With all indications and indices,the new NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau will have to spearhead a different administration that will be majorly repleted and synchronized with the
‘voice’ from the Aso Rock.
Much has been said about government interference in football and by extension its politics. It’s a reality we have come to live with in Nigeria and this may not end any time soon.
Like everyone, there’s always that inner voice that often speaks to how we approach things in our day to day activities. Even when we sometimes jettison what the ‘voice’ would have to say, it always become a reference point in the aftermath of whichever decision we decided to go with as regards what it held in the first place- you may call it intuition.
For Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, he wouldn’t need to have much recourse to his own inner ‘voice’ but that ‘voice’ that will always come from the Aso Rock Villa. Yes, that power house of the federal republic of Nigeria.
Most recently, the ‘voice’ has touched what until now looked ‘untounchable’. It has shaken what many believe couldn’t be moved and despite the grumbling from different quarters, that ‘voice’ has continued to rage on from all different aspect of the sports- firing from all cylinders.
It has adopted a very subtle but yet a weight- punching approach at anything it set out to achieve. I can’t remember any of its endeavor the ‘voice’ had lost in the recent time. It has won as many as it could. So, now it may be safe to call it ‘Brother voice’- such is the respect that you give to ‘person wey pass you’.
It’s good to see that Alhaji Gusau has been listening to that ‘voice’ from the Aso Rock. For now, it would be ‘politically suicidal’ for him to reject the ‘voice’ and one can only hope that the connection or the server is never lost.
The ‘voice’ so desired for a new and branded football league and here we are with an interim management committee which the voice had only undertook their appointment but asked that the inauguration be done on its ‘behalf’- may be because of its inanimate status.
For Gusau, that inauguration was the first litmus test which he has now passed. He would have to do many of such undertakings and one can only hope he prepares so much for it , even as the ‘voice’ may go more louder or tend to sound irritating.
The ‘voice’ has laid many other things on the table for Gusau with the tag of ‘must do’. Among them are the expansion of the Congress members, transparency and accountability in its governance, a vibrant and endearing football ecosystem with reference to the 10-years football masterplan.
How long will the voice continue to come?
May be too long than expected.The man from Zamfara may definitely get tired of the ‘voice’. It may take a toll on his ‘mandate’ and may even cast a big shadow on what he can do.
His associates may tell him he is elected and has some iota of executive powers to wield against the ‘voice’. They will tell him that they have won many of such wars and he shouldn’t be too coward to give in to what the ‘voice’ will have to say all the time- as questions may be asked, who really owns Nigeria football?
Naturally, the ‘Gamji’ in Gusau may also lose its terms and touch with the ‘voice’ in its ‘Agbekoya’ tone. They wouldn’t have to go to the ring because they both own the ‘rope’.
The voice and glass house’s tendency
Until now, there has always been a ‘voice’ from the Aso Rock but the glass house knows its way. It has a special ‘task force’ always readily available to guide and guard it.
Glass house will say it is ‘interference’ and such is not good for her image on the global stage. It will also scream of an imminent ‘sanction’ from Zurich. It will tie the survival of any of its team to the importance of a voucher that has been lying on the table in the Aso Rock but yet to be given attention.
The Sunday Dakoro’s abode may also set its own machinery against the voice. It will say its existence is being threatened and will throw the issue on to the table of the court of public opinion- it has won many of such wars.
…..And the balance
The voice will always come at any given opportunity, but for Gusau, he would have to manage the telegraph with some high sense of diplomacy and may be other discerning element. For what is important is that the ’round leather must travel round’. Mutuals!!!
