By

Ezindu Okay-Lawrence

This topic is not one that I can discuss in just an article. It's huge and bigger than we can imagine. I have had the personal experiences (which I'm putting down in writing) in my soon-to-be published book *"WHEN CONSCIENCE DIES"*
I have also personally interviewed people, stakeholders, administrators and persons of interest, I can assure you that the level of alleged corruption in the Nigeria football family is monumental. And it'll take a mad man or someone possed by extra terrestrials to survive cleaning this system.

This is one of the reasons I don't rate most teams with their wins and trophies.
Have you wondered why our league winners barely (almost often) do not progress out in their group stages whenon continental competitions? 
When our structures (if any) is build on the legacy cheating, corruption and manipulations, then what you'd have will be what is available to us today. It's sickening.

Both the Administrations and Associations at various levels are in this dastardly destructive dark art. That's how they get rich, feed their children and families, simply from corruption. If the right things are done, those persons cannot compete or stand any chance.
*And truth be told, we can't make any progress with this.*

You see, the "win at all costs" syndrome started small in the early nineties as far as I can remember, I saw it then, I recognized the rot it will bring, and I had thought it would be fought, rather, it was fed and celebrated, therefore it has grown beyond reach now. I tell you what, any person of conscience CANNOT SURVIVE IN ANY NIGERIA SYSTEM unless you chose to turn a blind eye. *take this from me as one who's trying to stay alive in the rotten system.*

The best advice I'll give anyone is, if you can afford to, relocate to saner climes and society, where you can pursue your passion and where laws actually matter at least. A lawless country cannot make any meaningful progress. 
Laws keep things in check and punish excesses. But in our system, the law is sold to the highest bidder therefore standards are compromised.

It has permeated all sectors of our society, now to point that even in the early elementary schools, mothers and parents compromise teachers so their kids can be presented to the public as BESTS when actually they are not. The more bribes you can give in cash or kinds, the better chance your kid has to be recognized.
What's the ripples effect? Look at the so-called graduates we produce today, read what they write, angage them in conversations and give them simple tasks to complete. You will feel the disgust, and you understand the pains of our failed society.

This is the sad situation we find ourselves in as our nation, and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. 

I had thought I would not write anymore, I had lied to myself that I don't care any longer, Alas! Here I am again finding no sleep to my eyelids.

May righteousness win at long last oo, May I be remembered for speaking the Truth!