PETER RUFAI: CLASS OF 94/96, TRUTH AND BITTERNESS

JOSHUA J. OMOJUWA urges all to save for raining days

Almost two decades ago, the Ghana Cedi was one of the weakest currencies in Africa until the Ghanaian government stepped in by redenominating it in 2007. In one swoop, 10,000 GHC had become 1 GHC, 1,000,000 GHC became 100 GHC. By that redenomination, the Cedi achieved parity with the US Dollar, as the exchange rate suddenly was 1 USD to 1 GHC. Now, the Cedi has suffered so much even after the redenomination, it is 1 USD to about 11.5 GHC. That suggests that had the redenomination not been done, the exchange rate would be 1 USD to GHC 115,000. 

A smart X user made this point to provide some nuance on the Ghana/Nigeria cost-of-living debate that ensued as some Nigerian influencers embarked on a bus trip to Ghana. Amidst the trend, where if you were counting scores, you’d see Ghana won points and Nigeria did too, but to a group of people who felt threatened by the notion that Nigeria was going to look good whatsoever, a conspiracist raised a claim that the trip had been a Donald Trump agenda to have Nigeria raise VAT as part of its control of Nigeria’s president with the IMF bankrolling the said road trip. If this sounds absurd and ridiculous to you, congratulations. It simply means you are of sound mind. 

There are human beings on X defending that position. It would be shocking to me if someone had not sent me a DM in 2020 to say that 5G was indeed the cause of the covid19. I thought it was a joke until she started to push back. Alongside claims by a group that President Muhammadu Buhari had died in 2017 and was replaced by a clone from Sudan called Jibril, I knew that we had reached a point of no return on the matter of postmodernism and its seamy side. So, when Nigerian football legend Taribo West went viral for that rant that seemed justified, I just knew it was going to be another ride on the back of mass irrationality. 

Almost three decades ago, then Nigerian Head of State stopped the Super Eagles from playing at the 1996 African Nations Cup in South Africa. It was solely a political issue between Abacha and the South African government. Nigeria was favourite and this was not just because we were defending champions. The team looked even better than the one that ruled Africa in 1994. 

The players were looking at getting $5000/match bonus for their efforts in South Africa which, if they made the finals, would have meant at least $30,000 each. Not to mention other bonuses and gifts if they managed to win. They missed out of the tournament, the nation was hurt, football fans licked their wounds but the Super Eagles, even though it was not news at the time, were compensated by Gen. Abacha.

They each got $20,000. That was in 1996. That gift was for missing out on the tournament, but it was also reflective of what they earned when they played for Nigeria. Playing for Nigeria also elevated their status as professionals because the difference between getting a work permit or not in some of the major leagues depended almost solely on whether you were an international and how many matches you had played for your country over a given period. In essence, Nigeria was good to these players even as in winning AFCON in 1994, doing well at the 1994 World Cup and winning the Olympics in 1996, they gave Nigeria its best era in football. They were rewarded for their service.

Rewarded in retirement too. Like Sports Executive, Biola Kazeem noted on X, “There is no team in the history of world football that’s had more members take turns as coaches/assistant coaches of national teams as the USA 94 team. They get support in their personal capacity and for their projects, yet nothing is enough. They must be victims of Nigeria by force”. When you don’t pay attention to the facts, emotions can blur the truth.

It is not a good look to see one of our legends hurt, almost to the point of tears, about being abandoned by the country, using the death of one of Nigeria’s most revered players, Peter Rufai, as cover. It was not a good look and Nigeria, specifically the football federation, looked bad. Even the Lagos State government got flaks. Except that that government had sent money in support of the Rufai family and the NFF supported and sent representatives. I think the NFF should have done more, may be send its President or General Secretary. If Sunday Oliseh was speaking their mind, some of these ex-players expected the President of Nigeria and the Vice President to be there. According to Oliseh, that was the sort of burial Christian Atsu, the Ghanaian player who died in an earthquake in Turkey, got. Okay.

There are bigger issues involved here and blames can go round. Nigeria as a country and government often gets it. The failings of the Nigerian government over the decades are obvious enough. Everyone is quick to see it. Problems only arise when you ask that people look in the mirror at times. Like asking that a man who earned about $2m in a single year some 26 years ago, amidst his other earnings through a career that lasted about two decades, should not be in a place where he’d be dependent on government. 

When Taribo said he’d never advise his son to play for Nigeria, it sounded like a man justified. I’d hope though that his son, if privileged to play for Nigeria, looks hard at his father and commits to not repeating his mistakes. One of those being that a man who once controlled millions of dollars should blame himself before anyone if he finds himself at the mercy of government’s support. The bitter truth is, Nigeria hasn’t been good to a lot of its citizens, but it has been great to this lot. Rest in Peace Peter Rufai, Legend.

 Omojuwa is chief strategist, Alpha Reach/BGX Publishing