Adokiye Amiesimaka is a veteran and one of the heroes of Nigerian football. His artistry on the pitch was exceptional. He was so good that the late radio broadcaster and sports commentator, Ernest Okonkwo named him Chief Justice of Nigerian football. The link between his football and the legal coinage was because as a law student of the University of Lagos, Adokiye was already in the national team, the Green Eagles. Adokiye shared his memories with Jacob Ajom on his relationship with Christian Chukwu, the former captain of the national team who passed on one week ago today. Excerpts: .
Your reaction to the death of Christian Chukwu
He lived his life. My condolences to his family. I will reach out to them.
But it is the hypocrisy of our sports administrators that I detest. I read somewhere that NFA chairman was expressing sorrow– that is not fair. Do you know they were owing him? They were owing Christian Chukwu — except they paid him recently. They owed him for years. They denied him his due reward for services rendered as a coach and they had the audacity to express grief now that he is dead. They shouldn’t lament his death, they shouldn’t. But he lived his life.
I am happy that I had the opportunity of knowing him and meeting him. At the national team, we had an excellent relationship. Even after football we had a wonderful, wonderful relationship, keeping in touch from time to time, that at some point I represented him in some legal matters here in Port Harcourt. So I am very glad that I knew him. Naturally, it is sad when a friend passes on but I don’t want to dwell on the sadness, I want to dwell on the sweet memories of us being members of the Green Eagles where we had wonderful experiences. I thank God that we won the Nations Cup, for the first time in 1980 — 45 years ago, March 22 this year. I thank God for the privilege. As for the NFF and NSC, enough of that hypocritical rubbish. They should just shut up. If they were in grief, they should have paid him his entitlement.
Let’s look at Chukwu’s personality; his personality and leadership qualities as a footballer?
Of course, he was called Chairman, so you should know he was not called chairman for nothing. But there was a day when I disagreed with him. Let me tell you something, Chukwu was somebody that did not like wahala at all. As a matter of fact, their only area was that, I remember then if we had any match to play, of course the powers that be would want to come for photo ups- they would want to come to camp and ask us, ‘boys, is there any problem? And Chukwu would say, ‘Sir, there is no problem’. And I would say, ‘ah na lie–na lie’. Chukwu was never confrontational at all. But I would oppose him and ask him, how can you say there is no problem?’ I was known for that and he was also known for avoiding any confrontation with the authorities. If we have to do better in our next match then those problems that were bothering us had to be addressed. That was my own attitude.
I even remember. It was in 1977 we went to Senegal, it was part of the 1978 World Cup qualifying series. We lost 2-0 in Dakar. The return leg was in a fortnight in Lagos. When we came back, Isaac Akioye(a wonderful administrator) who was Chairman of the National Sports Commission visited us in camp. After one of our training sessions. He came and addressed us. He asked — what is it that we can do to ensure we beat the Senegalese by at least three goals to nil(3-0) and progress in the qualifiers? And everybody– like Chukwu, Segun Odegbami, Emmanuel Okala– was saying don’t bother sir, we are going to beat them. And I said no, it was not possible. Why are you saying we are going to beat them? There are issues that need to be addressed. I said, with due respect Sir,(I was addressing Isaac Akioye then), it was very condescending and naive of you to call members of the national team boys. I was a second year student at UNILAG then, barely 20, so if you called me boy, you could be right. But some of these people- like Chukwu,Okala were married, they are men with families, so I don’t think it is right to address them as boys. It would be naive of you to think that if you addressed us this way, we are going to give our best.
Number two. The national team was being camped at Ogunlana Drive, in Surulere. We were staying four in a room, on double decker beds. I told him I don’t think it was right for the national team to stay there. At that time, the National Institute for Sports had just been built and had not been occupied yet. So, I told him we have the facility there, why can’t they move us to the facility.
Thirdly, I kicked against our match bonuses which were very low. Our daily camp allowance was 50 kobo or N2, I can’t remember the exact amount, and match bonus N20. I told him I don’t think that was good enough and that the Sports Commission could do much better than that. So I told him if these things were taken care of then we could talk about giving our best against Senegal.
Remember, I called him(Akioye) a wonderful administrator. He did not take offence that I challenged him. Or that I used that word naive or that he addressed us in a condescending manner. His response was excellent. He said the issues I raised were very important but that I should withdraw the word naive first. I insisted the word was not offensive. Chukwu, in his usual manner, said CJ(Chief Justice) just withdraw it. Odegbami and others pleaded with me to withdraw the word. As far as Chukwu was concerned — and that is the relevance of what I am saying– we could continue staying at Ogunlana Drive and the match bonuses could remain N20 per win no problem. I said no, those issues had to be addressed.
Happily, I withdrew the word naive. But I told them I made my point. Akioye there and then announced that he was increasing our match bonuses from N20 to about N500, number two, he said we were moving into the National Institute of Sports and he apologised for addressing us as boys, that he did not mean any harm. So, that is how that matter was resolved.
The important thing was that in response we actually knocked Senegal out. That was the kind of person Chukwu was- not being confrontational and easy-going. always appealing to us don’t worry, things will be fine- that attitude, those are some of the things I remember him for.
Talking about World Cup qualifiers, your generation was about the best team Nigeria has ever produced. Do you bear any regret that you couldn’t get to the World Cup to showcase the abundant talent you had?
I don’t dwell on it because it is what it is. I dwell on what is, and not what could have been. If we had qualified for the 1978 World Cup, who knows how we would have performed? Who knows the impact that would have had on our 1980 performance? I thank God for our performance and for our victory in 1980. I don’t want to dwell on what did not happen. I feel very sorry for Godwin Odiye over his own goal mishap because he was one of our most reliable defenders. That was quite sad. Nevertheless, most people don’t even remember that Odiye was part of the 1980 all conquering squad. So, our not qualifying for the 1978 World Cup was sad, we felt sad that time. We believed we ought to have qualified that time, but we didn’t. However we went to win the Nations Cup two years later. On that note, I thank the creator.
When the NFF or NSC said they were in grief, I totally reject that rubbish. When Chukwu needed only $50,000 for surgery abroad, both the NFF and the Sports Ministry did nothing. Now they are coming to express grief. I felt so sad for somebody like Christian had to come on national television and newspapers to ask for help? No, no no.
I thank Otedola for being so magnanimous. But the NFA and the Sports Commission people should just shut up.
The post Adokiye Amiesimaka: Day I disagreed with Chukwu appeared first on Vanguard News.