Nigeria is a country of the ridiculous and the miraculous.
We seem to see both in cycles over and over, to the extent we are hardly surprised by either.
However, you just cannot seem to place the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), owing Stephen Keshi under any. It is a mile away from miraculous and tagging it ridiculous, reduces the gravity of a messy situation.
It was always a mess from the Africa Nations Cup this year. Immediately after leading Nigeria to become African champions, Keshi tabled his resignation. After the Minister of Sports ‘intervened’, Keshi withdrew his resignation as coach of the Nigerian national team.
I won’t go into the irritating plot by NFF officials, to sack Keshi mid way into the tournament.
Let’s focus on Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi. At that point in time, a lot of people applauded him and hailed him as the best thing ever in the Ministry of Sports.
Seven months later, with Keshi still waiting for his salaries since February, he makes a dumb remark.
“If NFA is having problems paying Keshi’s salary, it means that the system has a problem and that system has to be addressed. It is unfortunate that Keshi has to bring out the issue of his salary and make it a media issue, because it is something that can be addressed internally,” he said.
“We are taking the right steps to support the NFA to meet this obligation. But, for me, it is not something that is supposed to be a media issue. However, do you boycott working or call a press conference because somebody is owing you salary? When you get a job you do it and you don’t go about embarrassing your employers because your salary is delayed.”
Nigeria being what it is, Abdullahi still has a job. It is sort of foolishness that we see in the corridors of power, among those who have some form of authority.
Thankfully, their folly was laid bare on social media yesterday and we expect to see drastic measures soon. He has already come out to say that Keshi will be paid soon. How adorable! If it was to be a white man, the country would have been held to ransom and the NFF would have moved heaven and earth to get him paid. Like someone said, the problem of the black man is another black man.
However, one question that still circles in my mind is: Why hasn’t Bolaji Abdullahi resigned yet?
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