Nigeria should be the greatest footballing nation on the African continent, but it is not. It boils down to the fact that this nation of 150 million people wastes its resources: natural, financial, and human.
*****
Nigeria is one of the dozen countries that makes up the OPEC cartel, with a population twice that of the second most populous OPEC nation (Iran). It is the 15th largest oil producing nation in the world with the 8th largest population on the planet.
It was widely reported on Tuesday that Nigeria's state-run oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC), is "insolvent" and needs $6.6B to cover its debts and fund future oil exploration. This report, given by the country's Minister of State for Finance, Remi Babalola, was later reputed by the NNPC. Foreign oil companies doing business in Nigeria have long complained about the finances of the NNPC.
What a tragic farce. Nigeria's oil money provides 80 percent of Nigeria's government funding (whereas the country must import about 85 percent of its refined fuel usage). Perhaps its oil wealth could be used to build infrastructure and provide social needs instead of trickling down to politicians' pockets, which is a pervading view.
What a waste of wealth.
*****
Nigeria has a wealth of football talent, and a once-proud history, but it suffers from corruption here as well.
The Super Eagles faced countrywide criticism after finishing third in the Africa Cup of Nations in January. Head coach Shaibu Amodu was fired in February, replaced by Swedish coach Lars Lagerback only about four months before the World Cup. The once-proud national football team didn't make it out of the group stage in South Africa.
On June 30, in direct response to these perceived failures, President Goodluck Jonathan issued a 2-year ban on the Nigerian national team in order to "put its house in order." He also mandated dissolution of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), formerly the Nigeria Football Association (NFA), to be replaced with an 11-man interim committee to "tender a resolved apology to all Nigerians over the Super Eagles' performance in the 2010 World Cup."
Responses came from the country's legislature, the NFF, and FIFA. The country's House of Representatives passed a resolution to halt President Jonathan's actions. The NFF promised "to take urgent steps to address the maladministration of football in the country." And, FIFA, insisting that football not be mixed with politics, indicated they might expel Nigeria from world football, withdraw financial help, stop Nigerian referees from officiating in international matches, keep its domestic clubs from participating in African club competitions, and not recognize the interim committee.
President Jonathan backed down on July 5 - he overturned his decision to ban the international team for 2 years - after Dr. Amos Adamu, a member of the FIFA executive committee, and a former Nigerian government minister, visited his country to avert near-term footballing armageddon, aided by efforts from Ibrahim Isa Bio the minister/chairman of the National Sports Commission and the NFF acting president Alhaji Aminu Maigari. Promises were made that the NFF would disband and the national team would be rebuilt.
Apparently President Jonathan's new Facebook account, set up only two days before he banned his Super Eagles, had a lot to do with his reversal: he received hundreds of posts that attempted to persuade the president to overturn his decision.
This was arguably not a populist move by a populist president. Perhaps it seemed rash to ban his country's team from international competition. If nothing else, it put the spotlight on a source of corruption within his country, and the most visible part of his country - it was during the World Cup after all. But, President Jonathan is largely viewed as a reformer. His country's football federation, like his country's governmental institutions, is in dire need of reform.
The country's football governing body was basically left in limbo. NFF president Sani Lulu, first vice-president Amanze Uchegbulam, and Technical Chairman of the NFF Taiwo Ogunjobi had been fired on July 4 (Sani Lulu was impeached and the others were dismissed for alleged financial improprieties by members of the Executive Committee of the NFF). Later, Sani Lulu's mother was abducted at gun point, and her kidnappers have demanded a ransom of $1.7M US.
Also, thirteen NFF members had been sacked; reports indicated 9 were officials accused of financial misconduct, among other offences. Replacements named were Aminu Maigari as acting president and Obinna Ogba acting first vice-president.
What a waste of wealth.
*****
The first step by the 'new' NFF to get things back on the right track seems to be the scheduling of a friendly match with South Korea on August 11, announced by the NFF's new Technical Committee Chairman, Dominic Iorfa.
The first step on a very, very long road yet to get its first layer of pavement.
*****
On top of all this, FIFA was warned that the Nigerian team might be "vulnerable to match fixing" at the World Cup. Allegations included that players came forward with such a hint - "some players from the Nigerian team are actually involved in some sort of manipulation" reported a German journalist. Former Nigerian star Jay-Jay Okocha pleaded with FIFA not to pay the World Cup bonus to the NFF because he feared that the money would disappear before it could reach the players.
The investigative journalist Declan Hill writes that the former NFF needs to be honestly investigated. Mr. Hill recommends that former England manager Glen Hoddle should be interviewed. According to Mr. Hill, Hoddle "claimed that he was offered the position of manager of Nigeria at the World Cup, so long as he paid a kick-back to the (NFF)."
*****
A waste of wealth: natural, financial, and human. Hopefully the events of the last couple of weeks that have brought a measure of disgrace to Nigerian football will not go down as a big waste of time.
Thanks for this post. I definitely agree with what you are saying. I have been talking about this subject a lot lately with my father so maybe this will get him to see my point of view.
Posted by: Wealthy Affiliate Review | Saturday, 06 August 2011 at 04:40 AM