Santa Claus customarily comes once in a year particularly at this season bearing gifts with fervour for the kids, but Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) 1st Vice President and Partner at Akinwunmi & Busari Legal Practitioners, believes charitable offerings should not start and end with the Christmas’ festivity.
To say Akinwunmi is a man of all seasons as far as generosity and football is concerned is perhaps stating the obvious; and what else to tête-à-tête about this airy Monday afternoon a day after the successful hosting of 2017 COPA Lagos than his abiding love for the round leather game and milk of human kindness?
“I just love to give and that is the best part of me,” Akinwunmi who doubles as chairman of the Lagos State Football Association began in an interview with The Nation. “Yet some people don’t understand my spirit of giving (charity). One day, my personal assistant asked: ‘Oga (boss), why do you like giving out everything you have…clothes, money and shoes?’ and I replied: ‘have you ever seen me naked?’
“Giving comes to me naturally and I don’t give just to look good to people; the more I give, the more I get and I derive tremendous joy from doing such little things as giving out loaves of bread any time I travel outside Lagos,” admitted Akinwunmi.
Yet as a good Christian, Akinwunmi said he was not oblivious of the fact that ‘man shall not live by bread alone’ hence his vision led to the founding of Courage Education Foundation-a charity organisation with endowment for scholarship for indigent kids and talented young footballers.
In the ensuing conversation at his desk in Lagos, it was there to see the joy that welled up in Akinwunmi’s heart as he spoke with an uncommon humility about the laudable gesture of giving out to the less-privileged kids.
“About 12 or 13 years ago, I started the task of paying school fees of some kids including those of my security guards, driver and house help,” he explained with broad smiles. “But as time goes on, it became very big and had to call on my friend, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, and we expanded and formalised it to Courage Education Foundation (CEF).
“The first child who enrolled at CEF is the daughter of the security guard I spoke about earlier and she even went to Day Waterman College with my son. She has graduated from Caleb University and narrowly missed getting a First Class. Currently, we have about 26 students in the university and it is pleasing to see the positive changes in their life,” he said.
Of course, Akinwunmi is a renaissance football man and no wonder, he has married charity with the beautiful game. Since 2014, the Seyi Akinwunmi Charity Mini Tournament which was ‘conceived as an annual event to raise charity for intelligent but indigent children’ has become a big occurrence at the famous Campos Mini Stadium in the heart of Lagos and this year’s event on December 29 will coincide with his 55th birthday.
“After my election into the NFF, I thought also about using football to help smart indigent kids to fulfil their aspirations by getting them to schools,” he revealed. “As I’m speaking with you, we have 15 of these aspiring footballers in schools; nine of them are in Greensprings and two recently graduated. We have two girls in Right To Dream in Ghana.
“When I decided to have the annual charity football match at the Campos complex, some kids walked up to me that they were hungry the day we went to look at the facility and I decided promptly that we were going to feed all the kids around on the day of the event.
“We started by feeding 500 kids, then 1000 and this year we are going to feed 1,500 kids in the neighbourhood and that’s their Christmas or end of the year gifts. It’s also our style to give out bags of rice or beans to parents of these kids on scholarship with CEF,” he said.
It’s been said that ‘style is a reflection of your attitude and personality’ as such an interview with Akinwunmi cannot be completed without talking about the three NFF’s Musketeers or the NFF’s PAD- the writer’s coinage for the top three board members of the NFF with: P for Pinnick who serves as President; A for Akinwunmi who serves as 1st VP and D-for Dikko who is the 2nd VP.
Despite differences in philosophy and personality, the trio have confounded everyone with the manner they’re carrying out their respective assignments, but Akinwunmi pulled no punches as he speaks about their working relationship.
“Pinnick is a smart person but I think a lot of people underestimate him. He knows what he wants and he’s extremely brave. I’ve learnt a lot from him because if he wants something he goes for it; and he who dares wins,” stated Akinwunmi in his usual frankness . “I’ve worked with someone with that same kind of personality as such, I understand him perfectly. Though I could fight when necessary, I’m not as bold as Pinnick.
“Shehu(Dikko) on the other hand is a typical businessman who likes to ensure he’s in control of everything. He is also smart but he’s different from Amaju in some other way. The problem I sometimes have with Shehu is that he’s too much of a diplomat who doesn’t want to offend anybody.
“But we understand ourselves perfectly and it’s easy for me to really work with them because I quite understand their nuances; and this has really rubbed off on the stability of the NFF. In fact, a lot of people (both our enemies and friends) have accused me of being the stabiliser, but for us to succeed, we need a peaceful environment and that is one point a lot of people missed.
“We’ve had a relatively stable NFF and for the NFF to succeed, we just need to reduce ourselves and increase the structure. Personally, the structure is the most important thing for me and I will take my leave the day I no longer believe in that structure.
“I don’t get bothered with some of the things people say. I have heard people say I was humiliated. Humiliation to them is when someone who is lower in rank to me is on the pitch shaking hands with the players, but how does that affect my life? Little things that some people take as important are not important to me. These are some of the ways I try to be a stabilising factor in the NFF,” stated Akinwunmi as he speaks candidly on his romance with football, Russia 2018 and other sundry issues in this interview with MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN. Excerpts…
Romance with football
I think my romance with football actually started with my playing right from my days in the primary school (Maryland Command School). Then, we used to pay a lot of interschool competition and I remember playing one final at Maryhill Covenant School in Ibadan. In those days, everybody around had something to do with football but as supposed to anybody mentoring me, I derived a lot of joy from playing football while growing up. By nature, I love to learn things and I read a lot about the history of football, knew so much and I used to flaunt such knowledge about players as a child. It excited me to know about football more than the next man. And I was also lucky to have such audience because I can also play it. I started playing street football, then the junior team in my secondary school, later in the Greater Tomorrow team and played in the Principal’s Cup before travelling to England to further my studies. I played for my school and got called up for the U-19 England team . I enjoyed the playing so much and I never thought I would be an administrator one day.
Not playing football as a professional
In those days, you had to be a doctor, engineer or lawyer. No matter how much our parents loved football, playing football then was considered a vocation for school drop outs. As they usually said then, ‘ go and read your book.’ I grew up and continued along that line and it might interest you to know that I actually got offers from three clubs while I was in secondary school. I’ve said this story many times and actually told guests about it during my mum’s birthday. I got letters from Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspurs and Brighton & Hove Albion those days when they were in the First Division. Excited, I sent those letters to my mum but she later came to the school and said in Yoruba ‘se won sepe fun e ni ati wipe tiwon ba sepe fun, se o wa gbodo mu e?’ (are you cursed by someone and even if that is the case, must you be accursed ?) General laughter….
I was very downcast with her outburst because I saw those offers as my break but that ended my career in football. I forgot about it, went to the university to do law but then I was a player and coach of my university team and I even had a grassroots team I was helping out then.
My greatest footballer
It is extremely difficult for me to pick one person as the greatest footballer and I think we have to pick in terms of generation because we’ve had players who ruled their generations. Pele, Maradona stood out and they certainly ruled their generation. The most difficult now is between Messi and Ronaldo; it’s a tough call for so many obvious reasons. If I’m a player and picking set, I think I’ll pick Messi over Ronaldo. Messi is much more naturally gifted than Ronaldo; though Ronaldo is gifted in his own right but a lot of what he has achieved was down to practice. I saw Ronaldo both at training a few times when he was at Manchester United and what you can see was a lot of practice and determination on his part to succeed; and he must be given kudos for that. With Messi , you can come up with the impression that even if he didn’t train he can still excel in a match. Besides that, I think they are at par in terms of what they have both achieved.
Transition to administration
I’ve always been involved with football but I think everything changed when I was appointed into a the federal government committee to look at our football structure. Honestly, I don’t know who recommended me into that committee up till today because I just got a letter that I have been appointed into a committee to look at the development of football in Nigeria. That was actually in 2009. Prior to that time, I had worked as a volunteer lawyer to Lagos State Football Association. I’d gone there looking for something and they were arguing over a document and I told them I would be their lawyer for free and I think that was as far back as 2000. Along the line, I was also privileged to write speech and position papers for some would-be NFF presidents, particularly Kojo Williams. Apart from that, I have always been involved with football and I later became a special adviser on legal matter though not officially to the then sports minister, Bio, and was advising him on issues relating to football. Frankly, I think I must have done some good along the line and was at a friend’s birthday party when I got a call from the then Lagos State commissioner for sport with a message from the Governor (Babatunde Raji Fashola) and that he wanted to put my head into the ring to contest as chairman of LSFA. I said the governor knew I don’t have time but he insisted I should give it a try.
I later took the form and the rest is history as I became the LSFA Chairman, but was shocked when I later learnt that the LSFA did not even have an office and I asked myself ‘what kind of trouble I have gotten myself into?’ Then they had only two senior staff and three others who were also working in different places. We were then at Teslim Balogun Stadium until one day we were told that the conference room we were using and that I was planning to partition was not even our office. We later moved to Onikan Stadium and got space for our offices; and that was how the LSFA matter came up. As regards the NFF, I never planned to run for the election in 2014 but it happened we hosted the then NFF President (Alhaji Aminu Maigari) and I actually raised it with my colleagues in the South West that ‘we’d never had a voice from our zone from the NFF and that there is no harm in asking for such from the visiting NFF President.’ We did ask and he asked what we actually wanted and we all said ‘vice-president’ and he also asked who was the person we were putting forward, and everybody looked at me and that was it. Nonetheless, we still had a shadow election in the South West and I was chosen by my constituency.
I think what endeared me to so many people was my stand when we had the ‘Giwa issue’ and being a lawyer, I was able to articulate and explain the statues of the NFF in order for everyone to understand properly during a session we had in Abuja.
Also, during the impeachment of Alhaji Maigari saga, Lagos State was the first to write a position paper that it was against our statues and when we had this fake NFF election in Abuja whereby everyone was tricked to the tenure in order to get us sign our names in order to send it to FIFA. And I can now confess that I arranged for that list to disappear. That actually saved us because if that signed list (though they skipped my name because they knew I’m a lawyer) had gone to FIFA, it would have been difficult to believe it was a fictitious election.
In fact, they got the policemen to stop us from leaving and they threatened to shoot should our bus go through the gate but I jumped out along with two others that they better shoot at us as I forced my way through the gate. I think some of these events showed my capacity to so many people and helped in getting to the NFF.
Postcard from Russia 2018 draws
Looking through the hall at St. Petersburg’s Konstantin Palace and coupled with the calibre of people around, it reinforced the impression that football has come a long way. I was wowed with the presence of people like Gordon Banks (England’s 1966 World Cup-winning goalkeeper); Pele, Maradona and a host of others in one room. It was also amazing to see Pele. Here was the first of the greatest footballers and still very recognised by people the world over despite the fact that he’s no longer active. It brought me to earth, especially and a sense of realism for those of us occupying one position or the other currently. The organisation of the draws itself was good , you realised that all the groups are tough and that means we must prepare very well going to Russia 2018.
Super Eagles ahead Russia 2018
Honestly, I think we can do well in Russia. Honestly, I think we need a lot of luck we need to win our first match against Croatia. Assuming everything is at is today with all our players fit going into the last weeks before the World Cup, would go a long way in strengthening the team. Individually, we have good players and every time I watch their training, I see them gelling together more. We have started seeing some telepathic communication amongst the players. If they can be together for close to a month and with some good friendly matches, I think the world would be surprised. The good thing going to Russia 2018 is that we’ve played Argentina and I don’t think the Super Eagles would have any complex against any other team in Russia. Once we are able to get out of that group, it’s anybody’s game thereafter. It was not a fluke we qualified for Russia 2018 with a game in hand and it wasn’t a fluke that we beat Argentina even coming from behind to power to victory. Yes Messi wasn’t there, but the fact that we were able to come back from two-goal deficit shows the kind of spirit in the team. On the part of the NFF, we are determined that no issue of money would distract the team this time around and we hope to even pay them their bonuses before they are done with the first round of matches the World Cup. And we have already signed all the agreements with the players and officials of the team in order to avoid distraction about money. One of the problems we’ve had over the years was not the lack of talents but the money distraction at the World Cup. Good enough, CAF too has also supported all the five teams that qualified for Russia 2018 which is a good omen that money would not be a distraction to the team; and we have planned so well ahead of time in respect of the friendly matches for the team as well as other logistics relating to our participation in Russia. I don’t think this sort of things had been done in the past. With all what we have done and with the support of Nigerians, we are going to do well in Russia.
My kind of personality
I’m pretty easy going and that is the proper assessment of my personality. I don’t take offense too long and once you say ‘sorry’ it’s bygone. I think I’m hard working. I love music, football and I like my own company (of people). Also, I demand excellence from people working around me. I’m not a complicated person at all, but I do get annoyed most times at work and this is when I repeatedly correct somebody over the same thing. I don’t get annoyed about making mistake but I do when you can’t just explain why and how you did it? One of my favourite quotes is ‘think through it’ and that I think can help in avoiding making avoidable mistakes. Another thing that can easily upset me is pretence. You don’t pretend you are on my side if you are not. But if I find out you are not on my side, I’ll come at you from your blind side. I have no apologies about it; I’m a fighter too. But if you come up to me upfront, we can talk things over but I can’t stand pretenders.
My flip side
I haven’t told you about how a good DJ I was; how good a dancer I’m. Though age is catching up on me, I used to be a very good dancer and everybody used to step back at parties for me. I love music and my playlist is extremely very wild than anyone can imagine. I have Ayinla Omoruwa; JZ, Davido; Sunny Ade; Ebenezer Obey; Wasiu Ayinde and I’m a great Fela (Anikulapo Kuti) fan. I actually was 11 years old when I first went to the Shrine to watch Fela. I went along with a senior cousin who was a Shine fanatic and looking back, I think he took me along so that I won’t feel he was out. And I just fell in love with Fela. It was crazy and the second time, I was dancing so well that Fela had to call me on stage and he was amazed that I knew all the songs. I’m a great Fela fan and when I got to Igbobi College, everybody knew and during our free times I would be asked to come to the middle and sing Fela songs. Those are fond memories and another part of me. I have the gift to lift people around me up; you don’t work with me without being a good person than you started.
It’s simply impossible and if you ask those who work with me at the LSFA, they would tell you they are better off than when we started together. I made sure they do one course or the other that I paid for even without them knowing about it. I make sure I invest in people.
My family
I’m married to Jumoke Akinwunmi; Architect/ Project Manager and a special assistant to one of the state governors on housing development. We are blessed with three children; two daughters and a boy. My first child is a chartered accountant and recently got married; my second daughter is in her final year in the university while my Prince is about to enter the university.
My love for charity
On hindsight, I imbibed the spirit of giving from my parents because they were magnanimous people too. Our house is always full with my friends and whether I’m there or not, my mum would cook for them. I was also encouraged as a kid not to be snobbish. I was trained not to look down on anybody, because of that I have always felt to help those who are less privileged. I haven’t thought about this until you asked me now.
Even when my mum would come visiting every Saturday while at boarding school, I would have shared out all what she brought even before she got back to the gate. So this has been part of my life. I think my best Christmas season took place in 2015 when we went to Dubai and the reason it was my best holiday was because of the people along with me; my wife, my second daughter and my son were with me, as well as Maryam from CEF who I spoke about earlier that recently graduated from Caleb University and Musa who recently graduated from Greensprings. I was so pleased because nobody could differentiate who was my child and who was not. Incidentally, Musa’s birthday is usually December 31 and we really had a good time; and it’s undoubtedly the best Christmas holidays I’ve had.
