November 11, 2001
The story is told of an American visitor to Islamabad a few years ago striking up a conversation with a Pakistani taxi driver about that country's Transparency International rating as the most corrupt country in the world. The taxi driver retorted that in fact Pakistan was the second most corrupt country that year, but it had bribed Nigeria to switch positions with it since it was tired of playing second fiddle on the corruption scale for so long to Nigeria.
Or did you hear the story about the American, the Russian and the Nigerian pleading with God for changes in the politico-economic circumstances of their individual countries? The American, wishing his over-capitalistic country to become socialist, went away bitterly disappointed when God Almighty told him that that change would take 120 years, certainly not in the American's lifetime. A similar plea by the Russian about prospects of his country enjoying the dividends of capitalism were predicted to be 200 years. When it came to the turn of the Nigerian who asked for when the dividends of democracy would start being seen in Abuja, God went away in sadness, saying `Not in my lifetime, not in my lifetime!"
Wicked tales about our country Nigeria, but ee get as ee be, as the saying goes! When it rains, it pours.
Which brings me to soccer.....
On Sunday, July 29, 2001, in the Garden City of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, the Super Eagles of Nigeria played the Ghana Black Stars in a crucial World Cup qualifiying soccer match. Apparently playing just for pride, the Black Stars had no hope of advancing to Tokyo, having been eliminated from qualifying contention. However, for the Super Eagles, it was a do-or-die affair: lose, and we would be strapped into Abuja watching the World Cup on TV next year. Draw or win, and Tokyo/Seoul here we come!
Probabilistically, the prospects were not good too, granting that Ghana's had a 17-year unbeaten record against the Super Eagles
Yet we won, crushing the Ghana Black Stars 3-0, and meaning that we join Senegal, South Africa, Cameroon and Tunisia in the African contingent to contest the World Cup next year.
The story would have ended there joyously, except for the fact that now we hear, four months later, that immediately after the match, $25,000 changed hands under the table between the host Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, and the Ghanaian team, with the full knowledge of the Ghana Football Association boss, Ben Koufie.
The "booty" was shared by 31 members of the Black Stars and even some journalists who certainly did not report the "incident".
Everybody kept quiet about it - until now, following allegations by a Ghanaian newspaper report.
According to the confessant Koufie, "I initially refused the money because of the rumours and suspicions of bribery surrounding the fixture....But I changed my mind after the Nigerian governor said that it is part of their tradition to extend hospitality with such a donation...We were told Liberia and other teams that played in Port Harcourt were treated the same way."
"Part of the tradition" ke? Since when?
The Nigerian official side has since reacted with characteristic pique, with Mr. Austin Mgbolu, Nigerian Football Association spokesman, saying that that the donation was "just a gift", and dismissing the allegations thus: "This is the most stupid thing for anyone to say or assume...it's ridiculous and absurd,"
Yeah, right! I was born at night, but not last night. I would fume too if a well-kept secret was blown.
The story stinks - but I do not quite know where the rotten fish is hiding. In fact, the stink is not that of a fish, but that of a buried dead body with its feet sticking out. It is unbelievable that we give visiting teams N2.5 million each time they either beat us or we beat them on Nigerian soil in even friendly matches, not to talk about after such a crucial FIFA match.
Governor Odili - or any other Nigerian officials for that matter - should open his books up and show the world when and where he has been doing just that, donating money to visiting teams left, right and center, and maybe I might just suspend my faculties and believe him.
So despite being Nigerian, despite looking forward to watching Nigeria play in next year's World Cup, I support Liberia's current call for a probe of this sordid-looking affair, and urge Nigerian officialdom to set up its own probe of the affair without delay.
Going from Ghana's President Kuffour's latest reputation vis-à-vis probing corruption in his country (which recently led to the termination and imprisonment of his first Minister of Sports Mallam Yussif Issah in July 2001), one can count on him to launch a vigorous investigation.
Obasanjo nko? If President Obasanjo is SERIOUS about probity and anti-corruption in Nigeria, this event hands him a ready opportunity, because it is likely that EVERY SINGLE NIGERIAN will hear about it, soccer being probably the ONLY issue that binds us together as a nation and which
is given the widest publicity. Imagine if a probe were done, and we were found to have bribed Ghana, and our government VOLUNTARILY relinquishes our place for Liberia! That would be VERY SALUTARY to the campaign against corruption, would it not be?
Yes, it will be.
It probably won't happen. We probably will still end up going to Tokyo since an allegation of pre-game bribery would be hard to prove, even if Ghanaian players were to come out to state thet they were promised a consideration if they lost. After all, if Liberia had not lost by a
scoreline of 1 - 2 to Ghana earlier on July 1 in Monrovia, after comprehensively beating Ghana 3-1 in Accra in January, Liberia would not have been in a predicament. Or did Nigeria bribe Liberia to lose too?
However, if our image and reputation have once again been messed up by an over-zealous, money- rattling Odili whose intervention was wholly unnecessary, then some people should be punished for it.
The suffering people of Rivers State should also join in to demand their N2.5 million back, and use it to buy sports jerseys for secondary schools in the state - or something like that.
The Ogonis in particular should ask: Why, for crying out loud, would a mere STATE in Nigeria give a whole COUNTRY like Ghana N2.5 million? FOR WHAT?
Again, let me emphasise: If it can be proved that bribery was clearly involved, then Nigeria should voluntarily relinquish its Tokyo spot to Liberia.
Painful as it would be, that would be the most honorable thing to do.
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