OLISEH SLAMS SOCIAL MEDIA

OLISEH SLAMS SOCIAL MEDIA

"If 10% of what you hear that Coach Sunday Oliseh says on Social media or newspaper is true, that means I will be granting interviews every day. "

Nigeria's Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh on Wednesday 21st October slammed social media for the current controversy over striker, Emmanuel Emenike's alleged retirement from the National team.

Speaking on Nigeria's leading sports radio channel --BRILLA Sports, Sunday Oliseh said refuted claims that the Fernabache striker who is currently on loan to Al Ain Fc of the City of Abu Dhabi has retired. Coach Oliseh said:

"It was a big shocker for us, a big shocker for me personally, and personally I still don't accept that he has retired because  em, officially I have not heard anything from him and I  don't think also the Federation have heard, only what we've heard is what we've seen posted on the social media and em we've made trainings part of our re-building process, infact he's got more playing time than any other striker we've had, so I don't -- em-- I'm very very surprised that he has decided to retired."

Oliseh however also indicated that he is going to treat everybody equally. There will be no favorites. In a country where professional footballers who ply their trades abroad have huge egos this will definitely be read differently, and can account for EMENIKE calling it quits with the National team within three weeks after former Captain Vincent Enyeama declared that going forward, he would have no further part to play in the Super Eagles team as a player. 

With two key senior players out of the National Team it remains to be  seen how many will be left in the squad by the end of this year.

Victor O. Sawyerr

21/10/2015

THE LIST

“If this factory ever produces a shell that can actually be fired, I’ll be very unhappy.” --                                                SCHINDLER'S LIST

                                    Schindler (to his accountant and right-hand man, Itzhak Stern,                                      about his munition factory):

We waited! For  some of us, it was with bated breaths. For others, the period waiting, was also a period scheming to get their names into the List. Somehow the most prominent schemers, whose plans even played out on social media, have won no success as yet -- ( it is hoped there would be an addition to this List, and they may yet succeed) .  

THE LIST 

It was to be an earth shaking, game changing list. When it came, it tip-toed in with a whimper -- Nothing earth shaking about it.

It came as if in a distant reverse directional echo to  Oskar Schindler's command to his accountant, a paraphrase of which would be like : 

"If this engine room  never produces a  

game-changing machinery, I will be very unhappy!!"

It would be the hope of the Nigerian masses though, that  this engine room may really  in spite of the odds be able to produce a real, game changing machinery , and ultimately engineer the country to the path of transformation.

While many have criticized the President's proposed LIST of Ministers, and many more have defended him, no one can deny that it is the President's responsibility to provide such a list . Except for journalists who have to create content  and talking points by stoking the flames of criticism at this point , I would think it is altogether too late for this now. The man was voted in. He should be left unshackled to perform his responsibilities to the best of his ability, only then can we have authority to evaluate   the performance of this nation under his watch without bias. 

So what's my point  writing about this List? My point is that we should begin to look at the possibilities for transformation that this engine room may  provide for us? One name in the List that stands out for me is Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) who has  been mentioned in various circles as favored to be Minister of Justice. No doubt this  Senior Advocate of Nigeria is eminently qualified  to head this Ministry but I think Nigeria needs him in a more vital Ministry -- either Power and Steel or Works and Housing. 

My reasoning? He demonstrated as Governor in Lagos for 8 years  that he could put a team together  and supervise the execution of  actual projects that can really touch on the everyday lives of the masses. Consider that Lagos State has a massive 18 Million peoples with over half of them a hub of constantly moving masses -- people who move and do business 'at the speed of light' -- people who congregate and occupy spaces at the snap of a finger -- you would understand the challenge of actually executing projects that touched their lives.  I absolutely believe it is a man like him, who can pick up the baton and run with it, that we need in either of these Ministries.  

And then the others can be given whatever the President wishes that they try their hands on.

"I could have got more out. I could have got more.... If I'd just...I could have got more." Oskar Schindler

"Oskar, there are eleven hunred people alive because of you , look at them" -- Itzak Stern

"I could have gotten one more person... and I didn't! I didn't" -- Schindler

                                     

                                        Victor Omotayo Sawyerr

                                                     7/10/2015