Pastor Taribo, lifelong gov’t support is not possible

A lot has been said and written about the recent controversial comments by a former Super Eagles’ rock-solid defender, Pastor Taribo West, at the recent funeral rites of one his teammates, Peter Rufai, in Lagos, but there is still more to talk about. It would be recalled that during the burial of the legendary goalkeeper, […]

A lot has been said and written about the recent controversial comments by a former Super Eagles’ rock-solid defender, Pastor Taribo West, at the recent funeral rites of one his teammates, Peter Rufai, in Lagos, but there is still more to talk about.

It would be recalled that during the burial of the legendary goalkeeper, West, who sounded like a man who had waited for so long for an opportunity to vent his anger, castigated both the Nigeria Football Federation and the Lagos State Football Association for abandoning Rufai, whom he described as a hero and evangelist of the game.

Going down memory lane, West, who claimed that the shabby treatment didn’t start with Rufai, mentioned names of other departed heroes like Yisa Sofoluwe, Stephen Keshi, Thompson Oliha and Rashidi Yekini, among ex-internationals who served the country with utmost dedication but were “abandoned” in their hour of need.

To crown it all, he announced angrily that he would never advise his son to “put his feet for this country.” Although what he said concerning his son was somehow confusing, it was immediately interpreted to mean that he had placed a ban on his son playing football for Nigeria. Indeed, I felt something when Pastor West cut short the interview as he sobbed out of sight.

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However, as soon as the interview session with the pastor went viral on social and traditional media, it provoked many people who had previously shied away or restrained themselves from speaking their minds on the entitlement mentality of serving and retired athletes in Nigeria.

So, the bomb dropped by the pastor caught fire immediately as Nigerians, who had an axe to grind with the over-pampered athletes descended on him with counter arguments. In one voice, they advised Taribo and his colleagues against emotional blackmail, saying nobody is indebted to them.

Interestingly, a former coach of the world-conquering 1993 Golden Eaglets, Fanny Amun, also said that what indeed transpired between the players, their officials and the government was a “trade-by-barter” relationship.

As a matter of fact, even now, it is this same transactional relationship that is going on between the athletes and the government. Not long ago, President Bola Tinubu splashed more than N8 billion on the victorious Super Falcons and D’Tigress. But in the future, some of them would claim they got nothing for serving this country.

Well, most Nigerians are disappointed in the fiery pastor, but I am very pleased with what he did because his explosion has provided the opportunity for us to address once and for all, this lingering blackmail by serving and retired athletes.

In times past, many of us shied away from boldly telling our heroes and heroines the painful truth that the country that some of us are also serving to the best of our abilities, does not owe them anything more than the due recognition, appreciation and reward they enjoy in sufficient quantities.

At least, our athletes, both active and retired, have been told in clear terms that they are not more important than any of us. If each of us begins to crave such lifelong support from the government, it would be practically impossible to contend with such expectations. Even in terms of relevance, it is doubtful if a footballer is more important than a medical doctor or soldier who renders services that are critical to our collective existence. A soldier who dies fighting Boko Haram in Sambisa forest is quickly and easily forgotten, unlike a Super Eagles player who enjoyed himself while playing football and is adequately rewarded afterwards. It is said that footballers are like prostitutes who demand payment, even after pleasure.

This may sound harsh, but each time I hear or read that a former Super Eagles player, especially those who won major trophies for Nigeria, is dying because he cannot afford to treat typhoid or malaria fever, I feel it is a manifestation of financial recklessness. Some of these people played for top clubs in Europe and lived all expenses paid lives anytime they were invited to represent Nigeria. And when they won trophies, they were showered with gifts, ranging from national awards, cash rewards, land and houses. However, how they become paupers soon after retirement beats one’s imagination.

Although some were unlucky because they achieved successes in the era of the infamous presidential handshake by President Olusegun Obasanjo, majority of those who have formed the bad habit of blaming their sufferings on the government were adequately compensated for serving this country.

Even as we continue with this end athletes’ entitlement mentality campaign, we cannot throw away the baby with the bathing water. We must immediately suggest practicable answers to this lingering problem. As stated before, the government cannot embark on lifelong support for its athletes, both serving and retired, but it can at least help with welfare schemes, retirement planning, counselling and retraining opportunities.

To achieve this, there should be more emphasis on entrepreneurship skills and post-career opportunities for athletes. This is essential because when athletes, especially footballers, are swimming in money, they momentarily forget that there is tomorrow. Most of them lavish their money on expensive cars, houses, jewellery and even private jets. Unfortunately, when they become victims of their profligacy and misadventure, they turn round to blame the government, just the way Taribo did. Imagine that this same pastor once played for big European clubs like Auxerre, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Derby County and a host of other clubs. He also played for Nigeria at the World Cup in 1998 and 2002 and was a member of the victorious 1996 Olympics team, yet he is among those who feel they have been abandoned.

Maybe he is among those who failed to emulate other legends like Segun Odegbami, Adokiye Amiesimaka, Moses Kpakor, who didn’t only combine education with football but have carefully managed their fame and the monetary rewards they received from the government and other well-meaning Nigerians, laying a solid foundation for the future they are living now.

Anyway, it is high time both the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the ever acrimonious Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN) did something about players or athletes’ welfare fund, just the way it is done in other countries. Athletes should be encouraged to contribute their match allowances, sponsorship grants and money from endorsements to sustain the fund that would serve as a buffer for retired athletes.

Apart from financial literacy, which should be encouraged or inculcated into the athletes, they must be made to understand and appreciate the inherent gains in the Athletes’ Welfare Fund. However, there is the problem of trust deficit due to the shoddy and nontransparent handling of money meant for athletes’ welfare by sports administrators. Misappropriation and embezzlement of money are a recurring decimal in Nigerian sports. Will athletes be willing to trust these same administrators with their hard earned money in the name of a welfare fund? This is a topic for another day.

In conclusion, there is the urgent need for a well-structured reward system and investment education to help our athletes have a smooth career transition. They should be made to understand that their illustrious sporting careers will end one day and they would face the same calamity that has befallen their predecessors if they fail to save for the rainy day.