The Way Forward - Part I

With the Nigeria Super Eagles Qualifying for the African Nations Cup and the World Cup, what is formula for success?

Nigerians have a habit of wildly celebrating while neglecting important priorities. For us as Nigerians, the World Cup must be viewed as a gift. We must own our current domestic challenges and create an environment so that 2010 can be a year of goodwill.

Nigeria has domestic challenges in the areas of education, healthcare, security, law and order, poor roads, and water and power challenges. Despite this Nigeria will still likely waste a lot of money on the World Cup in South Africa. It is this sense of misplaced priorities that is a concern. At a high level Nigeria should set goals for success at the most basic level and then work its way towards other matters and not the other way around.


Problems along the road.
However as it stands now, our soccer mad nation has already employed (surely these people are being paid) a Presidential Task Force, to ensure the success of Nigeria at the World Cup. I am puzzled as to what this so called task force can do. One of their high level goals is to hire a foreign technical advisor to REPLACE the qualifying coach Shaibu Amodu.

The Presidential Task Force has already been assembled and has its supporters fully engaged cheering its every pronouncement. This so called The Presidential Task Force should be roundly questioned by all honest Nigerians. What is the purpose of this organization, and how are important funds being allocated to this when there are pressing priorities in Nigeria?

The statements reported to be coming from this organization are concerning and more importantly against the rules (if true) of FIFA.

The problem with this organization is that it is actually a deeply intrusive Governmental arm, which contravenes FIFA rules. If allowed to exist, their actions could involve meddling in player selections, player substitutions, player bonuses and more troublesome activities. It would do more to hurt Nigeria than help.

The other problem is the Nigerian government has created a high profile task force for this, when they could have created a task force for any of the numerous domestic challenges in the areas of education, healthcare, security, law and order, poor roads, and water and power challenges.

Well the World Cup will always create a way to irrationally spend money ... I just hope someone does an accounting in August of 2010.


xxx