NEW ABIA: Like Nwankwo Kanu at Enyimba FC, like your billionaires and generals as mayors(Video) | #NwokeukwuMascot

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Nwankwo Kanu was exceptional in his days on the pitch. He was highly skilled, with his languid and sluggish movement, yet, he was very dangerous at opponents 18 yard box. He was the terror of every defender. A good team player. Kanu Nwankwo is a natural footballer, whose talent exploded when he was still a toddler, particularly during his secondary school at HolyGhost College Owerri. 

Nwankwo Kanu also played for the Nigerian National team. Papilo which later became his field name, was originally his elder brother's nickname. Pipilo later moved his football career to the world stage where he performed as one of Africa's best exports. He retired meticulously from active football some years ago, his name still commands respect in football circle within and outside Nigeria. 

Kanu Nwankwo is from Arochukwu LGA in Abia State but lived all his teenage years in Owerri, Imo-State before his sojourn to Europe for professional football. Papilo has a thriving football academy in Imo-State, where he engaged seasoned football administrators and coaches to manage.

Fast forward to Mr. Alex Otti's New Abia of 2023, where name dropping, elitism, big titles matter most. Our ex-international was recruited by Mr. Otti to manage Abia's division one, Enyimba FC. Our beloved Papilo has been struggling to get Enyimba to perform ever since he took over the club. Kanu Nwankwo despite being a beautiful footballer is not known to be a football administrator or club manager. 

There are more demanding managerial backend experiences required to get a football club afloat, distinct from being just a good footballer. The two are not same. Being a very good footballer doesn't automatically qualify you to become a good football administrator. We are yet to hear that Papilo has successfully managed any club or taken extended course in football management, notwithstanding, he is still a very big name in football till date.

I love Papilo and I pray he succeeds but the current stories of abysmal performance of our darling Enyimba FC is disturbing. 

Click to watch moment: Enyimba's Number 3, Innocent, was captured on video wearing an inappropriate inscription on his jersey.

The Kanu Nwankwo example has punctured Mr. Otti's not well researched and conjectured belief that once someone is a billionaire, he/she automatically understands running public administration like the Local government. Same goes to a retired general whose only language of training has been command with a regimented mindset. 

For Otti's billionaires, the Local Government Service is a different ball game. Here, worker's welfare is topmost priority as opposed to profit making at all cost. For the Retired Generals, Local Government administrative control is done on paper as query, aganist  military corporal punishment and autocracy. 

 The Abia State Government of New Abia upon nomination of Commissioners inundated Abians with names attached with high profile prefixes and suffixes as members of the State Executive Council. It has been over 5 months and counting, none has set him/herself apart or functioned exceptionally in consonant with their mouthed expertise.

If only Mr. Otti will come down from his high horse of elitism to seek for local young people within his party and followers in abia as against imported folks; those young Abians in Abia who are exceptionally brilliant, trained, experienced, genuine with impeccable character and integrity; he wouldn't have had a disastrous 5 months in office.

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