By Trigo Egbegi
The week ending Saturday, November 6, 2010 was quite revealing for amateur boxing in Nigeria. It just about marked the first day, first month and first year ever, that the sport decided to take matters into its own hands.

I have always contended that boxing is its own problem. To begin with, the establishment has for long remained blind to and unconcerned about the myriad of gaping problems it readily dismisses as a situation never in existence.

When a people decide to place their destiny in the hands of others for actualization, then such people must be prepared for the long wait that terminates on the day of the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. There have been a few success cases, though.

Unfortunately for boxing, ours is a nation so pre-occupied with pushing the essence of self-medication at the top of its Health Care Policy – In much the same way generators remain Plan A in the advertised Energy reform scheme – to pay attention to a sport that served as Nigeria’s premier image maker long before the advent of oil.

Except such sport is football, into which the higher establishment is so deeply engrossed, to the extent billions of Naira are expended annually on the execution of its programs.

Last Saturday Brigadier-General Kenneth Minima, General Officer Commanding, 81 Div. of the Nigerian Army emerged to pick up the challenge of correcting the lingering anomaly that has, over the years, placed boxing, the nation’s perennially sick baby at all international gatherings of sportsmen/women.

A lightning in-house meeting of the Nigeria Amateur Boxing Federation in Lagos climaxed with the resignation as chairman of Rotimi George-Taylor.

There could not have been a more re-assuring news item on the sport in this moment of the nationwide grief over the crash of our boxing squad at the recent Commonwealth Games in India. For the first time in many years that I can remember Nigerian boxers sank without trace in back-to-back Olympic and Commonwealth Games.

A man’s true place and worth is determined less by the moment of his entrance than by his exit. But even while it will be easy to score George-Taylor in the annals of the sport – even allowing for the various other transgressions recorded against  his name, beside the Commonwealth Games failure – let us consider that the ex-NABF boss surprised us by taking the un-Nigerian step to tender resignation at the right moment.

In the same vein, I’d like to remind Gen Minima that much as he is welcome on-board the ship of leadership of the Federation, I’m not in any great hurry to view him as a friend yet.

Rather, he should consider himself to have walked into the radar as the main target man in a failed sport.

Yes, Gen Minima has to justify his taking over the reins of amateur boxing administration from Taylor. Why should I trust him outright? After all, is he not the Nigerian Armed Forces rep on the board? Where was he all the while the discredited chairman was messing up this great sport?

Straightaway, I’d like to remind my new friend in uniform the enormous responsibility he faces as NABF chairman. Far too many names have occupied that hallowed office who did not know their mission all through their tenure.

That’s because ours is a society that lacks the will to confront willful wrong-doing, which in the process translates to enthroning failure.

General Minima, here’s humbly reminding you that the NABF ship of the past 18 years – as is its pro counterpart, NBB of C – is simply blown off course in pursuit of the object of its institution.

Indeed, all Nigerians rejoice that the George Taylor chapter is over and closed. Good riddance to bad rubbish is, perhaps, the closest that can be said about a man who, even in the throes of capitulation, fought to impress gullible Nigerians that he was the best man available, and would serve same way if given the opportunity next time.

Going to New Delhi, I had, even in my comparative ignorance, predicted Nigeria would come back empty-handed. I never knew what Taylor had in mind. Either, he under-estimated the competition at Commonwealth Games level, or he didn’t realize our boxing without exposure of boxers to local or international competition is presently on ground level.

Even Obisia, Nwakpa as chief coach, may not have done any better under the circumstance. I bet you, same would have been the case with the legendary Cuban trainer, Alcides Luis Sagara. The celebrated Emanuel Steward and Angelo Dundee, both would have crashed flat on their faces in India.

Such is the faith Taylor has in his unconventional thinking that he allowed the US-based Idika Nsofor to sweet-talk him into giving him the assignment. That’s not the leadership the sport needs.

That leaves the stage for Nigerians to decide who they want in leadership, as demanded by democracy

But for boxing, I’m certain Nigerian’s are not wishing, praying, hoping and dreaming another George Taylor Chapter. Not even one from among the chapters that have been the sea of sorry misfits in charge since the eras, respectively, of Col. Ukoh Whyte (rtd) and the late Group Captain Brai Ayonote.  All considered, November will be a month to remember in Nigeria’s amateur boxing.