March 12, 2010
When Albert Einstein was asked for an opinion on what he considered to be the two infinite things in existence, he submitted-the universe and human stupidity. He opined that he was not so very certain about the universe, but he was definite of the infinity of human stupidity. This submission cannot but be a masterstroke of genius. I never knew if he met any Nigerian in the course of his life, as to have gotten the right inspiration, or concrete example, for his certitude of stupidity as the only infinite reality. Sometimes I wonder the kind of self-hatred that inspires the actions of Nigerian officials. It borders on the neurotic. Nigerian officials are so very mentally colonized that they are ready to sell their mothers to sleep with a white prostitute. I mean all of them without exception. And the best dressing to this congenital stupidity is that majority of Nigerians look on sheepishly as their officials make fools of them before the whole world.
If you think that I am joking, then these:
Can any Nigerian tell me the reason why Shuaibu Amodu, was paid N2 million naira monthly as the coach of the Super Eagles; and we expect him to move mountains on that paltry sum; but we kicked him out and started paying a Whiteman N40 million naira monthly for the same bench that Shuaibu occupied, with great results, even though with performances that did not appeal to many people? What has changed? Has the value of the Bench multiplied so very much because a white ass is now sitting on it instead of a black one? Nigerians need explanations. What has changed? How do these fools at the NFF expect Nigerians to keep quiet over such a brazen act of superlative stupidity?
Shuaibu Amodu was given a herculean task. The NFA and NFF and the Sports ministry has done absolutely nothing to encourage sports, let alone football development in Nigeria. This could be seen in the fact that many Nigerian athletes are so very quick to change their nationality at the least opportunity because of the terrible conditions that the authorities compel them to work under. Shuaibu was really faced with inhuman pressures as he sat on the Super eagles’ bench. He succeeded beyond my wildest dreams, although I am no fan of his coaching style. He qualified Nigeria for the world cup, even though the officials swore in their anger to make that feat impossible. He took us to the Third place finishing in the nations cup. To many observers that was a lacklustre performance. But the guy got results. Results, which no one believed he would, considering the hurdles placed on his way by the normal Nigerian factor. The NFF sacked him. Today we got coach Lagerback from Sweden, who could not qualify his country for the World Cup. And the Nigerian NFF is paying this guy a whooping N40 million naira for the same job they paid Amodu N2 million with all the hurdles and excuses to ensure that he failed.
I cannot till this day understand the fact that Nigerians are not on the streets of Lagos calling for the head of those who contracted this stupidity. This is not a reaction against Lagerback as a person. Sweden played great football under him. But the point at issue here, is what is it that made lagerback earn N40 million naira on a position that the Nigerian NFF were only ready to pay N2 million to a Nigerian doing the job? Are Nigerians second class citizens in their own country? Such arrant nonsense cannot happen in any European capital. No European country would entertain such brazen advertisement of self-hatred perpetrated by its officials on any of its citizens. If that position was worth 40 million naira a month, and Shuaibu Amodu was paid N2 million a month for the duration of his stay in office; then Nigeria NFF, in justice is owing that guy 38 million naira a month multiplied by the number of months he sat on that bench, no matter the terms of the contract he signed.
Secondly, can any Nigerian tell me the grounds upon which an (s)elected Nigerian governor or official; a supposed public servant, would call, and hold down a commercial airline at the airport, to wait for him beyond the scheduled departure time, with other passengers seated and waiting for takeoff till our August midget emperor arrives, with his retinue of hangers-on, 30 minutes after scheduled departure time; and the plane is still seating waiting for him, quite oblivious of the feelings and time of the other passengers, who are supposedly foolish enough to be there on time to board? Could any Nigerian tell me why these airlines feel that they owe a governor more responsibility and respect over and above their other paying passengers, who patronize them, and whom they owe the duty of care and responsibility? Sometimes it blows my mind off.
Furthermore, could any Nigerian tell me how on earth a governor would allow his security personal to threaten another Nigerian for refusing to give up a seat he paid for in an aircraft because the governor’s thug or mistress feels like occupying a seat that was already allocated to someone else, who paid for it pursuant to a legally valid contract? Is this not a proof of our monumental stupidity? When would this useless unproductive bigmanism stop? This was the same audacity of impunity that inspired naval ratings beating up a young woman Jennifer Okere in full view of the whole world; for refusing to carry her car on her head and get off the road so that the psychologically unbalanced neurotics accompanying a Naval Oga, would have a right of way, which was not their due.
As if all these stupidities are not enough, Nigerians are still in their homes and not on the streets calling for a revolution, when they cannot see or hear from the man purportedly ruling them, as president. This is the only country in the world, where a president is smuggled into his own country in an ambulance, and no one has heard from him, and he claims to be in control refusing to relinquish power legally to the man that was supposed to be his vice president.
And you tell me that Nigerians are not stupid.
I cry for this land of my birth.
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