Exactly
four years ago, I was elected, after winning an election I did not
campaign for, as the chairman of the Residents Association of the Lagos
State Development Property Corporation (LSDPC) Estate, situated on
Glover Street, Ebute Meta, Lagos, Nigeria.
This estate,
referred to as “mini Nigeria”, consists of Nigerians from all the
geographical zones of this country and some foreigners, with very high
and intimidating profiles. There, you have revered leaders of various
faith-based organisations, diplomats, bank executives, lecturers,
senior civil servants, politicians, respected learned men/women of the
judiciary, successful business men and women medical practitioners and
of course a lot of the socially disadvantaged, erroneously referred to
“area boys”. I immediately recognised the Chairmanship position as a
God-given assignment and an opportunity to serve humanity.
I had lived in this
estate for eight years, so could not claim to be ignorant of the needs
and challenges facing the residents. I had also witnessed the regimes
of three former Chairmen and actively participated in various
socio-political and spiritual activities of the estate, hence the
residents were expecting a lot from me. I recognised this and
immediately decided to make a difference. I did not see myself as a
chairman; I saw and made myself a piece of carpet or “foot mat”, on
which residents could wipe their feet.
I hope Taoheed
Adedoja is reading this testimony. Wisdom is the principal thing. I set
up a very vibrant kitchen cabinet, which comprised of those regarded as
radicals – always in opposition to the rules and regulations of the
Residents’ Association, the youth and the “area boys and girls”. I also
initiated the establishment of the Block Representatives Council. But
it was not easy at all. These initiatives were aggressively resisted by
majority of members of my executive committee- especially, my second in
command, but because I have God on my side and majority of the
residents keyed into the vision, we succeeded in institutionalising the
fresh ideas, using the so-called radicals/minority, to actualise our
dreams concerning issues of fund raising, renovation/construction of
roads, power supply/illumination of estate roads, security and
employment of manual workers to handle environmental sanitation of the
estate.
It is on record
that my tenure as Chairman was the shortest ever – I spent just a year
of the first two year term, but God used us to transform that estate.
Residents voluntarily paid their annual dues. We never blocked or
locked the gates in order to enforce any kind of compliance. The
radicals and area boys tremendously assisted us, because I made myself
very vulnerable. To God be the glory. I hope someone from the estate
will read this and please verify the veracity or otherwise.
Starting revival
I have used the
above testimony, as a follow up to last week’s write up, written
directly to the Sports Minister and Chairman of the National Sports
Commission (NSC). I am sure regular readers of this column will by now
realise the fact that I do not belong to the class of writers to be
classified as critics. Far from it, please. When I write something that
seems to be like that, take it as the barking of a dog, which most
times, is the sound of fright and not power or annoyance. When a dog is
annoyed, it bites. I do not bite anymore, I bless and that is what I
pray to be to this great nation – a blessing and a source of solutions
to the problems confronting Nigerian sports.
I know and believe
that I have the divine mandate of the Creator of sports – the greatest
sports man, (apologies to Segun Odegbami), to achieve this mandate.
That is why for instance, I believe that a revival to bring back the
lost glory of sports in this country has started. It does not matter
what anybody is doing or saying right now in the contrary. I belong to
the category of sports victors and not victims. Victims, according to
Ben Carson, walk through sand, look down and see dirt, while victors
discover the ingredients (potentials), for the construction of a
castle. There is the need, Taoheed, for you to see the ingredients in
the sand, not the dirt.
Success is the
willingness to do what the average person has not done or is not
willing to do. Taoheed, you can by any standard not be referred to as
an average sports technocrat, never. A Professor of sports anywhere in
the world is not an average or ordinary sports man. You have also
succeeded politically; hence, it will amount to a travesty of the
highest magnitude, if your tenure does not effectively impact on
Nigerian sports. You have what it takes to succeed if only you will not
“box” yourself up. We cannot afford to see you fail.
I really appreciate
all the on-line comments and other reactions to last week’s column. The
negative and positive comments are all needed to guide and educate me,
especially as I cannot claim to know it all. I therefore thank you all.
Special mention must however be made of the long chat I had with Pat
Itanyi, who called in from America. Thank you my darling sister. And to
the Tennis Ambassador, also domiciled in the U.S.A. – Sadiq Abdullahi,
I also say a very “thank you”. I can feel the great passion the two of
you have for your beloved country and all I can tell you for now is
that you have an ally you can bank on here in Nigeria.
Together, we will contribute to efforts to save sports in Nigeria.
Please pray fellow sports loving Nigerians, for the success of
Taoheed Adedoja. We cannot afford to see him fail. He must succeed.
Pray that God should please uproot all the plants He has not planted in
Nigerian sports – by fire and by force. It is well.
