What Gowon will not compromise

Making for quite a splendid time with football, the former head of states, Gen Yakub Gowon, spent a whole 30-day period watching the world cup football in his palatial home, in Kaduna. The retired general, throughout the period the world cup lasted, chose to give maximum attention to the mundial and could tell you right from the blast of the whistle in the first game to the final game that ended last Sunday. He was not deterred by the early ouster of his home team but wrapped himself in the frills, and tension of the game from the beginning to the end. When a colleague called to get his opinion on some national issues, the elder statesman was never ready to offer his thought on any issue other than football. He said, “No issue is greater that the world cup for and until the fiesta is over, I’ll not discuss any issue”. Even when he fixed another date within the World cup period, he declined again. Don’t make mistake, it is not about relaxing with football, it is more about where his heart is. But thank God, he didn’t allow his home team to give him heart attack. His love for football has not waned since he built the first national stadium in the country some four decades ago. For him, the fiesta should continue.