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ABUJA HEARTBEAT: Season of protest
ABUJA HEARTBEAT: Season of protest
To be or not to be?
That is the question that leaders the world over who have stayed more
than two decades in power must be asking themselves now, after the
avalanche of protests in the Arab world has crumbled otherwise
untouchable demi-gods. Of course, Muammar Gadaffi by now should know
that his days are numbered, not only in Libya but globally. He must be
beginning to realise that he is not invincible and so like the
unrepentant terrorist, is determined to take as many people as possible
with him.
During one of those
sessions where big issues are thrashed endlessly – sometimes leading to
disputes that will not benefit any of us, as the ‘big-big ogas’ being
argued about really do not care and do not know if we ‘small-small
people’ exist – somebody said, “If third term had succeeded, Nigerians
would have seized these worldwide protests as an opportunity to sweep
OBJ out”. Obasanjo did not succeed with that heinous plan and so we
really cannot say if my friend predicted correctly how Nigerians would
have reacted.
Everybody talked
about different protests taking place in their own domain and a good
friend of mine referred to a lady that could not recite the national
anthem but was still given the green light to go on being our
Ambassador without anybody protesting. I quickly cut in and talked
about the protest that is gathering momentum in the hushed voices of
entertainers.
Some comedians and
musicians asked me if entertainers could not file out and begin to
advocate for a Bank of Entertainment, where individuals involved could
go and access loans like is done in the Bank of Industry or Bank of
Agriculture.
One of the veterans
in the business complained about the bank he has been with for donkey
years refusing to give him a loan of just ₦300, 000 to prosecute a
small entertainment project that could employ about 10 youth monthly,
if actualised. They told him that the flow of cash in his account was
not consistent, so they could not give him the loan. He really was just
grumbling because if he takes up a placard who would listen to him?
Well, I have heard his cry that is why you are reading his protest.
The protest train
was passing by and everybody had to say something, so one woman talked
about how her children decided to protest by keeping quiet inside the
car for the rest of the journey home after school, when she went to
pick them up. After careful and very diplomatic insistence, she got the
youngest who was a five-year-old to talk and he said if their mummy
does not buy them ice cream from the sellers hanging around their
school gate, especially in this hot Abuja afternoon sun, like the
parents of their friends in class are wont to do, they would no longer
be chatting with her in the car on their way home from school.
According to my friend, “Dis kind of protest don wear face cap.”
The young lady said
she quickly had to put on her thinking cap in order to douse the
protest and kill that spirit once and for all. She said she told her
children that she has prepared their favourite meal at home as well as
restocked her fridge with their best fruit juice and she ended with
“all this ice-cream that is being sold on bicycles by these men by
their school gate are meant for the less privileged” adding that proper
food and juice meant for good children like them was waiting for at
home. All the placards on the faces of her children were dropped.
The protest ignited
under my nose was set upon me by the teachers in my children’s school
and whereas I was able to cleverly instruct my three children above
eight years, my little boy who just turned five came home asking
different questions at different intervals as the spirit gave him
remembrance.
“Daddy, how old are
you? What is your occupation? How much do you earn in a year? Do you
steal government money? Do you think I will still love you if you are
caught stealing government’s money? If I call you a thief, will you be
mad at me?” I wanted to make him know that indeed, I am already mad at
that teacher who put all these ideas in the mind of a little boy.
While I was trying
to protest to my wife about the little lad, the boy went to his school
bag and brought the written questions and they were his assignment for
the weekend. So are you going to answer the protesting boy or even the
teacher? Or are you not aware that the freedom of information bill has
scaled all huddles?
Breaking News
Breaking News
Mrs. Jonathan needs no help
The spokesperson for President Goodluck
Jonathan has finally reacted to the money laundering accusations that
have been trailing Patience Jonathan, wife of the Nigerian president.
“A false money laundering accusation can
do absolutely nothing to taint the perfect image of the very popular
Patience Goodluck candidate,” he stated.
“We couldn’t agree more,” spokesperson for Nigerian Twitters said. “The woman has done all the tainting all by herself.”
Glo, MTN delay election results
The Independent National Electoral
Commission has issued a statement blaming two of Nigerian’s leading
telecommunications networks for result verification delays.
Over the last week, the commission added
Nigerians to its Blackberry messenger list, in an attempt to be more
efficient with delivering information regarding the elections. It had
sought to be able to verify the results of elections by pinging voters.
Unfortunately, and in what was
considered completely unpredictable, the plan was thwarted when most of
the phone networks seemed jammed at the end of the first round of
elections.
“INEC and its budget cannot be blamed
for any delays,” an INEC source declared. “It is the fault of mobile
network providers who failed to deliver all our messages. The fate of
this country rested on Blackberry PINs and pings and, as you can all
see, they have let us down.”
Cecelia Ibru gives back to society
On behalf of all Nigerians, Oceanic
Bank’s former CEO, Cecilia Ibru, has filed a suit against Nduka
Obaigbena of ThisDay newspapers, accusing him of false advertising and
promotion with the election polls published in his newspaper last week.
Mrs. Ibru, who suffered a fall from
glory when she was sacked as bank head for her gross incompetence, has
now openly blamed Mr. Obaigbena and his continual awards for leading her
astray.
“Being piled with accolades which read
“Banker of the Year” and “Most Successful Bank of the Year” contributed
to bringing my demise,” she argued. “I cannot stand aside and watch any
other Nigerians suffer the same fate, which include overconfidence and
overspending.”
My enemies caused my fall, says Tinubu
At a recent Women in Politics awards
ceremony hosted by the Nigerian Feminists Association, Oluremi Tinubu,
senatorial aspirant for the Action Congress of Nigeria and wife of ACN
kingpin, Bola Tinubu, suffered a stage tumble.
While mounting the podium to receive her
award for Breakthrough Female in Politics, the former Lagos State first
lady tripped on her four-inch Christian Louboutin heels and landed on
her back, with dirt speckling her perfectly coiffured weave.
“My enemies are behind this,” Mrs.
Tinubu insisted, as half of the hall rushed to aid her to her feet.
“Jealousy, that’s what it is. Nothing but jealousy.” Well, duh! Of
course, it’s jealousy. Have you seen her campaign posters? Only a blind
woman wouldn’t be jealous of that perfection. Frankly, no one
understands why the ACN boss lady has bothered to do any campaigning.
The photos speak for themselves.
Shekarau keeps winning
American
president, Barack Obama, has recruited ANPP presidential candidate,
Ibrahim Shekarau, into the league of extraordinary orators. This comes
as no surprise to anyone who watched the presidential debate in which
Mr. Shekarau bamboozled the public with his eloquence, with the same
convincing tenacity as President Obama himself.
As if this approval nod from Mr. Obama
was not enough hipster endorsement already, musician Naeto C will follow
in fellow musician D’banj’s footsteps by offering a remix of the
popular hit song “Ten over Ten”. He will be replacing the words “shikena
shikena shikena o” with “Shekarau Shekarau Shekarau o”.
Whatever the outcome of this election, one thing is clear: Mr. Shekarau just keeps winning.
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your Breaking News spoof pieces to opinion@234next.com, for possible
publication on this page
Nigeria rises to the call
Nigeria rises to the call
The impending
collapse of Laurent Gbagbo’s regime will mark not just the end of that
country’s nightmare: it will signal the return of Nigeria as a voice
and a leader of Africa.
When Gbagbo and his
cronies declined last November to accept the results of an election in
which he was beaten by eight percentage points, the Jonathan
administration took a principled stand and has been out in front ever
since.
Foreign Minister
Odein Ajumogobia has worked assiduously behind the scenes and publicly
to shape the diplomatic environment, to isolate Gbagbo, to impose
sanctions, and to point him in the direction of the exit. The aim of
this was not just to respect democracy but to avoid the violence that
follows in an ethnically and religiously complicated society when it is
not honored.
This is no small
matter. In the world of international diplomacy, no censure of a state
or a leader is possible without the assent of the region. The Economic
Community of West African States (Ecowas), under the Chairmanship of
Goodluck Jonathan, recognized Allasane Ouattara on December 8, and
called on Gbagbo to honor the outcome of the electorate.
In early March,
after months of doomed mediation and wrangling as it battled to speak
with one voice, the African Union recognized Ouattara as the legitimate
winner of the election and endorsed a plan for him to set up a national
unity government.
On March 14
Ouatarra stopped in Abuja to meet with President Jonathan, the one
leader on the continent he chose to consult before heading back to
Abidjan for the home stretch.
On Wednesday night
the United Nations Security Council voted for Gbagbo’s removal and for
a freeze of all Gbagbo’s foreign assets. As in the other initiatives,
this was driven by Nigeria, this time in concert with France.
The longer that
Ggagbo has stayed on, toying with volatile ethnic and religious
sentiment, the more the prospect of massive bloodletting has risen and
the violence of Gbagbo’s end days are a grim testament to that.
Despite the
determination of the Gbagbo forces to fight to the bitter end, the
military push from the reconstituted Republican forces coupled with
economic and financial sanctions and steadily growing isolation – in
the teeth of vicious propaganda from the Gbagbo side – has made his
downfall inevitable.
And, while no-one
can celebrate the tragic killings currently underway in Abidjan and in
the west of the country, this will have been a victory for democrats in
Africa.
It contrasts and
counteracts places like Zimbabwe, where Robert Mugabe has lost election
after election and deployed horrific violence against his opponents,
but remains firmly in power.
The South African
Development Community (SADC) has pussy footed around Mugabe’s abuses
for years. Apart from never resolving the crisis, this sets a poor
example. Every bad loser of an election that gets away with using
violence and the instruments of state to stay in power encourages the
next one. The line in the sand that was drawn under Gbagbo is of
importance to more than Ivory Coast.
The firm leadership
and deft diplomacy that Nigeria has shown is desperately needed on this
continent. And Nigeria will have to continue to play a leadership role
as the international community assists the reconstruction of a
shattered Ivory Coast.
The AU represents a
number of often conflicting and competing states, and is at its best as
a mediator but it can no more take the lead than the European Union
can. As has been shown recently in Libya it is only states, like France
or the United Kingdom that can take the decisive steps, for better or
worse, that actually make a difference.
There was a time
when, for all their sins, Thabo Mbeki and Olusegun Obasanjo had a
broader vision for Africa and were taken seriously in the councils of
the world. But during the last four years there has been a vacuum in
pan-African leadership – unless one would use that word to describe
Moammer Ghaddafi who as Chair of the African Union spent his time
fantasizing about a United States of Africa (with its capital in Libya).
Nigeria has a long
and respectable reputation for peace keeping in Africa. But as everyone
knows, the brand has been tarnished by military rule, corruption and
the debacle of the 2007 election.
Nigeria under
President Umaru Yar ‘Adua took a backseat. A country of 150 million, a
model and a challenge of Muslim and Christian co-existence, a holder of
great strategic natural resources, the most populous country in Africa,
was not afforded a lot of respect.
Since taking office
last year, President Jonathan has turned that around – not with grand
gestures but rather by showing Nigeria as a responsible citizen of the
global community. Nigeria is building a case for a permanent seat on
the UN Security Council.
As a non-permanent
member of the UN Security Council, Nigeria voted to authorize the
action that potentially prevented the slaughter of thousands of people
in Libya. There are many who disagree with that position, and the armed
intervention that followed, but at least it was a position. Nigeria
stood up and was counted.
This is not to say
that Nigeria’s prominence in global forums should be dependent on its
remaining a reliable ally of the West. The country has to be judged on
its strategic and human importance, and its ability to give voice to a
billion Africans, especially on those issues that touch the continent.
To do that, Nigeria
needs to put its own house in order. The economic growth that is
forecast for the next few years, and that is forging a new and surging
middle class, must be accompanied by social provision for the poor and
the underclass. Nigeria cannot afford to be near the bottom of every
social indicator.
And an election
that is at the very least a marked improvement on 2007 is essential for
Nigeria to be able to defend democracy on the continent, as it has in
Ivory Coast.
Phillip van Niekerk is the former editor of South Africa’s Mail & Guardian newspaper.
Nigeria needs new breed of legislators
Nigeria needs new breed of legislators
As Nigerians await the legislative election which
was postponed on Saturday and is due to take place tomorrow, it is
important to remind ourselves of the role of the legislature in the
democratic process.
The 1999 Constitution says that “the National
Assembly shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good
government of the Federation or any part thereof with respect to any
matter included in the Exclusive Legislative List…” Without laws, a
democratic society, or any other society for that matter, is doomed.
The 17th century English philosopher, Hobbes, reminds us that without
laws, there can be no justice, and the only life available to citizens
will be a “nasty, brutish, and short” one.
We have in recent weeks been treated to a
semblance of activity from our National Assembly– the passing of the
Freedom of Information Bill, an Anti-Terrorism Bill, and the National
Tobacco Control Bill. We have no idea what spurred this seeming
awakening from a legislature that for most of its tenure has made the
headlines, not for its accomplishments, but instead for how much it has
cost the nation, and how obsessed it has been with self-gratification.
Perhaps the lawmakers realised that time was no
longer on their side, and that if they wanted to be judged kindly by
posterity then they had to start passing laws, which is what they were
elected to do in the first place. If that is the case, then they need
to be told that the realisation (of history’s looming judgement) has
come a little too late.
If only they had shown a dedication to duty from
the beginning. A look at some of the headlines and comments that have
accompanied our stories on the National Assembly in the last two years
will give a better idea of the kind of legislators Nigeria has been
burdened with since 2007 (not that their predecessors were any better):
‘An Assembly for looting’; ‘The luxury cars of our
lawmakers’; ‘National Assembly, the most expensive on earth’; ‘Our
National Assembly is not producing any laws’. In ‘An Assembly for
Looting’ (2009), our correspondents wrote: “If the citizens were to
dismiss the entire membership of the National Assembly and find other
uses for their money, our treasury will have nearly enough money to
fund the N88.5billion that President Umaru Yar’Adua plans to spend this
year on building power plants, so that children can do home work under
electrical lamps and not paraffin.”
With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that
the choice Nigeria made was to keep the profligate legislators and
instead dismiss our vision of a transformed power situation. Late 2010,
the Central Bank Governor disclosed that the National Assembly – made
up of less than 500 elected officials– was taking up 25 per cent of
“total government overhead.” Even for hardworking legislators, that
figure would be unjustifiable.
In June 2009, two years into their tenure, we
reported that the Senate had succeeded in passing only 15 of the 284
bills that came before it. At the state level, the situation is not
much better. Many State Assemblies are either firmly in the pockets of
the state governors, and thus employed for nothing more than
rubber-stamping of the governors’ decisions; or embroiled in a
cat-and-mouse relationship with the executive. There is the tragicomic
case of Ogun State, where the House has been split into two since 2010.
We watched as a minority group of nine senators (sympathetic to the
governor) met and announced the suspension of 15 members. They then
went ahead to elect, from amongst themselves, a new Speaker, who was
immediately recognised by the governor.
We hope that the incoming batch of legislators, at
federal and state levels, will make a clean break with the past. If the
federal legislators want to convince us that they are serious about the
wellbeing of our country, they will have to start by doing something
about the N63 million (senators) and N45 million (representatives) that
they will be ‘entitled to’ per quarter as “constituency allowances”,
and for which they do not have to give account.
Legislators have no business awarding contracts
and managing project funds. Nigerians also have a duty to hold their
legislators accountable. We cannot continue to just complain about
dismal performance. Hopefully there will be an election tomorrow and
the votes cast will prove to be a just verdict on the performance of
the lawmakers. Until politicians get punished – with outright rejection
– by the electorate, there will be no incentive for them to shun
mediocrity and greed.
Impressive Nadal crushes below-par Federer
Impressive Nadal crushes below-par Federer
Nadal, who now has a 15-8 record in meetings between the two, dominated from the outset and was superior in all elements of the game.
“I think I played a very, very good match, very solid and serious. In the first set especially I think I played very, very well,” Nadal told reporters.
“In the second set I think he played worse. He had more mistakes than usual. He tried to play shorter points, so I think second set he didn’t play well.”
The Spaniard was devastating with his serve, particularly in the first set, winning 16 of his 18 service points.
In the second he took full advantage of some unusually loose returns, especially on forehand, from the Swiss world number three.
A packed, 14,500 crowd under the lights had hoped for a tighter contest and urged Federer to lift his game but the Swiss had just one break point in the match.
“He played tough and he played good when he had to and I didn’t do that. So it’s disappointing for me,” said Federer.
“I didn’t think I served poorly, but Rafa did well and got a lot of balls back.
“I was just not good on the offensive tonight, and that kind of took all the opportunities away to create something,” said Federer who will now head to Monaco to begin the European clay court season.
Nadal is searching for his first title in this Masters 1000 Series event at Key Biscayne and will be seeking revenge for Djokovic’s victory over him at Indian Wells two weeks ago.
Djokovic has won his last 25 matches, stretching back into last year.
“He’s winning all his matches very easily. He hasn’t lost a match this year, so we’ll see is what’s going to happen. He’s playing fantastic tennis,” Nadal added.
“I’ve got to play very well all the match if I want to have any chance. I have to play aggressive tennis and I have to play all the points, and that’s what I (am) going to try to do.”
REUTERS
RED CARD: Sport takes back seat in campaign
RED CARD: Sport takes back seat in campaign
Finally, the elections have come upon us. As far as electioneering goes, what we witnessed in the last few weeks, was clearly unimpressive.
The politicians who seek our votes certainly have not done enough to convince us that they deserve to be in public office. Their campaigns have been dull and largely empty; in the main they have mouthed the usual platitudes that have offended our senses for ages now.
If we vote for them at all, it will be in our desire to avoid having a vacuum in government, not because they deserve it.
One of my major observations has been the absence of any agenda for sports by most of the presidential candidates.
In the dying moments of their campaigns, we saw them offering tokens, aimed largely at ambushing the votes of Nigerian youth, inured to sports. On Sunday March 27, Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), dramatically showed up at the National Stadium in Abuja, venue of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.
While his presence was a surprise to many, I easily saw through the gimmick- the general wanted to ride the crest of football’s popularity to garner votes at the election. And it wasn’t only the old general clutching at straws. Twenty-four hours earlier, our President, Goodluck Jonathan hosted Nigerian sportsmen who had excelled in major international competitions, to a banquet at the state house where cash ranging from N150,000 to N1.5 million, was handed to the sportsmen.
From the point of view of reward for hard work, the president’s action is clearly commendable. However, the timing of the awards betrays the motive of Mr. President. Why after neglecting the patriotic sportsmen, some of them for as much as two years, did the president suddenly deem it fit to honour them on the eve of the elections? We do not need to search far for answers.
Is our president enamoured of our sportsmen? Does he wish them well? The answer to these questions is a big no. And I’ll tell you why. The 2011 edition of the All Africa Games is just around the corner, has money been made available for preparation of our athletes? Has President Jonathan, who last year intervened in the crisis affecting football only to buckle under FIFA threat, shown any interest in what is happening as far as preparation is concerned? Or is sports for him, simply, Infra dignitatem?
A crying shame
The truth of the matter is that President Jonathan, like other candidates aspiring to Nigeria’s highest office, does not care a hoot about sports and for someone who comes from the Niger Delta, a seething cauldron of strife, it is clearly unfortunate. Why do I say so?
I’ll tell you why. If President Jonathan and his advisers were thinking clearly, they’ll see inherent possibilities for intervention in the situation in the Niger Delta through sports. Some of Nigeria’s finest sportsmen have come from the Nigeria meaning that the place is not lacking in talent. Rather, it’s a reservoir of talent, which needs to be exploited. Have the young men and women who have embraced violence as a means of resolving social injustice been sufficiently engaged through sports by President Jonathan’s government? Has the Jonathan administration even a blueprint for sports development in the Niger Delta and beyond.
We have heard successive ministers of sports in this country talk about a national sports policy; what are the contents of this policy? Does it reflect an understanding by government of how sports can be used to engage Nigerian youth, who in the absence of role models and social safety nets, have an increasing predilection for violence and other anti-societal behaviours? I think not, because if the so-called sports policy did, government would not engage in bogus programmes, which only end up enriching a few smart individuals.
It’s a shame really that, in this day and age, when sports is big business globally, where some of the most recognisable faces in the world are sportsmen, our President and his minister in charge of sports, should carry on as if sports were a mere distraction to which government should deign now and then, to offer tokenisms.
Does President Jonathan and his sports minister, who by the way, never ceases to remind us that he is the first professional to occupy that position, know that what Tiger Woods earns annually, outstrips our annual sports budget?
Well, we can’t really blame President Jonathan when people who should know, either keep quiet or deliberately misrepresent facts. Are we not witnesses to the buffoonery of a few former Olympians, who against all decency and perhaps in a bid to swell their pockets, hold rallies announcing President Jonathan as the best thing to happen to sports in Nigeria?
My take is that, whether President Jonathan returns to office or not, the fortunes of sports are not likely to experience any significant change because there quite simply isn’t any plan to affect it.
Enyimba,Pillars face tough Champions League tests
Enyimba,Pillars face tough Champions League tests
While Enyimba FC still have a slight advantage, after securing a goalless draw in the reverse fixture with their opponent, Union Sportive of Gabon a fortnight ago, Kano Pillars have an upheaval task against Moroccan side, Wydad Casablanca, when matches in CAF Champions League get underway today.
The Ladan Bosso-led Pillars team was defeated 2-0 in the first leg and needs at least a 3-0 victory today at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano to guarantee their passage into the next round of the lucrative tourney.
Kano Pillars and Super Eagles defender, Abdulwasiu Sowemimo, though admitting the tough task ahead, however remains optimistic that his team will upturn the table against the visiting Moroccan team.
“We will try our best to win the encounter and progress to the next round. We do not have any option or excuse not to beat them in Kano” the former Gateway FC defence ace told a sports website.
“It will be really tough considering the fact that we lost 2-0 in the first leg but we have no choice but to redeem the situation.
“In 2009 we played beyond this stage of the competition and it is our target to contest for the title this time round. So Wydad will not stop us,”
He reckoned that Wydad may come with all sorts of tricks including playing defensive and employing delay tactics, which he said may be the Moroccans’ undoing.
“Let them come up with any form of tricks, we are ready to match them, as they will not escape defeat in Kano,” he said. Pillars prosecuted the first leg in Morocco with a depleted squad but are likely to have the services of the quartet of Bala Mohammed, Sherif Isa, Shagari Mohammed and Mannir Ubale for today’s game. The team will however still miss one of their key players, Joseph Thompson who will sit out of the crucial tie due to an injury sustained in the first leg.
People’s Elephant
For Enyimba, though the task looks a bit easier, the team’s coach Okey Emordi says the tie is a dicey one more so, that the Aba Elephants did not score an away goal.
“The game is very open, that is why we must be very careful that they don’t score in our home, because that may turn out to be an advantage for them” said the former CAF Coach of the Year.
“The players all know what is at stake and also we have to hit the ground running from the blast of the whistle” Enyimba players were resolute in the first leg in Gabon and looked good for a victory away from home.
Meanwhile, Union Sportive’s Coach, Luther Fokam, said his team was unfortunate to not earn the victory on their home ground while boasting that they will edge out the two-time champions by snatching an away win in Aba today.
Emordi sees Fokam’s aspirations as a wild goose chase, as he bluntly declared that the Gabonese side should jettison any ambition of going any further in the Champions League.
Emordi, who led the People’s Elephants to their second CAF Champions League title in 2004 believes his players are back in their stride after a torrid beginning to the season and added that they still posses the spirit that saw them crowned the African Champions back to back.
“We are committed and are hungry for success. Picking a draw away from home is a good one for the team and the second leg will be quite different. “Whatever ambition Union Sportive has of going beyond this round, is as good as futile” he concluded.
Siasia in Westerhof’s shadows
Siasia in Westerhof’s shadows
Last Sunday, Samson Siasia made his competitive debut as coach of the Super Eagles with a game against the Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia at the National Stadium, Abuja. The game, a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, ended in a 4-0 victory for the Super Eagles, which they followed up with a convincing 3-0 drubbing of Kenya’s Harambee Stars two days later in an international friendly, also decided in Abuja.
In both games, the Super Eagles displayed time and again, flashes of good football to the delight of many Nigerians, most of whom were expectedly optimistic regarding the team’s future under Siasia, who coincidentally, was a pivotal member of the last Super Eagles side to have endeared itself to Nigerian football fans.
That was the Super Eagles side of the early half of the 1990s who, under the tutelage of Dutchman Clemens Westerhof, terrorised Africa and the world in general with a brand of football that was probably only inferior to that of the Brazilian side of that era. Westerhof’s team, although not filled to the brim with ‘world-class’ players in the sense of it, always gave a spirited performance during matches regardless of the level of opposition and in the process earned themselves a reputation, which transcended the length and breadth of the African continent.
Westerhof’s Super Eagles side also scored goals in torrents, while conceding goals in trickles. This past week, the Super Eagles, under Siasia, created scoring opportunities time and again against the Ethiopians and Kenyans, and even finding the back of the net seven times altogether. For a side that had in the past number of years found the art of goal scoring as difficult as the proverbial camel passing through the eye of a needle, the Super Eagles displayed a style of attacking football that was reminiscent of Westerhof’s all-conquering side, which raises the question: Are the Super Eagles truly back or is all these just a flash in the pan?
Past and present
“Now that was a side that knew how to score goals, and did so with reckless abandon,” said former Nigeria international Mutiu Adepoju, who was a key member of Westerhof’s Eagles team. “We didn’t have all the big names but we scared every team that played against us.
“We were a team and didn’t depend so much on individuality. That is what is still lacking at the moment with this team but we must not forget that this is a team that is rebuilding.
“They have a new coach and the players haven’t gotten used to the way he would want them to play. There are also a lot of new players in the team so we all have to be patient and give them time to get to know each other. “But they have started well, and if they continue like this it won’t be long before the world begins to take notice of Nigerian football,” added the former Real Madrid, Real Sociedad and Salamanca of Spain midfielder. It is also an opinion that is shared by Mainasara Illo, who was the chairman of the local organising committee of the 2009 FIFA Under 17 World Cup.
“This is a team in development and the coaches have done a good job,” said Illo. “I believe with time, this is going to be a very great team.” The games against Ethiopia and Kenya were characterized by early goals by the Super Eagles with Peter Utaka opening scoring under a minute in the former, and Ahmed Musa grabbing Nigeria’s first goal in the latter encounter against the Harambee Stars.
Another thing both games had in common was the inability of the Nigerian side to finish off the opposition in the first half only to emerge from the dressing room after the half time interval with renewed vigour culminating in a second half goal feast. “I guess credit has to go to the coach for telling them the right thing during the break, which was why they came out firing at all cylinders in the second half,” said Emeka Ezeugo, also a member of Westerhof’s Super Eagles side. “But they still have a long way to go before any comparisons can be made (with Westerhof’s Super Eagles team). He added: “The players are still trying to understanding one another and the midfield isn’t quite as domineering as it should be. But this is a new team, under a new coach and I believe with time, they will get to that level.”
Positive change
The duo of Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel and Inter Milan’s Joel Obi manned the Super Eagles’ midfield, at least from the start, in the games against Ethiopia and Kenya as Siasia opted for a 4-2-4 formation which transformed into a 4-4-1-1 formation whenever the side lost possession to the opposition. But unlike in the recent past, like at the 2010 World Cup under Lars Lagerback, as well as at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, where the Super Eagles defended deep in their half while depending on oftentimes ineffective counter-attacking moves, Siasia’s side pressed the opposition across the pitch beginning from the very moment they lost the ball. Siasia was pleased with the performance of his side in both games but knows there is still a lot of work to be done. “I am happy with the way they played but there is still a lot of work to be done,” Siasia said.
“We struggled in the midfield, especially in our first game against Ethiopia who outnumbered us in that department. He added: “But we made some corrections in the game against Kenya and by the time we get to play more games, they’ll get used to the way we want to play, which involves closing the opposition down and not giving them any room to operate.” It was a view corroborated by former Nigeria international Chukwuma Akuneto, who is currently a coach at English league side, FC United. “The Super Eagles did very well especially in the area of repossession of the ball,” he told NEXT from his base in England. “They played high and wide and knew that they didn’t have to wait for the opposition to lose the ball before attacking.
They forced them to lose the ball. “The attackers and midfielders piled a lot of pressure on their defenders and as result they lost the ball very close to their goal area as was the case against the Kenyans,” recalled Akuneto regarding Nigeria’s opening goal against the Harambee Stars where Inter Milan’s Obi intercepted the ball before Victor Anichebe laid the ball across the area for Ahmed Musa to open scoring. He added: “We were also forcing them to launch long balls into our area because of the high line of defence which made them feel threatened but credit must also go to the defenders for keeping their concentration all through the games.”
The future
The quartet of Joseph Yobo, Efe Ambrose, Taye Taiwo and home boy, Chibuzor Okonkwo manned the Nigerian defence line and provided good cover for goalkeeper Dele Aiyenugba whose confidence would no doubt have been boosted with the clean sheets he kept in those games, especially in the absence of first-choice goalie Vincent Enyeama. For Yobo, it was another opportunity to play with another central defensive partner after pairing with Michael Odibe in the 2-1 friendly win over Sierra Leone, and the duo of Danny Shittu and Rabiu Afolabi during the 2010 World Cup, as well Dele Adeleye, who was his regular partner during the World Cup qualifiers. Although Ambrose churned out an acceptable display in the games against Ethiopia and Kenya, the situation might change in the coming months especially if England-based Nedum Onuoha opts to pledge his international future to Nigeria.
Recent reports suggest that Onuoha is seriously considering pledging his future to the Super Eagles, but having earlier failed to do that after being approached earlier by Siasia, he will need to take the initiative if he plans on featuring for Nigeria. “I went to him.
I drew the first blood, so it’s left for him to come back to me and tell me that he wants to play,” Siasia informed NEXT in Abuja. He added: “I’m not saying that I don’t want him, but the decision rests with him. If he wants to play, he has my number. So he can reach out to me and tell me he wants to play for Nigeria.” Having Onuoha in the Super Eagles, coupled with the likes of Italy based Obiora Nwankwo, Lukman Haruna, Nosa Igiebor and Nnamdi Oduamadi, who all shone like a million stars for the Nigerian U23s in their 5-0 win over Equatorial Guinea, could go a long way in transforming the Super Eagles into world-beaters in a few years time. But much more still needs to be done if Siasia’s team will in years to come, be comparable to Westerhof’s all-conquering side.
“In football, to create a team that is all-conquering you have to first start by building team and fan confidence,” wrote former Super Eagles captain Sunday Oliseh on his blog site following the win over Ethiopia. “First step is getting several positive results; second, improve the manner of getting those results; then comes titles or set goals and achievements.
“It took the last successful Eagles time to build and lots of trials and errors to get to the top and this new breed should be given that too and with the victory against Ethiopia, we might be on the right track,” added the former Ajax and Juventus ace who played for nine years for the Super Eagles, from 1993 to 2002.
Westerhof arrived in Nigeria in 1989 and five years later, led Nigeria to a first ever World Cup appearance. A few months earlier, in 1994, he led Nigeria to the Cup of Nations title in Tunisia. Siasia has only been on the job for three months, but it is unlikely that he will have the luxury of time Westerhof had back then
Moses aiming to lead Eagles to promised land
Moses aiming to lead Eagles to promised land
In December 2002, when violence broke out between Christians and Muslims in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna, over 200 lives were lost including the parents of Nigerian forward, Victor Moses.
Not yet 12 years old at the time, the young Moses was expectedly shocked by the ghastly event and for many years alienated himself from his country of birth.
That was until a few weeks ago, when he made up his mind to return to the country after getting a call-up to the Super Eagles ahead of last Sunday’s 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ethiopia, as well as Tuesday’s friendly international against Kenya.
The 20 year old, who had remained in England since the 2002 riots, didn’t get to play any part in the two games owing to his eligibility status, – having previously played for England at youth level- but he remains ready to play for the country of his birth despite the ghosts of his past.
“It feels good to be home after all these years but it’s not so easy forgetting about what happened,” Moses informed NEXT in Abuja, a day after the Super Eagles whipped the Ethiopians 4-0.
He added: “I still think about Mom and Dad but I have forgiven those responsible for their death as I gain nothing by holding a grudge against them.”
Prodigious youngster
A devout Christian, Moses first came into prominence in the latter part of 2009, when a run of five goals in eight games for Crystal Palace saw him emerge as one of the most sought-after youngsters in England during the January 2010 transfer window.
This culminated in a £2.5 million transfer to Premier League side Wigan Athletic on the last day of January. And six days later, Moses, who is comfortable as a winger or point man, made his debut for the Latics as a substitute against Sunderland.
Before then however, in 2007, Moses was a member of the English U-17 side, which got to the final of the UEFA Under 17 Championship in Belgium where they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Spain who went on to feature, that same year, in the final of the FIFA Under 17 World Cup in South Korea, where they lost to Nigeria on penalties.
In Belgium, Moses finished as the tournament’s top scorer and continued with his fine goal scoring form in South Korea where he also finished as England’s top scorer with three goals, including a brace in the Young Lions’ 5-0 win over New Zealand.
His tournament however ended abruptly in the 2-1 group phase win over Brazil no thanks to injury, but England went on to win their round of 16 clash with Syria 3-1, before losing 4-1 to Germany in the quarter finals.
He thereafter went on to feature for England at U-18, U-19 and U-21 levels but playing for Nigeria always seemed to be at the back of his mind, especially after he was approached by Super Eagles handler, Samson Siasia.
Fervent desire
“I’ve always wanted to play for Nigeria,” he continued. “Yes, I have played for England at youth level and there was a chance I would someday play for the senior national team, but after carefully weighing the options available to me, I had to pick Nigeria.
“The manager (Siasia) made it quite clear that he wanted me and I was moved by that. It’s not every day you get a visit from the manager of the Super Eagles and he was able to convince me that my future was with Nigeria.”
Going by events at the national team’s training sessions prior to the game against Ethiopia, it was obvious to all that Moses was going to play a part in the game against the East Africans until news filtered in that he was not eligible for the game.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to play against Ethiopia, as I wasn’t eligible for the game, but that was no fault of mine. I do believe it will be rectified before the next game, which I believe is against Argentina.
“That will be a very interesting game and it would be special to make my debut against a team like Argentina. I wanted to play against Ethiopia but we can’t go against the rules.”
FIFA palaver
Having previously played for England at youth level, FIFA’s Players Status Committee requires correspondences from all parties involved before confirming Moses’ eligibility for Nigeria.
Moses, according to the FIFA Committee, has to notify FIFA of his intention to play for Nigeria. At the same time, the English FA has to concur to a release, while the Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF) has to express their willingness to accept the player as a full international.
The Nigerian FA however commenced the process of getting Moses eligible for the Super Eagles only on the Wednesday leading up to the game against Ethiopia but the time was too short for FIFA to do anything about the situation.
“We wrote to FIFA notifying them of our intention to use him but they informed us that there are certain conditions that should be met before he could play for us,” disclosed acting secretary general of the NFF, Musa Amadu in an interview with NEXT.
“These include a letter from Moses indicating his intent to switch nationality, as well as one from us, and another from the English FA confirming that Moses had not played for their senior team.
“We have to get all of these documents together and send them to FIFA. By the time we do all of these, he will be available to play for the Super Eagles, but I am sure all will be sorted out before our next match,” he added.
Amadu isn’t alone in that regard as Siasia is equally hopeful that the Wigan forward will be available for the friendly game against Argentina on June 1 in Abuja, as well as the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ethiopia four days later in Addis Ababa.
Bright future
“He is a very humble young man,” said Siasia. “But he’s also good and has age on his side.
He added: “He has a bright future ahead of him and if he remains focused on his career, he will definitely be in the Super Eagles for a very long time.” Playing for the Super Eagles for a very long time is definitely on Moses’ mind. But one other thing that’s also preying on his mind is getting the team back to the top of the footballing tree; a task he believes is possible considering the array of stars at the country’s disposal.
“With all the top players in this team it’s surprising that we are not so highly rated,” he continued. “There’s (John Obi) Mikel, (Joseph) Yobo, (Osaze) Odemwingie, (Taye) Taiwo, and so many other good players in this team.” “There are so many good players spread all over Europe and it’s obvious that this is going to be a great team. He added:
“With the plans the manager has in store for this team, I think it won’t be long before the rest of the world begins to pay attention to us. I am so glad to be here in the company of these wonderful players.”
