Chief Effiong.. ( cuts in ) Invest what? I
have told you what we have put in so far to bring him to this level and you
want to put enmity between me and my son?
Telephone rings…….
Chief Effiong……Hello who is this?
Alhaji Maigari...If I am on to Chief
Effiong, I am Aminu Maigari the President of the NFF
Chief Effiong….Ah interesting how are
you? You are the one who wants to teach me how to manage my son? When I bought
him his first ball when he was three years old where were you? At age six, I
got him a football boot because I knew he was destined for greatness.
And
my wife had to cook for all of them because we knew there was going to be a
celebration at the end of the match.
Do
you know how much we spent for food and the drinks?
Without
consulting me as the father, you went and wrote the two million naira cheque in
his name. Do you know how much we spend every time he plays? You went and wrote
a two million naira cheque in the name of a 16 year old?
I
want to return the cheque so that you can reissue it in my name.
Alhaji Maigari.….on the contrary sir, I
advice that you use the cheque to open an account in his name, so that as he
grows up you can help him to invest and….
Chief Effiong.. ( cuts in ) Invest
what? I have told you what we have put in so far to bring him to this level and
you want to put enmity between me and my son?
Alhaji Maigari….God forbid sir. In fact
that is why I called to first of all congratulate you for siring a child who
has the potential of becoming a great footballer if properly nurtured
Chief Effiong….Did you hear when I told
you that I knew he was going to be great? Look if not for injury, today I would
have been one of Nigeria’s best footballers. I played for my primary school and
I was always the one called upon to take corner kicks…
Alhaji Maigari….No wonder your son is
so good. Congrats Sir. As earlier said we will find time to sit with you and
discuss how best to handle your son’s future, because right from UAE, we
noticed the influx of scouts who we believe can short circuit the future of
these boys if we do not intervene.
Chief Effiong…listen Alahaji Maigari, I
am not a novice, I know what is good for my son and I do not need you to tell
me about his future…
Alhaji Maigari.….hold on sir, talk to
the Honourable Sports Minister.
Chief Effiong….Hon Minister, are you
one of those who want to reap from where you did not sow?
Hon Minister…..I beg your pardon
Chief…..reap from where we did not sow? If you must know. We are the ones that
have sowed. This country invested millions in those children. For the past
three years we have given them the best in terms of comfort of living and
personal development. I don’t know about your son, but nearly all those kids stayed
in hotels for the first time when we took them over. None of them had flown in
an aircraft before. Since we adopted them they have benefited the best of
training from first class coaches and international academies.
Ask
them about the Aspire Academy in Dubai, five star hotels, best of
airlines……they owe this country Sir you owe us for bringing your child to the
level where he has become a global celebrity…dines with Presidents, met face to
face with Mr Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of The House,
Ministers…..
Chief Effiong ….Hon Minister, I
withdraw my statement.. I think you have a point there…..I apologise. In fact
it was when he always came back from camp that we discovered he could eat rice
with a fork and knife.
Hon Minister.…Apology accepted. Sir I
asked the NFF President to call you because I heard, and authoritatively too,
that an agent offered you one million naira which you collected….
Chief Effiong….Don’t go there….don’t
just go there. A whole country gave my son two million naira, an individual
brought one million naira and you are querying me…?
Hon Minister…The federal Government’s
donation was an appreciation, one that is bound to open the flood gates for
more of such. The one million naira from the agent may be an invitation to slavery,
a bet that you may regret…..
Chief Effiong …What makes you think you
people are the only ones that know about football?
Hon Minister.…Far from it, we are not
the only ones, but this is our culture medium. We plan and sincerely too to
bring together experts in the business to sit down with all the parents of the
kids and the kids themselves to advice on the way forward. We have multiples
examples of bright youngsters whose careers were destroyed by self seeking and
selfish agents. We do not want that to happen to this glorious bunch at our
disposal.
Let
me also congratulate you for being the father of such a wonderful footballer as
I hand you back to the NFF President
Alhaji Maigari….So sir we are planning
to come and see you.
Chief Effiong….Are you coming alone?
Alhaji Maigari…No sir, I am likely to
come with one of the coaches and the chairman of the technical committee of the
NFF. In fact if possible with other members of that committee including
Chairman Christian Chukwu, JJ Okocha, Victor Ikpeba, Garba Lawal…….those who
have seen it all and are in a position to give wise counsel…….we also have your
country man Paul Bassey in that committee
Chief Effiong……Ah Paul Bassey….we are
proud of him. Tell him I saw him on Tv during the Algeria Burkina Faso match.
He has added weight…..he is chopping FIFA money….
Alhaji Maigari....We thought so too but
when we confronted him he said the cold forced him to wear two jackets that is
why he appeared fat…
Chief Effiong …..None of you will admit
to chopping money until we catch you with oil on your lips. On a serious note,
let me know when you will come because we must celebrate with a feast
Alhaji Maigari…..Sir, that will not be
necessary. What we are coming for is serious, bordering on the future of your
child and of course the sustained sports glory of this country.
Chief Effiong….My friend we in this
part of this country are noted for culinary excellence ask Paul Bassey. Do you
know what it means to be visited by the Award winning NFF president? I am not
talking about all those junk you eat in hotels….I am talking about home made
buffet that includes afangsoup, edikang ikon, white soup with goat meat to go
with pounded yam, fresh fish pepper soup……..do you eat dog meat?
Alhaji Maigari…..No thanks I don’t like
it.
Chief Effiong… What is no thanks? How
can you not like what you have not tasted? The day you eat well prepared dog
meat with unripe plantain to boot that day you will bow…..
Alhaji Maigari…(..laughter)……I pray
that day does not come ( more laughter) so sir in summary of what the
Honourable minister said, it is our desire and the wish of all Nigerians that
these boys be guided and monitored for a better tomorrow. Rather than collect a
one million that is like a one off…
Chief Effiong….President, forget this
one million….forget it. I have collected it and have spent it, except you want
to refund it…
Alhaji Maigari…..Sir I was saying that
rather than collecting a one off, we will prefer a 500,000 thousand that will
come again and again…..I give you the classic case of Mikel Obi and how two
great clubs Man U and Chelsea were fighting for him. On paper, Man U was the
better choice, but a lot of other factors were taken into consideration in
counseling him, including playing regularly and the presence of Africans in the
team that will help him settle down faster, and today Mikel is one of the
world’s greatest footballers whose profile rises daily…
Chief Effiong….Alhaji Maigari, I am not
dumb, I appreciate all you are trying to say…..my only concern is that you
people should consider the interest of the parents in all that you do. I could
not have invested so much in a child only for you to come and issue a two
million naira cheque in his name..
Alhaji Maigari….Sir, again this is a
one off. What we are saying here is a stable future. Go to Jos and see what
Mikel has done to his parents and siblings…..Kanu, Okocha, Finidi George,
Obafemi Martins. With the benefit of proper counseling and good upbringing,
even the sky will not be his limit…. Chief
Effiong…Anyway, money is like a spirit. If you don’t have, no problem, but
the moment it enters your hand you feel like taking a big bottle of stout with
every meal. Besides this agent looked quite honest and serious…
Alhaji Maigari…..Sir we are not saying
all agents are bad. By the time we know who you are dealing with, he may just
be someone we can trust.
Chief Effiong….Ok till you come. You
people must bring something for me and my wifeoooooo. You are busy chopping CAF
and FIFA money
Alhaji Maigari….( laughter )Have I also
added weight? You must be a very interesting person.
Chief Effiong….See let me tell you, did
you see that first goal my son scored? That was me in my youth. All I needed
from my team mates was for them to put the ball in my left leg and off I went.
My nick name was okokobioko…….
Alhaji
Maigari ( prolonged laughter….)
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