I have since learned not to believe everything ascribed to President Muhammadu Buhari under the guise of words from the Presidency, because they turn out to be half-truths or lies. So, when the story popped up on the internet about a purported decision by President Buhari not willing to reward the victorious Golden Eaglets with cash and other goodies, I regarded it as a case of a footballer kicking the ball over the bar from the penalty spot.
However, no word has come out from the Ministry of Youth and Sports debunking the story. Is the ministry ignoring it because it didn’t come from its officials? That could be dangerous, given the crowd that follows the beautiful game. Many stayed up till early morning to watch the Eaglets. Many of them celebrated as early as 3am or 4am when the Eaglets won. This celebration didn’t stop them from heading for work later. Such is the oneness among Nigerians whenever our teams win matches or trophies. I digress!
President Buhari understands the dynamics of sports- I arrived at this hypothesis when he challenged the sports hierarchy to reinvent swimming, if they truly want Nigeria to excel in multi-sports competitions. I shouted Eureka while reading the story, knowing that with such a President, sports will reach its Promised Land – with time. If I thought that statement was a fluke from President Buhari (I didn’t anyway), then the President’s quick release of funds for the All Africa Games, underlined the essence of the change mantra in Nigeria.
It is true that there is a global recession. But the spiral effect of rewarding our athletes is unquantifiable, when they move from being amateurs to professionals. A handsome reward in cash and kind will reinvigorate the desire of most skeptical parents to allow their kids earn a living as sportsmen and women.
Indeed, athletes who win laurels for Nigeria are children of the hewers of woods and drawers of water. In fact, every time these kids sneak out to do sports, they return home to be flogged and at other times denied their meals to serve as a deterrent to other kids who would want to toe their path. Some of these parents beat their children because they want them to be educated. They always point at their relations and neighbours whose kids are educated and doing very well in the society. They want to produce as many graduates as they can afford to send to school, not sportsmen and women whose life span in the industry is between one year and 10, barring any injuries.
For some other parents, its boundless joy if their kids sneak out for games. It means less people to cater for when the meals are ready. Of course, these lads are not bothered. Their target is to get recognition from clubs or national teams’ scouts, which they know will open a new vista in their lives.
Once they gain national prominence, parents who hitherto whipped the boys at dusk after training begin to encourage them to reach the heights set by others. Since these kids come from poor backgrounds, they embrace the game with awful clothing and funny kits.
It is always a laughable sight watching these kids in the hinterlands tying their legs with long stockings, for those who cannot afford to buy boots. Those who wear boots are the skilful ones whose parents scavenged to buy them. What stands out here is that the road to the national teams is tortuous, making it imperative for the willing parents to expect returns on their investments.
This is the point that President Buhari must consider even though many would opt for a handshake, considering the fact that they are of school age. Most parents borrow money to equip these boys from the grassroots. Some sell their properties, engage the services of prayer warriors etc to ensure nothing happens to their sons and daughters before, during and after the competitions.
But will you blame these parents who turncoat when their wards excel? Who no like better thing? I won’t, having seen how the likes of Nwankwo Kanu, Austin Okocha, Victor Ikpeba, John Mikel Obi et al changed the fortunes of their families once they gained international prominence.
My President sir, it would interest you to note that these kids have left their homes since last year. Many have sacrificed their future by remaining in camp. It will, therefore, amount to double jeopardy if all that they get is a handshake, not monetary rewards. Some of the cash would help their parents pay back debts incurred in their favour when they had not made the team.
Again, Mr President, you will recall sir, that 30 years ago, you gave instructions on what to do to the Golden Eaglets who lifted the maiden U-16 World Cup in China in 1985. Many of the recipients haven’t been given what was approved. Some of them have died. I wonder how they would get theirs.
It is for this reason, among others, that monetary rewards should be given to the Eaglets. They would then be free to use it for whatever they like. Those who want to continue their education could be given scholarships if they have the requisite qualifications. Those who want to be full professionals would get the NFF’s support, provided they would be ready to play for the country when there is a clash in fixtures between Nigeria and their European clubs.
Spending N100 million on the Eaglets won’t make Nigeria poorer than she is. Not giving the Eaglets cash rewards won’t stop the pilfering in high places. If each Eaglet gets N2million, for instance, you can be sure that their parents’ living standard will improve. Their siblings won’t have to trek long distances to the farm in the wee hours before heading for school, simply because they want to take the parents’ wares to the farm. N2million would settle a lot of family problems than scholarships or other goodies which won’t compel other families to emulate them. N2million can build a bungalow in many villages in Nigeria, where these boys were discovered from. Imagine a family staying in a face-me-I-face-you apartment leaving the place for a bungalow, known to everyone in the village was sourced from the government’s largesse to one of their own. It is the elixir to push others to emulate this new kid in subsequent football competitions. It will raise more attention if the N2million is used to buy two sachet water engines to process water from boreholes sunk from this largesse. These boys are villagers. They are the artisans and the poor people’s kids. These kids’ parents’ need returns on their investments in cash, not scholarships or welfare packages. Let them decide their wards’ future.
Previous winning squads who received cash have moved on, unlike the 1985 group who are still waiting for scholarships, insurance policies, dividends from the stocks they bought – 30 years after the directive was issued. Mr. President sir, how many of the 1985 class are graduates today? Going to school isn’t a pot of porridge. It is very expensive. But this is not to say cash is superior to scholarship, which will ensure that those of them who would like to go to school are not encumbered. No. Who says they can’t get both? In fact, the President, in my own view, should let these boys have both. They can then choose which way to go.