By Segun Odegbami
These are my modest solutions to Nigeria’s unending sports development challenge!.
Historically, on March 22, 1998, I was officially decorated with the honour and title of ‘Sports Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’ in Abuja by the then Minister of Sports. It was in addition to a previous national honour of ‘Member of the Order of the Niger’, MON.
I take both honours very seriously. They are earned, the rewards for national duty through hard work, dedication, sacrifices, patriotism, discipline, and trophies.
They also come, of course, with additional demands and even more responsibility.
That’s why I try, always, to appreciate the country’s generosity by attempting to live a simple, decent life of exemplary good conduct to serve as a model for generations coming after me through the window of sports. How far I have fared with these unwritten expectations and standards I leave for Nigerians and posterity to judge.
Today, football in Nigeria is at a crossroads. The time comes to test my judgement and character, a burden that I must carry even in the evening of my life.
I find that there is really nothing for me to lose in standing by what I believe are the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth! To be silent now means to fail the government, the people and the game of football itself. So, I am raising my voice again.
Nigerians know me for my activities and contributions in sports and in football, in particular – playing the game, administering it, organising it, promoting it, deploying it as a tool to drive education, empowerment, health, patriotism, eradication of illiteracy, diplomacy and national orientation.
It all started in 1973. As an undergraduate student I was invited to the national football team of Nigeria, the Green Eagles, from the National Sports Festival, to start a relationship that has remained unbroken to this day.
In the 53 years since then, I played for the country; rose to be Captain of the national team and also of the national contingent to the Olympic Games; administered the game as a member of the board of the Nigerian Football Association and as Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Institute of Sports; single-handedly managed two Nigerian athletes (in a sport outside of football) to win Gold and Silver medals at the Olympic Games; served in several panels, commissions and committees promoting sports and seeking solutions to challenges in Nigerian sports; established an NGO/institution that has been promoting the combination of sports and scholarship; facilitating the migration of Nigerian student/athletes to Colleges and Universities in the USA and in India; and currently serving as head of a new and special unit developing a template and policies for sports diplomacy within Nigeria’s foreign affairs.
The measure of my work in all these national assignments are an open book for all Nigerians to see and determine.
All those experiences count in the position I have now chosen to take in the unfortunate present situation the country finds itself. With all the talented footballers that the country parades all over the world, it is a sad commentary that at international level, achievements have reached a plateau, and even started to decline. This is easily measured in the successes, or lack of them, that the country’s football has achieved in recent times. Some of the results are totally unacceptable, needless to mention them here.
The reality is that football administration in the past two decades, in particular, has not matched or complimented the level of talent and possible achievements.
The growth of our football industry has been stunted by faulty decisions taken more in ignorance than by any malicious intentions since the early part of the 1990s. These have grown, sustained and become the norm in our football, a monster that now needs the creators of it to rid it of its venom. They won’t do it because they are also the beneficiaries of the faulty architecture!
Next month, an election into the board of the Nigerian Football Association will take place. I am deliberately using the word ‘association’ because that is the starting point of all the anomalies in the present administrative architecture. This takes careful understanding that I cannot explain here , but that will make sense when the matter is tabled before a civil court for interrogation, and where a subsisting judgment to amend it has been treated with levity for almost 8 years. In law, the Nigerian Football Federation does not even exist!
As for the elections the way things are now, they have been held and sewn up already, the results determined even before a vote has been cast. The persons that can contest and will, know themselves already. Those to be deprived of the opportunity to even contest have been isolated and sent on a wild goose chase, to go around Nigeria furtively searching for endorsements they will not get in a rushed and harried election. The winners of elections have already been determined by the same group of people in office now.
The elections will also be conducted away from any prying eyes to avoid any chances of transparency, and where bribery and corrupt practices can be conducted without consequence, far from the headquarters of the federation and the supervising National Sports Commission that would have ensured neutrality.
The issues are long and endless that need the supervising ministry’s intervention. The NSC cannot do anything with their hands tied by ‘fictitious’ threats by ‘FIFA’ that have no substance in any statutes anywhere in the world.
In short, history, documents, facts and figures are essential ingredients that will illuminate the clouded areas of our football structures in order for the ship of our football to be steadied for future development.
My experiences cannot be bought in the market place or discountenanced. My current works speak for themselves. My suggestions for the future should at least be given some attention.
Therefore, I am writing this publicly with some concern but a deep sense of responsibility and sincerity. Elections into the board of the NFF have become a four-yearly ritual of crisis. The process used in conducting them have always been contentious, and were always challenged as a result of perceived irregularities and manipulation.
All of these to the detriment of the country that loves its football with passion but can only look on helplessly as football continues to suffer and fails to achieve its full potentials, fails to boost the country’s economy, and fails to empower the country’s gifted youths with the best opportunities that are available all over the world.
In the next few days, I shall be taking documents that are currently used in the administration of Nigerian football to the Nigerian civil courts for interrogation and interpretation, to explain to Nigerians documented facts about the real power and roles of FIFA in our country’s internal football affairs; the status, interpretation, role and place of State Football Associations; the equity in unequal and lopsided representation by members; the place and role of government as the biggest funder of football in the country; the justification for the convoluted, politicized, expensive conduct of ordinary football elections in Nigeria, and so on!
The next few weeks will be very interesting.
I hope all Nigerians, including the members of the Nigerian Football Association will understand why these elections should be temporarily halted for Nigerian football to find its feet again!
Olusegun Odegbami, MON, OLY, MON, AFNIIA, FNIS
Sports Ambassador, Federal Republic of Nigeria; Grand Sports Ambassador of Ogun State.
