By Daily Sports on September 30, 2019

Many things and thoughts have engaged my creative consciousness since last week. My figural mind, as I write this, seems to be in and out of form on what to pay attention to exactly, that I find myself asking, “Where you do start from now?

Why the above subject matter now, you may ask?  Nigerian football is one huge subject after my heart. If you have been on the sports beat or a keen observer of it, you will agree that it is one sector that has controversies to the fullest.

If you have a Minister that understands administration, not necessarily the terrain, he will handle such controversies with all ease and manage them until he learns on the job. It is no news that Enyimba International FC of Aba is out of this year’s CAF Champions League. As I mentioned last week that the match was won and lost in Aba during the first leg, so it turned out at the end of the day.

I am one that does not jump into anything that would not give athletes a sense of belonging; that is why some of the administrators would readily say ‘leave Victor to his age-long belief.’ I don’t know the angle you may be looking at it from but all is not well with Nigerian sports. However, by extension, the entire polity is upside-down. But trust Nigerians, many are benefiting from this rot and if you dare fish near that territory; like attack dogs, they zoom out in full numbers to tell you that Nigeria is working more than ever before.

They are quick to remind you that Buhari is the best thing Nigeria can offer and the best to happen to the citizens. The fact that Nigeria bleeds remains a moot point to them. They are feeding fat on the crooked system.

If you are not with them, definitely you will be seen as being against them and instantly you will be placed under watch list as an enemy of the state. Before I drop the anchor on this, let me remind my readers, especially those aware when Buhari sacked an elected government of late former President Shehu Shagari, on December 31st, 1983. His policies were anti-people as Nigerians have seen since his second coming in 2015. One of his cardinal objectives then was the closure of the borders which imposed untold hardship on the citizenry just as it is currently.

 It is an open secret that he did not win the last Presidential poll held in March 2019, but is being aided to stay on by the Judiciary, a supposed bastion of democracy that he has managed to intimidate after the illegal removal of the former Chief Justice, Walter Onnoghen.  

Such was part of the strategies to stay put in the office knowing fully well that Nigerians won’t vote him and APC back. That is the way we are today and there is a grave silence in the land except for the voices of few individuals saying the country is drifting and PDP ringing it as alarm bell that Nigeria is not only in the hands of an emperor but also tending towards breaking into pieces as most citizens feed on the dustbin while crime has hit high heavens.

I feel scandalized just likewise others.

Readers please enough of Buhari and his silly, nasty and sadist government forced on Nigerians. My worry is that sports which is the only sector that has sustained Nigerians, is fast fading away and sooner than later the citizenry would rise in anger. The administrators are at war; certain people want for instance that Amaju Pinnick and his close friends be jailed. Many documents are flying all over the place and this is Nigeria where things are upside down and if you are not from a particular section of the sharply divided country, ‘the born to rules’ you will not head some government agencies and Ministries and if you do you will be blackmailed out of office.

A certain sports administrator had to change his state of origin from South West to Kebbi State in order to go far in the Ministry of Sports. That was the only way he could reach the pinnacle of his office. This is the situation and these cuts across all sectors and has affected the growth and development of the country in all facets.

This imbalance no doubt has been the undoing of this country till date. It has become the way we are; ‘everything Jaga-Jaga and everything scatter-scatter,’ and nobody or the so-called President has a solution to Nigeria’s problem but rather Buhari and APC are compounding it greatly.

  The spirited attempt to destroy sports as it is being muted and steadily too would be the last straw. For instance, the forces that have been fighting the election of Amaju Pinnick to the topmost NFF job have reinforced and was fueled by the former Sports Minister Solomon Dalung. As the man was used to bring crisis into the football family, so it is in all others.

If Sunday Dare would avoid politics and party affiliations and see the current crisis in NFF in proper perspective, to seek the way forward, he would bring the logjam to end. I am not Amaju Pinnick’s fan but he has put some feet forward beautifully. He has done some good number of things as it affects our football. I am highly impressed with those aspects that have put an impressive outlook on our football.

I am not at the same time saying he and his group should not be investigated for whatever allegation but it should be devoid of witch-hunting and tribalism as it is presently.

The fact remains that Pinnick has brought fresh ideas to the administration of the game. Money is critical in this century governance of the sport and Amaju Pinnick has created and harnessed that aspect handsomely.  It is against the above background therefore that Dare must be impartial and move on to sustain football and other sports because this sector has helped to hold Nigeria together thus far.

There is so much on his desk now about NFF and its administrators. He should, as a father thread with caution because there is much backbiting going on. There are so many groups and gangs trying to outwit each other, which would spell bad news to sports. I am of the view that this administration is allowed to run its full course and anybody or group that feels it has superior tactics that would reposition football, as well as other sports, should then come up with it.

Enough of this ‘Bring Down Syndrome’ which has spoilt our ways and retarded the game. FIFA‘s attention must not be focused on Nigeria anymore because of self-serving people. Let us keep our fingers crossed and do the rest via our social media handles. Keep shooting hard, till next week!! 

Source Daily Sports

Posted September 30, 2019

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