Adeniyi Panel submits report on Super Eagles bonus row.

   The panel set up by the Honorable Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, headed by Olusegun Adeniyi to look into the bonus row that almost hampered Super Eagles participation in the Confederations Cup held in Brazil. The crisis started just after the Super Eagles played a 1 - 1 draw with Namibia, in Windhoek.
    In his submission, the report fingered Vincent Enyeama and Mikel Obi as the chief actors from the players side; Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi and also the NFF. Olusegun Adeniyi submitted that the players were contacted via text messages which were never replied. That only the out of favour Joseph Yobo called to state his stand on the matter. They also implied that the Eagles were handsomely rewarded for their AFCON conquest just months earlier and therefore should not have chosen to 'embarrass' the country. They blamed the Super Eagles technical crew for 'looking the other way' during the crisis and only blamed the NFF for handling communication of their decisions to the players beforehand wrongly.
   In black and white, Nigerians are hypocrites. ASUU is on strike today because according to them the Federal Government is yet to implement an agreement they reached years ago. Civil servants won't bat an eyelid before going on strike if owed salaries or allowances. Factory workers will down tools when wages are not paid. Yet, the Super Eagles should not complain or protest when owed allowances or treated unjustly. At least, that is the picture Nigerians were presented with. What does the bonus owed them have to do with the reward they got when they won AFCON? If it true that text message were sent to some players, then I think it is wrong. What happened to direct communication? Even if it is considered a waste of public funds, which our politicians have proved it not to be, they could have easily waited till when the Super Eagles gathered for the Nelson Mandela challenge or the Malawi World Cup qualifier so there will be a form of direct communication instead of the alleged text message. What more, the Stephen Keshi led technical crew were probably expected to spank the players or caution them, hence their own part of the blame game. And then NFF were seen to be wrong just for the lack of proper communication with the team and not for the proper lapses! Unfortunately, Nigeria is a place where one who stands for his rights is seen as a rebel. One is expected to stay mute and take every form of bullshit thrown at him. This is not the first time issues as this is coming up within the football ranks of the country. Keshi was accused of being a mafia leader during his time as Super Eagles captain; Sunday Oliseh was accused of being a rebel leader. On the other hand, Jay Jay Okocha and Joseph Yobo were accused by the the Nigerian football community as being NFF pawns. An allegation which the veracity cannot be ascertained.
    Nigerians cry daily for leaders who will work with their interests at heart but obviously don't want the Eagles to have a leader who will work for the interest of  his team mates. Very hypocritical indeed. In as much as I don't support un patriotic and irrational actions by sportsmen or anybody at that, I won't subscribe to labeling the players and officials rebels because they stood to ask for their entitlements or ungrateful because they were just rewarded for winning AFCON but went ahead to ask for their entitlements. These footballers and indeed sportsmen have careers to protect as that is their source of livelihood. That is what put food on their tables and roofs over their heads. Treat them well and I feel they will respond accordingly. NFF is the bane of Nigerian football. Their insincerity and insconsistency is legendary. Every house should be put in order. When this is done, every erring party will be identified and subsequently reprimanded.