One million reasons why Solomon Ogba has to resign or be sacked

Ogba, will he resign or be sacked?

I know that Amaka Ogoegbunam was not in Calabar. Where has she ran in recent times after the recent positive response of hers to the drug scam she was involved in? She was registered in the relays ahead of those who ran in Calabar. Uhn! What a sweet double standard or a total lack of standard this is?

To also show the improper understanding of the issues of standard in athletics, the other relay teams on the list had seven athletes, why and how did the selectors arrived at the decision of six members in the 4x400m men’s team? I hasten to say it loud and clear that Nigeria should not expect any form of medal (including clay) from the high jump men.

SURPRISES: How suddenly did the AFN removed Mr. Gabriel Opuana’s name from the list? Because he allowed a festered controversy on this blog with their ignoble list of officials or what? I will know in days ahead and if I do, I shall reveal same.

What happened to the names of Mrs Rita Akande (Chaperon) and Navy Capt. Nesiama Omatseye (Camp Commandant)? Any link to the Kenyan controversies? The people in the centre of it all are aware. They know. We that know what we know understand why these two names disappeared. Uhn! The evil that men do live with or after them.

On that same list, there was a phantom “media officer” Emelia Sturham whose name is totally alien to the media in Nigeria. If she had disappeared on merit what happened to Duro Ikhazuagbe, the real media officer who had been for years working so hard for the federation? With the list of jamboree attendees, it is extremely odd for Ikhazuagbe, a most relevant professional to be missing just as there is no team nurse or doctor. We used to have one Dr Ken (I am so sad I forgot his surname). Of course, with Gabriel Okon, Dr Ken would not have been needed! This is true. We know why.

The bigger surprises are those of coaches Innocent Egbunike (as personal coach) and Patience Itanyi (Welfare Officer). Whatever these titles and designations mean. Candidly, if I were in their shoes, I will proudly beg to be left alone and out of the team than join them and allow my name and records to be sorely stained by a planless AFN. The two are arguably some of the nation’s most experienced, trained and knowledgeable coaches. The two will be worshipped in saner climes for their values. Rather, they were decorated with vague titles. I will be utterly shocked if they accept to be in the team. I am waiting to see their responses as the days come by. I understand Mr. Rotimi Obajimi’s inclusion. This is the man who could not account for athletes’ Mobil Prize monies despite allegations that the sponsors actually paid the monies and the federation kept mute than fight the athletes’ interests.

MEDALS GUARANTEED IN ATHLETICS: I took a studied review of the list vis-à-vis the African records and the records of the last All African games, understanding also that, it will be a miracle for an athlete that can manufacture a new timing at short notice, thus, my mathematical estimation of the possibilities of the Nigerian medal hopes. I am sad to say, ceteris paribus, we may be looking forward to a maximum of five gold medals from this event.

My estimation is based on some other details of development I gathered (which I am yet to be able to confirm yet) but are very strong to be believed. If these developments make a final sense (in a matter of days), then, my estimation will come out perfect. When these developments are proven right, then, Nigerians will be shocked at the absolute lack of transparency on the part of the AFN that would have robbed us of medals.

To show our officials don’t know what they are doing. Are they not aware that Nigeria’s Selim Nurudeen ran 20.98secs (1.5 wind) in the 200m on the 30^th July 2011 at the Global Track and Field meet in the USA? These are basic data available on the internet. Yet, they registered Obinna Metu (20.84secs) {which is okay} and Agbaje Fredrick (21.32secs) and Oriala Chinedu who definitely is slower than Agbaje for the event. Is this in the national interests. Nurudeen’s timing at the meet in the 110m hurdles is 13.62 secs (0.0 wind) yet, the AFN has him as second with 13.95sec behind Okon Samuel’s 13.92sec. I know and can confirm that Nurudeen has boycotted the games because of the unprofessional conducts of our officials! Confirm this in a matter of days.

One sure medal we threw away is the possible gold medal of Idiata in the long jump. He had jumped 7.90m this year in Europe. 

So far, my oracular convictions show five gold medals. But based on the final list the AFN has submitted, there are nine gold medals in our kitty. These are the same chances Solomon Ogba counted to say he will return 10 gold medals in Maputo. These include:

Ajoke Odumosu (has a South African girl with the same timing so anything can even happen here), Jessica Ohanaja, Amaechi Morton, Selim Nurudeen, Doreen Amaka, Blessing Okagbare, Damola Osayomi and the 4x100m women. Between these athletes, we could have been counting 10 gold medals. We would be lucky to get six in the event of what I know which is not yet public for now.

UNPROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT: Two quick issues. I had raised earlier the case of three kids who created new national records in Calabar. One of them, Ann, was chopped specifically because she was “indisciplined” for avoiding the World Youth Championship to win the gold medal for her employers, Rivers State thus, diminishing the chances of Delta State, which the AFN president was working for at the festival.

A visit to the IAAF will show the inanity of the person(s) who decided the Nigerian list. Chinwe Okoro is listed as number one in Africa in shot put with 16.79m and in discus, she is number four behind an Ivorien and two South African girls with her personal best at 54.24m. Okwukwe Okolie, another Nigerian, is number 5 with 53.34m.

Okolie was registered on the AFN final list for short put, Okolie the better athlete was not. Why can't they register Chinwe for both discus and shot put?  (madness abi?).   That medal is thrown away deliberately by our own hands.

One quick one. Recall the story on Ann, the young 400m hurdler who was ordered to proceed to the world junior while the National Sports Festival was ongoing. The ploy was to deny Rivers State, her employer, the gold medal for Delta (that of the AFN president) to pick. For that, she was removed from the Commonwealth Youth championships because she is considered to be of “bad behaviour”. I can reveal that Ogba’s pride, Adejoke Odumosu, never neared Ann’s record before leaving the shores of Nigeria for the USA. Why was Ann not exposed to the All African games ahead of the years to come? See my drift? Instead and to spite the girl, they registered only Odumosu for the event. Uhn!

THREE ‘FINISHED’ ATHLETES IN THE LIST: I read in the papers comments of Mr. Solomon Ogba on Noah Akwu and Godday James. His comments showed that these athletes are “finished and gone beyond their prime.” What are they doing on his list to Maputo? So, he can’t manufacture better athletes than the duo?

Ask also, after all the vilifications and vituperations poured on Vivian Chukwuemeka, the AFN can shamelessly ‘smuggle’ her on the list to Maputo. So none of the ones they relied on can return to make Chukwuemeka’s record and defend her gold medal in Maputo. I am interested in seeing whether Vivian will be ‘stupid’ to attend the games in view of the fact that the AFN has not publicly apologised to her person, coaches, family and friends over all the federation had said about her in the public sphere. On the eve of the games, they resorted to her. One quick question, is Vivian in the current form to defend her title? Did she trained to peak for the All African games? Do these people not understand the dynamics and science about training an athlete for championships? If she is able to answer these basic questions and it fits into an all yes setting but wants to prove a point, she can attend the games without an apology from the AFN. Her only saving grace is to win the gold again, which candidly, given the above scenario I sincerely doubt. If she is not in the form, she attends, she will be finally messed up. If she attends and fail to win the gold, she is as good as having taken a gun and shot herself by the foot. If she excuse herself what would she have lost beyond being in Maputo and collecting how much they want to pay as allowances?

CAVEAT: More revelations to come your way in days. Welcome to my calloused world of investigation and reportage.