Who Should Own the Super Eagles?

Who Should Own Nigeria and The Super Eagles?

By: Ehimwenma E. Aimiuwu
February 7, 2010

Surprisingly, many Africans and Nigerians, despite their numerous degrees, years of travel abroad, and long hours of worship in the house of God, unconsciously believe from the very bottom of their hearts that it is the Europeans and Arabs that own them. Some will publicly tell you that if not for the Europeans and Arabs coming to Africa that nothing good would have being happening in Nigeria and Africa. They also believe that if they do not associate, affiliate, or kiss up to these peoples that their economical, social, and political progress will be unfruitful even if it is at the expense of their honor, children, or national identity. So in order to show their dedication to these peoples in exchange for success, they have to train themselves to hate their African names, language, music, clothes, men, women, race, skin color, food, and even justify it by saying that they are primitive or are devilish. Many will even use logic to convince you proudly that since we were colonized by the Europeans and the Arabs that it is imperative that we follow their lead and command. They reason loudly by saying in the 21st century that if not for their creation of Nigeria that we do not exist. This is does not only display our ignorance of African history before colonization but also shows our shameful attitude towards our national leaders and the Super Eagles.

A man who believes that he owns nothing has no voice. He lives to take orders in order to survive. He is even worse than a lair and a thief. At least, a lair pretend to own something while a thief can summon the courage to have possession of what belongs to another, but the man without a voice is doomed to follow the one who has taken his gold. Nigerians do not believe they own Nigeria. They just live in it and hope they find a good job or steal from contracts. This is the only way that the president will be away for 2 months without official written permission, a governor they did not vote for will be in office, Europeans companies will be taking their oil without accountability, or crippling our industries so that we can import cheap Chinese products at inflated prices.

Coach Amodu let all Nigerians down. He did not believe that as a Nigerian he owned the Super Eagles. He thought the NFF and the presidential Task Force did. He did not understand that God was giving him a second chance to prove himself. He did not have the vision that he might be the only African coach at the World Cup 2010. Instead of him to take hungry local players and able professionals to seal his opportunity, he took only professional players who were either injured or unfit due to recovery to the Nations Cup. He even confessed that he made an agreement with the professional players that their place in the Nations Cup was assured without first checking their fitness level. Now Black Africans faces a reality yet again of having a FIFA World Cup, the most watched event in the world, with little or no African referees, minimal African local players, and now without an African coach on African soil in South Africa. What a shame!!!! How do we expect the world to respect us? I plead with the NFF to have enough foresight, consciousness, and vision to hire a Nigerian coach (Siasia, Keshi or Oliseh) or a Black African Coach for the World Cup because I am sick and tired of this global disgrace. God did not make me to be a symbol of insufficiency, incapability, and second class. An African coach must be present in this World Cup and every World Cup because you are the one that must push yourself to be successful. Let our children see Nigerian and African coaches in the World Cup and dream of surpassing them. This is how we prosper as a people.

Since Nigeria and the Super Eagles belong to all Nigerians, we must plan on how to capitalize on them economically without relying on the Nigerian government and economy directly. This means each one of us must figure out a way to derive revenue from Nigeria. While the NFF is giving ADIDAS and NIKE full contract to make our jersey (at least in the past), we have to learn to capitalize on Football, the World Cup, Summer Olympics, and the African Nations Cup for ourselves. There are billions of people out there looking for Super Eagles products. If you do not produce it, White people and Arabs will. Let us try to use world events relating to Nigeria to create jobs and income away from the Nigerian economy. This will only happen if you believe that you own Nigeria and not the Kaduna Mafia. Without ownership there is no money. You need money to have a voice. Your voice must be independent of the Nigerian economy and self driven. When many of us have a voice, we can bring change. When you bring change, you answer to no one nor owe anybody. Make use of the internet and sell your God given talent. Never be afraid of what people may say or think because you own Nigeria and can do whatever with it as long as it brings revenue and honor to self and country. Use the talent God has given you to create things with your hands and head, and use the internet to market it to strangers in distant lands. Remember, if all the revenue you get is from word of mouth and people you know, then you are not maximizing your potentials fully. The main aim of this idea is to keep us prepared to take over Nigeria when these incompetent leaders pass away instead of their children, who will do nothing but recycle corruption. God luck and make Nigeria your own to keep.