And My dearest Mom joined the angels.......We need to do more for the welfare of our sport people

On April 7th, 2012, my dearest mom passed on to the great beyond, I am still in shock at the loss of this great and gentle lady, my "mama Enahoro" as she was known by everyone. She was a great person.
The earliest memory I can recollect is one of her repeatedly reading to me, the poem "my mother, who sat and washed my infant head ..........., etc...."

The great Janet Nkechi Mgbeke-Enahoro, was 71 years old, lived a very colourful life, a life that she could boast of 5 kids, and someone who lived through the Nigerian civil war and was one of the first female inductees of the Nigeria civil defence corps, during the civil war. 

In the early 60's, a young Janet Nkechi Mgbeke spent her time divided between Rowe Park, Race Course and Lawanson sports fields and her school, Our Lady of Apostles secondary school track field.....She was an athlete in 100, 200 and 4x100 meters relay.  I had the pleasure of seeing my mom at her element during my secondary school inter-house sports parents race, where she dusted all other "mothers" in their race.  She raced like a true sprinter, that she was.  Mama Enahoro was a fantastic sprinter, where some of her contemporaries were Otiti Mfon, Modupe Oshikoya and Lillian osifo and co.... She was preparing for the 1968 Olympic games when she became pregnant with me (I still feel guilty today for stopping her going to the Olympics).  She came back to prepare for the All Africa Games, but she got disillusioned with the management of the Athletics Federation. But she kept competing in the local scene, while balancing her job and family.

I was blessed to have been told all the stories about her exploits, the training regimes, the way she'd run and jog from our family home (in Lawanson, Surulere) to the stadium in Alaka, Surulere, to train and prepare for tournaments.  She told me of her rivalry with some of the known names in the Athletics circuit of that era.

Reflectively I have looked at the situation of the welfare and health services package for our illustrious former athletes and sports persons. My mother's case was a fair one.  She was one of the forgotten athletes, who transitioned to become a professional secretary and retired as the executive assistant to the managing director of NITEL. The fate of so many others, who have served this "our father's land" can only described as pathetic, a lot of our sporting heroes died in penury and sorrow.  They used the best years of their life to serve and represent Nigeria, and were giants in their chosen sports, but died or are living in abject poverty and in such bad state of health.

We've heard stories of Davison Andeh, Ndubuisi Okosieme, recently, the issues faced by Rashidi Yekini, and so many others.  What is the plan for ex sports people in Nigeria.  What are the welfare packages that the government has put together as a measure of our organisation, that will act as an incentive to our sports people to ensure that they feel that Nigeria has their best interest at heart.  Where athletes and sports people who go day in day out, through physical and psychological rigours and preparations, for years, for competitions, tournaments, through injuries, and loss of income and other person development opportunities, all in the name of service to this great nation.  

Over the years, we have shown our appreciation, in cash, houses, national awards, and handshakes, albeit in ad hoc fashion.  In even worse situations, we have disregarded the successes of these great men and women.  we should do better.  I hope the sports authorities can set up a department that duly catalogues our past heroes and set up a structure and mechanism that takes care of the sportsmen and women that produce the laurels of greatness for this country.  There have been many firebrigade approaches that have been initiated but nothing structural and even long term/strategic has been set up.  My appeal is to the National Sports Commission, they need to look at athletes welfare, propose it to the national assembly and make it part of our national pension scheme.  Nigeria must find a better way to honour its great stars and sports people.

I bid my dear mother farewell.  I was blessed to know her and see her in action.  I was honored to know that she put herself for this country, and her legacy will surely live on in me and the rest of her descedants.  Adieu, Mama Enahoro........ The Angels in Heaven have multiplied by one...... I do sincerely miss you....

The Gospel According to St. David Mark.......If the woes of Nigeria were that simplistic, then we should all hold hands and sing "Kumbaya"

Last Week, Bolaji Abdullahi took his case to the National Assembly, and got "applauded" for doing what???? I would like Nigerians to read the content of this proceedings, at least the excerpts and transcripts that I read, it had nothing consequential in them to arouse the type of reception the Supervising Minister for Sports received. What is the message contained in Bolaji's presentations??

That the woes of Nigerian sports (not only football) lies in the resolution of some court cases and some "reharshed promises" which Ka'oje, Sambuwa, the "ilorin professing prophet, who prophesied to rebuilding the national stadium in 3 months", Alhaji Suleiman, etc... have brushed over, regorgitated and vormitted over and over again (the content of these speeches show a lack of intellectual composition and freshness).  They are the same tired, nonsense that we are continuously exposed to by our policy makers.  Devoid of any substance, or quantifiable milestones that will drive policy to impact on the improvement of the overall sports sector.  My thoughts.... please find the texts and transcripts and make your own deductions.

What did the senators hear from the minister, to make them happy enough to cheer about? what was that shiny and defining moment of brilliance that was presented or what was the clearly articulated roadmap contained in the Minister's presentation to the National Assembly?

What was the clear actionable premise that would set Nigeria on the path of true sporting greatness, where was the cutting edge and earth shattering concept that will return Nigeria to being the powerhouse of sports that all its people are yearning for.

Amazingly, I didn't find any, didnt hear any such statements, and at the end of the presentation, the Minister gets applauded!!!!!!!  Mmbanu, Oti o, haba!!  Do we now live in a Nigeria, where "kettle cannot talk true about the pot??" lest we open ourselves for another Hembe vs. Oteh epic encounter.  Is that it!!!

To torpedo my annoyance into another realm,  our oga kpatakpata, the only living "saint" in Nigerian politics, St. David-Mark, gave us his own epitsle, when I read, and reread the transcripts of the Senate President's statement and summation of the situation of sports and its impact in Nigeria.  Oga, St. David-Mark (applying the sign of the cross on my stretched brow and chest), REALLY!!!!!!  Is that your summation of the impact of sports (football was his exact focus) on the BH situation and on how to engage our youths???? Then why am I angry at Bolaji.... I should actually issue an unreserved apology to Bolaji Abdullahi, because St D-M's statements left me speechless.... kai!!!

To paraphrase and quote from the transcript I read "I believe that even Boko Haram members do watch the game of football. It is our unifying factor and we must begin to look at it from that perspective. If we get it right, we would go a long way in uniting and bringing peace in this country,”.


It actually gets better, our own living political saint continues "The media should queue up, the parliament and everybody would equally follow up so that we implement the outcome of the deliberation. I’m sure that if properly implemented, it is going to help us. Many Nigerians were truly worried about our declining performance in sports"........


I agree with the Senate President on the importance of sports to our national psyche.... but I totally disagree with his summation. 


Has anyone in government and governing today, taken a critical look at the structure of the sports industry to ensure that we can create the type of industry that can engage our youths, in the one area we all agree we have a competitive advantage over almost all other African countries?? 


Have we understood what it takes to create the enabling environment and policies that will see private sector organisations push funding into this sector, to transform it, to become a key economic enabler for our national economic and social survival??? 


What  are those key areas in sports, that can engage our youths, in their thousands, across the country to ensure Nigeria has a medium to tackle the youth restiveness caused by their unemployment and lack of opportunities???


How do we encourage the entrepreneurs in Nnewi,Aba, Kano, Lagos and Abuja, those sewing "low quality and creative" sporting team replica apparels, tee shirts, making sports shoes and other related apparels,  to increase their production numbers and scale up to a point that they become affiliated to international brands and OEM (original equipment manufacturers).  What is that overriding integrated economic cluster strategy that will leverage on sports to drive economic activities in key centers across the country??? Ehne..... oya oga St. D-M and co?????


How can we create and leverage on President Jonathan's 2010 ORIGINAL Job Creation platform (not the WE LOSE elitists programs) that will drive true integration of sports as a key economic enabler and industry (to be compared to Nigeria's banking and telecoms sectors)???.


I would have expected the senate to inquire from Bolaji, about the NSC's grassroots sports development plan??? How do we get participation from kids and adults living in each local government and town in Nigeria?? what is the plan to build mini sports facilities in rural areas (not the fake, never constructed, never accounted for, N55 M per mini stadium project of 2007 to date), how do we sustain participation, get trainers, groom locally discovered athletes and fund the promotion and R&D of locally assembled and built sporting equipments!!! Where is the integrated plans to discover and train the future champions amongst us (before they are lured into armed robbery, suicide bombings, and kidnappings)...  How is Bolaji preparing us for Brazil 2014, Brazil 2016, etc......Where is our sporting blueprints..........


Where are the developmental roadmaps to actualize a true olympic and grassroots sports development program, that will rival that of the United States of America (with over 13 million youths actively involved), South Africa (over 850,000 kids and adults), China (37 million actively camped and targeted young people), Great Britain, Russia, etc.....   These countries have understood the power of sports, and its economic impact.  


We have seen the impact and financial contributions of the English Premier League and those of other countries around the world (even India is spending over 45 Million dollars to attract stars to play in it new I-League for only 6 months!!!!).  With examples like these, our sports minister and secretary to government (SGF) are concerned about NFF law suits, to the point of using tax payer funds to go to Zurich to seek clarification from FIFA.... How comical!!!  

Indian I-League organisers are offering Nigerians over 500K USD to come to their country to play and coach footbal for six months only.... 


In contrast, Nigeria government officials are concerned about frivolous and inconsequential law suits??? where is the economic impact of their actions???? Kai!!! And these guys, are getting applauded!!  In other serious countries, they'd be sacked and be made to face a panel!!!


Soccerex, a renowned football business authority, in one of its articles last year, estimated that in the period covering 2009 -2011 (first quarter) over 9.5 Billion dollars was contributed by football and it related activities to the economies of 30 countries worldwide.  


Nigeria's economy, with its abundant human capital and capacity, can estimate receiving at least a contribution of about $1 Billion USD annually from sports, if we properly harness this critical capital base that is yet untapped.  


Why is our sports industry and fortunes dwindling??? We are as enlightened (thanks to the advances in telecommunications, and the improvements in banking), and we are truly passionate about sports as those Europeans and South Americans truly benefiting from the dividends of sports..  


Has anyone done the analysis and relationship between the Champions League and the consumption of beer and other beverages in Nigeria??? Ask Nigeria breweries, Guinness, et al (I have) and the answers will amaze you.  Ask MTN and the other telecoms operators about the level of service consumption, when the EPL season and Champions league seasons are on..... (the direct financial impact is there for all to see), ask hospitality services operators, when they hit a spike in business revenues and engagement.....  Ask banking operations about how much their ATM's vomit and the rate of transactions on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday between 6-11 pm and on Saturday and Sundays between noon to 5pm.  


Our senate should be looking at policies to exploit and harness the extraction of economic dividend from this very available area of "unifying force" turning it into a critical economic advantage for the country.  They should be focused on crafting and designing policies that will ensure that we can engage 1 Million Nigerians in the sports industry....... 


I am surprised by the statements of our dear St. David Mark, for one so exposed, elevated and in a position as the no. 3 person in the country to trivialize this critical situation down to the resolution of frivolous law suits by failed and visibly inept sports administrators.  


Their issues (and resolution thereof) are not even close to being a panacea to the alleviation of the challenges bedevilling our sports sector.


So again, we go siddon look una...Your time will come and it will pass, question is, what legacy would you want to leave behind?? 


One day (surely in my lifetime) we will rid the sports industry of the ineptitude, incompetence and ensure that we drive effective and productive changes that will return Nigeria, to be a true ECONOMIC and SPORTING powerhouse in the world.


If President Jonathan is serious about tackling youth restiveness and unemployment, he has the roadmap and blueprint. 


All he needs to do, is revisit the documents generated and prepared in 2010-11 by Aganga and his team on the Presidential committee on Job Creation.  


That group emanated from the 2009 Private sector/Dangote Group on Job Creation.  I would also advice our dear St. David Mark to study those detailed documents, if he really cares about sports as he declares.  


If not, 2014-15 aint far off.  We are a patient people, we will wait, and surely someone serious about reforms will emerge and do something positive (only then can we claim WE WIN).....


Shoutouts to the Flamingos, Falconets, and Mijnheer Saintfiet  (and as they say in Flemish, "je moet heel goede kijken, als je met iemand dat je niet teveel vertrowen had, moet gaan eten, neemt je de lange lepel en kijkuit")........


Best Easter wishes............