By Sam Eyoboka
Although President Goodluck Jonathan has since lifted the delf imposed ban on the national team, a presidential aspirant and founder of Household of God Church, Oregun, Lagos, Rev. Chris Okotie has condemned the recent federal government’s action on the Super Eagles and the subsequent reversal  following a threat by the world soccer regulatory body, FIFA, to sanction the Nigeria if it failed to rescind the decision.

In a brief jibe at the PDP-led Federal Government in between sermons at his church, the flambouyant preacher said; “It is whimsical, capricious and absurd to ban the Super Eagles because they lost some matches at the World Cup. If FIFA moves against Nigeria, the government would backtrack.” And so, it happened that the government reversed its decision which would certainly dismay many observers.

Rev. Okotie had earlier decried the government’s frequent policy somersaults at the declaration of his presidential ambition in Lagos on June 29, 2010. He told his supporters at a forum in Lagos during the week that policy reversals were a hallmark of the internal contradictions in the PDP, stressing; “a government that can reverse its decision within one week should not be taken seriously by the people it claims to represent.

“This action clearly shows that the government is not thorough; it lacks sound policy making machinery which could engender lasting success for its programmes”.

The celebrated pop star and lawyer turned politician said that it was a shame that an international institution like FIFA could stare down a whole sovereign state like Nigeria because the country’s policy makers were careless.

“They ought to have examined the full implications of the action they took concerning our withdrawal from all competitions before taking the decision,” Okotie lamented “now, we have exposed our country’s lack of administrative acumen and cohesion to a watching world.”