Front Row

I do hope it is not a curse to serve Nigeria. You may wonder why I asked this question. It is because it seems Nigeria does not appreciate its heroes and does nothing about their welfare and wellbeing until they are dead. And that is why many of our heroes die unsung. Yekini is one of the unsung heroes and to make matters worse and absurd, Yekini died and was buried quietly - no national honour, no befitting national burial. Obviously, this is why the present crop of players in the Super Eagles seems to place their individual monetary gains far above patriotic considerations - they know that when they can no longer play, our country being ruled by greedy, selfish and inconsiderate ravens would neglect them until they (the players) go to their graves. Little wonder then that they shove aside all sentiments about the so-called and non-rewarding patriotism anytime they are called upon for national assignment by insisting ensuring and demanding that all their entitlements, both financial and in kind, be paid before agreeing to lace their boots.

Another unsung hero is Mr. Taiwo Akinkunmi, the man who designed the Nigerian Flag. I learnt he is depressed, and has practically turned to a lunatic due to abject poverty. He has no house of his own and is living in an old and abandoned family house at Ekotedo-Iya-Olobe, near Dugbe in Ibadan. The house is full of rubbish and has practically become a refuse depot. His case is/was worse than that of Rashidi Yekini. All offices in Nigeria are decorated with the flag he designed which is not allowed to touch the ground because doing so implies the desecration of the country and all it stands for. To underline the importance of the National flag and its colours, the design of every important national structure or concept is based on the work of this man; for instance, the Super Eagles’ jersey which late Rashidi Yekini and others wore/wear were modelled on Taiwo Akinkunmi’s work (the flag).

Unfortunately the designer’s life has been totally desecrated and rejected by the very nation and people that should appreciate him. This made me wonder, as I did at the beginning of this comment whether it is a curse to serve Nigeria! Sponsors and stakeholders in the sporting world should ensure the welfare of sportsmen and women during and after their retirement by insuring their lives. This will not only solve most of the challenges these men and women face after retirement, but would make their patriotism worth the while. Nigeria should cultivate the habit of appreciating the efforts of our heroes during their lifetime rather than splashing unnecessary huge amounts of money on their family after the demise of such heroes.

-  Ajuwon Oludeji Johnson, wrote in from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Rashidi Yekini’s death is a lesson to those who have climbed the ladder of success as a Yoruba adage goes, a man's greatest enemies are those closest to him – that is those who live and dine with him. Otherwise, why would his family members watch his situation deteriorate so much without crying out for help from the government and those who were in a position to help? Having said this, I would put the part of the blame on the sporting community. First, I’d say he  got on the wrong side of his teammates  immediately  after the USA 1994 World Cup when the seed of unhealthy rivalry was planted by his spontaneous action of grabbing the net vigorously shaking it and shouting " Rashidi Yekini of Nigeria" instead of embracing his teammates. Those in charge of football in Nigeria have also shown that they are self-centred and not interested in the people who bring the laurels home, otherwise why wasn’t any action taken on the reports published in the tribune about his deteriorating situation long before things got out of hand? What welfare package did they put in place for him?   This reminds me of a song, "When I needed a helper, were you there?" Were they there?
— Sesan Adebayo-Oyende, Somolu-Lagos.08073887783
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Star of yesteryears, Joe Appiah, a Ghanaian, who lived all his useful years for the 3SC football club of Ibadan, has died due to wickedness on the part of our leaders. Appiah was reported to have been laid off as coach of 3SC feeder team without his entitlements being paid; it was probably the shock from his sack that led to his ailment and eventual death. Why should a person be relieved of his job without being paid his entitlements after so many years of service, while our politicians cart away millions of Naira as severance allowance after only four years in office and this, in spite of their bogus salaries and allowances? Our leaders have to retrace their steps because what goes round must come round. They are not heroes, hence they cannot recognise one talk less of treating anyone like a hero.
— Adewuyi A. F, Ogbomoso 08128901660
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The sudden death of Rashidi Yekini is a testimony of the decay in the country's hospitals, which are no longer centres of excellence. Rashidi was many things to many people. May his soul rest in peace!
— Femi Dada 08167587147
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Super striker, Rashidi Yekini did his best for a society that does not appreciate the living but the dead (culturally).Unfortunately, he did not have the money to buy a national award. Yekini was probably angry that it is only those from a certain geo-political zone that must be either coach or football administrator in Nigeria.
— Aibinuomo, Ibadan.  08059100347
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Re: What is there to laugh about?
Madam, laughing appears to be a common day to day activity and a common word usage. But it goes beyond that, it has a lot of connotations. Even in our domestic set up, when a person breezes into any home and finds the people in a laughing mood and such a person is received warmly, it means there is peace, harmony, non-domestic squabbles, guaranteed security guaranteed and above all there is economic freedom and stability. How many of these variables can one boast of in the present day Nigeria? If one can sleep with ones two eyes closed, and is sure that power stability and security is guaranteed; that health and good welfare packages are made available, then everybody in this country will laugh as by its definition. These are the parameters of good governance – a good leader does not need 'Ghana must go' bags or thugs to win the people's mandate. Let us learn from the west.
— Ibrahim A. Taye.08023219885. Ibadan.