August Woes: Protests, Looting and A Colossal Olympic Loss

It is village people. That is all I can say. Wicked village people are out for Nigeria and by extension President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Or maybe it’s the wailing wailers? (Is that term still in fashion? Or did it die with Baba Buhari?)  Whoever it is, their juju is top notch. That kind of sharp […]

It is village people. That is all I can say.

Wicked village people are out for Nigeria and by extension President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Or maybe it’s the wailing wailers? (Is that term still in fashion? Or did it die with Baba Buhari?) 

Whoever it is, their juju is top notch. That kind of sharp shooting jazz fired by old, dishevelled, bearded men sitting on torn animal skin stool in a dilapidated hut, somewhere in an obscure forest far away in Sambisa. 

Juju pro-max. Because how do you explain the series of bad luck that has befallen this great nation in the month of August, despite all our ‘Happy new month’ prayers and messages?

Ever since the planned protests were scheduled to start on the first of this month, a cloud of doom settled upon this country. Nigerian youth staged widespread protests that caused significant loss of life and property in the North. In the South, these protests reflected a deep-seated despair among the population. Curfews were imposed due to the looting spree, and everywhere you went, the general mood was that of hopelessness and fear. Fear of what could happen if the protests descended into a chaos and hopelessness because, so far ‘renewed hope’ has only showed us ‘renewed hardship’.

’Yalleman: Hometown of Bureau De Change kings

A burden heavier than imagined

It must be President Tinubu’s village people sending hot juju. The kind of juju that effortlessly never misses its target, due to sheer experience; like the hand-in-pocket Turkish man who leisurely and calmly shot his way to a silver medal in the just concluded Olympics.

Speaking of the Olympics- Jama’a, what happened to Nigeria? 

As if the failed protests were not enough, failure also followed us to the largest sporting event in the entire globe. 

Just as in war, international sporting events like the Olympics are stages for nations to fiercely compete and showcase their pride. Athletes become symbols of their country, carrying the weight of national hopes and dreams. Victory and defeat in these events are celebrated and mourned with the same intensity as on a battlefield. The spectacle of nations facing off can stir strong patriotic emotions, similar to those ignited by war. Just look at Botswana- one gold medal and they declared a national holiday. 

The preparation for sporting competitions mirrors the strategic planning of military campaigns. Coaches and athletes meticulously analyse opponents, create game plans, and adapt to changing circumstances, much like military strategists. The competitive drive to outsmart and outplay rivals in sports can be seen as a less violent form of strategic warfare.

The just concluded Paris Olympics highlighted the ongoing competition for sporting dominance among major world powers. The final medal count reflects the usual hierarchy of top sporting nations such as the United States, China, and Australia. However, despite Nigeria’s large population and history at the Olympics, the country failed to win any medals this year. I believe Nigeria lacklustre performance is a symptom of deeper issues including inadequate planning, poor preparation, lack of long-term strategies, insufficient incentives for athletes, corruption, and insufficient government and private sector support for sports. 

In other words- our signature ‘anyhowness’.

Nigerians do not lack talent. This is a fact that has been proven many times over. What we lack, however, is political will. 

D’Tigress, Nigeria’s female basketball team, became the first African team to reach the Olympic quarterfinals in basketball. Favour Ofili became the first Nigerian in 28 years to reach the 200m finals. Chukwuebuka Enekwachi, in shot-put, shone brightly even without a medal. Also, 18-year-old Samuel Ogazi became the first Nigerian man to reach the 400-metre final since 1988. Ese Brume, Ruth Usoro, and Prestina Ochonogor all secured spots in the final of the long jump event.

Truth be told, we are just not serious.

Imagine, Annette Nneka Echikunwoke, who won the silver medal for the USA in the hammer throw, was a victim of administrative incompetence in the 2020 Olympics and hence had to switch representation to another country. Other Nigerians who represented other countries and won include Salwa Naser who got a silver for Bahrain in the women’s 400m race and Yemisi Ogunleye who also took home gold in the women’s shot put for Germany.  

We do not need a soothsayer to tell us that this foolishness of Nigerian talent representing other countries is detrimental to us. The country needs to create an environment that supports and appreciates its athletes, allowing them to thrive under the Nigerian flag.

We must defeat this village people’s juju. Are we not Nigerians, the prayer capital of the world? What can we do to break this curse of failure?

Failed protests and failed Olympics. No. No. No. No. This embarrassment is too much. Before you know it, we will start failing at music and God forbid, Nollywood too. Should we stablish a ministry of Magic just like in the Harry Potter series? Or more appropriately, a committee aimed at counteracting and repelling Nigerian based juju?

What can we do to stop this madness? Suggestions please!