Ben Alaiya, E-mail:
sportseditor@independentngonline.ocom
23rd December
The week was another interesting one in the annals of Nigerian sports, especially with the unveiling of those who want to be Secretary General of the NFA.
From my personal knowledge of some of the personalities I think Nigeria may be on its way to having a good football secretariat if sentiments does not creep into the selection mode of the consultants.
With the likes of Charles Ojugbana, who by the way is one of the most qualified for the job, not minding thee black book that Mr Martins Osaile and co say they are hiding at the Sports Ministry on him, respected senior colleague Paul Bassey, who is also a polyglot and Nigeria’s longest reigning CAF and FIFA committee member at the moment, the urbane Shehu Dikko, Godwin Dudu Orumen, Davidson Owumi, one of the most cerebral soccer players that has veered into administration, Mr Bolaji Ojo-Oba and others methinks the head-hunters should have no problems giving us a man who can lift Nigerian football to the next level.
That brings us to the continued acrimony between the Nigeria Football League and the NFA over the multi-billion naira sponsorship deal that the former has been able to secure for the running of the league.
At the NFA Annual General Meeting in Bauchi, all manners of innuendoes were used to describe the NFL, with a view to snatching the money from its account and keeping it with the NFA, whom we know will expend it on nothing in a matter of weeks. It got so nasty that the communiquÈ issued at the end of the meeting harped more on the superiority of the NFA to the NFL, as if we don’t already know that.
At the last count, lawyers of the NFL and the sponsors seemed to have reached a dead end as some officials, including outgoing Sports Minister Bala Ka’oje continue to play dirty with eye on the NFL cash.
My submission on the matter is simple and already known, we should invite the ubiquitous Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to step in and help resolve the matter. Chief Oyuiki Obaseki, should stop wasting time and set up a couple of the guys who want to swindle the league body through all manner of arm-twisting, which they are so adept at doing.
The other option is for the NFA to ignore the NFL and its money and install a man who can deliver real cash to the football house. With due respect to some of those running for the NFA Scribe’s job, it’s my considered opinion that at this point in our football development we do not need a civil servant at the helm of affairs at the secretariat. They have hurt us enough by forcing another civil servant, Sanni Lulu on us as Chairman. We need a tested hand from the private sector, who can do much more than what the NFL is doing at the moment instead of waiting for free money all the time from state governments and Aso Rock.
That brings us to the Man of the Moment in Nigerian soccer, Nwankwo Kanu. The outgoing week was an interesting one for Papilo, as his fine form in the premiership at the moment led to several enquiries about him by other top clubs from within and outside England.
Naturally, Harry Rednapp, was petrified at the development and sought audience with his man over the development and some of us can imagine how calmly Kanu, will tell him to put the dice on the table for the game of fresh negotiation to commence. Like the game of monopoly, what goes around in soccer, comes around and Rednapp and his team must be biting their fingers by now for signing on the evergreen superstar for only a season. Now they have to contend with others for his services as the transfer widow opens in a couple of days.
As expected of capitalists and employers of blacks in Europe, blackmail is being employed as an weapon, with Portsmouth officials asking Kanu to make a retrospective view of where he was at the start of the season, when none of the top clubs will have nothing to do with him. Some of us can offer an answer, Kanu, was negotiating the best for himself at the time and that was why he refused to join, German side, Hamburg, who were part of the Champions League fray a few weeks back.
The Nigerian captain is a true Ibo man and will cash in on his current form to get the best for his career, especially as he does not have too long to play top flight soccer. Portsmouth officials still have a chance to keep their jewel only that unlike the last time, the terms will be Papilo’s. That is what he has to show for being one of the most consistent players in the history of Nigerian football. Some of us are even shocked that for the last three weeks he has been playing with a wobbly knee but has not complained and his form has not dropped as a result.
Nigerian players both young and old have a lot to learn from the heroics of Kanu. Humility pays, loudness is part of superstardom, but it often leads to destruction sooner than later. Kanu has proved that a mix of both can take you to the top of the game and that is where discipline is the order of the day for top players globally. Once again, Papilo deserves praise for his amazing consistency that has seen the likes of Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Thierry Henry watching over their shoulders. He makes some of us proud to be Nigerians.