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Sports Minister and
chairman of the National Commission for Sports (NSC), we welcome you on
board once again. Happy New Year, but straight to business sir.

Just as a reminder,
I said on this column last week that you must not believe that the time
at your disposal is not enough for you to institutionalise some
sensitive aspects of sports management. I believe that you understand
the Nigerian terrain well enough, that you are adequately informed,
hence, capable of navigating your way, politically and professionally,
around the cabal, seemingly in charge of sports in Nigeria.

I also said that
you can make a lot of difference if you strategically avoid the two
sides of the coin and concentrate on the edge. I think I made a mistake
by saying this. I believe you will still need to look at those sides of
the coin, but you will glean a lot of effective and functional ideas
from the third side of the coin, called the edge.

There are
professional ramifications attached to your appointment. While it can
be considered a political appointment, the fact that you are a
professional stakeholder, with a very solid academic background, tends
to assist in neutralising the political arrangement.

So, it can be
generally assumed that you should be left to apply your professional
discretion on the job. I agree absolutely sir. But may I humbly counsel
that you make yourself vulnerable right away. This is because nobody,
not even the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of
Nigeria, can give you power to succeed. You just take it. Your
predecessor can tell you more about this now.

It is by making
yourself vulnerable that you acquire the requisite power to succeed.
Dear Minister, in Nigeria, history has shown us that power is not all
about brute force, or the number of degrees attached to one’s name, or
about intimidation, oppression or domination.

Your capabilities
to M.A.D. — to make a difference, by the way the lives of sports men
and women are changed, the ways you motivate and inspire them, change
the putrefying odour presently emanating from the sports ministry, the
National Sports Commission and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC), to
a sweet smelling aroma, then and only then, is nothing more powerful
than being positively vulnerable.

Meeting with the real stakeholders

Permit me to share
an idea with you, sir. Is it possible for you to invite some people for
an interactive session, where those invited will pledge before the
meeting that nothing but the truth, no matter how bitter, would be told
at such a meeting?

These people –
patriots/minority stakeholders of Nigerian sports – form the core of
those on the edge of the coin you may have to listen to now. These
people have been closely monitored for more than a decade and I know
that they have something to offer you and this massively blessed
nation, in order for you to take sports to higher levels, by the
special grace of God Almighty.

They are listed
below: Monday Emogbawe of the Nigerian Paralympic Association, Prince
Are of the Amputees Football Association, Joe Mensah – Boxing, Sam
Ahmedu – Basketball, Tunde Obisanya – Table Tennis, Aisha Falode –
Women football, Emelia Edet – Athletics, Segun Odegbami, Adokiye
Amiesimeka, Jide Fashikun, Sadiq Abdullahi – Nigeria’s Tennis
Ambassador, plus my humble self.

Honourable
Minister, if indeed, wisdom is the correct application of knowledge,
and knowledge is derived from information, then I wish to suggest that
we give this idea a trial. Can anything good emanate from such an
exercise? Well, let us leave time to tell and sports loving Nigerians
to decide.

But I know,
Honourable Minister, someone like Coach Joe Mensah will be able to tell
you and Nigerians how the lost glory of boxing can be revived in
Nigeria. How this great nation will not be disgraced at international
boxing tournaments anymore. How we can search and groom world class
boxers. How ten amateur boxers in Nigeria will stop using just one
mouth-guard, irrespective of the health hazards involved.

All those mentioned
above have a lot to say. Give each of us just one hour each at such a
forum and I can assure you that the result will be overwhelming.

I humbly take
responsibility for this proposed interactive session. I appreciate the
fact that some of the personalities mentioned are not as popular as
Nigerians may want them to be, but believe me, something is likely to
come out of the exercise.

Honourable
Minister, this is entirely my idea. I did not inform anyone of them
before going to press; hence I apologise, if this will embarrass anyone
of them. I hope it does not. Happy New Year Nigerians. All will be well.