Hi,
Well people have highlighted the absence of the social media presence the world has today, back then, as to why corruption held sway.
But even with the social media bliss of this day, lies are still selling fast.
Therefore things could still have been a bit better back then, without social media. For example, Oliseh asked the interviewer that led him to this story, a great question.
He said, do you think a player that has given his all consistently for the team and country for at least a decade will suddenly just change?
You see, that's what many Nigerians didn't ask themselves then. This interviewer told him, what they heard and believed back then was that Oliseh abandoned the team. So that is why Oliseh asked the question above.
Now back to his question, even if for any reason, such a player suddenly changes, ain't you supposed to query deeply what went wrong?
I didn't even hear in 2002 that Oliseh abandoned the team, what I read in the newspaper was that he insulted the Minister of Sports then, as he was demanding for monies that were owed the players. That he spoke carelessly as captain.
Even in my very late teens then, I was suspicious of the story I was reading. Are we not Nigerians? Don't we know how people can play the "I'm your senior" card when they want to oppress younger ones? Did he really insult the Minister? Is it not a human being that wrote the news? How am I sure he reported correctly.
That was my thinking then. Back then I was thinking of how Oliseh was sick for a recent AFCON match and couldn't start a final match and wasn't supposed to play, but had to present himself to his coach, risking his life to come in as a second half substitute because Nigeria was two goals down. Nigeria equalised affer his introduction. So there were things that were not adding up then.
The interviewer says, what he heard back in 2002 was that Oliseh abandoned the team. Well perhaps that's what another newspaper wrote, I don't know.
My point is, even without social media, we have minds to think. Now there were older people at that time, people in their 30s and above, who at that time will tell us about how leadership in Nigeria is so heavily laddened with corruption. The Ministry of Sports, the NFF, were they not part of the said leadership? It's unfortunate that these same older people helped to crucify an Oliseh and his teammates then, who were fighting thesame corruption these elderly ones say they hate.
The picture-post above on Oliseh is not the first time the truth is coming out. The truth has been out for a few years now from several sublime sources and it has proven that Sunday Oliseh and Co were innocent.
So it wasn't a lack of social media presence per se, it was a critical thinking issue, or actually it was emotions running wild. Due to the excitement football brings, many were not willing to sieve the news or stories they heard. Yet that's no excuse!
LIFE LESSONS
This kind of thing is still happening today. One form of convenience or the other is chosen above truth, above justice. It must stop!
We must hate corruption so badly that, if eating our most favourite meal will mean aligning with corruption, then let's go hungry. That no passion, no emotion, no opportunity in this life is strong enough to keep us from critical thinking that seeks to exalt truth. That's when Nigeria will start working well. That's when Africa will become great again.
Start from your space and be a beacon of light.
So help us God.
Cheers