WHY FLAMINI, NOT OZIL, COULD PROVE MORE OF A SHORT TERM SUCCESS FOR ARSENAL

Ozil: The Statement Signing?

Since the close of the transfer window on Monday night, Arsenal fans worldwide have been living in an orgasmic state. More like a prisoner who has just gotten freedom after an eight year incarceration. Of course, the surprise deadline-day signing of Real Madrid’s Mesut Ozil for a club record £42.5m has turned the almost dejected global Gunner fan-base into delirium. Maybe, that word is not enough to explain it. As my colleague Khalela puts it, Gunners are almost in a “wanking” state as we speak. 

The excitement has been palpable. Even the callers into my daily football show, Football Frenzy, have suddenly turned the corner. Where as a couple of months ago I’d get calls like “Ufuoma, please help us tell Wenger that enough is enough, he should sign,” “Ufuoma, don’t you have Wenger’s number? Can you please tell him we are tired and fed up with his stinginess?”, the last couple of days have seen a total turn around in reactions. Now all I get is “Ufuoma, Wenger is the best coach ever,” “Arsenal will win the EPL this season,” bla bla bla.

Mesut Ozil is a Gunner

Well, who can blame them when even I have spent the last couple of days watching every Ozil YouTube video I come across?  Truth remains that signing Ozil is more than a bargain. It is more of a statement. More like Arsenal telling the world that, hey, our lean years where we had to pay off our stadium debts and sell our best players are over. Already, reports suggest there’s been a twelve percent increase in shirt sales in the official Arsenal online store. That’s how much of goodwill the Ozil signing has had. 

Matthew Flamini's second coming

However, in the midst of the euphoria, one signing Arsene Wenger has made this summer has gone largely without fanfare. A certain “renegade”, who chose to dump the club after a spectacular two good year spell, is back on the club’s books. Matthew Flamini’s second coming has not received as much fan fare and rightly so. The Frenchman was signed at a time when many fans were yearning for a big name signing; wanted the club to match its words (CEO Ivan Gazidis’ statement in June there’s money to spend) with action; and were tired of rival fans throwing jabs and insults at them. As if this wasn’t enough, signing a free agent who was just training with the first team months after seeing a £40m and 1 bid for Luis Suarez evaporate was the last thing fans wanted to see. But Wenger stuck to his guns and got his man even jokingly apologizing last Sunday he didn’t pay £25m for Flamini.

Flamini: The New Leader?

Now while Ozil’s capture has deservedly hugged all the headlines and got fans into frenzy, Flamini’s addition methinks, will prove more of a short term success. First, Flamini comes with experience: the experience of playing for a highly rated team as AC Milan as well as winning a league title; something very few players in the present squad can boast of in their CV. Am I the only one who saw a bit of  the old Patrick Veira’s leadership in Flamini on Sunday? He was busy barking orders, ordering his younger teammates (Ramsey in particular) about. Maybe, just maybe, it was the passion of the derby, but having that sort of leadership quality on the field is much appreciated and that’s another edge our free signing will add.

Flamini during last Sunday's NLD

More so, Flamini’s addition truly adds a defensive minded midfielder that fans have cried for.  Ok, I accept that many would have rather Wenger paid Marounne Felliani’s buy-out clause two months ago since fans still believe Alexander Song was never properly replaced since the Camerounian joined Barcelona. Now, while Arsenal have, in my opinion, been better off since he left (Arsenal conceded 43 goals in the league in 2010/2011 season and 49 in 2011/2012 with Song as DM but 37 last season), Arteta who has taken over that role can’t be regarded as a tough tackler.  And you do need that sometimes. Flamini’s cameo performance against Spurs last Sunday is a pointer. In fact, that lunge that got him a booking in the game has been rarely seen from Arsenal midfielders in recent times. If Flamini can offer as much as he did in the North London Derby, then this promises to be an exciting season.

Flamini battling Kaka in the UCL in his first stint

And most importantly, Flamini’s addition offers an exciting array of positions that the manager can play his compatriot. Many have questioned why Wenger hasn’t signed another defender and I think Le Prof is right not to. In Kolscieny and Per, The Gooners have a fantastic defensive partnership. Vermaleen isn’t far off from training and Bacary Sagna has proved he can be that 4^th centre back during pre season and the first few games. What this means is that Flamini can deputise as right back. He can even play as left back if the team’s injury luck doesn’t end. Who remembers Flamini played left back in a defense that went ten games in the UEFA Champions League without conceding a goal some six years ago? Well, I do. 

So guess what, while Ozil will prove to be that statement signing on and off the field for Arsenal and the name that gets all Gooners excited and expectant this season, let’s not forget that a certain Frenchman who has returned to the club on a free can prove to be more of a catalyst to the team’s short term success.

2013 AFCON Review: Highs and Lows

Africa’s biggest sporting event, the Africa Cup of Nations has come and gone but not without highs and lows. South Africa played a good host as Afcon 2013 could arguably be dubbed a success – stars were born, a new winner emerged and the the theme song (Top of the world -Dbanj) rightly placed Africa at the top of the footballing world — at least for the duration of the competition. However, one couldn’t but notice the empty seats, ticket problems and poor pitches during the games. Here's my take on the 29^th edition of the tournament.



Worthy Champions

Mikel Obi, Joseph Yobo and Austin Ejide with AFCON tropgy

And so Nigeria’s Super Eagles were crowned Champions of Africa for the third time in history against all the odds. Not many gave Coach Stephen Keshi’s team a chance especially considering that Keshi’s team was unconvincing in the build up to the tournament and several other top players like Osaze Odemwingie and Obafemi Martin were not included. But just like the Chipolopolo of Zambia did 12 months ago; the Super Eagles proved critics wrong by getting their hands on the trophy after a 19 year wait.


Sack Threat? Resignation?
However, it was not an easy task for Stephen Keshi in South Africa who had to ride through criticisms both from fans and journalists back home. After two disappointing draws, many fans had called for Keshi’s sack. In fact reports alleged that the Nigeria Football Federation under the order of the Nigeria Sports Ministry wanted him out. But the Sports Minister Bolaji Abdulahi denied the allegations insisting that, “There is no such thing about planning to sack Keshi. After the first game against Bourkina Faso, I called Keshi and told him look, we have a choice to continue with what would have happened if we didn’t concede that last minute goal or to focus on what we can still achieve as the tournament is not decided by one match.”


However on Monday, Keshi stunned the world and Nigerians in particular when he announced on a South Africa radio station, Metro FM, that he had handed his resignation letter immediately after the final game. The news hit the airwaves and online community and it was not surprising to see many fans that had criticized Keshi and called for his sack during the group stages suddenly make a u-turn asking for his stay. In the early hours of Tuesday, Coach Stephen Keshi decided to rescind his decision after meeting with Nigeria’s sports minister Bolaji Abdulahi.

Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi

“My attention has been drawn to reports in the media that I have resigned my appointment as the Head Coach of Super Eagles of Nigeria,” Keshi said in the statement. “While I have had cause to express my displeasure over some issues that happened in the course of our participation in the AFCON 2013, which my team won by the grace of God, especially concerning my relationship with the Nigerian Football Federation, I have since had opportunity to discuss the various issues with all concerned. I am therefore pleased to say that I have reconsidered my position and have decided to continue with my job.”


Turning Point
Despite the alleged sack threat as well as the resignation saga, the turning point for the Super Eagles seems to be the quarter finals clash with the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire. Quite a number of people never gave the team a chance against the Ivoirians who were the tournament favourites. And considering the lackadaisical play of the team in the group stages, many believed it was the end of the road for The Super Eagles. However, Keshi’s team played the game of their lives with Warri Wolves striker Sunday Mba netting the winner. A week later, Mba repeated the feat as his only goal proved enough to defeat The Stallions of Bourkina Faso.


Well, success they say have many relatives and so despite the alleged sack threat saga, Nigeria’s Super Eagles will receive a heroic welcome on Tuesday when they return to Nigeria. As I write this, many cash gifts are already being promised goodies with business mogul Michael Adenuga reportedly promising the team one million pounds. Well, expect more in the days ahead.


LOC and Organisation
Looking at the organisation proper of the tournament, hosts South Africa can be given a pass mark for a job well done especially considering the fact they only had a year to prepare for the competition. The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) had to make a quick decision to take the hosting rights off post Arab Spring Libya who will now host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2017. Even though rains almost marred the opening ceremonies, the closing event was colourful and showcased the rich African heritage.


More so, the country witnessed an influx of well over 40, 000 visitors into the country in the one month long event. Mvuzo Mbebe, the CEO of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) says this means South African tourism, which the government has identified as having the potential to boost the sluggish economy, experienced an influx of visitors from all over the country who visited most of the tourist sites in the country. Also, according to Mbebe, “More than R920 million has been invested in South Africa” and an estimated 2.3 billion viewers watched the tournament on television.


Bafana Bafana on a High?
In a related development, South Africans did have a chance to see their darling Bafana Bafana reach the knock-out stages of any competition for the first time since 2002. Coach Gordon Igesund’s team were five minutes away from being knocked out trailing 2:1 to the Atlas Lions of Morrocco but came back strong to draw the game 2:2. Even though Igesund failed to reach the set target by the South Africa Football Association, the football body was impressed with his showing and has voted to see him carry on with the World Cup qualifiers resuming next month.



Bad Pitches
Despite these, the 2013 AFCON was also besieged with several issues one of which was terrible playing surfaces. The pitch at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit where most of the Group C games were played as well as the semi finals between Ghana and Bourkina Faso left quite a lot to be desired. Truth be told, it was an embarrassment. Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor was furious with CAF for even allowing football games to go on.

Mbobela Stadium, Nelspruit

“Once again we are in Africa – AFCON is a big tournament for Africa – the whole world is watching this. You can’t play on a pitch like this,” Adebayor said. “The stadium is one of the best I have played in, but to be honest with you, I’m very sorry, but it’s a disgrace for our continent to be playing on this pitch when it’s on the TV around the world. CAF have to sort things out, to solve the problem. At the end of the day we are all African and we have to be honest with ourselves. It’s a beautiful stadium but the pitch is not happening.”

Even the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg where the finals was played still had bad patches. So much so that the Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA) had to issue a statement days before Sunday’s final that the pitch would be in good question. However, why American rock band the Red Hot Chili Peppers was allowed to perform at the arena last weekend, days before AFCON’s final still beats the imagination.

Empty Seats

Cross section of fans

Ticketing and empty stadiums was also a big problem. Aside the finals which had well over 80, 000 spectators and games involving the hosts with an appreciable number, most games had quite a few people in the stands. With a few days to the semi finals, about half of the tickets for the game in Nelspruit which has a capacity of 43, 000 remained unsold. On the other hand, the stadium in Durban had about 19, 000 available seats still left unsold. In all, the competition witnessed an average of 20, 000 spectators. Not a bad number but considering the success of the 2010 World Cup, maybe South Africa could have done better.


Officiating

Tunisian ref Slim Jdidi

Now if there’s one area of disappointment from the competition, it’s the level of officiating. There were several terrible calls from officials. Ghana’s Black Stars were recipient of three questionable penalty calls against Cape Verde, Mali and Bourkina Faso. Nigerians felt hard done by when Zambia forced them to a 1:1 draw after another questionable penalty call. The outcry for the poor officiating reached a crescendo that CAF were forced to suspend Tunisian referee Slim Jdidi after too much blunders in the Ghana versus Bourkina Faso semi final game. More so, Jdidi admitted he made a mistake sending off Bourkina Faso’s Jonathan Pitroipa allowing CAF to rescind Jdidi’s decision.


No More Minnows
The 2013 AFCON did start on a slow note with the first four games of the competition ending in draws. But after Mali’s Seydou Keita scored an 86^th minute winner for The Eagles against Niger, the tournament kicked off in earnest. Countries like Cape Verde, Ethiopia and Bourkina Faso proved that indeed there are no more minnows in African football. Cape Verde were particularly inspiring as the country with just over a million people stunned the watching world with an amazing run and proved that ousting Cameroun in the qualifiers was no fluke.


Broadcast Rights
Unfortunately, most Nigerians were unable to view matches of the 2012 AFCON in the comfort of their homes as a result of the disagreements between the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria and media rights owner LC2-AFNEX. The French owned company demanded about 8 million Euros from BON unlike the reported 1.5 million for Ghana. Broadcasting Rights Manager of LC2-AFNEX, Mr. Rédouane Amraoui had said in a statement that in proportion to market size and population, Nigeria was not being asked to contribute more than any other African Country.


However, BON insisted that it will only pay 1.2 million pounds. When this was rejected by LC2, BON Chairman Abubakar Jijiwa stated that a selected broadcast may be the only option now. According to him in the days leading to the tournament, “we are suggesting to them now is that they should give us selected matches involving Nigeria including the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony of the 2013 AFCON, and the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final matches of the competition at $300, 000.” Much to the dismay of Nigerians, this offer as well as an improved offer of 2.5 million pounds by BON was rejected by LC2-AFNEX. It took the qualification of The Super Eagles for Sunday’s final to get the 2013 AFCON on local television.



North Africans Lagging Behind?
The 80’s and 90’s did witness quite a number of North African countries dominating football in the continent. However, aside Egypt’s 3 consecutive wins from 2006 to 2010, other countries have somehow failed to click. Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia came to this year’s tournament with lots of hype but could not even make it out of the group stages. With Morocco set to ready to host the next edition of Africa’s biggest football showpiece, maybe that will be an opportunity to get North African domination back on track?

WHY FERNANDO TORRES MAY NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN

        

Since that last day of January 2011 when Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich did the unthinkable and splashed out a record 50 million pounds for striker Fernando Torres, the jury has been out on the Spaniard. Was he worth that kind of price tag? Did Chelsea really need another forward at the time? Would he fit into the playing style of The Blues? These were some of the questions many asked. But to Roman, after refusing to splash the cash for months prior to this time, securing the services of one of the most feared strikers at the time and for such a fee was probably,  to make a statement to the Manchester City’s of this world that he wasn’t going to be a pushover in the transfer market.

However, a return of just one goal in the remaining five months of the 2010/1011 season, 11 last season and 7 in the current one has seen the once feared striker become the joke of many. That invincibility, the aura that got many a defender worried seems to have gone. In fact, a new lexicon, “Torres” has now been added to the unofficial Nigerian dictionary whenever someone misses a sitter.  “He just Torresed that chance,” now seems a normal phrase amongst football followers. As if this isn’t enough, several reports have suggested that maybe, leaving out Fernando for the Juventus defeat may have ultimately got Roberto Di Matteo the sack. Are you in doubt? Well, according to The Daily Mail’s Neil Ashton (who actually broke the news about RDM leaving out Fernando for the Juve game), RDM had a certain Radamel Falcao at the top of his wish list before the season started. However, when this list was presented to Abramovich, the reply was short and simple: Torres MUST play.

And so, Torres has played almost all 13 league games scoring 4 goals. Or better still, 7 goals in 21 games, that’s just about a goal every other three games. Truth be told, that isn’t a bad conversion rate. But Torres has had a nightmarish run since his 50 million pounds move to Stamford Bridge culminating in just one goal in 18 games in his first season (albeit 5 months); and 18 in 49 games last season. Question is, why has Torres not reproduced the form that made him one of the most feared forwards some years ago. Well, here are my thoughts on this well publicised issue:

Injuries have had a horrific effect on Torres. The spaniard has had two knee surgeries to correct a torn knee cartilage, the last one just before the 2010 World Cup. At that year’s global fiesta, Torres was a shadow of himself and even the first six months of the next season, 2010/2011, Torres could not hit the heights of the former years. This is as a result of losing that yard of pace that has always gave him an edge. Torres’ game is based on that burst of speed that takes him away from defenders. Against City at the weekend, Torres had two of such opportunities where he was one-on-one with Vincent Kompany. The Torres of old would have had an edge over the defender. Unfortunately, since that surgery, that pace has deserted the Spaniard.

More importantly, moving to Chelsea was (and in my opinion still) a wrong career move. At Liverpool, Torres was sorrounded by two of the best ball passing midfielders: Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso and fed off their incisive passes. In fact, Roberto Di Matteo reportedly carried out a research in his bid to cure the Fernando malaise and discovered that out of the 81 league goals Torres scored for Liverpool, an astounding 56 of them (about 70%) where scored from defence splitting passes, usually from Alonso and Gerrard. But at Chelsea, only Juan Mata can be said to be in the mould of the Liverpool duo in terms of defence splitting passes. More so, Chelsea’s game at the time of Fernando’s arrival were not the ball passing team like Liverpool. This in no small measure contributed to Fernando’s one goal in 18 games. Don’t agree? Consider that the first five months of that season, even though Torres’ form had become bad, he still managed 9 goals in 26 games for Liverpool. 

Yes, a lot of Blues supporters will be quick to bring up the argument that Eden Hazard and Oscar have been added to the team which has changed Chelsea’s pattern of play. However, looking at both acquisitions critically, how many times have both played those defence spliting passes which created goal-scoring opportunites for Torres? Hazard and Oscar are players who like to run at opposition and dribble past them or as in the case of Oscar arrive late in the box with a burst of speed to finish off a move. They are not in the mould of Mata, Cesc Fabgregas or David Silva who can open up defences with just one pass on a regular basis. Maybe manager Rafa Benitez had this in mind when he had this to say about Fernando after the game against City.

“You could see he was trying very hard. He had a good chance.” Benitez said. “But I think the team has to help Fernando and create more chances, and he will score goals.You cannot expect a striker to score on his own, so we have to create more and better chances for him with the players we have.”

Looking at Torres’ problem from another angle, a combination of lack of confidence; media hype and pressure; as well as possibly the weight of a hefty price tag  may have ultimately contributed to Torres’ form. A closer look at Fernando’s career before Liverpool shows that  the Spaniard cannot be described as one who will guarantee you 25 goals every season. In fact, in seven seasons at Atletico Madrid (two in the second division and five in La-Liga’s top flight), Fernando only managed to score at least 20 goals in all competitions twice, in the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 seasons. But his first season at Liverpool saw the 28 year old bag an incredible 33 goals in 46 games, his best goal tally till date. He went a step further to score Spain’s winner at Euro 2008 and all of a sudden the tag ‘world class’, ‘world’s best striker’ by the media (especially the British) became associated with Fernando.  Was he really worth that tag judging from his records?  

Every striker will tell you confidence is everything. Having paid a record 50 million pounds for Torres, the onus was on the Spaniard to justify the outrageous fee. Torres has since been faced with an intense media scrutiny of his every move. Scoring just a goal in his first 5 months at Stamford Bridge has also not helped and the seeming lack of confidence may have had a psychological effect. Who knows if the Spaniard constantly questions his ability in his head? Maybe, just maybe, that is the reason for the seeming hesitations and lack of quick thinking whenever Fernando is faced with a good opportunity to score goals.

So can new manager Rafa Benitez solve all these problems and get Torres firing on all cylinders? Hey, why am I bugging my little head when  that is why Roman Abramovich is probably paying Rafa all the millions to sort that out. While we wait for the next seven months to find out if Benitez’ plan will work, here’s my take: I seriously doubt we will ever see the Torres of the 2007-2008 season.

NIGERIA AND MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING~~~ MY TAKE ON REACTIONS TO PROF CHINUA ACHEBE’S THERE WAS A COUNTRY: A PERSONAL BIAFRA HISTORY

Over the last few years, I have consciously avoided discussing issues about my dear country, Nigeria. Not because I am less patriotic. No, far from it! The reason is simple: I have realised that I get pissed and angry every time I do. What manner of nation will be so blessed with resources that other countries crave to have and yet a large number of its citizens still live in abject poverty? As if this is not enough, I have since discovered that in my fatherland, we dissipate our energies on irrelevant issues while ignoring the root causes of some of the major problems.

 

The present debate, or should I say accusations and counter accusations going on between intellectuals from two major ethnic groups in the country, the Igbos and Yorubas after British newspaper The Guardian published excerpts of Professor Chinua Achebe’s latest work, There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra, just highlights this penchant by Nigerians for irrelevant issues while ignoring more important ones.

Having read that excerpt from The Guardian, two things struck me. One, Achebe in his now famous (or notorious depending on which side of the divide you are on) book accused the Federal Government of Nigeria and particularly the late Yoruba leader, Chief Obafemi Awolowo of masterminding what he calls a calculated attempt to wipe out the Igbo race. Secondly, Achebe took time out to explain what he feels is one of Nigeria’s greatest problem: mediocrity. Hear him: “mediocrity destroys the very fabric of a country as surely as a war – ushering in all sorts of banality, ineptitude, corruption and debauchery. Nations enshrine mediocrity as their modus operandi, and create the fertile ground for the rise of tyrants and other base elements of the society, by silently assenting to the dismantling of systems of excellence because they do not immediately benefit one specific ethnic, racial, political, or special-interest group. That, in my humble opinion, is precisely where Nigeria finds itself today.”

Unfortunately, since that excerpt was published, almost all public discourse, beer parlour debates, newspaper commentaries as well as blog posts have focused on either defending Pa Awolowo or siding Prof Achebe. Former minister of aviation, Femi Fani Kayode wrote a beautiful piece in which he tried to defend Awolowo’s policies as being right.  According to him, Achebe was being economical with the truth if he insisted Pa Awolowo was largely responsible for the starvation of the Igbos. The former minister of aviation went on to explain how the ex Biafran leader late Odimegwu Ojukwu should be held responsible for that action having  actually refused the Federal Government’s offer. For Fani Kayode, “Professor Chinua Achebe owes the Awolowo family and the Yoruba people a big apology for his tale of pure fantasy.”

Another writer Ayodele Obajeun~who happens to be a good friend of mine~ in a commentary for Sahara Reporters also toes the Pa Awo defense line. According to him, “Achebe is a historical god, but he is currently being hunted by the burden of his old age. Achebe has reversed the history of civil war in his nonfictional account; casting aspersions on Awolowo, the political god of Western Nigeria…Feeding your enemies on the battlefield is like giving your gun to your enemies to shoot you. Achebe should perish the thought of telling the assumed untold story and come to terms with historical realities.”

Reading through the comment section of Obajeun’s piece on Sahara Reporters will make one weep. It mirrors the exact state of the Nigerian mentality. While the Igbos are hell bent on supporting Achebe, their Yoruba counterparts see the aspersions cast on their political god (apologies to Obajeun) as a taboo.

I am tempted to ask: how come no one is talking about Achebe’s second point about Nigeria and our penchant for mediocrity? Why is no one commenting on Achebe’s claims that the Nigerian government failed to carry out successfully the three Rs of reconstruction, rehabilitation, and reconciliation? Why are we so hell bent on protecting, or better put, defending ethnic tribe and sentiments all the time?

One of Femi Fani Kayode’s strong points in his piece was setting the records straight with historical facts and proving that Ojukwu and not Awolowo should be held responsible for the starvation of the Igbos during the war. Now, I have not read Achebe’s book, but reading through Noo Saro Wiwa’s review of the book also published in The Guardian, he says, “in the middle chapters…  Achebe cites Biafran diplomat Raph Uwechue, who accused Ojukwu of choosing ideology over pragmatism when he rejected relief supplies from the British.” If indeed Achebe did admit in his book that Ojukwu may have contributed to the starvation of the Igbos by this refusal, does this not expose the unnecessary historical lecture by Fani Kayode?

As Nigerians, we must learn to see ourselves first as Nigerians if we want this country to move forward. We spend all our energy trying to protect ethnic sentiments and that is why we have failed to move to higher heights 52 years after independence. Still in doubt that is our major problem? Well, take a look at the following scenarios: How come many are of the opinion (whether right or wrong cannot be verified) that the rise in violence from the militant group Boko Haram is as a result of sponsorship by some northern elements who feel aggrieved that they lost out in the power tussle? In Benue State, there seems to be a cold war between the Tivs and Idomas. A Tiv friend of mine insists that because of Senate President David Mark’s hatred for the Tivs, he has made sure all federal government appointments are reserved for his Idoma people. My friend gives a detailed account of how vacancies in the Nigerian Civil Defense Corps reserved for Benue State have been allocated to only Idomas due to Senator Mark’s influence. Even in my own state, Delta, there seems to be an unwritten law that only Urhobos have the right to govern the state. Some say that is why many Urhobos resisted the emergence of the present governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, an Itsekiri. How about the abuse I (and probably many other southerners) got for campaigning and voting for Muhammadu Buhari as against ‘our Niger Delta brother’ President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2011 general elections?

While I admit these four cases may not be entirely true, for me, it mirrors the deep animosity and ethnic sentiments which we as Nigerians have refused to do away with. The question is should we still in this age be more concerned about ethnic bigotry? Instead of wasting our energy on trying to protect our various ethnic sentiments, maybe it is time to look inwards and like Achebe postulated, ask ourselves why as a country we now value mediocrity over meritocracy. Maybe, just maybe, this country will be a better place if we all heed this call.

AGAINST ALL ODDS.... A TRUE LIFE STORY

The room was unusually serene. Only punctured by the deep breath of the sleeping child. He lay on his bed; snoring, not having a clue of the happenings around him. A few metres away in the adjacent kitchen, the mother wiped a tear of sweat of her face. The steam from her pot of banga soup did not help matters. But she kept on stirring and tasting to ensure the salt level did not exceed normal. Though the aroma of the soup will make any Oliver Twist around beg for more, it did little to sway her thoughts on how hectic her day had being. A glance at her snoring three year old child and the images of the last five hours came flooding again..... 

*********** 

It was just like every other day. The sun rose in its beauty without any sign of what was in store for her. She rushed through her normal morning routine: doing the dishes; washing her son's napkins and other dirty clothes; preparing breakfast; and getting set for a trip to her shop. She was a seam-stress. Just as she was packing her bag to leave, her child let out a soft cry. He had a slight fever the night before. But it withered away as mysteriously as it had started. 

"Foskolo", she called out his favourite pet name, "whats the problem again?". Instead, the child increased the tempo. 

"Nyie, nyie, nyie," he sobbed trying to get his mum's attention. He did succeed. She immediately left the bag she was packing and rushed straight to grab him. She was shocked to discover his temperature was on the rise again. Panic set in. For a few minutes, she was not sure of what to do. Just then, it occured to her. "I must rush him to a hospital," she murmured to herself. A Few minutes later, she was on her way to a nearby general hospital. 

On getting there, she called out: "Help, please! My son needs help." Immediately, one of the nurses on duty rushed and grabbed the child from her hands. She took the child straight to the doctor's waiting room. The mother waited. All she could do was bite her finger as she sat down anxiously in the waiting room. Her son was then taken to an emergency room. 

"God what is this now? Eh?", she wondered. A few minutes later as the doctor appeared from the emergency room, she rushed up to him. "Doctor is he okay? What's wrong with him? Can I see him?", the questions pouring out all at once. 

"Calm down young woman, your baby is fine", the handsome doctor said reassuringly. " He only has a high fever but he's been injected and fast asleep. The nurse will bring him out to....." 

************* 

The sound of the child's cry brought her back from her memories. 

" Foskolo, nyase", she called out in her Isoko dialect. " Come and meet me in the kitchen". He stopped the sob and tried to come down from the bed. But, his legs ached. He felt a sharp pain in his waist. His feet went numb. Much as he tried to lift his legs, he just couldn't. 

The mother was watching. Thinking it was one of his usual antics, she yelled at him in broken english 

"You no go waka come here? I take God beg you i no get power for shout!" 

Her rant did little to ease his seeming discomfort. As he tried to lift his feet, he went thundering on the floor. He stood up and tried again. And once again, he fell. Only this time, he made no effort to stand again. Sensing danger, she left her pot of banga soup and rushed to him. Out of fear more than anything, she carried him on her back and rushed back to the hospital. Unfortunately, there was little the doctors could do. It was the last day the boy would ever walk with his feet again.... 

PS--- It's exactly 29 years this August since this incident. Truth is, I can't really remember it happening. The pictures am trying to bring to life are patches from stories I have heard over and over again from my mother. But, the that little boy whose feet went numb is now a man. In fact, the cute guy showing on this blog. He's grown up to become a successful writer and journalist. So what is that thing keeping you from fulfilling your dream? What's that problem that keeps you awake at night? Trust me, there isn't anything as bad as you think. You can make it AGAINST ALL ODDS.

London 2012: Nigeria's Plans, Bekele's Unfulfilled Dreams and Pistorius, the People's Champion

It only happens once every four years, but the few weeks of any Olympic Games are always full of excitement, joy, passion, disappointment but ultimately an avenue to compete with the best of athletes from all over the world. And thanks to superb organisation, the2012 London Olympics hasn’t been any different. Here are a few of my thoughts on Africa’s plight in the games so far:

NIGERIA:  THE FIRE~BRIGADE APPROACH

It isn’t the first time that Africa’s most populous nation will go into a major championship on the back of shoddy preparations. And it doesn’t seem to be the last – it is a norm for the “Giant of Africa”. Year in year out, the country’s athletes are never given proper attention. What happens is a situation where a few months to a major competition, a fire brigade approach is adopted by officials and then the nation is expected to “pray” and “hope” for the best.

Nigeria’s government released about 2.3 billion naira (9 million Pounds) just a few months to the games. A huge investment you would say, but definitely one that is the right thing at the wrong time. Nigeria’s Vanguard Newspapers quotes an unnamed official as saying the late release of funds is a major reason for the country’s woeful performances at the games.

Hear him: “2 billion naira can help our sports and help us win gold medals at the Olympic Games if it is released in time and spread over four years for preparation. From the last Olympics in Beijing till date if we used2 billion naira to develop our athletes, train them, expose them and enter them for competitions, I will be telling you how many gold medals we can win here in London.”

Unfortunately, as at the time of writing this, Nigeria is yet to win any medal. So much is the anxiety for any colour of medal that Maryam Usman, a weightlifter was accorded a bronze medal even before her event was through. Even respected news outlets published the information which later turned out false. Ultimately, the country’s wait to podium continues.

KENENISA BEKELE IS HUMAN AFTERALL

If there was one race which had everyone glued to their seats, then definitely, the 10000 metres men’s final was it. This was because two questions needed to be answered: would Ethiopian greatKenenisa Bekele create history by going past legendary compatriot Haile Gabrselassie’s feat and be the first man to win three consecutive gold medals or would Britain’s Mo Farah (with African roots) rise to the occasion and win his first?

Bekele was really looking forward to going one step ahead of the great Gabrselassie. Sadly, he only managed fourth position as Mo Farah’s amazing finish clinched gold. Consolation is, Bekele’s younger brother Tariku~ who looks a great prospect~ clinched the bronze medal.

OSCAR PISTORIUS: A CHAMPION EVEN IN DEFEAT

Perhaps South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius provided the world with the most compelling story of the 2012 London Olympics – even before it’s ended.  His story is one that has inspired lots of people from all over the world. Participating in the competition itself has been a story of doggedness as he was initially banned by rules of the International Amateur Athletics Federation. The athletics ruling body opined that the use of his carbon fibre prosthetics called Cheetah Flex~Foot puts him at an advantage. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sports ruled in his favour and on August 4th, Pistorius became the first double leg amputee to participate in the Olympic Games. Not only did he participate but he became a source of inspiration to lots of viewers all across the globe. He may have not qualified for the finals of the 400 metres but popular CNN broadcaster Piers Morgan best described the scene on his twitter page when he wrote, “Heroic. #Pistorius.”

More so, South African Kim Masters reckons in her piece for The UK Newspaper, The Metro “Yes, there was disappointment….but the image of Kirani James (winner of the race) swapping name tags with Oscar on the track at the end of the race~ that will stay with me forever… Pistorius is the people’s champion as well as a sporting champion. For me, he is the symbol of everything we can do and everything we dream of doing.”

*This was first published on ventures~africa.com