By Daily Sports on February 25, 2019

Philip Shaibu is the Deputy Governor of Edo State and he is not only a football pundit but also a footballer. I have not met him before but however, I have watched some NNL matches he played, adorning the colours of the Benin Arsenal, as the team is fondly referred to by its numerous admirers and fans across the country. In short, he contributed meaningfully to the eventual return of Bendel Insurance FC of Benin to the elite league.

Without much ado, he played more than a multi-faceted role in this dream fulfilled, after the long sojourn of the darling team of Edo State in the land of relegation. One of the roles Shuaib played was to motivate his colleagues while on the same jersey and lineup. It is instructive to note that the number of games he appeared witnessed a higher work rate and at the end of the game, the team won.

There so many other areas as this column had earlier said that his magic and strategy helped boost the return of the side to NPFL. However, one was taken aback last week when our man and veteran in league reportage in Benin City, Anthony Obaseki filed in report of the Deputy Governor’s threat to withdraw the Bendel Insurance FC from the ongoing NPFL championship because of what he described as the attitude of referees to his team in some of the matches he equally mentioned in the replay which not only had massive views which I will relay the text at the tail end of this piece to support evidence of Shauibu’s outrage.

To be honest with you, the Deputy Governor’s threat smacks of pure blackmail that prompts us to ask, “Who he is speaking for”. He does not have such wide power he has arrogates to himself because he is a Deputy Governor. His call or whatever is a mere bogus threat. When I read the exclusive report in Daily Sports (www.dailysportsng.com) my stomach turned for vomit as my anger ran to high heavens and asked no one in particular who sent Shaibu on this suicide mission of his life? What brought about this overzealousness and power show? Why did he decide to cry louder than the bereaved or tried to be more Catholic than the Pope? This column vehemently insists that the Deputy Governor gave himself out as an alarmist of the first order. It also showed that he is a pretender to the scene and football arena. He gave himself out so cheap.

My take here remains that Philip Shaibu knows what to do and how to go about it without bringing himself this level of ridicule or bad publicity. Football is a very highly organised and disciplined sport that he ought to know how to channel his grievances on issue (s) without attracting undue negative attention to himself. To this reporter, his outburst on the Bendel Insurance FC performance so far in the NPFL is caused by the way and manner the referees treat his team and therefore he thinks of withdrawing the team from the summit.

I don’t know who gave him such advice. I also believe that in this case, Phillip Shauibu spoke before thinking on this issue.

One, Bendel Insurance is not his private football club and so he has no right to do so without full briefing from the owners, the Edo people. Let me also add that even Governor Obaseki cannot attempt withdrawing the people’s team from competition it has entered into because the funds are not his but the peoples.

It beats me hollow to think Phillip uttered such warning. It marks him out as power drunk to make him display such silly talk. He showed he is now bigger than the people he claimed elected him in a joint ticket with his governor. The money used in funding Bendel Insurance FC is not Philip Shauibu’s or Obaseki’s. Let me say here point blank that what came from Philip is a typical character of Nigerians in political power. Edo State Deputy Governor just demonstrated his own dose of power drunkenness but whether he will be able to carry out this threat to the letter remains what pundits and analysts of this most beautiful game is eagerly waiting for it to unfold in days ahead. Again, does he have the backing of the owners of the football club, the people?

But I think if he fails to make real his threat, it means that he not only ridiculed himself but the entire people and government of Edo State. That is why I abhor hypocrisy.

I wondered why Phillip could not control his anger firstly as a leader and a sportsman (footballer). He would have exercised restraint in making some comments like the one under discourse. The very careless statement further confirmed that talk is really cheap and coming from the number two man in Edo State further leaves a more sour taste in the mouth.

He has the opportunity to table or channel his grievances before the appropriate quarters within the system. His act showed him as an amateur in the system but as a Deputy Governor, he ought to understand what and how to pass on information in a more decent manner without betraying hollowness. Though, I have not watched Bendel Insurance play since it returned to NPFL but my view is that instead of Philip blowing hot air, he should thoroughly look inwards and spot where the bucket is leaking and beef up his side with first-rate players in order for the once traditional team of the Nigerian league to survive the tough frays in the big league in Nigeria.

The Deputy Governor should be able to understand that the NNL cadre where his team is just rose from is a different ball game from NPFL. NPFL is the cadre for real men? If you like it is where the boys are separated from the men. It is not where you come on with rag-tag players and expect to get results like the other team that are prepared to the teeth. Bendel Insurance can only compete favourably only when more quality players are attracted into the club but definitely not with this kind of ambush approach the Deputy Governor, Phillip Shaibu has employed lately.

Let me tell him point blank that he would not use this kind of allegation to stampede the referees or the NPFL officials to tilt favour to his team. I maintain that Phillip has shot himself on the foot and also exposed his team to more danger.  He should go and do his homework very well and stop chasing the shadows.  Bendel Insurance FC to me, from all indications, has a long way to go so far as the current NPFL summit is concerned. I don’t think what he has just done would help his team without hard work. Phillip has in his State some experienced football administrators and technocrats so acting individually which he has done presently is a faux pas.

I know that he did not make wide consultations before coming out with this embarrassment. He forgot that no level of intimidation would make the referees or NPFL officials to favour of his team. Let us anchor this here and watch events and trends as it unfolds in Edo State and her team.  Let us keep our discussion on our social media handles. One vital demand all the fans are making to the Edo State government is that Bendel Insurance FC must stay put in NPFL where the team rightly belongs.  The government must stop talking on the drop of a hat and settle down and do the needful than what it is currently embarking upon; an exercise in futility at the end of the day.

Fans of the game especially in the state would hold the state government responsible and accountable if it fails the team this time around. Let us keep our fingers crossed as we look at the report of withdrawal of Bendel Insurance FC from NPFL by Phillip Shaibu. Keep shooting hard tell next week!!   

Edo Deputy Governor Threatens TO Withdraw Bendel Insurance from NPFL

Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has called on the organisers of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), the League Management Committee, to look into the goal scored by Bendel Insurance FC against visiting Rivers United on Wednesday in Benin.

The sports-loving Deputy Governor, who also played for Bendel Insurance, is not happy over the disallowed goal. He said after the match: “You see, it is very bad the way the referees disallowed Insurance goal here; it is not fair.

“In our match against Kwara United, Insurance goal scored was disallowed. Again, last week in Akure a goal score by Bendel lnsurance was also disallowed and today again against Rivers United the referee disallowed the goal. “We are writing the organisers to watch the tape of the match and let us know if that goal was not a good goal.

“We cannot continue this way. If nothing is done about it we might withdraw from the league. It is very painful.” The Deputy Governor expressed unhappiness over the way and manner referees are frustrating the efforts of the newcomers into the elite Nigerian League. Daily Sports reports that Bendel lnsurance has played eight matches, grabbing eight points – they won the game against Lobi Stars, had five draws and lost two games. The team drew against Rivers United, making two home draws and three away draws.

Source Daily Sports

Posted February 25, 2019

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