LIBERALISATION AND GLOBALISATION KILLING NIGERIAN FOOTBALL
By
Ayo Ademokoya
The Nigerian Bar Association is the largest
profession body in Nigeria and a foremost association in Nigeria.
Ayo Ademokoya, met with new General
Secretary of the Association, Mr Isiaka Abiola Olagunju at the Lekan Salami
Stadium during the week one fixtures of the Nigerian Football Professional League involving Shooting Stars and Lobi Stars of Markurdi.
The exclusive
interview with Barrister Olagunju however took place last weekend in Ibadan where he spoke about his love for Nigerian
football, factors affecting the game in Nigeria as well as the vision of the Abubakar Mahmud led
executive of the Nigerian Bar Association, issues affecting the Bar in Nigeria
and the judiciary and crucial National
and international issues
Q:
Kindly introduce yourself sir?
I am Isiaka Abiola Olagunju, a lawyer and the
current General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association. I was born almost
50years ago in Ibadan a native of Ibadan,our family compound is SW7/290,Isale-
Osi Ibadan.
I attended Christ Gospel Apostolic primary School Oke foko from my elementary education while I proceeded to Community Grammar
School Ring- Road. I later went to the then Oyo state Arts and science
(OSCARS),Ile-Ife, where I obtained the GCE advanced level before I proceeded to
the University of Lagos to study Law and graduated in 1992.I was called to the
bar on the 16th December 1993.
I have never involved myself in any other thing
apart from law practice till now,All my life I have been involved in the noble
profession of law since 1995 when I established my chambers Abike Chambers .
Before I was appointed as the General Secretary of
the NBA, I was the Social Secretary of the Ibadan Branch of Nigerian Bar Association
between year 2000-2002, elected as the first assistant secretary of thr NBA
during the tenure of Olisah Agbakoba( SAN) as the Executive President of the
Association in 2006 in Port-Harcout, Rivers State.
I also served the association in many capacity such as the Executive Secretary, Human right institute,
Secretary Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, Council member
of Human Right Institution of the NBA, Council member institution of legal
practice of the Nigerian Bar Association, a prosecutor in the NBA disciplinary
committee before been elected as the
General Secretary of the NBA on the first of July, 2016 and was inaugurated 28th
of August 2016.
Q:
Before we talk about salient issues affecting the NBA and the judiciary, can we
talk about football which brought us together in the first place,I mean your
love for Shooting stars and Nigerian football in general?
I must confess to you that In terms image and the
position where Shooting stars ought to be are nothing to write home about. Some
of us grew up to love IICC Shooting Stars, I remember watching the team for the
first time in 1976 against Spartans of Owerri at the Liberty stadium where they
won by 2-0, I can vividly remember that Segun Odegbami and Idowu Otubusin
scored both goal and since then I watch
at least 65% of Shooting stars in a season unless I’m not in Ibadan.
There is much
difference between the Shooting stars of those days and the ones we have now, one
can’t compare the stars we had then to what we have now, the, likes of Segun
Odegbami, Felix Owolabi, Idowu Otubusin, Kehinde Jayifous, Best Ogedegbe, Mudashiru Lawal were
legends who played for passion with all their hearts and when you watch them
play you see natural talents unlike players of today. To be honest how many
people remember stars of today?
Today
liberalisation and globalisation through the advent of digital
Television which beamed foreign football match within the comfort of our homes
destroyed our local league until recently when they decided to beam our local
league live to us and I believe they are trying to redeem the image of the
league damaged by them and thing are getting better now.
For example, there was a day I got to the stadium
around 4:20pm and I was told the stadium
was filled up and I was impress that things are getting better
Q:But
we also had Televised foreign league in those days ?
Yes but they weren’t live matches,tell me how many
people knew about English stars in those days?
Now ask a 4 or five year old boy in Nigeria and he will talk to you
about all the Messis and Ronaldos of this world where as nothing like that
for Nigerian players
In terms of position Shooting stars is supposed to
be in the same position Manchester United, Barca FC, Arsenal and other leading
football clubs are today. Unfortunately they are not because the pedestal has
gone down; if it is well funded and well-structured I believe it can be
improved upon. They say it is a Nigerian factor but I believe it human error.
Q:
What is the solution?.
Privatisation I believe, government should hands off
from running the club, in all fairness shooting stars is our heritage, it is a
legacy of all Yoruba’s even in the diaspora. It is wrong to say Shooting stars
is an Ibadan club, Shooting stars is an international club based in Ibadan, it
is a global brand. Look from abroad they started asking me what was the result
between Lobi and shooting stars while at the stadium and that very day there
was a friend with me all the way from Port Harcourt to watch the live game at
the Lekan Salami stadium. Let me tell you that every season I buy so many
replica jersey of the club for my friends based abroad just because of the love
they have for the club.
For instance I met a Spaniard named Marino while
abroad sometimes ago and he was excited when I told him I'm from Ibadan, he
first asked about Shooting stars and then Chief Lekan Salami and I told him
Chief his dead, He felt bad and asked if we can established a Television
station called Shooting Stars TV”
I came back to Nigeria and discussed with the people
concern but probably they believe government is giving them adequate money
then, they could not fathom the potentials of such ventures
So Shooting stars is brand that can survive on its
own if well structure, the best is for government to hands off in sponsoring
the club, they may not sell off their shares totally, we can have like 100
investors buying some shares. It’s true they tried go PLC once but failed due
to the fact that government refused to hands off from the day to day running of
the club.all we are saying is let the larger percentage of the share be owned
by private individual because government can not continue to fund the club.
The revenue is dwindling and expenditure is rising, government
all they need to do is to just create conducive avenue for investors to thrive
Come to think of it ,which of the sector has
government funded very well, is it education, health or what? So sport and football can not be their
priority.
Q:
What is your impression about football in Nigeria?
I feel so sad anytime I watch the on-going Nation’s cup
in Gabon because the is the second consecutive time Nigeria is absent from the
mundial. I wonder for how long we would continue to expect miracle without
adequately preparing for a competition, it is disheartening.
I just believe we need to go back to grassroots
football development where natural talents can be discover for club and
national teams, imagine competitions like the principal’s cup has where the
likes of Stephen Keshi, Henry Nwosu, Ademola Adesina etc were discovered has
been abandoned and now we relied on averagely talented foreign based player.
