Just a few weeks ago, the Nigerian Olympic Team made headlines when it was reported that the football team was stuck at the Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, due to the non-payment of their airfare. The reports basically called out the Nigerian Ministry of Youth and Sports as responsible for the unpaid flight bill.
Thankfully, we have been seeing Nigeria represented in various sporting competitions at the Olympics in Rio, including football where they emerged bronze medallists. So, this morning while watching NTA, it was to my surprise when during an interview the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalong, and the Nigerian Ambassador to Brazil, Adamu Emozozo, lauded – none other than – Pastor T.B. Joshua for his ‘moral’ and ‘financial’ contributions to the Nigerian Olympic Team. (For those of you not convinced, I found the clip on YouTube.)
My surprise was not actually based on the said ‘support’ provided by T.B. Joshua because his track-record of assistance when it comes to Nigerian sports is proven and he is said to be a sport enthusiast. My shock, however, was borne out of the fact that the Nigerian Government actually pointed him out, recognised and appreciated him – something very unusual! The discussion broadcasted on NTA did not delve into the specific details of what that ‘contribution’ actually entails. However, for the Minister of Sports as well as the Ambassador to Brazil to specifically point the cleric out, in the manner in which they did, the ‘support’ was evidently far beyond ‘spiritual’ assistance in terms of prayer or prophecy. There must have been some HUGE financial backing from the pastor.
Why do I say this?
1. T.B. Joshua has been previously, on numerous occasions, applauded for his active support to the Nigerian sport scene. Remember when the late Shaibu Amodu publicly thanked Joshua (at The SCOAN) for his prayers and support – which he said was instrumental to Nigeria’s miraculous qualification for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa?
2. The late Stephen Keshi was said to have been in regular contact with TB Joshua during Nigeria’s 2013 AFCON games, where Nigeria later triumphed. Interestingly, Joshua ‘prophesied’ the outcome of the final between Burkina Faso and Nigeria; and as an aside, one of the key Super Eagle’s players during the 2013 AFCON matches was Ogenyi Onazi, a former member of Joshua’s grassroots football team, My People FC. Incidentally, a brief check reveals that My People FC has just been promoted to Nigeria’s Premier League, having secured back-to-back promotion for the last three years running in Nigeria’s amateur leagues.
Still on Joshua’s record in the sports scene … 3. Remember the gifts totalling up to N60,000,000 he donated to the Nigerian Paralympian’s who made our nation proud in the Commonwealth Games? 4. Putting Nigeria aside, recall the role T.B. Joshua played in Ghana’s historic U-20 World Cup win? The coach Sellas Tetteh publicly acknowledged his spiritual guidance, especially in the final against Brazil. This is to mention just a few.
Why am I reminding you of all this? Throughout Joshua’s ‘support’ over the years, there has been no mention of him (whatsoever!) by those in government. No acknowledgement. No gratitude. No vote of thanks. Nothing. Now in Rio, there’s suddenly a deluge of praise. Well, I am not surprised because I have it on good knowledge, from a reliable source (a Nigerian based in Brazil who worked as a volunteer during the Olympics), that T.B. Joshua gave close to $60,000 to the Nigerian Olympic team! No wonder Ambassador Adamu Emozozo called him a “flagbearer” for Nigeria in terms of supporting good causes.
Maybe these vote of thanks from the Nigerian Government also come as they see how Nigeria’s wealthy make promises they do not keep to the nation’s sportsmen, as was reported (2 days ago) by a BBC Sport reporter. So, what’s the message I’m attempting to convey here? Well, it is time that we appreciate our own. Nigeria, encourage your stars, encourage your talents and this will see us rise higher. I rest my case…