MAIGARI: THE SCIOLIST OR THE MISLED

MAIGARI: THE SCIOLIST OR THE MISLED:  The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is illegal, non juristic and is not built on a firma terra (firm terrain thus stand on a slippery, muddy ground). I also know (by association that a decision was reached by the group) that the interim committee of the NFA is not and will not be a substitute for the NFF. (Remember after the NFF banned me for life for being a reporter I went to join the NFA making me the only member to have voluntarily joined than invited). With the mumbo-jumbo junction we are, whence do we go?

I give it and this is being very sincere. Alhaji Aminu Maigari is an individual I honestly respect. I had the privilege of playing Zabgai FC of Bauchi with him. As a person, he is good, honourable and a gentleman of good values. He believes in people around him easily and so much.

Left to him, his carriage and chemistry, this crisis would never have arisen. I do know, think and believe that he is sorrounded with too many voids who think they know but do not know. The Chinese call such people sciolists.

I do know and believe as a fact that these issues goes beyond his person. As a team player, he took decisions and responsibilities corporate. If he were to live this NFF life again, he surely will and should do it better. Ironically, this is one thespian stage without the advantage of rehearsals.
He had advises he listened to. He thought these advises were genuine. He took them for the people who gave the advises not knowing that they were hollower than the void of a trip down the dark alleys of cagey mountain.

LATEST IN THE CRISIS: Gathered as usual from my sources that we are in deeper mess. Yes. Deeper mess. Just as Jarret Tenebe's NFA were heading to the EFCC against the NFF, was told of a suit that a private aggrieved football 'fan' fighting from the Maigari end has gone to court to challenge the legality or otherwise of the NFA. Uhm!

I hasten to say it clearly, the DG NSC should be held responsible for these unholy events. Why? He is slow in being proactive. I empathise with him. No wonder both NFF and the NFA accuse him of sponsoring the other.

As things are, he is the one who can solve these 'madness'. He must be 'mad' to address the madness. He must take some proactive measures not minding the civil service orientation he is schooled in. That is the Commission flank of his dual statutory nature.

With the EFCC issue, the NFF, with the hindsight of the letter from the Solicitor General, may be skinned. Can the NSC and Dr Ekeji be spared from a backlash? Thinking of the lawsuit, will it not sweep away the NFA interim committee. This leaves our football in a temporary void from nowhere to nowhere. The labyrinth confusion can become a threat to all. See the need for wisdom, uncommon moves and proactivity?

 

AARE AFE BABALOLA CHAIRS UNIVERISTY SPORTS LEAGUE

Aare Afe Babalola, the founder of the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti, has been appointed to chair the new initiative to make students of Nigerian universities mix sports and education, the University Sports League. He would be joined by prominent Nigerians who will add value to the project.

Making this disclosure in Abuja, the Chief Executive of Rudder Sports Management, Mr. Babatunde Emmanuel Omijeh, whose firm holds the license of the event said, “we are happy to announce the choice of the erudite law giant to chair this new initiative which we have primed to start next year and produce the next generation of educated sports men and women who will do this nation proud in the nearest future.

Aare Babalola (r) receiving a plague of honour from Omijeh

Aare Babalola who holds B.Sc (Econs) Lond; LL.B (Hons) Lond; FFPA, FNIALS, FCIArb, LL.D; Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN); Doctor of Letters (LL.D) is an Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos, Nigeria; the immediate past Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, winner of the Best Pro-Chancellor award in 2005 and 2006, winner of Queen Victoria Commemorative Award at Socrates Award of European Business Assembly in Oxford UK; member of the Rector of Europe, October, 2007; Vice President, Rector of Europe, 2010; and Honorary Professor of International Univeristy.

Aare Afe Babalola attended Emmanuel Primary School, Ado-Ekiti, where he obtained his standard six certificate. That was the end of his formal education. All the educational qualifications listed against his name above were obtained through private study. Aare Afe Babalola was at various times a pupil teacher, a secondary school teacher, secondary school vice principal, university lecturer, economist, auditor, administrator, farmer and educationist. Today, he is a foremost legal icon of his generation not only on the African continent but in the world.

The self-made man is proud of the qualitative primary education he had. It was the high quality of instruction received by him at the Primary School level, he says, proudly, that served as the foundation for his subsequent educational achievements. The founder is unhappy that the same quality of education is no longer available in most educational institutions.