If anyone told Stephen Okechukwu Keshi that in death, he was going to be abandoned by the country he so much laboured to serve, perhaps his passage would be delayed if all it took to tamper with mortality was a referee’s yellow card.
Keshi was laid to rest on July 29, a day the country was marking 50 years of the demise of two legendary Nigerians, Maj. General Johnson Aguiyi- Ironsi and Lt.Col. Adekunle Fajuyi. While the dead heroes were celebrated for their patriotism, the family of another icon wondered what really went wrong with the Federal government.
There was no Federal presence at Keshi’s interment. Sports minister Solomon Dalung, who had promised so much, finally backed out at the last minute blaming paucity of funds. Nigeria Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick was also nowhere to be found after playing roles 24 hours earlier.
Dalung had set up a 20-man committee to oversee the Funeral, promising to give the former Eagles Captain and Manager a befitting burial. That never came as confusion set in leaving the family in the lurch after plans had been finalized.
The excuse from Abuja was that every arrangement had to be suspended until the end of the Olympic Games in Rio. We find this lame excuse unacceptable. If the Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth development does not have the heart to involve corporate Nigeria in such a big event as the burial of a Golden Coach like Keshi, he apparently does not have any business in that office.
Government may be broke but the minister’s influence goes beyond wearing a Che Guevara Revolutionary beret and the Sandinista outfit of the Nicaraguan Ortegas. A minister bereft of ideas on how to honour a national hero sure does not need to give any more excuses.
When the job becomes too much for a worker the best way out is to opt out. Keshi believed so much in Nigeria and non nationals realized that long before his fellow country men. Former Indomitabl e Lions of Cameroun goalkeeper became a Keshi admirer just before the grand finale of the Cote D’Ivoire ’84 Nations Cup.
The young Green Eagles Captain had boasted before Ivorian print journalists that they were going to take the trophy home in fulfillment of a promise to Nigerians. Keshi was sacked by RWD Molenbeek for serving Nigeria at the expense of the club.
Keshi lost the Skipper’s band at Strasbourg for choosing country over club. Keshi was attacked by armed robbers at Oshodi, Lagos and his cousin injured simply because he returned to play for the national team. It is a shame that a man who won the Nations Cup first as a player and much later as captain of the Eagles was buried without the Federal Government playing a huge role. Sports ministry officials talked about keeping some money aside to take care of the family he left behind.
That makes little sense. Keshi’s children are not and will not live from hand to mouth. The much they expected was for the government to honour their father with presence at the burial. It is safe to say that because the Edo and Delta State gove r n m e n t s showed interest in the funeral arrangement, the Federal Government looked away. It is sad that the body could neither be taken to the National Stadium Lagos, nor the Abuja Stadium as a mark of respect. Keshi did not play for Edo state.
He also did not work for Delta. He played for New Nigeria Bank, Benin and married an Esan woman. He was from Ilah. Most of his playing and coaching career was for the Nation. If these two states found him worthy of recognition in death, the Federal Government should be ashamed of this dishonour to one of our greatest footballers.
On a day the Federal Government abandoned Keshi, Togo saluted him. Their soccer federation President, Guy Akpovi, was in Ilah. And in Lome some players led by Emmanuel Adebayor organized a match in his memory. They did not forget the man who led them to World Cup qualification for the very first time.
South Africans were not left out. It was in their country that Keshi became the first Nigerian to win the Nations Cup as a coach, after lifting the trophy as a player. An evening was set aside to honour him on July 23 at Kempton Park, Johannesburg.
Among the mourners was Bafana Bafana coach, Ephraim Mashaba. Keshi will not be happy in his grave. President Muhammadu Buhari has no hand in this ingratitude. Dalung just did not get it right. As minister of Youth, his inaction has sent a message to our so called restive class that there is no honour in serving the country.
Many of the footballers will be asking themselves this question: Does it really pay to serve and die for Nigeria? Dalung could take a speed boat to Oporoza, he failed to speedily follow up on Keshi’s obsequies in Ilah. This is one youthful minister that has not only failed the youth, he has disappointed all of us. This is time for Mr. President to redeploy this man.
