Yes, Nigeria deserves a Foreign Coach. No, Nigeria does not require a Foreign Coach. Yes, Nigeria had hired Foreign Coaches before some Right some Wrong, Yes, Nigeria has appointed Local Coaches some Right some Wrong, Yes, Nigeria had it good and bad with some Foreign and Local Coaches. Yes, some Foreign and Local Coaches resigned and some were asked to go ceremoniously or unceremoniously. Yes, some Foreign And Local Coaches were owed salaries and allowances. Yes, of recent the Hiring and Firing of Foreign (Sunday Oliseh) and Local Coaches was a one man affair (President Amaju Pinnick). Yes, Nigeria has not qualified for two consecutive AFCON.
Yes and Yes and No.
Any organization that has this as its Performance Sheet within 1 1/2 years of its service cannot be said to have performed well and above average. The Performance is Below Average and Poor.
For as long as we don’t find out why this Yes and No keep on hovering over our Football Administration and put measures on ground to put a STOP to their occurrence, I believe we shall Never get it Right.
We don’t need a soothsayer looking into the crystal dish to tell us why these things are happening, but certainly it is not lack of adequate funding.
I’ve always said it and I want to repeat it again that: Our Problem in the Sports Sector and Football is Not lack of adequate government funding of the Sectors, but poor and abandoned recklessness on UTILISATION of such Funds.
No sooner had this Government settled down to business a request of over N3b was presented by the former NSC DG, Alhassan Yakmut to Mr. President who without any delay approved N2.6b or there about for our participation in the AAG and thereafter Olympic Preparations.
With this, when you are even given money for a program that is yet to manifest where does lack of funding or prompt release of funds comes in?
At that time No MDA has that kind of attention from Mr. President, but alas! Even with Mr President’s large heart, the story coming out from the leadership of the Defunct NSC and the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports is not to say the least UNHEALTHY.
And yet some Pundits will shamelessly stand up to say government is not funding sports well.
A departure from the past has now been introduced by Mr President and that is tying the next approval cum release of Funds to FULL Retirement of the Previous Allocation. Only when that is done will you appreciate the Lack of Proper Utilisation I spoke about earlier. So many leakages and wastes will be contained therein.
Mr President’s wisdom in calling for Full Retirement is to, I believe enable him compare notes with what the Ministry has now submitted for the Rio Olympics and Approve what is Right and Judiciously Enough for our preparation and participation in the Olympics and especially that many Sports are Still at the qualifying stages. Let us therefore allow Mr President to do just that.
If I am right on this, then the problem lies squarely with the Managers of these two important sectors over a period of time. It is either they lack and absolutely too the knowledge of the sector to which they are responsible or lack the commitment to place Nigeria over their Parochial Sentiments.
I believe we are now witnessing both. Then God help us.
We are now faced with 3 important Football Assignments:-
1. Appointment of a Substantive Coach for the Senior National Team) (who knows how to teach the Mikel Obi team Goal scoring techniques – courtesy of Mr Amaju Pinnick)
2. Who takes responsibility for payment of the Foreign Coach and his Foreign Assistant (s) salaries and other needfuls.
3. Qualifying to be part of the World Cup 2018.
These three issues outlined above are key to where we are and where we are going as a Nation that wants to permanently reinvent and stay there till eternity our pole position in football globally.
Questions must be asked by Nigerians as to who does the NFF wants to hire as our coach? Who is paying the coaches personal emoluments etc and does he have the capacity to qualify us to the 2018 WC?
Our reasons are not far-fetched:
It is a National Issue just like the Super Eagles that every Nigerian has a stake in.
I was involved in a similar situation but as an Observer not too long ago, where Even the President was involved in who comes in as a Foreign Coach. His passion for helping the then NFF to get it Right made him to at one of our (PTF on 2010 WC) meetings with him said and I quote :
“If today you (pointing at the then NFF President ) give me the name of the foreign coach you want to hire, I can assure you I will submit a supplementary budget on this to the NASS and you can be rest assured that they will promptly approve it.”
Since the Leadership of the NFF and the Hon Minister’s body language have shown preference for a Foreign Coach and his Assistant (s), it is only right for them to know that this matter is beyond them. Mr President is doing all he could since assuming office to UP the Image of this country and anything short of helping him do same in the sector to which you are responsible will not be accepted.
I therefore, submit that Mr President should be fully informed about this recruitment and be assured by the recruiting agency (NFF ) that they will not put Nigeria to SHAME.
God bless our Country and our President. AMEEN.
