SPORT-NIGERIA: AFRICAN NATION PREPARES FOR NEW WORLD CUP TEST

By Toye Olori Reprint | | Print |

TOYE OLORI

LAGOS, Feb 22 1995 (IPS) - NIGERIA’S FOOTBALL ADMINISTRATORS ARE FRANTICALLY PREPARING FOR A FIFA MEDICAL TEAM EXPECTED HERE THURSDAY NEXT WEEK TO REVIEW HEALTH CONDITIONS IN TOWNS PROPOSED AS VENUES FOR THE EIGHTH WORLD YOUTH SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP.

THE INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL FEDERATION (FIFA) LAST WEEK AGREED TO SEND A TEAM OF HEALTH INVESTIGATORS TO NIGERIA BEFORE TAKING A FINAL DECISION ON WHETHER TO ALLOW THE WEST AFRICAN COUNTRY TO HOST THE 1995 JUNIOR WORLD CUP.

FIFA’S DECISION CAME AFTER A NIGERIAN DELEGATION TRAVELLED TO THE ASSOCIATION’S HEADQUARTERS IN ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, TO PROTEST AGAINST AN EARLIER DECISION NOT TO ALLOW THE SOCCER- LOVING NATION TO HOST THE TOURNAMENT BECAUSE OF ALLEGED OUTBREAKS OF CHOLERA AND MENINGITIS AT TWO VENUES, THE TOWNS OF ENUGU AND KADUNA.

NIGERIA’S CASE WAS ALSO HELPED BY A FAVOURABLE REPORT ISSUED BY A WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) OFFICIAL WHO DENIED THAT THERE WAS A CHOLERA EPIDEMIC IN THE COUNTRY.

THE MEDICAL TEAM WAS TO HAVE ARRIVED IN THE COUNTRY SOMETIME BEFORE THE END OF MARCH. A FAX FROM FIFA OVER THE WEEKEND ANNOUNCING THAT THE TEAM WOULD ARRIVE NEXT WEEK THREW GOVERNMENT AND SPORTS OFFICIALS HERE INTO A PANIC.

“THE MESSAGE CAUGHT US BY SURPRISE. WE WERE EXPECTING THE FIFA TEAM BY THE END OF NEXT MONTH, BUT SEE HOW THEY HAVE TRIED TO AMBUSH US AGAIN,” A LOCAL ORGANISING COMMITTEE MEMBER WAS QUOTED BY THE PRIVATE ‘PM NEWS’ DAILY AS SAYING ON WEDNESDAY.

“IN ANY EVENT, THE ONLY AREA WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IS THE DESIGNATED HOSPITALS IN EACH OF THE CITIES,” SAID THE UNNAMED OFFICIAL.

THE OFFICIAL, ACCORDING TO THE PRIVATELY-OWNED EVENING PAPER, SAID THE NIGERIAN AUTHORITIES “ARE AWARE THAT IF THE COUNTRY LOSES OUT THIS TIME AROUND NO WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) OR UNITED NATIONS CAN HELP US.”

A MEETING OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE SPORTS ADMINISTRATORS AND HEALTH COMMISSIONERS WAS HELD TUESDAY IN THE NIGERIAN CAPITAL, ABUJA, WITH CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF GEN. OLADIPO DIYA PRESIDING.

BRIEFING JOURNALISTS AT THE END OF THE MEETING, RIVERS STATE ADMINISTRATOR COL. DAUDA KOMO SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS MUCH MORE PREPARED NOW NOT TO GIVE FIFA AN OPPORTUNITY TO DENY NIGERIA THE OPPORTUNITY OF HOSTING THE WORLD CUP.

“IT IS A COLLECTIVE TASK FOR ALL NIGERIANS. OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN HOSTING THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND THERE IS NO REASON WHY WE WILL NOT DO IT,” KOMO SAID, NOTING: “TIME HAS COME FOR NIGERIANS TO PUT THEIR HOUSE IN ORDER AND WE ALL OWE IT AS A DUTY TO UPHOLD THE INTEGRITY OF THE NATION”.

HE SAID THE INITIAL FIFA DECISION TO DENY NIGERIA THE RIGHT TO HOST THE TOURNAMENT WAS BASED ON WILD REPORTS IN THE NIGERIAN PRESS ON THE ALLEGED OUTBREAKS OF CHOLERA AND MENINGITIS.

THE LATEST EDITION OF THE PRIVATELY-OWNED ‘TELL MAGAZINE’ REPRODUCED A LETTER PURPORTEDLY WRITTEN TO FIFA PRESIDENT JOAO HAVELANGE IN WHICH THE CAMPAIGN FOR DEMOCRACY (CD) PUSHED FOR A CANCELLATION.

“IT IS THE VIEW OF THE CD AND MANY OTHER NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL BODIES THAT NIGERIA, AND OTHER COUNTRIES WITH MILITARY REGIMES, SHOULD BE TOTALLY ISOLATED FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, INCLUDING SPORTING EVENTS, JUST AS SOUTH AFRICA WAS ISOLATED IN THE DAYS OF APARTHEID,” THE LETTER SAID.

CD CONSISTS OF 60 HUMAN RIGHTS, PROFESSIONAL, YOUTH, WORKERS AND CULTURAL ORGANISATIONS IN NIGERIA.

IT WAS IN THE FOREFRONT OF PRO-DEMOCRACY RIOTS AGAINST THE REGIME OF GEN. IBRAHIM BABANGIDA PRIOR TO GENERAL ELECTIONS IN MID-1993 – WHICH BABANGIDA LATER ANNULLED – AND PROTESTS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF HIS SUCCESSOR, GEN. SANI ABACHA.

“WE WISH TO CONFIRM THAT MENINGITIS AND CHOLERA AMONGST OTHER DISEASES, ARE ENDEMIC IN THE NORTH AND ALL OVER NIGERIA WITH SPORADIC EPIDEMICS WHICH OUR COLLAPSED HEALTH SYSTEM IS INVARIABLY UNABLE TO COPE WITH,” CHARGED THE LETTER.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY SUPPLIED VACCINES TO HOSPITALS IN THE FOUR CENTRES DESIGNATED TO HOST THE CHAMPIONSHIP, TAGGED ‘NIGERIA ’95’, IN A BID TO BLOCK ALL MEDICAL LOOPHOLES DURING FIFA’S MEDICAL INSPECTION.

THE SOLE ADMINISTRATOR OF NIGERIA’S NATIONAL SPORTS COMMISSION, BABASOLA RHODES, SAID ENOUGH VACCINES HAD BEEN PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO COUNTERACT ANY DISEASE IN ALL VENUES.

“WITH THE REPORT OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION CLEARING NIGERIA OF ANY HEALTH HAZARDS, FIFA’S VISIT WOULD ONLY BE A FORMALITY”.

AS PART OF EFFORTS TO PREVENT OUTBREAKS OF ANY DISEASE, THE LAGOS STATE TASK FORCE ON THE WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP HAS SET UP MOBILE COURTS TO TRY COMMUTERS WHO LITTER THE STREETS OF LAGOS, ONE OF THE VENUES FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP. OFFENDERS ARE LIABLE TO A FINE OF 1,000 NAIRA (ABOUT 40 DOLLARS) OR A THREE- MONTH JAIL TERM.

ALL COMMUTER VEHICLES HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO CARRY WASTE BASKETS OR BINS TO PREVENT REFUSE FROM BEING DUMPED ONTO THE STREETS FROM THEM.

WHILE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN PUTTING THEIR ACT TOGETHER TO ENSURE A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH DURING THE VISIT, OTHER ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED IN THE PROMOTION OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP HAVE CONTINUED WITH THEIR PROGRAMMES.

FOR INSTANCE, COMPETITION FOR A THEME SONG FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP IS STILL GOING ON, ON A PRIVATELY-OWNED RADIO STATION, ‘RAY POWER 100.’ THREE SONGS HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BY A TEAM OF PANELISTS AND THE FINAL SELECTION WILL BE DONE BY PEOPLE PHONING IN.

PROMOTIONAL ADVERTISEMENTS ON TELEVISION, WELCOMING FIFA AND THE WORLD TO NIGERIA FOR THE 8TH YOUTH WORLD CUP ARE STILL BEING AIRED AS OTHER STRUCTURAL PREPARATIONS CONTINUE AT THE VENUES.