What tickles the fancy of Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari. Do you know?
Yes, he is a prolific writer (or spin Doctor if you would), seasoned editor and consummate talker who fires all cylinders when defending or championing a course. No debate.
He is a fine boy (man) who loves to look good always like a famed musician in the mold of Chief Ebenezer Obey or a movie star like Kanayo O Kanayo? Not debatable.
He perhaps also loves Owambe parties as most fine men do and the other accoutrements (orisirisi) of social life? Debatable.
He loves President Muhammad Buhari to bits and pieces? Not debatable.
He connects with the deep. He is familiar with “centrifugal forces” and “Aiye” (which he describes as pernicious, baleful, sly and scheming part of humanity) working against the success of the current administration. Not debatable.
He hates “Wailing Wailers” who don’t want “Mai Gaskiya” to enjoy his hard earned presidency in peace after 12 years in the wilderness away from Aso Rock? No brainer.
Notwithstanding, what you may not know is that Femi Adesina, is a football lover (although a generous search on google may not link him to any recorded achievement in this regard) his understanding of the history of the game, its icons and defining moments, astounds many.
So, does the game of football tickle the fancy of Mr. Adesina? It appears so.
Egbon Femi seizes every opportunity to talk about and associate with the beautiful game of soccer (most especially) and sports generally both locally and internationally.
But working for a boss whose love for Colour Party match pasts far outstrips his love for Rashidi Yekini, presents limited chances for the original proponent of “Wailing Wailers” to associate with what is clearly a childhood passion.
However, when out of the blues he sees a window to connect with his passion, he seizes such with uncommon effusiveness, as he did on Wednesday when veteran football goal keeper, Zion Ogunfeyimi paid him an unscheduled visit at the villa.
Below is vintage Femi Adesina reminiscing on the rare visit of a sport legend, Pa Zion Ogunfeyimi, to Aso Rock in his piece titled: FOOTBALL HISTORY CAME TO THE VILLA:
“He started as a schoolboy goalkeeping hero.
“Then he joined the then WNDC Football Club, where he became the number one goalkeeper.
“The team metamorphosed into IICC Shooting Stars Football Club, where he was part of the team that won the first ever international soccer laurel for Nigeria in 1976. The Cup Winners Cup competition.
“In 1975, he had also got a call up to the then Green Eagles, now Super Eagles. His name? Zion Ogunfeyimi, super goalkeeper, whom I first got to know at close quarters as a secondary schoolboy in 1975.
“Zion was succeeded as Shooting Stars goalkeeper by Best Ogedegbe, now of blessed memory. Knocking hard at 71, the man is not looking bad at all. All the way from Akure, Ondo State, he climbed the hills and the valleys, and came to see me at the Presidential Villa, in Abuja.
“When he walked into my office, it was football history that walked in. I saluted him the same way as I used to do 46 years ago Z for Zion. It was, indeed, a blast from the past,” he wrote.
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