing Social Security Data of Millions of Americans

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A federal judge has barred Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing sensitive systems at the Social Security Administration, saying the group appears to be on a “fishing expedition” that could jeopardize the data of millions of people.

“The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion,” said U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in a 137-page ruling. “It has launched a search for the proverbial needle in the haystack, without any concrete knowledge that the needle is actually in the haystack.”

Hollander, a Maryland-based appointee of President Barack Obama, ordered an immediate halt to the DOGE Social Security team’s access to any systems that contain sensitive data of Social Security recipients. She ordered Musk, DOGE and other affiliates to destroy any non-anonymized data they’ve obtained.

Again, Fulani Terrorists On Rampage In Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria

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At least, five farmers have been killed again in Ondo State by gunmen suspected to be armed herders.

The farmers were killed in the early hours of Wednesday after the armed herders invaded a farming settlement in Aba Oyinbo, Akure North Local Council Area of the state.

The latest killing comes about two weeks after over 20 farmers were murdered during a midnight invasion of four communities in Ala Elefosan.

Meanwhile, residents of the state, angered by the development, stormed the Governor’s Office, lamenting the government’s inability to put a stop to the incessant attacks and killings.

The protesters, who shut down the Governor’s Office, also barricaded roads in the state, leaving commuters and motorists stranded.

The Axe of DOGE: Pentagon aims to cut 50,000 to 60,000 civilian workers

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The Pentagon is working to downsize its civilian workforce by approximately 50,000 to 60,000 employees through voluntary departures, though it remains uncertain whether this target can be met without resorting to involuntary layoffs.

The Department of Defense is currently implementing a voluntary reduction initiative to achieve a 5% to 8% cut in its 878,000 civilian workforce—an adjustment that translates to around 50,000 to 60,000 positions, a senior defense official told reporters on Tuesday.

“The number sounds high, but I would focus on the percentage, a 5% to 8% reduction is not a drastic one,” the official stated, emphasizing that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “is confident can be done without negatively impacting readiness in order to make sure that our resources are allocated in the right direction.”

So far, about 21,000 civilian employees have had their resignation requests approved under the Pentagon’s Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), which allows employees to resign while still receiving pay until the fiscal year concludes on September 30. However, the senior defense official declined to specify the total number of workers who had applied for this program.

ABC News had previously reported that under a Trump administration initiative, 31,000 civilian employees had submitted resignation requests, though some were denied.

Hypocrisy Personified - Obasanjo says criminals, drug addicts and kidnappers, becoming traditional rulers

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has lamented the selection processes of traditional rulers in the country, saying that criminals, drug addicts, vagabonds, bandits, and kidnappers have infiltrated royal institutions.

The former president said the rapid proliferation of traditional rulers, many of whom lack the required training and moral standing, has led to the deterioration of traditional institutions in the country.

Obasanjo, who stated this in one of his newly released book, Nigeria: Past and Future, which was unveiled last week, bemoaned the abandonment of the traditional training and apprenticeship system that once upheld the dignity of royal offices, stressing that this neglect has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s socio-political challenges.

He said, “Today, there are criminals, drug addicts, vagabonds, bandits and kidnappers as so-called traditional rulers.”

He noted that instead of being custodians of culture and justice, some traditional rulers have engaged in disgraceful acts that further damage the country’s fragile system.

He cited the example of a monarch involved in electoral malpractice.

“This is a great pity, and it has greatly contributed to the problems of Nigeria by traditional rulers. How do we account for a traditional ruler snatching a ballot box at an election polling station and running away with it?” he queried.

Obasanjo reflected on the past, when traditional rulers commanded honor and respect, particularly during the colonial and early post-independence periods, saying that such standards have now been lost.

“The class of traditional rulers with their distinction, honour and dignity, as we knew them in the colonial days and early post-independence days, has been diluted and polluted.”

While calling for urgent reforms, the former president stressed the need to restore traditional leadership’s lost dignity and value in Nigeria.

He argued that traditional rulers should serve as key contributors to national development instead of being a burden.

“That dignity, aura and respect should be brought back and traditional rulers should be an asset to Nigeria’s development and greatness and not a liability,” he declared.

Obasanjo further emphasized the need for moral rejuvenation among traditional rulers, particularly those with deep historical significance.

He insisted that if properly repositioned, they could be crucial in achieving Nigeria’s long-term aspirations.

“There is a need for moral re-armament among the traditional rulers — the ancient and historic ones. And they can and should make meaningful contributions to the Nigeria of our dreams that will serve the purpose and interest of all.”

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FIFA Council election: How Pinnick was schemed out

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By Jacob Ajom

At the 14th Confederation of African Football(CAF) Extraordinary General Assembly held on Wednesday in Cairo, Egypt, former President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick failed in his bid to be re-elected into the FIFA council. Pinnick garnered 28 votes—just one vote short of Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya and Djibouti’s Souleiman Waberi, who secured the final two available slots.

Sports Vanguard gathered that the Nigerian candidate was coasting home as there were indications that he was the clear favorite until the eve of the election when a major conspiracy was hatched by his opponents.

Pinnick, we further gathered, was the favourite candidate of both CAF and FIFA Presidents Patrice Mosepe and Gianni Infantino respectively. His closeness to the two powerful figures in world football, his charisma and influence were perceived as major threats by the other contestants, most of whom are still serving FA Presidents of their various countries.

Our source put it more succinctly: “It was the power of incumbency against the helplessness of one being out of office that came to play in Cairo. Just like in Nigeria, where State FA Chairmen wield the big stick when it comes to NFF elections, in Cairo, the FA Presidents hold the ace.

“The other candidates who are FA chairmen and Presidents felt that since Pinnick was no longer President of Nigeria’s federation he could be sacrificed. They ganged up against him when they were deciding on who should be favoured” our source who was in Cairo said.

“Remember, most of them are serving FA Presidents in their respective countries and they felt that since Pinnick was no longer the head of his country’s football federation he could be dispensed with without much harm to their own political fortunes.”

He added, “Untill then, he was ahead with at about 40 votes. But overnight, everything changed and the battle assumed a new direction.”

Coming from an English-speaking country did not help his case one bit.

Our source said, “Pinnick fought a good fight.I’m surprised he got up to 28 votes. When the conspiracy plan was hatched, no one gave him any chance of getting even four votes. To have battled all the odds and got 28 votes overnight, he fought a good fight.”

A battle-weary Pinnick himself alluded to that when he said after the results were announced. “Football politics is fierce, but I am proud to have fought a good fight. I campaigned hard; travelled to more than 30 countries. Hours before the election, I was sure of close to 40 votes. But politics happened. I am not bitter about anything, just full of gratitude to everyone who supported my push.”

Pinnick made history as the third Nigerian to be elected into the FIFA Council, following Oyo Orok Oyo and Amos Adamu. He first secured his seat in March 2021 during the 43rd CAF Ordinary General Assembly in Rabat, Morocco.

Prior to his FIFA role, Pinnick served as the president of the NFF for two consecutive terms, from 2014 to 2022, before being succeeded by Ibrahim Gusau.

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Judge blocks Trump from deporting non-citizens using wartime law

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A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from using a wartime law to deport migrants accused of links to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

US District Judge James Boasberg also ordered any planes carrying those migrants to return to the US.

Earlier Saturday, the Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which allows deportation of undocumented immigrants during war or foreign threats.

Boasberg blocked the removal of five individuals challenging the move, later expanding the ruling to cover all affected noncitizens in US custody.

“Particularly given the plaintiffs’ information, unrebutted by the government, that flights are actively departing and planning to depart, I do not believe that I’m able to wait any longer,” Boasberg said. “Any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States.”

The temporary restraining order will last 14 days or until further court action.

“I think there’s clearly irreparable harm here given these folks will be deported,” Boasberg added. “A brief delay in their removal does not cause the government any harm.”

The Justice Department has appealed the ruling.

A White House proclamation cited Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organisation, stating its members have “unlawfully infiltrated the United States and are conducting irregular warfare and undertaking hostile actions.”

The Alien Enemies Act has been used three times in US history, all during war, including World War II, when it contributed to Japanese internment, according to the Brennan Center.

The ACLU, arguing against its use, said the gang’s actions do not meet the legal definition of an invasion.

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