Taribo West/Dodo Mayana: A System That Buries Heroes in Shame Applauded by Average Nigerians

 By Abioye Tosin Lawrence 

Tinubu’s Gifts to Falcons and Tigress Raise Questions, While Illiterate Artists and Content Creators Reap Rewards

We are gathered here, not to celebrate, but to reflect on a bitter truth.

A system that buries heroes in shame, a word that's heavy, and capture exactly what is wrong with us as a people.

Not long ago, President Tinubu

rewarded the Super Falcons and the Tigress. A noble gesture, yes. But it forces us to ask: why were such huge gifts doled out?

Let us remember some names.

Christian Chukwu- the great “Chairman,” captain of the Super Eagles that won our first-ever Nations Cup in 1980. A man who carried the green-white-green with discipline and pride. Yet in his later years, he battled illness without the dignity he deserved.

Yisa Sofoluwe- the dependable defender of the 1980s, a rock at the back. When death came for him, he faced it without help, with little attention from the same country he once defended.

Ganiyu Akanni - another talent of his era, gone without honor, his struggles known only to close friends.

Emmanuel Ebiede - once a bright young forward with so much promise. His final days were not spent in glory, but in pain, battling illness with little support.

And there are more. Too many more. Men who once made us rise from our chairs, men who made strangers embrace in joy, men who gave Nigeria respect on the world stage. Yet, when their strength was gone, their country turned its face away.

Imagine this: a hero who once lifted a trophy for Nigeria reduced to begging for medical care. A legend whose sweat watered our pride buried quietly, without national honor. Is this what we call gratitude?

Now look at what we celebrate instead. Entertainers with no legacy, content creators with no depth, musicians whose madness we mistake for talent, these are the ones who receive applause, riches, and reward. Meanwhile, our true heroes, the men who wrote our history on the field, lie forgotten.

Tell me, is this who we are?

When Taribo West says he will never allow his children to play for Nigeria,

do you blame him? Would you give your own child to a system that abandons its champions?

Nigerians, we must search our hearts. A nation that forgets its heroes is already digging the grave of its future. If we continue to clap for the unworthy and neglect those who gave us everything, what lesson do we leave for the next generation? That sacrifice means nothing? That noise is more valuable than honor?

It must not continue.

We must demand a new culture, one that values sacrifice over showmanship, heroes over jesters, dignity over noise. Let us honor our football legends not with empty words, but with lasting structures: healthcare, pensions, public recognition. Let us tell their stories, teach our children their names, and give them the respect they earned.

Because when we honor our heroes, we inspire the next generation to dream.

When we care for those who gave us pride, we protect the soul of our nation.

And when we choose to remember, Nigeria will rise again, not on noise, but on true greatness.

Thank you.

By Abioye Tosin Lawrence is the Publisher of  Oriontimes Online Newspaper, and author of the upcoming memoir titled: Voice from the fire; My journey through a hollow empire