"Nigerians defy logic, people get killed
today, and they look forward to English Premiership football, tomorrow.”-
Omojuwa.
Nigerian
football fanatics, specifically lovers of
the EPL and European footbal might not like me for my stance on the
"craziness" over a game played thousands of miles away on a football
field in England or somewhere else in Europe and relayed via the power of
technology to millions of faithful of this sport worldwide.
Many
wonder or even see as unreasonable my comparison in placing side by side
the cult follower ship and twitting / facebooking habit of matches while they
are being played live on TV against the almost lackadaisical attitude by the
bulk of these same Nigerians toward the non ending bomb and gun attacks by an
Islamic extremist in the Northern states of Nigeria.
Only
last week while people where busying themselves hurled up in a football viewing
centre in Jos, enjoying a match between Chelsea and Barcelona, the gang
of terrorist whom I will presume don't give
rat ass about the excitement of football, saw an ample opportunity to
bomb the viewing centre and take lives senselessly as they enjoy doing.
I
submit that even in the face of challenges agree people should unwind, love a
sport or even be fanatical about that sport if they so wish, however in the
light of happenings in Nigerian in recent times, I am of the opinion that
Nigerians should equally channel our energies used in supporting and
passionately discussing foreign football on TV , Radio,Online and Off
line. Towards doing the same, If not more in showing and demonstrating our
outrage for the continued waste of innocent lives by Islamic terrorist on the one hand and on
the other hand the continued waste and pilferage of public funds by politicians,
highly placed civil service officials
and their counterparts in the private sector. As we say nothing violence
in the north keeps happening day by day and successive government keeps up with
it pampering of corruption.
Am
not asking we go on the streets or the Labour unions call for a strike action
to demand Government provide security for the citizens of this country, no! We
will get to that level someday, right now all am saying is that let each man,
woman, boy or girl start to speak out in any way they can.
If
you can constantly update your twitter , facebook and even blackberry DP with
comments about a football match, by gosh! you should even do more in speaking
against terror and corruption before these evil takes over our land completely
and we won't even have the peace to watch football in comfort talk less of
twitting or facebooking about it.
If
people praising their "teams victory " or criticising a game using
social don't or saying stuff like
“Arsenal,or Man U, or Chelsea for life” already know the importance of loyalty
to something and in sharing their views on their team via social network tools,
I bet they can equally care enough to do same for a more relevant and well
meaning cause such as speaking out against impending disaster.
So
my confusion or should I say question is this - Why don’t the majority of
Nigerians use this same tools in speaking out daily against corruption and
Boko Haram terrorist groups? But will
jump at any given opportunity to fraternise if its football.. Why ? .
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I
shared my thoughts using my facebook profile - On the love Nigerians exhibit
for football and the care free attitude we show toward state of the nation at
the same time and just as expected football enthusiast fought back-
Here
is a question someone asked " So you will
rather that they keep looking forward to more bombs going off ? “, and here is my response
" Olu D
Don, sorry don't get me wrong am not saying that and am also not saying we
should not watch our favourite game and the most loved sport. All am just
saying is this, the passion we all exhibit towards football, far outweighs the
passion or concern we show towards the state of our nation. e.g. some people
got bomb last week just watching Chelsea / Barca Match in Jos, a young fan lost
his life in Lagos over this same match, come on na
seriously?....for a country on the brink, I do think our love for football can
at least teach us something ? If not love for our country, maybe let's just
care enough to use our facebook,BB dp, twitter profile etc to "SPEAK
OUT" just as is now the culture when watching football.
Am so sure people in Syria will care less about EPL
or an European tournament , not to talk of twitting or facebooking about it.
All they would wish or pray for is Peace. Just like Libyans they too are using
Youtube and social networking tools to expose the killing frenzy of their
government and fight for a change.
Anyway I still acknowledge that some Nigerians e.g.
@Omojuwa,@Ogudamise,@Hanneymusawa etc are really speaking out via social
networking tool, hopefully maybe someday we will all catch the fire.
Forgive me if my response is too long, maybe I just have too much spare
time..lol.. Happy May Day and have a safe/blessed Month ahead". Cheers
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