White Manager(s) for Hire – Call Nigerian Ministry of Sports.

The Orwellian doctrine which stipulates that "all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others " has found a home among the Nigerian policy makers in the twenty-first century. It has permeated itself in all aspects of Nigerian life and it is a cause of great concern.

Let us phrase the issue in a more simplistic term devoid of confusion so that the man on the street would comprehend what is at stake. It seems that the prerequisite for the Nigerian Super Green Eagles coaching job in a simple term appears to be: WHITE MAN NEEDED TO COACH NIGERIAN NATIONAL TEAM, BLACK MAN NEED NOT APPLY. Or black man needed as an apprentice in support of a white coach for the Nigerian national soccer-coaching job. This is the message coming out of Nigeria since the Nigerian national team’s dismal and lackluster performance at the recently concluded World Soccer Cup tournament.

According to the Reuters online news report of July 5, 2002, seven foreign nationals applied for the vacant Nigerian soccer head coaching position. Reuter reported that Mr. Steven Akiga, the Nigerian Sports Minister contended that "the plan (to hire a foreign coach) was an interim measure, with the long-term goal being to train Nigerians for the job…(that) Nigeria needs a foreign coach to get the best out of their array of stars playing in Europe’s top leagues."

As if not to be out done and speaking on the same subject at a Beijing, China news conference, Atiku Abubakar, Nigerian vice president declared that "there are certain things we (Nigerians) cannot do (successfully coaching Nigerian national team) and that there are certain things we are good at. We should concentrate on things we can do."(Vanguard Online News. July 5, 2002).

Nigerian government began tinkering with hiring a foreign coach as soon as the national team lost its first match with Sweden during the first round of the 2002 Word cop competition. However, the Minister’s comment belongs to the Nigerian Hall of Shame for disgusting commentary and deeds by the Nigerian leaderships. In essence, the Minister’s unstated premise or assumption was that Nigerians are not qualified to lead a Nigerian organization which may include the office of the presidency and the Ministry of Sports of which he proudly occupy.

The presidency, like the failure of a Nigerian born coach of the Green Eagles that failed to win a single match at the recently concluded world cop tournament, according to the Minister, should be replaced by a European given all the screw-ups, lack of leadership, poor economic performance, corruptions, etc. According to this interpretation, all the state governors, federal ministers and local government chairpersons must tender their resignation and be replaced by white people of European heritage.

Furthermore, Mr. Akiga should be taking orders from a white European because the sports ministry contributed tremendously to the downfall of the Nigerian national soccer team and other sports. But, given that this writer is a rational human being with strong sense of reasoning and love for the motherland, I would support Mr. Akiga’s reasoning to hire a foreign coach for the Nigerian national team on the following basis:

One thing that the honorable Minister failed to communicate to the world was that there are hundreds of Nigerians eligible to handle the national coaching job, but never had the opportunity to do so, and some who are even more qualified than the seven foreigners that have applied for the coaching job. They are equally ex soccer players who were very good during their playing days than the Europeans that are currently under consideration.

The only reason why these Nigerians are not seriously considered borders on ethnicity, politics and ignorance that a white man would do a better job than a black man, the same old mentality which the early missionary invaders to Africa brought along to white wash our forefather’s brain by telling them how inferior they are to the white race. Again, one would not be surprised by the Minister’s thinking after all, those who control Nigerian government today are humble students from the old school: British - selected few who are imposed on the people to rule for eternity.

Again, those who think that by hiring a white European, that the Nigerian soccer team would regain its past glory better think again. Nigeria is a nation of meddlers where those at the top always interfere with decision making process of a hired hand. They would always insist on having family members or friends hired to do a job, which they are not qualified to do. They would insist on the so-called reflection of national character instead of allowing the rule of talent to prevail. They want a quick fix with short-term result instead of building a lasting sustainable structure that would stand after they left office. They would under fund and undermine the rebuilding process, even resort to embezzling the funds necessary for the rebuilding effort.

Nigerian leaders need to stop insulting the intelligence of their people and the entire African race. They need to acknowledge that whatever the Europeans can do, the Nigerians or Africans can equally do, or even exceed the European capability. The bottom line is that Nigeria and Africa need to stop looking to Europe to cure their nemesis. They have the talents; all that is lacking is true leadership that would take them to the next level. Perhaps, the Minister need to be reminded that Christ the King College (an elite Catholic secondary school) located at Onitsha in Anambra State was the world champion in 1976 prior to the introduction of world junior soccer league. A Nigerian and not a foreign coach coached the CKC boys.

Finally, hire a Nigerian coach from the pool of over qualified Nigerian coaches to coach the Nigerian national soccer team. Pay the Nigerian coach the same amount of money, which the European coaches command. Any attempt to deviate from equal payment for comparable work is discriminatory and therefore illegal.

Allow the Nigerian coach a free hand to run the show, in order words, stop meddling in the coaching decision-making. It makes no sense blowing Mr. Onigbinde’s trumpet for him, the facts speak for themselves. It seems to me that the Nigerian government have concluded that because Mr. Onigbinde failed, that every Nigerian citizen selected to succeed him would fail. This sounds like guilty by association or should we call it race. Because Onigbinde is black, the government declared all blacks, including themselves incompetent and inferior to the white race.

Consequently, the Nigerian government failed to take into consideration the fact that Mr. Onigbinde did not have the luxury of occupying the head coaching position for too long prior to the world soccer tournament. Should Onigbinde be given a second chance, I frankly do not know, what I do know is that Nigeria is saturated with abundant talents, allow them to blossom and Nigeria would regain its glory and join the elite world soccer club which has eluded them as a result of bad decisions of the ruling elite.

But, if the honorable Minister and the Vice President of Nigeria feel strongly on hiring European coach because that is the only way to cure Nigerian nemeses, then we suggest that we hire more Europeans to run the affairs of the state from the presidency down to the chairs at the local government. They are ailing and need to be fixed just like the Nigerian Super Green Eagles that ran out of gas at the 2002 world cop championship in Japan and South Korea. In essence, our goal is to move forward, and we should support the effort, so put out a vacancy advertisement that read: WHITE MANAGERS FOR HIRE – CALL NIGERIAN MINISTRY OF SPORTS AND/OR AND ASO ROCK.