ORDINARILY, I ought not to react to Godwin Dudu-Orumen’s description of me as an alarmist because if one gets foolery from a man that is supposed to be a bastion of wisdom and sound judgement, the best thing is to ignore such an individual.
However, it is important to put issues that led to him calling me an alarmist in perspective. That way, the discerning public can differentiate who is making a patriotic call to right the wrongs in our sports industry from the attention seeking rabble rouser who, instead of checking facts, goes on air to malign people, either to be in the good books of a paymaster or just to be mischievous.
Who Is an Alarmist?
The dictionary describes an alarmist as someone who exaggerates a danger and so causes needless worry or
A person who tends to raise alarms, especially without sufficient reason, as by exaggerating dangers or prophesying calamities or someone who causes unnecessary fear or anxiety that something unpleasant or dangerous might happen.
Was my letter that of an alarmist or a patriotic call? Let facts speak.
Sports Minister Dalung, probably in a bid continue a tradition of scams that is as old as our first qualification for World Cup in 1994 or out of sheer ignorance, made a passionate plea to the National Assembly to quickly appropriate funds for Russia 2018 World Cup, Commonwealth Games and others so that our preparation and participation will not be jeopardised.
The Minister did not stop there; he announced that a fundraising dinner will soon be held.
“A stakeholder’s dinner which will also include the National Assembly, state governments and all other concerned sports stakeholders will be organized soon to chart a new course of action for our participation at the World Cup.”
My Letter to the Senate President
As one in the know, I urged the Senate President to disregard Dalung’s letter because FIFA World Cup is an all expense paid holiday for all the participating teams.
I informed the Senate President and the National Assembly that if Dalung feigns ignorance of this, then his knowledge of sports is zero, therefore he should not be the Sports Minister.
I went on to state the financial benefits accruable to the Super Eagles and other teams participating at the Russia 2018 World Cup.
Nigeria will get $2 million for preparations. After playing the first three games, they will get $10 million. If our boys advance to round 16, they will pocket $12 million, quarterfinal is $18 million, semi-final and fourth is $25 million; a third place guarantees them $30 million, second $40 million, and $50 million, if they win the ultimate prize.
I listed other goodies from FIFA which include $100 million for players and $70 million for clubs with players in the world cup. Others include free transportation, accommodation and feeding for a maximum of 50 delegates.
So, where is the false alarm or exaggeration? Since my letter was a response to Dalung’s request. Where is the insufficient reason when the information I called the attention of the Senate President and National Assembly to are already in the public domain? Neophytes in sports journalism and baby football administrators are aware of these facts.
Only a lazy journalist will call this an alarm and the writer, an alarmist. In my letter to the Senate President, I avoided talking about the Commonwealth Games and others as I was yet to get the specifics about grants for their preparation and participation.
Bank Loan for Eagles
I advised that, with the economy in recession, thousands of workers not paid or under paid, with roads, healthcare, education, housing and others in need of government’s financial intervention, appropriating billions for a team that is going for an all expenses paid championship is a crime against average Nigerians.
I urged the minister not to use the excuse of FIFA grants’ delay to push for appropriation of funds. Since Nigeria is guaranteed $12 million from FIFA, even if we lose our first three matches, the Sports Minister should approach any of our commercial banks, who will gladly be our official banker to Russia 2018 World Cup. The bank can give them an overdraft, an advance, for the World Cup preparation and participation, pending the receipt of FIFA funds; this is the standard practice worldwide. Where then is the alarm?
Dudu-Orumen questioned my role in 2010 World Cup
Determined to malign me, Dudu- Orumen questioned my motives and told his listeners that I was part of the South Africa 2010 scam and I didn’t see anything wrong with it then.
I am surprised that Dudu-Orumen, a lawyer and freelance journalist, did not use the most important tool of his trade; fact checking, before going on air. If he had, he would have known the character of Mallam Ibrahim Isa Bio, the Minister under whom I served as SA.
With a simple Google search, he would have seen the stories I did that led to Mallam Bio appointing me as his SA.
For Dudu-Orumen and others who may be unaware of my role in 2010 World Cup, let me give a little insight.
I was one of the 120 sports journalists, worldwide, selected by FIFA to understudy all aspects of the South Africa 2010 World Cup organization and tour all the venues.
The three other Nigerian members of the study group were Aisha Folade, Osasu Obayuwana and Wole Sogunle, then South African correspondent for NAN.
Before arriving Durban, where the Super Eagles were to camp for the World Cup, FIFA officials and officials of the host nation had told me about grants for preparation and participation. The Eagles were to camp at Hampshire Hotel in Ballito, Durban.
A South African official, who was piqued about where the NFF officials chose to camp the Eagles, when they had been shown better hotels during the visit in December 2009, arranged a car to take some of us to what he called “the very poor hotel” that our team wanted to stay.
After the tour, I concluded that the hotel is not even fit for the national U-17. The story of the hotel and grants from FIFA formed the basis of my story, Hampshire Hotel as Super Eagles’ albatross and other stories.
Colleen Dardagan, a South African journalist, internationalized the story and all hell was let loose.
Then Sports Minister, Mallam Bio, contacted me and I gave him more information. He discussed with President Goodluck Jonathan before travelling on a fact finding mission to South Africa.
Accompanied by a DSS director and Nigeria’s High Commissioner, Buba Marwa, they rejected the hotel after inspection and settled for the 79-room, four-star Protea Waterfront Hotel at Richards Bay.
But Nigeria had to pay half of the severance fee of $250,000 to owners of the Hampshire Hotel.
After the inspection, I started work with Mallam Bio with the intention of cleaning our football and sports generally.
It is on record that Mallam Bio’s reforms then led to hitherto untouchables in Nigerian football being detained at Kuje and charged to court for allegations of World Cup related fraud. Since the case is still in court, I can’t go into details of what happened.
Is Dudu-Orumen an ignoramus? Possibly; but most probable is that he is a Dalung apologist, a mischief maker and rabble-rouser who is bent on wiping negative sentiments against a reporter who seeks an end to the world cup scam.
OLUKAYODE THOMAS is a Lagos based journalist.