IT will surprise only a few that Samson Siasia’s stay as coach of the Eagles would become a matter of obtuse national debates. We have excelled in promoting nothingness as a sterling mark of excellence.

Siasia led the Eagles out of the African Cup of Nations, the first time Nigeria would not qualify for the competition in 25 years. The terms of his contract are clear. The most relevant to the matter at hand is that he was to get Nigeria to the semi-final of the competition that is supposed to hold in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon next year.

Nigeria did not even qualify. There are no conditions attached to his contract about the qualification. In more honourable settings, he would have resigned immediately after the game on October 8. He is still hovering around the job.

The Nigeria Football Association (which calls itself the Nigeria Football Federation, an illegal body that Act 101 of 1992 that created the Nigeria Football Association does not recognise) has refused to act.

Nigerians are extremely unpleased about what the NFA is doing. It is typical of an organisation that thrives on its illegality, an organisation that does not know that contracts are meant to be respected.

If Siasia refused to resign, NFA should have fired him since October 10, the next working day. The lobbying to keep Siasia on the job does not make sense.

There are precedents. Shaibu Amodu qualified the Eagles twice for the World Cup (2002, 2010) but he never led the team to any of them. He was rated “not the type of coach for the assignment.” Christian Chukwu, Amodu, Augustine Eguavoen — all lost their Eagles job after winning bronze medals at the Nations Cup: Nigerians wanted more. Why should Siasia, who had a specific contract be a different case?

In a way it is not Siasia’s problem that he is not yet out of the job that his poor performance cost him. The NFA stands to be blamed. Unsure of its place, since it is illegal, and out to curry favour in certain quarters, it cannot implement the contract that it signed with glee.

Unfortunately, like most things Nigerian, the President’s name is being brought into a civil contract that he was not a party to its signing. There are hints that the President would feel slighted if NFA sacked Siasia. Those peddling this unforgivable rumour should not attach their incompetence to the President, who has enough headaches of his own.

In the speediest action of the NFA to date, it dispatched a letter on 8 October 2011, the day of the game to the Confederation of African Football, CAF, accusing it of racism by the match officials it appointed for games involving Nigeria. It is an obvious ply to buy time while expecting that tension over Siasia will fizzle.

There is a simple reason to sack Siasia. His contract is specific about what he was to deliver. He has failed to deliver it. In real terms, it is not the NFA that is sacking Siasia; he sacked himself by his results.

Whether it is the National Sports Commission or the NFA that will give him the push, Siasia should not stay a day longer on the position. His job was over on October 8, the day he threw Nigeria out of the Nations Cup.