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| London 2012 Olympic Games Logo |
I took time off from writing, stopped sharing my thoughts and researches, because of the passing of my mom, and some internal lifestyle changes that I had to undergo..but after this hiatus, am back and hoping stronger and better focused than before...
London 2012 has come and gone, and yet again, Nigeria has shown to the world that it is all but an efficient nation in leveraging on its one area of competitive advantage, its people. Administration and lack of long term planning robbed us of being in the top ten of sporting nations. The games exposed our mediocre training methods, lack of adequate preparation, inability to scout for the best talent possible/available, nepotistic desperation of our officials, and the misadventure of our so called "elite athletes", who only bear that label within a small sycophantic group of administrators, that see nothing more than opportunities for the embezzlement and misdirection of public funds into their own private pockets.
Cotonou was the required smokescreen, that sporting event beclouded the judgement of this ill advised and misguided group of officials to believing that we were ready for Olympic Games competition.. it should have sounded as a warning alarm, but they went out of their way to tell all who cared to listen, how the current group of athletes were ready to take on the world.... The African Athletics championship was indeed a smokescreen and the illusion of that performance left the country believing that, maybe, just maybe, we were turning the corner. The puppet masters were at work, and their puppeteers were busy ensuring that financial compensation was made to their advantages.....the mirrors shattered at London 2012 Olympics, wherein we not only under-performed, we disgraced this country, yet again, in the presence of all to see, and embarrassed the people and government of this country in a way that has previously never happened...
Riddle me this, how does a country spend over 12 Million USD from the treasury and have nothing appreciable to show for it. Kenya, Botswana, Algeria, Trinidad & Tobago, Morocco, Turkey, St. Kitts, Dominican Republic, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, all spent less than this amount and won medals in London 2012. So, what went wrong.....(the answers are on everyone's lips).....
Our overrated athletes did what they do best, they show up, put in a half assed performance, lose out, cry out to their godfathers for their share of the FGN largess (camping allowee) and go back to parts from whence they came.... till another call up and jamboree turns up..
As harsh as that is to say and admit, it is true... Many a Nigerian athlete did not merit to be on that Olympic team, and they know it, their times, performance and selections, are all smokescreens, orchestrated by the puppet masters until the shattered mirrors of truth came down during their abysmal outing at the Olympics...
Naija bashing aside. Our relay teams, sprinters, jumpers, Taekwando athletes, weightlifters just did not show up to compete to win. A lot of you may say that this is an unfair statement. For an event that is held every 4 years, wherein athletes wait and prepare a lifetime for this once in a life time opportunity, it might sound harsh, naive and uninformed.... Trust me, I say this authoritatively, that some Nigerian athletes did not show up in many an event for a myriad of reasons....and I know their handlers, NOC and officials are well aware of this fact too.
This is not to take away anything from those athletes that were brought to the Olympics, tried their best, but were "punching a little higher than their talents or capacities" at this time....We know them and we saw that they tried and they were just not good enough.
My favorite Nigerian athletes during London 2012 include:
Johnny Akinyemi, Regina George, Omolara Omotosho, D'Tigers, Coach Bakare (he was as active as his team), special mention to Maryam Usman, wow, did she try her best.
The biggest flops for me include: Damola Osayemi, Ms.Okagbare (jeez, what a time to flop), Amaechi Morton (ol, boy....), Messers. Chukwumerije (Damn, dont even get me started), Solomon Ogba (he might even have run faster than some of his selected athletes), Innocent Egbunike (for going with the flow, as head coach, when you know majority of your "athletes" aint worth taking to the Olympics, Why??? why did you do it??), the entire women's 4x100 team, our boxers, and finally, the NOC.... it would be nice to see an account statement of how the 12 Million USD was spent, and the report of how the country fared after the expenses...
Let me use this opportunity to congratulate Hon. Minister Bolaji Abdullahi.... this is the best smokescreen and shattered mirrors performance of all...."it is easy to admit you, and your team of administrators, and athletes messed up, and criticize the rest of us for being "people who have nothing to offer", but the time to do something about those errors and make the type of reforms that are required is now....". I have seen enough "bri bri and bling bling" from this government to understand that nothing will be done... I want to be proven wrong (my patriotic side), and sincerely hope that the government has the stomach, and the forthrightness to take on the sports cabal and confraternity to finally implement the reforms that are required...
My final word on the Olympics.... Welcome to Johnny Akinyemi, Omolara Omotosho, Regina George and the D'Tiger diaspora kids, you made me believe that wearing the Green White Green still stands for passion, dedication and a love for Nigeria.... to the over-hyped Amaechi Mortons, and Okagbares, well, you have gone to the Olympics, shown you aint good enough, and you will disappear like others before you, and Nigeria, will remain....
To Coach Bakare, I say thank you Sir, you have brought us to another plateau and may your memories and achievements remain in the annals of Nigerian sporting achievements.... to your critiques, I say... Shut up, go and focus on developing your own models and show us you can perform in the regional and intercontinental tournaments with your teams, beat teams from CIV, Ghana, Angola, and Tunisia.... then you can earn the right to criticize someone else... Take Union Bank, Durdan warriors, Niger Potters, etc.. to the African Championships, win it and then come criticize Bakare, until then, ssssshhhhhh......Mechionu!! Seize noise!!!!....
Brazil 2016 is around the corner.... a structured 4 year athletes ODP (Olympic Development Plan) should be put in place for the development of home based, carefully scouted foreign based, diaspora Nigerians targeted towards improved performance at the next games. Facilities in Nigeria must be improved, encouragement given to local sportsmen and women to enable them give their best in order to win laurels for Nigeria come the next Olympics. Grassroots sports development, return of school sports and a robust local sporting competition and sponsorship scene must be implemented... The blueprints exist. The question is, do we have the government and will power to WANT to do it????
"GEJ is good at playing to the political gallery, he promised that his ministers would be put in one place long enough to achieve their plans in the various ministries, Bolaji didnt last long in youth development (NYSC is in limbo, YEP (Youth Empowerment Program) never got taken seriously, and yep, died)....now he's in sports (average shelf life of any sports minister is 20 months.....I dey laugh)....So are we to trust that Bolaji can handle the Ekejis', Ojo-obas', Elegbeleyes, Omidirans, Ndanusas' et al, in the sport ministry reform focus that GEJ has now taken up as his next mantra??? I will not hold my breath...."
A last parting shot.....it would be nice to see what the 12 Million USD was really spent on... I would like to know how much it cost to camp the athletes, where, how much was spent on preparation, logistics, training, health, and the well being of the athletes by the NOC, Federations, Ministry and how much was utilized for scouting, athletes development, research and actual disbursement to athletes for their allowances and upkeep...it would really be interesting to know....
NB: I visited what was termed to be the Nigeria village, and attended a seminar like event in London, sponsored by BOI (Bank of Industry)!!! Yes, I was in London
if President GEJ is serious about fighting corruption in this country, that exercise should be probed, and the organisers arrested... It was a disgrace, not worth the time and money invested in it.... I even hear that the organisers are owning some British service providers....More to come from me shortly, once I get ALL my facts together...
Till then...."we have heard GEJ and Bolaji speak on reforms.....that's the smokescreen, Nigeria, soon, the truth, which is the shattering mirrors will follow........." our people will never disappoint......Stay blessed....
