Nigeria Content Online

Last weekend I
enjoyed one of those rare moments when a researched, investigative
article manifests in a true life situation almost immediately.
Suddenly, Amos Adamu seems to have delivered his own head on a plate as
a scapegoat for sacrificial offering. Just last week I had strong
reason to share my thoughts in an article titled False Indication of
Fair Administration (F.I.F.A.). In it I highlighted the way FIFA dealt
with corruption scandals within their organisation in the past and
concluded the world governing body has established a reputation of
glossing over serious issues.

This is
substantiated by the slap-on-the-wrist punishments meted out to
offenders that are more certainly encouraging than punitive. Many
comments have been made locally and internationally with divided
opinions of what to expect from FIFA concerning this matter. Football’s
governing body has made appropriate statements promising investigations
into the fallout of the sting on Adamu by the Sunday Times of London
reporters posing as lobbyists who wanted to bring the World Cup to the
United States.

Sunday Times’ sting operation

Adamu allegedly
demanded £500,000 ($800,000) – in the recording – for four football
pitches but with payment directly made to him, to endorse a US bid.
Something tells me that would be strong a line of defence; that he put
that caveat of direct payment to safeguard the money’s use from
thieving NFF officials and ensure it is used for the required purpose.
Godfather Blatter immediately wrote to the 24 executive members
promising a full investigation and assured England it would not affect
their bid. Amos Adamu is scheduled to face the ethics committee today.
The Oceania Football Confederation is also investigating the reports
concerning Tahiti’s Reynald Temarii who faces a similar allegation.

Even more serious
is Ternarii’s claim that two bidding nations or parties related to the
bidding nations offered him $10m and $12m for his vote. If true, this
would be a scandal of the level of gigantic proportions and heads must
roll to prove FIFA’s credibility.

The way FIFA has
handled the high profile corruption cases in the past does not make me
very optimistic much will come out of this. If it does that would be
fantastic but then it could only be precedent.

Except the powerful
English FA (and press) insists on a scapegoat, nothing punitive will
come out of this and if so, I suspect the Tahitian will be prey, not
Adamu because of many factors. One of which is his much alleged FIFA
approved succession of Issa Hayatou as CAF President over a vital
power-base Blatter cannot afford divided. More so, Adamu delivers
loyally. We wait and see in the hope that justice is done to leave
Nigeria free of a man touted to be at the root of Nigeria’s football
and sports problems.

I earnestly hope
Adamu is the scapegoat; if only to satisfy the yearnings of many
Nigerians. At least, being caught ‘live’ on camera with his hand in the
pot for once, seems to corroborate the many corruption accusations
levelled at him. In the words of popular sports commentator and
reporter, Gordon Farquhar, “It’s FIFA’s turn to face itself and ask
difficult questions about the probity of some of its members, past and
present” and, if I may add, ‘do the right thing….for once’.

Bio’s assertions on Delhi performance

My other observation of aluta lies firmly at the feet of the Sports Minister Bio.

I read with great
interest and admiration Mumini Alao’s article in Complete Sports about
2 weeks ago titled “Bio, it’s time to bow”. I share the same opinion.
Mumini’s article outlined more than enough reasons for the minister to
honourably take his leave but as expected, he hasn’t.

There’s something
extremely magnetic about holding governmental office that either
corrupts the innocent person with good intentions before assuming
office or reveals the person’s true (hitherto unknown) nature. I don’t
know which adequately describes the Minister. However, I do know that
his initial ‘gra-gra’ of uncovering the Eagles hotel debacle prior to
the World Cup has been obliterated by his involvement in the
shenanigans that took Nigeria football backwards until FIFA’s
intervention. To cap it all, I watched him attribute Nigeria’s Delhi
success to proper preparations and his ministry’s involvement. Amazing!
What adequate preparations? How come there was no mention of the
preparations to prevent the triple doping scandals? Or why didn’t he
address the incompetence or negligence of Nigerian doctors that
accompanied the contingent to India? What is his office going to do
about appealing the sorry cases especially as Indian athletes were
found guilty of taking the same banned substances but were exonerated
quickly enough to continue participating in the Games?

Truly, Sports Minister, it’s time to go. You don’t have a detailed
plan for sports development in Nigeria; if you do, please make it
public within seven days so we can all know and work towards
actualising it with you. Our initial expectations of you have been shot
to pieces. Otherwise we know the general plan is ‘aluta continua’ so
that somehow you will thread your way back into high office in the next
political term.