By Rashid Balogun
‘Arise O’Compatriots Nigeria’s Call Obey’ but unfortunately the salient virtue to this basic pledge is the unwritten impact and that is, the Federal Government expects volunteer actions within the confines of the law. Of course such individuals’ actions have in recent days been rewarded royally like there is no tomorrow. Great but where does these money rewards come from other than our children future necessaries. Yes, I’m of the view that the country may not necessarily have funds to pay these rewards rather what the projection is that those dashing away of funds for job well done will reduce future ability to meet critical obligations. Again, I speak generally from several readers’ observations, specifically, on sports.
To begin with, Nigeria’s approved budget for the current year does not know of year 2000 Olympics Gold medal. In fact that year, Obasanjo’s regime found an empty treasury except funds appropriated towards interest on debt owed to foreign banks. It’s very noble and welcoming that the country recognized our superstars but nobility does not feed a population of 180million hungry people and I doubt sincerely that Nigeria’s major industrialist wouldn’t have volunteered to foot this N49million bill. Of course doing so is an invitation of gestures from the federal government to reciprocate, no doubt but the avenue cannot be foreclosed. This brings this writer to the next topic which is about funding of superstars of today and beyond.
Athletes’ Funding Schemes
A hungry hyena will hunt and eat any forbidden game it could find but at risk of annihilation. That’s just the truth about our past and current superstars. Those past stars that tasted the forbidden ‘what have you’ now are living in regret trading blames with NSC and hosts of other athletes. Generally speaking, the culture of entitlement took over some of them psychologically that they now want a dash of some lofty posts devoid of qualifications (academic or otherwise) and had been playing to the Sports Minister gallery championing accolades to the Minister in what may colloquially be referred to ‘bending over…’ (Oh, I can’t really spell everything out). Yes, a man must whack but is this right way to go when then the country has scarce resources that can’t pay University lecturers?
When someone discusses funding for athletes, it is very doubtful that the reference ‘athletes’ include past athletes and if that’s the case, why should the Minister be bothered by those past athletes’ demand for anything. In fact, just a handful claimed monopoly on the word past athletes suggesting among other things like winning a national championship (these individuals used performance enhancement drugs and about 3-4 of them claimed that they have asthma but in these days such anabolic steroid inhaler was mysteriously no longer being used by them). The readers can draw their own conclusion whether these few individuals were real athletes to begin with.
It is this writer’s advice and hope to the federal government of Nigeria to begin identifying youth athletes for a new direct funding scheme and assignment of qualified coaches in any area the athletes choose to be resident. The era of single camp must be thrown out as it serves no purpose and one could look no further than evaluate the prominence of Blessing Okagbare. She was linked to the US coaching scheme by Tony Osheku in the first instance and how can anyone suggests that she should come to a camp in Nigeria organized by the very same people that doomed the country chances? NO, the NSC can do this without concerning itself with sports federations. Sports federations’ goals do not include sports development rather they organized competitions and supposed to be neutral in reporting the result. The question is in Nigeria, this simple noble agenda has turned to racketeering schemes, money bags, short-changing athletes, gagging athletes, assaults and various forms of harassments.
Athletes Behaviours, Commentaries, Etc.
It was suggested in some media reports that some of the Nigeria’s athletes that attended the World Athletics Championship in Moscow vented their rage towards the sports administrator for the lack of motivation to represent the country. Few of them were born outside Nigeria and were trouped in due to the origin of their parents. Of course these athletes come from countries where freedom of speech is sacrosanct just as in Nigeria except for disregard to our laws by many officials who themselves are lawyers. The athletes complained of neglect except during competitions, harassments and many other social reasons.
One can do no wrong in forwarding this issue to the NSC Director General Elegbeleye who publicly announced that he is going to UK to convince more children of Nigerians abroad to come and compete for Nigeria. The question is does Mr. Elegbeleye knows the predicament of any Nigerian athlete away from nonsense the federations informed him? Clearly, these children come from a country where laws are enforced and freedom of speech is a priority. For example and for argument’s sake, I ask, should any of these children be a homosexual, is the country going to invite them to Nigeria and then jailed them for practicing what is legally protected in the country of their birth? Is the country ready for showdown with UK concerning rights of these children? Again, Mr. Elegbeleye and Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi, I advised that you develop local talents than international poaching. This is a bad idea with capital ‘B’.
Furthermore, freedom of speech must be respected, statements by anyone about anyone baring the minds should not be looked at other than free speech that invites a response not threats of physical harm directly or through a proxy, Gabriel Opuana, Yussuf Alli, Henry Amike, Solomon Ogba and others take note. A threat to beat or harm an individual is a criminal act without more. Athletes (past and current) have spoken about what bothers them and this writer may agree with Commodore Omatseye Nesiama take on the athletes’ right to act or speak but in disagreement with his agenda of camping rules. Again camping is a useless and outdated waste of money, in athletics alone. Nigeria can only point to one individual in recent years as a great athlete and she never once steps foot in any camp in the past 8years and I ask, if camping is great, please tell the Nigerian people about who benefitted in camps.
Way forward
Athletes must be funded directly from the Federal Ministry of Finance as a training allowance with a claw back mechanism if the athlete’s state is also paying the athlete. This should be on a need basis.
Discouraging athletes to speak freely breeds unsettled minds which can never result in good performance enough for a podium invitation. Great athletes compete without psychological worries, to do otherwise take the focus away.
I rest
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