RANDOM MUSINGS:
D’TIGRESSES’ OUTCRY, CHANGE OF GUARD AT NBA AND ONE OTHER THING.
By
Ben C. Abraham.
TOUCHING THE TAIL OF THE TIGRESS;
Just when we were about to have some respite from the sordid fallouts of the appalling Paris 2024 outing, some Sports Federation officials insist that that respite wouldn’t come so early. This time it is the Nigerian Basket Ball Federation (NBBF). On Wednesday 28th August, Abiola the daughter of our legendary basketball icon Akeem Olajuwon blew the lid open on the NBBF’s sleight of hand in the payment of the female Basketball team’s allowances and dues sequel to their impressive history making run at the just concluded Olympics. An assistant coach with the D’Tigress as the team is dubbed, Abiola spilled via her Instagram handle that the Federation withheld their dues and allowances and even where payment was made, it was grossly below the amount promised. Those in the know add that the Federation officials paid the US based players at the exchange rate of one US dollar to one naira, sixty-eight kobo ($1.00 to N1.68). The players are raving and the issue has pitched the once united and purposeful team into crisis with Abiola being removed from the team’s group chat. When will this atrocious practice of shortchanging our athletes and sports men and women come to an end? What is it with Federation officials and the allowances of athletes, I ask again? From football to table tennis and athletics it is the same story; not leaving out our disabled athletes who have severally protested their neglect despite funds being released for their various programs. While other countries’ sports officials support and sacrifice for their teams to bring back the trophy because of National pride, ours desire the trophy because a run to the finals translates to more money (including money allotted to the players), simpliciter! As usual, the Ministry has issued a statement promising to get to the root of the crisis. Such official statements only end up driving the nail into the coffin of the matter. In Nigeria, the Government is the main clog in the wheels of sports development. Many private Organizations who ventured to partner with the Sports Ministry towards sports development have unsavoury stories to tell. Meanwhile let our tigresses take their well-deserved vacation instead of this macabre dance with the NBBF officials who have no shame. The local saying is germane at this point, ‘onye akpala nwa agu aka n’odu ma odindu, ma onwuru anwu’. Don’t touch a tigress’ tail whether alive or dead.
THE CHANGE OF GUARD AT NBA – STILL ON LEGACIES;
On Thursday 29th August, the Nigerian Bar Association witnessed a change of guard with the swearing in of Mazi Afam Osigwe SAN as its National President, the 32nd person to assume the reins. A one-time General Secretary of the Association, Mazi assumes leadership of the August body at a time when the process of state capture and weakening of institutions by the present Government is playing out. Perhaps being aware of this fact and the other more germane fact of his immediate predecessor’s score sheet, Mazi in his inaugural speech, stated that the NBA with him at its helm would hold the Federal and State Governments accountable. He spoke as a man with a mission to revive a dead or dwindling Organization. When the NBA is seen and assessed vis a vis its vision of championing the rule of law, the report card is a tale of failures; failure in its role as a watchdog for the society against Government’s excesses, failure in advancing the welfare of its teeming members many of whom are young, and failure in showing the way as regards accountability and transparency in its operations. Well, Afam Osigwe has two years to make a change, if he will not be spoken of in the mould of his immediate predecessor, Yakubu Maikyau, also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. We hear that Mazi is at home with young lawyers who cherish him a lot and massively voted for him even though the results of the elections are still being contested. He needs to be told in black and white how Maikyau fared if he must make a much desired progress. Coming after Olumide Akpata’s exceptional and transformational administration, Yakubu Maikyau SAN took over and dragged the Association to perfidy; yes, dishonesty, duplicity and betrayal. NBA under Maikyau betrayed the Nigerian people when its voice and actions mattered most. Many people still remember the ignoble role that the NBA played during the 2023 General elections when even before the dust of the highly controversial elections settled Maikyau signed a statement declaring them largely free and fair. Acting as if the NBA was an appendage of the Government, Maikyau single handedly overruled actions by NBA Sections which were critical of the Government. We cannot forget his running battle with the Section on Public Interest and Development law (SPIDEL), one of the sections within NBA charged with public interest litigation. In the process of that battle, Maikyau disobeyed an order of a court. He sidelined his fellow Executive Committee members and carried on as if he was ruling a fiefdom. For the NBA it is, ‘how are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war perished’. In this season of legacies, those who are close to Mazi Osigwe SAN should counsel him to totally distance himself from anything Yakubu Maikyau SAN; that is, if he wants to be remembered for good. The choice is his.
……AND ONE OTHER THING:
THE POLICE AND THE NLC PRESIDENT – A CAT AND MOUSE GAME:
Comrade Joe Ajaero’s image is looming large every passing day thanks to the Federal Government and its agents especially the Nigerian Police. In the wake of the recent #endbadgovernance protests, the Police and the NLC got into a dogfight of sorts before Ajaero, the NLC numero uno was invited to appear at one of the Police offices in Abuja. The Police fired the first shot when they raided the Labour House, the official Headquarters of the NLC in Abuja, broke into the offices and claimed to have retrieved subversive documents showing that the NLC was actively involved in the attempt to change the Government via the protests. The NLC fired back and warned the police to mind its business. Not given to beating a retreat, the police then wielded the big stick – an invitation to Ajaero to appear in their IRT office to answer to allegations of criminal conspiracy, cybercrime, terrorism financing inter alia. Ajaero didn’t appear on the set day. His lawyer and fellow activist Femi Falana SAN asked for another day, 29th August. That day, Ajaero in company of Falana SAN and other lawyers and NLC henchmen honoured the police invite. A little more than an hour later Ajaero was asked to go. In preparation for the D-day, the NLC had placed all their members and affiliates on high alert to down tools if their boss was arrested. Specifically, the unions in charge of telecoms and electricity warned that should anything happen to Ajaero, Nigeria would smell their wrath as they would shut down the system. To prevent things from spiraling, the House of Reps weighed in and cautioned the police to back off from Ajaero. Less than 24 hours after leaving the IRT Ajaero has been invited again, this time by the Force Intelligence Department on allegations of conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace and damage to property. The new date is 5th September. Those in the know believe that there is a grand plan to cut the Congress to size and the Police have been chosen as the instrument for that job. How far they can go we don’t know but meanwhile let us wait for September 5th.