Under 17 Withdrawal: What Does the Nigerian Government Owe the Youths?

U-17 Withdrawal: What Does the Nigerian Government Owe the Youths?

Author: Emeka Esogbue

The decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to withdrawal from hosting Nigeria 2009 FIFA U-17 world in the words of Issa Hayatou is a huge embarrassment to Africa. It is particularly embarrassing that the country will seek to wash its dirty linen in the public. Again, in the words of Chief Adegboye Onigbinde “This is bad omen and very unfortunate for the youths of the country.” (The Punch, Friday, 24 October 2008) Indeed, Onigbinde has spoken like one who clearly understands that the Youth are still part of Nigeria and that football and sports as a whole is one unifying factor for the country.

I refuse to admit the verbose excuses as tendered by the Federal Government’ John Odey that the current global financial crisis informed the government’s decision to shelve the hosting and that lack of resources also contributed to this decision of the Government to make a “365-day turn around.” We know in this country that it is always easy to blame situations for illogical events occasioned by bad leadership.

The excuse that N37bn estimate for the hosting of this even is unrealizable is a bad idea and a clear calculated attempt to deny the youth of the country joy. I dare question the origin of this amount, and ask if the government intends to build more stadiums in its bid to host the championship because whoever recommended this very amount in the first place should know that the amount is too much. If the government requires this outrageous sum of amount to host under-17 championship, then this government will surely require N217bn to host a senior world cup.

Since the Government gave FIFA an initial guarantee on the readiness to host the championship, it should go ahead and host it because the money is readily available, we know it. Everyday, we hear of endless probes without results about outrageous sums in the private pockets of our public officers, this money should be committed into the hosting of the championship and save us global embarrassment. After all, no common man in this country not even the vibrant press can report how the money recovered from the late Abacha used. Was it ever used to construct at least a stadium in any one state of the federation? Was it used to sponsor out team to any one Olympic Games?

Our government should do away with one step forward and three steps backward policy which will but return us to the former days of Abacha when Nigeria chose to experience set back in football courtesy of a trivial issue. The implication of sudden withdrawal of Nigeria from hosting the championship will be too harsh for the country to bear. If the nation will not be at the championship in Algeria, within the African level because it crashed out, fail to present itself as the defending champion and maybe banned from featuring in South Africa 2010 then, the nation must have caused itself untold damage.          

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About the Author:

Emeka Esogbue hails from Ibusa, Delta State, Nigeria. He is a Historian and International Relations Analyst with lots of tremendous published and unpublished works.



emekaesogbue@yahoo.com