By Tony Ubani

A great man willing to be little

The state box of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium was filled to the brim on Sunday at the last league game that crowned ‘’Enugu Rangers another champion’’. Political big wigs, men of timber and calibre, ex-internationals all swarmed the box even displacing many others who thought they merited the VIP stand. When some VVIPs came, VIPs were asked to stand out for the bigger masquerades.

While many were humiliated, one man that could not be humiliated was former skipper of Rangers, former coach, Technical Director, former skipper and coach of Super Eagles, member of Technical Committee of the NFF, Chairman Christian Chukwu. Chukwu who last won the League trophy for the Flying Antelopes in 1984 as coach watched from the stands unnoticed. He was never introduced like the former Rangers players who added colour to the match.

He stood throughout the match and only revealed himself when he applauded Chisom Egbuchulam’s hat-trick. When noticed, he reclined to his position. It was then that one journalist wondered if there could be any man as humble as Chukwu. It made me remember Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote; ‘’A great man is always willing to be little’’.

Don’t mess with me

The announcer continued telling the fans not to enter the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium because it was filled. The noise from the crowd swallowed that of the announcer and people continued pouring in in their droves.

There were palpable fears of a stampede. Children were strapped on the back of their mothers and they all pushed to get vantage position to cheer ‘’our Langers’’. The rain that came down added to the fears. As people jostled for vantage position, somebody fouled the air. From people covering their noses, the smell became offensive and many vacated their seats.

Then, altercation followed. ‘’Nnaa, don kill us with your Okpa mess’’, one fan challenged another he felt was the culprit. ‘’Lespect yourself there. Come and smell my yansh to know if it is me’’, he countered warning; ‘’don’t mess with me o’’.

Don’t flag him down

When a man carrying the flag of Biafra that flutteredin the air sauntered into the Nnamdi Azikiwe stadium, the fans all rose in unison screaming.

At that point, one journalist predicted there would be trouble. Security operatives bared their fangs, eclipsed him and the crowd roared in anger. Doom loomed. Angry fans hauled stones and plastic water bottles at the intruders.

A senior officer who sensed the looming danger screamed orders that they should take it easy not to inflame the situation. The confiscated flag was returned to the flagbearer and the jampacked stadium roared and hailed the officer.

The man was led out quietly out of the stadium and peace returned. Nobody knew what happened once they led him outside. Like they say, the only source of knowledge is experience. It took the experience of the superior officer to avoid what could have been an ugly incident that would have dented the celebration of Flying Antelopes.