The nation is literarily on fire. Just as the Boko Haram insurgency appears subsiding, new battle fields open daily. At first, it was the herdsmen terrorising other Nigerians.
Now we have had to live with the strongly emerging Niger Delta Avengers. Added to these are the football administration and its administrative building turning to also turning to battle ground.
Football, which used to be a national tranquilliser, is gradually becoming instrument of warfare.
Can somebody please call Chris Giwa to order? He claims to be in possession of court order which only he and those in his ilk appear to be the ones who understand its interpretation.
Despite the court registrar’s exposition of the court decision of April 8, 2016, Giwa claims that he has been asked by the court to forcefully take over the administration of football in Nigeria.
The NFF media department released documents signed by the Hon. Justice M.H. Kufrya which disclaims the belief held by Chris Giwa. If the documents were not true, the judge and indeed, the court, would have since reacted. In the document, the judge stated that only the prayer to re-enlist the case was granted. When then has re-enlisting a case turned to taking possession of authority? This is apart from an earlier clarification made by the court registrar, Nasiru Gusau.
Giwa on the other hand claims he has orders from the same court. His interpretation of the orders must be different from that of the authors.
If a court feels its orders have been disobeyed, it has its instrument of enforcement. It does not need Chris Giwa and his team to act as bailiff.
Will a gubernatorial candidate, for instance, go and dislodge a governor on account that he has enlisted a petition in court when the court has not passed judgement?
The 2015 River State gubernatorial election petition is a case in point. Governor Nyesom Wike was never stampeded out of office despite his challenger winning initially at the election tribunal and court of appeal. The case ran its full course. There should be law and order.
If those claiming to lead our football administration can be riotous in conduct, we can only imagine what the Nigerian football fields will turn into under their governance.
We are sitting on gun powder which will explode to further compound the present challenges the country and its citizens are facing.
The sports minister, Solomon Dalung, in spite of his pretence as an unbiased umpire in the scenario has woefully failed to get the situation under control.
He has not been able to solve this problem and other challenges in sports. The Ibrahim Galadima-led committee that the minister constituted has been made impotent. As the saying goes, if the horse is too old to pull the cart, the slaughter slab decides its fate.
From the happenings on Friday where the NFF claimed that its premises were invaded by the Giwa group, a big security issue is brewing. This is sad as it came a day after the National Assembly attempted to resolve the issue.
It may therefore not be necessary for the continuation of the follow-up meeting scheduled for tomorrow. The Friday invasion of the NFF headquarters has made nonsense of any meeting with Giwa and his group. There is absolutely no need to seek a political solution to the issues at stake.
AND THE GREATEST LIVES ON
The end finally came for the greatest individual athlete in sports. Muhammad Ali, who combined sporting prowess with sweet talking breathe his last after almost 30 years of battling outside the ring with Parkinson disease. This is beside the 21 years of a boxing career in which he had 56 wins in 61 fights and became the first boxer to capture a world heavyweight title on three separate occasions.
That was in addition to his light heavyweight Olympic gold medal of 1960 and having 31 straight wins before being beaten by Joe Frazier. Tributes have been flowing for him since Friday night. But the one that caught my attention most was that of Bob Gunnell, the family spokesman. “He was a citizen of the world and would want people from all walks of life to be able to attend his funeral”.
“To put him as a boxer is an injustice,” said George Foreman, former rival whom he beat in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle” episode of 1974 to regain his world title. Foreman tagged him the “greatest human he ever met”.
The legendary Brazilian footballer, Pele, said the sporting universe had suffered a huge loss.
“Muhammad Ali shook up the world. And the world is better for it,” said US President Obama.
Ali was a campaigner for what he believed in. He was dispatched on a shuttle diplomacy mission to Africa by President Jimmy Carter to gather support for Moscow Olympic boycott over Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan.
Like former US President Bill Clinton remarked, Ali lived a life “full of religious and political convictions that led him to make tough choices and live with the consequences”. I join the world in celebrating the life of the greatest individual athlete, Muhammad Ali. He was a man who never sold out his people.
RETURN MATCH
Re: ‘I have a dream”
It is a tragedy of our national values (or lack of it) that somebody like you has not been honoured for your contributions to sports development especially sports history in Nigeria. As far as away wins are rarity in our league and referees are bought by the highest bidders, best teams will never emerge as winners of the league every year. As far as clubs continue to owe players months of salaries the best legs will always migrate to other leagues in Africa and Asia where their pay pack is guaranteed. My verdict: it will take more than patriotism for Nigerian national teams and her clubs to dominate the continent. The Super Falcons are in gradual retrogression after years of supreme dominance. God bless Nigeria.
You always know where the nail head is placed when it comes to the issue of sports; you have never hit a wrong side of it. Carry on, sports authority.
Indeed, watching the championship final was simply satisfying. It produced premium soccer artistry and a display of the managerial acumen of the Spaniards. No doubt, our LMC has taken bold steps in synergising with this soccer powerhouse. Why not! Spain is the home of some of the world’s elite footballers- Ronaldo, Messi, Suarez, Neymar, Bale and so on. Nigeria at the moment has a galaxy of young and stardom-hungry players at both the local and international soccer scene. What we need to replicate the Spaniards huge success is to allow success-driven people to run our football.
– Cliff Kalu Obia, Ohafia
How can Nigerian clubs compete well at continental level when home teams must win, cheap penalties are awarded to home teams and referees giving more than 10 minutes of added time to assist home teams. Our referees are too corrupt that is why they don’t officiate even at continental level.
– Simon Godiya, Lafia
With the almost every day ‘wahala’ in the glass house, we need God and discipline to make your dream come true.
– Anthony Okoka, Jos.