By Daily Sports on March 16, 2020

As I try to beat the deadline given to me to put this column to bed, one thought kept recurring in my mind and that is the shocking death of the young player of Nasarawa FC of Lafia, last week, in an NPFL encounter between the host team and Kastina United, where Chineme Martins slumped and died. The thought of a failed nation like Nigeria instantly kept me on my toes and vividly reminded me of the kind of country you and I belonged, that always learns about Geology on the eve of an earthquake.

It is a sad reminder of a country without a defined system. A country where man’s inhumanity to man holds sway. Where life remains meaningless at all times.

Shehu Dikko, one of the movers and shakers in the current dispensation in football governance in the country and also the Chairman of NPFL which I have described often as moving corpse was present when the incident came to pass the other weekend in Lafia where Chineme Martins was the victim.

As usual, there has been much hue and cry since the unfortunate incident but I have asked these questions thus, why Nigeria has refused to grow, why Nigerians that have seen themselves in charge of one key position or the other are roundly wicked. Why will Shehu Dikko and his NFF conspirators permit this callousness by not bothering a hoot on how to ensure that medicals are provided in match venues as it is the norm in other climes? Why are these men in NFF and NPFL this wicked, knowing full well that these are things that ought not to be compromised in any form because precious lives are involved?

Serially, these men that ought to know look the other way and allow the boys plying their trade in death prone NPFL, week in week out, even mid weeks. How long should Nigerian leaders try God? Honestly, it is only in Nigeria that life means nothing to those that are supposed to guide and guard it, to stop too many avoidable deaths.

Yes the Sports Minister Sunday Dare, NFF and NPFL have read riot acts and made threats to high heavens how woes would befall any football club that would not meet the requirements stipulated in the law that established NPFL.  But after disturbing my ear drums with that, I quickly responded that these have been with us, the usual noise making that normally attain this kind of tragedy that enveloped the nation’s football the other week in Lafia Nasarawa. The noises you are hearing from all spheres are just behaviours of Nigerians. After few weeks, the whole thing would give way and it would be business as usual.

The immediate family of Chineme Martins is the worst hit, they are the most betrayed as this scenario and drama continues to unfold.  Nigeria is like this. The young lad is gone and these more you look the less you see noise making from all angles is the fake way Nigerians at the helm of affairs behave.

My heart has been with the young lad’s family since this unfortunate and avoidable incident occurred.  I have been truly sharing in their pains without this kind of sentiment the Sports Ministry, NFF and NPFL have so far displayed.

The death of Martin was one too many due to carelessness of officials at all levels and heads have not been rolling since the lad was confirmed dead because they know themselves. This is Nigeria for you. I don’t like writing on deaths that ought not to be as is in the case Chineme Martin. My heart has been heavy whenever I look back at the death at Lafia.

It brought to the fore once again that Nigeria is a lost country pretending to be moving while all is a lie. How will a nation survive this way? A nation where every move is falsehood, a nation where everybody is suspect. Very sad, this lad was the victim, however, it can be anybody because there are no checks whether medical facilities that ought to be handy are in existence in all NPFL centres. These unwholesome practices in NPFL would have been nipped in the bud if Nigeria is a not country where laws are not out rightly disobeyed.

This betrayal especially by Shehu Dikko led NPFL would continue to leave soured taste in the mouth for a very long time to come. It is yet another top level conspiracy that must be probed, why medicals and other essentials have continued to be absent at NPFL venues for a long time now.

Nothing would come out of these directives from the Sports Ministry, NFF and NPFL. The motive was to cool hot and aggrieved nerves as this kind has been the Nigerian way. The immediate family of this young lad should clean up their tears and move on. Their sole consolation is God and the only wise one they must look up to and move on

God would give them the fortitude to bear this painful loss. For the Daily Sports family, we sympathise wholeheartedly with the family as God knows best. Let’s discuss this burning issue on our social media handles as it continues to trend. This nonsense must be checked without the usual way we do things. Keep shooting hard, till next week!!

Source Daily Sports

Posted March 16, 2020

Everton owner backs Koeman

Liverpool Join Man Utd In Pursuit Of Sancho...

Pellegrino replacement sacked after fourth defeat

Man City Eye Two-year Deal For Ramos: Sources...

Cristiano Ronaldo Wins Player Of Century Award

Adepoju charges Rohr to use friendlies to fix...