Re: MRI Tests: Myths and Reality
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2018 7:00 pm
pajimoh wrote:txj wrote: There you go again, accusing me of justifying inaction.
What you don't seem to appreciate and I'm pointing out is the difficulty, cost and the overall need to deal with what is a societal problem. APOLOGIES...
ACCEPTED
Have you ever tried chasing your own documents in Nigeria? Documents are lost and found based on what changes hands.
Have you been told to come back another time because the person you need to see is busy or on holiday? Have you ever been told to write an official letter and wait for a response? YES; I lived and worked in Nigeria- both in govt and prvte coys.
Still doesn't explain whether you grasp the frustrating nature of trying to get people to do what they are paid to do in a timely manner?That is precisely my point. I have lived the experience multiple times over. However it is not about me.
You then expect our lazy NFF to keep going through this everytime they are required to verify a player for every tournament that requires verification. No. They do not have the capacity to do this by themselves, hence the suggestion about using vendors who do this for a living.
I still think you're missing the point and why it's so difficult to rely on anyone in Nigeria to do the right thing. Banks are supposed to do the right thing to laid down local and international guidelines. Do they? Politicians, health sector etc. You now want to outsource the verification process to angels? Vendors who do what for a living? The NFF will employ the vendors or form their own vendor company, charge the NFF, verify nothing and life goes on. That is the narrative about Naija; the reality is different. There are many reputable coys doing good work in Naija; meeting and exceeding the best professional standards anywhere, under exacting conditions I might add.
How do you know players born after 2000 their number cannot be significant? You trivializes the challenges and make it difficult to come up with an effective solution. Based on eligibility requirements for this category, that is where the MAJORITY of the sample population will be drawn from.
You're now claiming we have authentic record keeping in Nigeria but we also know authentic records can be altered, all for a fee. Isn't that why we said most documents and records cannot be relied upon? Does not change the fact of our record keeping. What you have pointed out is the absence of mechanisms for protecting the validity of records, a criminal justice issue.
We have laws and guidelines to cover most thing in Nigeria. The fact that they are not been followed is why Nigeria a a mess today. Yes we keep records but we also alter those records at will for anyone willing to pay. So what good are such records? You are referring to alteration of records obtained by individuals. That is different from the original records in the system. Besides, there is always the option of use of supporting documents to validate birth records. These are process issues that can easily be addressed.
We are in agreement regarding the will to do the right thing and that cuts across everything in Nigeria. The NFF certainly can be faulted for that but they don't work in isolation. Even if they are willing, how about the support structure, individuals etc. Nigeria is what it is now because hardly anything functions the way it ought. Not just the NFF or our football. True. But the discussion here is specific to the NFF and its lack of will to do the right thing.
And the NFF will have to, in the course of discharging their duties, interact with other groups, institutions and individuals. If they are also corrupt what then? NFF doesn't work in isolation We already agree that no system is foolproof. However, the major factors that prevent the NFF from verifying ages of players is not the result of its interaction with other institutions.
If going to the hospital to verify their record becomes the defacto proof that is required and you think our people will not find a way to circumvent that too then....True. There are also mechanisms to address this. For instance, it is possible to begin the verification process in advance of announcement/invitation of players. Plus, the birth records are only one of several documents. Verification processes often involve the use of proxies (support documents), in this case such as education records, immunization records, church records, etc...In addition, it is also possible to drop players u cannot validate their records, just like the MRI does.../color]
The common mistake of many of us in the diaspora is to automatically assume everything is bad in Nigeria. That is a far cry from reality. Let me give u an example: when the ebola crisis hit Lagos, health systems in the US were prepping for a major disaster/rescue effort, based on the data they have always had about Nigeria. The success of the Nigerian effort was received here with MAJOR SHOCK!!! Some even doubted the outcomes...