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Supporting the 2014 Abuja Commonwealth Games By Elie Smith
The Nigerian federal capital territory, Abuja is prepared to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She has almost all the needed facilities and the recommendations from the awarding committee are being followed to the letter. Nigeria and Africa are again surprising the world, for all those who have set foot in Abuja, are shocked by its cleanliness and orderliness. The Nigerian capital is a proof that, there is an ocean between perceptions propagated by some media and the realities on the ground. The Commonwealth Games is perhaps the most interesting games in the World, which attracts billions who watch the games on TV, listen through the Radio or read the unfolding events via Newspapers. The only other game that attracts such interest and passion are the Olympics Games. But the hosting rights have not yet been bestowed to the Nigerian capital, Abuja, for she is still in competition with the British Scottish city of Glasgow.
The decision as to which city of the immensely diverse Commonwealth will host the 20th edition of the Games in 2014, will be decided in Colombo, Sri Lanka on the 9th of November this year, 2007. In anticipation that, those awarding the hosting rights will select, Nigeria and her capital, Abuja, there are many reasons and advantages why the Games should be organised in Nigeria in 2014. One simple reason for Abuja to be given the hosting right is that, the games are not meant to prop up Nigeria’s image and prestige. Awarding the hosting right to Nigeria is synonymous to awarding the entire African continent a long sort after prize and recognition. Second, the Abuja Games will coincide with celebrations marking the 100th years of Nigeria’s existence as a young nation, that is finding her way, but nonetheless is managing to impose her footprint in this modern world with all her challenges and finally, it would be grossly unfair for the United Kingdom to have preponderant rights in hosting Commonwealth Games.
Already the UK has organised the events twice in recent times. She organised the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England 2002 and in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1986. Since the first Commonwealth Games that took place in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1930, the Games have been held 19 times and the 19th edition took place in Melbourne, Australia and the 20th edition will be held in New Delhi, India in 2010. In spite the fact that, there are several African countries that are member of the Commonwealth, thus contributing in making the 2 billion population organisation, the most racially and religiously diverse and tolerant political block in the world, she (Africa) has never been given the opportunity to organise the Games. The Commonwealth in itself, is also unique in the fact that, she is one of the rare organisations, that puts on the same table, the colonised and the coloniser, to discuss and work together to find out solutions on how to improve democracy and also how to grow and build economies that will be beneficial to the majority.
And because of the uniqueness of the Commonwealth, she has become a magnet as demonstrated by the desire of other African countries such as: Algeria, Rwanda and Sudan to join the Gentleman’s club. But the Commonwealth is not a grinding mill that accepts all applicants, for she still has problems with recalcitrant and roguish members such as Cameroon or Zimbabwe. The former’s membership is on the line, because of her repeated abuses of human right and fictitious democratic process, while the second has long been shown the door. This show how rigid and also fair the Commonwealth is, and to support the second trait of the organisation, awarding the hosting rights to Abuja will only be confirming the uniqueness of the Commonwealth. It will also show African members of the Commonwealth that, they are part and parcel of the greatest political organisation on earth.
Abuja is truly fit to organise the Games because the city is clean and more, she has the infrastructure and the experience of such big events and according to others, she doesn’t look very much an African city. Whether the last is a compliment or not, it is important to point out that, even the rival city has been shocked and awed by the level of preparedness of Abuja as confirmed by Scottish journalists who travelled to Abuja, Nigeria. Even though the Scottish journalists were positively impressed and feared their city has lost their bid, some have nevertheless resorted to finding faults, eschewing the legendary British fairness (1). Another reason why Abuja should be awarded the hosting rights is because, the saying: “hosting for Africa” is not a mere slogan, for since the Commonwealth Games began, she has almost circumnavigated the world and only Africa has been skipped. Mindful of that and added to the intrinsic qualities , experiences and capabilities of Abuja, support are pouring from all parts of the globe, in particular after a visit to the city and seeing her hosting infrastructures. One great supporter of Abuja, to host the Games is a Canadian by name Paul Taylor.
Speaking to newspapers in his native Nova Scotia, a Canadian province, after a visit to Abuja, he said: “My impression and conviction that, Abuja is the only one for the Commonwealth Games have been further strengthened by my trip (2)” His is not the only one singing praise for Abuja. There is this marvellous story from the secretary general of the Indian Weightlifting Association, who until his visiting to Abuja, was afraid to travel to Nigeria and now, he is a new converted lover of Abuja and Nigeria. He said: “He wishes to attend the Abuja 2014 Games, if he is still alive by then (3).” The positive notes from the Indian who thought Nigeria was hell and Abuja the seat of the devil, who was certainly influenced by bias media reports, follows compliments and advice from Mr Steve Stoute from Barbados and Mrs Yolanda Icela Fonseca from Belize to the Abuja organising committee (4). Abuja 2014 Commonwealth Games hosting bid is far from being a Nigerian affair, it is an African affair, for it will contribute immensely to change the perception not only of Nigeria, but the entire continent and as Paul Taylor nicely puts it: “visiting delegates have changes of perception of Abuja and Nigeria as well.”
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