Nigerian sprint star
I thought our most significant prayer in Nigeria is that name above. Today is Friday, in every all-night service in churches and in every Tahajjud in mosques, that’s the name that the people will scream to high heavens to God.
But why, why, Favour, Favour Ofili, why did your name not work for you? ‘Mo ro pe awon agba maa n so pe oruko omo maa n ro omo ni, I thought the elders say a child’s name will answer for him/her?!’
Today, I watched with disgust how Nigeria participated in the 100-meters heats without Favour Ofili, the country’s most promising medal hopeful in that sprint participating.
Why?
Some Nigerian workers of evil who parade themselves in the position of power whom God will pull down from their heights of glory into the abyss of shame ganged up to deliberately omit her name when sending the list of Nigerian athletes to the International Olympics Committee. This is a sporting event that our bright shining star, Favour Ofili competed for, qualified for, prepared for, hoped for, and dreamed about, and some Nigerian devils in human clothing shredded her dreams by the stroke of a pen in not registering her for the event.
In case you don’t know, this is not the first time that such omissions would happen in Nigeria. Gloria Alozie, Patrick Obikwelu – both of whom later went ahead to compete for Spain and Portugal respectively, Kemi Adekoya, Grace Anigbata, Esther Issa, Ngozi Nwichi, et al have tasted that chalice of evil.
Favour Ofili continues to vent her frustration and anger about her shattered dreams on social media till we watched names like Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, Jose Marie Ta Lou Smith, Sha’Carri Richardson and others bolt past the finish line on our TV screens. But Favour, O Favour, it is not you, it is not your name, it’s those devious elements in power.
May those who continue to connive and contrive to shatter dreams in Nigeria meet their waterloo and swiftly too. ‘And truly it is just before God to reward suffering to your tormentors’ – 2 Thess. 1vs.6 (Aramaic Bible in Plain English version).
Amen, so be it!