Telephone rings…….
Chief Effiong……Hello who is this?
Alhaji Maigari...If I am on to Chief Effiong, I am Aminu Maigari the
President of the NFF
Chief Effiong….Ah interesting how are you? You are the one who wants to
teach me how to manage my son? When I bought him his first ball when he was
three years old where were you? At age six, I got him a football boot because I
knew he was destined for greatness.
You needed to be at my house on that
day of the final. Over fifty people came to watch the match with me.
Neighbours, relatives and well wishers they all came.
And my wife had to cook for all of
them because we knew there was going to be a celebration at the end of the
match.
Do you know how much we spent for
food and the drinks?
Without consulting me as the father,
you went and wrote the two million naira cheque in his name. Do you know how
much we spend every time he plays? You went and wrote a two million naira
cheque in the name of a 16 year old?
I want to return the cheque so that
you can reissue it in my name.
Alhaji Maigari.….on the contrary sir, I advice that you use the cheque to
open an account in his name, so that as he grows up you can help him to invest
and….
Chief Effiong.. ( cuts in ) Invest what? I have told you what we have put
in so far to bring him to this level and you want to put enmity between me and
my son?
Alhaji Maigari….God forbid sir. In fact that is why I called to first of
all congratulate you for siring a child who has the potential of becoming a
great footballer if properly nurtured
Chief Effiong….Did you hear when I told you that I knew he was going to
be great? Look if not for injury, today I would have been one of Nigeria’s best
footballers. I played for my primary school and I was always the one called
upon to take corner kicks…
Alhaji Maigari….No wonder your son is so good. Congrats Sir. As earlier
said we will find time to sit with you and discuss how best to handle your
son’s future, because right from UAE, we noticed the influx of scouts who we
believe can short circuit the future of these boys if we do not intervene.
Chief Effiong…listen Alahaji Maigari, I am not a novice, I know what is
good for my son and I do not need you to tell me about his future…
Alhaji Maigari.….hold on sir, talk to the Honourable Sports Minister.
Chief Effiong….Hon Minister, are you one of those who want to reap from
where you did not sow?
Hon Minister…..I beg your pardon Chief…..reap from where we did not sow?
If you must know. We are the ones that have sowed. This country invested
millions in those children. For the past three years we have given them the
best in terms of comfort of living and personal development. I don’t know about
your son, but nearly all those kids stayed in hotels for the first time when we
took them over. None of them had flown in an aircraft before. Since we adopted
them they have benefited the best of training from first class coaches and
international academies.
Ask them about the Aspire Academy in
Dubai, five star hotels, best of airlines……they owe this country Sir you owe us
for bringing your child to the level where he has become a global
celebrity…dines with Presidents, met face to face with Mr Vice President,
Senate President, Speaker of The House, Ministers…..
Chief Effiong ….Hon Minister, I withdraw my statement.. I think you have
a point there…..I apologise. In fact it was when he always came back from camp
that we discovered he could eat rice with a fork and knife.
Hon Minister.…Apology accepted. Sir I asked the NFF President to call you
because I heard, and authoritatively too, that an agent offered you one million
naira which you collected….
Chief Effiong….Don’t go there….don’t just go there. A whole country gave
my son two million naira, an individual brought one million naira and you are
querying me…?
Hon Minister…The federal Government’s donation was an appreciation, one
that is bound to open the flood gates for more of such. The one million naira
from the agent may be an invitation to slavery, a bet that you may regret…..
Chief Effiong …What makes you think you people are the only ones that know
about football?
Hon Minister.…Far from it, we are not the only ones, but this is our
culture medium. We plan and sincerely too to bring together experts in the
business to sit down with all the parents of the kids and the kids themselves
to advice on the way forward. We have multiples examples of bright youngsters
whose careers were destroyed by self seeking and selfish agents. We do not want
that to happen to this glorious bunch at our disposal.
Let me also congratulate you for
being the father of such a wonderful footballer as I hand you back to the NFF
President
Alhaji Maigari….So sir we are planning to come and see you.
Chief Effiong….Are you coming alone?
Alhaji Maigari…No sir, I am likely to come with one of the coaches and the
chairman of the technical committee of the NFF. In fact if possible with other
members of that committee including Chairman Christian Chukwu, JJ Okocha,
Victor Ikpeba, Garba Lawal…….those who have seen it all and are in a position
to give wise counsel…….we also have your country man Paul Bassey in that
committee
Chief Effiong……Ah Paul Bassey….we are proud of him. Tell him I saw him on
Tv during the Algeria Burkina Faso match. He has added weight…..he is chopping
FIFA money….
Alhaji Maigari....We thought so too but when we confronted him he said the
cold forced him to wear two jackets that is why he appeared fat…
Chief Effiong …..None of you will admit to chopping money until we catch you
with oil on your lips. On a serious note, let me know when you will come
because we must celebrate with a feast
Alhaji Maigari…..Sir, that will not be necessary. What we are coming for is
serious, bordering on the future of your child and of course the sustained
sports glory of this country.
Chief Effiong….My friend we in this part of this country are noted for
culinary excellence ask Paul Bassey. Do you know what it means to be visited by
the Award winning NFF president? I am not talking about all those junk you eat
in hotels….I am talking about home made buffet that includes afangsoup, edikang
ikon, white soup with goat meat to go with pounded yam, fresh fish pepper
soup……..do you eat dog meat?
Alhaji Maigari…..No thanks I don’t like it.
Chief Effiong… What is no thanks? How can you not like what you have not
tasted? The day you eat well prepared dog meat with unripe plantain to boot
that day you will bow…..
Alhaji Maigari…(..laughter)……I pray that day does not come ( more laughter) so sir in
summary of what the Honourable minister said, it is our desire and the wish of
all Nigerians that these boys be guided and monitored for a better tomorrow.
Rather than collect a one million that is like a one off…
Chief Effiong….President, forget this one million….forget it. I have
collected it and have spent it, except you want to refund it…
Alhaji Maigari…..Sir I was saying that rather than collecting a one off, we
will prefer a 500,000 thousand that will come again and again…..I give you the
classic case of Mikel Obi and how two great clubs Man U and Chelsea were
fighting for him. On paper, Man U was the better choice, but a lot of other
factors were taken into consideration in counseling him, including playing
regularly and the presence of Africans in the team that will help him settle
down faster, and today Mikel is one of the world’s greatest footballers whose
profile rises daily…
Chief Effiong….Alhaji Maigari, I am not dumb, I appreciate all you are
trying to say…..my only concern is that you people should consider the interest
of the parents in all that you do. I could not have invested so much in a child
only for you to come and issue a two million naira cheque in his name..
Alhaji Maigari….Sir, again this is a one off. What we are saying here is a
stable future. Go to Jos and see what Mikel has done to his parents and
siblings…..Kanu, Okocha, Finidi George, Obafemi Martins. With the benefit of
proper counseling and good upbringing, even the sky will not be his
limit…. Chief Effiong…Anyway, money is like a spirit. If you don’t
have, no problem, but the moment it enters your hand you feel like taking a big
bottle of stout with every meal. Besides this agent looked quite honest and
serious…
Alhaji Maigari…..Sir we are not saying all agents are bad. By the time we
know who you are dealing with, he may just be someone we can trust.
Chief Effiong….Ok till you come. You people must bring something for me and
my wifeoooooo. You are busy chopping CAF and FIFA money
Alhaji Maigari….( laughter )Have I also added weight? You must be a very
interesting person.
Chief Effiong….See let me tell you, did you see that first goal my son
scored? That was me in my youth. All I needed from my team mates was for them
to put the ball in my left leg and off I went. My nick name was okokobioko…….
Alhaji Maigari ( prolonged
laughter….)
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