Greetings everyone🙌
When I was growing up, I learned that money is a spirit, and as such, the faces that appear on its design must be the faces of dead people. I found this so awkward and asked so many questions, hoping to one day, see a Naira note designed with the face of someone who's alive, but till today, I'm yet to see it.
I witness the era where some of the Naira notes were introduced into existence, and that's especially the 1,000-naira note. When this money came, I did research on the two faces therein, and I found that they were people who "made a name" when they were alive.
"So, it's not just anyone that can be in the face of our naira note; it must be a face or someone important." I pondered and began to rate all the present administrators of that time to check if they'd be qualified to be in the face of the "upcoming" Naira notes, and none of them merited that within my standard.
Why? It's because the people in charge of the affairs of the country had nothing to write home about. However, I noticed that it's not in my place to give merit; it's in the hands of the people in government, and who they see as qualified may not be who's on my mind because...they are all the same. Let me not go further.
Again, I sat down and thought far about any good, past and late leadership in many sectors of this country, and I couldn't find one. It was so hard for me because I'm not so into politics, and as such, the only ones I knew were the top-rated ones, and their tenures were nothing to write home about.
However, being a patriotic person when it comes to sports, my mind navigated and landed on Stephen Keshi. Yes, you read it right.
Although I wasn't sensible when he played and captained the national football team of my country, the Super Eagles, I read so much about him, and he put smiles on the faces of Nigeria more than any other past president, minister, or governor.
He was the captain of the squad that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, which is not easy to come by in Nigeria, and I imagine how Nigerians, especially my dad, were happy in that year.
It didn't just stop there; this same man, after he retired from playing, returned back to Nigeria to head the 2013 Super Eagles squad as head coach, and guess what? He won the Africa Cup of Nations that year, and that has been our recent gold medal till today.
Okay, on this day(2013), I was alive and sensible a little bit. I watched the match, especially the moment Sunday Mba scored the winning goal, which put the whole of Nigeria in a Christmas mood. That day, immediately after the match, sport-loving guys stormed the street with bands and drums and pulled up a large, crowded rally. Their joy was immeasurable.
Oftentimes, I do go to YouTube to have a relive of the match and the celebration on the pitch and how Stephen Keshi was celebrated that day with players throwing him up and catching him.
His impact was so much that the name a stadium after him in Delta state.
Gosh! If this man happens to appear in the face of any Naira note, people will be well pleased, especially me.
The man who won the Africa Cup of Nations both as a player and a coach. It's not easy.
Thanks for reading.