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So many issues to talk on. New national anthem is one. Military/civilian relationships is another one. Our boys in khaki are beginning to act like occupation forces. Our political class hardly can do without the dramatic. If one drama doesn’t come from their very weird ways of during things, they will create one or better still contrive one. The point one is trying to make is that for writers in this clime, topics for discussion inexhaustible. It is very difficult to be caught up by the “writers block” talking about waking up and having trouble figuring out an issue to deal with.
Talking about the «relativity» theory, so many topical matters are on the cards. On this score, not minding the ones mentioned earlier, most of us know already we are in the season of “accountability”; at this point in our national calendar political figures, especially those holding the reins of power and authority, at different levels talk to the people about what they are doing with the mandate entrusted into their care.
Trust our politicians, it is a period they love so much, the average black person loves talking and showing off, making big issues out of ordinary routine matters. Our leaders do not care if what they put out are logical and if they have substance, and if those projects which they claim to have done have any bearing to what the people need.
This point is very crucial and would require further elucidation so that some misdeeds can be properly located in context. It is only in Black countries we hear and see governments impose massive hardship on the people, ensure early transition of citizens to world beyond as precursor to «bringing real development». The strategy they always say is that things must get very worse before they can begin to look up again. This is pure bunkum. Very satanic prescription with no relationship whatever to good thinking or classical modes for national development.
Our leaders joyfully introduce measures that impose pains. Rather than things improving they get worse. We have been told the same thing recently by President Tinubu. Sometime in June, June 12, to be precise we would have had 25 years of uninterrupted democratic practice. There are indications to celebrate. Marks can be celebrated that is if they are significant to national growth and progress. What is there in regard to this year to warrant celebration?
Why would any sane person roll out the red carpet and take up the musical instruments to celebrate a process that hasn›t brought us any good but ruination? This is the question to ask. But celebrate we will and we will be told that one of the biggest political engineering ever done by our political leader is «liberalising” the petrol trade l, which has made this vital product to be available in every petrol station thereby doing away with shortages and associated challenges and killing “corruption” linked to fuel subsidy. We will be told this. Our leaders would beat their chest and call the act administrative masterstroke.
Those who give this account would keep hidden the fact that our country endowed with crude oil deposits more than 50 years after oil deposits were discovered still lacks expertise in exploration. We depend on foreign assistance. Our leaders don›t see anything wrong in the fact we get the crude and sell out in its raw form and then pick the finished product in the form of petrol at so called international pricing. We are compelled by a combined effect of different forces to buy according to «international prices» when by our standards there is nothing whatever international standards about it. No industrialization. No employment opportunities. No living wage. No social safety net. No organization in place. Near Hobbesian state if we must tell the truth.
We are happy foreign airlines are coming to open shops, but we can›t ask what are the benefits beyond ferrying frustrated citizens into voluntary slavery abroad at our expense. The high cost of flight tickets puts a strain on the little foreign exchange we get by selling few barrels of crude oil. The President has traveled out of Nigeria for more than 10 times in under one year. This is part of the challenge. It is a trouble because it is a pointer that leaders who should lead from the front have chosen to lead from the back. We ought to shut down our borders. At the other end you find the Central Bank in a corner telling citizens it is busy trying or is it «working very hard» to bring value to the local currency. A consumer country, very wasteful with unlimited appetite for foreign goods trying to bring value to her local currency. Goodluck!
The sub-nationals by which we mean the states don›t help matters. Local government administration is dead yet we give them money. Every governor is into road construction. Don›t get one wrong, road construction is a good venture but the trouble is putting all attention in the one area of social infrastructure at the expense of core areas of development will definitely leave the country worse. We see that already. Human capital is it. Doctors, nurses, creative engineers who can perform, mechanized agriculture, railway, electricity, housing for citizens and business development credit are the core areas in creating a country where life can be in abundance not flyovers. Inter-city rail system that passes through the rural areas can deal with the question of unemployment permanently, but leaders are there talking of finding us a way through thick swamps.
On June 12, deceivers who misapply tested theories of development would seize the airwaves and begin to tell us about the beauty of democracy, how we have done very well with it and more importantly, how we ought to have patience since we must go through the «learning process.» We have become perpetual learners. Block heads that ought to be expelled from school. Why should any one ever think of applauding democratic practice in our country when cardinal aspects of democracy like credible electoral process and sanctity of the ballot box have become a task so very difficult to achieve. Tiny Senegal just organized one of the best polls.
Someone said few days ago we shouldn›t be tired of talking, and some of us replied “we have become fed up with debate of the deaf”. Everyone is talking but only few make sense and contain substances. Even with that no one seems to hear or want to hear the other. Audacity of hopelessness.
We return to the matter of today. We wish to state again for emphasis that sports development is very crucial. It is big business. Sports is another avenue to take away unemployment and breed citizens that can add to national prosperity. Japan, China and now Saudi Arabic know this much and are spending heavily to develop games and improve facilities. Our youth football is not vibrant. Proprietors of private academies just want quick money. Skills are not being impacted, they look out for a few very talented ones, sponsor them abroad and that is. What is to be done?
Nigerians have welcomed the appointment of Finidi George with guided optimism. Yes, he played the game but many are not sure what he can do as coach.
He coached Enyimba FC but in Africa against top teams the club crumbled. Now any coach is as great as his last match. Against Mali in a friendly again Finidi floundered terribly. He was the assistant to Paseiro who led the Super Eagles to last African nations cup.
It is a fact we got to final but Nigerians didn›t celebrate the achievement because everyone felt our team lacked technical depth and finesse. The team play pattern lacked urgency and intensity. The energy level for most of the players wasn›t what it ought to be. Finidi George should watch Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Congo and see energy and passion. Our build up is so slow that anyone who knows football and what it takes to win matches would wonder if truly our team the Super Eagles want to take out their opponents.
The players take the whole time taking throw in, spot kicks etc. Transition is hardly occur, there is no quality creative midfielder that can on his own alter the face of a game. We hardly could score from the spot kicks and that should worry Finidi.
We have heard Finidi speak of recent. Thank God he is aware that the matches against South Africa and Benin Republic hold out much for him and the country. South Africans are boasting about a surprise package and they mean business. One can hazard a guess they will pack the back so Finidi’s greatest worry will be how to breakthrough such cordon and on time. All these warm up matches with Mali, Togo and the like should cease.
Our country should be ranked with the big football countries. As such our training partnerships should be with countries like England, Germany, Brazil and4ē France. This will expose players to tactics and techniques and build up confidence. By now our aim and key objective should be to win the World Cup and not to struggle over qualifications.
