THOSE who went to public schools in the 70s and 80s will know the ball called Omolere. This plastic ball which came in various colours ' yellow, red, blue, green, purple ' was popular.It was fun then playing with Omolere.At Ebenezer African Church School, Ibadan, majority of us had this ball. It was always in our school bags. We could play Omolere anywhere and anytime.It was this culture that we (myself and my brothers) took to Ondo when we left Ibadan in the late 70s.In the Sabo area of Ondo town, everybody also had Omolere.In weeks, we knew all the youths in the area.I can't remember the names of all the streets in that axis now but we were all over the place, holding Omolere and looking for any available opportunity to test our Pele skills.Of course, we were little rascals. It was this rascality that forced us to enter a church one day and started playing. The compound was large enough to accommodate two teams but we wanted to have extra fun inside the church auditorium.The church: Oke Igbala Olu Cherubim and Seraphim Church.The founder: my grandfather, Archbishop Benjamin Akinadewo Adekahunsi.He was alive then.I can't remember what really happened but I'm sure we must have told other youths to 'follow us because it is our father's church joo.'I can't remember others but I know that my brothers, Raphael and Israel, my cousins, Sunkanmi, Femi, were active participants.In churches, pews were not in vogue then but benches.We parked all the benches, put two stones near the entrance, (first goalpost), put two near the altar (second goalpost) and we started playing Omolere. We were so excited playing inside the big church.The noise was deafening.Pass the ball to me, block him, don't allow him to go, fire it, it is a gooooooal.It was endless.The funny aspect was that the keeper manning the post near the altar was not in the class of Best Ogedegbe or Emmanuel Okala.As we were scoring, Omolere was endlessly entering the altar and we would rush inside the 'holy place' to retrieve the ball.Our noise must have attracted my father who was on his way out.I'm sure he couldn't have imagined that people could be playing ball right inside the church.We were so engrossed in the game that we didn't see him when he came. I just noticed that one of us went on his knees. I couldn't understand. Then, he was joined by another rascal. As they went down, they were looking at the entrance.When I looked in the direction and I saw him, I just said in my mind: 'It is finished'.Some of us started crying.May be it is because we were first offenders, I can't really say but my father just told us to ask for forgiveness from God, arrange the benches and leave the church with our Omolere.Nobody prayed for any forgiveness. In fact, we were too afraid to pray. The moment he left, we arranged the benches and disappeared.In those days, it was fun playing football. Today, people kill in the name of football.I always argue that I don't know what may warrant the killing of a fellow being in the name of anything.People are just too heartless in this country.Most football fans these days behave as if they have just finished drinking buckets of ogogoro mixed with igbo.For heaven's sake, the way people passionately react when it comes to football is sickening.I doubt it if there is anybody who is related to Didier Drogba in this country but what I saw last week in my area was too bad.Two guys and their supporters were fighting over Drogba and another name I can't remember.It took the intervention of some guys to separate the combatants.When I saw the scene, I remember a story published by the Nigerian Compass on August 20.Mr. A.B. Ademolu was the Marketing Manager at the Akute, Ogun State branch of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).He was trying to rescue his officials from the hands of some angry football fans when he was killed.An eye-witness said: 'They (mob) pursued him from the spot of the incident, right into the PHCN premises. He was dragged out of the van and beaten until he fainted. We poured water on him but we couldn't revive him.'Ademolu was said to be in his 40s, with wife and children. How do we want his family members to feel about this country'He was said to have sent out a team to disconnect some lines illegally tapped in the area.We all know the excesses of PHCN officials. Fine. But does that warrant this type of killing'That Nigerians are heartless is no longer in contention.What we need to find out is: who is responsible for this heartlessness' The leaders or those being led'The situation in this country is so bad that people believe they can do anything and get away, even in the name of soccer. The football madness in this country has gone to the level of fans dressing cows in the colour of their favourite clubs.There was this finals between two European clubs a few months back and Nigeria stood still.That night, because a team lost, some people were killed.Somebody committed suicide in Port Harcourt and in one of the South-Eastern cities, policemen had to use force to chase away rival fans who wanted to burn the house of a fellow Nigerian supporting another club.Madness.The other day, a Pentecostal Church pastor appeared on a popular television station in Lagos, wearing a T-shirt with the inscription, Carlsberg.Of course, a man of God has the right to love football or any other game.But Carlsberg is a popular beer in Europe and the Bible is against alcohol, so, how will this pastor defend his wearing this T-shirt, all because he wanted people to know that he was in love with a club sponsored by Carlsberg'It is sad that we are now in an era of anything goes. Some will argue that the government has killed football in Nigeria and that is the reason youths are being driven towards foreign clubs.Fine argument but this is a country that everything is foreign-driven. Movies, fashion, culture, just name it.I don't know how the killing of a fellow Nigerian can be justified just because he was supporting Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United or any club.It is sad that this madness is not even because of Shooting Stars, Rangers, Mighty Jets or Bendel Insurance.Football hooliganism is all over the world. When you see the British in action, you will run because they are the worst.There was a particular tournament years ago. The British team was billed to meet Holland and their supporters called for a pre-match fight.The police had to strengthen security to forestall the clash.The British, Dutch, Americans and the rest can go haywire.I have no problem with that because these are guys who do not think of power outage, bad roads, typhoid-infested pure water, Agege bread, etc.The summary is that they have everything in life and they are just looking for 'dangerous' fun, what we call bekun bekun in Yoruba.But here, what are we excited about'If you kill a fellow Nigerian, do you think Eto'o, Adebayor or Essien will be excited where he is'A bunch of fanatics.'Article first published on September 20, 2008
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