Worrisome Signals, Rumbles In Our Football News

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Worrisome Signals, Rumbles In Our Football

By Daily Sports on January 20, 2020

Let me begin this piece by telling all my critics that they are free to spread their criticisms on me as they like over what some described as my use of hard words on football and other sports administrators. I have oftentimes told you dear readers that I draw my strength from you and not those idlers that are sentimental and parochial in their thinking.

You see, I don’t know how to hide the truth and this has become the order of the day in my journalism practice in Nigeria. Unfortunately, majority of Nigerian journalists now engage mostly in or practice what the stomach will eat journalism. Aside from ethnic journalism which sadly reared its ugly self into the once upon a time noble profession, the journalism of what the stomach will eat has eaten deep even as the NUJ, NGE, NPAN, etc, watch helplessly.

Let me tell you this short story, last week Tuesday at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, a well-known colleague and supposedly friend of mine looked at me and quickly removed his face because he was with his master whom he later called to not only apologise to me for that silly attitude of his and also confessed that his boss has not been happy with my, write up on this column.

I wholehearted accepted his entreaties and moved on. God has been faithful in the bare face of this Buhari/APC created hard times in the country today. I don’t have anything against eating but there is everything wrong with seeing the truth and feigning dumb and deaf. It is truly bad times for the media where the majority of the practitioners have thrown professional ethics to the wind.

When I look back to the days of yore, and now observe vividly how modern-day press freedom, hardly fought by some persons like Lateef Jakande, Peter Ajayi, Felix Adenaike, Segun Osoba, late Pa Babatunde Jose, late Dele Giwa, Tony Momoh, Ray Ekpu, Amakiri, Chris Anyanwu, Comfort Obi, Tunde Thompson, Nduka Irabor, etc, is being misused, I quake with fear.

Today, the media is heavily divided along tribal lines, but it is instructive to underline that the once upon a time oneness in the profession that has saved Nigeria from many dictatorial regimes that now stares us again in the face must be reignited.

It is against those inflammable backgrounds therefore that Buhari, a well-known hater of democratic best practices, is having a field’s day destroying the Judiciary and sacred institutions with his co-travellers in APC and few opposition voices are heard. There is impunity all over the polity and every government official is doing what he wants with the citizenry. It is not hidden; it is on the public domain.

You may have read the current dangerous signals again happening in our football. The issue of Gernot Rohr and NFF is ongoing and the twist into it now is the statement credited to Senator Obinna Ogba, a former NFF executive committee member, now chairman Senate Committee on sports, that it is Time up for the Super Eagles technical hand.

That may at the end of the day become the crux of the matter and the Amaju led NFF has been beating about the bush. It turns out to become that NFF’s Amaju Pinnick led board has been calling spade shovel by telling the unsuspecting fans that it added missing but vital clauses into Rohr contract which the body requires him to sign if he wants a second shot at the topmost technical job in the Eagles set up.

Obinna Ogba is a seasoned football administrator and knows what he is saying. Obinna Ogba said Rohr is not sound to handle what the report quoted as big deal job for one of the high profile national teams in the continent. It is one issue that is still strong within our football circle.

However, pundits and commentators are still keeping watch closely to see where the matter would swing to, that will not affect the chances of the Eagles qualifications for the AFCON in Cameroun and World Cup in Dubai in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

Now this same NFF Amaju Pinnick led board in a matter of weeks will employ some failed coaches like Imama, Paul Aigbogun, Manu Garba from among the 57 coaches that applied to be engaged as national teams handlers. The interest here is the name of Imama, Aigbogun and Manu the trio that has failed in their national assignments at the U-23, U-20 and U-17 respectively.

One is still at a loss why these three names would come again and at the end of the day, these failed coaches would be the ones that will be given the job. That is what we have witnessed since Amaju came on board. This kind of retrogression has been our bane in the entire polity.

One is waiting for anybody to come up with proof that would qualify Imama, Aigbogun and Manu to get chance again to handle any of the national teams. For instance, Aigbogun failed in Enyimba and in the national U- 20. We knew Imama and Manu stories in U-23 and U-17 sides.

This outcry will never stop Amaju Pinnick from going ahead to appoint these men. We all know the Warri man’s way of doing things and it has instead of moving the game forward, sadly retarded it.

Other worrisome issues that are being reported are in Amaju Pinnick’s cards in forceful pushing out of Delta State, FA boss, Edma Fuludu and his Deputy Victor Ikpeba, thereby installing his puppets. This is vintage Amaju Pinnick. They are not only disturbing but also very worrisome to use it mildly. Why are Nigerian officials like this? Impunity all over the place!

Trust, we will continue to be on top of the game, telling them who they are. This Columnist will not close his eyes on burning issues in sports. Their agents have been calling me names but there will be true reportage as I see it and as it is breaking.

Our social media handles are red hot and open 247, so let it be engaged. Keep shooting hard till next week.

Source Daily Sports

Posted January 20, 2020