How Pinnick, NFF President, ‘Bribed’ Me on Keshi
22 Apr 2015
By Tayo Balogun
Today I choose to write like a newspaperman wanting to draw attention to a story. What they do in such circumstance is cast a headline which would sufficiently tickle you to want to read the report. I know our countrymen usually get agitated when they hear anything about corruption, mere stealing or bribery. Corruption they have come to live with. The conventional wisdom in our country is that almost everyone in power or its corridor is corrupt. Bribery, the elder brother of corruption is very popular with Nigerians. A policeman stops you not to check on anything but to collect his 'entitlement' -a hundred Naira bribe.
And if you are arrested and don't really want wahala all you need do is call the officer aside and settle him with a bribe. Not many people would believe there is anyone in government that is not somehow helping himself to our money illegally.
As regards 'mere stealing' that one is a different matter and is much more pervasive.
My saying I was bribed should not be seen in the conventional sense of the word. Let me say from the word go that Pinnick, our not so new NFF president, did not offer me any monetary incentive on Keshi nor did he attempt to induce me indecently not to write negatively on the appointment of the most controversial coach Nigeria ever had. Now that I have your attention let me tell you what happened.
Last week on this column I insisted that our football federation has no business reengaging Stephen Keshi as our national team coach. This view was premised first on the fact that he has not been spectacular. His win log was a mere 30 per cent in a ten-match situation that included lesser ranked teams like Iran, Bosnia, Congo, Sudan and South Africa.
Secondly the Super Eagles under him were most undisciplined; disgracing our country on at least two occasions. More importantly, Keshi wrongly feels he is the best thing to happen to our football and was subsequently not ready to learn from his mistakes nor take corrections.
Since my piece last week there have been many reactions but I am only going to bother you with that of Pinnick who called me from London on Thursday night to express his displeasure with my article.
According to him my piece was largely unfair. I had accused the NFF of reappointing Keshi without finding out if there was an alternative to him at the moment. Pinnick believes that at present the NFF does not have the resources to hire a foreign coach and given that situation it was better to get Keshi to accept a modified new deal which would take care of some of the deficiencies of his former contract.
To upgrade his coaching skill Keshi would go on some form of attachment with seasoned coaches like Arsenal's Arsene Wenger, and West Ham's Sam Allardyce.
In addition, he would submit his plans and get same approved by the Technical Committee of the NFF. He would also work under the supervision of Amodu Shaibu who heads the Technical Department of the Nigerian Football Federation.
According to Pinnick, henceforth, whoever wears the colours of Nigeria would have to subject himself to a code-of-conduct that would guarantee 'good behavior'.
After my rather lengthy discussion with the NFF president, I resolved to respect the fact that a choice has been made and a coach chosen for the Super Eagles. I am impressed that our football federation knows what we feel about re-employing Keshi. More importantly they know we know who to blame should our beleaguered coach not perform. Two years is a short time and like Pinnick told me it will go to prove if the NFF is right to give a remorseful Keshi a second chance. In two years or less we should be singing the praise of our football running body or calling for its head. What we expect from the Pinnick-led board is to take our football to the next level.
I have decided to 'siddon look' and see what magic Keshi would perform, to see if the NFF, like Pinnick told me, would take our football where it truly belongs-the top of African football and one of the best in the World. I trust Pinnick's board will do its best for our football that is why I am accepting to be 'bribed' by the explanation for certain steps being taken on Stephen Okechukwu Keshi. While wishing him the best I hope he has become wise enough to know that no one person knows it all and that everyone cannot agree with him. He must learn to tolerate dissent.

Misleading headlines...just for sensationalism

A typical journalism of our present day nigeria my brother