Ignorance, greed, altruism and the labour of our heroes past

Tick says the clock, tick tick…

Not the popular nursery rhyme this time but the life of Wilfred Agbonavbare, former Super Eagles number one goalkeeper, who did a countdown from life to death.

On Tuesday morning, Agbonavbare stared at the wall in front of him, wrapped in a cotton robe, his back resting on the hospital bed.

Whatever was on his mind had nothing to do with the beauty and splendour of Prince of Asturias’ Hospital in Alcala de Henares, Spain. It had a lot to do with feeling the same way the “get-well-soon” cards laying about were saying.

He never got well as he lost the battle against cancer at the age of 48.

While next to nothing was heard or done by Nigeria sports authorities – the Nigeria Football Federation and the ministry – over the case of the cancer-stricken Agbonavbare, his former club Rayo Vallecano helped raise 21,106.90 euros (over N4.5m) to assist the player on his road to recovery.

A plea for help was made by members of the Mexico 1983 Flying Eagles squad to President Goodluck Jonathan as team mates, Paul Okoku, Dehinde Akinlotan, Tajudeen Disu and Femi Olukanni ran from pillar to post soliciting for funds to help save the life of one of their own.

THE LABOUR OF OUR HEROES PAST…

…shall never be in vain.

But don’t say that to Olusegun Fetuga, captain of the Golden Eaglets to Scotland ’89 U-17 World Cup.

“I don’t say that part of the national anthem,” he told TheCable referring to line five.

When discussion turns to the plight of ex-footballers the naturally taciturn speaker becomes Doyin Okupe – no-holds-barred-gun-blazing-sledgehammer-to-kill-ant remarks follow. What a typical Yoruba man will call ki la gbe, ki lo ju literally meaning “what did we steal what did he throw at us”!

“At the last World Cup, England took 32 ex-internationals to Brazil. Why can’t we do it here?

“It’s not that we are begging but it is our right. We brought the country into limelight through our exploits. How much will it cost Nigeria if they give every ex-international N100, 000 per month?

“Football is the only good thing the country is known for. The other is fraud. So we expect those that played the game be supported.

“When a senator completes his tenure we know how much they are being paid. We are good ambassadors of the country unlike the politicians and thieves spoiling the image of the country. Lemmy Isah died frustrated.

“So when Mikel and others pick the matches they want to feature in, I don’t blame them.

“The states FAs, the NFF, the ministry, the government are not doing anything towards our welfare. Fashola is trying but how can you reach him?”

Sympathetic phrases plodded through this reporter’s mind but he gave voice to none of them.

Tunde Ogbeha, a senator in the national assembly and former governor of old Bendel state, gave his voice decrying the poor treatment of past heroes.

“You cannot expect to get the best from serving players when they see how you treat past heroes. We must begin to appreciate our heroes dead or alive,” he said.

Mathematical Segun Odegbami, a former captain of the Green Eagles, was more lucid.

“When footballers complete their assignment as players and retire from the game, they enter another phase of their journey completely different from the first,” he said.

“There is little or no provision in the system to adequately accommodate them, so they end up in jail of neglect, sickness, joblessness, depression, and premature death. The system not only forgets them, but forgets the family they leave behind.

“Many of us, heroes of our various generations in the chronology of football, are still alive but barely living through a journey that has turned from good to bad and now to the ugly.”

GOVERNMENT NA FATHER OF THE PEOPLE…

Father must like him son…

That’s Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in the track Just Like That where he sang about the responsibilities of the government to its people.

In this case, the NFF and the sports ministry are the “fathers” of their sons, the ex-players. So, it’s imperative to ask why they are not playing their fatherly role.

Jose Mourinho once called Arsene Wenger “specialist in failure”. If you call Ademola Olajire “specialist in not picking calls or replying text messages” you are right. And he’s NFF director of communication.

Mum is often the word with Patrick Omorodion, the special assistant to the sports minster. So a call to him on what the minister is doing on forgotten sports personalities was played into the court of the ministry.

“The DG will speak for the sports minister,”he said.

“It’s not in my position or the minister’s position to speak on such matters.”

A lady spoke when the DG’s line was called.

“The number you dialled is switched off. Please try again later. Thank you.”

Francis Gbiri, the head of National Sports Commission (NSC) liaison office in Lagos, picks his calls even at odd hours.

“Such information is best got from the director of medical at the medical centre,” he said.

“But the mistake you guys make is always thinking about what the government can do for you. It’s not about government this and government that all the time. Media houses can help most of footballers and athletes in need, well-meaning Nigerians too. So it’s not all the time it must be from the government.

“We in the ministry, we give them contracts. And not just the ministry, the different federations do same. When you get to the medical centre they will give you details of how they have been assisting those in need. The various help they rendered in the past will be shown to you.”

Going to the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos is like visiting the scene of a crime – the crime of neglect. But then, that’s a tale long told.

The attendant in the medical centre inside the stadium was no police officer but she has mastered the textbook cop expression – the look that doesn’t give away a thing. Especially to strangers. Especially to one who introduces himself as a journalist.

“Why were you directed to me?” she asked.

She was told that one of her colleagues informed us she was the most senior officer around.

She stared at this reporter.

After explaining the assignment, not without showing identification and call cards, she still stared.

It’s obvious she wanted to steer clear of the discussion and was wondering if a lie or truth would accomplish that end.

She wasn’t just an attendant after all but a sports physiotherapist with the NSC. She’s attached to the Super Falcons and was in Namibia when they won gold in the Africa Women’s Championship. She’s warming up for the trip to Canada this summer. She warmed up to this reporter eventually.

“I wonder why Gbiri said you should come to us because we only render medical services to all players, current and retired, as well as to coaches and other officials,” Ada Nwachukwu said.

“If they come here our door is always open. Our working hours is 8am to 4pm. If they come, whatever health problem they have  if its medical they see the doctor. If muscle, skeletal, nerves, joints etc they see the physiotherapist. We are always here to render free service to them. We give first aid and drugs and prescription.

What if the drugs they need amount to N200, 000, are you still game?

“N200, 000? No, no. Though we don’t have a range or a limit we can’t give drugs worth that amount. Whatever drugs they supply us, we give. And if they need the drugs we don’t have we tell them to go and buy it. We give them prescription and they take it to a pharmacist to go and buy the drugs.

“We don’t grant financial aid either. The sports commission in Abuja does that. Ours is strictly medical which must be sport related. Cases of cancer and stroke are not handled by us. If we detect that, we refer the person to the regular hospitals. For instance if we spot someone with heart condition we note it and send the person to the cardiologist. And I like I said we don’t pay for such treatment but if they need assistance they go through the sports commission.”

SCHADENFREUDE?

That’s German word which means a feeling of enjoyment that comes from seeing or hearing about the troubles of other people.

And you have a feeling it plays in the minds of people who hear the down-on-his-luck challenges of a hitherto well-to-do ex-player.

A senior colleague in one of the leading sports paper who craved anonymity doesn’t necessarily gloat in former players’ misfortune.

It’s not that he dislikes ex-footballers nor is he unconcerned about their plight, he kept saying, but he just didn’t have much sympathy for Agbonavbare and his situation while he was alive.

“Before he died, he was a man in hospital and down with cancer but he could as well be in hotel and down with a dancer,” he told TheCable.

“It’s just unfortunate it happened to him but it could well be anybody. He said when he quit the game he was doing menial jobs before his illness. And that he spent all he made playing professional football on his wife’s medical bills to keep her treatment uninterrupted. It quite sad but what did he really invest his money wisely during his playing days?

“I’m not saying one can’t invest and fail but if you have a portfolio of investments like a bouquet when one looks like not doing well you push resources elsewhere like the way balls are juggled by those clowns in a circus. Most of them make a lot of money during their career but they are busy living large gambling chasing anything on shirt. I am not saying it’s peculiar with footballers alone, we all have our quirks but we don’t run to the government or the public to ask for help. We all need help. They are in the public glare so they should manage their lives properly in order to avoid ridicule and scorn.

“And my financial tip to anyone who cares to listen, whether ex-player, banker, or bricklayer is: Real estate is your best investment because rent is always part of your salary.”

Kunbi Titiloye, the administrator of Football College Abuja which had two of their players – Alfa Abdullahi and Sunday Alampasu – in the victorious Golden Eaglets team to the last FIFA U-17 World Cup – didn’t add salt to the already smarting “injury” of former players. He knows the problem and proffers solution.

“They do not have proper financial managers. I will give examples,” he told TheCable.

“A player like Rio Ferdinand, his financial managers, knowing his limited capability to grasp business and understand it, created an online magazine for him called No.5 which is still running. Assou-Ekotto, the Cameroonian playing for Spurs then has the biggest car museum in London. He has cars of 1.5m pounds and above where people pay to come and see. Olden day’s cars, though, functional ones are displayed in the museum.

“So these are business ideas, not that you come back and go and buy 50 houses in Lekki. Is that business? What if they don’t pay their rent? They don’t have sound financial managers. Some of them do go into business but it is run by their family. It cannot survive.

“It is hard to find people with generational wealth. We hear of one family and next time you hear of another. Why don’t you put your money in the climate where you played the game?

“Get sound financial managers and maximum, they are taking 15 per cent of whatever you make but you still have everything. Most of them have this impression that it’s my money so I can do whatever I like with it. Even Dangote, Bill Gates and the rest have financial managers that give them their policy direction, what move to make next, how to invest and things like that. But our players don’t do that.

“They’re busy living large, buying the latest cars and what have you. People talk about them gambling but how much can they gamble? It’s just lack of financial discipline, that’s all. Some of them who did this are doing quite well and you don’t even see them because they are busy taking care of their business.

“Some build hotels and give their friend to manage and before you know it the business goes down. Maybe that’s the first time the person is managing a hotel. And before you know it the business collapse and your money is gone,” he said.

He’s not done, though.

“Invest in the country you are making money from. You just have to invest in the system. Get sound financial managers and they take care of the things for you. Look at the Yeboahs and the Weahs, people who are still making their money. Ours is always family business!”

Cyprian Enwefah, an author and owner of the only private library in Festac Town, Lagos – Janio Books – mimics John Fitzgerald Kennedy by asking ex-players to ask not what the country will do for them but what they will do for the country.

When he was reminded that the players had given their talent and energy in the past so they have done their part and they think the ball is now in the court of the government, Enfewah laughs off the “volleyball” analogy.

“Anyone who makes such allegation or complaint about being neglected must be very definite about how he wants the country to take care of him,” he said.

“Should the country put them on pension scheme or the country pay them gratuity from when they retired from active sport till they die?

“If they are facing challenges, they are citizen of this country and there should be appropriate channels to talk about the challenges they are facing. But not holding the country to ransom. Are you holding the sports commission to ransom are you holding the minister of sports to ransom or are you are holding the federal government to ransom?

“Agbonivbare played for a club so the club should have had a pension scheme that was in agreement between him and them. The government assisting in any way is just gratis and it shouldn’t be like a must do by the nation or the sports commission. In their playing days, they were like employees so they should have had a retirement arrangement themselves when they were leaving their clubs.”

Enwefah was also reminded of unfulfilled promises made by the government. Specifically, the first Nigerian side to qualify for any FIFA competition was the 1983 Flying Eagles which Agbonavbare was a member of are yet to receive their scholarship and shares the federal government promised to give them 32 years ago.

“Well, that is wrong on the part of the authorities. But like I said earlier, they should follow the right process to make their demands. I still insist that the country compensated them when they rendered any service. I am not saying the country can’t help in one way or the other but it shouldn’t be mandatory.”

Brown Ochor, an assistant chief nursing officer in the sports commission, blames ignorance and lack of education for some of the problems the players have.

“Most of them are not educated,” he said.

“And over time, this lack of education affects their career in so many ways.

“Also, most of them out of ignorance and the need to make the team, hide their injuries. Like Amokachi, injury cut short his career. Instead of treating himself he went to TB Joshua. Is Joshua a doctor? It’s not everything that is spiritual. You should do the things you are supposed to do. If it is physical challenge you should know where to go and if it is spiritual then we call TB Joshua.”

In his playing days, he was referred to as the Dean of Defence because he took no prisoners when on the field. Yisa Shofoluwe said he would have bailed his colleagues in need but he needs help too.

“I would have loved to help out in my own little way but at the moment, I’m not working. I have not found a new job,” he said.

“The NFF and the government should do something for retired sportsmen. But if they can’t, the players union should but at the moment, they are not united.

“Austin Popo and Harrison Jalla are busy fighting themselves. Imagine the one that didn’t play the game (Jalla) is against the one (Popo) that did; telling him how to run an association of current and former footballers.

“We have tried to settle them. We have tried to resolve the issues but they refuse to be one. They are holding us to ransom. I don’t believe in them because they are the ones killing our football.”

Let’s meet the “killers” of the game then.

NANF AND APFN

No, they are not political parties vying for positions in February elections in Nigeria but footballers unions. Like the political parties, though, they get along as well as Tom and Jerry.

The National Association of Nigerian Footballers was established in 1991 and its vision was not only to protect and improve the condition and status of Nigerian footballers, but to “set the pace for development and improvement of the working condition of Africa players through the platform of a regional professional footballers association”.

Twenty-four years down the line, it has not only been unable to achieve that, it has split in two.

Following an unending feud between Harrison Jalla and Austin Popo for the soul of NANF, the latter went solo to establish the Association of Professional Footballers of Nigeria (APFON) in 2008.

At the height of this crisis, the international players’ union, Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels (FIFPro), suspended its annual grants to Nigeria in 2006. The world player’s body also delisted Nigeria as its member as they could not recognise two players union in a country.

Jalla’s NANF was officially expelled from FIFPro in November 2008, during the latter’s annual congress in Chile.

Popo, the executive secretary of APFON, told TheCable about the new lease of life in the players’ body.

“The association is working silently and it’s quite unfortunate Agbonavbare died before we could reach him,” he said.

“At the moment, we have quite a number of ex-players we are assisting. Peter Anieke, Christian Madu, Stanley Okoronkwo, Sunday Eboigbe, Sylvester Egborge and a host of others.We cater for ex-players, current players and coaches some of whom are still being owed by their employers.

“Aside drugs they need food which we are providing as our purse can carry us. Recently, NFF vice president Seyi Akinwunmi gave the body N1m to boost our purse.”

On a concrete plan the body has for its members, he said he wouldn’t want to let the cat out of the bag but will broach one or two areas.

“We are soon going to launch players’ welfare and rehabilitation funds. The time is ripe for it. We intend getting all past players and current ones under a platform.

“There’s a players’ status and arbitration committee in the NFF which looks into the plight of current players in cases of contract and money issues.”

Popo wouldn’t stop without taking a swipe at rivals NANF.

“Ours is Association of Professional Footballers of Nigeria and Dahiru Sadi is the president,” he said.

“It is the only body recognised by the world body FifPro who we are almost at the final stage of being fully accredited with. We just came back from Cameroon to do all that.

“It is also the only one recognised by NFF. We don’t care about the activities of that other body headed by someone I don’t want to call his name.”

His name is Harrison Jalla and he was accused of mismanaging the yearly ‘stipend’ of N800m from Fifpro. Even an “accused” deserved a fair hearing.

His two lines, though, were unavailable to get his response.

KayodeTijani, spoke as a “solicitor” and “defendant” on the matter.

“The biggest problem is the players union. Harrison Jalla and Austin Popo’s squabble is the greatest tragedy that’s happening to Nigeria football,” he said.

“They are not united and so there is nobody to guide the fortune and interest of the players unlike the ones in England and other serious football countries of the world. Anything that happens to any member of the association is looked into.

“When Maigari was NFF president I raised the issue of good insurance package for players in the domestic league. Even with Pinnick, I have raised the matter too. They keep saying IGI is handling it. The details of the package is not known.”

In 2010, Industrial and General Insurance Plc. (IGI) emerged the official insurer for the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) to provide insurance cover for all the participating teams, officials and players engaged in NPL. The contract was worth over N38million.

Tijani said the math don’t add up.

“How much are the players in the local league earning to save for a rainy day? The players are barely surviving now. Who knows what will happen to them when they hang their boots? Why won’t they be broke when they retire because of the peanuts they are earning?

“The LMC (League Management Company) is trying but it will take time before the work add up because things had been bad for a very long time. No wonder the players jump at any offer to go abroad even if it’s in the Afghani’s league.

“We don’t appreciate our sports personalities whether active or retired especially the retired. Some people keep saying footballers get broke once they are no longer active because they mismanage what they earned while in the game. We agree in some cases.

“But senators and politicians earn millions and billions while in office. How can they go broke later?”

THE FINAL WORDS

Saying the two player’s union have failed Nigerian footballers is stating the obvious. Lots of active footballers are been owed, maltreated and enslaved by some clubs through the mischief of some agents and club’s administrators and it is players’ union that is in good position to fight their course.

Even though players’ union doesn’t give life nor take life but they can provide good welfare package that could prolong lives.

So, until the players’ union sort itself and fully make itself relevant to its constituency it will continue to be:

Rashidi Yekini?

Present!

Alloysius Atuegbu?

Present!

Best Ogedengbe?

Present!

Sam Ojebode?

Present!

HarunaIlerika?

Present!

Musa Abdullahi?

Present!

Wilfred Agbonavbare?

Present!

Tick says the clock tick tick…