You will see the worst in Nigerian parents once the prospect of a child failing in life becomes real. You know why? Because they know the suffering that awaits anyone who fails in life in this environment & they are desperate to ensure that doesn't become your fate in life.
They know friends will forget you and family will mock you. They know what it means to watch your contemparies leave you behind & your own family treat you as a nonentity. So they will do everything to give you a chance. They will spend all they have & even sell assets so that
Feb 19, 2022 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
Kingsley Obiekwu played 8 games for Nigeria.He was well rewarded for his role in Atlanta 96.Why does it reflect badly on the rest of us & not him that he is a bus driver now? Are we supposed to keep paying him for something he did in 1996? And how is it a bad thing to be a bus
driver? Is it not a honest way to earn a living? The idea that ex-internationals are owed a comfortable existence without creating new value is extremely funny. Those ex internationals who aren't struggling are creating new value. JJ is an ambassador for many brands. Many are
Feb 7, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Why do we like to pretend local coaches don't get a chance with Super Eagles? Keshi got almost 5 years. Failed to make 2 AFCONs AND kept his job. 4 of last 5 SE coaches are locals.6 members of USA 94 Eagles ALONE have been Eagles manager.Mention 1 country where that has happened
The problem is that we think once we appoint a local,we must support him forever.Some will be lucky/manage relationships to hold the job for long.Some won't. International management has a high turnover rate. Best way to keep the job is to do a good job,not cause you're a local.
Apr 19, 2019 • 24 tweets • 5 min read
On Man Utd, Ole & way forward:
Solksjaer will need far more time & patience than he'd need money if United are ever to be back to their competitive best with him. It will get worse before it gets better. And he will make many mistakes along the way as he has never done anything
like this in his life. People reference Zidane/Pep as former players who took off brilliantly and I ask them, so where is the Messi/Ronaldo for Ole? Where is the club structure & sporting ambition that helped Pep/Zidane? Where is the Xavi/Iniesta/Modric/Kroos?
Mar 14, 2019 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Would we ever see another footballer performing with the consistent excellence of Messi & Ronaldo? I don't think so. Why? Because consistent excellence is driven by PERSONAL desire & commitment. And these days, players & media outsource desire & commitment to managers.
Suddenly, it is fine not to play well if you don't like the manager. Or if he doesn't praise you enough. Or if he plays you in a new position. Anything he does that makes you uncomfortable is good enough reason to lose desire & motivation.And fans are ready to amplify the excuses
Jan 23, 2019 • 29 tweets • 6 min read
I spent a thoroughly enjoyable & revealing week in Ibadan with @akinalabi to speak at his annual conference for young people #YECOIbadan & also to campaign with him. It was a very gruelling week full of lessons about key success factors in elections in Nigeria
Thread.
Politics is truly local.
Nigeria is largely populated by people who aren't as educated as most of us here.But in a democracy,a vote has no socio-economic class. One man, one vote.If you want to win,you need to organize & mobilize at the grassroots. They determine who wins.Simple
Oct 18, 2018 • 12 tweets • 3 min read
One of the great tragedies of the Ambode's administration was what he did to sports here. Our late very dear Egbon Deji Tinubu & his team racked up over 100 events in their first year,most of them aimed at athlete discovery & development. It was a new dawn.
What was even more pleasing was their focus on other sports. We had young boys & girls being given a statewide platform to participate in lesser known sports. I was thrilled & worked pro bono with @solaiyeps on some of these initiatives. They had a clear strategy.
