Daily Independent Online.
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Thursday, July 08, 2004.
More questions than answers
by Nkem Osu
There are more questions than answers. The
more I try to find out, the less I know.
At times like this, when the horizon is
hazy as regards our sports
administratorsí inability to think aright, I am ensconced in this Johnny
Nashís sonorous rendition which ruled the air waves in the early
seventies.
Yes, more questions than answers as our
sport administrators refuse to apply history as a positive teacher.
Events and history share a symbiotic
liaison, so symbolic that neither can exist without the tacit support of the
other. Yet, our sports administrators appear oblivious of this universally
accepted fact.
Contextually, when history pales into
insignificance, mistakes become a common stance which from all logical
calculations culminates in national shame.
The Nigeria Football Association has shown
an uncanny characteristic of discarding history as a tool of immense
administrative adroitness. For the simple reason of financial incapability,
Nigerians are always miffed by their ideas, intentions and of course implementation.
At the Tunisia 2004 Africa Cup of Nations,
three ëfrivolous and randy íSuper Eagles players were expelled from
the championship. Nigerians were so elated that at last, discipline as a key
element in our national sporting ethos has come to stay and should therefore be
nurtured.
Naturally, we as a people hardly rejoice in our
compatriotsí misfortunes, but our grouse perhaps, was that the team had
just lost its opening group match to the Atlas Lions of Morocco, yet barely
four hours after the loss, the players were out allegedly frolicking which
amounted to insensitivity.
Invariably, the national chorus to the development became that the FA
and the supervising ministry had presented a sacrosanct judgment.
However, recent events suggest otherwise as
Nigerians watched in bemused amazement ,the secretary-general of the NFA, Chief
Taiwo Ogunjobi embracing one of the estranged trio-Yakubu Aiyegbeni on the
national television network asking for forgiveness.
The temptation is there to applaud such gesture
as the hallmark of an administrator per excellence.
Beyond this child like acclaim lies the
real issue, a plethora of questions.
In understanding its justification, it will
be pertinent for the FA and the Sports ministry to provide answers to the
following posers.
Who is deceiving us, the estranged players
who had vehemently denied the charges or the authorities that apologised to the
trio?
With Ogunjobiís lets be friends
again television show are, we to believe that the charges were frivolous?, as
this has give room for any other
interpretation.
As a follow up, if the consequent penalty
had negatively impacted on the professional status of these players, could they
(authorities) have rehabilitated them? This question thus becomes imperative,
in the light of Victor Agaliís travails in his former German club which
by any configuration, and is a direct consequence of this irresponsible
flippancy and faulty thought process that has no room for applying history as
good judge.
If this had precipitated the disintegration of a matrimonial
harmony, could the authorities have accepted to foot the alimony bill?
Without mincing words, the charges by
Ogunjobiís presentation amounted to a frame up.
Historyís uniqueness, we have been
told often times are its repetitive tendency, though without mathematical
precision. Again, do our sports administrators have recourse to history at
times like this?
The Mali 2002 Africa Cup of Nation
experience is still very fresh in our memories. Sunday Oliseh, erstwhile
captain of the national team and two others were presented as being anti-
system.
With this latest development, should we now believe that
Oliseh and co were indeed guilty of the crime they were being punished for?
Three, are the accused trio entitled to any
form of compensation? This question becomes extremely pertinent in view of the
fact that as sentenced, they have already been denigrated in the eyes of the
right thinking members of the society.
Now, more penetrating and intriguing
questions arise. First, with this revelation, should we in future believe our
administrators when they tell us such stories?
I hate to think that the Sports Ministry and
indeed the FA have unknowingly adopted a new identity of projecting falsehood
concocted to justify the prevalent scape goat phenomenon in our national sports
administration.
Again, would it be far-fetched to impute
that such occurrences are enough grounds for FIFA to fault Act (Decree) 101?
This is because the sports ministry has shown uncanny penchant for incessant
interference in the affairs of the FA, thus posturing the football ruling body
as incapable of administrative autonomy, if Yakubu Aiyegbeniís assertion
that the sports minister called him to apologise is anything to go by.
Another dimension to this latest happening
is, if a pardoned offender is filled with such confidence as to classify a
minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as ìso called
ministerî what future role will discipline play in sports in Nigeria?
Will such a position command veritable
reverence?
From the afore-stated, a curious paradox
thus exists from the need to synthesize
a possible way out of this unpalatable development.
My mindís eye tells me that the
Sports Ministry and the FA have definitely not told us the whole truth, for all
available facts in this material particular strongly suggest that the entire
scenario was created to cover up shortcomings, especially as Nigerians needed
an explanation for the woeful loss to the Moroccans.
This is in fact, a national shame.
Consequently, Nigerians deserve an apology for this brazen attempt aimed at
hoodwinking us.
What else does a nation that has been taken
for a ride deserve?
More questions than answers, or
donít you think so?
