Issa Aremu
18 February 2008
opinion
Narrow nationalism, instant patriotism and even xenophobia, being regular trade marks of every Cup of Nations, had robbed us a worthy objective assessment of the 26th edition (Ghana 2008). Now that the good (Egypt), the bad (Nigeria) and the
ugly (Nigeria) of the tournament are now common knowledge, it's time for reflections beyond blame-games of soccer mafia and their paid minions. With nearly a record 100 goals (99 indeed!) in two weeks, once again Ghana 2008 improved on Tunisia 2004 and Egypt 2006 in both tournament administration and goals delivery. For a continent whose many member nations might not meet eight (8) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (goals, nonetheless!) despite decade-long notice, Ghana 2008 once again proved that where the will existed there would always be some ways anyway. One singular lesson of Ghana 2008 was that what was good for round leather tournament governance must be good for continental governance.
Africa can and should deliver on their promise to minimise poverty, halt incipient new illiteracy, malnutrition and all that constituted under-development. But talking about Africa, a disaggregated analysis poses the question about what really constitute African soccer? Is it the epileptic display (sounds like PCHN!) of Nigeria's Super Eagles or robust and romantic foot ball of Black stars of Ghana? Is it the persistent passion (plus occasional foul play and stupidity!) of Indomitable Lions of Cameroon or single-leader Drogba-propelled Ivorian team? What stands out however is the consistent championship and sportsmanship of Pharaohs of Egypt (6 times title holder!) with home-made team and home made administrators. Are we then to accept that minus Egypt, Sub-Saharan African soccer (with its notoriety for patronizing white and only white coaches) remains as sub-standard as its Human Development Index? By the way, would WAFU not interrogate the West African teams for hosting the tournament in the sub-region (with all the weather and fans advantage) and still allowed Egypt to ascertain profound superiority? In a desperate attempt to come to painful terms with Nigeria's disastrous outing at the tournament, yours sincerely searches in vain for the sport component of President Yar Adua's Vision 2020.
The global soccer bureaucracy, FIFA, had rated Nigeria among the top 10 before the tournament. Indeed the Super Eagles was the team to beat. What does the Presidency make out of the latest FIFA rating which miserably stepped down from 6th to 45th position in global foot ball rating? The new mantra (which I share) is that Nigeria should be part of the leading 20 economies by 2020. 26th edition of Cup of Nations shows that we were actually one of the top 10 until we refused to translate potentiality into potency and crashed into oblivion at quarter-finals. There is no doubt that scoring goals (Nigeria scored only 3 out of the 99 goals!) is not the same as growing the GDP, or building external reserves. But the principle of Development globally either in sport or in the economy as a whole is the same; aim high, set clear cut-targets, remain steadfast, exhibit passion, be original, add value, win or lose gallantly ad ifinitum. None of these developmentalist values Super Eagles and indeed Nigerian governments displayed in recent times.
However, development observers remind us that while Nigeria wishes to be part of the 20 leading economies in 2020, it is indeed today already one of the leading 6 oil and gas producing nations, which paradoxically persistently occupies lower rug of Development index, leads in corruption and turns out army of unemployed and could not guarantee power supply? What then about the vision of being on top when indeed in real terms the nation is actually bellow in global standard? By the way what do you make of the fact that out of scores of referees at Ghana 2008, none was a Nigeria? Ask Professor Maurice Iwu of the "famous" INEC for globally "advancing" Nigeria's sense of justice and fairness by making us so recognized!
What on earth do you make out of the reported protest of some Representatives about the national honour conferred on Speaker Dimeji Bankole? According to the protesting reps, based on "Order of Protocol", (which certainly excludes silent hardworking cleaners and farmers) it was diminishing to confer the speaker same honour as the deputy senate President: Commander of the Order on Federal Republic (CFR). They actually linked the alleged diminished national honour of the Speaker to the reported partisan humiliation of the Speaker. The speaker was reportedly rudely excused out of a PDP caucus meeting by you-know-who-could be so rude even at this hour.
The latest controversy once again puts the entire national honours into credibility test. Is the honour ascribed or achieved? Are honours for offices, office bearers or to acknowledged national deeds of the bearers? Given the turn over of leaderships, (mostly on accounts of gross national misdeeds) at the House and Senate alike, it is instructive to imagine how many representatives and senators are potential recipients of national honours they have not worked for and possibly would not work for? Pray, what value have both Dimeji and Deputy President of the senate added to the national project building within this short controversial (note: not necessarily eventful tenure!) that we generously confer them with high-sounding awards?
This is a country of profound distortions in which honours are once again distorted and ridiculed. The privatization of national honours further diminishes the country. The point cannot be overstated that ascribed vain glories belie our increasing descent into underdevelopment. With as many 3448 national recipients since 1963 and paid million-Naira adverts to celebrate personal (as distinct from national) feats, how come that our outing in Ghana 2008 was a disaster (even D-G of National Sport Commission, Amos Adamu was generously rewarded after Ghana fiasco and as if we are yet qualified for South Africa 2010!).How come roads are impassable? How come huge unemployment and underemploym-ent amidst much to be done? President Yar Adua should declare an emergency on national honours via its suspension until national priorities in his 7-point agenda are met and by doing so, safe us the shame of ill-informed pedestrian protestations about honours that are not there anyway.
The latest news about the budget is that both the Senate and the House have reconciled their high sounding figures, (N2.898 trillions and N2.944 trillions respectively) thus mutually settling for the former. Good news indeed! Let the spending (note; NOT production!) continues! But have they also reconciled the objective of the budget which we are told is to improve the quality of lives? With trillion naira budget, how many million jobs are we expecting this year? In which sector? What capacity utilization bench mark for the remaining surviving industry in the wake of mass factory collapses? Until we reconcile the objectives of oil (only oil-based) dollar budget with trillion figures, the reconciliation remains top-down without any trickle-down effects on mass of the people.
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