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ATHLETES' COMPENSATION IN NAIJA - WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE



To my Peeps in Nigeria... I read with bewilderment comments by Taribo West that late Dodo Mayana (Peter Rufai)'s family struggled to raise money to bury him. WHY? Where did all the money he made in Europe disappear to? Did he not invest some of the money? Did he not have a retirement plan?

Peter Rufai had an illustrious career as a top goalkeeper in Europe. It was rumored that he even completed a degree while playing professional football. Peter Rufai played in Europe (Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands) for almost 20 years from 1986 until 2003. He even opened a goalkeeper school after retiring from active football in 2003. Where did all his money go?

I can understand Taribo's outburst. It was not his first. Perhaps he is angry that they did not get as much as the current set of athletes. Or that what they were promised did not get to them on time or at all, as the current crop of athletes gets compensated in real time. Peter Rufai and Taribo West's era was the golden age for Nigerian athletes, especially footballers. Many of them made it big in Europe, often because Nigeria gave them a platform to shine. They were compensated well at the club level and by the football federation. However, many of them, like Amokachi, squandered their income on riotous living - luxury items, big chains, expensive cars, helicopters, booze, women, etc.. I agree with him that we (government and the people) should always honor our sporting heroes in life and death. I think the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has improved in this a bit.

I think a bigger issue is that many athlete do not plan well for life after their heyday. Especially those in contract jobs with no retirement planned into their earnings. This is where government can help. If you are an athlete and you serve the country for more than a certain period, you should be entitled to a pension. The NFF and the Ministry of Sport should also institute regular seminars on financial and retirement planning for these players... They should organize regular counseling sessions for them when dealing with predatory agents who steal their fortune. They should educate Nigerian athletes going to the West on how to escape the traps of the system that make them return home empty-handed.

For the athletes, make hays when the sun is still shining. Save up for the end of your career. Just as skills diminish with age, money not well managed can run out. The government owes you nothing than honoring you after your years as a professional or after death. You are the one to prepare well for retirement like the rest of us do.

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