By Patrick Omorodion
Funny things happen in this country, things that make us look  cheap before other serious-minded people in other climes.

Imagine this. A lawmaker leaves his duty to support an age-grade football side in far away Morocco. Getting there, he takes over the coach’s duty, technical, psychological and every other aspect, trying to psyche the players. How?

While the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, president was also busy ‘motivating’ the players with ‘dollar talk’ after the U-23 team lost their first match 0-1 to Morocco, House of Representative Sports Committee member was credited with a story that the hallowed chambers of the House is inundated with files of petition against the Director General of the National Sports Committee, Dr Patrick Ekeji and that the DG would soon be invited for interrogation.

The first question that comes to mind is why the distraction? Is that the right avenue to treat petitions submitted to the House? If actually the DG is going to be probed, what has that got to do with the football event in Morocco?

Another is, what has Hon Gaiya contributed towards developing Nigerian sports since he got into the House? Is he not aware that Nigerian athletes are supposed to be preparing for the 2012 Olympic Games in London and that funds for that are still being with-held by the government?

The Super Eagles failed in South Africa, partly because of the poor arangement by the past Board of the NFF headed by Sani Lulu Abdullahi, what did the House where Gaiya is supposed to head the sports committee do to unearth the reasons behind the poor show and those responsible for the various scandal that brought disrepute to Nigeria as a country.

Headship of the House Committee on sports is not just about hopping into any available flight with estacode in the  briefcase to watch every sports event around the world. How many of his colleagues from other parts of the world has he seen, leaving their duty of lawmaking to be clapping for young players in a competition not reckoned with by FIFA?

While one is not against probing of any sports administrator if the facts are evidently available, it behoves on the House of Representatives to start with a probe of COJA which organised the 2003 All Africa Games where mind-boggling billions of tax payers money was misappropriated.

The petitions emanating from Nigerians are lying somewhere in their offices, they should bring them out and treat them so that the total cleansing of our sports will begin from there.

Ogunjobi again?
I want to believe it is a rumour that the former technical committee chairman of the NFF, Chief Taiwo Ogunjobi is being considered(?) for the position of Chairman of 3SC of Ibadan.

I don’t want to know that Ogunjobi is not from Oyo State and also that he currently holds a position as the chairman of the Osun State Football Association, where a plot was hatched to stop Chief Adegboye Onigbinde (a football asset) from getting into the NFF Board. In football matters, whose interest will Ogunjobi represent, Oyo or Osun State?

My worry however is whether the Oyo State Government headed by Abiola Ajimobi is aware that the same Ogunjobi is in court over  a case with the EFCC  for  some wrong doings at the NFF. Is the Governor also not aware that Ogunjobi was held a position in the same club but was unceremoniously eased out after a panel investigated him and was ordered not to come near the club again?

Let Governor Ajimobi and those who wish 3SC well dig deep about Ogunjobi before making a big mistake? 3SC deserves more than half measures to bounce back as football force in Nigeria and Africa. Let this rumour remain a rumour.