PSYCHOANALYSIS OF SOLOMON OGBA

 Ogba detests use of his picture on this blog

I am not happy writing again on athletics in the manner I have to write today. This is not my style and culture. I love tackling issues and not personalities. The whole athletics event in Nigeria is becoming a comedy show.

In African matters, when you talk, the Nigerian is so easily deceived to describe his country as THE GIANT OF AFRICA.  A serious nation will ensure that that sobriquet is sustained in all areas of life. I will for the purposes of athletics suggest we adopt THE FOOLS OF AFRICA.

Our athletics managers are making a serious foolery of our nation. At the world athletics championships in Daegu, while Kenya, a giant in the real sense came second (as at the time of my going to press) on the log with two gold, two silver and two bronze medals. Ethiopia is listed with a gold and a bronze medal. An envelope nation, Botswana, sits with pride with a gold medal. Amantle Montsho who ran in the 400metres returned a new national record with 49.56 secs.

Where is Nigeria?

BLESSING OKAGBARE: This was the best the nation had in Daegu. Of all the eight finalists, she had the honour to be the only athlete running 11+ before the final. All the other finalists were sub-10 runners. She pulled through to the fifth position with 11.12secs. she deserves some quality appreciation for standing alone as one of the finalists.

EZINNEOKPARAEBO OF NORWAY: This is another Nigerian running in a foreign nation’s colours.

OGUNODE FEMI OF QATAR: Yes. That is no typographical error. He was born in Ondo State. He naturalized as a Qatari on the 7^th September. In the 100 metres, his personal best this season is 10.07 secs while in the 200 metres he has a respected time of 20.30secs while in the 400metres he has 45.12 secs. He ran in the final of the World championship in Daegu. With his date of birth 15^th May, 1991 not the deflated ages we use here, he has a long way to go in the game. Can any of his age mates in Nigeria have the opportunities he has in Qatar? These are the issues. In the final line up in Daegu, he is the second youngest. Only Kirani James of Grenada is younger than him. Kirani is 1^st September 1992. He came eighth with a time of 45.55secs in the 400metres final.

PSYCHOANALYSIS OF SOLOMON OGBA: I have heard several threats coming from the AFN president, Solomon Ogba which I had not taken as true or serious. I believe those he tells, some who are my colleagues and out of fear for my safety call me to relay his threats.

One of which is that I should stop using his picture on my blog. I once told the colleague who told him, tell him to leave public office if he does not want me to use his picture.

No President of the AFN had the goodwill and luxury of doing real well in office as him. A friend who knew the roles I played in the elections at the National stadium in Abuja in athletics, weightlifting and handball challenged me, “you were part of those who brought him in.”

I admit. Why I worked for him was because I thought and believed that Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue will never have time for the game like his predecessors who occupied same office in previous boards like Lucky Igbinedion, Buka Abba, Orji Uzor Kalu etc. Then, some of my friends in the game were on his side.

When he came on board, as it is usual, I went back to my cocoon. Until it was becoming obvious that the President was either not having a focus or has lost his vision that informed my return, emotionally, to defend the primary sport I did as a kid.

What Mr. Solomon Ogba failed and did not realize is that, a man who gets criticism in life for anything he does is lucky. How many people get criticised for what they do? Most men are built in the cement of cowardice that they won’t be able to tell you what you are doing wrongly. Assuming he was a smart person, he would have been taking the content and issues of and in the criticisms to become better.

His messianic chemistry is typically egoistic. He hates to be challenged. A challenge to his authority calls his personality to question. People of messianic complexes are never known to be team players. They have a superior “I” personality. All his decisions he wants should be final. They don’t do well in groups.

Anyhow, I am waiting for whenever he will “deal ruthlessly” with me as he has promised. I also wish he will do it personally rather than send his ‘boko haram’ boys. Whichever one comes will definitely go down with eyes shut out for life. It’s a promise. I have survived worse and more ruthless military rulers of this nation. I wish him goodluck in his ruthless dealing of my pen.

Please ask Mr. Ogba what has happened to Nigerians born in other nations who had represented Nigeria before who had problems with his management methods. In a matter of hours, Nigerians will find out the whole truth about how many medals we have deliberately on our own thrown to the winds due to our president’s messianic elements. Athletes boycotted the All African games because of his ways. Haba!

NPL Elections: Muazu admits forgery, Police must step in

Yusuf, brother admits fraud of his signature

When I broached my investigation that there was signature forgery in the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) Electoral Committee, some senior colleagues called me to say "can you prove these things?"

Ordinarily, I know where the three of them stand on the conflicting issues in Nigerian football. Without mentioning their names, they belong to where the liquid cash will flow. Like I told them, "I operate within the ethical calling of journalism. If I am not sure, I won't go to town." I have been vindicated again like always again!

MUAZU ADMITS FORGERY:

With the statement to the media from the NPL yesterday (29th August). I am on the correct track. The statement went thus: "the contentious NPL chairmanship election still unsettled, a member of the electoral committee, Suleiman Muazu, has had his signature forged in the purported communiqué issued by three breakaway members who sacked their chairman, Tony Rafua, for allegedly breaching agreement reached at a meeting.

"Muazu, who is a permanent secretary in the Sokoto State Ministry of Agriculture was alleged to have used two different signatures on two documents on the same day but in his defense, he admitted signing one of the documents while the other was signed on his behalf.

"Muazu had signed his authentic signature on the payment schedule where he acknowledged receiving payment for the committee’s sitting on August 24, 2011 but another signature was used to authenticate his agreement to the communiqué issued by three breakaway members at a meeting at Lamonde Hotel, Abuja, where they purportedly endorsed the sole candidature of Chief Rumson Victor Baribote and Alhaji Abdulazeez Mohammed for the NPL chairmanship and chairman of chairmen respectively as well as the removal of Rafua as the chairman of the NPL Electoral Committee.

"Muazu, while defending himself of the allegation, said he was aware of the development. “It’s not forgery. Somebody signed on behalf after speaking with me on telephone. What happened was that as at the time the communiqué was prepared I was already in Sokoto and there was no way I could have signed. But I agree with the content on the communiqué because Rafua’s submission to the NPL was not what we agreed at the meeting.

“I participated in that meeting and I am aware of the communiqué. So, I have no objection that my signature was signed on my behalf”, he said.
Reacting to the development, the purportedly sacked chairman, Rafua, said it is a criminal matter that should be investigated by the law enforcement agents.
 “When you want to collect money you used your real signature but used another for a communiqué that is invalid. Electoral matters are not signed on behalf of anybody because it’s very sensitive. Moreover, I am the chairman and the one mandated to write a report. It was true we disagreed on some areas but it was my prerogative to make suggestions and that was what I did in my report to the NPL board”, Rafua said."

 
Double Speaking Muazu:

It is so ironic, sad and blatantly disgraceful for Muazu to be involved in schemes to unsettle what his younger brother, Yusuf, the sports minister, is working to settle.
Secondly, if Muazu's acts are read between the lines properly, it may mean that the two brothers: Muazu and Yusuf, are working for the illegal board led by Aminu Maigari and had used Dominic Oneya's committee as a smokescreen to buy time to perfect their unholy alliance against Nigerian football.

Thirdly, I gathered reliably that the people who "impeached" Rafua each collected N95,000 after which Muazu 'escaped' with his loot to Sokoto and consented to his signature to be on the coup document.

His signature was not signed for. That is where the criminal act of fraud against Muazu or and whoever signed the document comes in. For a permanent secretary not to understand these simple legal issues is sad. Where is Mr. Davidson Owumi? He alone has the primary loci to complain of injury and thus, seek for police investigation into this new fraud.

They "milked" the cash and turned round to hatch their devilish intent. Do they realise their criminal acts? I have a document where one of the troika when he was in the saddle of a club "paid" N200,000 to Arthur Kwame of the NPL as PR. Kwame did not get one kobo from any such club. Uhn! Band of criminals.

ASK DAMOLA OSAYOMI, USAIN BOLT IS AN ORPHAN

Bolt: Disappointed and shocked. He knows what he did.

It is so ironic. The modern and current face of athletics in the world today is Jamaica’s Usain "De blitzkrieg" Bolt. Seeing him beat the gun and disqualified was the natural thing to do. That is about standards, integrity and rules. I shuddered that were this to be in Nigeria, no one dare stands by integrity, rules or standards. Yes.These values are alien here.

A reporter’s capture was thus: “The shock silenced the stadium and for the briefest moment the bang of the starter's pistol echoed loud in the ears of the dumbstruck crowd. By that point Usain Bolt was several strides down the track. He had torn his top off and thrown it to the floor and was scowling at the sky. Everyone else was confused but he knew exactly what he had done.

Usain Bolt: If he were a Nigerian who will disqualify him?

In the end the 100m final of the World Championships started without any of the eight fastest men in the world this year. Two were suspended for doping, two were injured, three failed to qualify and Bolt, the most important of all, was standing on the sidelines, racked with anger and disbelief.

Bolt did not stop to talk. Once he found a way off the track he was almost as quick to escape the stadium as he had been to leave his blocks. Someone must have collared him in the car park, because later on the International Association of Athletics Federations released the briefest of quotes. "I have nothing to say right now. I need some time." He has five days, then he will be back on the track to defend his 200m title. "How will I go? It's on Friday night? Then we'll have to see on Friday." And then he was off into the night.

At the national athletics meet in Calabar this year, we had a similar event where Damola Osayomi beat the gun and was expected to be ejected. For where? A fellow reporter with a big newspaper was quoted to have said: “Where? No one will ever near her”. So it came to pass. No one neared her. A favourite disqualified for beating the gun? Who dares do such a thing? I also remember how Veronica Campbell was similarly punished in the Jamaican national athletics championships for beating the gun some two years ago.Were Campbell or Bolt to be Nigerians, no one would have dared to disqualify them.

NPL Elections: NFF in another signature forgery case

Yusuf, is his brother, Muazu, fraudulent?

Untouchables and Orphans of Nigerian sports‏

There are two breeds of Nigerians: the untouchables and the helpless orphans. The same breed exists in our sports. In the class of the untouchables are some federation presidents and powerful secretaries proven to be incapable and lacking vision. Here, one clear example is Solomon Ogba and Maria Woophil both of the AFN. They have worsted Nigerian athletics such that the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) had to internationally disgrace Nigeria as one that does not understand basic issues and rules governing the sport.

 
THE ORPHANS:

In this class is the most successful sports federation in the country, Scrabble. Then in this class are trained and qualified Nigerian coaches like Innocent Egbunike, Chief Tony Osheiku, Pat Itanyi etc sidelined for drug couriers, errand boys, college drop outs, and ex internationals who have no means of survival. They peopled the crew to Maputo on the athletics team.

The third set in this class are Nigerian athletes. This include young latent talents who are females and are expected to open their laps to be sexually made useless by 'coaches' and federation officials, athletes who have no godfathers.
 
READERSHIP AND COURAGE:

Two quotations, one from Lagos (Mrs. Inalegwu) who wrote: "There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." - Elie Wiesel. She was commending the courage in the content of this blog.

In response to my consistent reports about the AFN, Sammy Ojeih wrote from Toulouse, France: "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." -Thomas Jefferson.

Reading between the lines of these two quotations has given me the courage and further conviction that I must be fair in my investigations not to be scared of any form of evil against my person.

There are two women who each time they read my reports consistently pray for my safety. One thing I am sure and hold sacrosanct is, every journalist everywhere is an endangered specie. I will do my best freely and fairly. Let the evil men at the receiving end try their best.

CHIEF PATRICK EKEJI:

Readers of this blog will attest to the fact that I have as a matter of principle refrained to discuss individuals. I have to for once based on a subtle attack from a former Nigerian international who called me two days ago from the United States of America. We spoke for 55.38 minutes. To her, Chief Patrick Ekeji is the biggest problem of Nigerian sports. "He knows what to do to stop all the rot. But he is in a dilemma, he is scared of stepping on toes and make moves that may lead to the exit of people who are his friends. I did speak with one of his close aides and expressed to him that we, the athletes rightly feel he is weak."

She went on to charge, “you, Olajide Fashikun, I have never read on this blog or anywhere else where you took on this man and tell him what he needs to hear. You must also have been settled as it is with every Nigerian journalist.”
I am not defending myself or the profession of journalism as she believes. The issue. I have heard these strands of arguments against Ekeji especially during the NFF-NFA tango in which I was a major actor.

A pro-Ekeji colleague will argue during those days: "He was only being cautious". I remember that I will ask him in response, “is chief Ekeji being cautious or not just wanting to upset the status quo? However, I do know there is a limit to being cautious.”

Even at the latest allegations, I am not in a position to defend or and attack Chief Ekeji on this matter. I will as a journalist angle for him, get him to respond to these issues and I will publish it.

The staffers of the NSC have made it look terrible to on some issues defend the Commission or the boss, in this case, Ekeji. Rhetorically, Is it caution that informed the type of unscientific decisions of the NSC in the case of the infamous "Ranting Nine" in scrabble?

Is it caution that has ruled the ominous disaster that athletics mismanagement will bring the nation's image in Maputo? This is considering also in tandem that of the world championships in 2011.

If caution was what informed the kinds of decisions and indecisions in the NFF-NFA crisis, can we say the same of the loss of a Nigerian voice in the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa? Uhm! That is why we will pay dearly for the resounding disgrace we will suffer in Maputo.

 JUSTICE AND SPORTS:

There is no doubt that the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and not the minister is the chief custodian of the law, principles and pragmatics of all that is sports in Nigeria today.
Today. Yes, today, I don't know of tomorrow. The foundation of the clear decline in Nigerian sports is the absence of justice. The NSC has, is and will continue to be obstructing justice for long. Until she makes a U-turn, hope will become an orphan in our land.

Until there is justice and fairness, peace will be alien to our sports industry including football. The age long age cheating policy is already catching up with us. All the limited successes we parade were fraudulently achieved. That is what the failure in Maputo will underline.

Was it not the pursuit of truth, fairplay and justice that led to the setting up of the Oneya committee on Nigerian football? I will come back to that. I hope they will deliver their tasks with the absolute fear of God and in the interests of this nation. If they do fearlessly, they would have saved football and plant the mustard seeds that will take us out of the woods. If they fail, woe betide them and all of us. Either way, their names will be solidly written in our history.

IS SPORTS MINISTER’S BROTHER FRAUDULENT?

Nigerians may not be aware that Muazu Suleiman in the NFF is the elder brother to the current Sports minister, Yusuf Suleiman. Nigerians will quickly remember that the Maigari led board of the NFF is akin to fraudulent productions of signatures. I have found another.

Document where Muazu's signature may have been forged

What I found out may be contested if it can be proved that one man has two signatures. I was reliably informed that Alhaji Muazu Suleiman was not in the meeting where the communiqué of 25^th August 2011 was issued. The signature on the communiqué was supposed to be his. It was neither signed on his behalf.

I checked three other documents where Muazu Sulaiman’s signatures tallied but was wholly and totally different from the one on the communiqué. So why has Muazu Sulaiman not protested the fraud involved and committed on his behalf?

It is authoritative that Muazu Suleiman’s signature was forged as it is usual with Aminu Maigari’s NFF. Remember, the same NFF issued a letter from FIFA where the world governing agency was purported to have denounced the NFA interim board. We proved the fraud. This is another of such frauds again. Muazu Suleiman must come out to state his complicity or otherwise in this matter.