A Lesson or Two from Super Eagles

Simon Kolawole Live!: Email: simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com

I was close to tears. I arrived Abuja, last Tuesday, shortly after the Super Eagles returned from South Africa where they had just played their way into the hearts of millions of football fans to become the champions of Africa. Why was I so touched? As Nigerians lined the streets to welcome the heroes, I saw unspeakable joy on their faces. Genuine joy. I saw soldiers at the airport brigade dancing and waving the green-white-green flag. I saw children jumping joyfully. I saw ecstatic women and men. This was no rented crowd. This was no choreographed jubilation. This was no political rally where hungry people go to show “solidarity” after pocketing a few wads of naira. No. This was real. The excitement was authentic. The ululation was heart-felt. The flag-waving was neither coerced nor induced.
As the Super Eagles flew their way to glory in South Africa, some thoughts about our politics welled up in my heart. We have said these things several times in the past, but they become more real to me day by day. Each time the players took to the field, they represented every nook and cranny of Nigeria. There were only 11 players on the pitch, but they were representing the 36 states and FCT, the 774 local government areas, the 250 ethnic groups and 160 million Nigerians. It did not matter that many states or ethnic groups did not have any players on the field. It did not matter that most of the players were from one part of the country. Each time we entered the pitch, we saw them first and foremost as Nigerians who were working their socks off to bring glory to the country. Each time they scored, we all celebrated irrespective of the player’s state of origin or religion.

Those who play up ethnic and religious sentiments for political purposes in Nigeria may wish to look at football, or sport, more closely. They need to renew their minds. When we assemble a team of ministers and other public officers to govern us, it is in our interest for them to succeed. We must see them as “playing” for Nigeria, not their ethnic groups or states. Their success is success for all Nigerians; their failure is failure for all Nigerians. If the minister of works is an Itsekiri or Idoma and all our federal highways are put in excellent shape, who benefits? All Nigerians! After all, Sunday Mba or Ahmed Musa scores for all Nigerians, not for the South or the North! Critically, though, the question must be asked: can we sincerely say we field our “Best 11” in government? Even if the constitution says there must be one minister from every state, do the states really nominate their best materials? What we see, mostly, are bootlickers making their way to the cabinet. And we keep asking why Nigeria is like this!

Meanwhile, while support for Super Eagles was national, irrespective of “tribe and tongue”, ethnic and religious manipulations dominate our polity. I hate to listen to some politicians and opinion leaders who see everything from a sectional point of view. Everything starts and ends with ethno-religious sentiments. They cannot even hide it. Before some people speak or write on any issue, you can predict precisely what their position would be. It must always be to defend or project sectional interest. Yet, for all intents and purposes, no ethnic group can claim innocence in the brigandage going on in Nigeria and the mismanagement of the country. To think one ethnic group is “clean” and the others are “evil” is to ignore fact and glamorise fiction. It is human beings, not ethnic groups, that are bad.

I cringe anytime I remember the day Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi was nominated as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. A colleague, who knew nothing about Sanusi, screamed: “So they are going to bring this illiterate Malam to come and destroy everything Soludo has built?” The colleague in question does not have half of Sanusi’s education or a quarter of his competence, but such were the prejudices we inherited from the foundation of Nigeria. We never bother to question these prejudices and face the facts. We mostly fail to judge everyone by his or her character. We simply pass the prejudices on to the next generation. This nonsensical stereotyping feeds our mind-sets. Yorubas are traitors and cowards; Hausas are illiterates and dumb; Igbos are fraudsters and money worshipers. Isn’t it refreshing that in football, we judge every player by his ability and performance, rather than by his ethnic origin?
I am aware that, for instance, much of the opposition to President Goodluck Jonathan in some parts of the country has nothing to do with his performance in office. Of course, there are many people who are genuinely disappointed with Jonathan’s performance so far, but there are also those whose only grouse is the part of the country Jonathan comes from.  Because of this, they wish him nothing but failure (some were wishing that Super Eagles would not win the Nations Cup so that Jonathan would have nothing to celebrate, forgetting completely that it is Nigeria, not Jonathan, that would be honoured by the victory). This sort of mind-set is tragic. If Jonathan fails as Nigeria’s president, all Nigerians will suffer the consequences. If he succeeds, Nigeria will be a better place for us. Isn’t that simple logic?

If the Eagles had failed to win the Africa Cup of Nations, the heartache would have been Nigerians’, not Jonathan’s alone. Because they won, Nigerians all over the world are over the moon, popping champagne and backslapping. It has nothing to do with whether or not they like Jonathan. As the president himself said, the celebration in Ibadan was as loud as the celebration in Kano! If Nigeria works, no matter who the president is, the pride is ours! The peace is ours! The prosperity is ours! Until we develop what I call a “Naija-centric” mentality, we will continue to fall prey to the agents of hate and discord among us. “Nigeria first” should be our mentality at all times.
Nevertheless, I recognise that football is not exactly politics. There is more at stake in politics than in football. In politics, our politicians are constantly bickering over who gets what, mostly for selfish gain. They care little about the ordinary Nigerians. Mediocrity and greed are the order of the day. In sport, the ingredients of success are merit, hard work and teamwork. I wish we could say that about our politics. Nigeria would certainly have become a paradise by now!

And Four Other Things...

Unilag SHAME
Last month, I suggested that President Goodluck Jonathan should surprise visits other public institutions after the Police College shame. My attention has been drawn to the shocking state of the hostels at the College of Medicine (University of Lagos). Students prospect for water every day to take their bath (how much will it cost to sink a borehole or two?); giant rats patrol the hostels day and night; electricity is exceptionally erratic; doors to toilets and bathrooms are so bad it’s better you bathe in the open; the rooms are as congested as a can of sardine; the whole place stinks! And you call that a university? I think Jonathan could still visit the school.

VALENTINE GOVERNOR
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State marked his first anniversary in office last Thursday, February 14. This prompted the MC to call him the “Valentine Governor”. Dickson seems to be in love with the rapid development of his state. I usually judge governors by certain yardsticks, especially the number of bulldozers and caterpillars at work. I am very impressed with Dickson’s heavy investment in education and infrastructure. He has set up an investment council with a mandate of turning Bayelsa into a world-class state. Bayelsa, rich in oil, fishing and agriculture, has been in the doldrums for too long. Dickson must keep his focus to deliver the goods.

SUPPORT FOR KESHI
My friend and former classmate at Unilag, Calvin Emeka Onwuka, told me sometime in 1991 that if any Nigerian player was ever going to succeed as national team coach, it would be Stephen Keshi. His logic was that Keshi had the personality to put players in check and the experience to create a good team. The prophecy is being fulfilled. Keshi, arguably the most influential footballer we’ve ever produced, has led us to win the Africa Cup of Nations. I am glad President Jonathan is offering him total support. Keshi has shown what a good Nigerian coach can do, given all the necessary support by the authorities.

TINUBU’S FINANCIALISM
On Thursday, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu will present his book, Financialism: Water from an Empty Well, which he co-authored with American Brian Browne. This intellectual endeavour is basically about political economy. It puts the global economic crisis into perspective, unearthing how the financial system drains the economy. Even though Tinubu is an accountant, this is not exactly the kind of book you expect from him. You would rather he does a Nasir el-Rufai and tells us some stories we’ve been longing to hear. Well, that could still come someday. For now, let’s go back to the classroom…