The experienced tactician was caught on tape taking bribes in an episode which highlights the ills of the Nigerian game.
Salisu Yusuf
Just when things appeared like they couldn't get any worst for
Nigerian football and its leadership, then the nation's favourite sport
was hit with the revelation that Super Eagles assistant coach Salisu
Yusuf had been caught on camera receiving a reported bribe of $1,000
from undercover agents.
The fee may have been relatively paltry, but Yusuf's act -
ostensibly influencing the team-selection decisions for the 2017 Wafu
Cup and 2018 African Nations Championship for his own game, are a
glaring indictment of the state of Nigerian football today.
Predictably, social media has been abuzz, with many condemning the
actions of a man who is highly respected in Nigerian football circles
and hasn’t been alleged to engage in such practices before.
However, his actions shouldn't come as a surprise when such
behaviour is rife in the nation. What Salisu Yusuf showed is nothing
more than greed.
He has tried to defend himself by saying that he though the money
was a gift and not a breach of the Fifa ethics code, but receiving
$1,000 (equivalent to 365,000 Naira) for player selection is appalling,
even before considering that Yusuf is reported to earn three million
Naira a month as basic salary in order to put the nation's best
interests first.
Sadly, these things happen on a regular basis in Nigeria. It is
seen as the norm and is very difficult to challenge, because the country
lacks a proper structure to weed out corruption. This starts from
political governance, where responsibility, transparency and
accountability are absent, and allows corruption to creep into the
society.
The 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International
ranks Nigeria 148th out 180 countries in the world in terms of its
transparency, and this gives a clearer picture of the bad state the
country is in.
If things were done properly, money would be channelled into the
right areas such as youth and grassroots development, education,
welfare, healthcare and infrastructure development. However, the love
for money and power continues to be of greater importance and attention
than the much needed growth.
Calls have been made for Yusuf to step down following this debacle,
but Nigerian administrators regularly show a strong resolve to stay in
their jobs in the midst of controversy, so it remains to be seen whether
he will depart.
Furthermore, the Coaches Association of Nigeria has reportedly
leapt to the defense of Yusuf, saying that he is their member and can’t
accept what the video footage shows. They've also vowed to carry out
their own investigation.
It's probably an attempt to cover up his tracks, as unions in
Nigeria have a very strong and powerful influence. That Yusuf has been
exposed does not mean the malaise of numerous corrupt acts in Nigerian
football won’t continue.
It’s good to fish the bad eggs out, but if they have strong backing
and are not willing to step down for their wrong actions, nothing will
change.
Until there is a shift in the orientation of leaders, both within
Nigerian football and the larger political landscape, to ensure that
responsibility, accountability and transparency are the order of the
day, the acts of Yusuf would be seen as acceptable.
After all, it’s a gift.
Written for Goal.com by Solace Chukwu
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