SAFETY, THE WATCHWORD AS WORLD CUP BEGINS IN BRAZIL

Nigeria is definitely passing through trying moments. For many of our fellow countrymen, we are in a state of war following the senseless destruction of lives and property by the brutal campaign being waged by the Boko Haram insurgents.

Nigerians are soccer loving and crazy people. The football followership in Nigeria is so massive that one wonders if England and Brazil will beat Nigeria if football popularity is put to test.
Football is a language that defies all odds in Nigeria; when it comes to football, there is no tribe, religion or even social class.

However, as the World Cup kicks off on June 12, it’s important to sound a note of warning and caution. Football fans must be vigilant and security conscious, so as not to become easy targets for insurgents. Owners and patrons of viewing centres and bars in various parts of the country must ensure that they activate and provide adequate security measures to protect and safeguard the lives of innocent soccer lovers who will throng such places to cheer the Super Eagles or any other teams as they begin their campaign in the Mundial in Brazil.

We must not allow the enemies of the country to spoil the fun of the World Cup and dampen the morale and passion of soccer fans to pray and cheer our national team to success.

The recent attempt by agents of Boko Haram to bomb a viewing centre in Jos, Plateau State during the final of the European Champions League between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, and the bombing of a bar patronised by soccer fans in Mubi (Katang), Adamawa State is a pointer that the agents of death have began a new phase in their campaign of terror and murder.

Nigerians are ardent soccer loving people and it will be impossible to expect people to keep away from fun centres during this period. Soccer’s most glamorous show piece happens once every four years, and expectedly, is usually a festival of sort. Our compatriots like other soccer lovers the world over cannot be an exception in enjoying the thrills and frills that the world cup presents.

But, we caution that we enjoy the moment with the knowledge that these are perilous times indeed, for our dear nation. For example, owners of bars and viewing centres can mount barricades, gates, station some of their staff to act as look-outs to monitor suspicious movements around their vicinity or ask for the deployment of security agents by the government and ensure that they carry out body checks on all their prospective patrons and guests.

On the other hand, we advice that small groups of friends, neighbours and even families can pull resources together and purchase facilities that will enable them watch matches in the comfort of their homes or some other private places throughout the duration of the World Cup.

As the late novelist, Chinua Achebe, wrote in his acclaimed best seller, Things Fall Apart, Eneke the bird said to itself that “since hunters have leant to shoot without missing, it (Eneke the bird) has also leant how to fly without perching.”

The import of this adage is that since the insurgents are bent on spilling innocent blood, and killing defenseless Nigerians with the ultimate aim of embarrassing the Goodluck Jonathan administration, we must also be a step ahead of them by ensuring that we protect our lives and safeguard our environment. We must send a clear signal to these enemies of darkness that they cannot cow our collective national spirit and that this war they are waging is one which they cannot win.

Fly Super Eagles, fly; the President as the nation’s number one supporter and millions of soccer loving Nigerians are behind you. Fly the nation’s flag high in Brazil and God be with us all during the period.

By: Ben Adoga and Sunday Okem