Football Ban in Nigeria - Random Musings July 01, 2010

Football Ban in Nigeria - Random Musings

Lately the BB chat room have been filled with false messages akin to what our
politicians orchestrate in an election year – if you are not reading about someone
getting shot, someone arrested for a heinous crime or corruption, or someone having
a stroke (a mild one they clarify) to indicate he/she will not be contesting the
election, you will hear about a decision from government that was not the case.

Yesterday, the chat room and web was abuzz with the story that "Mr President has
directed that Nigeria will withdraw from all international football
competition for the next two years to enable Nigeria to reorganise its
football" Ima Niboro, Jonathan's senior communications adviser, told reporters.

"This directive became necessary following Nigeria's poor performance in the ongoing
FIFA World Cup. The government will also carry out a full audit of accounts of the
country's World Cup organising committee to see if money has been stolen. If any
financial misappropriation is discovered, all officials responsible will be held
accountable."

It is to the extent of our national distrust of news turning to mere rumours in an era
of inconsistencies, reversals and official denials that we all held out till the foreign
media confirmed it. Our recent experience during the late president’s saga has
taught one to hesitate in believing such improbable stories.

Watching CNN’s ‘Back Story’ late evening therefore, it became obvious that we had
decided to fight the darkness that has enveloped our unifying nation passion –
football; with more darkness, missing the opportunity to let the light of a restrained
but brighter light shine on the substance of the problem.

Simply lost in the euphoria was the impact such a news could have on South Africa,
the first African country hosting the world; and so far doing their best to represent
Africa in positive light.

This was also on a day we learnt that Police in Johannesburg have confirmed replica
World Cup trophies have been stolen from FIFA’s temporary headquarters.
According to La Repubblica, the National police commissioner Bheki Cele said: “We
knew that there was a theft and we are investigating.”

Just what was Nigeria thinking or not thinking about? Why the hurry? This is
definitely not appearing to be sportsmanlike. Further, what happens to corporate
sponsors of the league and national teams?

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 Football Ban in Nigeria - Random Musings July 01, 2010

I woke up today hoping to read about a denial since it did not come from the
President directly, he had only questioned the players’ commitment two days earlier,
and could not have made up his mind I muted to no one in particular. I still can’t
help but sense that something has gone wrong somewhere – this is a strange
decision.

On Tuesday, June 29, 2010 when I took a break from financial analysis to become a
fan and comment on the enthralling world cup and the paradigm shift that was
unfolding http://www.scribd.com/doc/33756405/The-Paradigm-Shift-in-World-Soccer-Has-Begun-290610; I had
asked the President to focus less on the players’ commitment gap and turn his
attention on the administrative structure driving football in the country.

I wrote that “President Goodluck Jonathan said that a lack of commitment on the
part of the players caused our early exit. The president is obviously patriotic yet
economical with the truth – what happened had much more to do with
administration of football as it has to do with aged players who could not match the
requirements of success – commitment just happens to be one of them. Since the
president is this interested (yet knowing how busy he is) I should spare him the long
treatise about the decline of our national football pedigree – he might simply ask the
minister of sports to explain why the National Stadium in Surulere is mostly used as
a parking lot for private cars and why the Abuja stadium is simply locked away (it
should be useful for the planned golden jubilee friendly match).”

Earlier, while commenting on the expectations from players, I surmised that “The
football played suited an era long forgotten, at least in world soccer. The game has
moved on …. as evident at this world cup. Players are now more tactically aware and
have taking on the responsibility to complement their creative, technical and physical
attributes. Today, a decent footballer is required to know his position and role on the
filed; as well as where other people's positions are and what has to happen.”

I went on to say that “Football in a sense mirrors corporate culture. … let’s face
it, the glory years are gone and if anything - the state of Nigerian Football apes the
state of its social, economic and political landscape – full of potential and never
materialising.”

Little was I to know that I had supplied a basis for the eventual decision to re-order
our football in such a draconian manner. Maybe if the processes were exhausted, we
may all come to the same conclusion. Just maybe, but not the timing, channel and
communication deployed. Definitely not! If there ever was a time when a direct
communication with the populace was needed, this is one.

Two years to make a change in Nigeria? It is almost a year now since CBN identified
the AMCON as one of the solutions to our financial services problem and even after a
harmonised bill has been approved by the legislature, the CBN is extending its
eventual take-off timeline by three months to wait for the presidential assent to this
‘urgent’ matter. Electricity supply in my area has improved as we now get power for
about 4 hours on any day fortune takes a liking to our neighbourhood – yet we are in
the rainy season; not because someone declared a national emergency in the sector.

So what makes Football of such high importance that they decided they cannot wait
for us to watch the remaining matches of the world cup without remembering our
woeful situation.

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 Football Ban in Nigeria - Random Musings July 01, 2010

I will not allow this to diminish my enthusiasm for the up-coming matches even as I
find this action disturbing enough to make these comments. I truly find no joy in
commenting on my national leadership on such ‘trivial’ matters – but then football is
not considered trivial by the good people of Nigeria; has never been.

Five issues immediately become apparent here, viz:

1. How did the president come about the two years timeframe designated as a
change and transformation period (including the usual corruption enquiry that always
places the cart before the horse)? Was it for the players of our dreams to emerge or
for the structural and personnel overhaul to be completed? Is it not probable
therefore that an incoming administration will have a rethink unless of course, the
incumbent is re-elected to see the initiative through (given our history of non-
continuation of previous administration policies).

2. It is hoped that the President took this decision based on a technical, strategic,
administrative or security report submitted to it way before the World Cup
because there was no evidence that the team (on account of its performance and
prospect at the recently concluded Nations Cup and Pre-tournament games) had any
chance of passing through the first round except if we got lucky at ‘fumbling and
wobbling’ our way through as we have always done since 1995 (aka Fanny Amu –
who openly shared with us the mindset of our national teams) till date.

3. Leaders are often led to take populist actions to ingrate themselves with the
public, especially in an election year – the unintended consequences however is that
it could touch a raw nerve in the people. Withdrawing the team from possible
participation at the Olympics, Nations Cup and other regional and international
events is akin to sending a child to school without giving him/her the opportunity to
take the qualifying exam studied for. A failing student can repeat a class but not take
two years to get back in shape. This is akin to a demotion to the lower classes
without an opportunity to take exams at the lower classes to enable it catch up. For
what abiding purpose does such an action serve therefore?

4. Under the military dispensation, such pronouncements would have been

considered a manifestation of an illusory leadership. It is wrong, creates de-linkages
and outright retrogressive. It leaves one shuddering as to the message it
communicates – that the whole enterprise has failed and a re-beginning is required.
Out of the 32 teams participating, only one is expected to win. If our boys failed, as
expected – fine; we all have a good go at them and move on, take necessary action
to rebuild as England and Italy (previous champions seek to do) – not shut down the
aspirational goals of our youths for two years.

5. If we are affiliated to FIFA and would like to spend time to keep our house in
order by taking some time off, it would be considered courteous (or in diplomatic and
business terms – rational) for our FA to take FIFA into confidence and not throw the
world of football into a tail spin. The Minister on CNN yesterday said that they would
make a representation to FIFA (we reserve the right as a sovereign state) and hope
they would understand - what reasoning is that? What if all nations withdraw from
international competitions to solve the rot in their systems. Our boys simply got
beaten by more enterprising and motivated teams, period.

Conclusion

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 Football Ban in Nigeria - Random Musings July 01, 2010

According to 234Next, Rotimi Amaechi, Chairman of the committee and Governor of

Rivers State, who also spoke to journalists after the government’s decision said
president Goodluck acted largely on the recommendation of the task force.
He said: “Our recommendations were based on what we saw and what we met on
ground. You will observe that the history of our qualification was not as smooth as it
used to be before. We struggled to qualify. We got to the World Cup, we got a new
coach; PTF was paying the Coach. We agreed to pay the Coach $1.3 million which we
paid. We got to the World Cup and we had all sort of mal-administration; we also
had all sorts of problems and we find out that the problem of Nigeria Football now is
structural and there is the need for us to look inward, sit back and re-organise the
structure to ensure that we don’t continue to have what we currently have now.”

He continued: “We recommended to Mr. President, which he has approved that we

formally write FIFA to say that Nigeria will not engage in any international
competition for the next two years so that when we re-organise Nigeria Football and
train higher coaches and all that and come out to any competition it will be to the
delight of the Nation.”

Here is the clincher - “The Nation has been punished enough, people have had
heart attack because of Nigerian football. We want to reorganise and get it back
to what it used to be when it was the pride of the Nation and we are glad that Mr.
President has approved all our recommendations and given directive to that effect.

What more need be said about the decision and the basis for arriving at it. The
concern for me is the use of the word ‘we’. Who are these people called ‘we’? The
Governor of a state or the Presidential Task Force? Does it matter anymore now – at
least we know who to hold responsible.

The irony for the President must be that he would have to refund the N200m
budgeted for an international friendly football match and local competition; as well
as the N120m for event managers – part of the National assembly approved budget
for the Golden Jubilee. Curiously, the ban is coming at a time when the election for
the Football Federation was to take place. Is that a good or bad development?

The larger point we have all failed to acknowledge Mr. President Sir, is that – as in
other areas of our national life, we seemingly lack the wherewithal to manage big
enterprises in a sustainable manner. The evidence of this abounds in all aspects of
our national life.

The problem with our football is a reflection of our national culture and our
leadership at this time. Do we suspend the INEC, PHCN, Police, Judiciary, Fist-
throwing Legislature, Foreign Missions unable to book accommodation in South Africa
or provide passports (Canada) or even our Universities with sub standard quality of
life and education on our campuses?

There are more compelling reasons to take serious actions against the
aforementioned than in the area of football. Why? In as much as our football teams
remains a central part of our national identity (so also is athletics, boxing, basketball
and other sports), access to constant electricity, credible elections, affordable
housing, poverty reduction, safe and efficient transportation, education, health
services and security of lives and property central to our existence.

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 Football Ban in Nigeria - Random Musings July 01, 2010

Any fan and supporter of our national team and national pride will feel aggrieved at
losing, but that is where it must end. Going beyond that is to become a fanatic -
acting beyond reason!

If at all anything needs to be banned, it is the culture of a unilateral decision on a

matter and area that should not, and never be a matter for Government's
interference. Sine we have now been banned, we are all Ghanaians for the match
against Uruguay. Africa, stand up! Ke Nako! It's Time!!

Olufemi AWOYEMI
July 01, 2010; Lagos, Nigeria
viewfemi2@yahoo.co.uk

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