Mikel Obi's Brother talks about Life before the fame.
Culled from the Sun.
Football in my family
Actually football runs in my
family. It is something we inherited from my Dad because he was a great player
in his days as a youth. At the moment three of us are into football; I, my
immediate younger brother, Mikel, and our last born.
Impact
The game of football has really
impacted on my family.From, hitherto, a humble
background, football has taken my family to such a great height that we never
imagined. Today, my family is popular both in Nigeria and the world over,
particularly, as a result of the fame of my younger brother, Mikel.
Transformation
Before now, ours was a family that
fed from hand to mouth. We were living in two-room apartment in Jos not because
my Dad could really afford the rent but because he was the care-taker of the
compound. The truth is that we had nothing to offer then. But today, the story
is different; thanks to football.
Apart from Mikel that is playing big time
professional football in Europe, I'm also playing professional football here in
the Nigerian League and my other younger brother is also a footballer. Football
has really done us a lot of good. We now have houses and cars of our own. So, I
give God the glory. How we started our football career When we were growing up,
I was the first to start playing football with a team called Greater Tomorrow
before I joined the Pepsi Football Academy. Not quite long, Mikel joined me at
Pepsi Academy. And that's how we started our football career. Our younger
brother, the last born of my parents is also playing football.
Relationship with Mikel
Mikel is my younger brother. I'm
two years older than him and so he'll continue to be my younger brother. He
respects me a lot as his elder brother and I respect for him too even as my
younger brother. We reason together. If there's something he has for the family
he seeks my advice and we discuss it and agree on what to do. And then I pass
the information to my Dad and Mum. We get along very well and I pray we
continue that way.
Encouragement from Mikel
I must confess that Mikel has
really encouraged me in my football career and I'm grateful to him. I cannot
deny the fact that he has done so much for me and the family as a whole. Each
time he's coming home, he buys me training kits. He brings me the kits of
Chelsea's goalkeeper (Peter Czech). He also buys me clothes, shoes and many
other things. He calls me to wish me well whenever I have a match.
He has been doing a lot to
encourage me in my football career.
Mum is a Chelsea fan
My mum watches Mikel whenever
Chelsea has a match. Even when she travels, she would be rushing back home to
watch Mikel play. She is a Chelsea fan.
Father's kidnap episode
The incident happened when I was
still with Enugu Rangers. The management of Rangers did everything to encourage
me during that trying period. I was on top of my game then so the management
couldn't drop me from the squad. I recall that we (Rangers) were playing in the
continent then. Both the management and my teammates kept encouraging me to
continue to play assuring me that my father would come back safe. It was really
a difficult period for me but I thank God that at the end of the day my father
was released without a ransom paid to the kidnappers.
Actually the kidnappers demanded
for a huge sum of money because they heard that Mikel is paid in thousands of
pounds.
Lessons from Dad's kidnap
In life, we learn from our
experiences. Initially, we were very free with visitors in our home. We used to
welcome everybody into our house but little did we know that some of the people
we welcomed into the house were planning evil against us. But since that kidnap
episode, we have tightened the security within and around the compound. Now
before you come into the family, we must ask who you are. Whenever my Dad goes
out, there are usually security details that keep watch over him.
The same applies to my Mum and
every other member of the family. You may not see the security operatives but
they are always there monitoring every move around members of my family
wherever we are. Even when we move with our private cars, the security details
will always follow. When I'm with my friends, I'm always conscious. In a
nutshell, my Dad's kidnap episode has really opened our eyes to be security
conscious at all times. But in all, God has been our ultimate security; the
author and finisher of our faith.
Mikel won't marry a white
lady
No, no, no! We cannot advise Mikel
to marry a foreigner knowing full well what it involves. We'll make him realize
that if he gets married to a foreigner, whatever comes out of the marriage, he
should be prepared to take it. I wouldn't want my brother to be a victim of a
failed marriage.
Even when I visited him in London,
I warned him about white ladies. I told him that even if he's having a
relationship with a white lady, it should stop at that; he should not allow
such relationship to end up in marriage. I told him whenever he wants to settle
down in marriage, he should come down to Nigeria and pick a wife. If he's
thinking towards the direction of getting married to a white lady, we are not
in support of that. My parents are not in support of him getting married to a
white. If he's in a relationship, that's just a relationship.
No comments:
Post a Comment