Tag Archives: obi

I Have No Regrets Going To The Olympics Despite Conte’s Displeasure – Mikel

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Nigeria captain Mikel Obi has insisted that he stands by his decision to represent his country at the Rio 2016 Olympics instead of participating in Chelsea’s pre-season with new manager Antonio Conte.

The 29-year-old also asserts that his place in Chelsea’s history is assured after his long, trophy-laden service to the English club.

“I’m not a guy who makes excuses in life,” Mikel, who is yet to feature for Chelsea under Conte, said in a BBC World Football interview monitored by Completesportsnigeria.com on Friday.

“I never make excuses. I never shy away from my responsibilities. Yes, maybe people would say maybe I lost my place at Chelsea because I went to the Olympics, I didn’t have pre-season with the team, a new manager was coming in and was probably upset that I left for the Olympics, and probably thinks I don’t care about the team.

But I don’t want to use those excuses, I want to keep training hard and make sure I change the manager’s mind. But if it doesn’t happen,  then it doesn’t happen.

“I’ll keep doing my best and be ready for whenever I’m called upon. Let’s see what happens in January. I have to remain professional. I keep training and working hard, hoping that one day I’ll get to play.”

Mikel, who captained the Nigeria U-23s to bronze in Rio in August as one of the three allowed overage players, says his medal is a prized possession he will forever cherish.

“I wouldn’t trade my Olympic bronze for a place in the Chelsea team,” he said. “As a man, when you make a sacrifice,  you have to deal with it, you have to face it like a man, you have to stand by your decision. You have to live with your decision because it’s your decision.

“I have no regrets at all, not one single regret for going to the Olympics and I’d not trade my medal for anything. I deserved it, I worked so hard for it, so why would I trade it for something else?”

Mikel, who joined Chelsea in 2006 after a protracted transfer wrangle that involved Manchester United, remains proud of his time at Stamford Bridge despite not playing a single minute this season and is not fazed by the likelihood of a January exit.

“I’ve been part of the best years at the club, I’ve enjoyed the best part of the club,” he added.

“I was there when we won our first ever Champions League title. I played in the final and I was the man of the match in that final.

“I’ve written my name in the history books of Chelsea. I’ve won loads and loads of trophies, I’ve played close to 400 games for this club.

“I have no single regret, I’ve done it all. But as a player you’re still hungry, you still want to win more with the club. If that’s the way it ends (leaving in January) then that’s it. Players move on. In life you move on. I’m very relaxed about the January transfer window. I’ll speak to the club and we’ll find the best solution.”

When asked why he did not leave Chelsea in the summer despite several reported offers, Mikel replied: “I went to the Olympics and there was no communication about what the situation was, then the transfer window ended.

“The club didn’t  tell me to leave, I didn’t get anything from the club. I have one year left so I decided I didn’t want to leave just like that because I’ve been here for a while, 11 years now. It’s good sometimes to leave when you know you’ve finished your contract and your business there is done.”

Peter Obi Fires Back At Soludo

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Former governor of Anambra state, Mr Peter Obi has dismissed Soludo as a man haunted by his past for stating that he (Obi) built no signature project in Anambra State during his tenure.

Speaking through his Media Assistant, Mr. Valentine Obienyem, Obi described the article by Professor Charles Soludo as full of evidence of one who is still nursing deep hatred against those he wrongly assumed were responsible for not renewing his appointment as the Governor of the Central Bank and those that thwarted his move towards becoming the Governor of Anambra State last year.

Obienyem in his response agreed with some vital points raised by Soludo but regretted that the aim of the write-up was not to instruct or contribute to positive national discourse, but to hit back at those he is nursing secret grudges against.

Obienyem recalled how Soludo in 2013, said he was the foundation upon which the new Anambra State was built, and went on to commend him on how he changed the fortunes of the state.

He wondered why Soludo would just turn around so soon to declare that the tragedy of Obi’s tenure was that he built no signature project by which his regime would be remembered but saved money in the midst of hunger thereby impoverishing the people of the State.

Obienyem said it was surprising that a renowned economist as Soludo, who in the same write up, prided himself of saving $45billion in the nation’s external reserves when he was the Central Bank Governor in the same article should condemn Obi for saving money for Anambra State, questioning the wisdom of savings where there were things that needed to be done.

“When he said he saved $45bn, does it mean that at that time Nigeria’s problems were over? Now oil price is falling and state’s allocation are bound to fall, Soludo should be told that the money Obi saved will be used to cushion the effect, among others reasons for states to save at all times. He also talked about clearing Nigerian debts without acknowledging that the architect of it is Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who is still part of Jonathan’s Government”.

On Obi leaving no signature project, Obienyem said that Soludo merely displayed his ignorance of what true development is, insisting that development is nothing if it does not involve the totality of man.

“Talking about signature project, Obi has them in abundance. He built over 30 bridges, built the State Secretariat, built the teaching hospital, built the permanent site of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu University, rebuilt Iyienu, Borromeo hospitals, Holy Rosary and St Joseph hospitals; and Our Lady of Lourdes among many hospitals with signature structures dotting them.

“Beyond the foregoing”, Obienyem continued, “Soludo should be told that Obi did much more in areas that are far more important than mere structures. He returned schools to the Church and committed billions that could build any form of signature project of Soludo’s imagination. Because of this, Anambra State is today the number one in external examinations in the country.

Moreover, he changed the psyche of the people of the State and removed Anambra State from her pariah status to one of the exemplary States in the country.”