Abdullahi M. Gulloma
This week, players of the country’s senior women’s national team, the Super Falcons, staged a protest at the entrance of State House and the gates of the National Assembly.
Reason: To press home their demands for the payment of unpaid bonuses and allowances.
Apparently, the players used the latest players’ striking strategy to quickly get the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari. And, they succeeded.
The President, they knew, was due at the National Assembly on Wednesday to present the 2017 budget to the lawmakers.
The Ministry of Sports and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have made several promises to pay the players, but failed to fulfilled these promises, which necessitated the protest by the girls.
The situation was regrettable, to say the least. But now, thankfully, the President has ordered the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun and her Sports and Youth Development colleague, Mr Solomon Dalung, to pay the Super Falcons their entitlements.
Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Abba Kyari, who announced the presidential order, said: “They (players) have done us proud and we congratulated them.”
Yes, this is what the girls deserve – congratulations, not deprivation and or denial of their entitlements.
Times without number, athletes were forced by mainly sports administrators to think if it was worth representing Nigeria in any sporting event. This situation, majorly informed by corruption, unfortunately, has led some of the country’s promising athletes to opt to represent other countries which are, by all measures, less rich than Nigeria, but more rewarding to represent.
Corruption and lack of organisation, no doubt, constitute the major stumbling blocks to sports development in the country, and government now, after the Super Falcons embarrassment, needs to deal decisively with corruption in the sporting arena.
The Super Falcons situation is an embarrassment too many for Nigeria to bear.
