Africa

The Genocide In Jos: The Killings Continue!

/ Adeola / 1 Comment

Adeola Aderounmu

Reports from Nigeria indicate that more christians have been slaughtered last night.

Mad men dressed in military uniform invaded Riyom area and slaughtered their victims. It is not known how many people have been killed. The figures are between 12-50.

At this point, a state of Emergency should be declared in Jos. Dusk to dawn curfew should be imposed.

The governor should probably be impeached or sacked.

I have suggested in a previous post that Jonathan should move his office to Jos temporarily. Right now, he doesn’t seem to understand the nature of the problem.

Setting up committess and setting up panels to investigate bombings and genocide are outdated approaches to problem solving. The one who is a leader must move, he must go to places, see things for himself and show that he has solutions and ideas about what needs to be done.

Nigeria is collapsing and the rate is alarming. If Nigeria continues at this rate, Somalia will be a child’s play.

We have more than 300 nationalities in Nigeria and the current trend of events and extreme lawlessness indicate an imminent disintegration unless something extraordinary is done.

To do nothing but set up committees is the height of foolishness and ignorance.

Why are the mad men who carried out the latest attack dressed in military uniforms? This is an indication that the present war in Jos is a total war. This is a confirmation that some people in Jos are hell bent on killing on the christians in the state. It shows that they are on a mission called-No going back until all the christians are dead.

It is a sad situation but I am convinced that more attacks will follow in the days ahead. It is too obvious to see and too foolish to ignore.

Christians in Jos should start thinking of where to relocate. The governor cannot guarantte their safety and the president is not visiting to sympathise with them. They are at the mercy of the war criminals.

I,of course, condem the killings of muslims in January. All forms of genocide should be condemned and investigated. But I will really advise the Christians to do something to help themselves.

(To be edited and continued)

Nigeria Appoints Lars Lagerbäck As Coach of The Super Eagles

/ Adeola / 2 Comments

Adeola Aderounmu

Lars Lagerbäck has been appointed as the coach of the Nigeria Super Eagles. Shuaibu Amodu has been sacked from that position because of the poor performances of the Nigerian team at the Angola 2010 African Cup of Nations. The sack is also connected to the pattern of play and the unconvincing manner in which Nigeria qualified for the world cup.

This is not the first time that Amodu would qualify for the world cup. He did it before and was sacked. The reasons and the circumstances are exactly the same. In fact the administration of football and sports in general in Nigeria has gone worse under the same period of time.

By sacking Amodu the NFF is actually sweeping the dirts under the carpets. NFF did so in France 98 and Korea Japan 2002, the outcomes were disastrous. More devastating when we lost our qualifying spot to lowly rated Angola in 2006. Not that Amodu is indispensable or that he could not have done better, but the fact is that there is more to sports and football in Nigerian than the use of Amodu as a scape goat. Goodbye Amodu, I hope the day will never come when they will ask you to come and help Nigeria to qualify for the world cup again.

The baton has now been passed to Lars Lagerbäck. I have followed Swedish football since 2002. That year Sweden defeated Nigeria 2-1 in the Japan-Korea 2002 World Cups. That was after Aghahowa put Nigeria ahead with a beautiful header off Yobo’s cross. Henrik Larsson and Fredrik Ljungberg got a goal each for Sweden.

Before 2002 I knew Martin Dahlin, Henrik Larsson and Tomas Brolin. Brolin was a huge success in the Italian league and he has a famous way to celebrate his goals. I don’t have any problem per se with the appointment of Lagerbäck. I think his track records give him a good edge for that position.

Sweden has not produced several big names in recent years but Zlatan remains outstanding. Sweden failed to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa. Lagerbäck was relieved of his position. Lagerbäck was not a failure but I am convinced there are a few things he would have done better as the head coach for Sweden. Sweden does not have many skilful and talented players as Nigeria.

As the coach of a Nigerian team Lagerbäck has entered into a position where non-performance will not be tolerated. There are 140m football analysts in Nigeria. His seat is even hotter than that of the president. Does he know that? Nigerians don’t care about the presidency as much as they do football-football is the number one religion in Nigeria.

Lagerbäck who has been used to organised environment and structured attitude to work has now suddenly entered into a position where he may probably be looking for jerseys on match days. Lagerbäck will be shocked to know that his salary will not be paid on the 25th of every month. He will have to get used to be living in advance as the salaries will drag and drag. He needs tolerance, endurance and perseverance to survive the 5 months that have been handed to him.

Lagerbäck will inherit players of different ratings and attitudes. Obviously he needs to get used as quickly as possible to the Nigerian football ages and get rid of tired legs as soon as possible. He will see players who think they are doing Nigeria a favour by playing in the national colours. Lagerbäck will see players who are dying for their club sides because of the money they earn and strolling on the pitch when they play for Nigeria. He will be shocked! In fact he will see players impressing in training but posing on match days.

I have suggested in a previous post that we need to work on the mentalities of our players. But the complexity of the problem is that our players are Nigerians and we cannot isolate their mentalities from the national mentalities. Most of the people in governance or administrative roles in Nigeria are doing things that will profit them and not Nigeria. We have an attitude that has robbed us of our pride and duty to nation. Nigerian players are not exceptions!

I don’t know the nature of Lagerbäck’s contract but if I could just imagine-it would be wonderful to have him bring some organisation and structure into our football. If they could employ him not just as a coach but as a “tool” to institute the organisation that is missing in our football, that would be great.

Imagine if our democracy is structured like Swedish democracy-where you can vote at a post office or at designated centres before the Election Day-and your vote will still be counted. Imagine if we could sack corrupt people and let good and knowledgeable people run our sports, our football and our government-the world will be at our feet.

I wish Lagerbäck the best of luck. I wish I could meet him and give him some solid advice and information about his new task and terrain.

I wish Nigeria goodluck in South Africa. And I sincerely hope that Amodu will find the place in his heart to forgive Nigerians, we are a bunch of _________people..!

A Nation In Custody and the Prophecy of Naiwu Osahon

/ Adeola / 5 Comments

Adeola Aderounmu

I’d written elsewhere on the blogosphere about how my father bought me a book titled A NATION IN CUSTODY. It was way back (late 80s or sometime in the 90s). The author is Naiwu Osahon.

I still don’t know why my father bought me that book when I was just a little boy.

Now a grown man with my own family I see clearly now. Nigeria is still in custody.

Some people write comments on my blog challenging my thoughts and opinions about Nigeria. I don’t care what they think or how they feel. I believe that I am entitled to my opinion about Nigeria.

Nigeria is the most ridiculous country on earth. I won’t give it to the Somalis. In close to 2 decades the Somalis have no government. So we know where they stand-failed in totality.

Nigeria continues to pride herself as the African giant. Absolute fallacy. We claim to have democracy-complete bull shit!

Nigeria is not a democratic country and we are not close. In my opinion Nigeria is a geograpical area captured by some opportunists to their own gains. As far as I am concerned Nigeria is a region where a few people have enslaved several million others. I don’t care what other people think, this is how I think.

I cannot comprehend that since May 2007 Nigeria has no legitimate president. And since dec 2009 Nigeria does not even have an illegitimate president. And they say it’s democracy. Nonsense.

Those who own and run Nigeria don’t care about the millions living in poverty and desperation. If they do and if there was democracy, the House of Assembly would by now have done their obligations-which is to move the country forward in the absence of the fake president whose status remains secretive and unknown since DEC 2009.

But since we don’t have democracy in Nigeria and since those who run Nigeria do not give account to anyone, the rest of us can remain in coma with the runaway fake president. Welcome to Nigeria, a country ruled by mad politicians and gangters called godfathers.

They are sharing money, bribing themselves back and forth and everything is so uncertain.

We the ordinary people bark, write and complain but since we have deemed ourselves powerless, the nonentities at the helm of affairs continue to do what they like.

They fluorish in illegalities and randomness.

This nation as far as I am concern is in custody. It was in custody when Osahon wrote several years ago. It remains in custody as I write.

The House of Rep and the Senate members because they were all bundled in illegally in 2007, do not have the morality to act on our behalf. Therefore they continue to accept millions of dollars in bribe from the presidency. The VP is so impotent and insignificant he is almost unheard. There is nothing to fight for when everyone has a skeleton in his/ her cupboard.

SERIOUSLY I will never never never understand why we are always in this ridiculous situation. It makes nonsense of our collective intelligence. It’s so amazing and according to one of my friends: HOW DO WE THINK OR HOW ARE WE THINKING?

I mean, we know what to do but we continue to allow this reign of terror, lies, deceits, tyranny and illegitimacy.

I’ve tried to change my discussions in the past few weeks but this madness in Nigeria keeps irritating me. I tried to write about sports, I even wrote about family values but NO the madness of those keeping the rest of us as slaves keeps catching up with me.

I’m short of words. Nigeria is a completely FAILED COUNTRY!

Egypt are Masters of Africa, Again..!

/ Adeola / 1 Comment

Adeola Aderounmu

Egypt won by a lone goal scored in the 85th minute. A deserved victory for the best team in Africa. For the first time in the tournament, Ghana played a good game but they lost to a better team.

Ghana, just like Nigeria, ordinarily do not even deserve to be in the final with the loads of negative football they played along the way to the final. Nigeria played better in the semis but lost by a lone goal to Ghana.

This tournament is a wake up call for the African teams that will play in 4 months time at the World Cup in SA. Surely they will not get enough rest. They will be tired to play when the games start in SA. 2 Big championships in a spate of 6 months is not childs’ play.

It is very sad that Egypt, the undisputed masters of African football will not be at the tournament in SA. How did they miss out? CAF and the organisers of football in Africa should put on their thinking caps-on how the best team on the continent missed out of the World Cup. Are there loop holes in the qualifiers that need to be plugged? Did Egypt play poorly in those qualifiers? Were they adversely affected by the home-away game syndrome?

Congratulations Egypt…enjoy your victory and reflect on your absence at the greatest football festival on earth.

CAF-The Confederation of African Football is TOTALLY CRAZY!

/ Adeola / 6 Comments

By Adeola Aderounmu

Africa never stops to surprise me. Sometime I wish I could just wake up from the nightmares of African governments and organisations.

“Togo have been banned from the next two Africa Cup of Nations following their withdrawal from this year’s tournament. The Confederation of African football (Caf) also fined the Hawks $50,000 for quitting the competition in the wake of a gun attack on the team bus in Angola“-BBC

CAF has gone crazy.

It is Togo who should be seeking legal action against CAF and the Angolan government for not providing adequate information about security in Angola.

Seriously I am short of words to express my disappointment in CAF. Whoever made the decisions is completely insane and out of his or her mind.

What are we going to do about the people who lost their lives? Some families will never be the same again as a result of the avoidable tragedies in Angola which was completely the fault of the Angolan government and the recklessness of CAF.

Togo should ignore the fine and even withdraw (by itself) from CAF competetition for life until CAF becomes “human” in nature and reasonable in thinking. This is nonsense and completely idiotic on the part of CAF.