While Nigerian football and its leaders seemed to be the worst, the nation's favorite sport was struck by the revelation that Super Eagles assistant coach Salisu Yusuf was surprised by receiving a 1,000-dollar bribe. dollars by undercover agents. .
The fees may have been derisory, but Yusuf's act - ostensibly influencing the team's selection decisions for the 2017 Wafu Cup and the 2018 African Nations Championship for his own match, is a virulent accusation of the state of Nigerian football today.
As expected, social media has made waves, much condemning the actions of a man who is highly respected in Nigerian football circles and who has never been accused of engaging in such practices .
However, his actions should not be a surprise when such behavior is prevalent in the nation. What Salisu Yusuf has shown is nothing more than greed.
He tried to defend himself by saying that if the money was a gift and not a breach of FIFA's code of ethics, receiving $ 1,000 (equivalent to 365,000 naira) for the selection of players is appalling, even before consider that Yusuf would earn three million Naira a month as a base salary in order to put the best interests of the nation first.
Unfortunately, these things happen regularly in Nigeria. It is considered the norm and is very difficult to challenge, as the country lacks an appropriate structure to eliminate corruption. It starts with political governance, where accountability, transparency and accountability are absent, and allows corruption to infiltrate society.
Transparency International's 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Nigeria 148th out of 180 countries in the world in terms of transparency, which gives a clearer picture of the poor state of the country.
If things were done well, the money would be channeled to the right sectors, such as youth and grassroots development, education, welfare, health care and infrastructure development. However, the love of money and power continues to have more importance and attention than the necessary growth.
Calls have been made for Yusuf to resign following the debacle, but Nigerian administrators regularly show a firm resolve to stay in their jobs in the middle of the controversy, so it remains to be seen whether he will leave.
In addition, the Coaching Association of Nigeria reportedly made a jump to Yusuf's defense, saying he is their member and can not accept what the video shows. They also promised to conduct their own investigation.
This is probably an attempt to cover his tracks, because the unions in Nigeria have a very strong and powerful influence. That Yusuf has been exposed does not mean that the malaise of many acts of corruption in Nigerian football will not continue.
It is good to fish for bad eggs, but if they have strong support and do not want to retire for their bad deeds, nothing will change.
Until there is a change in leadership orientation, both in Nigerian football and in the broader political landscape, to ensure accountability, accountability and transparency are at the forefront. agenda, Yusuf's deeds would be considered acceptable.
After all, it's a gift.
Written for Goal.com by Solace Chukwu
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