Solomon Dalung’s embarrassing gaffes

Dalung    Picture: Daily Post

 A primary school kid knows that a square peg cannot fit into a round hole. Yet this administration keeps trying to defy logic in its effort to force clueless administrators to man strategic positions.

Solomon Dalung, Nigeria’s minister of sports, is a square peg and sport is a round hole. They can never fit. The 52-year-old minister is a lawyer and he once worked in the federal prisons, rising to the position of Assistant Inspector of Prisons. He has never been involved in sports. But surprisingly, he was appointed sports minister.

Because he is in alien territory, each time he opens his mouth, he ends up embarrassing the country. His archaic posturing is not only shocking but also highly disturbing.

A few months ago, he said on a radio programme in Lagos that athletes don't need to train for long before major tournaments, to the consternation of athletes and sports lovers.

I wonder if Dalung thinks the hordes of medals the likes of USA, Britain and China won at the Rio Olympics were by happenstance. It took years of training and dedication.

Last week Dalung decided to give another interview. This time it was to the Voice of America. Again he stood logic on its head, saying there was no need for Nigeria to participate in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers because the Super Eagles have no chance of winning the tournament. Seriously?

The Plateau State born administrator said Nigeria’s participation in the qualifiers was a “waste of money.” Nigerians, he said, are “suffering from hunger and we don’t have money for such things.”

According to him, Nigeria should only participate in what they can win – such as the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

He didn’t stop there. He also accused FIFA of bias.

“Conspiracy in the World Cup is too much. There is the issue of bribery and favouritism; there is also the issue of corruption before you are even given the hosting rights. That is why, even if we try many times, once it gets into the politics of the game, we can never win,” he said.

In this one interview he managed to make a lot of gaffes. Firstly, football has never featured at the Commonwealth Games. Unfortunately our dear sports minister doesn’t know that.

Dalung says Nigeria is too poor to participate in the World Cup. Countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Burundi and Eritrea are far poorer than Nigeria. In fact they are Africa’s poorest countries. Yet they don’t hide behind “poverty” to deprive their footballers of a chance to play at the World Cup.

They have a very slim chance of qualifying, let alone winning the global tournament. But they keep on trying. That is because sport is not just about winning. It is about taking part and doing your best.


Dalung wants us to focus on AFCON. But he forgets that it took Nigeria years of participation before we finally won the trophy in 1980. And we didn't win the biennial event again until 1994 – 14 long years later. The next time we lifted the cup was in 2013.

There were conspiracy theories about our heartbreaking and controversial losses to Cameroon, especially because CAF president Issa Hayatou is a Cameroonian. We even lost to Cameroon in our backyard in 2000. But we didn’t claim partiality or hatred and give up. We kept trying, and finally did it.

Before 1996, Nigeria had never won a single football match at the Olympics. So it was highly unlikely that we would do well in Atlanta ‘96. But the boys defied the formbooks. They refused to read the script. They dropped their fear of football superpowers Brazil and Argentina to win the ultimate prize.

If past administrators had Dalung's mindset, they would have stopped the Eagles from participating in these competitions. And we would have been the worse for it.

Sports boost a nation’s image. Football has done a lot more for Nigeria’s image than all our diplomats put together. Many people from across the world know about Nigeria not because of the United Nations but due to our exploits on the field.

The minister says there’s no money to fund football. Does he know that FIFA pays each country that qualifies for the World Cup about $5 million? Convert that to naira and the amount becomes mouth-watering. And does he know the fate of the country if we suddenly pull out of the World Cup qualifiers?

The country would be banned and fined. Then we would have to dole out that money he claims we don’t have.

Instead of saying there's no money to waste, Dalung could use his high office to explore areas of sponsorship for the Super Eagles, one of Africa's most exciting teams. Many reputable organizations have sponsored the Super Eagles in the past and better and transparent organization would bring in more sponsors.

Against all odds, Nigeria is doing extremely well in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. The Super Eagles sit pretty on top of the group that was tagged the “group of death.”

This is not the time to talk about withdrawing from the World Cup. As the minister of sports, Dalung should do his utmost to encourage the players instead of dampening their spirit with his mind-boggling negativity.

Would a woman want a fellow female Nigeria's president?

On November 8 Americans rejected their best chance to elect a woman as their country’s first female president.

They failed to go the path of countries such as Liberia, Germany and the United Kingdom, which are currently ruled by women – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Angela Merkel and Theresa May respectively.

In the past there have been notable female leaders such as Golda Meir of Israel, Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto, Indira Ghandi (India) and Margaret Thatcher in the UK.

Nigeria, like many other countries in the world, is yet to have a female president. Since independence in 1960 only men have governed the country. And they have not done a very good job. Their failure prompted renowned writer Chinua Achebe to state that the trouble with Nigeria was “simply and squarely a failure of leadership.”

Some women have shown ambition to be president of Nigeria but have always fallen short. The most prominent among them is Mrs Sarah Jubril who contested the 2003 presidential elections under the Progressive Action Congress. Out of the 15 candidates she came sixth, with 0.40% of the votes cast even though women account for 51% of the country’s voting population.

She also contested the PDP presidential primaries three times. However, she didn’t make much impact. An angry Mrs Jubril did not understand why her “constituency” deserted her.

“I sympathize with the ignorance of the women which is till now affecting the conscience of women in Nigeria,” she said. “Why are the womenfolk using the media to call me serial contestant sarcastically? I have forgiven them.”

Nigerian women have excelled in various areas of endeavour and many have risen to the top of their profession through diligence, hard work and commitment. Yet they seem to hit a brick wall when it comes to politics at the highest level.

So far, the highest political office a woman has occupied in Nigeria is Speaker of the House of Representatives. Mrs Patricia Etteh held it for just four months before allegations of corruption swept her out of power.

Like Sarah Jubril inferred, are women their own worst enemy? How many Nigerian women would actually support a fellow woman to hold the highest office in the land?

This blog did a poll to find out what women think about their own.

Excerpts:

Esther

Yes I agree that it is about time Nigeria had a female president. Women have excelled in various fields, including those that were hitherto regarded as the exclusive preserve of men. There are female pilots, engineers, doctors and even taxi drivers. So why can’t we have a female president, especially when the men have messed up so badly?

Padi

If the people are ready, any nation inclusive of Nigeria could have a female president. We all know women handle any establishment without sentiment. But just be ready to have a Buhari times five. She will be extremely strict, firm and ready to work. And she will plug all the corruption loopholes.

Adaobi

 Even “small” Liberia has a female president and Nigeria, the giant of Africa, has not even come close to getting one. We have never even had a female vice president. Sarah Jubril contested a few times but never came close to winning because men will not give her a chance.

Funke

I don’t mind who is president. I’m a woman but I won’t vote for a woman just for the fun of it. I will only vote if I believe that she is competent and I know that there are several women in Nigeria who can do the job but somehow they have failed to come out. We don’t even have a female governor in this country.

Mercy

Yes I will vote for a woman but so far there has been no prominent female candidate. I believe the time is ripe for a female president. I don’t think a woman will tolerate corruption the way men have. You know, for women, their word is their bond. And a woman will use her motherly instinct to govern this country well, for the betterment of the masses, not just the ruling class.

Roseline

Nigeria really needs a female president. Some people say women are difficult when they get to positions of power but I disagree. I believe that those who complain are the people who see that with a woman in power it cannot be business as usual.

 Favour

Let God give us His heart's desire. But I think it’s easier for a man to rule. Only a few women are born leaders and they are not easy to come by. Most of them want to remain silent.

Joy

 I will not vote for a woman. Many of them are very good professionally but exhibit iron will which sometimes border on tyranny. Politics is about give and take and many women, especially the high achievers, don’t know how to give an inch especially if they feel they are right. Remember the case of Prof Alele-Williams as Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN. Her unbending style dragged the institution through serious turmoil.

Grace

My honest opinion is that it depends on the person. I don't think it’s a gender thing. Though I think a strong female president will be a fresh breath. Allison Maduekwe (former Petroleum Resources Minister) did nothing, but Okonjo-Iweala (Finance Minister) did a lot. And we all remember what Dora Akunyili did at NAFDAC. Her exploits were unprecedented. So it depends.

Edith

I fear female leadership especially in a corrupt Nigeria. Men are more logical. A woman may tackle problems with her emotions and that will make her prone to errors. I once worked in an organisation that was dominated by women. It was not funny. I was given all sorts of crazy assignments that were far beyond my job scope.

Genevieve

No need to bother my head. We can't have a female president in this country. QED.

Peace

Women are easily intoxicated with power. They are not designed for headship.

Grace

I would love Nigeria to have a female president because women are kind and compassionate and not corrupt as men. Women feel the pains of the economic crunch and would develop the real sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, science and technology. Women are strict and would not hesitate to flush out corrupt officials at all levels. Moreover, they would fight crimes against women. For example, a female president would have ensured that the Chibok girls returned safely shortly after they were abducted.

Rose

Yes, I’d definitely support a female president because most women in leadership positions are disciplined, considerate and God-fearing. The same way they are able to keep the home running irrespective of circumstances is shown in any position they take up. You know we're emotional beings and can't bear to see people suffering.

Julia

Research from reputable publications like Forbes, Harvard Business Review and Business Insider has proved women to be better leaders. Women are more detailed, focused and better at driving key objectives. So if we apply the same principle in politics, governance should work. Though women may be more forceful, in the end they will get the job done. I say a definite yes to a female president.

There you have it. Women are split. There is no guarantee that a female candidate will get bloc votes from women just because they are of the same gender. The candidate will need to have qualities that will endear her not just to women, but to men as well.

10 similarities between Buhari and Trump

Trump

Buhari       Pictures: Wikipedia

When Donald Trump was announced as winner of the U.S. presidential elections, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari likened himself to the American because, according to him, both of them suffered media harassment prior to the elections.

“I was attacked. Trump was attacked. I was hated. Trump was hated. We’re kind of like brothers,” President Buhari said.
And both somehow managed to overcome the media hostility to win.

However, as unlikely as this sounds, there are lots of other similarities between the former army General and the billionaire businessman. Although both men are as different as night and day, I still managed to dig out some glaring similarities.

Here are 10 of them:
1

Buhari and Trump are the oldest to assume the Presidency in their respective countries. Buhari was 72 years old when he took over in May 29, 2015. Trump, who will assume office on January 20, 2017, turned 70 in June.
2

 The wives of both men are in their 40s. Aisha Buhari is 45 (born on February 17, 1971) while Melania is 46 (born on April 26, 1970).

3

Their wives are icons in the beauty industry. Mrs. Buhari is a cosmetologist and beauty therapist. She holds a post-graduate diploma in cosmetology and beauty from Academy Esthetique Beauty Institute of France and recently published a book “Essentials of Beauty Therapy: A Complete Guide for Beauty Specialists.”

On the other hand, Melania Trump is a former model and has graced the pages of numerous fashion magazines. She has also appeared in adverts.
4

Both men have been divorced. Buhari divorced his first wife Safinatu in 1988 and married Aisha the next year. Trump divorced Ivana in 1991 and married Marla Maples then got divorced again in 1999. He married Melania in 2005.

5

The two men have many children. Buhari has 10 children from his two marriages while Trump has five, the highest since President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989). In contrast, America’s most recent presidents have very small families. Bill Clinton has one child, George W. Bush has two children, and Barak Obama also has two.
6

Buhari and Trump were voted on the promise of change and making their country great again. While Nigerians brought in Buhari to rid the country of corruption and boost the economy, Trump won because of his promise to reform sectors like healthcare and education as well as the renegotiation of trade deals with other countries.
7

Both have grossly divided their people. After elections those who supported President Goodluck Jonathan still find it hard to accept President Buhari. Former President Obasanjo said a few months ago that Nigeria is “more fractured” now than any time since the Civil War.

After Trump was declared winner, thousands of Americans have been protesting his victory in major cities across the country – the first in recent history.
8

Both chose lawyers and committed Christians as vice presidents. Buhari picked Osinbajo, a pastor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Trump chose Mike Pence, a born again Christian, who once owned a law firm before joining politics.
9

The two men pooh-poohed the power of incumbency. Buhari defeated President Jonathan while Trump overcame Hillary Clinton who was heavily supported by President Obama.
10

Both men have run for the highest office before. Buhari contested for the presidency under the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in 2003 and 2007 then Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in 2011.
Trump, who has at various times been a member of the Democratic, Republican and Reform parties, flirted with the idea of running for president in 1988, 2004, and 2012. He ended up not entering those races. In 1999, he filed an exploratory committee to seek the presidential nomination of the Reform Party but dropped out of the race due to party infighting. However, he still won the party’s primaries in Michigan and California after dropping out.

If at first you don’t succeed…