Uzodimma, Hosting of Super Falcons “lmo 7” And State of Sports in Imo
By Kelechi Mejuobi
Fidelis Soriwei, is a seasoned journalist of worthy note whose pen announced his name in the print media industry. We crossed paths in Owerri 2005-2007 as state correspondents of two different national dailies in Imo State. We operated together as Siamese twins. While he was for Punch, I functioned for another national daily (defunct New Age newspapers) as state correspondents in the same Imo. We were not just members of Correspondent Chapel of Imo State Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, but also had wonderful “collabo” as “striking partners” in news hunting and exclusive reports gathering around the state.
Our approaches to news gathering tactics and reportage without reference to normal press releases were different from the othordox practice witnessed in Owerri during that era. Without exaggerating words, we were seen as extremists who imbibed radical approaches to the system which warranted the “Talibans” prefix branded after our names.
In 2007, I was appointed Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, (2007-2011), forcing me to vacate Correspondence practice while Punch transfered Soriwei to Benin as Edo State correspondent, later to Saturday Punch in Abuja before former Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, made him Special Adviser on Media during his stay in Government House, Yenagoa. The separation caused a major gap between us but our association continued more in the social media until we reconnected in Abuja.
My dear Soriwei noted for his vitriolic write ups “scratched” me recently for a faceoff which saw us disagree for the first time. And the bone of contention was his criticism against Governor Hope Uzodimma’s hosting of WAFCON winning Super Falcons from Imo State.
Soriwei took to his social media handle and accused Uzodimma of allegedly encouraging disunity by rewarding only players and officials from the governor’s State.
Said he “Governor Hope Uzordinma selected six players from the Super Falcons and gave each of them N10m. He separated six players for reward to the excision of others. He rewarded only the players from Imo State.
“He ignored the fact that when we were cheering and celebrating this team, we did not consider states, tribe or region” he added.
Oblivious of the fact that his own Ondo state governor, Lucky Adetilawa will join league of the governors that had to fete their ladies involved in the cup-winning Falcon team, the seasoned journalist further added that the actions of the governors are festering disunity in Nigeria to the fore.
Soriwei posits about lack of patriotism and magnanimity in sports promotion judging from the action of the governor’s who gave reception to the Super Falcon’s contingent from their states.
I quickly jumped into his page and disagreed with his postulations arguing that such gestures don’t encourage disunity and divisive sentiments he expressed.
I informed my friend Soriwe that there is nothing to worry about state governors appreciating their own in such manners adding that it is a moral booster to fire their people to greater heights in the sports . I requested him to leave Uzodimma and other Governors involved in the act and refrain from such unfair criticism.
However, I informed him that while lavishing goodies on the girls, the state governors, especially my own Uzodimma should look inwards into the decaying state of sports in the Imo. I expect the governor to imbibe the same zeal and resources injected in celebrating the Imo squad in the Falcons team in revitalising sports in Imo state. Uzodimma in his speech while receiving the six players including a technical crew of the Falcons disclosed that “Imo people are happy with our girls and will continue to give them support so that we can have more of them make Nigeria proud and bring honour to our state”
At this point, permit me to state that non of the girls celebrated is a product of the structures put in place in the state. Rather, the only link is their state of origin which is Imo. The girls, I prefer to call “Imo 7” has no history with football culture in Imo State. They got to limelight through other processes not peculiar to what are obtainable in Imo, hence Uzodimma needs to reflect on the state of sports in Imo than celebrating the excellence of “finished products” of others. The celebration of the “Imo 7” arises from the victory of Falcons in Morocco; an indication that the state succeeded in celebrating materials that are not indeed their products.
And that captures why Uzodimma said at the reception that “the majority of the Super Falcons team and Africa’s number one goal keeper come from Imo State, and assured that the state will continue to support and promote excellence”
A discerning mind aware of state of sports development in Imo would question how the state government “will continue to support and promote excellence” in sports other than celebration of already-made products when there is no enabling environment for grassroots sports development in the state?
More worrisome is the statement credited to the Commissioner for Sports Development, Obinna Onyeocha who praised governor Uzodimma for the successes recorded by the girls. While commending the governor for his passion in sports development and the huge investment made in the sector, the sports commissioner was quoted to have said; “the event today is a huge manifestation of your (Uzodimma’s) investment in sports”
Commissioner Onyeocha can be pardoned. His predicament can be clearly observed and tolerated. He who wears the shoe knows where it pains. Onyeocha utterances at the event can be excused for the sake of his position. But he knows the truth and can’t shy away from the fact that all is not well in the ministry he is supervising. I pity him though. As a political appointee, the words from Sports Commissioner commending the governor for his passion in sports are expected even as it’s in strong contrast to attributing the performances of Falcon’s “Imo 7” to manifestation of huge of his governor’s investment in sports.
Doling out #30m each to the seven of them from the state (Chiamaka Nnadozoe, Tochukwu Oluchi, Chinwedu Ihezuo, Osinachi Ohale, Micheal Alozie and Ifeoma Onumonu, including Ann Agunman-Chiejine, a keeper trainer), with other mouth watering largesse are not the ultimate plans for sports development in the state. Rather proper funding and putting on ground convenient structures for sports gains in Imo State are needed to match the notion that the successes of the girls are the “manifestation of His Excellency’s huge investment in sports”
Signs that the Imo State Government is playing lip-service to football growth is the utter exclusion of Imo State Football Association, (Imo FA), from the hosting event of the heroic Super Falcons from the state including other previous exercises related to football development. Just like other state FAs who are prominent in the affairs of other states, the Imo FA plays a statutory role in football development. As an affiliate of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, the non involvement of the Imo FA in the recent hosting of the girls from Imo in Abuja and Owerri speaks volumes of neglect to required structures for growth. It’s obvious there are no concrete plans for sports development than exploiting the hosting of the Imo 7 as opportunity to score cheap political points and seek undue public attention.
How would the state government excel in providing the needed structures when a statutory body involved in football development and organisation like the Imo State Football Association, Imo FA is left out from the programs?
It’s not just about football, Sports in Imo generally is in shambles. Very distasteful state if truth should be told. Today, the darling club of the state, Heartland FC of Owerri are relegated back-to- back. By the time the next football season starts this month, the Naze Millionaires, as Heartland is fondly called shall campaign in the less fancied Nigeria National League, NNL, thereby denying football loving Owerri people first class league matches. Except for private owned Kun Khalifat FC who incidentally has taken the name “Pride of Imo” will bring the NPFL to Owerri, if the team choses to play their home matches at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri. The historic Heartland club is living in past glories dwarfing remarkable feats the darling club of Imo people has earned in NPFL, Challenge Cup and CAF club competitions over the years. Recall that the state team was also relegated last season before it got a slot to bounce back.
Similarly, the state owned women team, Heartland Queens would have also campaigned in the lower division of the women League had it been the Women League board in Nigeria allowed teams go on relegation this concluded season. Today, the state government spent millions on the Imo 7 whereas Heartland Queens as a team was in kwashiorkor state in the concluded season. Aside from lack of funds that prevented them with enough preparations for the just concluded season, it lost majority of the players who shot the team to Women League Super Six spot last season. The irony of it was that nearby Abia Angels run by the Abia State government with with two NPFL sides (Enyimba and Abia Warriors) NNL team (Abia Comets) poached Heartland Queens key players with fat offers. Big government owned sides in the women league like Bayelsa Queens, Rivers Angels, Edo Queens, Abia Angels, Nassarawa Amazons and Delta Queens are big paying sides with proper organisational structures for excellence that are far better than what are obtained in Heartland Queens.
Regrettably, while Heartland FC is in relegation mess, Abia Warriors sponsored by the state government are one of the continental teams representing Nigeria this new season.
It’s on record that available sporting facilities in Imo are in comatose thereby questioning statements credited to the Commissioner during the reception event for the “Imo 7” Falcons.
The disappointing state of sports facilities should attract the attention of the sports ministry to the fact that the celebrated Imo 7 Falcons were not products of their system. And for Imo to have more of the heroes and heroines in different sectors of sports, there is need to upgrade sports facilities in Imo. For two seasons, Heartland FC was banned from usage of the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, over lack of acceptable facilities to host NPFL games. Heartland relocated to Aba and Awka where they played their matches few seasons ago. It was only last season that the coming of Emmanuel Amuneke as boss of the team saw to the fixing of the playing grass for the matches of the just concluded season. But a visit to the Dan Anyiam Stadium presently shows a deplorable state of affairs with blown away leaking roof, unkempt stands and sub standard dressing rooms for players and referees. The stadium needs urgent attention if the state is serious about sports development. It’s very nauseating to watch matches at the Dan Anyiam Stadium due to the poor state of facilities.
It’s worthy to note that apart from Dan Anyiam Stadium, there are two new stadia in Orlu and Okigwe which have been abandoned due to lack of maintenance. Though , that of Orlu can’t function as a stadium because of poor job by the immediate past government in Imo State, Okigwe stadium which played host to league matches before now is a no go area due to the poor state of the complex. The old stadium on Tetlow Road, Owerri has turned into a motor park abandoned to rot away while other national competitions meant for Imo State to host like the Nigeria Nationwide League takes place at a private owned Onwubiko Innocent Sports Academy, OISA, field, Ngor Okpala. The state version of this year’s Federation Cup organized by the Imo FA was also held at the OISA field.
It’s not only in football sector that is begging for attention in Imo State sports. One of the sporting events that brought great honour to Eastern Heartland is handball. The all conquering Grasshoppers Handball team for male and female was a household name in Nigeria and beyond before now. The gains and honours earned have fizzled out, no thanks to government indifference to sports fortune. Worse still, is that the popular Grasshoppers stadium within the Dan Anyiam Stadium complex which hosted Africa in the past now looks more like one of the bombed structures in the Israeli-Iran war torn zones. Apart from damaged roof and dilapidated structures, the only remnants of Grasshoppers Stadium are byproducts of neglect. The Grasshoppers team of Imo is living in past glory with zero motivation for excellence. In a recent national competition in Benin, Edo State, while other states who participated lodged their players in various hotels, the female Grasshoppers team slept in open hostels at the stadium which exposed them to harsh conditions. Even training allowances and competition bonuses couldn’t come before they came back empty handed.
In Imo State, Athletics sector is worse hit in this era of neglect of the sports sector. It is a sad situation because there is no tartan tracks for the state athletes to train at the main bowl of the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri. Athletes from Imo have nothing to show in track events due to absence of a training ground in the state. Most times they move to other states with track facilities to train ahead national events. For more than five years the Dan Anyiam Stadium tartan tracks were pulled off for new one, there has never been a replacement, leaving the athletes make do with dangerous concrete floor of the surface. The concrete floor not only poses danger to the athletes but also limits perfection needed for competitive exercises at the national and international scenes.
Coming to Basketball, there is no functional indoor basketball that has capacity to host major events. The open basketball court in Dan Anyiam Stadium is hazardous to players.
Attempts to build a standard swimming pool for training and competition in the state have become a mirage as strangers milling around the stadium location have converted the one under construction to an emergency fishery farm.
This disturbing situations enumerated above do not provide a veritable avenue for sports development and growth in the sector. It is not surprising that the name of Imo State has been missing from medal tables at national events as Imo athletes who attend sporting fiesta outside the state only embark on jamborees.
The Sports ministry and state government need to have a rethink about the situation of sports in Imo considering that
youths in Imo have always excelled in the sector through the local process.
I don’t know when last the state held a sports festival that had been a window to catch them young and harness talents abound in the localities. Most of the footballers and athletes from Imo State who made Nigeria proud in national and international stages were potentials sourced from the grassroots.
In view of the growing activities of young men and women involved in criminal activities in the state, government investment in sports could be the panacea to curb involvement in “unknown gunmen” trade, kidnapping and commercial sex jobs ravaging the society in recent times.
Government should engage the youths in sports at the grassroots and state levels to curb cultism and other unwanted vices in the society.
The state government should seek the cooperation and work in strategic partnership with statutory bodies involved in sport for the development of the sector.
Mejuobi, a regular commentator on contemporary issues, is a columnist and co-publisher of Trumpeta Newspapers
